PCH Roadtrip suggestions

Are you biking? Check out Cambria brewing company when you get there, and Sante Adarius if you pass through the Santa Cruz region between Thurs and Sun.

Depending on how you decide to do the 101/1 portion outside of Santa Barbara, you could also hit Firestone Walker Barrelworks in Buellton, and even the main brewery in Paso Robles before heading for the coast.

 

Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach, Smog City in Torrance, El Segundo in (guess where) El Segundo, Hollister in Goleta, FW Barrelworks in Buellton (if you're through there on a weekend), Cambria Beer Co. in Cambria, and Sante Adairius in Santa Cruz would be my first thoughts. I'm sure I left out plenty of other options, but those are all good stops, and I believe they are all basically right on pch.

 

Any of the Pizza Ports would be a nice stop.

 

As another poster mentioned, Cambria Brewing Co. is well worth stopping at. Really liked that place. Sante Adairius has limited hours, so keep that in mind. Highway 1 Brewing Co. in Pescadero would be worth checking out, it's literally on Highway 1.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. is also right off PCH in HMB.

There are multiple other spots in Santa Cruz proper that you could check out (Seabright, Santa Cruz Mountain, etc.)

 

I drive SD to SF via PCH every year and it’s very well worth the relatively small detour to go to Paso. In fact, that’s usually my only stop since I do the trip in a day.

Also, just as a warning if you’re really intent on following PCH, Long Beach and Torrance are a bit of a bear because of all the stop lights – I usually drive a little bit through Long Beach, then hook over to the 405 and then go back to PCH once I hit Santa Monica.

 

It's going to be a reasonably long drive if you do it in one day. Hwy 1 between Cambria and Monterey can slow down to well below the speed limit - and there's not a ton in between (it's a gorgeous trip though). Also, just pointing this out since your profile says you're on the East Coast - but CA is a really big state, so it's just a longish trip in general. Think driving NY to Florida along the coast.

 

^Regardless of traffic, there's parts of that road between Cambria and Monterey that even without slow downs, you really can't drive the speed limit around some of those curves/turns. And this isn't factoring the slow down for construction that always seems to be happening there. It is beautiful, though.


But I do second the detour to Paso. You're really not missing much by skipping out on driving by Morro Bay. When you do the detour Just go up the 101 to Paso and hit up Firestone, then jump on the 46 to go back to PCH at Cambria.

It's what I do whenever I go from L.A. to S.F. via the coast.

 

Stop by Sante Adairius, it is right off the PCH as you pass through Capitola, near Santa Cruz.

 

Wow - only two days. You will be missing a bunch. My wife and 6 year old did the trip earlier this year and it took 5 days and we only got to Santa Cruz before we had to turn around and head back home. 100% agree on the detour to both Barrelworks.

 

I like Surf in Ventura and Ladyface in Agoura.

 

That kind of defeats the whole point of PCH. You might as well take the 5 freeway all the way to SF. It's a heck of a lot faster.

 

Problem is that as good as Lady Face is, they're over the hump of a hill and is a major detour unless you bypass Malibu and take the 101 in to the Ventura area

 

I've done the same trip in two days (actually all the way up to Chico from San Diego), and I didn't feel like I was missing too much. I did power through the major metro areas though, and didn't hop on the PCH proper till after Paso Robles.

OP, I think you're going to need to do some work ahead of time selling your wife on the PCH being the destination, because that's the proper approach. Like sirtomtom said, if you want to just get to SF, it's one of the slower routes available.

Personally, I think the scenery between Cambria and Monterey is some of the prettiest in the world. If you're in to camping at all, stopping midway between those for the night is highly recommended.

 

That part of the PCH is nice, but lots of traffic lights. It is not exactly close to the PCH, maybe 20mins. Bad suggestion (good beer though).

 

If you detour about 25 minutes off the 1 (don't pick it back up in San Luis Obispo) you could hit Firestone in Paso Robles as others have mentioned.Also, swing by Dunbar Brewing which is about 1/4 of the way to Firestone, and right off the 101 in Santa Margarita, CA...worth checking out IMO.

While in Big Sur be sure to stop at Nepenthe for a beer, basket of fries and an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean.