Planning a short trip to SF and Monterey in May and would appreciate any input.

A little background: We are a late 20s couple looking for a quick getaway to celebrate finally finishing grad school after years of going part time. We're expecting our first child in August, so we want a more romantic and relaxed vacation than we usually take, since this will be the last of its kind for a while! We like history, culture, and nature. We are budget travelers; $150 for a night at a B&B in Monterey is a splurge to me (plan on using P'line for hotels in SF). We probably prefer city a little over nature, but definitely want some quiet time on this trip. We are not into the night scene at all, and wine is out for me. I will be 6 months pregnant, so need to take that into consideration.

This is what we're thinking:
1. Arrive in SF early afternoon. Sleep in SF 3 nights.
2. SF
3. SF
4. Pick up a car and drive to Monterey, possibly stopping at Big Basin or Muir Woods. Sleep in Monterey 2 nights.
5. Monterey and area (17 mi drive, see aquarium).
6. Another day in the Monterey area (maybe drive to Big Sur), then drive back to the city after dinner and sleep near the airport for early am flight out.
7. Leave

Two full days and 3 nights in SF is enough for a good taste, right?

Do we need day #6? Originally I thought we would sleep in Monterey one night only, leaving Monterey after dinner on night 5, and fly home on day 6. Or do you think we should spend the extra night and day in Monterey?

Thanks!

If you are considering driving Highway 1 it's a long time from Big Sur and getting back to San Francisco the same night. Highway 1 is a slow drive. In Monterey, I would hook on to the interstate. But if you haven't been there before the slow Highway 1 is the way to go.

Good plan, monique!

Just a few "tweeques" here and there:

1) Muir Woods is NORTH of San Francisco, so you can't go both north and south at the same time. Either go north or go south.

2) If you head south, BudgetQueen is correct, you should not try to do Big Sur and return to SF on the same day. Try to do Big Sur as soon as possible. Then you can rearrange your sightseeing around Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel in a better sequence to allow you time to drive back to SF.

3) Skip Big Basin. People go to Big Basin to see redwoods and, most especially, to hike. You will be able to do both in Big Sur and the hiking trails are much, much easier in Big Sur. Given your condition, Big Basin should not be on your itinerary.

I believe people will be doing you a disservice recommending Big Basin. You need to take good care of yourself for both your sakes!

Try Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and the very easy hike to McVey Falls. This park will be in Big Sur.

Try Point Lobos (just slightly south of Carmel) and the very easy hike at Point Lobos. Gorgeous scenery.

Try both Point Lobos and JPB Park. You'll enjoy both hikes. People do them with baby carriages and wheelchairs, so they should not be too great a strain on you.

Extra day: You could go North of SF for an extra day. See "Sonoma" and then dinner in Sausalito. Try driving the Russian River Valley for its wonderful pastoral scenery. This part of California is "wine" country, but there is so much more than just winegrowing in the area.

Enjoy California! And congratulations to both of you on your upcoming graduation!

just to confuse you a little more....one other option would be to spend a night in big sur--the big sur lodge in the Pfieffer park offer cabins that would be in your price range--big sur is such a wonderful place i would encourage you to get a good taste of it rather than just rush through. there are so many spectacular vistas on the drive from carmel to big sur that i woud give yourself enough time to savor them. I think you can "do" monterey in a day.

I agree with the others that you should definitely see Big Sur, but not on the day you are heading back to SF. Big Sur is something to be savored. If you can add another day to the trip, go for it. If not, I would do Big Sur and Point Lobos on the day you have 17 Mile Drive and the aquarium scheduled. The drive from SF to Monterey only takes a couple hours, so you can see the aquarium on the day you arrive in Monterey.

