California Road Trip in June LA to SF through the Pacific Coast Highway

Hello,

I"m planning a surprise marriage proposal trip this June and i'm not 100 percent sure where to start. My idea is to fly out to LA for a couple days, rent a car, then drive up the PCH stopping along the way (possibly proposing on a beach when we stay over somewhere, any suggestions on that would be great) do that for 3-4 days then end up in San Fransisco for 2-3 days. If the proposal idea doesn't work out for the PCH then I have some ideas for SF but again ideas are welcomed. A few questions...Is June an ok month to go? I know Summer is rough for the PCH and SF b/c of fog, but i was hoping since it's the beginning of the season I'd bypass that and get some great scenes.

Also, does it make a difference on the PCH driving north opposed to driving south? Will we still be able to stop and take in the scene, take photos etc? Or can you really only do that driving south?


I don't know what are the good places/cities to stop in along the way. I've heard about Monterey and Carmel possibly, but beyond that I'm not sure. Are they mostly smaller cities with B&Bs or small hotels? What about places to stop and eat, etc?

I know there are some parts of San Fran to avoid, where's the best place to stay? And do people recommend returning the car when we get to SF and then just taking Public Transportation along the way?

Any other proposal locations are welcomed! Thanks in advance for your help!

-B

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

For starters, the Pacific Coast Highway can be driven enjoyably in either direction. The reason we normally recommend that, given the choice, people drive it north to south is that this places you on the ocean side of the road making pulling off for sight seeing and photo taking that much easier, particularly if you are in a large RV. It also gives the passenger an unobstructed view of the shore. But certainly, if south to north works for you for other reasons and you're driving a car that's maneuverable, south to north it is. There are several wonderful spots to pop the question. One would be the grounds of the Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo in Carmel, another the grounds of Pebble Beach, a third the McWay Falls. None of them guarantee a 'Yes', but they won't hurt either.

Whether or not to return the car as soon as you hit San Francisco is really up to you. Unlike New York where a car is a liability or Los Angeles where it is a necessity, San Francisco is a compact, easily driven city with good public transportation, so I don't think you can lose either way. But given that you might want a bit more alone time with your (now) fiancée, you might want to give a bit more weight to keeping the car.

AZBuck

Buck beat me too it, but McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP was the first thing that came to mind.

Hearst Castle would be another spot that would come to mind.

Of course you could wait until you get to SF, and walk out onto the Golden Gate Bridge.

Or if you wanted to see if she how she really feels, you could always go for Alcatraz!