Driving out of SF on Friday15/09/2011. What is the best route to travel? Will there be any speed-trap along the way? Where is the best stop-over places along the way?
Thanks
Sam Wong

Highway 1 is superb.

Stay in Monterey or Carmel, then Cambria or Pismo Beach then Santa Barbara.

Today is August 21 2012. How was your trip and which route did you follow?

Hwys 101 and I5 are well covered by the CHP. It is easy to break the speed limits on those roads and it could cost you.
Just drive down hwy 1, one of the world's most dramatic and beautiful roads.

tomfuller:

That's what struck me too!

Sam Wong: Here's a lsit of the national speed traps if you planning on going over the speed limit:

http://www.speedtrap.org/

As for those "speed traps", I looked at the one listed that I'm most familiar with. I would hardly call it a "speed trap" More a "lunatic trap". It's a very busy road - with entrances every block and traffic lights every 4 to 6 block. Two lanes of driving (and one for parking) in each direction, plus a lane in the middle with multiple turn sections. There are numerous stores, mini-malls, restaurants and people constantly pulling in and out of parking spaces. The speed limit is 35 mph - which is reasonable given the circumstances.

I have seen idiots - esp young men in gigantic stupid SUVs - doing 55 and even 60 there - trying to make lights by cutting in and out of traffic, cutting people off and terrifying pedestrians. There have been a significant number of accidents there including 2 deaths of which I am aware.

IMHO they could use a few more speed traps there - and those going that fast should have their licenses suspended for multiple counts of speeding and dangerous driving.

Highway 1 is the most scenic, I5 is the fastest, with a 70 mph speed limit once in the central valley. If taking the latter, it can be done in a day.

And Hwy 101 is in-between -- slower but more scenic than I-5, faster and less scenic (everything is!) than Hwy 1.

Equally scary to moi as the young male "lunatics" of which one poster speaks, are these ladies who have no business driving a light truck/SUV - yet there they are - driving these large death and destruction machines - while talking on the phone, putting on makeup, whatever - and if you are in a small parking lot - just pray they don't back into you.

As for SF to LA - it all depends on what you want to do. Straight shot - fastest - go down Interstate - very boring - 5 - but if you have the time, certainly go down the Coast Hiway/1 - and as suggested - perhaps stay partway to LA in Carmel, or Big Sur or Cambria - although you can do it in a day if need be.