Traveling the Pacific Coast Highway
Apr 24th, 2016, 03:03 PM
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Traveling the Pacific Coast Highway
Hi, My family (myself, my husband, & our girls ages 17 & 13) will be visiting California this summer for the first time. Our plan is to arrive in LA on June 24th & spend 6 nights. We will leave LA on Thursday, June 30th for a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. Our plan is to spend 3 nights along the coast & arrive in San Francisco on Sunday, July 3rd. My question is your opinion about where to stay during those 3 nights, places to eat, & things to see/do. We would enjoy staying possibly on beach if the price wasn't terribly expensive (hopefully less than 400/night for each stay). I've read seeing the Hearst Castle is a great stopping point, but we love to see new things so anything suggested would be fun for us.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Apr 24th, 2016, 04:25 PM
#3
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The Hearst Castle is worth the visit. You can book all 3 tours on line, and only make the trip from the parking lot to the castle once. I'd also check out some of the California Missions, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo, Carmel. They are a big part of California history. Since your teens are getting close to college, you might want to schedule some campus tours just to get a feel, Cal Poly in San Luis, Santa Barbara, Stanford to name just a few. I've never found particularly good restaurants along the coast, nor in Carmel or Monterrey. But there are plenty of other things to see and do and the food will be Standard Fare, nothing exciting. Check out Air B&B or VRBO for places to stay that might be less costly and allow you to eat some meals in. Enjoy your visit to our lovely State.
Apr 24th, 2016, 07:09 PM
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I would spend Thursday night in Pismo Beach, and the Friday and Saturday night in or around Monterey. That will break up the drive nicely and give you time to see and do quite a bit along the way. Plan more time entirely for everything than you think it will take due to the holiday weekend.
And don't worry, there is plenty of good food along the coast
And don't worry, there is plenty of good food along the coast
Apr 25th, 2016, 05:42 AM
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Thanks to all of you for the excellent input! We actually have a college tour planned for Pepperdine while we are staying close to LA (she's dreaming @kleroux
We have never been more excited about a vacation than this one. Thank you all again for your responses!
@kleroux We have never been more excited about a vacation than this one. Thank you all again for your responses!
Apr 25th, 2016, 06:19 AM
#7
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Agree with above about 1 night Pismo/Cambria area, and 2 in Carmel/Monterey/Pacific Grove area.
Stop at Nepenthe in Big Sur for lunch or an early dinner.
http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/
BTW, most of your trip will be on the Cabrillo Highway - not the PCH.
Ideas for San Francisco:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm
Stu Dudley
Stop at Nepenthe in Big Sur for lunch or an early dinner.
http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/
BTW, most of your trip will be on the Cabrillo Highway - not the PCH.
Ideas for San Francisco:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm
Stu Dudley
Apr 25th, 2016, 06:27 AM
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Thank you for the recommendations! I'm going to ask a really dumb question here, so please be gentle but why will most of trip be on Cabrillo Highway & not PCH? Am I missing something? @stuDudley
but why will most of trip be on Cabrillo Highway & not PCH? Am I missing something? @stuDudley
Apr 25th, 2016, 06:41 AM
#10
And I'm not sure what kleroux meant by meh food in the Monterey/Carmel Area and along the coast. IMO/IME there are some really good places on the coast and especially on the Monterey Peninsula.
Apr 25th, 2016, 07:05 AM
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okay, thank you @janisj. I was wondering if my planning was taking us in a different direction than we had hoped to go.
I looked up Nepenthe, & it looked wonderful...views & food, so we will definitely be making a stop there for food. I also looked at booking The Inn at the Cove as per recommendations to stay the first night in Pismo Beach. The place looked beautiful & since we will be staying our first night on a Thursday, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to visit San Luis Obispo's farmer's market while there.
I am completely enjoying all the feedback! It is helping to make planning this trip much easier!
