California Coast Attractions
 

Have questions for those who are familiar with California and the coastline. We will Fly into SFO, drive down to LA and then onto San Diego all along the Coast spending a few days in each city. Thinking of doing this in about 12-14days. I have been to most of these locations except for LA. Any suggestions or advice on the following:<BR><BR>1. Thinking of doing a day trip from SFO to Napa/Sonoma. Not a huge wine drinker but would like to see Petrified Forest and Old Faithful, have lunch at Oakville Grocery. Anyone know appx how long it would take for me to get to Napa, I recall about an hour or so from SFO? Are those worth it?<BR><BR>2. Is the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose worth visiting if we are also going to see the Hearst Castle? How far is Winchester House from San Fran?<BR><BR>3. From San Fran I want to drive along the coast, stopping in San Simeon to see Hearst Castle. Thinking that we will have to stay the night in order to take the tours. Where would you suggest staying that is somewhat close (within an hour or so) that is also somewhat nice? <BR><BR>The rest of the trip I somewhat have planned in my head.

From SF to Napa it is about a 1-1.5 hr drive depending on the traffic. A day trip to the Wine Country is well worth it. You also may want to check out Sonoma. It is a little less commercial than Napa and tends to have smaller crowds, although they are both nice to visit.<BR><BR>The Winchester Mystery House is definitely worth a vist. It is a bizarre Victorian Mansion, totally different from Hearst Castle. Plan on about a 1.5 hr drive from SF. The 280 freeway is typically faster than the 101. <BR><BR>When visiting Hearst Castle, most people stay in Cambria which is about 10 miles south of San Simeon.

The Winchester House is bizarre, weird, and claustrophobic. It was enjoyable for the first 5 minutes, and after that I had enough. The remaining hour of the tour seemed endless. Others may find it delightful, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

plan on stopping in laguna beach on your drive from l.a. to san diego. it is a very nice town. great pizza at bj's.

I agree with the previous poster's recomendation of Sonoma as well as Napa. The Winchester House is very interesting. I liked Victorian architecture and the history behind the mansion. There is also a nice tour of the Victorian Gardens.

SF to Napa depends on traffic; probably allow more like 1 1/2 hours. You might think of doing Muir Woods/ Point Reyes instead or in addition.<BR><BR>Winchester house is quite different from HC, more like a bizarre giant farmhouse. It's pretty well down at the bottom of the list of places we would take visitors (If we picked 100 places in the bay area, it would probably be around 95th). More fun would be things like watching the hang gliders at Ft Funston, Big Basin st pk, a concert at Mt Winerey, sailing on the bay, Filoli House and Gardens, Tech museum in San Jose, ....<BR><BR>There are a number of motels in San Simeon area, as well as Cambria; you can do a text search on this site for reviews. Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo are a bit farther, but also work as places to stay. Farmers market night in SLO (thursdays 5pm) is fun. I wouldn't do multiple Hearst tours in one visit, but that's just me.

I like the idea of either Muir Woods or Big Basin. I have been to both, and the redwoods in Big Basin seem a bit more impressive to me. <BR><BR>Whenever I have guests from out of town I always end up taking them to the Winchester House and everyone that I have taken there really enjoys it. It would not be the type of place to go over and over again, but if you have not seen it, I would put it on your must see list. As previously mentioned, The Tech Museum is also quite nice. If you technology is not too much of an interest, there is also a large IMAX theater.<BR><BR>Cambria has a number of nice places to stay at. I would avoid the Best Western. I stayed there once about 10 yrs. ago. The rooms back then were $75 per night and filthy. The sheets and pillowcases had brown stains and the carpets looked even worse. Maybe they have changed management since then, but I never was too curious to find out.

Have stayed in a very nice hotel in Cambria called Fog Catcher Inn. The rooms have fireplaces and it is right across the street from the beach. <BR><BR>I would also definitely drive the coast through Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur.

