Love California Dreaming SD to San Fran in 7 – See It!

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Driving is a passion and I have a motto to match. On family road trips late at night, “I can drive all the way to California,” always assured the kids Dad was not about to doze off. The kids are long gone and the better half and I did not drive “to” California, but rather up Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, for eleven hundred miles of wide-eyed sightseeing. As a couple of Midwesterners who have lived a lifetime in the Southeast and Southwest… we did love California dreaming San Diego to San Francisco (and back) in seven days.

What do you think? Leave your comment below after this Tru Blog post. 

Turquoise cove with rocky cliffs, a small waterfall, and evergreen trees overlooking the blue ocean.
View from above McWay Falls on Pacific Coastline
Southbound California State Route 1 sign mounted under a large green 'SOUTH' sign against a blue sky.
South or North on PCH… it’s all good
Seals resting on a sandy beach near the ocean, with waves breaking on rocks in the background.
La Jolla seals and sea lions populate this cove in California
Couple wearing sunglasses poses on a cliff, with a curved coastal bridge and blue ocean behind them under a clear sky.
Mountain, bridge, beach, ocean come together on the West Coast
Plate of shrimp tacos with cabbage, cilantro, and soft tortillas, plus citrusy pineapple, avocado slices, and seasoned rice in the background.
Fresh from the Sea Tacos in Santa Barbara
City skyline with tall modern skyscrapers against a clear blue sky; a rounded tower and a sharp spire stand among densely packed buildings in the foreground.
San Francisco skyline does impress

It’s not that we’d never enjoyed a California night… to the contrary. But we’d never driven the Golden State. Motoring Highway 1, weaving between ocean and mountain near Big Sur has to be the best drive in the U.S. of A. It is phenomenal… splashing waves on rocks, winding two lanes under soaring cliffs… with eyes on the road, of course.

San Diego Start

Let’s start at the beginning. Your first coastal decision is which direction to drive.

  • Drive What Makes Sense

Most guides recommend North to South for the closer-to-ocean view, but we planned the opposite to meet our Bucket List needs. We were checking off MLB ballparks, and the schedule dictated a San Diego start. You get the idea.

Can’t Miss

The San Diego Zoo is a must visit we previously enjoyed, so it was whale watching this time. The boat takes you several miles offshore for what may best be called sightings of whales and dolphins. We stayed on the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter since the Omni offers a 4th floor skybridge into PETCO Park. Food in San Diego is other worldly, and we found ourselves ordering Mexican more than once. The USS Midway, Coronado Island and multiple great beaches are good options.

Petco Park’s giant video board showing a family photo during a baseball game with fans in the stands surrounding the field.
Petco Park, Home of the Padres
Decorative street arch in the Gaslamp Quarter reading 'Heart of San Diego' with brick buildings and a Hard Rock Hotel sign in the background under a cloudy sky.
California tour begins here
Ballpark Cuisine
Petco Park Menu is a Plus

Sealife, Burgers and Beach

Which brings up your next big decision. What will you not be able to visit?

  • Don’t Try to See It All

Make a list of what to see… but don’t get married to it. Research two or three stops a day and don’t guilt yourself as you drive. The La Jolla Children’s Pool is home to more seals than you can imagine… in the right season. Further north, Dana Point looks like a Pacific coast painting, only real. And there’s an In-N-Out Burger nearby. We got our feet wet on Laguna Beach… not ready for full immersion in May water temps. That evening found us at Angel Stadium in Anaheim and later hoteling along Santa Monica Pier… recognized as a regular backdrop for TV and movies.

Group of seabirds flying over palm trees and a coastal landscape under a cloudy sky.
La Jolla Flyover
Inside an In-N-Out Burger, two employees in white shirts and red aprons work behind a stainless steel counter with kitchen equipment; the In-N-Out logo appears on the glass in front.
Ready to serve at In-N-Out
Coastal scrubland along the shore with blue sea and distant hills under a partly cloudy sky.
Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area
Baseball game at a stadium with a large electronic scoreboard displaying lineups and ads; Angels logo atop the board; batter at the plate.
Baseball at The Big A
Route 66 sign saying 'Santa Monica' and 'End of the Trail' in front of a striped awning shop and a distant Ferris wheel in clear blue sky.
End point of Route 66, Santa Monica Pier and the USA
Compass rose painted on the wooden pier deck reading Santa Monica Pier, with a person looking out at the ocean and distant hills.
End of Pier, beginning of ocean at Santa Monica

California Redirect

Be ready to change your mind as you go. It’s OK.

