MichelleY

Kal

wekewoody

is more like it.

Kal

OOOOOO

janisj

trouble makers

lynni

I would also then grab the 1 south of Ventura and stay on it until you reach your destination! Very different coastline from the 1 near Big Sur ... Much more the iconic "Southern California PCH." Malibu Seafood has great, casual food and quick service!

bear900

Art Fern: How do you get there? Let me tell you friends, how do you get there! You take the San Diego Freeway to the Ventura Freeway. You drive to the Slauson Cutoff, get out of your car, cut off your Slauson, get back in your car, then you drive six miles till you see the Giant Neon Vice-Squad Cop.

Now back to our feature film! Woody Harrelson, Woody Allen, Woody Woodpecker, Woody Herman, Herman Munster, and Dumpo the Wonder Pigeon, in "Heidi Suffers an Estrogen Avalanche."

StuDudley

>> I'd really like to pass through some of the coastal cities like Santa Monica

Kal

You drive to the Slauson Cutoff, get out of your car, cut off your Slauson
That line STILL cracks me up.

BTW...we did Mrs Kal's "Calif Coast Cruise" 2 years ago for her b'day in May and worked our way down from SF to Santa Barb staying on Hwy 1 as much as possible.

AWE......wait for it......... SOMMMMME.

But we weren't under any time constraints. Those were used later in the hotel rooms.

bear900

twine restraints used in the hotel room...

...mind wandering off...

WHAT was this about?!

Tomsd

No matter - as if the OP does head over to the Cal Coast from there - it will be a loooong day getting back to I-5 and then down to SF.

Jean

There is a Klamath, CA. It was one of the places where my aunt and uncle lived after my uncle retired. They started in Arcata and kept moving north, first to Klamath and finally to Crescent City. My dad used to joke with his brother, "Next stop: Pelican Bay Prison!"

My question to the OP is "Why Klamath?" Are you staying at the Requa?

janisj

>> . . . it will be a loooong day getting back to I-5 and then down to SF.is the fixation w/ I-5? From Klamath, I-5 makes absolutely no sense and is irrelevant. Klamath > SF is pretty much a straight shot down 101.

The only places the OP might need to hit I-5 would be in SoCal -- and even that might not be necessary.

bear900

Last census in Klamath was one head short -

http://www.triplicate.com/News/Local...loses-his-head

I think Paul Bunyan had an axe to grind..

Surfergirl

From San Francisco, there's a bunch of different ways to get from the 101 to Highway 1 before Monterey.

The longest route would be taking the 101 to the 85 to the 17 to the 1, which takes you through the Santa Cruz mountains and dumps you on the 1 at Santa Cruz. Beautiful scenery if you have the time.

Then there's the 101 to the 152 (just before Gilroy) that gets you to the 1 at Watsonville. Going that route, you get to see the artichoke fields and the estuaries along Highway 1.

The fastest is the 101 to the 156 to the 1 by Castroville.

Then just shoot down the 1 all the way to SLO. The famous bridges on route between Carmel and Big Sur are scary beautiful. Take your time, take it slow, and pull off from time to time at the turn-outs for photo ops.

Also agree to stop at Nepenthe. It's a yearly ritual for us. It's at the southerly end of Big Sur around one of the last windy corners.

Surfergirl

Nice sounding hotel in the area of Redwood National & State Park.

http://www.requainn.com/

Danboli

Dear traveler.
Your best approach will be knowing the parts of California's coastline less rewarding and avoid them, saving you much time as well. My recommendation is: Drive directly from San Francisco to Monterey on Rt.101, with transfer to Rt.1 (120 miles); In Monterey, pick up the famous '17 Mile Drive' around the Monterey peninsular. It will end in Carmel - your second destination. This is the best of California's coast!
After your visits you should then backtrack North on Rt.1 towards Salinas to pick up Rt.101 South. By doing this you will avoid the slow, winding, arduous, long drive south on the coastal route 1.
Taking Rt.101 South towards Los Angeles
also offers more benefits: It's faster and rewards you with towns you'll not want to miss along the way: Paso Robles; San Luis Obispo; Pismo Beach; Santa Barbara. After Santa Barbara you are in range of Santa Monica and Los Angeles... (90 to 100 miles). In California, time and distance always need pre-planning to make your journey pleasant and manageable as possible. This travel outline will provide you with the best California driving experience you can expect 'on the route you wish to take.
Dan.

Danboli

Dear Traveler.

If you have the time, you would best plan a two-night stop-over in the Monterey-Carmel area to get all you can from these wonderful places... especially Carmel.
The other towns mentioned enroot South, are good stops for a few hours each to rest and explore, but you should be sure to stay overnight at least one night in Santa Barbara 'perhaps California's most beautiful coastal city.
Dan.

wekewoody

Do not miss driving 1 south from Carmel though Big Sur and then south! The above suggested route would bypass that area, and that would a shame and a mistake.

janisj

wekewoody: >>The above suggested route would bypass that area,