I am 22 year old female flying into LA on Tuesday with my sister (28) and mother. This is NOT our first trip to California but is our first trip to the central coast. We are looking for any suggestions about how to approve our itinerary. We know it is kinda crammed but we are WELL seasoned travelers and feel we can still see what we want. I also want to know what kinda of clothes to bring (based both on weather and fashion). 2 pair of jeans, capris, and some skirts ok- or will it be too hot/cold for those?

Day 1- drive from LAX to Santa Barbara (eat lunch at Cha Cha Chicken in Santa Monica- my favorite lunch joint). Nice dinner in and around Santa Barbara. Little shops etc.

Day 2- Go to the Santa Barbara mission. then drive from Santa Barbara to a little tiny town north of Morro Bay (via San Luis Obispo maybe? we don't really have a lot of planned stops on this day)Suggestions?

Day 3- Drive up to Monterey (via Big Sur/Carmel). Do all the touristy things along the way (the seals, the waterfalls, etc). If we get there in time we hope to taste wines in Monterey at Taste of Monterey but they close at 6 and we aren't gonna "rush" up the coast. Staying IN downtown Monterey.


Day 4- We might go Kayaking in Monterey bay in the morning. Then head through Santa Cruz or Salinas ultimately ending up in Santa Clara by dinner (near San Jose).

Day 5- San Jose- My sister has a conference all day- so my mom and I are free to do as we please around San Jose.

Day 6- drive back inland toward San Luis Obispo (we thought we would hit wineries near something Robles? (but it will be Sunday will they be open)

Day 7- Drive back to LA
Day 8- go around LA and go home

We hope to get to LA by midday day 7. We HAVE already done the LA touristy things. My sister and I are moving out west in Dec (she is going to grad school at USC) so we will be looking at areas to lives and at Dominquez Hills/Northridge teaching program for me. Generally, trying to get a non-touristy feel for LA.

Well that's what we have- it is kinda skeleton like right now- we don't have STOPS on most our days planned out and are open for suggestions. Any cool places to go out at night on Friday/Sat night in Santa Clara? Has anyone been to Dolce in LA (restraunt)? Any ideas appreciated

Layers are important here because temperatures can be warm or chilly along the coast depending on the fog, winds, and so on. Right now there is a heat wave and temperatures are into the 80s on the central coast, higher inland and in the south.

Jeans and capris are fine for all but the fanciest restaurants and there are some clubs that don't allow jeans. Make sure to bring short and long-sleeved tops and a light jacket. It tends to get cooler in the evennings, so plan on long pants when going out at night.

Santa Clara isn't known for it's nightlife. While a fantastic university supports several watering holes, your first choice as a local wouldn't be Santa Clara.

Try V Bar at Hotel Valencia in Santana Row, San Jose.

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Paso Robles. There are plenty of fine vineyards along the Central Coast. You're probably thinking of the movie "Sideways".

Which "small town" north of Morro Bay were you thinking of staying in? Morrow Bay itself is not bad. There's a whole bunch of beach towns: Shell, Avila, Pismo.

Monterey, suggest that you look into the B&Bs in Pacific Grove as offering a better experience of the area.

As TripleSec has indicated, San Jose/Santa Clara aren't exactly places where people go for nightlife. Santana Row is an excellent suggestion.

For your entire day in this area, try driving up to Palo Alto and visiting Stanford University. The Cantor Museum on campus has the second largest Rodin collection in the world.

Downtown Santa Clara has the Triton Museum which is little visited. A pity, it has some good American Indian artifacts.

There's also the Egyptian Museum in San Jose, if you like mummies and things like that.

Probably worth your while is the Tech Museum in downtown San Jose. Skip the Museum of Modern Art in downtown San Jose.

Several of the local downtowns are worth a stroll, but only if you find yourself in the area: Saratoga, Los Gatos, Mountain View.

Otherwise, this is an area of one campus-like setting for companies after another, and bedroom communities.

We've been having a bit of a heat wave; bring some VERY lightweight clothes. You'll also probably need a sweater, though, for your time on the coast. San Luis Obispo has a very nice downtown. I'd drive through Santa Cruz instead of Salinas, unless you're in a hurry and/or tired of Hwy 1. Paso Robles has great wineries, all of which will be open on Sunday.