Distance: approx 386 miles
Drive time: approx 6 hours (non-stop)
Fire up the Mustang, crank up Pet Sounds and hit the Pacific Coast Highway with the roof down. Starting in Mendocino County, the Pacific Coast Highway runs for 650 miles snaking along the California coast down to San Juan Capistrano, 55 miles south of Los Angeles.
The classic California road trip starts from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, winds south through Santa Cruz, Salinas and Monterey, with its Steinbeck-famous Cannery Row. Then onwards to Big Sur, where the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains and giant redwood groves drop down into the crashing Pacific Ocean, before daisy-chaining through the beach towns into LA. But there are alternative routes.
Take a detour
Turn off the classic PCH drag and head west from the Golden Gate Bridge to explore the wine regions of Sacramento, or take in the natural majesty of South Lake Tahoe, both within a three-hour drive of San Francisco. In the middle of the Cali coast is San Luis Obispo, dubbed “the happiest place in America”. Its SLO-Cal dining scene is influenced by the surrounding vineyards and temperate Mediterranean climate.
Swing by Morro Bay State Park, a saltwater marsh where you can spot blue herons, hummingbirds and sea otters. Just a short drive further up the coast is Cambria, where thousands of elephant seals loaf about in the Piedras Blancas Friends of the Elephant Seal rookery.
While the usual route might take in the wineries and palm-fringed beaches of Santa Barbara, instead consider Solvang, a sugar-dusted slice of Denmark in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. A cutesy Danish town surrounded by vineyards, Solvang’s half-timbered houses, wood-panelled windmills and Danish bakeries are an Instagrammer’s dream. Stop for a Danish Red lager at the Copenhagen Sausage Garden or a bowl of Juliette’s legendary split pea soup at Pea Soup Andersen’s, while a replica of the Little Mermaid can be found in Denmark Square.
On the road
The USA is a land of contrasts, one best explored on two or four wheels.
With borders now open, discover the States’ endless possibilities for adventure and plan your own epic road trip story in 2022.
Ensure that you check travel restrictions and requirements before you travel.
For more information and to book, go to visittheusa.co.uk
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