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Pacific Coast Drive
A 7-day all-road trip down the West Coast, keeping the pace easy and the ocean close.
7days
22stops
DAY01
Depart → Portland
Overnight in Portland waterfront
- 09:00Depart· start
- 12:00Olympia Capitol Campus
- 15:30Columbia River waterfront
- 17:30Portland waterfront· overnight
Accommodation
Downtown Portland or the Pearl District
DAY02
Depart → Crescent City
Overnight in Crescent City harbor
- 09:00Depart· start
- 12:30Eugene riverfront
- 16:30Redwood National and State Parks
- 18:00Crescent City harbor· overnight
Accommodation
Crescent City area
DAY03
Avenue of the Giants → San Francisco
Overnight in San Francisco waterfront
- 11:30⭐ Avenue of the Giants· start
- 15:30Mendocino town
- 18:00San Francisco waterfront· overnight
Accommodation
Fisherman’s Wharf or North Beach
DAY04
Golden Gate Bridge vista → Monterey
Overnight in Monterey Bay waterfront
- 10:00Golden Gate Bridge vista· start
- 13:00Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- 16:30Monterey Bay waterfront· overnight
Accommodation
Monterey or nearby Cannery Row
Food
- dinner · book dinner ahead if you want a nicer seafood spot; coastal towns can fill up fast on weekends
DAY05
Depart → Santa Barbara
Overnight in Santa Barbara waterfront
- 09:00Depart· start
- 10:30Bixby Creek Bridge
- 13:00Pfeiffer Big Sur
- 18:00Santa Barbara waterfront· overnight
Accommodation
Santa Barbara waterfront area
DAY06
Malibu → La Jolla Cove
Overnight in La Jolla Cove
- 11:30Malibu coastline· start
- 14:30Santa Monica Pier
- 18:00La Jolla Cove· overnight
Accommodation
La Jolla or nearby coastal San Diego
DAY07
Balboa Park → Coronado
- 10:00Balboa Park· start
- 13:00Cabrillo National Monument
- 16:30Coronado Beach
Heads Up
- Day 2: 12h driving — plan rest stops
- Book the Monterey/Santa Barbara nights early if you're traveling on a weekend
- fuel up before long coastal gaps
- keep a little cash or card buffer for parking in beach towns