This is one of those occasions where it really is worth taking the scenic route. Weaving for 656 miles in a series of adrenaline-rushing curves on State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway links seaside towns with sandstone cliffs on one side, crashing Pacific waves on the other and limitless sky overhead. San Francisco to Santa Monica is the blockbuster stretch, packing in palm-fringed beaches, kitsch attractions and architectural icons.