Thanks for the replies, has eased my mind about some things. I want to fit as much as I fesibly can into this trip (some will suggest otherwise), I am the type that likes to see as much as I can. I have started to put together a rough draft of an iteniary, the days not necesarily being in order but cities are. What do you think about the following:<BR> <BR>SAN FRAN <BR>Day 1 SFO(first full day): Fisherman's Warf, Pier 39 &amp; Alcatraz<BR>Day 2: Exploratorium Museum, Golden Gate Park &amp; Bridge, Cliff House, Lombard Street<BR>Day 3: Winchester House,Cable Cars, Chinatown<BR>Day 4: Wine Country, Old Faithful, Petrified Forest, Muir Woods, Lunch at Oakville Grocery <BR><BR>SAN SIMEON<BR>Day 1: Drive SFO-San Simeon, visit Hearst Castle,probably spend the night nearby(or do you think it is fesible to drive onto LA?)<BR><BR>LOS ANGELES <BR>Day 1: Queen Mary Ship in Long Beach, Santa Monica Canals?<BR>Day 2: Disneyland<BR>Day 3: Hollywood, Walk of Fame, Chinese Man Theater, Griffith Observatory, Sunset Blvd<BR>Day 4: Universal Studios<BR><BR>SAN DIEGO<BR>Day 1: Sea World, Mission Bay Beach<BR>Day 2: San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park <BR>Day 3: Coronado Island, Old Town, Seaport Village<BR>Day 4:Recover <BR><BR>Any other suggestions, comments or advice? I have the hardest time knowing how to plan with LA since I have not been there. With San Fran, some of the sights I want to hit are easy ones to see that don't require a lot of time. Also not sure about how to make the drive from SF to LA and have enough time to stop and tour Hearst without overnighting nearby?Thanks for everyone's help! <BR><BR>

Might I suggest that when you visit the Queen Mary, you could take the boat over to Catalina for a couple of hours or so? I found it to be my favorite thing in the LA area. I also really was suprise how much I enjoyed the NBC studio tour in Burbank. Venice Beach is a funky beach, very LA, and is also enjoyable.

I'd have to put in a plug for Santa Barbara--between Hearst Castle and LA. We found it a delightful surprise on our LA-SF jaunt a couple of years ago.

In San Francisco the Wok Wiz tour of Chinatown was very good and included Dim Sum at a local restaurant. They have a web site.

My recommendation is do less in one or two cities (come back some time in the future) to free up two nights. Spend one of those nights in Monterey/Carmel. It is beautiful there and the aquarium is not to be missed. Would urge you to spend the second night in Santa Barbara. The drive down the coast is to be savored, not rushed through. I fear your itinerary, as you describe it, is somewhat overly full. (And I'm one who also likes to do, do, do when traveling.)

The Griffith Park Observatory and grounds will be closed until 2005 for renovation.<BR>www.griffithobs.org

You are missing one of the most beautiful areas...the Monterey Peninsula. One day 3 you want to do:Winchester House,Cable Cars, Chinatown. Winchester Mystery House is way out of your way, about 1-2 hours depwnding on traffic.<BR>I would suggest: 3 nights in San Francisco, 2 nights in Carmel, 1 night in Santa Barbara (drive from Carmel along the coast, tour Hearst Castle and continue on to Santa Barbara),4 nights in LA, and 2 nights in San Diego.

We just left Cambria. My wife took me there for my birthday. We stayed at the Blue Whale Inn. The accomodations were outstanding. I would highly recommend it.

Winchester House is NOT in SF and if you are not going to stop in the San Jose area on your way down the coast you should just skip it. The Wincester House is not worth a two hour side trip from SF (at least one hour each way).

