California Coast Road-Trip Must-Sees
 

Currently planning a roadtrip with a couple friends up the California coast from LA possibly all the way to Washington. What are some more off-the-beaten-path must-sees along the way? We're all young guys so anything requiring physical exertion/thrill-seeking is definitely on the table as well. Any ideas are great!

Also as far as length, all we know is for sure a couple weeks.

When are you planning this trip? Right now there are still parts of the coast road between LA and Monterey that are closed and probably will be for a long time due to storm damage.

San Francisco might be a good stop along the way.
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

The redwoods? Oregon dune buggies? There are a few places with zip lines, if that's of interest.

Close to Florence Oregon you could sand board at a sand board park, go horse back riding on the beach, ride the dune buggies.

My favorite beach is Heceta Head ( also known as Devils Elbow).
There is a nice hike up to the lighthouse. If you want a longer hike, there is a trail to a secluded beach starting from behind the lighthouse.

The Pfeiffer bridge south of Big Sur will need to be rebuilt, the road is permanently interrupted until at least 2018.

On the Oregon coast our favorite lodgings are www.innatottercrest.com

oh wow! the options are endless! for our trip we did some of the obvious stops, but I will list a few just in case you aren't aware:

headed up from LA the central California coast has some iconic beach towns that are more touristy (malibu, Sanata Monica), but we had the best meal at Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach so I would recommend stopping there. and along your drive to Big Sur, make sure you stop in San Simeon to see the elephant seals. McWay Falls is also not a hidden gem but a must see in my book as your drive through Big Sur.

The Oregon coast is a beautiful drive. Take your time and stop at all the scenic overlooks. we found some hidden gem hikes just off the highway that we loved. Cannon Beach with the iconic Haystack Rock is a must see, as well as Seaside, Astoria (home of the Goonies!), Tillamock, Yachats, and Florence, just to name a few fun towns to stop and explore.

Olympic National park in WA is still hands down my favorite hiking memory of all time and would a beautiful end to your road trip. So much to see and do here but Hurricane Ridge was our favorite hike.

McWay Falls is currently not accessible from the south or north. Right now Hwy 1 is only open a short distance north from Cambria and a short distance south from Monterey. There's an over 60 mile stretch that's currently closed.

Hearst Castle
Winchester Mystery House
a few of the California Missions
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Monterey Aquarium and Hearst Castle, Winchester Mystery House was a snooze.
Wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara is always fun.
You will as mentioned have to cut over from Cambria to the 101 and then back over to Monterey since the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge is damaged beyond repair per Caltrans and a new bridge needs to be built.

Point Lobos, just south of Carmel.