Hey there, congrats on the new Leaf-it's a solid starter EV, especially for coastal drives where range anxiety can be a thing. I've done a few long hauls up the Pacific Coast Highway in mine, so I can share some real-world thoughts on BP Pulse without rehashing the basics.
The BP Pulse app is decent for spotting stations, but real-time availability? It's hit or miss. It pulls data from their network okay, but it doesn't always update super quickly-I've shown up to a "available" charger only to find it occupied or glitchy. For a newbie trip, I'd layer it with PlugShare or A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) apps; those aggregate multiple networks and give better live status from user reports. Electrify America edges it out for reliability on highways-they've got faster CCS chargers (assuming your Leaf is a newer model; older ones are CHAdeMO, which BP supports but EA is phasing out). EA's app is more polished for trip planning, with filters for speed and wait times.
Pro tip for your drive: Pre-plan stops every 150-200 miles depending on your Leaf's battery (aim for 80% charge to preserve life), and check for hotel or restaurant chargers via apps to break up the monotony. If you're in California, the coast has decent coverage, but fog or hills can sap range faster than expected-pack a Level 2 portable if you're overnighting somewhere without one. Safe travels, and hit me up if you run into specifics!