Regarding Big Basin, although it's one of my favorite places, I would skip it on this trip. Big Basin is known for it's great hiking and at 6 months pregnant, I don't think you will be doing much of that. And you will see redwoods in Big Sur. If you haven't seen enough redwood forest by the time you leave Big Sur, you can stop in Felton on the way back to SF. There is a steam train at Roaring Camp that takes you through the redwoods there - no hiking required

monique,

If you aren't golfers, you can safely cross 17 mile drive off your list, esp. if you doing Big Sur.

monique, if you and he are interested in history, culture and nature, you definitely should not miss Big Sur, for its literary and cultural associations as well as its world class beauty. As attractive as many things to see in the Monterey Peninsula are, I don't think there's anything there which should have higher priority than Big Sur for your time.

I think that you have gotten excellent advice, pretty much down the line, from the other posters here. I want to underline Easytraveler's urgings to do the very level, short and easy walk to McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. This is the only waterfall directly into the Pacific on the West Coast, and you'll find it a very romantic spot.

The Big Sur Lodge at Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park, recommended above, is a great place to stay, but again, if the literary/historical/cultural associations of the area appeal to you (Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, the whole mid-twentieth century Bohemian scene here), consider Deetjen's Big Sur Inn as a place to stay and/or have dinner.

Deetjen's is a registered historical site, and is literally run as a non-profit to preserve the atmosphere of that period. Explore their web site at www.deetjens.com, which is beautifully done and has lots of interesting material and links on Big Sur in general. While some rooms may be out of your budget, last summer we were enchanted with Edy's Room at $120--rustic and cozy, with an incredibly comfortable bed, a beautiful stained glass window on one side, and a window on to a small private garden with a large Buddha on the other. Serene, intimate, romantic, memorable. Also, the several books of guest journals are arguably worth the room price to read--the place seems to draw good writers at pivotal points in their lives.

I and others have posted on Deetjens extensively here--type Deetjens in the search box to bring up the threads--and if you are potentially interested, read the user reviews on it at www.tripadvisor.com (including one from me)to help decide if Deetjens is for you. It is definitely not for everyone, but if it is for you, it and the surrounding area will be a highlight of your trip.

I am writing this from Pacific Grove. We have a weekend home here and live in San Jose.

Have you considered flying out of San Jose when you leave California? The drive from Monterey Peninsula to SJC is only 85 miles and about 1:45 minutes. That way you could easily stay in Monterey on your last night and then drive to airport on day of departure. Depending on the time you leave you can do the same with SFO. You say you have an early AM flight. I would still stay down here and not near SFO.

Big Sur is a drive you need to take on one of the days you will be there all day. Try ROCKY POINT RESTAURANT on the way down for a snack and view. It is about 12 miles south of Carmel on the right side before the bridge.

Continue down Big Sur to NEPENTHE. Another great view spot and place to watch the sunset or eat. LITTLE RIVER INN also worth a stop.

The AQUARIUM is great! Allow time for that. It is not a 30 minute visit. Drive the coastal area from the aquarium through PG. You are on the Monterey Bay side and will see some great ocean vistas. This is all the town of PACIFIC GROVE, "Americas last home town", and where we live. Great town to visit.

Enjoy your time in Northern California. We travel the world and this is still the best place we have found.

Can't seem to get my reply to go through. What's going on?

Bob1, have you tried The White House yet? Monique, this would be a great place for you to celebrate! ***kim***Oh, it's in Pacific Grove in the Hart Mansion!

Bob1's advice about flying out of San Jose makes the most sense. I'd recommend spending your last night there the night before your flight, as I wouldn't risk the drive from Monterey into the city given the commute traffic. You could combine some sightseeing in San Jose on your last day to get an overview of the city. The downtown is about 5 miles from the airport, so that would be the most convenient place to stay.

A little minor tweeking to your plan:

2 nights in SF should be plenty of time. This will give you more time to enjoy the beautiful coast along highway 1 from Monterey to Big Sur. I agree with stopping at Big Basin rather than Muir Woods. The trees at Big Basin are much nice than either Muir Woods or the ones along Big Sur at Julia Pfeiffer State Park. From SF the best route to Big Basin is via 280 to 17 then take the Big Basin exit. The website www.bigbasin.org has specific directions to take off of higghway 17. The hikes in Big Basin are tailored to beginners as well as the advanced. The regular trails in big Basin are no more difficult than the ones in Big Sur. The roads to Big Basin are easily accessible.

