tracy4940

Hi- I am new to these boards but saw how helpful everyone was on here, so I thought I would give this a try!

My fiance and I (in our mid-twenties) are flying into San Fransico at the end of July, staying for 3 nights, and then driving down to LA where we hope to be for 5 nights.

Here is what we need help on- anyone know how long the drive is? We plan to take the scenic route down, even though it will be scary! We had planned on two nights on the road- but are not sure where to stay. Possibly Carmel and San Simeon near the Hearst Castle? Are they too close together?

In San Fransisco we plan on doing all the touristy things- Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Haight Ashbury neighborhood, etc. Any other suggestions from readers out there on what to do or where to eat or any other helpful tips?

In LA- we plan on seeing Venice and Malibu, Mann's, maybe taking a surfing lesson in the OC (my fiance wants to be Sandy Cohen from the show when he grows up!), a tour of stars' homes, Rodeo Drive, and other touristy attractions. Maybe lunch at the Ivy one afternoon for some celebrity spotting? Again- any suggestions are most welcome!

So please help us- mostly with the drive but any other ideas would be greatly appreciated, including hotels! Thanks!

rjw_lgb_ca

Welcome aboard. Have you already done a search of the US board for this? The topic of driving from San FranCisco (note the spelling!) to the greater Los Angeles area comes up at least twice daily. It has been discussed quite thoroughly here, but in a nutshell, if you want to do the scenic route (CA-1) all the way, you should take two days. Stop somewhere central coast along the way-- Cambria maybe, which puts you close to Hearst Castle.

There are millions of things to do in the greater LA area, including things in Orange County (by the way, anyone who says "the OC" is trying to sound hip and with-it, but before that awful show, no one ever said it). You might try some new places for the celeb-sightings, although the Ivy still gets the business despite the bad food. Justin Timberlake's joint, Chi, or Ashton Kutcher's Dolce would give you a good sighting ratio on many nights. Capo in Santa Monica is exclusive and expensive and incredible, so you do see some well-heeled famous types there. The bar at the Standard in West Hollywood can see some celeb action on the weekends. I've seen stars lunching at Il Fornaio in Beverly Hills. But there are so many great things to see and do here (the Getty is a must-experience, even if the permanent art is spotty), you can't just limit yourself to the stuff you see on TV. And "Mann's" confused me, as there are many, many Mann's theatres in this area. You mean Grauman's Chinese in Hollywood, right? Always worth the five minute tour.

You haven't reserved any hotels yet?!? Hop to it! This is our High Season out here.

tracy4940

Thanks for getting back to me and helping me out! I am in the middle of studying for the bar exam right now so my mind tends to wander- hence, why I spelled San Fran wrong. but thank you!

We do have hotels booked- just thought I'd see if anyone has any suggestions though in case those ideas were better than what we have.

We don't have anything for on the road though. Any ideas of something inexpensive in Cambria? Do you recommend Cambria instead of Carmel? I was there when I was younger and remember it being a charming town.

Thanks also for the restaurant suggestions. I think we might try Dolce one night. And, I'll remember not to call Orange County the OC anymore. You have been so helpful already!

BigJim

It's Mann's Theatre, isn't it? That theatre hasn't been called Grauman's in a LONG time, right? It's definitely a must-see for first-timers to L.A.

I would also recommend splitting the drive from S.F. and not doing it all in 1 day, because it's a pretty long drive....about 8-9 hours, depending on traffic and how fast you're going.

rjw_lgb_ca

BigJim: Mann Theatres has returned the Grauman's name to the theatre. Even when they hadn't, it was "Mann's Chinese". There's a Mann complex not two blocks from where I am right now, along with Grauman's and 18 other theatres.

tracy, if you let us know what your hotel choices are so far, it can help us suggest other ones. The greater LA area is so vast that you may name a place that is actually poorly-located for your interests, for one thing....

Nannersone

It's not an awful drive. YOu can do it in a long day, but I'd take my time. There are a number of decent places near Hearst Castle to stay at. Then you could go down to Morro Bay and spend another night. Then into LA the next day.

Morro Bay is really very nice.

tracy4940

Thank you all for your responses. Very helpful!

Right now our plans are to stay at the HI Hostel in Union Sqaure in SF. We figured we'd save money by staying there so we could splurge on a convertible for the ride down to LA.

Once in LA- we were thinking about staying at the Crown Plaza on Beverly drive in LA.

Still dont have a hotel for the two nights on the road. Also, was thinking about maybe trying to use Priceline for a hotel. Anyone had any luck with that site before? Not really sure how it works. Thanks!

Does anyyone know also, about surfing lessons in or around LA? Thanks for the help!

penaddict

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza recently.
It was a pleasant stay.
It's a good location, near some good delis on Pico. It's not really in walking location to Rodeo (take you car). If you do stay here, register on their web site to get free parking. Just show them your membership card when you arrive. You will also get a free continental breakfast (danish, yogurt, fruit, cereal, etc.).
If you're thinking of using Priceline (which can be great), first go to Biddingfortravel.com and look at other people's posts for successes and failures regarding booking hotels. Then you'll know how much to bid. Really educate yourself there first.

sequoia370

One night in Carmel and the next in Cambria gives you a full day to explore the Big Sur area, which is great. You don't need a whole day to just drive between the two, but you could spend years exploring everything in between. The only better alternative would be spending one or both nights in Big Sur itself at one of the resorts overlooking the ocean. Places there range from around $100 for a plain motel room with no view to $2000 a night for a condo perched high above the ocean. But it's probably all booked up by now.