California - Driving up and down California

Hi all,

My family will be driving from LAX to San Francisco and back during early part of July. We will take about 9-10 days, and will spend ~3 days in the Bay Area.

My question is, what are good places to stop on the drive up/down for a family with 2 kids (11,9)? We are looking to stop by Monterrey for a couple of days for the aquarium. Other than that Ano Nuevo State Reserve and Santa Cruz Boardwalk also sound like good places to spend a night or so. Any other suggestions?

Also have any recommendations for mid-price hotel suitable for families (Residence Inns or similar)??

Thanks for your help.

Are you looking to spend any time in LA or just driving to LA only to turn right back around and head to San Francisco?

I'm only asking because you've already said that you plan on 9-10 days total with about 3 days in the Bay Area, 1-2 days in Monterrey, day in Santa Cruz, etc. The drive from LA to San Francisco without any sight seeing eats up the better part if not an entire day so it sounds like you're planning on spending at least 3-4 days driving down to LA only to turn right back around?

Anyway, in Santa Cruz, there is a train ride that the kids might enjoy, I think it cruises up into the redwood forest area.

Santa Barbara is also a great California coastal town with lots of stuff to do for both kids and parents.

Well, we are actually flying into LAX from Asia. We thought we might take it easy for a day or two to get over the jetlag by doing Knott's Berry Farm or something similar, then head north on a leisurely drive.

Yes, I remember the train from ages ago, definitely worth a trip.

Drive from SF to LA is only about 350 miles which is about 5 hours of non-stop driving and is a lot more enjoyable on Highway 1 (PCH) that runs along the coast.

I would stop somewhere close to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon and you can spend a day doing multiple tours of the 'castle'. San Luis Obispo is also very nice and pretty close.

Don't forget to visit Solvang, right outside of Santa Barbara, a Danish village. W

Did you give any thoughts of driving a bit south of LA to San Diego? It's about a 3 hour drive and there are a lot of things to do for the kids such as visiting the zoo.

Did you give any thoughts of driving a bit south of LA to San Diego? It's about a 3 hour drive and there are a lot of things to do for the kids such as visiting the zoo.

Actually, we will be heading down to SD after the trip back from SanFran. We are quite familiar with SD so no issues finding things to do there.

Solvang and Hearst Castle looks like possible stops.

Thank you.

Another possible suggestion is to drive a bit north of SF to Yosemite.

Yosemite is not "a bit north" of SF, it is southeast and farther than "a bit." Still a good suggestion though if the OP has a couple of days.

I agree with the suggestion to stop off for a day or two near San Simeon for a tour of Hearst Castle and some elephant seal viewing.

A section of Highway 1 near Big Sur has been closed for repairs after landslides during the recent severe weather. They hope to have it repaired well before July but it would be wise to check before trying to follow Highway 1 all the way down the coast.

Actually, we will be heading down to SD after the trip back from SanFran. We are quite familiar with SD so no issues finding things to do there.

Solvang and Hearst Castle looks like possible stops.

One of my standard bits of advice to people planning car trips is to be realistic about how much driving you're doing. LA-SF is 6 hours via shortest route with minimal stops and traffic. SF-SD is 9. Mixing in scenic routes, scenic stops, food/toilet stops, and traffic can significantly increase overall time. Then add in a few side trips and you could find that you're spending more than half your vacation in or near a car. I'm not saying that's wrong-- just make sure it's right for you.

If you have kids I'd suggest Hearst castle. But the thing is you need to take the 101 route which could take longer compared taking 580.


Hi all,

My family will be driving from LAX to San Francisco and back during early part of July. We will take about 9-10 days, and will spend ~3 days in the Bay Area.

My question is, what are good places to stop on the drive up/down for a family with 2 kids (11,9)? We are looking to stop by Monterrey for a couple of days for the aquarium. Other than that Ano Nuevo State Reserve and Santa Cruz Boardwalk also sound like good places to spend a night or so. Any other suggestions?

Also have any recommendations for mid-price hotel suitable for families (Residence Inns or similar)??

Thanks for your help.

