Driving Pacific Coast Highway

[Muumuu]

A thought just occured to me. DD and I are cruising Pride Mar 09. Would like to fly to Seattle and drive down to Long Beach. Would we encounter snow at this time of year? I am clueless about the west coast. If there is usually snow at this time any suggestions to fly into for a partial drive of PCH? Is PCH a slow drive where the sights can be enjoyed? Are there pull off photo shoot areas? It has always been a dream of mine to drive the PCH and to sail through the Panama Canal and this trip may fufill both. Any other info and tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

[JCspartan117]

More than likely not. However, it does rain along the coast a bit. Lowland snow around the Pac Coast Hwy is unlikely at that time of year.

[cookingchick]

A thought just occured to me. DD and I are cruising Pride Mar 09. Would like to fly to Seattle and drive down to Long Beach. Would we encounter snow at this time of year? I am clueless about the west coast. If there is usually snow at this time any suggestions to fly into for a partial drive of PCH? Is PCH a slow drive where the sights can be enjoyed? Are there pull off photo shoot areas? It has always been a dream of mine to drive the PCH and to sail through the Panama Canal and this trip may fufill both. Any other info and tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Fly into San Francisco and drive down from there...spectacular scenery...exactly what you're looking for...plenty of places to stop for photo ops. Be sure to do the 17 mile drive in Pacific Grove/Pebble Beach, the aquarium in Monterey, and eat at Gladstone's in Malibu.

 

It's equally as beautiful north of S.F. but I think you'll get what you're after with a shorter drive...it takes much longer to drive PCH than it does the freeway so you have to take that into consideration.

[cruzegirl]

You might definitely find snow if your driving from Seattle to Long Beach, California. The Washington/Oregon states have had a rough winter. If not snow, lot's of rain. I live in Southern California and I've been surrounded by snow covered mountains up until 1 week ago.

Yes, you could fly into San Francisco but it's very wet/rainy there. I would recommend flying into LAX at 1 day early, renting a car and then take the day and drive up PCH...... You could 4-5 hours, see all that you could see and then drive back. Tons of photo ops.... You could go to Ventura and take photos... It's beautiful there..... If you decide the latter, email me..... I'll give you ideas.......

[Fancy_Goods]

A thought just occured to me. DD and I are cruising Pride Mar 09. Would like to fly to Seattle and drive down to Long Beach. Would we encounter snow at this time of year? I am clueless about the west coast. If there is usually snow at this time any suggestions to fly into for a partial drive of PCH? Is PCH a slow drive where the sights can be enjoyed? Are there pull off photo shoot areas? It has always been a dream of mine to drive the PCH and to sail through the Panama Canal and this trip may fufill both. Any other info and tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

It really doesn't ever snow on the West Coast especially along Highway 1/101. And by March, it's definitely springtime....everything is green, the trees blooming, etc. You may get rain, but not snow. From Seattle, it's a long drive to Long Beach.....3 days minimum, 4 to 5 days are better. Lots of pull offs for photo ops, lots of cool places to stop and visit. More places than you'll have time I'm sure.

[cookingchick]

You might definitely find snow if your driving from Seattle to Long Beach, California. The Washington/Oregon states have had a rough winter. If not snow, lot's of rain. I live in Southern California and I've been surrounded by snow covered mountains up until 1 week ago.

Yes, you could fly into San Francisco but it's very wet/rainy there. I would recommend flying into LAX at 1 day early, renting a car and then take the day and drive up PCH...... You could 4-5 hours, see all that you could see and then drive back. Tons of photo ops.... You could go to Ventura and take photos... It's beautiful there..... If you decide the latter, email me..... I'll give you ideas.......

 

LOL...Ventura is nice and all but I kind of don't think that that is exactly what MuuMuu envisioned when she said she always dreamed of driving the PCH. I'm thinking it's more like The Lone Cypress, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Cannery Row in Monterey, Bixby Bridge and the other suspension bridges. Even if it's raining up the coast (sometimes especially if it's raining), the scenery north of Santa Barbara is some of the most spectacular in the state, in my not too humble opinion. But you can't really get to those places on a day trip from L.A...it would definitely require an overnight so why not drive down from S.F. instead of retracing your steps?

[dommer573]

I drove to Seattle from L.A. a couple of times. In march it will almost certainly be raining somewhere from Seattle to Sacramento, but there is alot of beautiful scenery to be seen (lots of trees, rivers, mountains). If you have the time, spent a day in Seattle. Its a great city. Then drive through Oregon and make a few stops. Someone from this area might have some good suggestion as what and were, I can't really help you there. Portland looked nice from the freeway. In Nocal you could stop at Mt. Shasta, Sacramento, etc. You definitely need to stop in San Francisco and spend a day or two. From there you can catch the 101 (I think) to P.C.H. (highway 1). See Carmel, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Solvang, (sp) L.A., Disneyland, the O.C., Newport Beach etc. You could spend a week or two and not see it all. By the way, I'm not sure, but I don't think that P.C.H. goes all the way to Seattle. I know that it goes further north than San Fran, but I think it kind of slow and not much to see other than Muir Woods. as far as snow, you should be o.k. if you stick to the freeways, but again, you should ask someone from up north.

