Day Itinerary
11 Activities
Day 1
80 mi
Los Angeles to San Diego County, via the PCH Through Orange County
Freeway traffic in Southern California is not anyone's idea a fun vacay, which is why today's route heads due south to the beach — Long Beach, that is. From here, the route continues south hugging the curves of the coastline, connecting with the Pacific Coast Highway through Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point. You will have to hop on the freeway again to cross from Southern Orange County to San Diego County (between which there's a large coastal military base) — but then it's back to the Pacific Coast Highway, which will take you straight into Carlsbad, in time for one of those epic Pacific Ocean sunsets.
Website
09:301 hr
The Queen Mary
Since first sailing from Southampton, England, in 1936, the Queen Mary's reputation for opulence preceded her arrival in ports around the world. The historic ocean liner is now permanently moored in Long Beach, and it's a wonderful experience to step aboard — even if just for a coffee and small bite at the Midship Marketplace, plus have a bit of a look about. Read more about the Queen Mary's history here.
7.7 mi
30 min
11:001 hr
Southern California has some serious cred when it comes to the craft brew scene in the US and globally — to the point that the "West Coast-style IPA" is a recognized, hops-forward style of beer now made around the world.
And while not as famous as some other SoCal breweries (we'll drop into another tasting room later in the day) Ballast Point Brewing not only makes a fantastic range of beers but also scores huge points for this prime restaurant/brewery location on a narrow spit of land where the open ocean flows into local waterways.
The food menu is designed for sharing (or not). Think pretzel bites with beer cheese, steak nachos, birria "quesatacos", Roman-style pizzas, a classic Ballast Point burger, patty melt, or Filipino-inspired BBQ pork ribs. This is the main mid-day meal, so feel free to go a little extra on the ordering.
And while not as famous as some other SoCal breweries (we'll drop into another tasting room later in the day) Ballast Point Brewing not only makes a fantastic range of beers but also scores huge points for this prime restaurant/brewery location on a narrow spit of land where the open ocean flows into local waterways.
The food menu is designed for sharing (or not). Think pretzel bites with beer cheese, steak nachos, birria "quesatacos", Roman-style pizzas, a classic Ballast Point burger, patty melt, or Filipino-inspired BBQ pork ribs. This is the main mid-day meal, so feel free to go a little extra on the ordering.
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