While I love Monterey - I think for kids that age that there are better things to do than to spend more than a day there. Yes, the aquarium is worth a visit, if only to see the jelly fish - but afterwards I would head north to Santa Cruz (only about a 45 minute drive) and spend more time there. Yes the boardwalk is fun, (but very different than Knots or higher end amusements - like Santa Cruz in general it is a bit funky. Hopefully is is not THE reason you are going to Santa Cruz.)

In Santa Cruz you can rent kayaks and paddle around the bay, drive north to Pescadaro and the goat farm, drive to the lighthouse at Pigeon Point (very worthwhile), walk the arboretum on the UC Santa Cruz campus, see the sea lions on the pier at Santa Cruz, and take a boat cruise around Santa Cruz.

Interested in some "enforced culture" (that's what I called it when I "forced" my daughter to stop at someplace educational while traveling). In Salinas is the Steinbeck Center. While it may not mean much to your kids now, understanding the "Salad Bowl" of America and the impact that John Steinbeck had on American literature may be worthwhile. Plus, seeing all of the fields of crops in Salinas is very interesting.

The Winchester House is also fascinating, but "spendy" -

There is also Gilroy - the Garlic Capital of America and also Watsonville - lots of artichokes along the drive north.

In San Francisco - don't miss a trip to Alcatraz - a very fun family experience. Also the California Museum of Science is great as is the San Francisco Maritime Museum. Often overlooked - it is a great place for kids with tall ships and a submarine to explore. Very worthwhile and right at Fisherman's Wharf.

Another fun day is to rent bikes and take the ferry to Sausalito and ride around. Or do it without the bikes and go over for a half day with lunch or an ice cream and then ride back. Fantastic views of San Francisco on the ride and also it goes right past Alcatraz.

Sooooo, I assume that your itin doesn't allow for changes such as departing from SFO rather than driving back to LAX?

Ahh, Solvang. Did anyone know that there is a Yiddish word that is a direct translation of "Solvang?" It's "schlock."

We did a trip last year from North San Diego county, Las Vegas, then up to Oakland, over and back down. Do a search "ranles" in trip reports. The trip included zoos, wineries, museums, national and state parks. We have made similar trips before, so not all the highlight in this trip. The write up does include lodging.

The general route you are talking about could easily start with the Long Beach Aquarium...IMHO a beauty versus the tired Montery Aquarium (and not much to see or do otherwise...but scenic). Corporate history buffs might want to stop in Downey (15 miles SE of DT LA, to see/dine at the oldest McDonalds in the world. A stop in Ventura and a boat trip out to the Channel Islands might fit your family. Santa Barbara has a lot to offer (refer above report). Hearst Castle is a winner. Solvang is a touristy place, but worth several hours or an overnight if you have not been. We like the wine country in the Oxnard area (then do not have a couple subteens in tow). Lots of oil history in Santa Maria, and decent lodging. Eat at Jocko's in Napomo. A few state/national parks too (hiking/nature, again refer to our trip report).

wow I live in the area and haven't been to most of the places you mentioned... thanks for sharing... I will keep those in mind next time I'm planning for short trip

We did a trip last year from North San Diego county, Las Vegas, then up to Oakland, over and back down. Do a search "ranles" in trip reports. The trip included zoos, wineries, museums, national and state parks. We have made similar trips before, so not all the highlight in this trip. The write up does include lodging.

The general route you are talking about could easily start with the Long Beach Aquarium...IMHO a beauty versus the tired Montery Aquarium (and not much to see or do otherwise...but scenic). Corporate history buffs might want to stop in Downey (15 miles SE of DT LA, to see/dine at the oldest McDonalds in the world. A stop in Ventura and a boat trip out to the Channel Islands might fit your family. Santa Barbara has a lot to offer (refer above report). Hearst Castle is a winner. Solvang is a touristy place, but worth several hours or an overnight if you have not been. We like the wine country in the Oxnard area (then do not have a couple subteens in tow). Lots of oil history in Santa Maria, and decent lodging. Eat at Jocko's in Napomo. A few state/national parks too (hiking/nature, again refer to our trip report).

Wow,

Thanks for the tips from everyone. I will search through ranle's reports and get more ideas.

Right now I am still doing research, but I am generally thinking to do these after arriving in LAX....

