Help with yet another itinerary from San Fran to San Diego
Aug 27th, 2003, 05:23 PM
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Help with yet another itinerary from San Fran to San Diego
I have made a great deal of progress for our upcoming trip in December to California. I have been to CA many times but my husband has never been. We will have our two girls with us 5 & 9. We will spend the bulk of our time in San Fran and San Diego. I realize that we are just doing the highlights and I am ok with that. Also we are the type of people that like to be on the go, relaxing just does not happen with two young kids! I have San Fran pretty well laid out but am having trouble with the drive down to San Diego. Please give me your comments and suggestions.
24th San Fran - (arrive around 2pm from Boston) figure we need to get out and walk around so we can do Ghirdella Square
25th - Christmas (need to do things that are out in the open as almost everything is closed)
Lombard Street
Cable Cars
Muir Woods (they are open but no tours are given)
26th - Fisherman's Warf
Alcatraz
Union Square
27th leave San Fran around 9:30am drive to Monterey tour Carmel etc and stay over (ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOTELS - not so worried about price as I am that girls will be welcome)
28th - drive to Hearst Castle and do the 17 mile drive etc. Plan on taking the last tour at the Castle around 3pm (IS THIS DOABLE?)
Should we stay that evening near the castle in San Semeon or drive to Santa Barbara?
PLan on spending a night in Santa Barbara and then head to San Diego for four days. Yes we are skipping LA - The kids are to young to star gaze (we can catch that on another trip when they are older) and I have no desire to do Universal or Disney as they both can be done in FL.
Thanks
24th San Fran - (arrive around 2pm from Boston) figure we need to get out and walk around so we can do Ghirdella Square
25th - Christmas (need to do things that are out in the open as almost everything is closed)
Lombard Street
Cable Cars
Muir Woods (they are open but no tours are given)
26th - Fisherman's Warf
Alcatraz
Union Square
27th leave San Fran around 9:30am drive to Monterey tour Carmel etc and stay over (ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOTELS - not so worried about price as I am that girls will be welcome)
28th - drive to Hearst Castle and do the 17 mile drive etc. Plan on taking the last tour at the Castle around 3pm (IS THIS DOABLE?)
Should we stay that evening near the castle in San Semeon or drive to Santa Barbara?
PLan on spending a night in Santa Barbara and then head to San Diego for four days. Yes we are skipping LA - The kids are to young to star gaze (we can catch that on another trip when they are older) and I have no desire to do Universal or Disney as they both can be done in FL.
Thanks
Aug 27th, 2003, 11:50 PM
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Hi, kgn!
Looks and sounds like a wonderful trip!
Some comments:
1) the 17 mile drive is in Carmel, not near Hearst Castle
You can skip the 17 mile drive if you are going straight down Highway 1 to Big Sur. The only thing you will be missing will be the mansions, which probably wouldn't interest the girls. Otherwise, you will be getting a lot of good scenery in Big Sur.
A better place for kids is the Monterey Aquarium.
@)You could stay in Carmel, Pacific Grove, or Monterey. You mentioned that price is not so much a concern, however, it would help to know in what approximate range you are contemplating. Prices range from very expensive places like the Pebble Beach Lodge ($475-850) on down. There are some wonderful boutique hotels that don't cost an arm and a leg and which welcome children. I'm certain that other posters could help you more on this topic than I can, since my wife and I always stay at a friend's cottage when we go there. There are also some wonderful B&B places right along the shore.
3)On driving from Monterey/Carmel to Hearst Castle to make the 3pm tour: yes, you can do it. It all depends on how early you start out, how many stops you make along the way and the weather. Of these, the most critical is the weather.
If the weather is good, I would definitely recommend that you stop to make a short hike at one of the state parks. I don't know which parks would be open and allow you to do this over the Christmas vacation. You might want to refine your search here. It'll also be pretty cold in the winter time, so bring warm jackets. Not so much snow, as in Boston, but really sharp ocean winds.
