6 Days Hwy 1 Trip- Itinerary Help Please :)
Jul 12th, 2015, 09:50 PM
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6 Days Hwy 1 Trip- Itinerary Help Please :)
We are a couple 39 & 42...here is our itinerary for the end of July...
Day 1- Crescent City to Mendocino
(Avenue of the Giants or is there enough time for Founders Grove?) Trinidad Lighthouse?
Day 2- Mendocino to San Francisco
Point Arena Lighthouse. Will there be enough time for Point Reyes?
Day 3- San Francisco
Day 4- San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Most of the day in SF then Boardwalk, Natural Bridges State Beach?
Day 5- Santa Cruz to Monterey
Aquarium, Point Pinos lighthouse, Monterey state historic park? 17 mile drive?
Day 6- Monterey to San Luis Obispo
Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP, Bixby bridge, elephant seals San Simeon, Cambria- moonstone drive?
With these start & stop places can you let me know how this itinerary looks? There are SO many state parks, & beaches to choose from if anyone would like to recommend parks/beaches that are a must see that would be so helpful. The travel books make every park sound wonderful so it's hard to have discretion from one to another esp. on our tight schedule.
I love lighthouses & would like to know if I will be able to see them or more if I have missed them.
Should we skip Point Reyes?
Will McWay Waterfall still have water at the end of July?
Day 1- Crescent City to Mendocino
(Avenue of the Giants or is there enough time for Founders Grove?) Trinidad Lighthouse?
Day 2- Mendocino to San Francisco
Point Arena Lighthouse. Will there be enough time for Point Reyes?
Day 3- San Francisco
Day 4- San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Most of the day in SF then Boardwalk, Natural Bridges State Beach?
Day 5- Santa Cruz to Monterey
Aquarium, Point Pinos lighthouse, Monterey state historic park? 17 mile drive?
Day 6- Monterey to San Luis Obispo
Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP, Bixby bridge, elephant seals San Simeon, Cambria- moonstone drive?
With these start & stop places can you let me know how this itinerary looks? There are SO many state parks, & beaches to choose from if anyone would like to recommend parks/beaches that are a must see that would be so helpful. The travel books make every park sound wonderful so it's hard to have discretion from one to another esp. on our tight schedule.
I love lighthouses & would like to know if I will be able to see them or more if I have missed them.
Should we skip Point Reyes?
Will McWay Waterfall still have water at the end of July?
Jul 13th, 2015, 11:17 AM
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It is a fast-paced trip, but not bad. Definitely doable.
I would be inclined to continue onto Monterey on Day 4. It's only about 45 minutes from SC, so you could easily spend most of the afternoon in SC, even into the evening, and then drive down to Monterey. That would allow you to spend 2 nights in Monterey and slow the pace of the trip down a little bit - giving you a full day in Monterey.
In Monterey, I would probably skip 17 Mile drive unless you are golf fans and want to see Pebble Beach. Otherwise, you'll see lots of stunning coastline on your drive through Big Sur. If you enjoy walking or biking, check out the coastal recreation trail - it runs along the coast, right past the aquarium. I like to pair a visit to the aquarium with a walk along the trail to Lovers Point. Camel beach is another great place to visit in the area - one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere, and it faces west, so if its sunny and you wanted a sunset over the water, its a good spot.
For your drive through Big Sur - make sure to stop at Point Lobos, which is just south of Carmel and has a wonderful coastline. You can spend a hour or so there - longer if you had the time, but an hour will give you a good feeling for the park.
McWay Falls is spring-fed, so there is water year round - not as much as during the rains, but there will be water. It's not like Yosemite where the waterfalls are fed by snow melt.
SLO is a nice town, but it isn't on the coast, so if you are looking for a coastal town to stay in, consider Cambria, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach. SLO has a pretty active downtown and some nightlife - more than you would expect for a town that size - the university is there, which drives some of it. It's summer though, so it will probably be relatively quiet.
I would be inclined to continue onto Monterey on Day 4. It's only about 45 minutes from SC, so you could easily spend most of the afternoon in SC, even into the evening, and then drive down to Monterey. That would allow you to spend 2 nights in Monterey and slow the pace of the trip down a little bit - giving you a full day in Monterey.
In Monterey, I would probably skip 17 Mile drive unless you are golf fans and want to see Pebble Beach. Otherwise, you'll see lots of stunning coastline on your drive through Big Sur. If you enjoy walking or biking, check out the coastal recreation trail - it runs along the coast, right past the aquarium. I like to pair a visit to the aquarium with a walk along the trail to Lovers Point. Camel beach is another great place to visit in the area - one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere, and it faces west, so if its sunny and you wanted a sunset over the water, its a good spot.