- head to Knott's the first day, then swing by Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on the 2nd day before heading north.
- May be lunching in Solvang and wonder around the area a bit, then find a place around there for the night.
- 3rd day drive to San Simeon to tour the Castle, afterwards, drive toward Monterrey for hotel
- 4th/5th day - Monterry Bay Aquarium and the Monterry area. Drive to SF on the 5th day.
- leave SF on the 7th day, heading back to LA (actually going to SD). Stop in Santa Cruz to enjoy the board walk, potentially kayaking or other activities around the area. Also the train ride (anybody know the name of the place or attraction) through the redwoods.
- To SD on the 8th or 9th day.

Does this sound reasonable?? If yes, I just need to do research on lodging options.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Anyway, in Santa Cruz, there is a train ride that the kids might enjoy, I think it cruises up into the redwood forest area.



There are two routes for the train - one makes a roundtrip from the Boardwalk through the Redwoods to the main depot in Felton and the other is a loop through the redwoods starting and ending in Felton.

There is also the Long Marine Lab and Museum, much smaller than the Monterey Bay Aquarium but also a lot cheaper and a lot less crowded. Nearby the Aquarium at Natural Bridges State Park are "real" tidepools (as opposed to aquarium tidepools) - check the tide tables for low tide.

Avoid Mystery Spot - it is a total tourist ripoff.

Does anybody have any experience with Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel? Looking for something clean and comfortable for a family of 4....

Also, any recommendations for the Monterrey area (don't mind driving a bit)? We will go to the Aquarium during one of the days and will spend another day driving around. How about Santa Cruz? My budget is around 150-200.

Thanks.

Does anybody have any experience with Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel? Looking for something clean and comfortable for a family of 4....

Also, any recommendations for the Monterrey area (don't mind driving a bit)? We will go to the Aquarium during one of the days and will spend another day driving around. How about Santa Cruz? My budget is around 150-200.

Thanks.

In my opinion, the nice resort-type hotel in Santa Cruz is Chaminade and it is convenient to all of the places suggested. It is not on the beach but has a great view of the ocean. There is also a Hilton in Scotts Valley, which is closest to the train, but there is not much else in the immediate area.

If you like walks in the redwoods, I forgot to mention Henry Cowell State Park, just off highway 9 in Felton. They have some amazing 1st growth redwood trees along an easy nature trail. And it's right next to the train.

There is also a Hilton in Scotts Valley.............

Nice property but way more expensive than the Hampton Inn and no free breakfast.

Our daughter is a senior at UC Santa Cruz so we go up often. Our new home away from home is the Hampton Inn on Ocean St. Recently renovated, very clean, free breakfast, small indoor pool and easy access to everything.

For a family, the Embassy Suites on the north side of Monterey can be a good value - and you get free breakfasts there as well.

There is also an Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo that is convenient on your way to Monterey.

Here are a few thoughts, having done this same trip (or portions of it) with our kids several times over the years.

Pismo Beach and Pismo Dunes are neat places. Kids would probably enjoy a stop there. (Check out some of the photos on Google maps).

San Simeon/Hearst Castle -- Ehh. Didn't do much for me, and our kids at that age could have cared less. Wish I had not stopped there with the kids (My wife and I had been there before).

On the Big Sur Coast (assuming they have repaired the rock slide which closed the highway a week or two ago ), you should really stop at Pfeiffer/ Big Sur state park. Great place to see redwoods.

Also, just south of the Monterey Peninsula, probably our favorite state park in California is Point Lobos state park. It's just an incredible place. Lots of wildlife, from birds, to sea lions, to whales and dolphins off shore. I would not miss it.

If the rock slide on the PCH at Big Sur still has the road closed, you might use the necessity to continue the trip inland and consider using the trip inland to see Pinnacles National Monument. It's really a unique landscape. Check out photos of it online.

While in Carmel/ Monterey, the kids would probably enjoy kayaking out in monterey bay. I know our kids really enjoyed that. We have usually rented at the kayak place in Pacific Grove -- a bit less crowded than right down at the harbor in Monterey.

Near Monterey, you have Gilroy (garlic capital of the world), Watsonville (strawberry capital of the world), and castroville (artichoke capital of the world). If your kids like any of these, might be worth a stop.

Up in the SFO area, we like Coit Tower, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, Muir Woods, Muir Beach. We've been kayaking out on SF Bay also, which is a lot of fun.

