Grand tour of the Pacific Coast

The hometown of Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, of films like Sleepless in Seattle and series like Grey's Anatomy, Seattle has a picturesque skyline, between the sea and the mountains, with the imposing peak of Mt Rainier dominating the horizon. The Space Needle, a symbol of the city, was built for the 1962 World's Fair, but it was mainly the Boeing factory that was crucial for the city's economic development, to which Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon have been added.

From Seattle you board a ferry, the Edmond's Ferry, cross Puget Sound and reach the peninsula of Olympic National Park. The Olympic National Park occupies the eponymous peninsula and encompasses various ecosystems, including the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains, ancient rainforests, and the beaches of Crescent Lake and the Pacific Ocean. The park is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and certainly a multi-night destination for hiking, climbing, skiing, and sightseeing.

The largest city in Oregon, famous for rose cultivation, is surrounded by spectacular landscapes: the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, waterfalls, forests, ski slopes, and streams. It is also a vibrant city, rich in culture and art, with excellent bars, microbreweries, restaurants, and many green areas.

Once a rough port town, Eureka is the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, and has an eclectic charm with its beautifully restored Victorian buildings, Queen Anne-style decorated homes, and lively harbor. It is also the southern gateway to the Redwood National and State Historic Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

San Francisco’s iconic streets twist up and down its many hills and scenic bridges connecting it to the mainland – chief among which the red Golden Gate. San Francisco is a charming, multi-faceted city, regarded as a liberal, enlightened oasis in a rather conservative America.

There are several beautiful seaside locations along the way, such as Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Capitola Beach. The centerpiece of Monterey is its magnificent harbor, Monterey Bay. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary provides homes for seals, sea lions, dolphins, otters, and many more marine species. To learn about these denizens of the sea you can't miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium: to avoid the big lines at the main gate, buy your tickets online and get in by the Advance Ticket Holder entrance, which, as you're facing the building, is down an alley about one hundred feet to the right of the main entrance. Monterey County is known for its wines: stop by the Cannery Row tasting room for A Taste of Monterey, which serves wines from a number of different area wineries and has a breathtaking view of Monterey Bay. Don't miss Old Monterey. This historic district isn't just there for looks; it's still a thriving downtown. Many of the historic adobes are now home to fabulous restaurants and bars.

you set out to travel one of the best stretches of the exciting Pacific Highway 1, carved into the rock above the stormy ocean in 1937 and now one of the most beautiful scenic byways in the United States. You pass through the Big Sur area, with unmissable stops at the Bixby Bridge and Mc Way Falls. You then reach Morro Bay with the famous Morro Rock in the middle of its inlet, until you descend and reach Pismo Beach. South of San Luis Obispo, Hwy-1 and US-101 run along the ocean, passing through Pismo Beach, a seaside town popular among families and retirees.

Along the Pacific coast, one encounters several iconic locations: beautiful Santa Barbara with its colonial remains and fashionable life; luxurious Montecito, home to many international jet set stars; Ventura, where one can stop to visit the beautiful old town and stroll along the pier that stretches out over the ocean; Malibu, long famous for its long sandy beaches, waves perfect for surfing, luxurious hillside villas, and wellness culture. Los Angeles – the land of Hollywood, Disneyland and Universal Studios, where life is as carefree as can be. With its ever-shining sun, palms in the breeze, movie stars with their fancy houses in Beverly Hills, wonderful museums, futuristic buildings, and surfing spots, Los Angeles truly makes for an unforgettable destination.