2-week roadtrip in the USA along the Pacific Ocean

🏖 You love the ocean ? You love driving and feeling free ? You are a nature and sunbathing enthusiast ? You have two weeks of vacation you don’t know what to do with ? 🌲
This itinerary is made for you ! Go on an oceanic road trip and discover the Pacific Coast‘s cities and outstanding landscapes.

---

 

---

 

Itinerary of this roadtrip along the Pacific Ocean

 

---

🚗 We recommend for this itinerary to rent a car from Hertz. , It’s possible to rent it in one city and return it in another without exorbitant prices and limiting hidden costs.

🗺 Need a road map to prepare your itinerary ? We recommend this one, the most detailed and the most pleasant to read !

📗 You want to buy a paper travel guide ? We recommend this one ! In our opinion, it is the most complete, the most visual and the most up to date !

---

 

The itinerary : step by step

 

---

 

What to do in Seattle ?

Elegant, trendy and casual. 

• Pike Place Market, get a sense of the city’s true nature : open, eclectic and proud of its singularity. Stroll around the small shops, new wave restaurants, meet environmentalists, craftsmen, students and street artists. Get lost in the busy urban theatre and enjoy  its sounds and smells.
• Pioneer Square, Seattle’s oldest district. Walk through the renovated as well as shabby buildings, the coffeeshops and museums. Go in the Smith Tower, a 42-story building, then go to Occidental Park to see chinook sculptor Duane Pasco‘s totems. Do not leave the neighbourhood without stopping at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, an extraordinary museum telling the story of Seattle during the Gold Rush. Discover press clippings from 1897, pictures and exhibitions. And you get in for free !
• Colombia Center, highest tinted-glass tower in the Pacific North-West. Go up the 73rd floor (284 m / 932 ft high !) and enjoy its sky view observatory, you’ll get a beautiful view over the city.
• Discovery Park, an abandoned military structure made into a wild coastal park. Walk around Seattle’s largest park, its many different landscapes : cliffs, sand dunes, pairies, forests and beaches.

 

---

 

What to do in Portland ?

Progressive, open-minded and modern. 

• Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a 3km / 1.8 mile -long  park on the west side of Willamette River. Have a pic-nic in the grass, go for a run or a bike ride and enjoy Portland’s pace. In the summer, attend one of the many open-air festivals it hosted.
• Pioneer Courthouse Square, a red-brick pedestrian square. Meet up with the workers for a lunch break, enjoy the street artists and local producers or dance at a concert !
• Forest Park, 2000 ha of humid temperate forest in the city. Explore Portland Audubon Society‘s animal shelter, hike on 6 km / 3.7 miles of wild trails or go in Pittock Mansion and enjoy he gorgeous view.
• Go kayaking on the kilometers / miles of navigable canals.

 

---

 

What to do in Redwood National Park; State Parks ?

A forest with tall sequoia’s lining up like giant skyscrapers. 

• Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center, biggest tourist office of the park. Go through its many exhibitions, watch a movie about sequoias, browse through fascinating books in the library and go to the lovely beach.
• Klamath River Overlook, view point 198m / 650 ft above the sea. Try catching a glimpse of grey whales during migration (between December and April). Take the short trail to a lower view point with a spectacular view of the crushing waves.
• Drive on the Coastal Drive following the coastline for 13km / 8 miles and stop at the farm, it hides a Secon-Wolrd-War radar.
• Go for a hike along the coast by taking Yurol Loop, it goes through the wild Hidden Beach or walk under the sequoias by taking Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

 

---

 

What to do in Mendocino ?

Historic city built on a beautiful headland. 

• Roam through the wooden houses, quaint shops, New-England B&B’s and art galleries.
• Mendocino headlands State Park. Hike on this national park’s trails, enjoy its cypresses, wild flowers and berry bushes. Walk along the cliffs and raging waves.
• Rent a kayak and go up Big River‘s estuary.

 

---

 

 

---

 

What to do in San Francisco ?

The city of 43-hill, 80-art-gallery, thousands of colors and astonishing views. 