Have fun. Get a minivan. The extra space is well worth it. kids have room to spread out. Was always worth the extra money to us, for that reason alone.

Thanks to all for the recommendations and suggestions.

So I have fleshed out the schedule after doing some research. Here is what I plan to do. Please provide comments, particularly on the lodging. Thank you.


June 30 - Arrive at LAX, head to Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel

July 1 - Knott's Berry Farm

July 2 - May be Knott's Soak City in the morning, then head to Solvang to walk around. Spend night in Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Santa Maria.

July 3 - Drive to Oakland and stay at my brother's place.

July 4 - SF California Academy of Sciences

July 5 - Hangout in the Bay Area, may be Fisherman's Wharf, etc.

July 6 - Head to Santa Cruz, stopping by Pescadaro Goat Farm, Pigeon Point, and Ano Nuevo on the way. Lodging at Hampton Inn Santa Cruz.

July 7 - Natural Bridges tide pool in the morning, then go to the beach Boardwalk.

July 8 - Drive to Monterey, check out 17 mile drive, Carmel, etc. Spend night at Holiday Inn Express Marina.

July 9 - Monterey Bay Aquarium, may be kayaking if time allows.

July 10 - Drive down to San Diego and end our "drive up and down California".

^ Low tide July 7th in Santa Cruz: 9:24 AM .08 feet

Have you checked that CA Academy of Sciences is open on July 4th? If so, be prepared for LONG lines and extremely crowded conditions inside with at least a 45 minute to 1 hour line to go to the Rainforest exhibit. While the design of the place is fantastic, it was never intended to hold the number of people they let in on a busy day and it can be intimidating dodging all the strollers. Don't miss going up on the roof!

Still think you should go to Alcatraz, especially on a July day. If you are at Fisherman's wharf - you really should look at the Maritime Museum. Educational and fun at the same time. The WW II submarine is worth the price of the entire admission as are the tall ships. http://maritime.org/pamphome.htm http://www.nps.gov/safr/planyourvisit/things2do.htm

On the way to San Diego, how about a stop in Santa Barbara and a walk on the pier?

Also, while in Santa Cruz, a walk on the pier is fun and the sea lions are great!

Sounds like a great trip.

Also, you should have a mini refrigerator in your room in Santa Cruz in case you buy some Goat Cheese in Pescadero! There is also a dollar per night DVD rental in Santa Cruz not far from the Hampton Inn and you will have a DVD player in your room. http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=santa+cruz+dvd+rental&fb=1&gl=us&hq=dvd+rental&hnear=Santa+Cruz,+CA&cid=16902967738145246783

There is a Trader Joe's near the Hampton Inn for other snackages for your room/drive. (If you have not been in a Trader Joe's it is a wonderful food emporium with very interesting and unique things). http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=trader+joes+santa+cruz&fb=1&gl=us&hq=trader+joes&hnear=Santa+Cruz,+CA&cid=9890244021262133886

We spent an entire afternoon shopping in Carmel -- awesome little shops there -- if you enjoy that kind of thing. Also, our kids LOVED Pfeiffer State Park -- I highly recommend it. Far better than a day of hanging out at Fisherman's Wharf (which is totally lame).

:) Mordy

Ahh, Solvang. Did anyone know that there is a Yiddish word that is a direct translation of "Solvang?" It's "schlock.":D ^ Or around our house, "shtick." We have a similar place up here not far from Seattle, Leavenworth (http://www.leavenworth.org). Yodel-ey-hee-hoo boy.

...Pismo Beach and Pismo Dunes are neat places. Kids would probably enjoy a stop there. (Check out some of the photos on Google maps).Definitely. It's also a good place to overnight, followed by a run up SR1 the next day.

Also, just south of the Monterey Peninsula, probably our favorite state park in California is Point Lobos state park. It's just an incredible place. Lots of wildlife, from birds, to sea lions, to whales and dolphins off shore. I would not miss it. Absolutely. I'm amazed how many people, including many who live in the Bay Area, aren't aware of this treasure.

I would probably do the Muir Woods rather than Pfeiffer; combined with a visit to Fort Point, a drive over the bridge and a little wandering around the Marin headlands, it can make for an excellent day.

