US 1 tour in CA

Old Mar 10th, 2003, 08:20 AM
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US 1 tour in CA

I am interested in flying to California from Houston and renting a car to drive up US 1. I hear its beautiful. Has anyone got advice on the best stops along the way? Best place to start & finish? Any pointers??? (No children to travel with us.) Jamcat
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 09:00 AM
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Do a search on this board using Cambria, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle etc and you will find tons of info. It is beautiful!
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 10:45 AM
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Definitely do this drive. It's great. If you are not used to driving on winding roads, start in the south and drive north so you will be on the inside.

What time of year are you planning on doing this drive?
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 11:11 AM
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Hi! July 4th week...probably the worst time. Unfortunately we own a small business and that's the only time we can get away. I really would like to avoid the areas that cater to small chldren. I would love accomodations with beautiful views (and priced reasonable if that's possible). Jamcat
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 11:33 AM
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Can't help with cheap accomodations AND a view but years ago (driving south from San Francisco)I stayed at a cute Victorian B & B in Pacific Grove (town known to locals as PG) near Carmel. This town had lots of inns & B & Bs.

For the thrill of a lifetime, stop at the Pebble Beach Golf Club & resort for a drink. You walk into their main lounge & faint from the view. Smart country club dress (no jeans).
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 11:45 AM
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That sounds fun! I'll do that. Sounds like (from reading the postings) the best places to go are Cambria, Big Sur, and San Francisco. Where would I fly into if I started with Cambria? Also is the Big Sur Lodge a pretty decent place to stay? I don't mind spending for a nice view...I don't mean to sound cheap. What do you think??? Jamcat
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 11:51 AM
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Jamcat:

My wife and I are from Houston and did this drive last year. It was great. No kids for us as well. Started in Los Angeles and ended in San Francisco. Suggest stops in Santa Barbara, Cambria, the Hearst Castle, and Carmel/Monterrey/Pacific Grove. I would have liked to have visited one of the parks just south of Carmel.

There is plenty of info on the board. Several people, including myself, have posted trip reports on just such a vacation. Follow ReneeS advice and do the search. If you are interested in wine, I am sure Kam will post some suggestions soon. Wild Horse was one of his best suggestions.

If you want, email me at [email protected], delete the x.

Good luck.
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 12:47 PM
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Another thought - since you will be renting a car only 1 way, check the rental prices. Going one direction might be substancially less expensive than going the other.

Cambria/Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo is a relatively small area, so you would probably need to fly in or out of LA. In the north, you can fly out of SJ, SF or Oakland. Unless you are going to visit SF specifically, SJ is the easiest and closest airport. But they are all close enough that I'd go with which ever airport has the best fare.

Another thought, since July is a busy season along the coast, definitely get your reservations as soon as possible because hotels will fill up.
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 01:27 PM
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jamcat, You will definitely enjoy the great scenery along Highway 1. The most scenic part of Route 1 would be from the Monterey Bay area going south. J Correa's suggestion of flying into San Jose makes the most sense if you will be starting your coastal tour from the Monterey Bay area. Even if you plan to spend some time in SF, you can do SF as a daytrip from San Jose. If you happen to be in San Jose on July 4, don't miss the spectacular fireworks display (www.americafestival.com) If you plan on staying in SJ in order to do a daytrip to SF, www.siliconvalley.citysearch.com and www.sanjose.org have some useful information. Along the coast I would spend a couple of days in Monterey (www.monterey.com) and check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, 17 Mile Drive, and quaint Carmel. From there head down to Big Sur and San Simeon for a tour of Hearst Castle (www.hearst-castle.org). Make reservations for Hearst Castle ASAP. When visiting Heasrt Castle, there is lodging in the nearby town of Cambria. Further south other places worth stopping off at include Morro Bay and Santa Barbara before heading into Los Angeles.
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 01:32 PM
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Just to be a poop, I'll mention that US 1 is the road that runs up the east coast from Florida to Maine - strip commercial most of the way. California State Route (SR) 1 is the road you're planning to travel.

Don't neglect the northern part of SR1, from San Francisco to its junction with US 101 at the south end of the Redwoods. IMO it's more beautiful than the southern stretch, although some will disagree. Not as spectacular as Big Sur, nor does it have the Hearst Castle, but plenty of beautiful scenery, rugged coastline, and nice towns like Mendocino.
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 01:44 PM
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Since you only have a week, I would focus on the stretch of highway 1 south of Monterey. The scenery on highway 1 north of there does not even compare. One more thing, in case you did not realize it, the coast is usually cold and foggy (highs around 60). A jacket and sweater are a must. When you get down to Santa Barbara and LA the weather will be very sunny and pleasant (around 80 during the day)
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 02:25 PM
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Jamcat, If you are NOT planning to go as far north as San Francisco, then your best bet is to fly into San Luis Obispo. (This is just a 45 minute flight from LA but will save you hours of driving in bad traffic.) You can have a car ready for you in SLO and spend your first night. ( You could also head right to Cambria, it's only 40 minutes north of SLO.) When the sun comes up, hit the 1 and head for Morro Bay (good spot for lunch) and Cambria. Have dinner at Robins (see chowhound.com) and stay somewhere on Moonstone Beach Drive. In the morning, head to Hearst Castle (you should be able to fit in two tours ) and head back to Cambria for your second night. In the morning, head to Big Sur, enjoy the drive, and stay a night or two. Continue to Carmel and Pacific Grove... this is also worth a night or two. Don't miss Point Lobos,Pebble Beach Lodge,and the Carmel Mission is beautiful and historical as well. LOTS of great places to stay in this area! You could then drive to San Jose airport to fly home. Or spend a night in Santa Cruz to be a bit closer to SJ. I've lived here all my life and I don't think you could do justice to San Francisco by just spedning a night or two, especially if you've never been before. Enjoy!
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 03:36 PM
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Moneygirl's idea is not a bad one. However, if you end up flying out of San Jose, I would advise staying the night in San Jose and not Santa Cruz. The commute traffic heading into San Jose from Santa Cruz is beyond monumental. There are plenty of places to stay and things to do in the city's downtown area.