• Alcatraz, iconic old prison. Take the ferry at Pier 33 and spend a few hours on the island, back in time. Get an audio-guide and explore the prison at your own pace. Tip 1 : get your tickets before-hand and skip the line !  Tip 2 : even if you are not a native english speaker, get the english audio-guide, narrators are real previous guards and inmates ! 
• Castro, San Francisco’s gay district. Walk around this hype and colorful neighbourhood. Have a coffee while enjoying the sun and stop in one of the community gardens. 
• Mission District / Balmy Alley, hispanic and LGBTQ distric. Walk though this busy neighbourhood and appreciate the beautiful wall or garage door paintings in Balmy Alley.
• Dolores Park, historic place and meeting point. Have a pic-nic in the sun, play tennis or simply watch people passing by. A nice relaxing moment. 
• Golden Gate Park, world’s largest urban park (over 400 ha !). Get lost in the huge forest in the middle of the city. Take a walk on Lands Ends to get to see ship wrecks and the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Fisherman’s Wharf, a long wharf along the city. Observe the sunbathing seals at Pier 39, eat a delicious burger from In&Out or attend an open-air concert. 
• Haight & Ashbury, 60s hippy neighbourhood. Explore the colorful shops selling weird objects and take a pic of Janis Joplin‘s famous pink house.
• Lombard Street : the iconic street with its 8 hairpin turns, beautiful flowers and brick houses.
• Baker Beach, previously a beach used by the army. Get a beautiful view of the Golden Gate.

 

---

 

What to do in Big Sur ?

160 km / 100 miles of wild coast. 

• Sleep in yurts at Treebones Resort or prefer simple camping at USFS.
• At Esalen Institute, swim in the water sources with an ocean-view, every night between 1 and 3 am. Unreal !
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, one of the rare coastal falls of California. Walk for 400 m / 0.2 mile to the McWay Falls.
• Take  Sycamore Canyon Rd down to Pfeiffer Beach and its keyhole arch. Dig in the sand : it’s purple !
• Discover Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and its many trails across sequoia forests.

 

---

 

What to do in Santa Barbara ?

Seaside paradise and immaculate beaches. 

• Mission Santa Barbara, a church built in 1786. Step inside the « Queen of the missions », admire its Chumash artwork, its cemetery and two steeples.
• Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Discover a garden dedicated to Californian vegetation and walk through cacti and wild flowers.
• Santa Barbara Museum of Art, this art museum located in the city center has amazing collections. Re-discover modern artists like Matisse or Chagall or explore the provocative temporary exhibitions.
• Take a walk on Stearns Wharf, the oldest wooden wharf on the West Coast. Stroll between the restaurants and shops.

 

---

 

What to do in Channel Islands ?

California’s Galapagos.

• Go kayaking or snorkeling surrounded by remarkable wild life and flora.
• Take the boat and go explore Anacapa. This island lets you enjoy fabulous views and easy hikes.
• Share a camping excursion on the biggest island : Santa Cruz.

 

---

 

What to do in Los Angeles ?

The “City of Angels”.

•  Hollywood Walk of Fame. Walk on the famous celebrity stars and spot your idol’s to take a pic ! There are over 2000 stars !
• Santa Monica, beach located North of L.A with a blend of resort and city atmosphere. Go to the pier and enjoy the Ferris wheel and many rides.
• Grammy Museum, a music museum. Discover interactive exhibitions about American music history. Feel like a singer or DJ !
• Griffith Observatory, 1935 observatory. Discover its modern planetarium and cinema. At night, with a clear sky, observe stars and planets through a telescope.
• Studios Universal, open to public since 1915. Get a tour of your favorite movies’ sets, outdoor decors and special effects studios !

 

---

 

What to do in San Diego ?

« The Plymouth of the West » 

• USS Midway Museum. Discover the US army’s aircraft carriers. Explore the cabins, infirmary, kitchen and impressive flight deck with restored aircrafts. And try out a flight simulator !
• San Diego Zoo, world famous. Explore the beautiful zoo and discover over 800 species.
• Old Town Historic Park, historic park in the old town of San Diego. Discover authentic buildings like a school and a newspapper’s office. Get a guided tour at the Visitor Center.
• Enjoy the many beaches and try surfing like a “true” Californian !

 

---

---

 

To learning more…

 

• You want to know all the information about the country ? it’s here.
• Then, to rent a car at the best price, we advise you this website.
• Finally, to book a flight at the best price, we advise you this website.

 

---

If you have any information, good tips, or simply a comment about this itinerary, please feel free to leave us a comment at the bottom of the page! The whole team will be happy to hear from you!