Hi:

The east coast does not have anything to rival the PCH. However, the drive up the coast through Maine is quite spectacular and worth considering. Otherwise, the East coast's charm is found in regional segments. New England, the Middle Atlantic, the South. Consider Newport (Rhode Island), the Hamptons (Long Island, NY), Cape May (NJ), the Outer Banks of NC, Charleston and Isle of Palms, SC, Savannah, and then down to Florida.

Nyet, because the Atlantic coast is basically flat and sandy, rather than having some equivalent of the Coast Range pushing right up the ocean's edge, the east coast is fairly well developed. You get unspoiled ocean frontage only in state parks and national seashores. The 100-mile-stretch of U.S. 1 in Florida from Key West up to Key Largo is glorious; especially the lower part of the drive below Marathon. Also in Florida, State Road A1A hugs the ocean and, where it passes through state parks, it is a fabulous highway; otherwise it can be a depressing parade of condominiums and fast food joints. Your best bet may be the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where a state highway (I'm sorry, but I forget its designation) runs much of the length of the barrier island. Because much of the Outer Banks is part of a national seashore, development is sparse. Past North Carolina, you have to go all the way up to Acadia National Park in Maine to see truly rugged seashore. It's the one stretch of coast that approaches the majesty of PCH.