There are a number of Hwy 1 closures due to landslides from recent rains. The closures are south of Carmel in the Big Sur area. Check ahead of time for current status and alternate routes.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi

SR 1

[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED 2.1 MI SOUTH OF GORDA (MONTEREY CO) - DUE TO A MUD SLIDE
- MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

IS CLOSED FROM 12 MI NORTH OF BIG SUR STATE PARK
/AT THE BIXBY CREEK BRIDGE/ TO 10 MI SOUTH OF THE CARMEL RIVER BRIDGE
/AT PALO COLORADO/ (MONTEREY CO) - DUE TO A SLIP-OUT - MOTORISTS ARE
ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC 5 MI SOUTH OF THE JCT OF SR 84
/AT THE PEBBLE BEACH ENTRANCE/ (SAN MATEO CO) 24 HRS A DAY THRU 0001 HRS
ON 6/30/11 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION

IS SUBJECT TO LANE REDUCTIONS IN EACH DIRECTION 0.5 MI SOUTH OF LUCIA
(MONTEREY CO) FROM 0700 HRS TO 1700 HRS MONDAY THRU FRIDAY THRU 9/2/11 -
DUE TO CONSTRUCTION

Wow, what a wealth of information here on Flyertalk!!! ^^




Have you checked that CA Academy of Sciences is open on July 4th? [/url] I did thought about this.... even if they are open, likely to be a mad house anyway. May be on 4th of July we will just hangout and do Cal Academy of Science on the 5th instead. Also good point about the goat cheese.....

May be able to add Point Lobos and Pismo Beach after Monterey on the way back South.

You don't say if you have been to Los Angeles with your kids or if your kids are boys or girls, but you are leaving out the top attractions for children in Los Angeles: Disneyland, Universal Studio, and Hollywood Blvd Chinese Theater with the buskers in costume. Then you are proposing to take them to the Long Beach Aquarium and the Monterey Aquarium. That's a lot of fish tanks! One or the other is probably enough, or just go to Sea World in San Diego.

I have two kids the same about the same age and they liked the Aquarium. I don't know if your kids will like Solvang or Hearst Castle. Hearst Castle is a long wait for a bus ride followed by a guided tour through a big house where rope lines keep you from touching the furniture. It's a fabulous house, but kids don't appreciate it.

Do they like museums? Mine do, but they like the ones with interactive activities for kids. In Los Angeles, the Gene Autry Cowboy Museum or the Getty Villa in Malibu are better for kids. Have you taken them through the Midway in San Diego?

Take them to a horse ranch and let them go horseback riding. Try http://www.dudesranchequinerescue.org/ , This is in the mountains about 50 miles north of Los Angeles. How about a surf camp? Kahuna Bob will do two hours of surfingfor $60, all equipment supplied. http://www.kahunabob.com/

I took my kids on the 17 mile drive in Carmel and they like it for a while but the seals in the distance didn't get that close. The kayaking in Monterrey Bay could be good, especially if the water isn't too choppy. The train in Santa Cruz sounds like a winner too.

The coast drive is beautiful but kids get bored. Bring a hibachi or portable stove, stop along the beach, make a fire and have lunch. Bring some kites or a ball and the kids will love it.

Some different ideas:

I'll second the recommendation of making a stop at Pismo Beach. It's one of the only places in California where you can actually drive on the beach, and as long as it's not high tide, any car can drive on the beach. I'm not sure if you or your kids would be into it, but you can rent ATV's right on the beach. I grew up going to Pismo to camp and ride our ATV's and Jeeps in the dunes there.

About an hour and a half south is the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. You can find discount tickets at the visitor center (I think normal prices are about $4-$7.) That place was a big hit with my 9 and 11 year old nephews (and for me too!) They have a really cute program where the kids get to do a sort of scavenger hunt, looking for clues throughout the museum, and fill in their sheet. Afterward, they get to pick a prize from the treasure chest.

Just south of Santa Barbara is Carpinteria, a quintessential coastal town. "The Palms" on Linden Avenue is a very popular and very reasonably priced dinner restaurant where they have unlimited salad bar, WARM, HOMEMADE croutons (so good,) baked potatoes, warm bread, beans, and salsa, and you grill your own steak or chicken. They do have dinner options that they prepare which includes some awesome lobster and coconut shrimp. My favorite lunch place is called "The Spot." They are also on Linden and have great burgers and nachos. These are both walking distance to the beach (so you could park in either place) which is a great kids beach and will be bustling in July.

