America surely must be the home to the classic road-trip. In a country of epic routes that pass through amazing landscapes and vibrant cities, I was to revisit a favourite – the California State Route 1; the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, writes Andrew Forbes.
Leaving the airport terminal, I was greeted by the brilliant Californian winter sunshine. My American road-trip adventure was about to begin. Within a few minutes the bright yellow Hertz bus pulled up at the curb. Once the driver had helped us with our cases we were on our way to the rental centre. Earlier my phone had pinged with an email alert advising me where I could find my pre-booked car. I was eager to get on the road!

The Pacific Coast Highway is iconic and probably the most scenic in America. The highway runs some 1000 kilometres from the forests and mountains of northern California to the all-year warmth of San Diego.
This remarkable route has been open since the 1930s ? but everything was to change in 2017! Devastating landslides caused part of the highway in the southern part of Big Sur to be buried by falling earth and rock, cutting off rural communities and closing the route to traffic. Some eighteen months of demanding construction works were needed to rebuild the road and replace damaged bridges. Eventually in the autumn of 2018, route 1 reopened ? so this was my motivation to experience this fabulous coast-hugging highway.
Pacific Coast Highway
The classic Pacific Coast Highway road-trip is bes...