California has so many uniquely beautiful destinations: the misty waters of the San Francisco Bay, the dramatic cliff sides of Big Sur, the sunshine and sea lions of San Diego. When we decided to plan a trip to California last year, we knew we couldn’t choose just one place to visit. Instead, we planned the ultimate one-week California road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego with 10+ stops along the way at the most beautiful locations along Highway 1.
Here are all of the places we fell in love with on our incredible California road trip.
One-Week California Road Trip Part 1: San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge
As soon as our plane touched down in the San Francisco bay area and our rental car was ready, we were off to see the iconic Golden Gate Bridge! We found a great lookout spot with sweeping views of the bridge. It was one of those breathtaking, unforgettable travel moments where you think “I’m REALLY here.”
Golden Gate Park
Just a couple minutes away from the bridge itself is one of San Francisco’s loveliest gems: Golden Gate Park! Maybe I’m biased because of the perfect California weather, but I honestly think it rivals or even surpasses Central Park in New York. There are dozens of different areas to explore, but my favorite was The Dahlia Dell just outside of The Conservatory of Flowers.
There were hundreds of dahlia flowers in every color imaginable, and it felt like stepping into Wonderland. I had dahlias in my wedding bouquet, so seeing this many of them looking so resplendent on our anniversary trip was really special.
Mosaic Staircase
A quick drive across the hilly San Fran neighborhoods took us to the famous Mosaic Staircase. This absolute work of art connects 16th Ave and Moraga St. on a steep incline.
We walked all the way up to the top, snapping photos of the different mosaic scenes along the way. The view at the end was lovely! We could see hundreds of multicolored houses stretching for miles in each direction.
Woodhouse Fish Co.
For dinner on our first night in town, we feasted on lobster rolls at Woodhouse Fish Co. They were dripping with butter and absolutely divine.
Home Coffee Roasters
The next morning we started out bright and early at Home Coffee Roasters so that I could try their beautiful rainbow birthday cake latte. Each of these lattes is like a tiny painting in a cup! We were so impressed with them. Home has several locations, but we picked the one in Chinatown because it was the perfect place to start our big day of adventures.
Chinatown
Next we strolled around Chinatown and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and architecture.
Naturally, we stopped for some insta-famous puffy egg waffle ice cream. We were also lucky enough to see a troupe of drummers and acrobats perform a lion dance in the middle of the street!
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
The highlight of our time in Chinatown was at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. This small family-owned spot has been in business making delicious flavored fortune cookies for 60 years!
We got to watch cookies as they came off of a conveyor belt from the oven and they were folded into their signature shape. They also let me put a customized slip of paper into a cookie and take it home for free! I wrote an anniversary message to Austin and didn’t let him open it until the big day.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Just a short drive (or trolley ride) from Chinatown is Fisherman’s Wharf. The weather here by the ocean was sunny, breezy, and perfect.
We walked along the coast down to Pier 39 and watched sea lions sleeping in the sun or playing together in the water. We also looked for some souvenirs at the shops along the pier and I found a beautiful trolley car music box that plays “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”
Boudin Bakery
One spot you can’t miss in the Fisherman’s Wharf area is the massive Boudin Bakery factory and restaurant. Since 1894 this bakery has crafted delicious San Francisco Sourdough, and they shape their loaves into all kinds of animals! Everything from sourdough alligators to mice to sea turtles to bears adorns their shop windows and shelves.
Chowder’s
We had to end our day with one of my all-time favorite meals: clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl! Chowder’s is located right on the pier, didn’t cost an arm and a leg, and served up some of the best chowder I’ve ever had!
Umbrella Alley
The next morning we kicked off our final day in San Fran at a public art space called Umbrella Alley. Created by local artists in 2020 during the pandemic, it was intended as a place for visitors to enjoy time outdoors and still safely social distance.
The walls are covered in brightly colored murals and umbrellas and balloons hang suspended above. We snapped lots of pictures here!