4)It might also be raining then, and I don't know how bad road conditions will be along Highway 1 this December. No one can tell you, you'll have to play it by ear. Some years it rains a lot, some years it doesn't. If there is a lot of rain this December, you may choose to drive inland via Salinas from Monterey.
In addition, the weather this year has been just as freaky in California as elsewhere. Two days ago we had such severe thunderstorms that lightening started numerous forest fires. We can still see a huge plume of smoke up in the hills from a fire that has not been put out as yet. I can't remember when we had this kind of thunderstorms, not ever and especially not in August!
Guess this is just the long way around
to suggesting that you should plan on an alternate route after Monterey. With two little kids, the better part of valor is to err on the side of caution.
5)You can still return to the coast from the inland Interstate 5 and still go to Hearst Castle. You'll just be skipping the Big Sur portion.
6)South of Hearst Castle, you can follow the coastal route again. Highway 1 becomes Highway 101, a four lane "freeway" in most parts. The road does curve around a bit but it's very drivable. It also is much lower, going in some parts almost at sea level. The only mountainous portion is the Cuesta Grade north of San Luis Obispo. Not a bad grade. If I recall, it's only 4000+ feet at the summit of the grade.
7) You asked if you should stay in San Simeon or Santa Barbara. Given that you want to drive all the way to San Diego, the further south you are the less strenuous the long drive to San Diego would be. I would therefore suggest that, if you can make it, stay in Santa Barbara. Try to get through Los Angeles during the middle of the day to avoid commute traffic.
Have a wonderful trip and welcome to California!
Looks and sounds like a wonderful trip!
Some comments:
1) the 17 mile drive is in Carmel, not near Hearst Castle
You can skip the 17 mile drive if you are going straight down Highway 1 to Big Sur. The only thing you will be missing will be the mansions, which probably wouldn't interest the girls. Otherwise, you will be getting a lot of good scenery in Big Sur.
A better place for kids is the Monterey Aquarium.
@)You could stay in Carmel, Pacific Grove, or Monterey. You mentioned that price is not so much a concern, however, it would help to know in what approximate range you are contemplating. Prices range from very expensive places like the Pebble Beach Lodge ($475-850) on down. There are some wonderful boutique hotels that don't cost an arm and a leg and which welcome children. I'm certain that other posters could help you more on this topic than I can, since my wife and I always stay at a friend's cottage when we go there. There are also some wonderful B&B places right along the shore.
3)On driving from Monterey/Carmel to Hearst Castle to make the 3pm tour: yes, you can do it. It all depends on how early you start out, how many stops you make along the way and the weather. Of these, the most critical is the weather.
If the weather is good, I would definitely recommend that you stop to make a short hike at one of the state parks. I don't know which parks would be open and allow you to do this over the Christmas vacation. You might want to refine your search here. It'll also be pretty cold in the winter time, so bring warm jackets. Not so much snow, as in Boston, but really sharp ocean winds.
4)It might also be raining then, and I don't know how bad road conditions will be along Highway 1 this December. No one can tell you, you'll have to play it by ear. Some years it rains a lot, some years it doesn't. If there is a lot of rain this December, you may choose to drive inland via Salinas from Monterey.
In addition, the weather this year has been just as freaky in California as elsewhere. Two days ago we had such severe thunderstorms that lightening started numerous forest fires. We can still see a huge plume of smoke up in the hills from a fire that has not been put out as yet. I can't remember when we had this kind of thunderstorms, not ever and especially not in August!
Guess this is just the long way around
to suggesting that you should plan on an alternate route after Monterey. With two little kids, the better part of valor is to err on the side of caution.
5)You can still return to the coast from the inland Interstate 5 and still go to Hearst Castle. You'll just be skipping the Big Sur portion.
6)South of Hearst Castle, you can follow the coastal route again. Highway 1 becomes Highway 101, a four lane "freeway" in most parts. The road does curve around a bit but it's very drivable. It also is much lower, going in some parts almost at sea level. The only mountainous portion is the Cuesta Grade north of San Luis Obispo. Not a bad grade. If I recall, it's only 4000+ feet at the summit of the grade.