Moving south about a half an hour is Ventura Harbor, with THE BEST ice cream. "Coastal Cone" is sooooo good. It's one of the only places I have found to buy Green Tea ice cream by the scoop. Then you can walk along the harbor and see and buy the fresh fish being unloaded by the fishing boats each day.

Have fun!

I've lived here since 1974 and have sailed the San Diego Coast - but I never went on a commercial whale watching boat until today.

Mrs. FrAAmer and I went on a 1:30 - 5 whale watching cruise out of downtown San Diego about 9 miles off the coast adjacent to the Coronado Islands. Not only was the cruise out to the destination beautiful with great glimpses of aircraft carriers, helicopters and jets taking off from North Island, great views of the submarine base and three subs in port- but we also saw about 1,000 dolphins en-route to the area where we saw 2 fin whales, 2 grey whales and best of all two humpbacks breaching. One put on a show for about 10 minutes. It was a perfect 3 1/2 hours.

So, my new advice to visitors (who come during whale watching season) is to get downtown early, park at the USS Midway parking lot, tour the Midway in the AM, walk to lunch at the Fish Market, then back to the whale watching boat that leaves at 1:30 and returns at 5 pm. It will make for a fantastic day and the views of the San Diego skyline coming back to port are spectacular. Way better than a harbor cruise (as you see a lot of the same things on the way out of the harbor).

What's the whale watching season?? Would July/August work?

December-February the grey whales migrate south to Baha California. February-April they go back to Alaska. June-October you can see blue whales, humpbacks, and others off the central California coast. The Channel Islands are supposed to be a good spot to see them. A whale cruise is a good way to see them, but I've even seen them occasionally from the beach in Santa Monica. Finding them when you are looking for them is sometimes a challege. The whale cruises have spotters and experience.

Sounds like a thing to do when we head back down to San Diego. Thanks.

Hi

We are planning to drive San Francisco - San Luis Obispo on April 25. I am aware the road is closed at Rocky Creek at the moment

A couple of questions:

1) What do you think is the likelyhood of it reopening by April 25? I saw a website suggesting "end of April"

2) In the event that it is still closed do you think it is worthwhile driving down to the closure point, doubling back and then taking the diverted route so as to drive "the best bit"?

3) In the event that we do 2), do you think that we should take the Carmel Valley Road to the 101 and then off the 101 at King City, back towards the Pacific Coast Highway?

Flying out tomorrow so any feedback would be appreciated

Thanks, nickyboy

A local news report dated yesterday (http://www.ksbw.com/news/27522277/detail.html) says that Caltrans-- the state highway department-- is now estimating the repairs to Highway 1 will continue until at least early May.

I recommend planning your trip assuming the road will still be closed when you're in the area. If the planets align and the repairs finish early, you'll face the enjoyable task of replanning your trip to involve less driving and more sightseeing.

I visited the area last weekend, driving from the SF metro area to King City via US 101, then traversing local roads over the mountains to Lucia. Once on PCH I drove north past Point Sur, stopping at two state parks and numerous pull-off spots along the way, before doubling back to Lucia and then back over the mountains.

I recommend driving this stretch of road if you have time. I have seen it numerous times and don't get tired of it. One of my passengers was an out-of-town guest who'd never seen the area before, and she thought the trip was wonderful, well worth all the hours in the car. If you are more pressed for time, you could skip the stretch north of Lucia and simply head south on Hwy 1 past Hearst Castle to San Luis Obispo.

I would suggest another alternative. Driving south from San Francisco, don't miss Monterey and Carmel and then drive a few miles further to Point Lobos State Park, which has been described as the most sublime meeting of sea and land in the world. Then I'd backtrack a bit, not to Carmel Valley Road but to SR 68 East in Monterey. SR 68 is very scenic and will take you over the hills to SR 101 at Salinas. 101 is a fast way to cover ground south to SR 41, which will then take you back to the coast between Cambria and San Simeon. An overnight in this area would allow you to drive an hour north to the southern portion of Big Sur or visit Hearst Castle before continuing south to SLO.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. The 68 over to the 101 sounds good (the Carmel Valley Road looks a bit slow)

nickyboy

Drove from San Francisco down through Carmel and then on a few miles....then doubled back and went over to Salinas and down the 101 to King City