Ghirardelli Square
After grabbing some lunch, we indulged in desserts from the Ghirardelli chocolate headquarters in Ghirardelli Square. We shared an incredible hot fudge sundae with caramel sauce while we stared out at the ocean from the nearby Maritime Garden.
Lombard Street
Next we walked over to the windiest street in San Francisco: Lombard Street! It was full of luscious greenery and hydrangea flowers and it was really cool to stop for pictures here. One thing we regretted, however, was that we walked instead of taking a trolley to get there. The hills in this part of the city are especially steep!
The Painted Ladies
While you’re in this area, I highly recommend checking out Alamo Square and the famous Painted Ladies Victorian houses. We ran out of time and had to swing back over to see them around sunset since we had an afternoon reservation at Muir Woods, but they are just a short drive from Lombard Street. You can observe them from a distance at the peaceful Alamo Square park, or you can get up close and visit the outside of the building used in the opening credits of the beloved sitcom Full House.
Muir Woods
Our last major activity in San Francisco was also one of our most memorable. We drove over to the Strawberry and Mills Valley area across the bay and explored Muir Woods National Monument. The gigantic California redwood trees are a stunning sight to behold!
The sunlight filtered down through the branches in otherwise dark and quiet woods, and it felt like we had been sucked into a fairytale. (Stay tuned for a blog post coming soon specifically about our experience here and how to reserve your entry tickets).
One-Week California Road Trip Part 1: Highway 1
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
After our three lovely days in San Francisco, we continued our one-week California road trip by making stops along the coast of Highway 1 every few days until we reached San Diego. Our first stop yielded some of my all-time favorite pictures: Pigeon Point Lighthouse. This stark white lighthouse sits on a rugged cliffside above deep blue water that crashes against the coast in huge waves. It cuts a very dramatic figure and it was so different from anything I’ve ever seen before in Texas or in my previous travels! The lighthouse isn’t operational in a traditional sense anymore, but it does have an Air BnB where you can stay inside. (Unfortunately it was all booked up when we visited, or else we would have absolutely stayed here!)
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Our next stop was in the charming town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Known for its storybook cottage style buildings, art scene, and bougie locals, it definitely lived up to its name!
We took a nice long lunch break here, followed by a quick drive around town to investigate some of the local shops and famous local residence cottages designed by Hugh Comstock. A few of our favorite spots were the Pilgrim’s Way Bookstore and Cottage of Sweets.
Point Lobos
Just a few minutes away from Carmel is Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, known for its cliffside hikes, tidal pools, and seal population.
We did a 1 mile hike that ran along the cliffside past beaches and peninsulas with beautiful turquoise waters below. At the beginning of the hike we even spotted three harbor seals laying in the sun! We spent a few hours soaking up the views before we continued on down the coast to our next destination.
Bixby Creek Bridge
When we reached the Big Sur area, we stopped at the side of the road to snap a few photos of the famous Bixby Bridge. Its swooping arches that extend from the road all the way down to the ocean were pretty incredible.
Big Sur
While we didn’t have time to do a ton of hiking into the mountains at Big Sur, we did stop repeatedly just to enjoy the remarkable views of the mountains rising up to our left and the ocean crashing against the cliffs below to our right. We had no cell phone service at all and we didn’t see civilization for miles and miles, so it truly felt like an adventure in the California wilderness!
McWay Waterfall Trail
Our last stop on the first day of our road trip was the McWay Waterfall Trail, a short path that leads to views of a tall, thin waterfall spilling over onto a secluded beach. We were lucky enough to arrive right at sunset and enjoy the beautiful orangey tones washing over the water and the shore. It was breathtaking!
Elephant Seal Vista Point
The next morning we kicked off the next leg of our California road trip at Elephant Seal Vista Point.
There were dozens of adorable seals along the shore that would snuffle with their unique elephant-like noses, scoot along towards the water, or fling sand onto themselves with their flippers to cool off. They were sooo cute!
Morro Bay
To break up the drive to Santa Barbara, we stopped in Morro Bay to try to catch a glimpse of the sea otters that famously gather along the boardwalk.