7) You asked if you should stay in San Simeon or Santa Barbara. Given that you want to drive all the way to San Diego, the further south you are the less strenuous the long drive to San Diego would be. I would therefore suggest that, if you can make it, stay in Santa Barbara. Try to get through Los Angeles during the middle of the day to avoid commute traffic.
Have a wonderful trip and welcome to California!
Aug 28th, 2003, 07:34 AM
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Hi, kgn!
It's approximately 90 miles from Monterey to San Simeon, the town closest to Hearst Castle.
However, it's not just the distance, it's also the type of road.
It's a two lane road, one lane coming and one lane going. Also very "windey" -curving, so you cannot go at top speed.
I've been referring people to
bigsurlandtrust.org
to access a very good picture of the kind of road you will be driving on and the fantastic scenery along the way.
If the weather is good, you will definitely be pulling off the road at several points along this drive. I've seen a lot of gorgeous scenery and the drive through Big Sur ranks among the top. You are in for a treat!
If the weather is very bad and you are southbound, remember that you will be on the OUTSIDE of this road, which is why I recommended turning inland from Monterey. Inland, Interstate 5 is pretty much a piece of cake to drive.
In terms of drive time, I would slot about 3 hours to be on the safe side for a straight drive through from Monterey to San Simeon. You may very well be able to make it in less than 3 hours. There will be less tourist traffic at that time of year and so less chance of being caught in a long line behind a slow driver. But I would urge you not to consider this part of your drive as a hurry through drive.
Have a fine trip!
It's approximately 90 miles from Monterey to San Simeon, the town closest to Hearst Castle.
However, it's not just the distance, it's also the type of road.
It's a two lane road, one lane coming and one lane going. Also very "windey" -curving, so you cannot go at top speed.
I've been referring people to
bigsurlandtrust.org
to access a very good picture of the kind of road you will be driving on and the fantastic scenery along the way.
If the weather is good, you will definitely be pulling off the road at several points along this drive. I've seen a lot of gorgeous scenery and the drive through Big Sur ranks among the top. You are in for a treat!
If the weather is very bad and you are southbound, remember that you will be on the OUTSIDE of this road, which is why I recommended turning inland from Monterey. Inland, Interstate 5 is pretty much a piece of cake to drive.
In terms of drive time, I would slot about 3 hours to be on the safe side for a straight drive through from Monterey to San Simeon. You may very well be able to make it in less than 3 hours. There will be less tourist traffic at that time of year and so less chance of being caught in a long line behind a slow driver. But I would urge you not to consider this part of your drive as a hurry through drive.
Have a fine trip!
Aug 28th, 2003, 07:48 AM
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I agree with everything jason has said except 1 thing - if the weather is bad, I recommend Hwy 101 for the leg between Monterey and San Simeon - I don't see the need to go all the way inland to I5. In fact, I5 is prone to valley fog in the wintertime, so Hwy 101 may also be the safer of the 2 roads.
Aug 28th, 2003, 10:18 AM
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Ok so that part of my trip semms like it is going to work. How long am I looking from Hearst Castle to Santa Barbara? Figuring I will take the 3pm tour at the castle and I will get out of there around 6pm - ish What time should I expect to get to Santa Barbara and is there a lot to see along the road from San Semion to Santa Barbara?
Aug 28th, 2003, 10:28 AM
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Just south of San Simeon is Cambria and then Morro Bay. Both are nice little towns - Cambria is more artsy with galeries and shops, Morro Bay is more of a fishing village with a nice harbor. I would stop at one of these places for dinner. With kids 5 and 9 I think that eating before Santa Barbara is definitely the way to go. In Morro Bay, along the Embarcadero there are several casual places to eat. And in Cambria there is a small downtown with several places as well.
Aug 28th, 2003, 10:52 AM
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Hi kgn!
Just slightly south of San Simeon is Cambria. You can type in "Cambria" in the search box here and find a lot of discussion on this town.
