Question! My partner and I are driving to Eugene, OR from Huntington Beach, CA in July. I want to take the 5 around Los Angeles, then 101 to San Francisco before getting back on the 5 to Oregon. Am I going to miss out if I steer away from the coast north of SF? I am not sure which route you took up, but I kind of wanted to slow my way up to Big Sur, spend a day in SF, then basically see what central CA is about. Anything I should make sure to see/make sure not to see? Haha. Thanks!
Typically, LA to SF or vice versa I’ve taken Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) since the coastal views are amazing. In LA, Griffith is a cool excursion for views of the city, and Silver Lake is my favorite neighborhood to explore thus far. Malibu has amazing beaches, El Matador being the one I’ve found myself going back to. Big Sur is not to be missed! Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park has so much to offer and many easy trails. You may want more time in SF as it’s a big city and it’s hard to do everything. When I did SF in a day the first time, we took a hop on/hop off bus tour and it was extremely worth it. I’m usually a do it yourself kind of gal, but given the short amount of time we had, it made sense to park in a garage for the day and utilize the tour. It was around $20-25 with student ID and we started it at Fisherman’s Wharf. I’ve only really explored a little north of SF, that being Chico. When we drove from SF to Portland, we did it overnight, so I didn’t really see any sights. From what I’ve been told, the coast in NorCal is incredible and changes quite a bit and becomes more rugged. I’ve heard people refer to it as “the lost coast.” There are quite a few national parks and forests along the coast and a little bit inland through this drive up. Tons of redwoods. Since you are on the 5, you should hit Crater Lake on the way to Eureka. I’ve been dying to go there. Hope this helped! Also, I am a co-creator of a travel blog/zine called Roadie, and we answer tons of questions like this on our blog! Check it out, I’m sure it would help you!