This past Christmas, we decided to embark on a journey down the West Coast. I have always wanted to drive the entire Pacific Coast Highway in California, so it was fun to finally check that off the bucket list. We did things a little differently than most and added in Oregon as part of our journey. We also skipped over certain cities that we had been to numerous times like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Not only did we skip over the big cities, but we also placed a big emphasis on visiting different wine regions throughout our adventure.
Overall, it was an amazing trip, and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new adventure. The West Coast is absolutely incredible and there is so much to do and see along the way. Whether it is the beautiful beaches in Southern California or the majestic Redwoods up north, there is so much to experience!
Table of Contents
Day 1 – Willamette Valley
We spent our first day of the trip flying to Portland, Oregon and then driving south to Willamette Valley. We purposefully started our trip here because we were itching to experience this wine region! We arrived in the early afternoon and were able to visit a few wineries before dinner. Overall, it was a great day and we got to see a lot with limited time.
- What We Did: Domaine Drouin Winery, Vista Hills Winery, Red Hills Market
- Where We Ate: AgriVino
- Where We Stayed: Black Walnut Inn and Vineyard
Day 2 – Willamette Valley
We spent another full day in Willamette Valley because we really wanted to learn more about Oregon wine. We visited several amazing wineries and even made it to a brewery at the end of the day! After so many wine tastings, beer was the perfect option. Also, if you ever visit Willamette Valley, Red Hills Market is a must-see!
- What We Did: Argyle Winery, Stoller Family Estate, White Rose Winery, Deception Brewing
- What We Ate: Red Hills Market
- Where We Stayed: Black Walnut Inn and Vineyard
Day 3 – Willamette Valley to Eureka
We spent most of this day driving from Willamette to Eureka. This was the longest drive of the entire trip, but it was beautiful. Once we got into California, we stopped at the Trees of Mystery to take a picture with Paul Bunyan. We also stopped in Eureka to see some of the beautiful Victorian Mansions.
- What We Did: Redwood National and State Parks, Trees of Mystery, Carson Mansion Eureka, Ferndale Main Street
- What We Ate: In-N-Out, Hotel Ivanhoe Ferndale
- Where We Stayed: Gingerbread Mansion Inn
Day 4 – Eureka to Sonoma
Unfortunately, our plans were ruined by the rain this day, so we didn’t get to drive down the coast. We did however get to drive down the Avenue of the Giants, and that was definitely the highlight of the day. Make sure to check out the drive-thru tree as well. Since we made it to Sonoma a little earlier than expected, we opted for a quick winery visit to B.R. Cohn. We rounded out the evening with a fabulous dinner at El Dorado Kitchen in the downtown Sonoma Plaza!
- What We Did: Avenue of the Giants, Shrine Drive-Thru Tree, B.R. Cohn Winery, Sonoma Plaza
- What We Ate: El Dorado Kitchen
- Where We Stayed: The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa
Day 5 – Napa Valley
Being the winos that we are, we HAD to do a full day in Napa Valley. Even though we have been here 10+ times, it never gets old. To start the day, we had a great barrel tasting and cave tour at Del Dotto. We followed that up with a visit to the beautiful Auberge du Soleil. It was the perfect day to sit on their patio with a bottle of champagne!
- What We Did: Del Dotto Vineyards, Auberge du Soleil
- What We Ate: Boon Fly Café, Brix
- Where We Stayed: The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa
Day 6 – Half Moon Bay
After leaving Napa Valley, we made a quick pitstop in San Francisco to get a picture with the Golden Gate Bridge. It is typically really foggy over the bridge, but we lucked out and had full sun. We continued the drive down Highway 1 to Half Moon Bay where we ate fish and chips on the water. We relaxed at the Ritz-Carlton the rest of the day and soaked in the beautiful views along the coast. I have never seen such a pretty setting for a hotel!
- What We Did: Golden Gate Bridge, Half Moon Bay Main Street, Relaxed at Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
- What We Ate: Half Moon Bay Brewing, ARK North Indian Grill
- Where We Stayed: Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
Day 7 – Monterey & Carmel-by-the-Sea
We tried to cram a lot into this day of the trip, so we got an early start and drove down to Santa Cruz. We walked around the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and saw the sea lions. It is a cute little town with beautiful beaches, so it is definitely worth a stop. After leaving Santa Cruz, we had planned to get lunch in Monterey, but there was nowhere to park! We ended up driving into Carmel for lunch, but we ended up having the same issue with parking. Eventually, we found a spot to park and walked around Carmel for a couple of hours. There are tons of shops and restaurants in this area, so I would plan at least a few hours to explore. After that, we did the 17-Mile Drive back to Monterey and made it back in time to walk around Cannery Row. We finished up the day by eating dinner at the famous Monterey Fish House. Looking back, it may have been better to split all of this up into a couple days, but we somehow made it work!
