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Perhaps the best known stretch of highway in America, California's Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco is 400 miles of coastal beauty.

What comes to mind when you think of California? Is it the cable cars climbing the hills of San Francisco, or is it the glamour of Hollywood and Los Angeles? While these cities are bursting with interesting places for families to explore, the 450 miles between them offer treasures of their own. Scenic Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, hugs the coastline from northern California to its southern border. It offers magnificent views of the ocean, and is the recommended route for this trip, with a few possible detours. Plan a variety of stops from the suggestions below and you can turn this ten-hour drive into a long weekend of family fun.

Our suggested 4-day itinerary follows:

Day 1: San Francisco to Carmel
Day 2: Carmel to San Luis Obispo
Day 3: San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara
Day 4: Santa Barbara to Los Angeles

Day 1: San Francisco to Carmel - 100 Miles

Leaving the Bay Area and driving through Pacifica, you will pass near rocky Devil's Slide and on through a lush farming region. Whale watching cruises are available from Half Moon Bay, and Pillar Point Harbor is a favorite place to watch surfers. The seaside towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola offer 26 miles of state beaches, perfect for swimming in the warm, gentle waters. Check out a unique California Historic Landmark -- the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk seaside amusement park where there are two historic roller coasters and lots of fun rides.

Further south, in the agricultural Watsonville area, you will pass fields of flowers, fruits and vegetables, followed by Castroville, "The Artichoke Capital of the World." Continuing on Highway 1 about 25 miles, you will reach Monterey. Head to Fisherman's Wharf where you will find the Monterey History and Maritime Museum, and then visit Cannery Row, immortalized by John Steinbeck, now an array of shops and restaurants. The Wharf, which originally served as the pier where trading schooners from around Cape Horn unloaded their cargo, was also was a focal point of the whaling and sardine industries. You can come here to arrange sightseeing and whale watching excursions. The spectacular Monterey Bay Aquarium, at the west end of Cannery Row, makes it possible for visitors to view the intriguing undersea world of Monterey Bay, one of the richest marine environments in the world. One of the largest aquariums of its kind in the nation, it has more than 35,000 marine animals and plants. Families spend a week-long vacation in this town alone, so make a schedule before arrival.

A very scenic detour will take you to Pacific Grove, known as "Butterfly Town" because of its population of monarch butterflies, a favorite place to explore. As you drive beyond Lover's Point, a bluff overlooking the crashing waves, visit the Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continuously working lighthouse on the west coast and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Consider taking the famous 17-Mile Drive to Carmel through incredible coastal scenery. It's gorgeous, but slow and meandering, so your kids might get antsy or car sick. If you do choose it, you will drive on into the Del Monte Forest to the golfers' Nirvana at Pebble Beach. Points of interest along this route include Cypress Point, the Ghost Tree, the Lone Cypress and Seal or Bird Rock where you can see thousands of sea birds, seals and sea lions.

In the quaint but expensive village of Carmel you can stop at the many galleries, restaurants, boutiques, and specialty shops (including some great toy stores). The beach is gorgeous here, but too rough for swimming. Still, it's fun to build sand castles and fly a kite at the shore. At the edge of Carmel is Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, a restored piece of California's Spanish history and the final resting place of its founder, Father Junipero Serra. A side trip takes you to the picturesque Carmel Valley, home to the 100-acre Saddle Mountain Recreation Park, where hiking trails abound and wine tastings also are available. Before sunset, continue driving south to Point Lobos State Reserve, a well-preserved, almost primeval area, which is reputed to be the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island." Walk through the 1,325-acre reserve to see tall stands of cypress sheltering hidden coves. Docents conduct nature walks intermittently.