Anchorage to San Diego via Bellingham

Hi all!

This summer I will be moving to San Diego from Anchorage, AK to start grad school. My mother, my car, and all of the earthly possessions I can cram into the car and I will be making the trip starting at the end of July. We will be taking the ferry from Anchorage to Bellingham, WA, so that part is taken care of, but we will be driving from Bellingham to San Diego.

My mother has mentioned taking the Pacific Coast Highway, and I've done a little reading, but haven't been able to find a really good hit parade of must-sees along the way.

Has anyone made the trip before? What can't-miss spots along the way stand out?

She's not a big hiker, but we both enjoy a nice, long walk--the kind that doesn't call for gear beyond comfortable shoes. We're more into wineries and spas, but money is an issue (c'mon, I'm a grad student!). Recommendations for luxurious bargains would be a plus. Camping is probably not an option, except perhaps in a nicer cabin. The only thing we will plan on for sure is a weekday evening at Disneyland to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Any input you have would be welcome. Thanks!

Great, so...I guess no one is going to respond. Unless I attach some kind of sticky, or whatever...

I really don't want to have to buy another travel book; the last thing in the world I need is another book! HELP!!!

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

Sorry, we try to respond to most posts within a few hours, but it doesn't look like anyone was able to get to yours yesterday.

One question I'd have is how much time do you have for this trip? You could make the drive down I-5 in 2-3 days, but if you take the coast, you'd need more like a week. Its a very scenic route and you could enjoy quite a bit without any serious hiking, but it is a time consuming trip.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of threads and articles on this site about trips up and down the west coast. I'd start simply by looking around, with the posts here and here being a good starting point for your exploration of this site.