- What We Did: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Cannery Row, Carmel-by-the-Sea, 17-Mile Drive
- What We Ate: TreeHouse Cafe, Monterey Fish House
- Where We Stayed: Monterey Marriott
Day 8 – Big Sur & Morro Bay
We left Monterey early because we wanted to get on the road to Big Sur before it got too busy. Our first stop was Bixby Bridge, and it was incredible to see in person. After that, the views kept getting better and better. The entire drive through Big Sur is quite incredible, so make sure to plan plenty of time if you want to get pictures! We ended up driving to Morro Bay for lunch because there weren’t a ton of options in Big Sur. We had a nice lunch on the water and walked around the town a little bit. After lunch, we drove back up to the Hearst Castle. Even though our tour was a little crowded, it was still worth it to see the beautiful mansion on the hill. Our tour finished up as the sun was setting, so there were some amazing views. After the tour, we made our way into San Luis Obispo and had a great dinner at Luna Red.
- What We Did: Big Sur, Bixby Bridge, Morro Bay, Hearst Castle
- What We Ate: Giovanni’s Fish Market, Luna Red
- Where We Stayed: Courtyard San Luis Obispo
Day 9 – Solvang & Santa Barbara
We started off the day by driving to Pismo Beach and walking around with a coffee. It was a really relaxing way to start the morning and the weather was perfect! After checking out Pismo Beach, we went to Solvang which is a cute little Danish town tucked away in the Santa Ynez Valley. I could have walked around this town all day. Every single building was adorable, and it truly felt like we were in a different country. I already want to plan a trip back. After exploring Solvang for a few hours, we went into Santa Barbara and relaxed at our resort for the remainder of the afternoon. We opted to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, and I’m really glad we did. Their property is gorgeous and the rooms were so cozy. I think this was one of my favorite days of the entire trip.
- What We Did: Pismo Beach, Solvang, Relaxed at Ritz-Carlton Bacara
- What We Ate: Viking Garden Restaurant, Angel Oak
- Where We Stayed: Ritz-Carlton Bacara
Day 10 – Temecula
We took a detour off the coast and headed to Temecula towards the end of the trip. Again, being the winos that we are, we really wanted to explore and experience yet another wine region. We went to three different wineries in Temecula and tried several varieties of wine. We lucked out with some really nice weather, so it was nice to sit outside and soak in the beautiful views. We ended the day with a dinner at The Goat and Vine in Old Town Temecula. If you are visiting the area, I would highly recommend this restaurant! The pizza was absolutely incredible.
- What We Did: Vindemia Winery, Gershon Bachus Vintners, Doffo Wines
- What We Ate: The Goat and Vine
- Where We Stayed: SpringHill Suites Temecula
Day 11 – Temecula
We spent yet another day in Temecula wine tasting with family and friends. Our favorite winery from this day was Robert Renzoni. They had tons of Italian varietals, and we were able to try a lot of new wines. They also had a big tasting room, so it was perfect for us since we were with a bigger group. If you are looking for a place to snap a cute photo, I would check out Briar Rose Winery. The winery is modeled after the Snow White cottage!
- What We Did: Briar Rose Winery, Robert Renzoni Winery, Leoness Cellars
- Where We Stayed: Stayed with family friends
Day 12 – Encinitas
Our final day of trip was spent relaxing on the beach. We stayed just north of San Diego in the town of Encinitas and there are a ton of great beaches near this area. We also went to a really fun happy hour at Le Papagayo. They had amazing margaritas and their food was delicious as well. Overall, it was the perfect ending to our West Coast adventure.
- What We Did: Moonlight Beach
- What We Ate: Swami’s Cafe Carlsbad, Le Papagayo
- Where We Stayed: Stayed with family friends
Overall, we had a fantastic trip and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. The West Coast is absolutely incredible and there is so much to see and experience in this part of the country. I really do think this trip should be on everyone’s bucket list.
If you have any questions about our trip, feel free to leave a comment down below. Everyone’s Pacific Coast Highway trip is a little different, but I do hope this helps you to get a few ideas when planning a trip of your own. Also, I am linking a few other blog posts below that you may find helpful when planning your trip down the coast of California.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for more travel guides and blog posts on this trip!
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