Coastal Road Trip Atlas: Illustrated Adventures on the West Coast Highways (Travel Guide)

Pack your bags and hit the road! This coastal route, a combination of US Highway 101 and State Route 1, commonly called Highway 1, offers an unforgettable adventure, taking you up close and personal with nearly every twist and turn of the Pacific shore. These historic highways will showcase sunny SoCal beaches, the cliffs of Big Sur, the hills of San Francisco, towering redwoods, rugged Northwest sea stacks, and mile upon mile of breathtaking ocean views.

Candy-hued Victorian row houses dominate many of San Francisco's steep hillsides, creating colorful, scenic views in every direction. In Marin County, the houseboat community at Sausalito's Waldo Point Harbor inspired Otis Redding to pen his classic hit "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay." Although it may not get the attention that the coastal routes do, the inland route along historic Highway 99 takes you to the West Coast's most diverse destinations, including all the wildly varied climate regions—plus all three state capitals. You'll visit searing deserts and alpine peaks, barren plains and inland seas, the largest cities and the smallest towns, from ancient history to the wave of the future.

In redwood country, the meadows are grazing haunts for Roosevelt elk, but don't approach them! Rutting bulls and mother cows can be dangerously aggressive. The White Stag sign in Portland has changed its slogan many times over the years, beginning as a sporting-goods billboard and transforming into a city-owned landmark.

In contrast to the rain forests of the western Olympic Peninsula, the area northeast of the mountains is a "blue hole" of sunny skies and calm seas. This whole different ecosystem and farming region can be toured with a series of short detours off of Highway 101. One 5-mile hike takes you to a lighthouse available for rentals for honorary lightkeepers.

Get ready for an unforgettable adventure along this coastal route. The combination of US Highway 101 and State Route 1, commonly known as Highway 1, will bring you up close and personal with the stunning Pacific shore. From sunny SoCal beaches to the cliffs of Big Sur, the hills of San Francisco, towering redwoods, and rugged Northwest sea stacks, this historic highway offers breathtaking ocean views mile after mile.

The diverse destinations along the inland route of historic Highway 99 are equally captivating, taking you through searing deserts, alpine peaks, barren plains, and inland seas, from the largest cities to the smallest towns, spanning ancient history to the wave of the future. Explore the unique ecosystems, including the rain forests of the western Olympic Peninsula and the "blue hole" of sunny skies and calm seas in the area northeast of the mountains.

Whether you choose the coastal or inland route, this journey promises an unforgettable adventure that will leave you in awe of the stunning natural beauty and diverse landscapes of the West Coast.

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