I do not think Winchester Mystery house is worth a stop - even when I lived near San Jose (I now live in Sonoma County) it never occurred to me to take visitors there (I did go once myself - it was OK, but basically just a Victorian house that was built by a crazy heir to the Winchester fortune - just picture a Victorian house built by a bad architect. I agree with m367 - I was bored long before the tour was over. I didn't consider it worth my time even living nearby; I sure as heck wouldn't spend any precious time seeing it coming from - well, wherever you're coming from - the opportunity cost is too high - meaning, as Curmudgeon observed, other things you could be doing could be so much better.) But of course some people like it I guess. It does not make sense really to drive back and forth from SF to San Jose on day 3. If you want to see it, stop by once you leave SF on your way headed south.<BR><BR>I agree with the people suggesting a stop in Monterey/Carmel, although I think one night would suffice depending on your other stops. The Monterey Aquarium is really worth a visit I think - beautiful jellyfish and creatures so ethereal you can't believe it (and, not to &quot;drop names&quot; so to speak, but just as a comparison, I've been snorkeling in Fiji, seen huge schools of jellyfish in the wild in New Zealand, and been privileged to see many beautiful sea creatures in various other parts of the world, but the Monterey Aquarium has some of the most beautiful sea life I've ever seen, as well as a gorgeous setting on Monterey Bay where you can watch wild otters, etc. And despite what it may sound like, I'm not especially an ocean buff, so I think most anyone would find it interesting. The only problem is that approx. 17 gazillion people seem to agree and it is sometimes so crowded that it takes away from the experience.)<BR><BR>Anyway, I wish you the best on your trip whatever sights you decide to take in.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Despite what some people say about the Winchester Mystery House, I feel that it is worth a sidetrip from SF. I have been there a couple of times. The Victorian architecture and gardens are very interesting. The drive to SJ should not be that bad if you leave SF after 9 AM and take the 280 freeway, which is faster than the 101. The Winchester House is right off the 280. There is a really nice shopping area right down the street from the Winchester House called Santana Row that also is worth a visit if you are in the area. It is like taking a walk through a city in Italy or France with sidewalk cafes, fountains, shops, and cobblestone streets. <BR><BR>I aslo agree with those who recommend stopping in the Monterey as well. Lots of great scenery along the coast from Monterey south to Big Sur.

The itinerery is very full. If you are going to go to the Winchester house, I would suggest it as a stop on your way out of SF to points south. Even without stopping in San Jose for the tour, I think driving from SF to the Cambria area and seeing Hearst Castle in the same day is too much. If you take HWY 101 from SFO to SLO, and then HWY to San Simeon, I think it is at least a 6 hour drive. And you will miss some of the most incredible coastline in the world on HWY 1 south of Monterey. I agree with the others that you should plan a night in Monterey and then continue to San Simeon the next day.<BR>

Lots to see between SFO and Hearst, plan on it taking all day, then see Hearst in the a.m. Don't miss Point Lobos just south of Carmel. <BR><BR>A trip to L.A. without a visit to the Getty? No way! <BR>www.getty.edu

I agree about Day 3 being impractical as far as squeezing in Winchester Mystery House with San Francisco sights. It's more than an hour's drive to San Jose from downtown SF, more likely two hours with the traffic. I'd skip Winchester because it's out of the way.<BR><BR>However, I also agree that Carmel/Monterey deserves a stop on the way to Hearst.<BR><BR>In the wine country, I don't know if you can have lunch at the Oakville Grocery. You can buy food there to take for a picnic lunch, but unless I'm mistaken, I don't think it's a restaurant.

I definitely would not skip the Winchester house. It is a very interesting mansion to tour. I think some people here are overestimatimng the amount of time to get to San Jose. As long as you go to SJ during the non- commute times, it should not take more than slightly over an hour.<BR><BR>Do make time to spend a couple of days in Monterey and Carmel. The scenery is wonderful.

