mvlasiuk

Hello,
Please help with my California coast road trip itinerary.
Hubby and I (early 30s) will be traveling from NY to San Francisco July 2 to July 9.
It is our anniversary on July 4th and we want to spend it in a romantic atmosphere without the holiday traffic.

This is what I have so far:

July 2nd: Arrive in San Francisco- check in, explore the city.
July 3rd: Check out and head to Napa Valley- explore the city, wineries, restaurants
July 4th: Napa Valley- continue with exploration of the valley, go to Sonoma, romantic dinner
July 5th: check out - start the coastal journey.

From here on we are a bit uncertain. We are not sure where our next sleeping accommodation would be (perhaps Carmel by the Sea). On the way down we want to see: Pebble Beach, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara. We will end our trip in LA as we will be flying back home from there. I understand that to really experience the coastline we would need longer time frame but we have to make it work. We are ok with not exploring much after Santa Barbara and just driving straight to LA. We will have to come back to explore that part of California.

Please feel free to provide us with any type of advise (what to see at each destination, where to stay, what to eat, where to stop for a quick sight/rest). This our first time in California and any input will be greatly appreciated.

janisj

You will NOT be able to drive through Big Sur from Carmel to San Simeon/Hearst Castle. You can drive south into the very northern part of Big Sur, and you can drive from Cambria up to San Simeon and the southern bits of Big Sur. But you cannot drive through.

So it looks like you have July 5 - 8 for the journey south

I'd probably skip Hearst Castle. Stay the 5th-6th in Carmel (it may be hard to find a place that will allow a one nighter that week)

Then take 101 and head down to Santa Barbara for the 7th-8th.

BarbAnn

What janisj means is that the Pfeifter Canyon Bridge that connects the northern part of Big Sur area to the southern part washed out during a recent storm. Reports indicate that it will take a long time (like over one year) for the replacement of the bridge.

jamie99

Yes, a big portion of Highway 1 through Big Sur is closed due to bridge failure, you can check for updates on the website for Caltrans. You should be able to get as far south as a stop at Bixby Bridge for a photo op by the time of your trip.
If you drop a day or two in Napa and Sonoma and visit some wineries in Paso Robles near Cambria and the Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara you will have more time for the coast.

janisj

I agree w/ jamie -- I'd cut back on Napa/Sonoma and add to the mid coast

Patty

You can currently drive 26 miles south from Carmel on Hwy 1 before having to turn around and backtrack north to take the inland route to Cambria (68 east to 101 south to 46 west). From Cambria you can drive north on Hwy 1. Currently it's closed at Ragged Point on this southern end but by July hopefully you can drive as far north as the bridge. Similar to the northern end you'll need to backtrack south to Cambria to continue your journey. All of this backtracking will take extra time if you want to see as much of the Big Sur coastline as possible.

Jean

The July 4th holiday period is extremely popular in many areas of California, and the 4th falling on a Tuesday means more people will take days off work. I hope you have SF/Napa/Sonoma hotels already booked and the romantic dinner already reserved.

You need to jump on reservations for the other nights immediately. Although this summer could be a little different because of the closure on Hwy. 1, you may find many/most places along the coast require a 2-night minimum stay between Thursday and Sunday.

nkm1

I am a Central Coast native. The wineries in Paso Robles are fabulous. I would recommend Graveyard Winery, Tablas Creek, and Tobin James (ask for the reserve menu). San Luis Obispo is also a great town to stay in with good shopping, restaurants, and nightlife if you are into that. I would also recommend a stop in Solvang between SLO and Santa Barbara. It's a Danish town with a windmill and lots of pubs with sausage and local wines.