Skip 17 Mile Drive. It's really not worth it.

I've been trying to post this reply all week, and for some reason have been having trouble on this site. Here's another try!

Thank you all for your responses. They are much appreciated!

BudgetQueen: No, we haven't been there before so we plan on taking the longer scenic route. Any good budget tips to share? We love value!

Easytraveler: Yes, I know Muir Woods is north and not on the way! Originally I wanted to go there. Then I considered the hassle of going south to the airport to get a car, then driving through traffic to head north to Muir, then heading back south again. Another travel group recommended I consider Big Basin instead, since I just wanna see some redwoods and don't care where. So I think we can also skip Big Basin and just see some redwoods at Big Sur. Thanks for the hike info. About how far are they? Just a mile or two? I would love to visit wine country, but we decided to leave it out this time around since I won't be able to sample the finery!

Youngtom: Thanks for the suggestion of staying a night in Big Sur.

JC: We are free to do whatever we feel like. I just stuck in Aquarium and 17mi drive just to put it on the itinerary. Hmm, a steam train sounds good for tired feet! I'll have to keep that in mind.

Elberko: My husband is a huge golfer. Unfortunately he won't be playing in Pebble Beach, but he would love to see it!

Johncharles: I did a lot of reading on the area this weekend, and I didn't realize how many famous writers were from the area. I'll have to read some of them before I go. I read about Deetjen's and it sounds neat.

Bob: I would consider flying out of SJ, but the price is cheaper from SFO and there are more direct flights. Most of them leave at 8am, and although I am a morning person who is up by 6 even on the weekends, I think sleeping in Monterey before a flight would be really pushing it.

I looked into flying out of SJC, and was able to find the same price and a late morning flight out. It would be really nice to spend another night in Monterey instead of at an SFO airport hotel! And the car rental dropoff fee is very small.

So, now this is what I'm thinking:
1 Arrive SF in afternoon
2 SF
3 SF
4 Drive to Big Sur (sleep at Deetjen's if available)
5 Big Sur/Monterey area (sleep at area B&B)
6 Monterey area (sleep at area B&B)
7 Drive to SJ and fly home

We can spend part of day 5 in Big Sur, but I was wondering if we should spend two nights in Big Sur (adding an extra day to the trip). What do you think?

John Charles: I'm going to call Deetjen's and see if they have Edy's Room available. Does it have a private bathroom inside the room? Memorable sounds great! One of my favorite hotels is Walter's Mittaghorn in Gimmelwald, Switzerland. Deetjen's sounds similar, but a little nicer!

Hi, monique! Glad your trip is coming together!

You asked for distances:

Pt Lobos is about 2 miles south of Carmel

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is about 25 miles south of Carmel

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is about another 12 miles south of Big Sur.

The distances are not great, but remember that you can't drive too fast. Estimate about 30 mph. If you get there faster, then good for you!

One of the best websites for Big Sur and the entire area is

www.pelicannetwork.net

You'll find all you need there and more.

A couple of other points:

The car: You should be able to find a car rental company that doesn't require any kind of dropoff fee for pickup in SF and dropoff in SJ. Check out the major car rental company websites. They have promotionals going on all the time.

Flying out of San Jose: Depending on how late is "late morning", you should slot at least an hour and a half drive from Monterey to San Jose Airport. There is also considerable commuter traffic early in the morning. Again, depending on what time your flight leaves in the morning, you could get snarled in traffic and spend two and a half hours in traffic. So, I, for one, do not think it is such a good idea to stay overnight in Monterey and then try to make it to either San Jose or San Francisco Airport the next morning just to take a flight.

The best thing you could do, in this case, is to plan on spending the last night near the airport, whichever airport you choose. Return the car the night before and, next morning, take the hotel shuttle to the airport.