www.sjdowntown.com
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 04:05 PM
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You have received a lot of good info - - but don't overlook the little item kam added. July can be VERY cold and foggy on the coast. Don't expect hot (or warm even) summer time temps. The hotter inland CA gets (July and Aug temps regularly over 95 or 100F) the colder anf foggier it gets on the coast. This is especially true on the Central and Northern Coasts. 60F may not seem too cold - but it is if the fog doesn't lift until late or at all.

That is why I usually avoid the coast between July 1 and Labor Day.

You may get lucky - there are also beautiful, clear days - but cold and fog is more the norm.
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Old Mar 10th, 2003, 08:01 PM
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Jamcat, Just one more thing... don't stress over the weather! The views will be gorgeous rain or shine and the ocean fog? Just have another cup of coffee and wait for it to lift! Susanspike is right about the Bay Area traffic...stay near the airport for your last night. Let us know where you end up and we can help with restaurants!
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Old Mar 11th, 2003, 07:59 AM
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Wow! I just checked my post and really appreciate all the great ideas. To avoid the one way fee for the rental car, I might fly into San Jose and drive down to Cambria or Santa Barbara and start back up. San Jose also had the best airfare. I didn't check San Luis Obispo but I will. From some postings it seems Carmel, Cambria & Big Sur are very popular stops. How about hotels? I can't believe how cool it is. Coming from Houston in July it will be great! Thanks for mentioning the fireworks display. We love to go to small towns in the USA for the shows (like Ouray, CO & Moscow, VT). Any more suggestions for the show? Thanks again for all your input! Jamcat
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Old Mar 11th, 2003, 09:05 AM
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jamcat, In terms of places to stay in Cambria, I probably would avoid the Best Western. The last time I stayed there was about 10 years ago. The room was quite dirty, including the sheets which had brown stains, Yuck!! Other than that, sorry I can't be of help in Carmel and Monterey as I normally go to both those places on daytrips. San Jose is actually bigger than SF, and as such puts on one of the larger fireworks displays in Northern CA. I would recommend getting there early as the crowds are typically large, usually a couple hundred thousand. The best viewing area would be in Discovery Meadow in Guadalupe River Park (near the Children's Discovery Museum). Another good area would be along San Carlos Street near Alamaden and also on the top floor of the parking garage at Scott's Seafood restaurant on Park Avenue. The fireworks begin at 9:30. The ultimate viewing spot would be from either a room at the Hilton and Towers or the Crowne Plaza facing the park.
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Old Mar 11th, 2003, 09:29 AM
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Santa Cruz is another fun place for fireworks. There generally isn't an organized display, but lots and lots of people buy their own and set them off at the beach. Technically, fireworks are only legal within the city limits of Watsonville and Gilroy (possibly Salinas, but I'm not sure), but people set them off all up and down the beach. We usually go down to Seacliff Beach near Aptos and watch the show. We bundle up, take some snacks, and just park ourselves in the sand. If we can find an unused fire pit we build a bon fire. Lots of fun.
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Old Mar 11th, 2003, 11:54 AM
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Definitely fly in and out of different cities, do the one-way drop car thing. Not usually any one way drop fee, try Avis, National, Hertz or Budget.

If you have the time, San Diego to San Francisco is the classic. 9 days is ideal for this. LA to San Jose would be a shortened trip 6 or 7 days.
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Old Mar 11th, 2003, 05:20 PM
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For Hotels in Big Sur pricey but luxurious and views; Ventana Inn, Highlands Inn (not too pricey), and the Tickle Pink. A bit cheaper, Big Sur Inn. I do not know about the views, and have not stayed here, but the management is level headed, and the restaraunt crowded. Good views are a 5 minute walk outside. All these places are on Highway 1. Do not get the names of the businesses mixed up. There are so many variations with the words Big, Sur, and Inn. Like I do not think Big Sur Lodge is all that great. The location is not high above, like the Big Sur Inn. And I think the rooms are more like cabins.

I saw a poster recomending the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I always recomend it, but if you want to avoid kids, that is not the place to be. Also I think if you want a great last night, you should take it in San Francisco, with a show, the Museum of Modern Art, or the Legion of Honor Museum (not too many kids there).
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