Honeymoon on PCH

Old Dec 4th, 2016, 11:12 AM
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Honeymoon on PCH

My fiancé and I have decided to drive the Pacific Coast Highway our week after the wedding next summer. SO FUN! Neither of us has spent much time in that area, so I'm looking for suggestions of places to go and things to see along the way. We're going Seattle (July 13th) to Sacramento (July 21st). Help!!
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 11:30 AM
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With only 7 full days to work with and, assuming you don't want to spend every waking hour driving, I suggest you at very least eliminate Washington. Even better, fly into SFO or SMF and confine yourself to the CA coast north of San Francisco. If you're enjoying the scenery you can make the coast experience last by going north, then making quick work of the drive to SMF down I-5.
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 11:41 AM
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I should explain my reasoning a bit better. If you fly into Seattle or Portland and drive south, it's a long way to Sacramento. If you fly into Northern California, you can linger along the coast and not have such a long drive to SMF airport. Just my way of seeing it. That time of year you'll probably want to pre-book accommodations, especially for special places to stay, so I'd be careful to pace the drive with more than enough time between locations.
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 11:44 AM
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I agree -- you just don't have nearly enough time for that much/that far.

Have you booked flights yet? If not you can fly in to SMF and out of SFO or vice versa. If you have booked the flights - look into what the change fees might be.

If you are stuck w/ in to SeaTac and home from SMF then your best bet is maybe Olympic National Park and a few days on the WA and/or OR coast and then straight down I-5 w/ maybe a detour to Crater Lake.
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 12:22 PM
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"SO FUN!" I hope you still feel that way after the trip. As others have said your initial plan is all driving, really no time for any of the lovely places. Have you already bought your tickets? If not, do reconsider.
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 01:55 PM
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"State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north-south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. At a total of just over 655.8 miles (1,055.4 km), it is the longest state route in California. Highway 1 has several portions designated as either Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, or Coast Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Dana Point in Orange County and its northern terminus is at U.S. Highway 101 (US 101) near Leggett in Mendocino County. Highway 1 also at times runs concurrently with US 101, most notably through a 54-mile (87 km) stretch in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and across the Golden Gate Bridge."

Translation: No PCH in Oregon or Washington.
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 01:58 PM
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"Translation: No PCH in Oregon or Washington."

And you had no idea, then, what they were talking about?
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 02:03 PM
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>>Translation: No PCH in Oregon or Washington
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 02:52 PM
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Where do you actually have to start at? Do you live in Seattle?
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Old Dec 4th, 2016, 03:04 PM
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If you really want to see some of Washington and Oregon, you could go to Seattle or Portland and rent a car to see some of the coast and then take the car back and ride the Amtrak Coast Starlight south overnight to Sacramento and rent a car there for your California coastal trip.
The Coast Starlight pulls into Sacramento every morning about 6:15 AM (sometimes early, rarely late).
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Old Dec 5th, 2016, 07:18 AM
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I apologize to the OP and the forum. Instead of zeroing in on PCH I should have been more helpful with scenic attractions, interesting towns, places to sleep and eat, etc.
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Old Dec 5th, 2016, 07:37 AM
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>>then take the car back and ride the Amtrak Coast Starlight south overnight to Sacramento and rent a car there for your California coastal trip.
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Old Dec 5th, 2016, 11:12 AM
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Just curious why Sacramento? Friends or family to visit? It is a nice enough town (although it will be hot then) but not a usual stop for a tourist.
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Old Dec 5th, 2016, 07:39 PM
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Call me crazy but I wouldn't want to spend any nights of my honeymoon on the Amtrak! Really?
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 12:00 PM
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There are so many romantic inns between Mendocino and Point Reyes, and I love both of those places. That would make a very pretty drive with a lot of fun exploring, hiking, shopping, eating and relaxing.
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Old Dec 11th, 2016, 07:27 AM
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I live in Seattle, and am late seeing this post. I think it is way too far to drive in only a week and agree with the idea of beginning the road trip somewhere a lot further south than Seattle.

Is there a reason for the Seattle start and Sacramento end?

I think the most beautiful parts of the coastline are the Oregon Coast, and California but between San Francisco down towards Santa Barbara/Los Angeles.
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Old Jan 1st, 2017, 06:02 PM
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I'm biased because I spent the majority of my first 21 years between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, but I agree with suze here. Personally, I'd fly from Seattle into San Jose or Monterey, spend two nights in Monterey or Carmel, drive to Cambria or San Luis Obispo along Highway 1 and spend two nights there (tour Hearst Castle on your way through San Simeon!), and then drive to Santa Barbara and spend your last three nights there.

However, if you're attached to driving from Seattle, I'd drive to Ocean Shores and spend a couple of nights there, drive to Cannon Beach and spend a couple of nights there, and then drive to Portland and spend a couple of nights there before heading back to Seattle.
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Old Jan 1st, 2017, 06:11 PM
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I don't think the OP is still around (maybe the wedding is off ). Registered, posted and never returned.
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