California Route 1 Road Trip

This 581-foot mound is actually a volcanic plug and sits close to shore. Don't even think about climbing on the rock - as a protected site, disturbing the bird life on the mound is illegal. However, from afar it makes a wonderful subject for a panoramic photo of the Morro Bay shoreline.

Just the name makes your mouth water! Every cookie is freshly baked. This Central Coast bakery greets you at the door with a tray of right-out-of-the-oven samples. Gluten-free customers are welcomed with open arms, too! Each shop has different hours but this one in Cayucos is open every day from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Located right off Hwy 1 near the coast, the small town of Harmony is just as magical as it sounds. The chapel with its gardens is a popular place to tie the knot. Even though the town has a population of a couple dozen people, you won't find it lacking in service - the best wedding planners from nearby San Luis Obispo attend to your needs. Even if you're not getting married stopping in this tiny town is ...

Art Beal, also known as Captain Nitt Witt, bought a piece of land in 1928 and for the next 50 years built his “castle on a hill” using a pick, shovel, and various found objects collected during his day job as a garbage man. Look around and you’ll see structures made of beer cans, glass bottles, shells, and concrete. Art died in 1992 and the property was purchased by Michael and Stacey O'Malley who offer ...

Quite possibly one of the loveliest and most unique beaches you can visit. Instead of sand, this shore is strewn with smooth pebbles (some of them moonstones, of course) and people claim its sunsets rival that of the Hawaiian Islands. Better still, it’s rarely crowded. Can’t beat that with a stick (or stone).

Commissioned by publishing tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, and designed by architect Julia Morgan, this estate is also known as San Simeon and took over 20 years to construct. Hearst and his lover, Marion Davies, hosted lavish gatherings here attended by Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, and Winston Churchill, to name a few. Fittingly, the ticket prices aren't cheap - $25 and up per adult ...

As most of us have figured out by now, eating a ton and lying listlessly on a beach is, quite unfortunately, not going to result in a cute figure. At least we’re not alone. Weighing between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds and measuring up to 20 feet long, the male elephant seal makes even an SUV look tiny. Watch them on shore as they wiggle, splash sand on their bodies, and make growling noises at each other—much...

Towering high above the Pacific Ocean on an outcrop with 400-foot sheer cliffs, Ragged Point offers one of the most breathtaking ocean vistas in the world. It remains one of the few places on this coast with a trail leading down the rock face to the beach below—when you reach the bottom, be sure to look up for what is certain to be quite a different view of the imposing sea cliffs than the one you had wh...

It's a 120-foot drop easily accessed by a quick 10-minute hike. While many waterfalls in California dry up in the heat of summer this one still has a nice flow. You can swim in the hole but the water is COLD! Bring your dogs, kids, and sturdy shoes to trek over slippery rocks and enjoy! The falls are free to visit. Hours are not listed but it's reasonable to expect the park is open from sunrise to sunset...

A small section of the Big Sur coastline is known to be strewn with nephrite jade making it very popular among rock collectors and amateur geologists. Most of the jade is found on the ocean floor near the shore but, of course, care and expertise should be exercised if attempting to dive for it. You can also look for the semi-precious stones which have washed up onto the shore. All jade must be collected ...

These stunning cliffs in Big Sur can be seen from the incredible Lucia Lodge. To stay the night can run you almost $300 during the high season. Fortunately, you can view the seaside bluffs from the comfort of the dining room or while visiting the old-fashioned general store. The lodge itself was built in the 1930s by the Harlan family and features 10 cabins and rooms. It is a good central point to embark...

Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) is famous for its majestic rocky cliffs, magnificent ocean views, and, oh yeah, its bold, pudgy squirrels who aren’t afraid of sh*t. That’s right, they’re cocky as hell because road-trippers love to feed them, so they basically see people as free-food-dispensing machines. If you happen to love squirrels, then a stop along PCH would be worth your while.

Casual-hikers will be happy to know that it isn’t a long nor difficult trek to the beautiful McWay Falls in Big Sur. In fact, the Waterfall Trail is the shortest in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and it offers some pretty awesome coastal views. Definitely a not-to-be-missed landmark for anyone traveling along Highway 1.

This is a hike that gets straight to the point. A steep decline with a footbridge takes you quickly to the cove. Along the way enter a cool wooden tunnel. Exit to find an ocean with waves crashing against rocks - a picture-perfect place to spend a short amount of time or the entire day. The cove is open from 8 AM to sunset every day. Dogs are not permitted.

Although you can visit this stunning place any time of the year, you only have a short window of opportunity to see its best feature in its full glory. The Keyhole Arch is named for a strange sandstone formation sitting right in the middle of the beach. End of December to mid-January, the sun will cast a golden ray of light through the keyhole of this formation casting a single, perfectly formed ray of l...

Take a picture of the gorgeous Bixby Creek Bridge and you will have contributed to its title of “one of the most photographed features on the West Coast.” Frequently used in automobile commercials, television shows, and Hollywood films, the 700-ft, open-spandrel arch bridge was completed in 1932 as part of a public works project during the Great Depression and has since become a regional landmark. The sw...

Get there before it goes viral! Soberanes Point is a secluded, lonely beach framed with jagged rocks and just enough sand make it a restful place to sunbathe. During winter months you might spot migrating whales out in the ocean. The rocky cliffs form a protective barrier giving you the illusion of your own swimming hole. Find the Soberanes Point Trail from the parking area and walk south. The trail will...

A beautiful hiking trail with great views and small waterfalls takes you to the dunes while wooden stairs lead you to the ocean. This state park is a beautiful example of the typical Big Sur coastline of California. The park is open from sunrise to sunset every day. 

To find the trail go to the southernmost parking area in the reserve. The walk is pleasant, less than a mile round trip. Pine forests and coastal sage scrub around a rocky shore characterize the hiking views. You can access both China Cove and Gibson Beach from the trail. As you approach Bird Island overlook you might see some spectacular large-species birds such as pelicans, black-crowned night herons, ...

This scenic nature preserve has been called the "crown jewel" of California's 280 state parks. With the natural beauty that California is so famous for, this is really saying something. Point Lobos is a protected marine area, where seals nurse their pups and sea lions frolic. People come here to scuba dive, paint, study nature, or snap some amazing photos. As a protected reserve, you cannot take anything...

As the name suggests whaling was a part of the history of this area. In the 1800s, whaling and fishing were carried out by The Carmel Whaling Company and the Japanese Whaling Company. The old cabin in which these whalers and fisherman lived is still on site. Today, the cabin is a historical museum along with the adjacent Whaling Station Museum. Now a preserve, the kelp forests of Whaler's Cove are the pe...

A fishing vessel, the Point Estero, wrecked in Estero Bay in July of 2017 where it probably will remain until the corrosive sea waters break it down. To get there, take Cabrillo Hwy to N. Ocean Avenue. You'll see the parking lot on your right-hand side. From the parking lot there is a trail that leads down to the beach. It's best to go at low tide so that you can venture out further to see the boat more ...