  • Venture Off Course If It Floats Your Boat

After our Saturday start in San Diego and night in Santa Monica, we set aside Tuesday and Wednesday to go with the flow of the day… destinations not right along the way but of interest. That paid off twice. First was a visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. It was an interesting remedial look back for us, but we were curious to watch guides explain the life and times of the country’s leader to high school kids… born beyond the Reagan years.

We found lunch on Stearns Wharf at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company... shrimp tacos, crabcakes and rings that made the day. Another pier walk at Pismo Beach adjusted our hair a bit and we spent the night in San Luis Obispo.

Museum hangar displaying a large aircraft nose and engines, a black-and-white police car, and motorcycles on the floor, with visitors on a curved mezzanine above.
Air Force One at the Ready
Bronze statue of a man in a jacket standing inside a glass-walled entrance, as a group of people watches from behind.
Students listen to the story of President Ronald Reagan
Person walking barefoot along a sandy beach with rocks, distant shoreline, and tall palm trees on a cliff.
Shoes off for stroll on Laguna Beach
Casual seafood cafe scene with a bar counter where a server in a blue shirt takes a order from customers seated on stools; kitchen activity visible behind, chalkboard menus and framed photos above.
Seafood anyone?
Crispy fried onion rings with a breaded croquette resting on top, served with coleslaw and a creamy dipping sauce on the side.
Crabcakes and Rings to Remember
Red 3D letters spell 'Pismo Beach' on a striped brick promenade with palm trees and the ocean in the background.
No doubt you’re at Pismo Beach on the Pacific
Two people wearing sunglasses take a sunny selfie on a wooden pier, with a beach, ocean, and palm trees in the background.
Not quite summer at Pismo Beach, California
Tall palm trees with textured trunks and lush fronds against a bright blue sky, with a variety of palm species nearby.
Laguna Beach
ocean, beach, boardwalk, guardhouse
Boardwalk and Beach

Ranch, Roadway and Awe

Our second do we have time to go there decision is what we now call a must see. Hearst Castle. With years of work among journalists, Hearst is a familiar name. The Castle is known to be beyond what anyone else could construct or maintain a hundred years ago. But the back story told here and presentation of it is unique and memorable. If you’re a history buff, the period detail is exceptional. And the excess of wealth on exhibit from European art and decor to Zebras and zoo animals is stunning.

Formal garden with neatly trimmed hedges, blooming flowers, and tall palm trees under a blue sky.
Meticulous Hearst Garden
Historic white church with twin domes and ornate architecture, surrounded by palm trees against a bright blue sky, with a garden foreground and a small vehicle nearby.
Hearst Castle Tour
Terrace with a bright blue tiled pool, classical statues, and tall cypress trees overlooking the sea.
Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle with Pacific backdrop

Best of… Not Hard to Find

Decide What Destination Can’t Be Missed

  • For a driver, a photographer, a fan of engineering – it’s Bixby Bridge

Working our way off the Hearst Ranch, the best of the drive was before us. Up the Pacific Coast Highway with a new and different snapshot of beauty each moment. Pacific Ocean to our left, Santa Lucia Mountains to the right with sun and a crisp breeze… made for some kind of dream-like drive. McWay Falls is a sight. And the Bixby Bridge is a destination. It is one of the most photographed bridges in the Western U.S. It’s not just the structure but also taking in the setting and surroundings. You have to hunt for a parking spot along PCH, but don’t leave until you do.

Carmel-by-the-Sea was next for dinner, more pictures and a last overnight before San Francisco.