Since we visited during the off season, we only got to see one otter. But to us that was still an amazing experience! We also looked for souvenirs at The Shell Shop and snacked on salt water taffy from Carousel Taffy.
Santa Barbara
We stopped for the night in Santa Barbara, and we stayed in such a beautiful hotel here! We had a view of the mountains in the distance, and we were a 2 minute drive (or 10 minute walk) from the beach. We spotted some sandcastle art beside the main pier and then had dinner sitting over the ocean while we watched the sunset behind the mountains.
Santa Monica Pier
The next day we fulfilled Austin’s lifelong dream to ride an amusement park ride over the ocean at Santa Monica Pier!
We spent the morning at Pacific Park exploring and rode the ferris wheel together.
Huntington Beach
After another short drive, we grabbed some Dole Whip and watched surfers catch some waves at Huntington Beach. It was one of the prettiest beaches we visited throughout the whole trip.
Duke’s Hawaiian Food
I can’t complete this California road trip blog post without mentioning our incredible meal at Duke’s. We wandered into this Hawaiian food restaurant on a whim, and it absolutely blew us away! We scarfed down coconut shrimp, teriyaki chicken, and macaroni salad followed by their world famous Hula Pie dessert. Austin said it was the best dessert he had ever eaten! (And as foodies, that is really high praise from us.)
One-Week California Road Trip Part 1: San Diego
Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier
Our final destination on our California road trip was San Diego! Before we started exploring La Jolla Beach, we stopped for brunch and wandered over to snap some photos of Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier. If you look closely, it has the appearance of a portal into the distant sky.
La Jolla Beach
We fell so much in love with La Jolla Beach, we spent an entire afternoon there twice in the same week! On our first visit, we stumbled upon a sea lion lying right on the public beach where we were walking together. He even let me snap some pictures of him basking in the sunlight!
We also explored the tidal pools and the hundreds of tiny crabs scuttling around on the rocks. They were so shy and cute!
On our second visit, there were dozens of sea lions sitting on the rocks just offshore and jumping into the water to play. There were lots of babies, and it was just adorable! We decided to just sit back and watch them for a few hours because it was such a perfect, lovely scene.
The Cave Store
One of the most unique gems at La Jolla Beach is The Cave Store. Part souvenir shop and part old timey bootleggers tunnel, you can purchase tickets here to descend through the cave to a hidden cove.
When we explored the caves, there was a sea lion taking a nap down there on a rock! My biggest takeaway from San Diego is that there are sea lions everywhere!
Hotel del Coronado Beach
We had an extra free evening in San Diego, so we decided to head over to Coronado Island and check out the famous Hotel del Coronado. We wandered along the beach at sunset and dreamed of staying at this beautiful property someday when our budgets allow! Then we had a delicious dinner at a local mom and pop Italian restaurant a short walk from the beach. It was a perfect way to kick off our time in San Diego.
Sea World San Diego
We dedicated one of our San Diego days to Sea World, where I was most excited to see real sea turtles in person! We got to watch them snack on lettuce leaves and fish from their trainer.
We marveled at the intelligent sea lions in the Seamore and Clyde stage show and all of the adorable personality they had, and we rode the Bayside Skyride: a gondola that stretches out across the bay so that you can ride suspended over the Pacific Ocean! The views were incredible, but definitely don’t ride this if you are especially afraid of heights (or sharks!).
The San Diego Zoo
Last but certainly not least, we couldn’t visit San Diego without a trip to the world famous San Diego Zoo!
Fair warning: it is MASSIVE and we were pretty tired out from walking around. But it was worth the exhaustion to see so many incredible creatures in one place.
One-Week California Road Trip Guides
Check back on the blog within the next few weeks for links to guides that will help you plan an amazing California road trip too! I’ll be sharing the perfect itinerary, packing tips, my favorite stops, dos and don’ts, and more.
Happy travels!
For more guides to adventures across the USA, check out this page.
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