Pacific Coast Highway vs Route 66

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco is the classic American road trip, a roughly 450-mile ribbon of asphalt that clings to cliffs, dips into surf towns and threads some of the most dramatic coastline on Earth. Start with the beach cities of Santa Monica and Malibu, then roll north to Santa Barbara's red-tile roofs and its graceful Spanish mission. Next come the laid-back college town of San Luis Obispo and the wide sands of Pismo Beach, followed by the hilltop opulence of Hearst Castle and hundreds of elephant seals lounging on the beach at Piedras Blancas. The highlight is Big Sur, where Highway 1 winds high above the ocean past McWay Falls and the arching Bixby Creek Bridge before reaching storybook Carmel-by-the-Sea and the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium. Five days is the sweet spot for the drive, with extra days for San Francisco, Napa Valley wine country and the coast south of the city. One important warning: landslides regularly close sections of Highway 1 in Big Sur, so check Caltrans QuickMap before you set out and be ready to detour inland on US-101 or do Big Sur as an out-and-back from Carmel.

Route 66 is the great American road trip: roughly 2,400 miles of the Mother Road from downtown Chicago to the Pacific at Santa Monica, crossing eight states and three time zones. This Chicago to Santa Monica itinerary packs it into 10 days, which is fast. Expect about 200 to 330 miles and five to seven hours behind the wheel most days, mixing interstate stretches with the best surviving original alignments; two to three weeks is ideal if you can spare it. Start with a photo at the Begin sign, then roll past Illinois giants, the bent Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi and Ozark frozen custard stands. Cross the short Kansas corner and Oklahoma's diners before painting your own stripe at Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo. In New Mexico, sleep under the glowing neon of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, then drive through the badlands of Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park that protects a stretch of Route 66. A day off the road from Williams takes you to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The finale climbs over the Black Mountains to Oatman, crosses the Mojave and ends with a sunset at the Santa Monica Pier. Book classic motels ahead in spring and fall.