If you have driven the Pacific Coast Highway 1 (PCH) from San Francisco to Los Angeles, you have seen some of the most jarring and magnificent scenery this county has to offer. Continual twists and turns on the narrow, cliff-side drive overlooking steep drops to the ocean are a visual reminder of the power of nature.
However, once past the City of Angels, the drive south to San Diego is a more relaxing trip, allowing you to really experience the chill of Southern California. A diversity of landscape and lifestyle embody the eclectic collection of small beach towns along the way.
Heading out of LA, plan a stop in Yorba Linda at the Richard Nixon Homestead and Presidential Library, the only museum of its kind where the president's birthplace is also located. The small house Nixon's father hand-built from a $1,200 Sears house kit, stands in contrast with the elegant and modern library and resource center.
A pepper tree planted by Nixon senior still graces the homestead's front yard and, as folklore has it, young Richard would climb and swing off the branches in his youth. Parked in the side yard is the presidential helicopter, Marine One, famous for that final photo of Nixon leaving the White House in 1974 after resigning in disgrace following the Watergate scandal. A little further down the coast is San Clemente, a hilly beach town where Nixon, an avid Californian, spent his final days in a mansion high in the hills.
Continuing down Highway 1, also known as Coastal Highway and "surfer highway," you will drive through a dozen beach towns — famous ones from sitcoms and friendly ones known only to lifelong beach lovers — Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Huntington and Newport Beach, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar. Our choice was a little spot named Dana Point.
This beach, as are many of the Southern California beaches, is part of the state park system and, therefore, easily accessible to all kinds of travelers. A variety of accommodations exist to meet any budget — from camping on the beach to the newly opened Ritz Carlton — and everyone's surf and sand experience is virtually the same.
Known as a haven for expert surfers, Dana Point provides entertainment, courtesy of these athletes, all along the south end of the beach near the St. Regis luxury hotel. The harbor area offers fishing charter and sightseeing boats daily as well as local specialty restaurants. Sit and have a drink while watching the paddle boarders laze through the calm waters of the Dana Point Harbor Park.
Perhaps the most notable beaches on this route are those in Malibu (known for its celebrity residents) and Santa Monica (the widest and most active beach in Southern California).
Driving through Malibu first, you will recognize the familiar beachfront townhouses known to be owned by Hollywood celebrities. However, if you venture off the coastal roads, some spectacular mansion retreats can be seen in the Santa Monica Mountain area. Park and walk the streets of the small town, and you may see celebrities exiting yoga studios, coffee shops and the dry cleaners. Much of this area is inaccessible to the public and a parking and beach pass is required to use the beach here.
However, the opposite is true a little further down the highway on Venice and Santa Monica beaches, where celebrity sightings and beach parking are ample and easy. Santa Monica's beachfront restaurants, chair and umbrella rentals, volleyball courts, groomed white sand and crashing surf make it easy to loll your afternoon away, eating, relaxing and watching the surf and sunbathers here before driving the final hundred miles or so to San Diego.
Upon arriving in San Diego, of course, the list of must-dos is endless: the world-renowned zoo, Coronado Island, Seaport Village, USS Midway Aircraft Carrier and SeaWorld. Take in a game at Petco Park, hike the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, play a round of golf at Torrey Pines.
When you're done, be sure to head back to the Gaslamp Quarter to relax and rest up for another day of sun- and fun-filled adventure in Southern California.
