Is this feasible, is it even a good idea???

[tycopj]

We are flying into LAX, driving down to San Diego for two days, then up to Disneyland for four days. I checked out mapquest and the directions for driving down to San Diego were:

Merge onto I-405 S via the ramp on the LEFT toward LONG BEACH.

Merge onto CA-73 S toward CA-55/SAN DIEGO VIA TOLL RD (Portions toll).

Merge onto I-5 S.

Merge onto I-805 S via the exit on the LEFT...................

My question for all of you is, would it be feasible to go further west, and drive down Pacific Coast Highway? I thought it would be a good way to really see the ocean and the beaches. We could make a few stops along the way.

What do you all think?

Thanks!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I drove down PCH just last August.

There are a couple of ways you can go, depending on the time you want to take...

You can...

From LAX airport, get on your right as you leave the LAX horseshoe, and take Sepulveda south. Go under the runway. The big street after you go through the tunnel will be Imperial Hwy-- take Imperial Hwy west (turn right). It ends at PCH & Dockweiler Beach. Turn left (south). You'll go past the big electrohydraulic plant just off the beach -- the small cliffs on the right is where handgliding got its start (El Segundo Beach) - there is a plaque there. As you continue south, just think that this is where the Beach Boys used to hang out in their younger days, surfing those waves.

PCH will kind of go inland a couple of blocks & you really won't see too much beach when you get to Manhattan Beach. You can either go towards the beach, and continue along, or you can stay on PCH. You'll pass Hermosa & Redondo Beach, & Torrance Beach. In front of you is Palos Verdes Peninsula. You can continue on PCH, or you can drive along the hill. If the weather is clear enough, you can see Sta. Catalina Island, but if it's hazy (& it usually is), you won't see the island. Along this drive around the peninsula, is where they filmed part of Pirates of the Caribbean. There is a well known chapel here called Wayfarer's Chapel, or the Glass Chapel (Lana Turner got married here & had to be carried up the steps because her dress was so tight) that is a popular & really beautiful spot. You'll drive past Abalone Cove, where the pirates used to stash their treasure in the "olden days," and continue on towards the south end of the peninsula. You'll pass two lighthouses - Point Vicente (great whale watching spot) and Point Fermin (where really crazy people like to go hand gliding) - they say the lighthouse on Point Fermin is haunted. You'll pass a park on the right and up on the hill on the left you may catch a glimpse of the Friendship Bell that was a gift to us from Korea back in the 60's. Straight ahead you'll come to a lookout spot where you can see San Pedro & Cabrillo Beach below you (Cabrillo Beach - they filmed part of "Face Off" there and "Pirates of the Caribbean", too). In the distance you can see the Queen Mary & the dome that used to house the Spruce Goose (or the Hercules, as Howard Hughes called his huge wooden plane). Continue down the road, and you'll come to the Vincent Thomas Bridge -- a huge green bridge that goes over the Los Angeles Harbor. Ports o' Call will be to your right and the docks for Princess & Carnival Cruises (Remember the show "Love Boat" - that's where it took off). Vincent Thomas Bridge will take you to Long Beach, and you continue there, past the town, old Navy yards, and along the lonnnng beach. That is where they have the Grand Prix every year. You'll also pass Naples, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, etc., etc. It's really a beautiful drive.

If you want to cut your time a bit, you can take the freeway & go towards the ocean to pick up PCH anywhere along the way -- catch the bridge, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, etc.

When I went down, I think I got as far as south of Laguna Beach & then headed for the 405 south, but PCH really takes you pretty far.

 

[TimNDansMom]

Thanks Mary Jo! I was thinking of doing the exact same drive down to San Diego. Great details of what to watch out for!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

You'll have to get on the FWy to go around Camp Pendelton, but then you can go back towards PCH.

Luckey

 

[pocohontas2004]

How does one come up the PCH and get to Anaheim? We would be starting in La Jolla and heading to Anaheim. We would LOVE to see the beach along that stretch, but want to cross back onto I-5 (or the right route) at a simple place to get into Anaheim easily.

And, any great beach stops on that route in early February? with kids? maybe for lunch?

Thanks!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

There are all kinds of places to stop -- probably Laguna Beach or San Juan Capistrano would be nice...

You'd go up PCH, go inland @ Camp Pendleton & get on the 405 north, then when you get to about San Clemente (past San Onofre where the nuclear plant is) go back towards the beach & get back on PCH. I can check on a map (or someone who's done it will tell us )

When you get to Newport Beach, you can take MacArthur Road or Jamboree, and they'll take you to the 405 or the 55 and you can then get to DL from there.

 

[carmel]

This won't answer your question but I had to share.

My hubby grew up in LA. I had been there many times with him when on one trip, we needed to drive up to San Fran. He always wants to show me the prettiest views on any trip. He decided to take Hwy 1 (PCH) and hug the coast all the way up. Well, we were just out of Ventura county when the fog set in. We were on this road that hugged the rocky cliffs over the Pacific and couldn't see more than 3 feet in front of our car. The whole experience made me terribly car sick. Poor hubby, the whole time he was saying things like 'If you could see, there would be this amazing view of the ocean overlooking this beautiful rocky beach right here.' We finally headed inland and caught the freeway up. I felt so badly for him - he wanted to show me the sights!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Lol, Carmel -- you're just going to have to make that trip again so you can really see the sights.

(The same thing kinda happened to me. Some cousins came out from Spain, & they were used to sleeping in -- didn't really believe me that we'd be on the road by 8am ... till I woke them up early so we could go.... anyways, we were on the road by 8am, & it was foggy all the way to Sta. Barbara (4 hour drive) & you couldn't see anything .... they happily napped in the car while I drove...)

 

[carmel]

But I have one more story.......

Two years ago, we took my parents out to Vegas. They wanted to see LA so we took one day and drove them there. My favorite restaurant IN THE WORLD is Gladstones at Sunset and PCH. The whole drive from Vegas to Malibu, I was telling them how beautiful the view was and I had reserved a table by the window and blah, blah, blah.

Well, we came down the hill on Sunset and the fog sank in like a blanket. By the time we got to PCH, it was about 15 degrees colder and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. We got the seat by the window but it was like sitting in a bowl of milk. I was so disappointed for them.