Sights and Sounds: Pacific Coast Highway Northern Tip

I have been obsessing about Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) since our first visit to Hearst Castle. Coming from Sacramento, after driving through the scenic hills of Highway 46, we took Highway 1 or PCH to get to Hearst Castle. I knew instantly that it was a road trip we had to take.

It is arguably one of the most beautiful drives in America, as stated on Culture Trip.  PCH is a scenic coast-hugging drive from the northern to the southern tip of California passing through metropolitan cities like San Francisco and San Diego as well as quaint charming towns like Santa Barbara and Cambria. On one side is the the vast Pacific Ocean and on the other is the rugged California terrain that changes in almost each bend. Aside from the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, what makes PCH special is an eclectic array of spots to visit from winery regions to seaside villages and historical landmarks!

This blog is Part 1 of 3 of our PCH Road Trip series. While it only takes about 10 hours to complete, PCH is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. And what was originally planned as a week-long trip, ended up being broken down into 3 separate trips! This blog post, covers the northern tip of Highway 1 starting from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay then to Cambria. This was also a completely spontaneous trip!

Day 1 San Francisco

Since we’re not ready to take on the road full time, we take mini road trips on our days off! With my constant need to be close to the ocean, the Bay Area is an easy choice for a getaway! We spent the day exploring one of my most favorite spots in San Francisco - Lands End. While my husband napped, I took the hike down to Pebble Beach.

After the hike and while waiting for sunset, I made spaghetti for dinner! Since we don’t have a fridge in the van yet, our menu is limited! Most often, I have to cook the meat the same day I bought it. You have to see the butcher’s face when I asked for half a pound ground beef.

Day 2 Half Moon Bay

Because the weather was nice and warm, which is rare for Bay Area in spring, we’ve decided to have a beach day at Dunes Beach! When in HMB, Dunes Beach is our favorite spot to park our van in! The parking lot has a direct view of the beach and the ocean and it’s mostly empty so we usually open both back doors to let the outside in! Dunes Beach also has an easy access to the beach and clean bathrooms.

Lunch Menu | grilled cheese on sourdough bread and tomato bisque

After a full-on beach day, we stayed in Dunes Beach to watch the sunset. Bay Area is mostly shrouded in fog but we were lucky to have clear skies to end our day!

Day 3 Big Sur & Cambria

After spending an entire beach day in Half Moon Bay, we couldn’t quite decide what to do next. So we drove south on PCH to check out other parks and beaches. What was a quick drive ended up becoming a total of 6 hours drive that ended in Cambria. Somewhere past Monterey, our phones lost data for our map and we decided to keep driving until we find something interesting. Then, we arrived at the famous Bixby Bridge.

Bixby Bridge is named the most instagrammable stop on Big Sur and rightfully so by Visit California! Completed in 1932, Bixby Bridge soars above the bottom of the steep canyon carved by the Bixby Creek according to Visit California. Not having data in our cell phones was a bit frustrating since we can’t look for our next destination. So we’ve decided to drive further south and to our surprise found ourselves looking over McWay Falls.

As we were driving, we saw a bunch of cars parked and few people walking. We thought we should check out what they were there for as well! The vista point doesn’t have any signs and from an unprepared bunch like us, there is no telling that McWay Falls can be seen from here. It is a remarkable waterfall dropping into an untouched cove on the California Coast, according to the McWay Falls website. There is no access to this beach however the short quarter mile hike to the view point more than makes up for it! It truly is a stunning sight!

Our parking spot on PCH near McWay Falls was an excellent place to nap in before continuing on! And what a lovely view we had!

After a power nap, we we’re ready to take on the road again and traveled further south! Still without any data in our phones, we can’t look for a place to camp in for the night so we kept driving south until reaching the next town with a grocery store to buy dinner. We drove and drove and drove, admiring the beautiful scenery in front of us and taking stops to take pictures along the way!

With the amount of rain we had last winter, California is enjoying a super bloom with flowers sprouting in so many different areas mostly in the south. I just had to stop and take pictures of this random super bloom along PCH!

What I most love about road trips are the conversations my husband and I have. We talk about anything and everything, laugh a lot, have meaningful conversations, sing to our 80's playlist or guilty pleasure songs and admiring the vast expanse in front of us! Sometimes, we listen to audiobooks, podcast or listen to Skip and Shannon argue about the Golden State Warriors. On this road trip however, we couldn’t use our phones and stuck to karaoke and annoying each other!

Few hours more of driving after McWay Falls and we found something familiar! The Elephant Seal Vista Point in San Simeon is one of our stops on our last visit to Hearst Castle. I can’t help but admire the life these elephant seals are living! Soak in the sun, sand and sea all day! I could really use more days like that!

We drove further south until reaching the beautiful town of Cambria where we camped for the night! But first… a quick stop at a local market and JBJ’s Roundup Pizza for their cinnamon rolls! Every time we find ourselves in Cambria, a cinnmon roll stop at JBJ’s Roundup Pizza is a tradition!

We found an excellent parking spot to eat dinner and watch the sunset in! Dinner was a pre-cooked pork chop steak we picked up from the market and some corn and rice. I can’t remember the name of the park but it was near the ocean-side hotels. This is the closest to the water we’ve parked during this trip! We also got to hangout with these overweight squirrels! Later on that afternoon, I saw a lady throwing feeds around the park most likely for the squirrels.

After dinner, we took a much-need stretch and walked around the beach! And then, it was golden hour! Because of the layout of our van, we mostly open our back doors but tonight, we enjoyed a doze of sunset in bed through our side sliding door.

There’s no better way to watch the sunset than in your own bed and with fluffy pillows! I didn’t realize that until van life!

Day 4 Sacramento Bound through CA Highway 46

Heading back home is always bittersweet especially after an incredible 3 days on PCH but going through one of my favorite highways, the CA Highway 46 gives me something to look forward to on our way back home! CA Highway 46 is an east to west road that rises to a height of approximately 1700 feet before descending to the coast, according to Discover Central California. Along the way are turnouts with with some very spectacular views! I love stopping by one of the highest point of the highway to take pictures and driving through a sprawl of vineyards! CA Highway 46 sums up what California is hugely about… the coast, the wineries and the ever-changing landscapes!

What an incredible mini and spontaneous road trip this was! Watch out for Part 2 where we picked up and started our PCH road trip in Santa Barbara! Thanks for coming along on the road with us! PCH is one trip you have to take especially if living in or near California! The view of the turquoise coast and the stops along the way will make for a memorable road trip! Cheers!