Driving from SF to LA

[Epigonos]

Steven the problem with spending the night in Carmel it that it is way too far north and the next day's drive will be long beyond belief (if not impossible). If I were you I would try to leave San Francisco early (despite the possibility of fog) visit Hearst Castle in the afternoon and then spend the night in San Luis Obispo. The Madonna Inn would be a fun place but only if you can get one of the theme rooms, the regular rooms are just that regular. Get up the next morning take the back road to Santa Barbara from Buelleton driving through Santa Ynez, Los Olivos and end up at Brophy's for lunch at the commercial pier in Santa Barbara. You then have a choice to take 101 through the valley into L.A. or Highway 1 through Oxnard, Malibu, and Santa Monica. It might be a bit slower to take Highway 1 but in the late afternoon 101 through the valley is a total bitch and the scenery sucks. If you just happen to be staying in West Hollywood Highway 1 drops you off onto the 10 Freeway in Santa Monica which if just a hop, skip, and jump from WeHo.

[Guest PWIT]

>I have enough material for several days, but unfortunately I

>have only two full days with one overnight for that drive,

>hence my question:

>if I want to split the drive into two would it better to stay

>overnight in Carmel or further south - if so, where?

 

ouch....you will be spending most of that two days driving.

 

One quick suggestion then, take the most direct route to Monterey and start your Pacific Coast Highway trip from there (From SF take the 101 to CA-156 to PCH). I assume you will have other opportunities to visit SF and you could cover that portion of the PCH at a later date. Assuming you can avoid the worst traffic times, you are still looking at 2.5 hour trip from SF to Monterey. It could easily take twice that to do PCH all the way from SF to Monterey. This will allow you to spend a couple hours in the Monterey/Carmel areas (you will wish you had more time).

[Epigonos]

Steven I know that many of the guys who have been offering advise regarding your trip are going to have a fit when they read what I am about to say. The drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles via Highway 1 is so long that you simply are NOT going to have much time to stop, get out of the car and do any real sightseeing. Most of your sightseeing is, out of necessity, going to be done through the front windshield of your car. With that in mind I would skip both Monterey and Carmel all together. The next time you are in San Francisco set aside a couple of days, book a B&B in either place, stroll around and really enjoy both towns.

Hearst Castle is possible because you can prebook a tour and it is just one single place. There you are in and out and the drive on to San Luis Obispo, to spend the night, is only about an hour.

[+ deej]

No fit here. You're absolutely right.

 

With only two days, he should avoid PCH except for the most scenic parts.

 

I'd put Big Sur high on the list, but everyone has their own preference.

 

For next visits, go NORTH from SF. Take PCH up through Tamales Bay into Sonoma to the Russian River. (The turn off of PCH to Goat Rock Beach at Jenner is one of the most dramatic scenes you'll ever see.) Go visit the redwoods just north of Sonoma. They're pretty awesome.

 

But for a two-day trip from SF to LA, pick a point of interest and plan the drive to get there at a good time of the day. Hearst Castle is as good a destination as any.

 

There's really TOO much to do on that route to do it in just two days.

[bakopanda]

To save time at the start of your trip, I would suggest taking Interstate 280, instead of Highway 1 or 101, from SF to San Jose. If you are going to Hearst Castle, the last tour starts at 3:20 pm. There is also an evening tour that starts at sunset. You need to book your reservation online now - hearstcastle.org - for the tour!

 

I would encourage you to stay overnight in Cambria or Morro Bay for the ocean view, instead of San Luis Obispo. Of course, there are more hot college guys in SLO, because of the state polytechnic university.

 

At the end leg of your trip, I would avoid driving into Los Angeles on the 101 or the 1 on a Sunday afternoon!

[Epigonos]

Steven I am in complete agreement with deej's remarks about the California Coast north of San Francisco. For sheer dramatic beauty you can't beat Highway 1 in that area. It also has the great advantage of NOT being so popular that traffic is impossible. The drive begins near the beautiful redwoods of Muir Woods and continues north along the Mendocino coast. The Elk Cove Inn in Elk Cove is a wonderful B&B that has to be seen to be believed. Some of the rooms actually hang out over the edge of the coastal cliffs. The Anderson Valley along Highway 128 is an absolute delight with outstanding wineries and interesting little towns (Navarro & Philo). Healdsburg on Highway 101 has also become something of a tourist destination and has a number of excellent restaurants and a great deli/wine shop.

 

Just think we have all put together what amount to a month or more of California coastal sightseeing. Now all you have to do is find the time to do it

[edjames]

Tough decision, Steve. Two days, huh? Overnight in Carmel or Santa Barbara?

 

First it's a 485 mile drive, some sites say 470 miles, from SF to LA, so time will be tight. Ideally you'd want to stop somewhere around the mid-point but given the alternatives, we'll have to figure out a reasonable route. Remember, you can always come back and extend your next visit having done the quick tour and next time you'll want to build in more time to relax and explore the area. I'd say ideally, 4 days is a reasonable amount of time for this trip, not an overnighter.

