The California and Oregon Coast road trip is a great one to take the kids because of the many beautiful places to stop and run around, the beaches to go swimming and the Redwood forest to explore.
Day 1: Malibu to San Luis Obispo
- About 3 hours drive without stops
Day 2: San Luis Obispo to Monterey
- Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 drive takes about 3.5 hours
Day 3: Monterey to San Francisco
- Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 drive takes about 3.5 hours, The drive through Palo Alto is about 2 hours
Day 4: San Francisco to Mendocino
- Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 drive takes about 4 hours.
Day 5: Mendocino to Brookings
- Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 takes 5 hours
Day 6: Brookings to Yachats, Oregon
- Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Highway 101 takes about 3.5 hours
Day 7: Exploring Yachats
- We spent 7 nights with Yachats as our home base on the recommendation of a friend who has a home there.
Day 8: Newport
- Newport is a larger coastal town north of Yachats
Day 9: Farmer’s Market and Cape Perpetua
- We took advantage of our Yachats home base and had an easy day walking the 804 trail and hiking nearby to see some beautiful vistas.
Day 10: Florence, Oregon
- Florence is south of Yachats and is a smaller, quieter version of Newport.
Day 11: Tillamook, Oregon
- Tillamook is about 2 hours North of Yachats.
Day 12: Yachats
- Our last day in Yachats.
Day 13: Yachats to Crater Lake to Redding
- Direct drive time to Crater Lake National Park without stops or traffic: About 5.5 hours. It’s another 4 hours to Redding.
Day 14: Redding to Sacramento to Lake Tahoe
- Detour through Sacramento on the way to Tahoe to check out the sights.
Day 15: Lake Tahoe
- Lake Tahoe is HUGE, and takes about 3 hours to drive completely around.
Day 16: Home
- Our drive time back to North County San Diego was about 8 hours.
No trip to the US or to California is complete without at least spending some time at the coast.
This itinerary begins in Malibu, but add a day if you’d like to start in San Diego to get take in the full California Coast experience. To break up the trip, we spent 7 days in the town of Yachats exploring the Oregon Coast and the charming, kid-friendly towns nearby.
Trip Stats
- When: Summer 2020
- Days Away: 16
- Ages of Kids: 8, 7, 2
- Time in Car: High
- Time in Nature: High
Day #1
Day 1: Malibu to San Luis Obispo
And it begins! Head north along the coast through beautiful Malibu. Stop in Santa Barbara for lunch before heading up to Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo.
Direct drive time without stops or traffic: About 3 hours
What to Do
- Pick up Highway 1 just south of Malibu to begin the iconic coastal drive.
What to See
- Malibu Bluffs Park (across from Pepperdine University) gives everyone a chance to run around at the playground or along the coastal hiking paths.
- Santa Barbara has a beautiful wharf and pier with restaurants. State Street cuts through downtown and has great shopping and options for food.
- Pismo beach has lots of very casual, kid-friendly dinner options near the beach, which is really long and easy to find.
- Check out Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, known for its well established collection of used gum (!)
Where to Stay
- Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo have lodging options for all budgets. We stayed in SLO because we wanted to check out the town and Cal Poly SLO before heading out.
Extend the trip/Off the path
- Solvang is known for its danish-style architecture and has a variety of bakeries, restaurants and shops to tour through.
- The Santa Barbara Zoo has more than 500 animals onsite in open habitats including leopards, giraffes and gorillas.
Day 2: San Luis Obispo to Monterey
It’s hard to beat California’s central coast, with quaint towns and majestic cliff views. It’s easy to pull over every few minutes to take in the scenery, so leave early in the morning so you can take your time and stop off to wander through the tows or enjoy the beaches.
Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 drive takes about 3.5 hours
Day #2
What to see:
- Detour in Morro Bay to see the Morro Rock which is a huge rock sticking out from the ocean
- Cayucos and Cambria are beach towns with spots for lunch and snacks. Try the Brown Butter Cookie Company in Cayucos, which we loved and they have great gluten-free options too!
- Pullover to see the herds of Zebras that are roaming in a field on the side of the road near Hearst Castle, which is a very surprising sight in California
- Visit Moonstone Beach for some stone collection between Cambria and San Simeon
- See the huge Elephant Seals at the Vista Point in San Simeon just off the road.
