This summer's record-breaking heat has brought environmental consequences across the US, from coral bleaching in Florida to cacti toppling over in Arizona.
21.07.2023 - 08:15 / roughguides.com
With a sea breeze in your hair and the sun (or sometimes the fog) on your face, driving the Pacific Coast Highway is one of America’s most awesome road trips. Following California's Highway 1 and US 101, it hugs the west coast from the Mexican to Canadian borders. Whether you choose to dip your toe into a scenic stretch or explore the full route of nearly 2000 miles, this exhilarating drive is unforgettable. There is something for everyone along the way, so we've rounded up the highlights.
With miles of wide, sandy shores and near guaranteed sunshine, beach culture is at its best in southern California – you can almost hear Beach Boys tunes wafting above the ocean waves. Good bets for people-watching include Laguna Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Santa Monica Beach with its famous carnival pier. But nothing beats the Venice Beach boardwalk for its parade of bodybuilders and eccentric performance artists.
You’ll find legendary surfing beaches at California’s Oceanside, Huntington Beach, Malibu and Santa Cruz. A string of state beaches south of San Francisco are peppered with hidden coves and tidal pools.
Further north the dune-swept shores of Oregon are perfect for beachcombing. Gold Beach, Yachats and Cannon Beach are favourite stops. For isolated splendour, meanwhile, visit the rugged strands of Washington’s Olympic National Park.
El Matador State Beach in Malibu, USA © Shutterstock
Big Sur is the quintessential stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, running for some 94 miles (151 km) between San Simeon and Carmel. The road hugs the cliffs along the Santa Lucia Mountains, twisting and turning high above the rocky, surf-pounded shores. The views are spectacular, if not for the faint-hearted. Luckily there are plenty of pull-offs to stop and take it all in. There are particularly fine vistas from Bixby Bridge.
Highway 1 takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge – nip straight into the parking area on the north side for a fabulous view of this landmark and the San Francisco skyline. The Astoria-Megler Bridge makes a thrilling crossing from Oregon to Washington, climbing steeply up the hillside before making its four-mile sweep high above the mighty Columbia River.
Spotting wildlife is one of the great delights of the Pacific Coast Highway. Whale-watching cruises are offered all along the coast, while at Morro Bay you can watch the normally elusive sea otters frolicking just yards from the shore. But there are two viewing places unlike anywhere else.
Although it’s just five miles north of Hearst Castle, the highway’s biggest tourist attraction, Piedras Blancas Beach is a natural wildlife wonder. Up to 10,000 elephant seals (so-named for the males’ long snouts) haul onto the beach here every year to molt, mate and give
This summer's record-breaking heat has brought environmental consequences across the US, from coral bleaching in Florida to cacti toppling over in Arizona.
As thousands of flight disruptions on Monday due to severe storms spanned across the East Coast, U.S. airlines have called on the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to extend a waiver that allowed them to cut back on service.
An Australian sailor and his beloved dog, Bella, were recently reunited after surviving two months stranded in the Pacific Ocean.
Got a nut allergy? Fine, don’t eat the nuts.
Perhaps because it’s a new and novel business model, drivers for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have come in for considerable scrutiny. Who are these people? Are they safe, responsible, reliable? Am I putting my life at risk when I punch up an Uber ride?
If you’ve never heard of Iceland-based booking website Dohop, you should check them out. The company has been nominated for two World Travel Awards—World’s Leading Flight Comparison Website and World’s Leading Travel Technology Partner—and recently launched an amazing tool called FLYR Fare Protection, in partnership with FLYR.
When legendary investor Warren Buffett began investing in airline stocks last year, it was big news in the investing community. Theretofore Buffett had been a staunch critic of the industry’s underlying economics, and regularly unleashed scathing takedowns of airline investments. Like this, from 2002:
It’s taken longer than anyone expected thanks to lots of FAA red tape and a 35-day government shutdown, but Southwest has finally started selling flights from the West Coast to Hawaii. Here are the Hawaii flight route details so far, and what it all means.
Seen from the outside, Red Jane, a new bakery in the center of Chania, a Greek port city on the island of Crete, looks like a Berlin nightclub, with no obvious sign and a concrete facade covered in graffiti. Inside, it might pass for a New York boutique: There are Italian tiles on the floor and an exposed-brick ceiling and on a long red marble counter, lit by minimalist pendant lamps, pastries are laid out like jewels in a glass vitrine. Owned by Nikos Tsepetis, the hotelier behind the nearby beach resort Ammos (a favorite of the art and design crowd), the space is the first fully realized interiors project overseen by the London-based lighting and furniture designer Michael Anastassiades. Eyal Schwartz, the former head baker and co-owner of London’s E5 Bakehouse, created the menu. On its opening day this month, Red Jane sold out of its chocolate-filled croissants, koulouri (Greek sesame-topped bagels) and baklava swirls by noon. Locals lingered for an hour after, despite the fact that Tsepetis and Anastassiades designed the space without tables.
The US Coast Guard has stopped its search for a 30-year-old male passenger who went overboard from the Carnival Elation cruise ship on Sunday.
Airbnb’s list of the most-wishlisted stays in every state will have you dreaming of a vacation away from home. To enjoy several of these Airbnb properties without having to travel cross-country, we’ve compiled the most wishlisted, coolest Airbnbs in the Pacific Northwest and routed them for you in this handy road trip guide. Pack up and be ready to be awed because these stays are as unique as their views are picturesque. (And if you’d rather spend some time in the Midwest, we’ve got you covered there, too)
Like a sprawling carpet of moss, the Amazon Rainforest stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the foothills of the Andes, creating a lush basin that still remains partially unexplored to this day. Cut by thin ropes of water flowing from the Amazon River, the forest stretches over land in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.