 

Here's my suggestion:

 

Leave SF very early in the morning.

Stop at Monterey, perhaps for a quick cup of coffee and a fast stroll around the wharf.

Drive to Carmel. Have an early lunch, and a stroll around town.

Depart Carmel early afternoon and drive to San Simeon. Take a late afternoon tour of the Hearst Castle. You'll be there off-season and the website is not specific on when the last tour is, but it seems around 3PM is the last tour time. Take the Experience Tour. The tour time is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Call to book tickets in advance.

Leave Hearst Castle late-afternoon and stay overnight in San Luis Obispo. Perhaps a stay at the quirky Madonna Inn? (This will bring you to just about the halfway point in the drive, perhaps a little less - about 8 hours of driving from SF, not counting stops and any traffic delays!)

Leave San Luis Obispo early morning, drive to Santa Barbara for lunch, and quick look around, then continue the drive down to LA.

Arrive LA in the early evening.

 

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your journey. I know I liked this trip so much I went back and did it all over again!

 

ED

[Steven_Draker]

Thank you, guys, for all the notes and remarks. My personal advisor is telling me that the drive shouldn't have to be a "race", so I'm reconsidering three days with two overnights along the drive. I'm still working on it ... I really appreciate your help.

 

Steven Draker ~

[Epigonos]

Now you are talking Steven. Leave San Francisco early and visit both Carmel, and Monterey. Spend the first night in Big Sur. Leave Big Sur early visit San Simeon in the late morning and then drive on to Santa Barbara and spend the night there. You will then be able to get up at a reasonable hour have a nice breakfast and then a pleasant drive along the coast and into the L.A. area through Santa Monica.

[+ deej]

I agree.

 

Although if time needs to be crunched, leave SB early on the 3rd day and take 101 for the trek into LA. Personally, I feel that part of the coast, while quite pretty, is the least interesting of the trip. And for that portion, the 101 and PCH are one and the same for a good bit.

 

But the ride from Oxnard to Santa Monica can be pretty cool if you've got time to pause at the MANY locations where you can pull over and enjoy the ocean (and the surfers ;-)).

[Guest]

I will agree with much of the advice here. You will not regret any time you spend. The drive itself isn't as horrible as some make it out (I used to live here in the SF area and go to UCLA and could easily drive the whole way on Hwy 1 in one day), but there are so many things to see on the way that the more time the better. It would be an awful shame to miss the Hearst Castle. It's perfectly preserved, and one can easily imagine what it might have been like to have been a major movie star or Olympic athlete invited there during those Prohibition days. Tour 1 does give a nice overview with a movie, the bottom floor, and one of the casitas, but if you want to see the Hearsts' living quarters, you'll have to take Tour 2, which is my favorite. Santa Barbara is classic California. If you have three days, I advise visiting Monterey with the Aquarium in the morning, lunch in Carmel, then driving to Cambria or San Simeon for the night. Do tours 1 and/or 2 in the morning as time allows. If you at all like Zinfandel, the Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo area has the best in the world. Castoro Vinyards has an incredible variety. Spend the next night in Santa Barbara, spend a half day the next morning visiting SB (lunch there), then continue on to Santa Monica.

[Rod Hagen]

>Ventana Inn or Post Ranch? I like both; they are across the

>road from each other but are beautifully hidden from eye's

>view until you reach where they are situated.

 

Ventana. If you're going to spend $700++/night for a hotel room, don't buy the "our guests prefer not to have televisions (phones) in the rooms" lines that hotels like Post Ranch try. Why not? Because you're smart enough to know you simply can choose not to turn it on. Also, Ventana has private outdoor hot tubs on the balconies, a restaurant just as good as PR's (sit outside), two good sized pools, one of which is nude as well as the naked japanese hot tubs.

 

Don't get me wrong, Post Ranch is spectacularly situated and interestingly designed, but I say have lunch there but stay at Ventana.

 

Enjoy.

[ncc1701d]

Steven

 

Try this URL for factual information on the portion of Highway 1 between Carmel and San Simeon....Do plan for more time as I spent 2 days driving from SF to Hearst Castle and back, and felt rushed. Enjoy.

 

http://jrabold.net/bigsur/

[+ Axiom2001]

Steven, I'd be interested on your final decision and execution of this venture. Once all in done and over, please report back! As a local I'm interested in what you did after receiving all of the suggestions! :-)

[+ Axiom2001]

Steven, I'd be interested on your final decision and execution of this venture. Once all in done and over, please report back! As a local I'm interested in what you did after receiving all of the suggestions! :-)

[AdamSmith]

I think somebody mentioned the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. Here is an alarmingly accurate description by Umberto Eco:

 

"Let's say that Albert Speer, while leafing through a book on Gaudí, swallowed an overgenerous dose of LSD and began to build a nuptial catacomb for Liza Minnelli. But that doesn't give you an idea. Let's say ... Chopin's Sonata in B-flat sung by Perry Como in an arrangement by Liberace and accompanied by the Marine Band."