- Drive through Carmel to get to 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. There’s a self guided tour that’s fun to follow and get out of the car to search for the landmarks.
- Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf is great for dinner after the drive. We love walking around the busy street to get some fresh seafood and the kids love the candy shops.
Extend the trip/Off the path:
- The Hearst Castle is near San Simeon and offers tours to see the luxurious estate and museum
- Big Sur has beautiful hiking and camping options and any outdoors-loving family can easily spend a few day exploring
- The Monterey Aquarium is one of the most famous in the country and is always a fun way to spend an afternoon
Tips:
- There are very few options for food between San Simeon and Big Sur, so plan ahead for food. Any of the roadside beaches or lookout points along the way are beautiful for a picnic lunch
- Cell Service will be limited so plan the route and stops for food before you start the drive
Day #3
Day 3: Monterey to San Francisco
Today, either continue on the coast or cut through Silicon Valley if you have tech-loving kids to drive by or take a tech-tour through Apple Park Visitor Center, Computer History Museum or see the fun statues in front of Google. We had never been to Silicon Valley, so we took the inland drive to see the tech center up close.
Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 drive takes about 3.5 hours. The drive through Palo Alto is about 2 hours.
What to see:
- If you are ready for a nature break, check out Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park for kid-friendly hiking, photo-ops and camping options
- Stop in Santa Cruz to see Natural Bridges State Beach and the Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve (October – February)
- See the Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo State Park (December – March is best)
- Half Moon Bay has beautiful beaches and a historic Main Street with shopping and restaurants
- If you choose the Palo Alto route, drive by Apple’s headquarters and through Stanford’s beautiful campus
- Once in San Francisco, head to Chrissy Park for easy Golden Gate Bridge viewing and a walk on the beach. Drive down Lombard Street, grab some Clam Chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf and get a treat at Ghirardelli Square.
Extend the trip:
- If you have time, and interested kids, Alcatraz Island always makes for a slightly spooky good day
Day 4: San Francisco to Mendocino
Although hard to leave beautiful San Francisco, today’s drive takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge and for a hike in Muir Woods National Monument. The drive to Mendocino on Highway 1 has a lot of turns in some portions, so you may want to take the 101 if you are short on time or have passengers who get car sick
Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 drive takes about 4 hours.
Day #4
What to see:
- Muir Woods is a very family friendly area with a 2 mile main hike that is beautifully filled with magnificent Redwoods. We loved exploring though the path and being surrounded by the forest.
- Stop in Sausalito along the Bay for breakfast after heading over the Golden Gate Bridge
Tips:
- Check online to see if Muir Woods is requiring reservations for visitors. It can get busy, so plan to go early or have some company. The Marin Melt in the Muir Woods Visitor Center’s cafe was featured on the Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate” and is a tasty lunch option.
- Mendocino is a charming (read: expensive) small town on the water that we loved spending time in. If you want to have dinner there, make a reservation ahead of time as they can fill up pretty quickly. Fort Bragg is a little further north and is a bit more casual with more variety for hotel and food options.
Day #5
Day 5: Mendocino to Brookings
Redwoods and more beautiful Redwoods!! The air is crisp, the hikes are beautiful. There are so many places to see the Redwoods, so plan to stop along the way to admire these magnificent trees.
Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Coastal Highway 1 takes 5 hours
What to See:
- North of Mendocino, where the 1 meets the 101 is the Drive Through Tree Park. It was closed when we drove through, but would love to stop by to see!
- The Avenue of the Giants runs parallel to the 101 and is a pretty road to take and feels like you are immersed in the woods.
- The towns of Eureka and Arcata have some great natural food options to reload the snack bags
- Visit the Redwoods National and State Parks. For an easy option that still keeps you driving north, you can exit the 101 onto the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. It cuts through beautiful Redwoods forests and returns you back on the 101.
Extend the trip/Off the path:
- For a camping or day option, add time to spend in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The Jedediah Smith Campground has an area by the river for lake access where you can rent tubes to float the river by Jedediah bridge and enjoy a day out of the car. If you add a day to spend time here, Crescent City is nearby and has hotel options and a pretty lighthouse.