San Jose Airport would be closer to Monterey, but if you are going to return northward the night before, it really doesn't make any difference whether you go to SF or SJ Airport. If you return to San Francisco Airport, you do not need to worry about the car dropoff fee. On the other hand, lodging near the airport is usually cheaper in San Jose.

Let us know what you decide. Travel safely!

Easytraveler: I meant what are the distances of the hikes/walks themselves, not how far away are they from Monterey. I did a quick search on travelocity for the car, and that's where I came up with the dropoff price. I'll have to look around. There is a flight leaving SJC at 12:30, so I figured that could easily work if we leave Monterey after breakfast. There's another at 9:30, but that may be cutting it too close. Lodging near SFO is really cheap through Priceline. Thanks again!

Monique, glad you are interested in Deetjen's. Edy's Room does have a private bathroom directly connected to the bedroom. It's very cozy, but you do not go to Deetjen's for big bathrooms.

Deetjen's is within walking distance of the Henry Miller library just down Highway One. The library's hours are fairly limited and eccentric, so I'd check in advance if you want to visit. Also, if your condition allows, don't miss the hike up to the top of the ridge in back of Deetjen's (Deetjen's is in a canyon with many redwoods) for a wonderful view from the bench that's featured in the introduction to their web site. It's not difficult, but definitely uphill a mile or so.

Deetjen's is also just a few moments' drive from the Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park and McWay Falls, and the Coast Gallery where I'd also recommend a stop for their interesting art and store. It's even closer to Nepenthe and its fabulous coastal view, a great place to sit and savor drinks (whether alcoholic or not) on the open air terrace (I'd advise skipping their meals, the food is pedestrian and way overpriced.) Nepenthe also has a very good store, perhaps the most interesting in the area. Just slightly further up the highway is the road up to the Ventana Inn, whose restaurant terrace has a quite different and higher elevation view, but just as spectacular as Nepenthe's. This is my top recommendation for lunch--you'll pay not much more than at Nepenthe for much better food (the restaurant is surprisingly reasonable for lunch, compared to its very expensive dinners) and if the weather is good, you can eat it outside enjoying the view, while at least in the past you could only have drinks and appetizers outside at Nepenthe. Both these views are worth spending some quality time with while rejuvenating.

Deetjens is my top recommendation for breakfast and dinner, assuming that the restaurant at Ventana and the even more expensive one at the Post Ranch Inn are out of the budget for dinner. Dinner at Deetjens is candlelit and especially romantic, and much more moderately priced.

If you can't get a room at Deetjen's within your price range, not too far away there are also charming rustic cabins that I've enjoyed, generally less expensive, right on the Big Sur River at Ripplewood Resort, as well as those at Big Sur Lodge in the State Park.

I envy being on the verge of first discovery of Big Sur, as you are. Please let us know your impressions when you get back.

Whohoo, we're going!! I just booked the airfare. So excited!! It's going to be hard to wait two months, though. I'll have to read some of the literary classics of the area in the meantime.

Johncharles: I reserved Edy's Room! We are used to one star hotels in Europe, so I'm sure this place will come as no surprise to us. We've had 'private' baths in Europe that were not in the room; in that case why not just share? But it will be nice to have it right in the room. Thanks for the area info. We'll consider lunch at Ventanas, and I plan on doing dinner and breakfast at Deetjen's. I am so excited that we decided to do this trip!! Thanks for all your tips!

Monique, the restaurant at the Ventana is called Cielo. It is very nice. Dine outside and take in the breath-taking views of the ocean. The acorn squash soup is excellent and the service is professional and attentive.

We were there in Decmeber for one of our anniversary lunches. Very nice! ***kim***

monique: try the pelicannetwork that I recommended above. For example, Pt Lobos has several hikes. It's not possible for me to determine which one you would personally like to go on. However, the website will give you terrific details and help you select the hike(s) you would like. The distance for each hike is also given.

Good luck!

You've gotten excellent recommendations here from some of the best and most knowledgeable people for this area. Have fun!