San Diego to San Francisco along the coast

Although a short stretch of I5 goes along the coast north of San Diego, you'll see by looking at a map that the coastal drive really starts with US 101 above LA going to Santa Barbara.

Cambria is a good place to stay when visiting Hearst Castle. You'll want to stay on the Monterey Peninsula, either Pacific Grove, Monterey or Carmel--the Monterey aquarium will take some time, as well as strolling through Carmel and visiting the historic sites of Monterey.

Hi Cindy have done that route a number of times my fav
lajolla.com Hyatt
San Capstrano
Seal Beach Laguna Beach
Malibu or Santa Monica for lasightseeing.net
Santa Barbara
Solvang
Hearst Castle
treebonesresort.com ventanainn.com Big Sur
Carmelcalifornia.com

Usually stay flexible and visit a few of the above.
usually carrentals.com one way SAN to SFO for rental.
Sometimes cansave bidding priceline.com or hotwire.com
cars and hotels too.

Have fun!

forgot hoteldel.com super nice in SD
if budget and time very good great vibe

I would either leave very early from San Diego (suggest being on the road at 4:30) to beat the commute traffic - or wait until say 8:30 - and then drive up to LA - and take the short freeway shot over to the beach at about Santa Monica - and drive up along Malibu to Santa Barbara (4 hours or so) - and then another 45 minutes to stay in the beautiful little Danish themed village of Solvang. (see webpage below). You could also visit a winery there or go to one of the tasting rooms on the main street. Have you seen the movie - Sideways?

And then - up to cute little Cambria for the next night and take the tour of Hearst Castle - most amazing.

Then - enjoy the great drive up to and through Big Sur and in the Carmel/Monterey area for a couple days - visiting the wonderful Acquarium, Cannery Row, enjoying the 17 mile drive and dine at one of the cute places along Cannery Row and also in the artist retreat - known as Carmel.

http://www.solvangusa.com/

http://www.hearstcastle.org/

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

I agree with all the previous suggestions and would add:

Point Lobos State Reserve

A walk or bike ride along the Pacific Grove coastal recreational trail

To the above I can add that we always like to check out the beach towns between San Diego and Los Angeles, especially Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach.

If you enjoy scenic countryside, it is worthwhile to explore the Santa Robles wine district and the towns just north and west of Santa Barbara: Santa Ynez, Solvang, Los Olivos, and Buellton.

HTTY

I’m so glad that you’re going to have this trip; the route is really beautiful beyond the words of praise!!! We did LA to San Francisco part in 3 nights…

- Santa Barbara is worth stopping by. Check out the beach and the Court House free tour. You would like court house if you’re into art/history.
- Stop by in Morro bay to check out Morro rock
- Night stay in Cambria (I think we stayed at Cambria pines lodge, we loved the breakfast). It’s a nice small town, and close to Hearst castle. (we could visit the castle)
- There is a spot on PCH-1 very close to Cambria, where one can see seals on the beach…a wonderful experience!!
- Stop by for a scenic lunch near Lucia (I forgot the restaurant name…)
- Then you’re entering Big Sur – nice curvy roads and beautiful scenes all around. There are many small hikes – check out http://www.hikinginbigsur.com/
- McWay falls hike IS MUST…its very simple and very very beautiful
- Do couple of nights stay at Monterey/Pacific grove. There are many things to do there depending upon your interest. E.g. Aquarium, shopping, etc.
- Point Lobos State Reserve AND carmel mission ARE MUST SEE. We loved the carmel-by-the-sea town…try to spend a nice evening there with great dinner options.
- Visit Natural Bridge and the mystery spot near Santa cruz. Check out beach activities.
- We had very less time from santa cruz to San Francisco, so we just stopped by at pigeon point lighthouse and Half-moon bay.

Don’t forget to check status on PCH-1, there might be some construction on the way that could add delays. I would say allow a day from Cambria-to-Monterey just to drive around in Big sur and visiting lots of vistas or hikes.

We would be waiting for a trip-report after you come back

Oh, I must add that, 3 nights are NOT enough for LA to San Francisco on PCH-1...but we didn't had option

Wow! Thank you all so much for your input. Those are some very great ideas. I'm going to look into them all.
Thanks again!