The ultimate West Coast road trip!

In the summer of 2015 I had my first proper American experience in the form of a big road trip from San Francisco to San Diego via Monterey Bay, Pismo Beach, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

We planned our road trip with a travel agent so they did all the hard work, but it was so much fun looking at all the different destinations and researching what attractions were worth visiting in each location.

We started our road trip with a week in San Fransisco. As with many other cities we've visited in the past we used the 'City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off' buses to see all the major sites in the city. Using the buses was definitely the right decision as San Fransisco is soooo hilly, and walking up and down the hills in the heat can be really tiring! My highlight of the week though was a trip to Alcatraz where we not only enjoyed the views of the city and onto the island from the boat, but the audio tour around the island was really interesting. If you want to read more about our time in San Fransisco you can do so here.

After our week in San Francisco we got the tram back to the airport to pick up the car to start our road trip down the west coast of the USA!

The first stop on our road trip was Monterey (we arrived 14.7.15 and left 16.7.17) where we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium! It was a great day learning about the local marine life and we even saw some wild sea otters using the binoculars on the pier. The highlight of the day though was our Mexican meal in a restaurant (El Torito) that overlooked the ocean. Whilst waiting for our meal we saw otters, seals (see photo taken from restaurant window!) and of course lots of sea gulls...the food was yummy too! ​​

On our way to our next stop we had a short stop along the way in San Simeon to see some Elephant Seals lounging around on the beach...they have got to be the ugliest animals ever...but it was still really so cool to see so many of them in one place! There were also some very dramatic and picturesque views at Big Sur where we stopped for a picnic lunch. The best part of the trip though was the tip off we got about a Humpback Whale swimming around by one of the jetties at Hearst Castle which was on our route. It was SO close you could see it in so much detail!

Our next stop on the road was Pismo Beach. We were there from 16.7.15 - 18.7.15. The hotel we stayed in there was right next to the beach (of course...) and had an incredibly stylish lighthouse theme. It was really nice to be able to spend a day by the pool and relax after such a busy week! We also saw Whales and Dolphins from our balcony whilst we were having supper, which was such a nice surprise!

From Pismo Beach we drove along the incredibly scenic coast to Los Angeles where we stayed in the Hollywood area! I really enjoyed looking out for celebrities whilst we were doing our grocery shopping! A trip to Hollywood of course wouldn't be the same without a tour up to the Hollywood sign via various celebrities'' houses. We also had a walk along the walk of fame and drove through Beverly Hills and past the Hotels where they host the Golden Globes and the Oscars, which, as a movie lover, I thought was pretty epic! Whilst in Los Angeles we had two days at Disneyland in nearby Anaheim including my 16th Birthday! We also had a day trip to Hollywood Studios. For more information on our time in Hollywood click here.

From Los Angeles, we took a drive away from the coast to Las Vegas where we spent two nights in the Venetian Hotel. Whilst in the fabulous Vegas we enjoyed walking along the strip watching all the street performers as well as the dancing waters outside the Bellagio and the exploding volcano outside the Mirage. You could have spent a whole week exploring all the different hotels alone!

On our second day in Las Vegas we boarded a Pink Jeep to explore the Grand Canyon. On our way we passed hundreds of cacti as well as Hoover Damn. It was lovely to be able to sit back and relax in an air conditioned jeep. When at the Canyon (West Rim) we enjoyed a barbecue lunch with a fantastic view before I had a walk along the Grand Canyon Sky Walk where overlooks the canyon through glass floors!

From Las Vegas we drove back towards the coast to spend our final week relaxing on the beach in San Diego. San Diego itself is beautiful and if you're planning a road trip I'd definitely recommend finishing your holiday with a week by the beach to relax before the long flight home. The last thing you want to do is get home and need another holiday...

San Diego was the perfect place to rewind after our trip, but there was still plenty going on to explore and sightsee!

On the last day we travelled back to Los Angeles to fly out of LAX back to the UK. :(

The road trip took us 3 weeks in total but I know I could have spent way longer exploring all the individual destinations as well as adding more to the list if I had the time. This road trip really was such an incredible experience that I know I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was a fantastic first taste of America and I really can't wait to explore more in years to come.

See our exact route here:

For more on my adventures in America, click here

To see more about the stops on our road trip, click here

Fancy booking your own West Coast Road Trip? Drop me an email to start planning your adventure!