For your drive through Big Sur - make sure to stop at Point Lobos, which is just south of Carmel and has a wonderful coastline. You can spend a hour or so there - longer if you had the time, but an hour will give you a good feeling for the park.
McWay Falls is spring-fed, so there is water year round - not as much as during the rains, but there will be water. It's not like Yosemite where the waterfalls are fed by snow melt.
SLO is a nice town, but it isn't on the coast, so if you are looking for a coastal town to stay in, consider Cambria, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach. SLO has a pretty active downtown and some nightlife - more than you would expect for a town that size - the university is there, which drives some of it. It's summer though, so it will probably be relatively quiet.
Jul 13th, 2015, 12:04 PM
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There is a lighthouse at Pigeon Point; it's now a HI hostel, but you can walk around and look at things. http://www.norcalhostels.org/pigeon
Lee Ann
Lee Ann
Jul 13th, 2015, 01:16 PM
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Monterey State Historic Park has a limited tour schedule http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=951 You can check if there are any during your stay. There's a self guided cell phone tour but you're limited to the exterior on the days the houses aren't open.
I'd go to Point Lobos instead of 17 Mile Drive.
There's Point Sur Lightstation which can be visited by guided tour only. The tour takes 3 hours and is offered 4 days a week http://pointsur.org/ Otherwise you can get a glimpse of it from Hwy 1.
I'd go to Point Lobos instead of 17 Mile Drive.
There's Point Sur Lightstation which can be visited by guided tour only. The tour takes 3 hours and is offered 4 days a week http://pointsur.org/ Otherwise you can get a glimpse of it from Hwy 1.
Jul 14th, 2015, 08:53 AM
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We have to spend the night "inland" because we have return home to the Seattle area in 2 days so we thought once Big Sur was finished we probably needed to at least get a little head start. Our AirBnB just cancelled so it looks like instead of SLO it will be Atescadero.
Thank you for all of the great info so far... did anyone want to weigh in on if we need to do Point Reyes or if we should skip?
Thank you for all of the great info so far... did anyone want to weigh in on if we need to do Point Reyes or if we should skip?
Jul 14th, 2015, 09:24 AM
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After Big Sur, take Hwy 46 to Paso Robles to get a head start on your trip back home. You will miss Morro Bay but you can see the rock if you pull over on Hwy 46 just when you get to the crest and before you start heading downhill.
If you absolutely don't want to miss Morro Bay, then you will take Hwy 41 to Atascadero. Absolutely nothing wrong with spending the night in Atascadero. There is a brand new SpringHill Suites that just opened and it's just off the 101. Paso Robles is about 10 minutes up the road and there are plenty of hotels there too.
There is another lighthouse you will pass on your trip down from Monterey called Piedras Blancas. You won't be able to tour it, however, because the tours are only offered in the morning. Once you pass the lighthouse, look for the Elephant Seal Rookery. A little ways further you will spot Hearst Castle way up on the hill.
If you absolutely don't want to miss Morro Bay, then you will take Hwy 41 to Atascadero. Absolutely nothing wrong with spending the night in Atascadero. There is a brand new SpringHill Suites that just opened and it's just off the 101. Paso Robles is about 10 minutes up the road and there are plenty of hotels there too.
There is another lighthouse you will pass on your trip down from Monterey called Piedras Blancas. You won't be able to tour it, however, because the tours are only offered in the morning. Once you pass the lighthouse, look for the Elephant Seal Rookery. A little ways further you will spot Hearst Castle way up on the hill.
Jul 14th, 2015, 09:55 AM
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It can be very hot inland in July but other than that I think staying in Atascadero is fine too. It's a quick drive to SLO or Paso if you want more/better dining options. I've stayed at a B&B on the west side of Atascadero and that side is very pretty and pastoral with rolling hills and oaks.
Jul 14th, 2015, 11:46 AM
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You asked for feedback on Point Reyes. It's a beautiful area, well worth a full day's exploration. You won't have much time, going from Mendocino to San Francisco in one day, but the drive down Hwy 1 has breathtaking scenery, and you can at least visit the Point Reyes Light. I recommend walking down the 300 or so steps (and back up!) to the lighthouse itself--gorgeous. Summer hours for the stairs and the visitor center are Thursday-Monday, 10-4:30. The stairs are closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
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