[-ClevelandRocks-]

If you've got the time, GO for it! I did LA to SF on my Super Glide and took Hwy 1 instead of 101 when possuble. The trip is incredible especially through Big Sur. When you go through Florence OR on PCH, look for this place if you like 60's style diners. You eat in the car, but the car's inside the building. My son lives in Florence and we went there when I visited last year. Very cool joint!

 

 

[dlstex]

It really doesn't ever snow on the West Coast especially along Highway 1/101. And by March, it's definitely springtime....everything is green, the trees blooming, etc. You may get rain, but not snow. From Seattle, it's a long drive to Long Beach.....3 days minimum, 4 to 5 days are better. Lots of pull offs for photo ops, lots of cool places to stop and visit. More places than you'll have time I'm sure.

Absolutley agree. Have done this drive many times and each time I am amazed at the beauty of the landscapes. You will need three days of casual driving with lots of stops just from Seattle to Fan Francisco and another two to three days to get to Long Beach. You will never regret it.

[Sirwinston]

The Drive S.F. to L.A. is amazing. I have not gone all the way to WA.

Everyone should do it at least once..

 

Tom In Long Beach

[angelsx4]

Seattle to Long Beach is a LONG drive. I'd fly in to SF and drive down from there, and that's still a day's worth. I just moved from San Luis Obispo (mid point on the coast between SF and LA). It's atleast a 5 hour drive down to L.A. And it's not exactly an easy drive, you need to get off and on a lot of freeways! I avoid driving in S. California at any cost. As far as road conditions, no snow, but you could encounter spring rain issues. When it rains near Big Sur area, they close the drive because of landslides if it's heavy downpour. It would be just my luck. But, if you do, make sure you plan to stop near San Simeon to see the Elephant Seals. I'm a 3rd generation native to SLO, so feel free to email me if you plan on visiting there, I have some favorites.

[welldone60]

It is a long drive and alot slower than the freeway. With that said, if you have the time, go for it. There will be rain some of the time, very little chance of snow along the coast. We have drivin most of the PCH and it has some awsome sights and towns along the way. I would plan on 4 or 5 days.

[welldone60]

It is a long drive and alot slower than the freeway. With that said, if you have the time, go for it. There will be rain some of the time, very little chance of snow along the coast. We have drivin most of the PCH and it has some awsome sights and towns along the way. I would plan on 4 or 5 days.

[denisey]

You might definitely find snow if your driving from Seattle to Long Beach, California. The Washington/Oregon states have had a rough winter. If not snow, lot's of rain. I live in Southern California and I've been surrounded by snow covered mountains up until 1 week ago.

Yes, you could fly into San Francisco but it's very wet/rainy there. I would recommend flying into LAX at 1 day early, renting a car and then take the day and drive up PCH...... You could 4-5 hours, see all that you could see and then drive back. Tons of photo ops.... You could go to Ventura and take photos... It's beautiful there..... If you decide the latter, email me..... I'll give you ideas.......

 

LOL! That's just what we tell people, so they don't come up here! We get almost no snow in Seattle, maybe one storm a year. The snow is in the mountains West of here. Seattle is also not on the Coast, so it takes 3 hours or so to hit the Pacific Coast Highway. But it is beautiful, it might rain and it is a leisurely drive.

[woodey]

I am with the Fly into San Francisco and drive south vote....Stay a day or two in Frisco ...go to Alcatraz have dinner in fisherman's wharf....on the way south stop in Carmel/Monterey and have lunch in Big Sur.....make sure you take your time...driving time from SF to LA is about 12 to 14 hours depending on lunch time and traffic......give yourself time....when you get closer to Santa Barbara area stop at Hearst castle...spend a day in that area, at that point your only a few hours from LA its a great great trip to do...I did it 6/06 coming home from a cruise leaving from SF and i spent 2 days to do the drive ( i live by LA) and i wish i had alot more time....

[cruzegirl]

LOL...Ventura is nice and all but I kind of don't think that that is exactly what MuuMuu envisioned when she said she always dreamed of driving the PCH. I'm thinking it's more like The Lone Cypress, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Cannery Row in Monterey, Bixby Bridge and the other suspension bridges. Even if it's raining up the coast (sometimes especially if it's raining), the scenery north of Santa Barbara is some of the most spectacular in the state, in my not too humble opinion. But you can't really get to those places on a day trip from L.A...it would definitely require an overnight so why not drive down from S.F. instead of retracing your steps?

 

I agree.... But if she doesn't have time, she could do my suggestion... Those places you mentioned are definitely beautiful....... :D

[cruzegirl]

LOL! That's just what we tell people, so they don't come up here! We get almost no snow in Seattle, maybe one storm a year. The snow is in the mountains West of here. Seattle is also not on the Coast, so it takes 3 hours or so to hit the Pacific Coast Highway. But it is beautiful, it might rain and it is a leisurely drive.

 

You guys tell people alot more than that to get them to not come there....lol.... Especially if they are from California..... I used to live outside of Seattle in Snohomish...... We hated to see California people there.... lol....

