L.A. to the Bay: Highway 1 Road Trip for Soccer Fans

Depart Los Angeles and head northwest on Highway 1 through Santa Monica. Stop for a stroll along the Santa Monica Pier, where you’ll want to snap photos of a classic SoCal scene: golden sands, sparkling surf, and a Ferris wheel lit by 174,000 solar-powered LED lights. Ride to the top for a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding beaches and mountains.

Cruise north through Malibu, pausing to admire the endless waves and stick your toes in the sand at Zuma Beach. Forty miles north, Highway 1 and U.S. 101 join together in Ventura, a friendly coastal town with a strollable downtown and California’s oldest wooden pier. 

Your lunch awaits in Santa Barbara—dine on fish tacos and Wagyu burgers at Gracie while you gaze at the boats in the harbor, then pop into the neighboring Santa Barbara Maritime Museum for a quick lesson in seafaring history.

Hop back in the car for the 90-minute drive to San Luis Obispo via U.S. 101. Along the way, take a break at Gaviota State Park, and put a few sandy miles under your feet with a saunter along the shoreline. Check into your room at the quirky and colorful Madonna Inn, then head downtown for a Latin-inspired dinner and cocktails at Luna Red, which neighbors the town’s historic mission.

Grab a brew and a pastry at Scout Coffee Co., then head west on Highway 1 to Morro Bay. Snap a few photos of Morro Rock, then pop by Linn’s in Cambria for a slice of their signature olallieberry pie. 

A few miles farther north, pull over to see the elephant seals hauled out on the beach at Piedras Blancas. By June, many of the animals will have headed back out to sea, but the bulbous, blubbery creatures that remain will astonish you with their massive size and raucous noises.  

Make sure you arrive in San Simeon in time for your pre-booked tour of Hearst Castle, the over-the-top 165-room mansion built by William Randolph Hearst. The newspaper magnate filled his ultra-extravagant “castle” with priceless European tapestries and antiques, brought in zebras and exotic animals to live on the grounds, and threw lavish parties for 1920s and 1930s Hollywood celebrities.

Since it’s June, you still have plenty of daylight left for your drive’s next leg, which follows corkscrewing Highway 1 as it skirts Big Sur’s rugged cliffs and high-drama shoreline. 

Remember to slow way down to savor the sublime 30-mile stretch between San Simeon and the southern Big Sur coast. (Note: Check the California Travel Association for the most current road conditions before departing).

Your destination is Treebones Resort, where you’ll sleep in luxury with a glorious ocean view. Dinner is served on the resort’s outdoor patio, where the ocean view stretches to infinity.

Twisting and curving for another 30 miles, Highway 1 leads to the village of Big Sur. You’ll enjoy eye-candy views all the way—these coastal vistas have inspired poets and artists from the Beach Boys to Jack Kerouac.

Make Big Sur’s beauty last longer by stopping for walks and photo ops: Pull over at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to see famous McWay Falls leaping to the beach and flowing out to sea. Stop at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to hike the woodsy Valley View and Pfeiffer Falls Trail. Afterwards, nab a seat on the outdoor patio at Nepenthe for sublime Pacific views and their beloved Ambrosiaburger.

Once you’ve lingered as long as possible, head north to Carmel-by-the-Sea for a stroll past downtown’s storybook cottages and alluring galleries, eateries, and shops. Walk the gorgeous white sands of Carmel Beach, then push on to history-rich Monterey. Wander around Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf, then take your pick from dozens of seafood restaurants—consider The Fish Hopper for clam chowder and calamari or Schooners Monterey for a shellfish extravaganza.

Slip into sleep to the rhythm of rolling waves at The Sanctuary Beach Resort, 10 miles north in Marina. Look forward to breakfast on the beach—resort staff will deliver a picnic basket filled with croissants and coffee for you to enjoy on the sand.

The final leg of your trip takes you along U.S. 101 through prime California agricultural land and into the heart of Silicon Valley. Pick up some garlic braids and gourmet olives from Garlic World in Gilroy—and definitely taste the garlic ice cream. Then swing by San Jose to see where Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes play.

Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is close by, but if you have time before the World Cup match begins, take a tour of the San Francisco Peninsula. Stroll around the main quad at Stanford University. Visit the gorgeous gardens at Woodside’s historic Filoli estate, and sit down to lunch at the onsite Quail Café. Just a short ride away is the city of San Francisco home of world-class sightseeing, museum-hopping, dining, and shopping where you could easily extend your trip for a few more days. Don’t miss the iconic sightseeing spots like Alcatraz Island or the Golden Gate Bridge. Or go shopping in the Mission District, visit Japantown, or take a Grateful Dead-centric tour of the psychedelic Haight-Ashbury.