lidboymk2

Hi
We are going to LA, spending 1 night there and then 2 nights driving up to San Francisco and then 2 nights in San Francisco. Some advice please. Best stop overs on route. Is it best to get off the main route to find good hotels or bed and breakfast. What is essential to do in LA, on route and in San Francisco ?

Many thanks

Underhill

Good stopovers would be (1) Santa Barbara and (2) Carmel/Pacific Grove/Monterey.

jamie99

Santa Barbara is nice, one of my favorite towns, but I'd want to get farther north, maybe Cambria, and have lunch in Santa Barbara. Then second night Monterey or Carmel.
Hard to recommend places to see without knowing who you are traveling with, what your budget per night is or what your interests are. If you can provide a little more info, the nice folks here can help more.

lidboymk2

We are prepared to pay 120€ a night hotel and good seafood restaurants as we live in the South of France. Interests are the local sights, villages and nature.

Many thanks

natalia030277

Visit Ojai, it will be off 101 to 33 to the right. If you like nature, good food and just place to relax Ojai is the best place to stop. Lavender Inn which is in front of the health food store" Rainbow Bridge" has very nice rooms http://www.lavenderinn.com .
A min walk away across the street from Wells Fargo Bank is amazing Italian restaurant, their seafood is awesome, the owner is amazing and real Italian!
When you leave Ojai, stop by at the coffee connection which is on the way to Miners Oaks , their coffee is not only the best in Ojai but in all Ventura county. Here is their website:http://www.coffeeconnectionojai.com/...n/Welcome.html and ( or) hv fully organic home made breakfast or lunch at the famed and a cook http://www.farmerandcook.com .
Leave Ojai towards Santa Barbara through amazing windy road ( 150) which goes through Lake casitas , mountains and forest. When you come to Santa Barbara you can come to main street which has many restaurants. I only know so much about Ojai because I live here and there is Nothing in the world like Ojai. I am 100 per cent sure you will love it. Me and My husband made many trips to S. F. stopped at Redwoods, went to Mount SHasta which you may find attractive but its a bit off the road.Enjoy your trip!

natalia030277

By the way, if you stop at the Lavender you can ask them for a free pass to a very nice swimming pool which is open from early morning around 6-7 till 9:30 at night on working days and till 8pm on weekends, because Lavender Inn has beautiful garden only and real nice spa

janisj

I'd take natalia's suggestions w/ a grain of salt. Mt Shasta is more than a 'bit off the road'

It is 300 miles/5 hours north of San Francisco.

I'd aim for Cambria or San Luis Obispo for the first night. €120 is about $160 so you should be able to find places but that a fairly tight budget for the coast in summer.

ALadyInLondon

I agree that Santa Barbara and Big Sur/Carmel/Monterey are good places to stop. I also love Santa Cruz, but it's a bit farther north. Solvang is also fun if you like kitschy towns!

lidboymk2

It's next February before a visit to Costa Rica, so no swimming !! Thanks for all the info.

natalia030277

I agree w/ ALadyinLondon about Solvang. Its a neat town, worth to see, lots of places to taste wine n nice houses. You can do it after seeing Santa Barbara and get a hotel there may, though hotels are a bit pricy there. Big Sur is beautiful and awesome drive with view of the ocean.Monterey has a big aquarium, worth to see As for the swimming pool, I go there as its heated and then a hot tub if its cold but usually wether is always good in Ojai.

Patty

In Feb your budget will stretch much farther. Check the status of Hwy 1 if you plan to drive that route as it's not unusual for there to be closures due to heavy rain and mudslides at that time of year http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi Santa Barbara, Cambria and the Monterey Peninsula are all good places to stop.

lidboymk2

Thanks for the info, love the thought of rain !!

november_moon

For the 1st night, I would stay in Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, or Cambria (depending on what sort of atmosphere you are looking for). For the second night, the Monterey area - Monterey, Pacific Grove, or Carmel, again the choice depending on what you want.

Santa Barbara would make a great lunch stop though. I don't know that I would go inland to Ojai at all. There is already a lot to see on the coast.

clarkgriswold

The problem with the rain is that it can close down the one and only coastal highway. For days.

How many days do you have for the drive?