When you pick up your RV in your mind you will generally want to have a plan in place for where you will go. At 1st Choice RV we constantly hear great things about the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, making the journey over a few days with the big goal reaching California’s Big Sur.
Along California’s Central Coast, Big Sur does not have a defined area. The most commonly referred to area is the 80 mile coastline from Monterey County’s Carmel River to San Carpoforo Creek in the county of San Luis Obispo.
The journey from 1st Choice RV, Irvine to the heart of Big Sur is around 320 miles. While not the longest of distances, we recommend making the journey over five days. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy all sorts of activities on the way there without the need to be on the road for hours on end.
Day 1
Drive from: 1st Choice RV to Walnut RV Park
Highly Recommended Activities: Universal Studios, Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
Recommended Accommodation: Walnut RV Park
Overview: Day 1 will see you drive through the heart of Los Angeles. No trip through California is complete without seeing the world famous sites that are featured all over TV. The sites are just off the direct route to the RV Park, therefore there are no major issues in getting to Universal Studios, the Hollywood Sign and the Griffith Observatory. You should do the above activities in this order as Universal Studios is a full day for most families. You can then head to the Hollywood Sign as sunset approaches for some magnificent photo opportunities before heading to the Griffith University which is open until 10pm.
Full driving directions for this day can be found here.
Day 2
Drive from: Walnut RV Park to Ventura Beach RV Resort (via Malibu)
Highly Recommended Activities: The Getty Center and Malibu Beach.
Recommended Accommodation: Ventura Beach RV Resort
Overview: Day 2 will start with you heading back South on a bee line through Malibu Creek State Park towards Malibu. Once you reach the coastline, you will come across the Getty Center where you can spend the morning checking out some amazing art, architecture and exclusive exhibitions. Once the heat of the day approaches, it is time to hit the coast. Spend the afternoon exploring the vast Malibu beaches, all with their unique features. Finish up the day in Ventura with the amazing beach resort where you can have dinner on the beach.
Full driving directions for this day can be found here.
Day 3
Drive from: Ventura Beach RV Resort to Santa Maria RV Park
Highly Recommended Activities: Santa Barbara County Courthouse and the Lompoc Wine Ghetto.
Recommended Accommodation: Santa Maria RV Park
Overview: This day will be one that will be remembered as unique to say the least. Leaving Ventura for the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, you will discover some old architecture that has been maintained extremely well leaving an impression on all visitors. Then its time for the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, an ugly looking building from the outside is alive and buzzing on the inside with great wine tasting opportunities from around the area. There is also enough cheese to go around for the kids.
Full driving directions for this day can be found here.
Day 4
Drive from: Santa Maria RV Park to San Simeon State Park & Campground
Highly Recommended Activity: Dinosaur Caves Park
Recommended Accommodation: San Simeon State Park & Campground
Overview: The first stop of the day is the Dinosaur Caves Park. There is plenty of interesting things going on in this 11 acre park. Highlights include the massive play area, two concrete dolphins and Oreo the Orca. It is then time for Hearst Castle, a vision of newspaper agent William Hearst the grounds have stunning gardens, a Neptune pool with Roman temple centerpiece all surrounding the 60,000 square foot main house.
Full driving directions for this day can be found here.
Day 5
Drive from: San Simeon State Park & Campground to Big Sur
Full driving directions for this day can be found here.
What To Do In The Big Sur
Now that you have made the final destination, we suggest taking 2 – 3 days to truly explore the area. Depending on your timeline, you may want to spend even longer in the region or you may need to start heading back to Irvine earlier.
10 Recommended Activities At The Big Sur:
1. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
2. Henry Miller Memorial Library
3. Sunset at Pfeiffer Beach
4. McWay Falls
5. Pardington Cove
6. Big Sur Station
7. Limekiln State Park Hiking
8. Point Sur Lightstation
9. Esalen Institute – Hot Springs
10. BigSur Bakery
5 Recommended Accommodation At The Big Sur:
1. Fernwood Resort, Big Sur
2. Big Sur Campgrounds & Cabins
3. Kirk Creek Big Sur
4. Riverside Campground & Cabins
5. Plaskett Creek Campground
So there we have it. If you follow the itinerary above, we are sure you will have an awesome holiday You may want to follow only parts of the plan, RVs are great in that they allow flexibility so do not feel the pressure to stick to the plan.
If you have any questions, the team here at 1st Choice RV would love to help you, they have extensive knowledge of the entire state of California to ensure you get the most out of your trip!
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