Thanks for the replies, I have altered the course a little (and none of this is set in stone, I realize I may not be able to do it all). This one includes dates.I have extended it to 14-15days.(sorry for the lengthy entry) <BR><BR>SAT 8/23-Fly into SFO, pick up car, check into hotel, relax<BR>Day 1:Fisherman's Warf,Alcatraz,Pier 39<BR>Day 2:Exploratorium Museum,Golden Gate Park &amp; Bridge,Cluff House,Lombard Street<BR>Day 3:Wine Country,Old Faithful, Petrified Forest,Muir Woods <BR>Day4:Check out of hotel, head to Monterey to see Aquarium,continue onto Cambria, stay the night<BR>Day 5:Tour Hearst Castle, Head onto LA<BR>Day 6:Universal Studios/NBC Studio Tour?<BR>Day 7:Disneyland<BR>Day8:Long Beach to have brunch on Queen Mary,possibly take ferry to catalina island,venice beach <BR>Day 9:Hollywood,Walk of fame,Chinese Mann Theater <BR>Day 10:Check out of hotel,head onto San Diego<BR>Day 11:Sea World, Mission Bay Beach <BR>Day 12: SD Zoo,Balboa Park<BR>Day 13:Coronado Island, Old Town, Seaport Village<BR>Day 14:Head home in afternoon

In Los Angeles:<BR><BR>I would consider staying on westside of town (Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills for days 6 - 8 then staying at the Disneyland hotel the night after your Disneyland day. maybe you could stay at Disneyland the night before and after Disneyland day. This would cut down on driving. Also:<BR><BR>Day 6: Santa Monica, Venice Beach in am, Getty or NBC Tour in afternoon.<BR><BR>Day 7: Universal Studios during day.<BR>Hollywood,Walk of fame,Chinese Mann Theater in evening. Have dinner at Musso and Franks in Hollywood.<BR><BR>Day 8: &quot;Long Beach to have brunch on Queen Mary, possibly take ferry to Catalina Island.&quot; <BR><BR>Might also consider Pasadena - Norton Simon, Huntington Gardens.<BR><BR>Or, as previous poster suggested, cut this day out and spend it before Los Angeles in Santa Barbara - this is what i wouls do. Much more rewarding than Long Beach. <BR><BR>Day 9: Disneyland.<BR><BR>Just some suggestions. have a great trip.<BR> <BR>

Urrghhhh - sorry for typos.

One suggestion, take the NBC tour and put it with day 9. Universal studios will take more time and be much more tiring than the Hollywood stuff. Also as you do Mann's and the Walk of Fame check out the Roosevelt Hotel. It's a historic hotel with a lot of Hollywood history and if I remember right just a short walk from Mann's.

I would add a day for an overnighter in Carmel or in Santa Barbara. That would put you into L.A. on a Sat and Sun which is great for the traffic. <BR><BR>You can do Universal in the same day as Hollywood/Chinese etc, even can fit NBC in that morning as it is only a 90 min. tour. From Universal the speedy clean subway runs directly to Hollywood Walk of Fame and back.

A night in Carmel would be nice, followed by the drive down to San Simeon, see Hearst and spend some of the day but not worth an overnighter. I'd say drive down to Santa Barbara around sunset (beautiful drive) and spend the night there, then you're only 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

Take the 17 mile drive in Monterey and also on day 10 you will not need all day to check out of the hotel and get to SD to check in. <BR><BR>My husband and I do this all the time for his work and we're all set up no later than noon.<BR><BR>So depending on how you feel, you may want to break off a little chunk of another day in SD that day 10 afternoon.

You guys are awesome, this is really helping me out! <BR><BR>I have now changed it to the following after hearing more suggestions (and after finding out when one of my hotel choices was available): <BR><BR>Fri Night- Fly into SFO <BR>Days 1,2,3 - Spend around SFO <BR>Day 4 - Drive to Monterey/Carmel, See Aquarium and spend the night<BR>Day 5 - Drive to Hearst Castle, then head onto Santa Barbara and spend the night there<BR>Day 6 - Drive from Santa Barbara to LA<BR>Days 7,8,9,10 spend around LA/neighboring cities<BR>Day 11 - Drive from LA to San Diego <BR>Days 12,13,14,15 Spend in San Diego<BR>Day 16 - Head Home! <BR><BR>Long trip but I think it will be fun! Your comments have been really helpful, pretty flexible with days but wanted to end in San Diego and I think this will work!