I looked up Nepenthe, & it looked wonderful...views & food, so we will definitely be making a stop there for food. I also looked at booking The Inn at the Cove as per recommendations to stay the first night in Pismo Beach. The place looked beautiful & since we will be staying our first night on a Thursday, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to visit San Luis Obispo's farmer's market while there.
I am completely enjoying all the feedback! It is helping to make planning this trip much easier!
Apr 25th, 2016, 07:15 AM
#13
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State Route 1 (SR1) stretches from San Clemente in the south to Leggett in the north. Certain portions of SR1 are designated Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, and Coast Highway.
SR1 is also commonly known as Highway 1.
HTtY
SR1 is also commonly known as Highway 1.
HTtY
Apr 25th, 2016, 07:23 AM
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I did the exact same trip with my two children about five years ago. Probably our best family vacation ever.
Santa Barbara is beautiful...but a better place to live than to visit I think. You'll pretty much just want to stop there for a meal and a quick tour through town. The Hearst Castle is definitely worth visiting. I'm not a fan of Monterey...minimize your time there. I recommend that you focus more on the Big Sur/Carmel area. You'll need an entire day to do Big Sur....Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Nepenthe, hiking redwood forests. And you will find yourself stopping the car on more than one occasion to take pictures as you head out of Big Sur into the Carmel area. The coastal scenery there is unreal. The beach in Carmel is really nice. I liked 17-Mile Drive around Carmel but did think it was a bit overrated....and would recommend skipping it if you are tight on time. The coast heading north out of Santa Cruz is beautiful. Half Moon Bay is like Santa Barbara to me....a great place to live but not much there for tourists. Definitely check out Palo Alto/Stanford.
Have Fun!
Santa Barbara is beautiful...but a better place to live than to visit I think. You'll pretty much just want to stop there for a meal and a quick tour through town. The Hearst Castle is definitely worth visiting. I'm not a fan of Monterey...minimize your time there. I recommend that you focus more on the Big Sur/Carmel area. You'll need an entire day to do Big Sur....Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Nepenthe, hiking redwood forests. And you will find yourself stopping the car on more than one occasion to take pictures as you head out of Big Sur into the Carmel area. The coastal scenery there is unreal. The beach in Carmel is really nice. I liked 17-Mile Drive around Carmel but did think it was a bit overrated....and would recommend skipping it if you are tight on time. The coast heading north out of Santa Cruz is beautiful. Half Moon Bay is like Santa Barbara to me....a great place to live but not much there for tourists. Definitely check out Palo Alto/Stanford.
Have Fun!
Apr 25th, 2016, 08:31 AM
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I've never found particularly good restaurants along the coast, nor in Carmel or Monterrey.
We always have a good meal at Schooners Coastal Kitchen in Monterey. The seafood is superb, the service is excellent, the room is comfortable, and the view is beautiful. Perhaps we are too easy to please.
HTtY
We always have a good meal at Schooners Coastal Kitchen in Monterey. The seafood is superb, the service is excellent, the room is comfortable, and the view is beautiful. Perhaps we are too easy to please.
HTtY
Apr 25th, 2016, 11:01 AM
#16
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Also look into Pismo Lighthouse Suites, IIRC they have two bathrooms which could be a big help with two teen girls.
I like Santa Barbara a lot but admit to being a bit biased since that is where my parents met while going to college there.
I like Santa Barbara a lot but admit to being a bit biased since that is where my parents met while going to college there.
Apr 25th, 2016, 11:45 AM
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I live on the Monterey Peninsula and everyone here just calls it Highway 1. I don't recall the last time I heard it called Cabrillo Highway except by my GPS.
You can spend most of Friday driving along Highway 1 through Big Sur stopping at various overlooks, parks, beaches, etc. Traffic will be heavier due to the holiday weekend.