Day 6: Brookings to Yachats, Oregon
Hello Oregon! We made it up the stunning California coast and are excited about exploring Oregon. The beaches are beautiful and easy to pull over to have a drive break.
Direct drive time without stops or traffic: Highway 101 takes about 3.5 hours
Day #6
Where to Stay:
- In Yachats, check out Airbnb options since it is helpful to be able to eat in with kids and to have the space. Rather a hotel? Check out the Overleaf Lodge and the Adobe Resort.
Day #7
Day 7: Exploring Yachats
We spent 7 nights with Yachats as our home base on the recommendation of a friend who has a home there. There are many options in this area of Oregon that are a bit bigger, such as Florence or Newport, however we loved staying in Yachats for its small-town feel, the 804 trail and the easy access to everything we wanted to see. It was great to build in a break like this after the drive up and everyone was ready for a little low-key exploring.
What to See:
- The 804 trail is a 1.3 mile out and back trail along the signature rocky Oregon coast. Check the tides for (very) low tide to explore the tide pools that become exposed to see all sorts of sea creatures including pretty sea stars.
- The Yachats River is at the south end of town and is the site of a State Recreation Area and Yachats Ocean Road State Historic Site. During low tide, there are wide stretches of beach to walk and play and even a resident bald eagle that lives in the area.
- The Little Log Church is just off of the main road and is a cute stop along a walk to see the pretty flowers and chat with the volunteers
- The North Fork Yachats Covered Bridge was a bit hard to find (it felt like we were on private property, but we weren’t) and is at the end of a pretty drive into the forest. It’s an easy way to spend some time and go on a woodsy drive
Where to Eat:
- Walk the 804 trail into town for coffee at Green Salmon Coffee Co and the best fish n’ chips and clam chowder at Luna Sea Fish House
Day 8: Newport
Newport is a larger coastal town north of Yachats, known for the Yaquina Bay Bridge and has a couple of main areas to walk, shop and eat. It’s a larger town and has a busy waterfront that we liked to explore and see the fishing boats come through.
Day #8
What to See:
- Take the walk to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse to see the original structure from 1871 up close. It’s powerful to imagine a family with kids living here with sometimes very harsh conditions and storms. Bring a coat as the walk and lighthouse area can be very windy!
- Walk along the waterfront area (Bay Blvd) for restaurants and shopping. There are also many fishing tours offered with Newport as a starting point, which would be a fun way to spend some time since fishing is so deeply part of the Oregon culture.
- Visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium for exhibits on local sea life and animals. Check to see if reservations are required before your visit.
- Check out Nye Beach, a small, artsy section in Newport that has some shops, galleries and restaurants for quieter alternative to Bay Blvd
What to Eat:
- Local Ocean Restaurant has a Brazilian Stew to remember and a good kids menu.
Day #9
Day 9: Farmer’s Market and Cape Perpetua
We took advantage of our Yachats home base and had an easy day walking the 804 trail and hiking nearby to see some beautiful vistas. This was one of our favorite parts of the trip – just walking up and down along the coast and trying to spot some whales and listening to the surf.
What to See:
- Yachats’ Farmers Market is open on Sundays from Mid May to Mid October. Stop by for fresh fruit and vegetables or made-in-Oregon gifts. It was nice to feel like a local for the morning and enjoy the fresh food
- Drive out to Cape Perpetua on the east side of the 101. Stay left at the fork and drive all of the way up the hill. A short walk takes you to the Rock Shelter for an incredibly beautiful view of the rocky coastline. The nearby Amanda Trail offers a longer hike in the woods.
- Across from Cape Perpetua is Devil’s Churn on the west side of the 101 which offers an impressive view of crashing waves that is a bit mesmerizing to watch.
