Central Coast

The coastal stretch between San Francisco and Los Angeles, whose signature sights are Highway 1 through Big Sur, Monterey Bay, Hearst Castle and Paso Robles wine country.

Scope: This plan's Central Coast runs from Santa Cruz to San Luis Obispo and includes four counties: Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey and San Luis Obispo; Santa Barbara and Ventura are assigned to Southern California, following the "ten Southern California counties" convention. Highlights: The Big Sur section of Highway 1 is one of the most famous coastal drives in the US, with Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach, McWay Falls and more along the way. Monterey has the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row, while neighboring Carmel-by-the-Sea and 17-Mile Drive are known for ocean-view golf and mansions. Santa Cruz is distinguished by its seaside amusement park, surfing and redwood forests. In the south, Hearst Castle is the lavish estate of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and nearby Piedras Blancas offers close-up views of elephant seals; Morro Rock at Morro Bay, the college-town feel of San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles wine country are also worth a stop. Inland, Pinnacles National Park has volcanic rock spires, caves and California condors. Things to do: A Highway 1 trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles usually takes 3–5 days, with common overnight bases at Monterey/Carmel and Cambria or San Luis Obispo. Getting there: San Jose, Monterey and San Luis Obispo have airports, and Amtrak's Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner serve some towns, but driving is the most convenient. Notes: The Big Sur section has winding mountain roads, weak cell signal and few gas stations, so fill your tank in advance and book lodging ahead.

Destinations

Itineraries