Temecula to Monterey road trip options
 

Hello all. Looking for some guidance on a trip in July. DH and I will be attending a wedding in Temecula, CA in July. After the wedding, we'd like to road trip a bit.

My question relates to pacing, which is always my problem in planning trips.

Is this feasible?
Day 1 - Temecula to Santa Barbara, spend night
Day 2 - Santa Ynez wine country, stay in Solvang? Los Olivos?
Day 3 - Drive to Hearst Castle. Stay near there? Or maybe push on to Monterey?
Day 4 - Drive to Monterey. Thinking the quicker way, not the coast road. Need help on lodging. Could be Carmel.
Day 5 - Drive to Big Sur. (Just a day trip? Should we stay somewhere in the area?)
Day 6- Drive to Santa Cruz? Just spitballing here.
Day 7 - Drive to San Jose airport and home.

The closest accommodations to Hearst Castle are in San Simeon. By the time you've made it this far, it makes more sense to continue on Hwy 1 (the coast road) to Monterey/Carmel as the inland route would require some backtracking and wouldn't be faster at this point. In that case, you'll go through Big Sur on your way to Monterey/Carmel. I'm assuming most of this will take place mid-week? Most accommodations along the coast will require a 2 night stay on weekends.

Too many one nighters. And Patty is correct about weekend 2 night minimums.
Combine nights 1&2, staying in either SB or Santa Ynez. Skip staying in Santa Cruz.

I don't understand avoiding hwy 1 to get to Monterey/Carmel only to turn around and go down hwy 1 to see Big Sur. Doesn't make sense. Drive up hwy1 to Monterey.

I also agree the this is packing and moving too much - combine days 1 and 2 and stay nights 4, 5 and 6 in Carmel/Monterey (that will only give you 2 full days in the area) and drive from there to SJC on day 7

Thank you all for your advice! It has helped me focus the trip better.

I'd probably do 2 nights in Santa Barbara, 1 night in Cambria, and 2 nights in Monterey/Carmel. I think that adds up right :)