TRAVELTaxiwallaroadtrip, banff, canadianrockies, rockies, alberta, canada, travel, traveldeeper, wanderlust, pacificcoast, california, westcoast, adventure, hike, summer, summertravel, highwaya, landscapes, mountains, nature, wildlifeComment

Face Off: 2 Epic Summer Road Trips

TRAVELTaxiwallaroadtrip, banff, canadianrockies, rockies, alberta, canada, travel, traveldeeper, wanderlust, pacificcoast, california, westcoast, adventure, hike, summer, summertravel, highwaya, landscapes, mountains, nature, wildlifeComment
Face Off: 2 Epic Summer Road Trips
“The best road trip ever! I could do this all over again!”

This was something I continuously said after our Pacific Coastal Highway (PCH) road trip two years ago. I thought it was mind blowing until last summer when we found ourselves in front of a turquoise blue lake in Banff, Canada!

Since summer is fast approaching, it's the right time to get inspired and plan a trip of your own! Presenting to you two epic road trips that that are surely one of the unforgetful trips of our life...so far.

Giving it some afterthought, it did have some common themes.

  • a week in hand
  • with beautiful vistas
  • plenty of hikes/trails
  • along with some wildlife spotting

PCH (US 1/CA 1)

The Pacific Coastal Highway or US 1 stretches from Washington through Oregon and into California along the edge of the pacific coast. An engineering marvel, it offers some of the most scenic vistas. With one week in hand, we started our trip from San Francisco and ended it in San Diego, about 700 miles of unbelievable landscapes.

It is about 12 hours of continuous driving but with breaks, de tours, sightseeing it took us 5 days.

10 must see places on the PCH from SF to San Diego that we recommend:

  1. San Francisco
  2. Monterey Bay Aquarium - don't miss the jelly fish and stingray exhibits!
  3. Carmel Village - Cute little town, make sure to visit in the early evening.
  4. 17 Mile Drive - scenic vistas and luxurious mansions
  5. Hikes - plenty of hikes if you have time
  6. Big Sur - Pfeiffer State Park for a picnic lunch or Nepenthes Rooftop restaurant
  7. San Simeon - for Hearst Castle, William Hearst's mansion
  8. Seal spotting
  9. Santa Barbara
  10. San Diego
Pacific Coast views, roof down, favorite music and fresh Californian food...recipe for a perfect road trip! 

Pacific Coast views, roof down, favorite music and fresh Californian food...recipe for a perfect road trip! 

CANADIAN ROCKIES H-93

The trip to the Canadian Rockies, Most travelers start from Calgary, which has the closes international airport. We took a longer route driving from Vancouver, BC to Jasper and then taking the Icefields Parkway into Banff and completing the trip and flying back to New York from Calgary. In total 752 miles and 18 hours if you drive nonstop.

10 must see places on this epic road trip:

  1. Maligne Canyon - Go here for a day of hiking
  2. Wildlife spotting - If not grizzlies then bears, moose and elks
  3. Sunwapta Falls - for a picnic spot or a quick pit stop
  4. Athabasca Glacier - for an opportunity to walk on a glacier
  5. Peyto Lake - breathtaking views
  6. Banff Downtown - for laid back brunches and some history lessons
  7. Lake Louise - for a perfect postcard shot that requires no filter
  8. Lake Moraine - for a hike and canoeing
  9. Johnston Canyon - for a hike through canyons and waterfalls
  10. Banff Gandola for aerial views of Banff National Park
Views that will leave you spell bound...The Rocky Mountaineer train is another way of experiencing this beauty, especially if its Fall season. 

Views that will leave you spell bound...The Rocky Mountaineer train is another way of experiencing this beauty, especially if its Fall season. 

Both these trips were amazing and worth every penny! If you have more days, these trips can be easily extended to 10 days. Catch our upcoming posts to know more about PCH and Canadian Rockies adventure!