Overview:
Day One: Los Angeles to Ojai (82 miles). Just seven miles northwest of Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1), you can’t s... more »kip the Getty Villa (reservation required), a re-creation of an ancient Herculaneum mansion, with statuary and gardens. A few miles north, stop for a fried-scallop sandwich or fish-and-chips at the oceanfront Malibu Seafood (lunch for two $25). Thirty miles later, the PCH joins the coast-hugging United States 101. Here, take Route 33 to the village of Ojai. Arrive before dark for the sunset that casts the Topa Topa bluffs in a rosy glow. After a dinner of linguine with steamed clams or crab-and-corn cakes in the garden of Suzanne’s Cuisine (dinner for two $80), wander over to Bart’s Books, the country’s largest outdoor bookstore, with hundreds of thousands of titles and honor-system cashboxes for late-night shopping. Drift off reading a 35-cent novel in one of the nine Mission Revival suites at Great Value Su Nido Inn (doubles from $209).
Day Two: Ojai to Pismo Beach (120 miles). You can’t leave artsy Ojai without visiting the Pottery, the rustic studio workshop of Midcentury ceramist Otto Heino, who, at the age of 95, produces museum-worthy pieces. Route 150 heads out of the valley from Ojai and hits United States 101. In Santa Barbara, pull over for a stroll and people-watching along Butterfly Beach. In Pismo Beach, 70 miles north, order the chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at the tiny Splash Café (dinner for two $20). Spend the night high on the bluffs in an airy oceanfront suite at the Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa (suites from $520).
Day Three: Pismo Beach to San Simeon (77 miles). Head to the spa at Sycamore Mineral Springs (treatments from $75) for a grape seed_extract massage. In Atascadero, about 12 miles north, aromatic soaps and sachets are for sale at Green Acres Lavender Farm. And don’t miss a curried chicken sandwich at Art Café and Bakery (lunch for two $25). Follow Route 41 west to the giant oceanfront chessboard on the Embarcadero at Morro Bay. Head north on Route 1 to San Simeon, a dramatic stretch of cliffs and the entry point to La Cuesta Encantada (tours from $20), the Mediterranean Revival estate and museum known simply as Hearst Castle.
TOTAL MILES: 279 less «
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
- Home
-
Los Angeles
- Hotels
- Flights
- Vacation Rentals
- Restaurants
- Things to Do
- Best of 2013
- Your Friends
-
More
- Write a Review
-
Sign in with Facebook
- Sign in
- Register Now!
- FREE Mobile App
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
Overview: Day One: Los Angeles to Ojai (82 miles). Just seven miles northwest of Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1), you can’t s... more »
Take this guide with you!
- 1. Download the EveryTrail app from the App Store
- 2. Search for the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide
- 3. Enjoy your self-guided tour
Points of Interest
Don’t miss the curried chicken sandwich.
Address:
6005 El Camino Real
Atascadero, California
United States
Phone:
(805) 461-8300
An open-air used bookstore set in the frame of a traditional (though roofless) house.
Address:
302 W. Matilija St.
Ojai, California
United States
Phone:
(805) 646-3755
Many private homes don’t have the wiggle room provided by the villas at this contemporary-Mediterranean resort on a bluff above a beautiful central California coast beach, just off Highway 1. The 61 one- and two-bedroom accommodations have private entrances and terraces and measure 935 to 2,100 square feet. Neat and tidy beige-on-cream living... More
Sit down to a plate of grilled salmon and sourdough bread at the casual, terraced restaurant. Gaze out on the ocean while you nosh on a fried-scallop sandwich or fish-and-chips.
Address:
25653 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Malibu, California
United States
Phone:
(310) 456-3430
Visit the rustic studio workshop of Midcentury ceramist Otto Heino, who, at the age of 95, produces museum-worthy pieces.
Address:
971 McAndrew Rd.
Ojai, California
United States
Phone:
(805) 646-3393
Order the chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at this tiny spot.
Address:
197 Pomeroy Ave.
Pismo Beach, California
United States
Phone:
(805) 773-4653
All nine rooms at this Mission revival-style, all-suite hotel have super-plush beds and custom tile work; three have vaulted ceilings.
Address:
301 N. Montgomery St.
Ojai, California
United States
Phone:
(805) 646-7080
Dine on the slate patio of this 15-year-old local institution that serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes made with organic produce from area farmers.
Address:
502 W. Ojai Ave.
Ojai, California
United States
Phone:
(805) 640-1961
Head to the spa for a grape seed-extract massage.
Address:
1215 Avila Beach Dr.
San Luis Obispo, California
United States
Phone:
(800) 234-5831
- Select a TripAdvisor site:
-
-
We support the following browsers: Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox. Mac: Safari.