Chasing Dog‑Friendly Spots Down the California Coast Part 1

We secured and stowed everything on our boat, hopped into our car‑dinghy, and kicked off our California road trip. We’re bringing the dogs along, and traveling with pets comes with its own set of challenges that most people never have to think about.

Pet owners have to hunt for pet‑friendly everything: hotel rooms, hikes, restaurants, because pets aren’t welcome in most public spaces. But that’s not stopping us. We adjust like sails to the wind and keep moving forward.

Our plan for this trip is simple: explore as many dog‑friendly spots as we can between San Francisco and San Diego, sticking mostly to the coastal and scenic routes.

Casting Off

After work, we said goodbye to our little floating home and drove to Pacifica for a post‑sunset beach run. Later that night, we found a quiet place near Monterey to sleep. The car setup isn’t bad at all and this isn’t our first rodeo after last year’s month‑long coast‑to‑coast road trip. The dogs get the entire back seat, and the humans take the front. With seat warmers and “camp mode,” it’s surprisingly comfortable.

The next morning, we hopped back onto Highway 1 and started one of the most scenic drives in California. Our first stop was Bixby Bridge, the iconic 1932 arch bridge. From there, we continued south for a couple hours, pulling over often to soak in the views. One of the overlooks had a jaw‑dropping view of the coastline. We were hundreds of feet above the ocean, and the seals on the rocks below looked no bigger than ants.

After winding our way down the coast, we made it to Morro Bay. First stop was Morro Bay Dog Beach. You get a great view of Morro Rock, plus some small dune hikes, but the real highlight, at least for Tula, is the huge off‑leash beach. There’s something so refreshing about watching dogs run with their whole hearts.

The next day, we took it slow and spent time with friends and their kids we hadn’t seen in a while. It was good to catch up, swap stories, and just be present. We didn’t stay out too late, though. The next morning, we’d be back on the move.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading this far. If you have any dog‑friendly recommendations between San Francisco and San Diego, drop them in the comments. We’d love to check them out!