Generally speaking Monterey is busier and has larger hotels some of which are waterfront as well as less expensive motels. Carmel has smaller inns and doesn't allow any commercial waterfront development. Nearby Pacific Grove also has a few hotels, inns and B&Bs some of which have water views so it depends on what kind of accommodations and atmoshphere you're looking for. Carmel has a very nice beach. Be careful with airbnb and VRBO as short term vacation rentals are illegal within the city limits of Carmel by the Sea as well as in the coastal areas of unincorporated Monterey County.
I think 17 Mile Drive is skippable as well considering your short time here and the fact that you'll have driven through Big Sur already.
As far as things to do, there's the aquarium (which should have extended evening hours that Saturday and would be less crowded than during the day) whale watching, kayaking, hiking, wine tasting and there are good restaurants here but as with any touristy area there are a lot of mediocre ones too.
You can spend most of Friday driving along Highway 1 through Big Sur stopping at various overlooks, parks, beaches, etc. Traffic will be heavier due to the holiday weekend.
Generally speaking Monterey is busier and has larger hotels some of which are waterfront as well as less expensive motels. Carmel has smaller inns and doesn't allow any commercial waterfront development. Nearby Pacific Grove also has a few hotels, inns and B&Bs some of which have water views so it depends on what kind of accommodations and atmoshphere you're looking for. Carmel has a very nice beach. Be careful with airbnb and VRBO as short term vacation rentals are illegal within the city limits of Carmel by the Sea as well as in the coastal areas of unincorporated Monterey County.
I think 17 Mile Drive is skippable as well considering your short time here and the fact that you'll have driven through Big Sur already.
As far as things to do, there's the aquarium (which should have extended evening hours that Saturday and would be less crowded than during the day) whale watching, kayaking, hiking, wine tasting and there are good restaurants here but as with any touristy area there are a lot of mediocre ones too.
Apr 25th, 2016, 02:27 PM
#19
Pismo Beach has one of the nicest beaches along the coast. You can expand the area to include Shell Beach down to Grover Beach when looking for lodging.
I've stayed at Avila Beach at the Lighthouse Suites and while the property is okay, I prefer the beach at Pismo.
I am also not especially enamored of Santa Barbara, you can stop there or blast on through. Even if you are interested in history of California, I think Carmel/Monterey is a better place to visit for that (Carmel Mission and Monterey State Historic Park).
I haven't read everyone's replies but there are several places to look at the elephant seals between LA and San Francisco, one at Piedras Blancas north of Cambria, and the other at Año Nuevo State Park. Check the websites to see what works into your schedule.
Along Big Sur honestly I just stop at some of the pullouts and look at the views.
Closer to Carmel/Pacific Grove/Monterey, we always loved Point Lobos and Asilomar State Beach.
If I had my choice I would stay in Pacific Grove at Asilomar, or one of the nearby B&B's, so as to access Asilomar.
I've stayed at Avila Beach at the Lighthouse Suites and while the property is okay, I prefer the beach at Pismo.
I am also not especially enamored of Santa Barbara, you can stop there or blast on through. Even if you are interested in history of California, I think Carmel/Monterey is a better place to visit for that (Carmel Mission and Monterey State Historic Park).
I haven't read everyone's replies but there are several places to look at the elephant seals between LA and San Francisco, one at Piedras Blancas north of Cambria, and the other at Año Nuevo State Park. Check the websites to see what works into your schedule.
Along Big Sur honestly I just stop at some of the pullouts and look at the views.
Closer to Carmel/Pacific Grove/Monterey, we always loved Point Lobos and Asilomar State Beach.
If I had my choice I would stay in Pacific Grove at Asilomar, or one of the nearby B&B's, so as to access Asilomar.
Apr 25th, 2016, 02:34 PM
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I forgot to add that most of the coastline along the Monterey Peninsula is rocky so there really aren't any beachfront hotels with the exception of Monterey Tides http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/cali...onterey-tides/ which is located on the edge of Monterey bordering Seaside so you need to drive to most places from here. Elsewhere you'll either be separated from the beach/ocean by a road or it'll be on rocky shoreline with maybe a pocket beach nearby.
