PCH
 

2 on this and pretty much everything else. South of San Simeon flattens out and is less impressive. And going north at least you're on the cliff side, so it's less of a feeling of about to fall off the road.

I might dispute the best driving road in America, because I'm not sure it is on a variety of grounds. But that's an issue of taste and how you define "best driving". FWIW, I'd put Going-to-the-Sun (Glacier NP), Million-Dollar Highway (SW Colo.), I-70 between Glenwood Canyon and Vail (cent. Col.), and a handful of others that don't immediately come to mind on the list as well.

PCH
 

My sister and I did the trip north of SF last year all the way up to Crescent City (which itself is a hell hole but the Boy Scout Tree Trail in nearby Jebediah Smith Redwoods State Park is worth enduring Crescent City for). PCH actually ends about 50 miles north of Ft. Bragg, but we kept on going to Eureka and then Crescent City before turning around and heading back down.

Since we had lived in the area and had already explored Marin fairly thoroughly, we skipped Muir Woods and Stinson Beach and Point Reyes (all sights that I highly recommend) took a shortcut (i.e. 101) to Santa Rosa and then cut across to Bodega Bay, where we met up again with PCH.

It took us about three hours to meander from Bodega Bay to Mendocino, though we weren't looking to set any land records. There's not much between the two points, maybe three or four towns. Except unbelievable views and vistas. We ended up stopping several times to just admire.

Mendocino is a nice little town, which you could easily take a day to explore, though it sort of has been taken over by the wealthy tourists. We stayed just a few miles north in Ft. Bragg, in a lovely little motel about 40 yards from the water.

Our particular mission that trip was to get some hiking done, so we checked out Russian Gulch State Park, which is between Mendocino and Ft. Bragg. Our first hike of the trip was really nice, a six and a half mile trek to a waterfall and back. The redwoods were impressive, and having the ocean right nearby was nice.

The last 40 or so miles of PCH actually leave the C, and you're driving through this amazing, dense forest, twisting and turning every tenth of a mile or so. The road was really well maintained, and the drivers were relatively sane.

Eureka is 100 miles north on 101, but you drive through the various state and national redwood forests to get there, and it took us about two hours to get there once we got out of the two lane PCH. There's not much to recommend Eureka, though we were lucky enough to happened to have hit it on the first saturday of the month, when all of the art galleries have openings in the old town. My uberliberal sister was a little irritated that we didn't have time to check out Arcata, which is just a bit north of Eureka. I have a feeling we'll be hanging out there when we reprise the trip later on this month.

Another 80 or so miles north, almost to the Oregon border, on 101 is Crescent City. Again, driving through a lot of state and national parks, and the ocean becomes a part of the drive again at this point. Crescent City is absolute hellhole ("armpit of California" as my friend Nick calls it), and it's impossible to find a forest ranger or a decent map of the area on the fourth of July. BUT, that Jebediah Smith state park is awesome, even if you sort of feel like dinosaurs and/or ewoks might be behind any given tree. That five mile hike was one of the best I've ever taken.

Back down between Eureka and Ft. Bragg, there's Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which also has old growth redwoods. We did the Bull Creek Flats Loop Trail, which took us about five hours to cover. Lots of old, big trees. If you don't want to hike there, the Avenue of the Giants runs through the park, and you can get a sort of idea of what it's like to be in that forest. I rather enjoy driving those twisty roads.

Oh, and PCH was totally different going back down the coast than coming up. It was clear and sunny when we drove up, and the views went for miles. When we drove back, it was foggy and overcast, and I could barely see the curve in front of me.

My sister, at the time, worked for a travel publishing company, and she interrogated the authors of the relevent books on which were the best trails, places to eat, etc. We narrowed everything down on the ride up, and I think this time around we'll probably use last year's list and see what we missed.

It was one of the better vacations I've taken in a long time.

PCH
 

What is up with Arcata that an ultra libs wants to go?

For each of the forrests please specify big or little Redwoods, and whether there are any "drive thorughs."

PCH
 

it's easier than digging a tunnel under teh border with Canada.

PCH
 

General question (not just to RT) -- can you stop to admire along the length, or are there not places to pull over for significant stretches? I'm particularly interested in the more southern part since I'll be starting from LA.

And, wow, thanks to everyone for the input. If I do this, I'm planning to take at least one, and maybe 2, vacation days (for a total of 3-4 days), but not more than that because I'm a hoarder.

PCH
 

There are frequent periodic pull-off points, generally at particularly scenic outlooks. While I haven't driven the whole distance and it may vary in some places, for much of the road pulling over at random is not really an option.

PCH
 

Still?!?

The Santa Ynez Valley was one of the great undiscovered treasures of California. Alas and alack. The magic of the movies, I guess.

PCH
 

It's a college town where even spinning hippie chicks fear to tread. The bull dykes beat up the drunk unemployed loggers, for chrissakes.

PCH
 

Fair points. Can we agree that it's the best convertible driving road in America?

Anybody ever done the Coast Starlight? I, for one, have not.

PCH
 

In other words, we've all done it, so you should too.
If you get a chance, stop in Los Olivos - it's just north of Santa Barbara and unfortunately Atticus is right - Santa Barbara is a place we wish we could have gone to school even tho it still craves respekt.

In Los Olivos, you can hit a couple of wineries, if that's your thing, have lunch, and then move on the SLO. What everyone else said is true - Big Sur, Hearst castle - all must see things because you don't really drive the 1 very often. If you get a chance, see Carmel. It'll be most of a day, but too cute to miss.

PCH
 

Have you been there since? I have not, but I'm guessing that it's not being deluged with Kansas tourists these days, but primarily by the Angelenos who decended upon it before.

PCH
 

It's up there, but it loses to Chuckanut.Chuckanut drive

http://www.chuckanutdrive.com/chuck.jpg

Established in 1869, Edison soon became a logging and agricultural center. The town's most famous product was Edward R. Murrow, the famous journalist. Located just off Chuckanut at the Bow Junction, Edison remains an area hub with its many shops and eating establishments.

http://www.chuckanutdrive.com/photos/sunset2.jpg

PCH
 

Even in Napa it was hard to walk into a tasting room without hearing some yokel mention that movie. A couple wineries we went to even caved in and are selling the book.

PCH
 

Yeah, but how does it compare to Launchatesticle Drive?

PCH
 

So where'd you go and what did you like?

We went to the Silver Oak barrel tasting last week. It was a zoo and entirely too hot. I got sick from the heat, but that didn't stop me from drinking.