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Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Travel Blog

This guide to the best Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops will help you plan your Highway 1 road trip up the California coast. Includes Pacific Big Sur, Monterey, Morro Bay, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara tidepools, redwoods, vineyards, beaches, waterfalls, where to stop, what to eat, things to do, California travel tips, and more!
United States

The 32 Best Pacific Coast Highway Stops: California Towns, Landmarks, & Restaurants

May 29, 2020

Sheer cliffs. Towering redwoods. Playful otters. Foggy beaches. Driving the Pacific Coast Highway is not only one of the best California road trips: it’s one of the best road trips in the world! And for Jeremy, it’s home: the Pacific Coast Highway runs through the middle of his hometown. Although we’ve driven Highway One dozens of times, on each road trip we stumble upon new hidden spots, points of interest, towns to explore, and restaurants to return to again and again. We’ve included them all in our massive guide to the best Pacific Coast Highway stops!

by Lia Garcia 
8 Comments
This 10-day California coast road trip itinerary covers all of our favorite Californian things: sunny beaches and foggy coastline, swaying palm trees and towering redwoods, playful otters and flomping elephant seals, fresh oysters and vintage wines - there's even a clothing-optional hot spring, if you're up for it. Here's everything you need to know about driving Highway One/the Pacific Coast Highway.
United States

The Ultimate 10-Day California Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary

May 8, 2020

Barking sea lions. Salty air. Waves crashing on critter-filled tidepools. Driving Pacific Coast Highway is the most beautiful road trip in the entire world (we’re biased, but it’s true). This massive 10-day California coast road trip itinerary covers all of our favorite Californian things: sunny beaches and foggy coastline, swaying palm trees and towering redwoods, playful otters and flomping elephant seals, fresh oysters and vintage wines – there’s even a clothing-optional hot spring, if you’re up for it. Here’s everything you need to know about driving Highway One (aka the Pacific Coast Highway)!

by Jeremy 
22 Comments
Austin, Texas things to do: the perfect 3 day itinerary for a weekend in Austin, with plenty of tacos, BBQ, live music, and street art!
United States

The Perfect Weekend in Austin, Texas: 3 Day Itinerary

March 20, 2020

Live music. Smoky BBQ. Colorful murals. Millions of fuzzy, flying little bats. Uhh, what was that last bit? Austin, Texas is one of the most beloved cities in the USA. It’s a city that defies expectations and is totally and wonderfully weird! From breakfast tacos to live music, here’s the perfect weekend in Austin itinerary.

by Contributor 
1 Comment
Ice-capped mountains. Sweeping valleys. Aquamarine lakes spilling into gushing waterfalls. Welcome to Glacier National Park, one of the USA's first - and best - stunning National Parks, and a playground for both outdoor enthusiasts ... and bears. (And moose!) We designed the perfect 2-day Glacier National Park itinerary for folks with limited time to explore the park. A short getaway to Glacier National Park is one of the best ways to spend your weekend!
Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States

The Perfect 2-Day Glacier National Park Itinerary

Last Updated:   February 13, 2021

Ice-capped mountains. Sweeping valleys. Aquamarine lakes spilling into gushing waterfalls. Welcome to Glacier National Park, one of the USA’s first – and best – stunning National Parks, and a playground for both outdoor enthusiasts … and bears. (And moose!) We designed the perfect 2-day Glacier National Park itinerary for folks with limited time to explore the park. A short getaway to Glacier National Park is one of the best ways to spend your weekend!

by Lia Garcia 
4 Comments
The perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary! Visit Missoula, Whitefish, Glacier National Park, and Flathead Lake on this epic Montana itinerary.
Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States

The Ultimate Montana Road Trip: Detailed 10-Day Itinerary

Last Updated:   February 19, 2021

Ice-capped mountains. Aquamarine lakes. Down-home ranchers. Bears, moose, bison, and llamas. Wait… llamas?! Welcome to Montana, where there are two times as many cows as people and miles and miles of gorgeous, rolling wilderness to explore! Montana has so much to offer, including its crown jewel: Glacier National Park. We’ve designed the perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary through Western Montana, complete with all the details you need to help you plan each step of your trip. And yes, there are llamas. (You’re welcome.)

by Lia Garcia 
8 Comments
The perfect Maui itinerary! 3 Days in Maui is just enough to have an amazing trip and leave you wanting more.
United States

The Perfect Maui Itinerary: 3 Days in Maui, Hawaii

Last Updated:   February 16, 2021

Swaying palm trees. White sand beaches. Warm banana bread. Juicy pineapples. The chillest of vibes. Maui, Hawaii is a dream destination, and although we’ve been living in the San Francisco Bay Area for almost 10 years – where a trip to Hawaii is a feasible weekend trip – we’d yet to visit until this summer! All I can say is … what the heck is wrong with us?! We’ve WASTED the last 10 years of my life not visiting Maui every chance we can get! Although we only had 3 days to spend in Maui, we fell head over heels. Our Maui itinerary is the perfect way to spend 3 days in Maui, from snorkeling to the Road to Hana to a luau to eating as much shave ice and banana bread as the human body can physically stand. What are you waiting for? Shaka, brah!

by Lia Garcia 
5 Comments
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