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California road trip
I am retiring and we are planning on taking a two week to three week trip down California's coast any suggestions for places we should stop along the way for sure itineraries are welcome and places to stay are also welcome
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Starting where, ending where? What month?
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Also, what sort of places do you enjoy staying and how much do you want to spend per night?
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We are starting in Portland & ending at SanDiego
In late September & early October We love to stay on or near the beaches. San Fran Mostly down the coastline....$250 per nite or less Tho may splurge a little... hotels vs airbnb vs B&bs... as u can c we are Very flexible... would like to keep Things open so we can stay some Where we like a lot |
By flexible, you mean any of those types of accommodations are possibilities?
Do you picture yourself moving often or would you prefer to stay several nights in a location with longer drives between? Depending on how much of the drive you decide to spend along the coast, you'll have about 1500 miles of driving. My preference would be longer stays with longer scenic drives between locations. What do you think? And regarding stops, what type of activities have you thought about incorporating? |
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Keep in mind that you can only travel 25 miles north of Carmel on Hwy 1 before having to detour back. There is a bridge being rebuilt, and further south there is a huge mudslide. You will then have to take Hwy 101 until you get to Hwy 46 West in Paso Robles. There you can get back to Hwy 1 along the coast.
I would not miss Point Lobos or the 25 mile trek into Big Sur. After that I would visit Cambria (Hearst Castle if you want) and Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. Cayucos is a cute little beach town and Morro Bay is nice as well. Montana de Oro is a great state park right on the coast. If you like wine, Paso Robles is the place for you. Hundreds of wineries to visit. |
"...you can only travel 25 miles north of Carmel on Hwy 1..."
South? |
Correct, south, sorry about that. The new bridge is expected to be completed in late September. If that happens, you will be able to go further, but the mudslide means you still have to back track.
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Listen to AustinT, even if they replace the bridge in mid September there is still the Mud Creek slide, which will not be cleared until maybe next summer.
Also check the legality of short term rentals like AirBnB since a number of California cities have outlawed them such as Monterey and Carmel, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Laguna Beach and others. Some are legal if the owner is also living on the premises. |
AFter you go inland to get around the slide (I like Carmel Valley Road to 101) then you can stay between Paso Robles and Atascadero , return to Cambria on 46 and visit sites along the south part of the coast. Cayucos is kind of "cute".
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For beaches, I like Shell Beach to Grover Beach, whatever fits your style..cliff top or walking to the sand, there are lots of options.
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<i> If that happens, you will be able to go further, but the mudslide means you still have to back track.</i>
Not necessarily. You could then take the Fergusson-Nacimiento Rd. from south of Lucia to Fort Hunter Liggett. |
Really not a good idea to be recommending FN Road to non-locals. The road is heavily traveled now with construction equipment for the slide. It is a narrow, steep road with lots of drop offs. Tourists really don't need to be going there.
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Wonderful time of year to travel down the coast, what a great way to say hello to retirement.
Mendocino/Ft Bragg/Jenner Ocean View Lodge or Wharf Master's Inn Marin Lodge north of San Francisco Beach House Half Moon Bay just south of SF Hofsas House Carmel or Sunset Inn Pacific Grove or Casa Munras in Monterey Little Sur Inn Cambria Pacific Shores Inn Morro Bay Avila Village Inn or Shore Cliff Shell Beach Santa Ynez Inn or Hotel Corque (Wine Country) Lavender Inn, Eagle Inn or Harbor View Inn Santa Barbara Channel Road Inn Santa Monica Blue Lantern Inn Dana Point, or Laguna Beach House Cherokee Lodge or the 1906 Lodge San Diego/Coronado Most of these are $200 or less on weeknights but may bust the budget on Fri or Sat nights. Also on weeknights along much of your route you can find lodging last-minute unless you are picky about where you want to stay...in that case you'll want to reserve ahead but will be locked into 24 and 48 hour cancellation policies. When perusing airbnb options, pay attention to the cancellation penalties. |
Time of year is fine . . . Length of time isn't. If you max out to three weeks it would be OK. But two weeks is not nearly enough for Portland to SD unless you just want a road trip and no 2 or 3 nights stays.
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