10 Anniversary Trip to California
 

I'm planning a surprise trip from Upstate NY (where we live) to California in early November. We'll be traveling alone and are experienced travelers. We are in our early 50's & are open to almost any ideas! I'm thinking along the lines of flying into SFO and spending a few days in SF & then heading south along Hwy 1 and take Carmel, Montery, Big Sur, etc. & then end up in LA for the last few days. I could use some suggestions and/or comments...especially along Hwy 1, since I've never traveled that section of CA before. I'm thinking a little big city charm & then the rustic natural beauty between SF & LA. Any stops, Bed & Breakfast, quaint little Inns and/or restaurants would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for sharing!!!

The beautiful stretch of Highway 1 between San Francisco and Santa Cruz is too often bypassed.

There is a funky amusement park in Santa Cruz and a world-class aquarium in Monterey.

In this stretch of the coast we like to stay in Pismo Beach (many rooms have ocean views), Cambria (pleasing town near the Hearst Castle), and Carmel (charming place on the ocean with good restaurants).

The drive from Cambria to Paso Robles on Highway 46 is wonderfully scenic.

Ojai is a nice little town. We like the drive from Santa Barbara to Ojai and then to Ventura.

Ventura has a pleasant paved path for walking along the ocean.

If you are interested in the missions, La Purisima Mission State Historic Park does an excellent job of suggesting what life at a mission might have been like in the 18th Century: http://www.lapurisimamission.org/

HTTY

How long will you have "on the ground" in California?

Sounds like a great trip. I would highly recommend lunch in the patio of Ventana Inn Restaurant (Cielo) in Big Sur. Also a brunch or early twilight dinner on the patio of Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch Inn Restaurant in Carmel. Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must see. It's a beautiful bike ride or hike along the seaside recreation trail in Pacific Grove. You might want to stay at the Seven Gables Inn b&b in Pacific Grove. There are so many gorgeous scenic stops along the Big Sur coast between Carmel and Cambria that you should allow a full day for that stretch, spending the night in either Cambria or San Simeon. Santa Barbara is a charming city.

OK, a few thoughts. Don't overlook flying into OAK as you may get better fares and or more direct or even nonstop flights as opposed to SFO.

Next, don't rent a car until you are ready to LEAVE San Francisco. Parking is expensive and you can easily get around on foot or with great public transit. Rent from Dollar and pick the car up in the city and there is no one way, drop off charge.

Where you stay in SF depends on your budget. Tell us, we'll tell you [and there will be many who will chime in with favorites ]

Absolutely agree with staying in Pacific Grove at Seven Gables. Romantic, great views, beautiful rooms and terrific breakfast and last afternoon, evening snacks. Dinner at Passionfish in Pacific Grove.

https://picasaweb.google.com/DebitNM/PacificGroveCA2008

What a great trip. Having traveled extensively in this area I have a few tips. First be sure to take the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach. It is amazing! There is a toll but it is worth it. I heard that if you have a Wells Fargo bank card the fee is waived because they can't charge you to get to your bank. Not sure that is true, but maybe worth a try. Here is a link to their site:
http://www.pebblebeach.com/activitie.../17-mile-drive

We lived in Santa Barbara for 12 years and love it. It is an amazing little city full of charm and culture. Depending on your budget I can recommend a hotel there but defiantly make plans to spend at least one night there. We wrote a post about how to get the most out of a trip to Santa Barbara. Check it out here:
http://www.familytrek.org/why-we-don...-our-own-city/

Hope that helps. Let me know if you want any other suggestions about accommodations, dining, or activities in the Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez/Carpinteria area.

Happy Travels,
Monica

Sounds like you have a fantastic trip planned! You are going to love the Monterey Bay area.

Monterey has great oceanfront hotels on Cannery Row including the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, InterContinental the Clement Monterey and Spindrift Inn. You might want to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium or walk around Old Fisherman's Wharf.
http://www.seemonterey.com/monterey-california

Carmel has great shops and fantastic B&B's. Check out Lamp Lighter Inn, Pine Inn and Carmel Country Inn. Carmel Mission Ranch's restaurant has good food and views (located near the Carmel Mission).

If you are into wine you may want to visit Carmel Valley Village which is 15-20 minutes from Carmel. There are several great wineries and tasting rooms along Carmel Valley Road.
http://www.seemonterey.com/carmel-valley-california

On your way to Big Sur stop at Point Lobos for great views and hiking. Point Sur Lightstation is also a good stopping point.
http://www.seemonterey.com/carmel-by...mel-california

When going to Big Sur Nepenthe's is a must for lunch or dinner. The food is great and the views are unbeatable. Ventana Inn and Glen Oaks are both nice properties. Be sure to check out McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
http://www.seemonterey.com/big-sur-california

I work for the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau so my job is to make sure you have a great time!

We did a similar trip this summer and loved it. We stayed at the Spindrift Inn in Monterey. Highly recommended for the view and binoculars to watch the otters! Other than the hotel and the wonderful aquarium, we weren't crazy about Monterey - but it was such a short drive to Carmel that we went to Carmel to dine, walk around and shop, then stayed at Spindrift. (Monterey seemed to be full of chain restaurants, which were heavily pushed by the Spindrift staff.) Had a wonderful dinner complete with wine pairings at Grasings.

A tip on the 17-mile drive - even if it is foggy when you start, go anyway! it is even more special when the fog clears out and you catch the views. We waited until noon to start, hoping the fog would clear, and finally started off in the fog. Ten minutes in, it was beautiful and sunny, and by the time the fog rolled back in, we were just finishing.

Make sure you fuel up (your car and yourself) before heading south after the 17 mile drive. The gas stations are few and far between - and expensive! And if you don't time it right to hit one of the above recommendations, you might feel rushed if you don't have snacks - because you won't pass much to tide you over (which is, of course, part of the charm of this drive).

If you can handle the drive past LA (not bad on a weekend), we HIGHLY recommend the beach towns just south of Carmel. Encinitas was so charming and laid back. Not sure what you are into, but personally I would skip LA and hit a small beach town. Note that by that point you would be so far south that San Diego might be a better airport (although we flew out of LA).

Have fun!

Moosey, care to clarify your last paragraph (since beach towns just south of Carmel , and Encinita, are 400 miles apart!)

sorry, beach towns just south of Carlsbad!

Also forgot to mention - we also were very pleasantly surprised by San Luis Obispo - great little college town with literally dozens of restaurants we wanted to visit within a few square blocks.