planthetripsdad

Hello fellow Foderites,

Family of five (three adult kids) arriving SFO in August from east coast for three nights, then two nights Yosemite. Those arrangements are set. Flights are out of LAX 4 days later so thinking one or two nights Carmel and two nights Los Angeles. Instead of two nights Carmel, thinking one night Carmel, one night, San Simeon or Morro Bay. Will do Hearst Castle, 17 mile drive etc. have read a lot of posts but having trouble figuring out this part of trip. Was originally thinking 3 nights lax but having doubts about that. Any suggestions welcome.

janisj

Depends mostly on what you want to do in LA and if you've been there before.

If you cut back to one night in Carmel you really only have 1/2 a day for Carmel/Monterey/etc.

Then you'd have the drive down through Big Sur to Cambria/Morro Bay - 3 or 4 hours in Big Sur and 2 or 3 hours for San Simeon and there goes the second full day.

Then a fairly long haul to LA.

If you have been to LA before I'd do 2 nights Carmel/Monterey (nets you 1.5 days), one night down the coast (Morro Bay or farther depending on what time you can book your Hearst Castle tour) and one night in LA.

If you haven't been to LA - what do you want to do there. It is a huge area even your two nights (netting one full day) won't leave you much time to do anything.

So mainly - decide what you want out of your trip . . .

planthetripsdad

Thanks. Never been to LA. Will try to find stuff for our kids who will be natured out by then.

MichelleY

Maybe skip Carmel and go from Yosemite over to Cambrie, see Hearst Castle. Then head to LA

MichelleY

Adult kids. If over 21, there will be great wine tasting opportunities on the Central Coast!

Smeagol

We have done this several times and 1 night in Carmel, 1 night cambria IS doable BUT I would stop at Santa Barabara for 1 night before moving on to LA. I would not want to miss any of those stops.
Book hearts castle on the a.m that you plan to move on to Santa Barbara, that way you have a more leisurely drive from Carmel to Cambria. ( stop off at Nepenthe for lunch and then see the sealion colony before staying on Moonstone beach in Cambria. ( we stayed at the sand pebbles inn in November and LOVED it) be sure to go to the Seachest for a wonderful dinner - go early it gets very busy.

planthetripsdad

Thanks Smeagol. So one night Carmel, one night Cambria, one night Santa Barbara just gives us one night in LA, leaving the next morning. That's a tough choice. Is SB worth it. Thanks

Smeagol

Well it depends where you stay otherwise it's a long drive to LA from Cambria ( but do- able.) you will spend a long time in the car.
We stayed at the Canary in SB and loved it, the time before we were near the seafront and didn't like it so much. You could stay inland a bit as the scenery in that whole area ia lovely. If I had to skip one it would be SB though. Carmel and Cambria ( specifically Moonstone beach) are musts for me ( as the locations are great and it's a good spot for Hearst castle etc)
1 day in LA is very short though......