And we had alot of snow when I was little.....I have photos to prove it...lol..... But by March it should be ok.... I remember the ferries across the way to go to Dog shows with my mom...... Wild times.

[tektron]

I concur with the "drive south" vote from SFO to LA... it's easy to get to the PCH (actually called "the Cabrillo Hwy" most of the way) from "the 101" ; it branches off "the 280".

 

But...last time I did the drive last fall (did a monster drive in one day from SFO all the way to San Diego :eek: ), Hwy 1 was FOGGED IN just about the entire stretch from SFO to Morro Bay. :( I was really bummed.

 

And a good place to stop is Half Moon Bay... though not as nice as Half Moon Cay (gotta keep this thread at least slightly on a Carnival topic :p )

[Willie T]

Hwy 101 is narrow sometimes curvy. Sometimes foggy, and often windy, but always awesome. Mt Shasta and Sacramento are a long ways from the coast. Washington, Oregon and California coast lines are a vacation in themselves, if you throw in a cruise through the Panama canal, priceless.

[roseoftx]

Just to throw one more opinion in here. Time is your biggest concern, not snow. The PCH (Highway 101 in Washington and 101/1 in California) is not the straightest of highways. It is windy and downright twisty in a lot of places. If it is rainy or foggy as it likely in March, this adds to the challenge of driving it. There is nothing like driving along a narrow road with 200 ft drops on the side when you can't see 100 ft in front of you. Not to mention in good weather, you can see the 200 ft drop. Driving from North to South, you are on the ocean side of the road as well. Even though the driving part didn't scare me, I can say that having driven this a number of times (grew up in Washington and lived in California for a number of years), that I never learned to estimate how long it might take. There are alternatives for some sections, like taking Interstate 5 or staying on 101 in California, but this cuts out some main sections.

 

A key to planning this trip is figuring out which things on the PCH you want to see. For example, if you wanted to go to the Olympic rain forest in Washington, the redwoods in Oregon/California and the Big Sur area, then you could start on 101, then use I5* to skip through most of Oregon and then join the PCH at the California border. If the redwoods wasn't on the list, then you could take I5 all the way to San Fransisco. The section of the PCH between San Fransisco and LA is very impressive and the part many people think of when saying they want to see it. That is why many folks above have recommended flying into San Fran. But only you can know what you like. I was always a big fan of Sea Lion Caves in Oregon and stopping at the Cheese Factories in Tilllamook Oregon but these might be worth the time you need to invest to do them. Planning is going to be key to making this a successful trip. No one will enjoy it if you are too rushed. :(

 

* If you do the I5 route, you do add a small chance of snow as you cross over the coastal mountains in Oregon/California.

[Splinter]

Several options. You can do any or all:

 

Drive from Seattle to SF. Do this on Hwy 1 in CA instead of 101 when possible, esp. the stretch from around Garberville (south of Eureka) to San Francisco, as this will go right along the coast, while 101 goes inland. 101 is better for wineries, 1 for redwoods and spectacular coast views. In Oregon & WA, stick to the coast as well rather than taking the 5 freeway which goes far inland. Lots of nice little towns and bed and breakfasts all along this route, but you can get rain pretty much any time through June, and the route is somewhat twisty-turny (and most is only a two lane non-divided road).

 

Another option is to drive south from San Francisco, going directly out to the coast on Hwy 1 (PCH) from the city, down through Santa Cruz along Monterey Bay, spending some time in Monterey/Carmel, then down Hwy 1 through Big Sur, Hearst Castle (San Simeon), Cambria and Morro Bay, then join Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo, than down through Solvang and Santa Barbara, then back through Ventura down through Malibu and Santa Monica and then back to Hwy 5.

[angelsx4]

..when you get closer to Santa Barbara area stop at Hearst castle...spend a day in that area, at that point your only a few hours from LA its a great great trip to do...quote]

 

Just to clarify, Hearst Castle is 3 hours north of Santa Barbara. It's closer to Monterey than Santa Barbara. Either way, they're beautiful stops, but Hearst Castle is 5+ hours from L.A.

 

Have fun!!!!

[cweather]

I just got back from the Oregon coast. I lived on the coast for years while growing up. They had snow around the Coos Bay area a couple of weeks ago, however that is the first time I think since 1978. You should be fine to travel in March. My suggestion is you take I5 from Seattle down to Portland and then cut over to the coast. I am not familar with the California coast, however the Oregon coast is well worth the drive especially since you have been waiting to do it. Enjoy it.

[stevebeme]

And in my opinion,which according to my Wife means nothing, it is best to drive down the coast North to south,you will get better views. I was a tour bus driver and drove that route more than once.

[Cruisin' Chick]

First piece of advice: don't use the term "Frisco" to refer to San Francisco. Any resident of that city that I know hates that term.

 

Also be aware that Southern California still is in its rainy season in March. Could be the same for the mid coast too. If you find the 1 too foggy and head over to I-5, there could be snow there around the Frazier Park/north of Valencia area.

 

Also, you might want to do some research on the car rental issue. Some companies have rules regarding interstate use.