Ski and Beach in CA
 

Hi all,

Looking for some advice for an upcoming trip. Will be staying in CA for ten days and am looking for a hotel In a snow part of CA as well as a hotel which is near the beach/ocean view in CA.

For snow my thoughts were Lake Tahoe, but I could really use some advice for a quiet beach/ocean hotel in CA.

Ideally will be flying into SFO and will have a car so travel is not an a problem. Budget is 500 usd per night max but hoping to find something much cheaper. The most important thing for me is a good view but service is not so important. Bedding and a nice bathroom are a plus. Food will be eating outside so no issue.

Any ideas would be really welcome

Perhaps you would get better response at the California forum. For a beach-hotel near SFO Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay comes to my mind, also Post Ranch Inn or Ventana (last one I didn´t stay so far). But all 3 are out of budget. Directly at the water and relative reasonable priced is IC Monterey but not a luxury hotel.

Okay Ill cross post this in CA forum.

Thanks!

When is your trip? I ask because of road conditions (to/from the mountains, you'll likely need to carry chains) and because of coastal fog conditions. That said, the best bet is Tahoe with the (greater) Monterey area. Ocean further north will be much less developed, less options, etc. It isn't that the "wild Sonoma coast" 'isn't beautiful, it is that there just aren't a lot of lodging options and your dining options around the lodging will be limited. Furthermore, if you're traveling through March, the possibility of landslides and required detours aren't out of the question. (You might consider seeing what is available around Bodega Bay.)

Tahoe and Monterey area give you easy highways, lodging and dining options, and the likelihood of no more than a day's delay unless there is some sort of massive blizzard. Springtime is notorious for dense coastal fog, although most days clear up. Visibility is actually best when there's a storm pattern, not our typical spring weather pattern.

Double-posting is prohibited by flyertalk rules so instead, I will move this thread to the California forum.

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels and travel

I-80 remains open in all but the most adverse conditions, but chains are mandatory at times. I would expect that you would need to have chains on hand during February, unless you have certain vehicles.
Chain Controls
US 50 (South Shore) isn't as reliable as I-80 (North Shore), but is a high priority roadway for clearing.

Speaking of Lake Tahoe, I'd check with your rental car company to be sure that you can install snow chains. (Enterprise, for instance, doesn't allow them.) You may luck out and end up reaching there when it's not actively snowing, though, and even if you don't you may be able to get away with just a 4WD vehicle depending on how heavy the storm is.

Are you looking for a warm beach location, or just something pretty to gaze upon? It's going to be quite cold around the Northern California beaches (high of 57 today for example) and the water will be too cold to swim casually. I live 15 minutes from the ocean south of SF, and about 4 hours away from Tahoe if there is no traffic or weather. If you were to stay in the Monterey area it would be a 5+ hour drive, and with weather (you would hope for snow) it would be a lot of travel.

This will certainly be true in February, when the OP plans to visit.

However, it will also be true most times of the year. ;)

Even if you are exempt due to having a "certain vehicle" (which to the Highway Patrol means a 4wd with M+S tires on all wheels), you are still required to carry chains. The Highway Patrol often checks on major highways like I80 to make sure you meet this requirement.

When the Southern California ski resort known at Mt Baldy has enough snow to be open, you can ski Mt Baldy and go to the beach on the same day, they are a few hours drive apart. I suppose that would be the ultimate "ski and beach" day!