From San Simeon, it should take you about 45 minutes to get to the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 101. This should be just right, as you will be out of the most mountainous parts of the two-lane part of the coast highway and onto the four lane part.
From there it's about another 45 minutes to San Luis Obispo and I would try to get to San Luis Obispo before nightfall as the Cuesta Grade is just before SLO. I don't meed to remind you that night comes early in the wintertime.
From SLO to Santa Barbara is another 2 hour drive, "windey" but not at all like the Big Sur portion and you can do max speed in good parts of this highway but you'll be driving this portion at night.
So, I'd guesstimate that it will take you about 3 to 3and 1/2hours from San Simeon to SB. The earlier you can leave from San Simeon, the safer you'll make me feel.
You asked about attractions along the way:
San Luis itself is a nice little coastal town, worthy of a stop - but on another trip perhaps?
South of SLO are a series of beach towns, Avila, Pismo, Shell, etc. This is again a nice area to stop and, as you are driving almost at sea level, you'll have wonderful vistas of the Pacific Ocean.
From San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara is wine country and you will find a number of discussions on that subject on this board.
About 1/2 way between SLO and SB is Solvang, a bit of Denmark tucked away in mild rolling hills. Great bakeries and some wonderful cheeses as well.
All of these places you will be passing in the dark if you drive straight through. You COULD stop and sleep the night in any of these places. If you do this, then you need to think about avoiding the commute traffic in Santa Barbara in the morning.
Hope this helpe! And again, happy travels!
Just slightly south of San Simeon is Cambria. You can type in "Cambria" in the search box here and find a lot of discussion on this town.
From San Simeon, it should take you about 45 minutes to get to the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 101. This should be just right, as you will be out of the most mountainous parts of the two-lane part of the coast highway and onto the four lane part.
From there it's about another 45 minutes to San Luis Obispo and I would try to get to San Luis Obispo before nightfall as the Cuesta Grade is just before SLO. I don't meed to remind you that night comes early in the wintertime.
From SLO to Santa Barbara is another 2 hour drive, "windey" but not at all like the Big Sur portion and you can do max speed in good parts of this highway but you'll be driving this portion at night.
So, I'd guesstimate that it will take you about 3 to 3and 1/2hours from San Simeon to SB. The earlier you can leave from San Simeon, the safer you'll make me feel.
You asked about attractions along the way:
San Luis itself is a nice little coastal town, worthy of a stop - but on another trip perhaps?
South of SLO are a series of beach towns, Avila, Pismo, Shell, etc. This is again a nice area to stop and, as you are driving almost at sea level, you'll have wonderful vistas of the Pacific Ocean.
From San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara is wine country and you will find a number of discussions on that subject on this board.
About 1/2 way between SLO and SB is Solvang, a bit of Denmark tucked away in mild rolling hills. Great bakeries and some wonderful cheeses as well.
All of these places you will be passing in the dark if you drive straight through. You COULD stop and sleep the night in any of these places. If you do this, then you need to think about avoiding the commute traffic in Santa Barbara in the morning.
Hope this helpe! And again, happy travels!
Aug 28th, 2003, 02:59 PM
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I would encourage you to take your girls to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have so many things that will appeal to kids - the Splash Zone - in particular is geared toward younger children. We have been there several times and never get bored. Our two kids were 5 and 1 1/2 the last time we went. We like to stay at the Monterey Bay Inn on Cannery Row just a few blocks from the aquarium. You can request a bay view room and watch the sea otters play from your balcony. We are booked there for Spring 2004 and got a AAA rate of $160/night. Food for thought.
Aug 29th, 2003, 06:46 AM
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i like the 17 mile drive. it is really quite pretty and you can stop at pebble beach golf course for a coffee or something. i'd get up early, do the 17 mile drive on your way to hearst castle. after the castle, i'd plan on dinner at morrow bay and just drive through to santa barbara. just warn the kids that it will be a long day but then you can wake up fresh in santa barbara.