Day 10: Florence, Oregon
Florence is south of Yachats and is a smaller, quieter version of Newport, with an Old Town Section to walk around and sand dunes to explore. It made for a good day trip from Yachats since it’s only about 30 minutes away
Day #10
What to See:
- Visit C&M Stables for horseback trail rides through the dunes and through the woods for a fun way to explore the area
- There are multiple places to rent ATVs or go sandboarding on the dunes for adventure-loving kids
- The Old Town section on Bay Street is a small but nice place to walk around after an excursion. We loved Novelli’s Crab and Seafood for just-caught crabs and BJ’s Ice Cream (also located in Newport) is a good stop for a treat
Day #11
Day 11: Tillamook, Oregon
Tillamook is about 2 hours North of Yachats and is the original location of the Tillamook CoOp that makes the amazing ice cream and cheese we love. We still talk about our trip to the Tillamook Creamery, which has a self guided tour to check out the cheese being made (there are huge windows to look down onto the production floor) and to learn about the history of the coop that began in 1909. The dining hall is a must visit to get items like grilled cheese, cheeseburgers and ice cream. Their gift shop has a ton of great Tillamook products as well as interesting gifts.
Extend the Trip:
- The Blue Heron French Cheese Company is just down the road with a large gift shop and some animals to check out.
- Portland is about 90 minutes west of Tillamook if you’d like to get some city time in during the trip.
Day 12: Yachats
For our last day in Yachats, we enjoyed the beach, the tidepools and the local restaurants, trying to soak up as much of the coast as possible before heading home. We loved staying in Yachats and enjoyed the opportunities to be outside and spend time together near such a beautiful coastline.
Day #12
What to See:
- At the north end of the 804 trail is a large, sandy beach. Bring a few kites (buy at Yachats Mercantile) and relax for a few hours
- Walk through the Gerdemann Garden, which is a pretty botanical garden with many unusual plants.
What to Eat:
- Ona’s restaurant and Yachats Brewing are great restaurant options
Day #13
Day 13: Yachats to Crater Lake National Park to Redding
There are many ways to tackle the drive home or, so you may need to modify the steps below as this plan takes a few detours. The most direct route back to LA or San Diego is Interstate 5, however we sidetracked through Crater Lake National Park and Lake Tahoe before finally heading back to reality. We took advantage of the first day back in the car to have a VERY long drive day, so cut this up a bit if you want to avoid a late driving night.
Direct drive time to Crater Lake National Park without stops or traffic: About 5.5 hours. It’s another 4 hours to Redding.
What to See:
- If you are like us and love checking out college campuses, stop by University of Oregon in Eugene for a quick break
- Crater Lake National Park is a stunning place to spend some time for some hiking and sightseeing.
Where to Stay:
- We stayed in Redding but, again, it was a very late night. To be able to spend some more time and to reduce a very long day, at Crater Lake, check out the lodging around the Park. There also are some smaller towns between Crater Lake and Redding, such as Klamath Falls, OR and Weed, CA, to check into as well
What to Eat:
- The Sandwich League is a great option for lunch to go next to the Oregon Campus.
- There are a few food options in the National Park (check to see that they are open).
Day 14: Redding to Sacramento to Lake Tahoe
The beautiful thing about road trips is that they are so easy to modify. One of our kids had just learned about California state history, so we detoured through Sacramento on the way to Tahoe to check out the sights.
Day #14
What to See:
- Check out the government buildings and the California State Capitol Museum
- Visit Old Sacramento for a view of historic buildings and gold rush artifacts
Day #15
Day 15: Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is HUGE, and takes about 3 hours to drive completely around. South Lake Tahoe and Stateline are the most developed towns to have a home base in before exploring the beaches. It’s a beautiful place to visit any time of year – With swimming and paddle sports in the summer and skiing in the winter, it makes for a very family-friendly stop. There are many places to rent paddleboards and kayaks for a more active day as well or just find a beach and relax from the drive and enjoy the last day before heading home.
Day 16: Home
Even though we wished we could keep extending the trip, we needed to head back to reality. Our drive time to North County San Diego was about 8 hours. We admired Mt. Whitney along the way, and stopped by LA to eat before heading home.
Day #16
Although 2 weeks can feel like a really long time to be on a road trip, having the option to set up a home base in Oregon made the trip really manageable and enjoyable for everyone. We love road trips with kids because they are easily modified and flexible depending on how everyone is feeling and there’s nothing better than finding a hidden place to see along the road. The California Coast is so unique, that it can be experienced over and over without getting old – we can’t wait to head back up the central coast to spend some more time in the towns we passed, like Cayucos and Big Sur.
