A favorite drive for locals and visitors alike, US Route 101, aka the Pacific Coast Highway, runs through San Diego beach towns along 70 miles of winding coastline from La Jolla to Oceanside. This scenic route is a great way to experience an authentic So. Cal lifestyle vibe and mix and mingle in San Diego's surf culture. Here are seven spot worth checking out along the way.  

With its unique identity as a beach town, a border city, a bustling international port and a former frontier burg, San Diego has mixed and matched architectural styles to surprising and sometimes dazzling effect over the decades. While the influence of the region's early Spanish settlement remains prominent, plenty of signature architectural sites here draw on other, more disparate traditions. Here's a look at 7 eye-catching San Diego buildings and districts that architecture-minded visitors will love discovering.

Mountains, beaches, bays, sky-scraping buildings—you better believe San Diego has some jaw-dropping scenery. Even for such a picturesque place, some spots are downright postcard-pretty. Some of these views are right off the road. Others require some work to attain. Either way, they pack in about as much of the beauty of California’s Beach City as is possible in one dramatic shot.

Come for the waves, stay for the incredible food and craft coffee scene in this hidden San Diego neighborhood gem.