Though in southern California it’s known by its more famous name, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), northern Californians have a more succinct label for the 400-mile stretch from San Francisco to Crescent City: Hwy 1. The edges of the highway hug the coast and cradle small communities as it alternates between hairpin switchbacks and straight stretches through the bucolic countryside.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-places-to-visit-in-california