Tip: Get the the aquarium in Monterey the minute it opens, or better yet, get there early to be first in line. It was VERY crowded when we went and it was a weekday. I wish we had gotten there earlier so we could see better. The crowds made it difficult to enjoy it. That being said, you should NOT miss it, very wonderful place! I also highly recommend the Pacific Terrace hotel in San Diego, great location on the beach, UNLESS you are willing to spend the money on the Coranado! You are going to have a GREAT trip, love the itinerary! Link to Pacific Terrace: <BR>http://www.pacificterrace.com/

I have picked all my hotels for the trip (REALLY EXCITED!!!) <BR><BR>San Francisco - Marriott Fisherman's Wharf(mostly for location and good rate) <BR><BR>Monterey - Spindrift Inn (Heard good comments, not a bad rate) <BR><BR>Santa Barbara - Simpson House Carriage ROOM!!!! (IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE ALREADY!) <BR><BR>Santa Monica - JW Marriott Le Mergiot (fairly good rate, good location in relation to other LA attractions) <BR><BR>San Diego - Marriott Downtown Marina (Love the location,nice pool, rate could be better but worth it) <BR><BR>Thanks for all the Replies!!! Will have tons of photos and a trip report when I come back!!!

Just got back from SF. Would definitely suggest giving up some of your time at Fisherman's Wharf for the WokWiz tour of Chinatown. My wife and I were tired of the wharf after about 2 hours!

jw, that is funny you say that because I made a reservation to do to 4 hour &quot;I can't believe I ate my way through chinatown&quot; tour! LOVE chinese food so I am definitly looking forward to it! Thanks for the info!

Would suggest skipping Old Faithful and the Petrified Forest. My wife and I had those on our must do list when we travelled to Napa last year. The 10-year old science geek in both of us (My wife is mid 30s, I am mid-40s). We were very disappointed.<BR><BR>Learned there are several Old Faithful geysers in the United States. This one was pretty lame. Kind of like getting excited for Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza and finding out the show consists of a pack of Black Cats and some sparklers.<BR><BR>As for the Petrified Forest, it looks like the State of California hasn't done anything with the park since the 1950s. You sort of amble a long and look at some old ossified trees and comments about prospectors.<BR><BR>Personally, I would eat at Greystone instead of Oakville Grocery.<BR><BR>The 10-year old geek in us loved the Exploratorium.<BR><BR>Now, Heast Castle was cool. Definitely worth the trip. It's probably not the most aesthetically pleasing mansion architecturally, but it is an amazing place to see. The views are outstanding, and the collection of stuff is overwhelming.<BR><BR>Good idea to stop in Santa Barbara, but that is still going to be a long trip. Drive from Monterrey the castle is 3 hours. Tour is two hours. Be sure to get reservations. Drive from San Simeon to Santa Barbara has to be at least 4 hours. Don't remember because we ambled from Santa Barbara to Cambria, which is now my favorite California coastal town.<BR><BR>Enjoy.

I was thinking that the petrified forest wasnt sounding all that interesting. I would maybe still see the geyser(I've never seen one at all) and I think the Muir Woods are on the list for that day to see some tall trees. I had been to napa about 6 years ago and we stopped at a place that had tons of cheese/wine and it had really pretty grounds. I was trying to remember the name of it, looked in the Frommer's 2003 book for California and it was in there (V. Sattui Winery). I think we will stop there for a picnic lunch instead of going to the Oakville grocery. Looking forward to the Exploratorium! <BR><BR>We are going to get up around 7am on our last night in SF, eat breakfast and then drive to Monterey (which I figure will take about 2 hours). Check in to our hotel and go visit the aquarium for the afternoon. Spend the night in Monterey and get up around the same time the next day to eat breakfast, check out and then drive to Hearst Castle(about another 2 hour drive). I figure to leave Hearst by 3PM and drive onto Santa Barbara where we stay one night at the Simpson House. Kind of tight for those two days but I had people insiting to stay in Monterey and Santa Barbara and I think it will be fun!