Ward Beach is the best reason to leave the highway. The shore is stony and exposed, not a swimming beach, but it is excellent for wandering: uplifted reef platforms, rounded boulders, limestone ledges, and the odd seal make it feel much wilder than its distance from the road suggests.
Walk north from the car park toward the Chancet Rocks if the weather is settled. The coast is at its most dramatic in rough light, but this is an exposed Pacific edge, so treat surf, tides, and seals with respect.