Sunny beach scene with white sand, a person walking toward the water, and trees on the right under a bright blue sky.
Carmel Beach Sunset
Concrete arch bridge spans a steep coastal ravine, with green hills, rugged cliffs, and a small sandy beach below the turquoise sea.
Best view on Pacific Coast Highway that offers one after another great vistas
Seals sunning themselves along a sandy beach with rocks and gentle waves under a clear blue sky.
Beaching

North to San Francisco

The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Lombard Street and multiple San Francisco sites are among those we’ve previously enjoyed. This time we explored Coit Tower... and the 234 steps to the top. Take a breath before this elevated jaunt. At the top, it’s tight, but prepare for 360 degrees of all things San Francisco. The City, bay, bridges, piers, architecture and landscape that is San Francisco are an eyeful. Later China Town, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square. Lastly, Oracle Park where water and baseball meet on occasion in McCovey Cove.

Tall white tower with arched openings at the top, surrounded by trees under a blue sky; American flag at its base.
Historic Coit Tower
Man wearing a black jacket and sunglasses poses inside a stone arched-window tower with a city skyline and blue sky behind him.
San Francisco in sight atop Coit Tower
Person with blonde hair, wearing a black hoodie and shorts, descends a concrete spiral staircase with curved metal handrails along a rough concrete wall.
Coit Tower Up and Down
Narrow city street with a tall brick wall covered in a colorful mural featuring a man's portrait and a dragon-like design; pedestrians and parked cars along the sidewalk.
Bruce Lee Lives
Man in black outfit and sunglasses stands in the open doorway of a vintage Powell & Hyde Street trolley, holding a pole on a sunny day.
Hold on for up and down ride ahead
Oracle Park entrance at night, palm trees wrapped in lights flame the walkway toward the stadium signage, Giants home venue.
Night game at Oracle on San Francisco Bay

To complete the baseball Bucket List, we drove back to Los Angeles, but this time a fast four hours plus on I-5 through California’s Central Valley. We were reminded there’s a lot between SF and LA, namely much of what we eat. The expanse of agriculture runs for miles in every direction. This flat but fertile geography is the polar opposite of coastal scenes we came to see… but likely more important.

The World Series Champions play at Dodger Stadium… ballpark number four on our Bucket List (more on that soon), and we even got a free bobblehead.

Baseball game in progress at a large stadium with players on the field and a crowded audience under a blue sky.
Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine
Sunset over a parking lot with tall palm trees silhouetted against a golden sky with warm light.
West Coast sunset
A smiling couple wearing sunglasses takes a selfie on a cliff overlooking turquoise sea and rocky coastline.
Drive California

There was no bobble or error about this trip. It did not disappoint. You can plan your own adventure and if you’ve not driven the West Coast, it will be rewarding as a first timer. We’ve had opportunity to travel the states and overseas. Believe it… California by car was spectacular. And I didn’t even have to drive all the way to California to see it.

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TruFlex Media
TruFlex Media, LLC began at the close of a decorated decades-long broadcasting journey for Larry Audas. A rare triple play career - Anchor/Reporter, News Director, General Manager - provided experience+ ready to be shared. Most recently, Audas served as President & GM of CBS affiliate WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina recognized with multiple Midsouth Emmy News Excellence and Best Newscast nominations and NC Broadcasters honors for Best Breaking News, Outstanding Newscast and Community Involvement. Audas was appointed President & GM of FOX54/WZDX in Huntsville, Alabama and led both WFMY and WZDX. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Nashville Midsouth Chapter welcomed Audas into the prestigious EMMY Silver Circle in 2024.
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2 thoughts on “Love California Dreaming SD to San Fran in 7 – See It!”

  1. Ron Allen

    Thanks so much for sharing this. My wife and I have traveled part of the Pacific Highway and you’ve inspired us to travel the portion still unknown to us. Loved the daily log, suggestions, and all the pics. Blessings!

    Reply
  2. JD

    So many amazing memories and newfound adventures inspired by your story. Plus, I loved the way your picture journey brought the words to life as I found myself sitting in the backseat in silence. (Top down convertible? 🤗) From seafood to history to exploring without an agenda… THANKS for sharing how passion (driving) and purpose (travel) meets inspiration (me and I’m sure others!)

    Reply

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