What seemed like a great idea was to take the mountain road over to the 1 and then down to San Luis Obispo that way. Got onto the 1 and drove south a few miles to find a brand new landslip closure! No option other than to retrace our steps over the mountain road to King City and then blast down the 101 to San Luis Obispo

Long and short was that we only saw about 20 miles of the Big Sur route ...and...paid the most expensive gas in USA at the southern landslip point. The only gas station until back at the 101...$5.50/gallon

Otherwise a great holiday

nickyboy

Make this drive every year or three as a reprieve from the monotony of I-5 through the Central Valley (ugh) on our frequent trips to see family in the Bay Area...

Favorite stops between LAX and SFO (all previously mentioned except perhaps Morro Bay)...

A great place for kids/families, located near the little Scandinavian town of Solvang (Santa Barbara foothills) is the Alisal Guest Ranch (http://www.alisal.com/) -- with lots to do besides just golf and/or the pool and/or horseback, it's best for long weekends or full-week stays (often sells out in summer, great staff, relaxed setting, beautiful area)

Paso Robles (a little inland from San Luis, Pismo, Morro Bay) -- good if you enjoy wine tasting (might be hard with kiddos tho)

Morro Bay (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=594) is often overlooked (one of CA's best-kept secrets) -- really pretty area, generally not overrun with tourists, restful (good stop for a leisurely relaxed unstructured half-day with picnic, helps to significantly break up a drive that will start to feel very long to your kids)

No luck at Post Ranch Inn (see Big Sur below)? Consider the Sycamore Springs Resort (http://www.sycamoresprings.com/stay/) in San Luis Obispo... when last there (at least 10 years ago) found it a bit "rustic" but really nice people and very relaxing environment...

Big Sur -- spectacular beyond words (snack or lunch at Nepenthe (http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/)... food so-so and often crowded during peak tourist season, but well worth it for views that are among best in the area)... if within budget/schedule, try booking a night a Post Ranch Inn (http://www.postranchinn.com/)(good luck as it's generally sold out months in advance)...


Have a great time!

Anyone have anything new to add into this thread?
It's the best one I've found on the topic so far on FT.

We're planning on going from San Jose to LAX from Sunday to Thursday.
We're planning on doing the Channel Islands on Wednesday, and Monday/Tuesday in the Big Sur area. The Point Lobos park looks lovely as well.

I'm going to try to BRG some of the PC properties, and am staying in the SPG property for a night in Ventura b/f going to the islands.

Thoughts? Advice?

Anyone have anything new to add into this thread?
It's the best one I've found on the topic so far on FT.

We're planning on going from San Jose to LAX from Sunday to Thursday.
We're planning on doing the Channel Islands on Wednesday, and Monday/Tuesday in the Big Sur area. The Point Lobos park looks lovely as well.

I'm going to try to BRG some of the PC properties, and am staying in the SPG property for a night in Ventura b/f going to the islands.

Thoughts? Advice?


the itinerary seems very doable.

a standard trip would be 3-4 day drive down the central califonia coastline.


day 1 Monterey
day 2 Big Sur, hearst castle, stay in San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles
day 3 Pismo beach, Santa Ynez Wine Valley, Solvang, Santa Barbara...stay in Santa barbara/Ventura.
day 4 am in SB, drive to LA

channel islands is a day trip which would lengthen your travel time. The other option is they offer a half day or full day whale watching trip where they will drive over near the channel islands possibly seeing some of the sea lions.

the only way to get to the islands are though the tour companies that bring you over to the islands then you go hiking for the day, then try to get back before the last boat goes back.

the itinerary seems very doable.
channel islands is a day trip which would lengthen your travel time. The other option is they offer a half day or full day whale watching trip where they will drive over near the channel islands possibly seeing some of the sea lions.

the only way to get to the islands are though the tour companies that bring you over to the islands then you go hiking for the day, then try to get back before the last boat goes back.

The r/t cost for the boat is around $55, and I'd prefer to do hikes on the island than to look for whales on a boat.

Is it worth spending a day there? It seems to me one of the most least visited national parks in the US.