cangel

We are planning a trip to California in late June, 2005, part of which will involve a coastal drive from LA to San Francisco. Any thoughts on where to stay along the way, sights to see and places to eat? We would appreciate any help whatsoever.

janis

OK - could write TONS to answer your questions - but there are 100's of threads on here w/ just the info you are seeking. do a brief search and you'll find all (and more than) you need.

And before we can give you really useful info we'll need to know how many days you plan for the drive, and what sorts of things you enjoy.

Just one thing tho' - June is the foggiest month (June gloom is one name for it) along much of the coast and it can be downright cold.

Sara

We did this drive last summer in three days, which was really not enough time - it just whet our appetites to go back and spend more time. Are you renting a car, or driving your own? If you are renting, I strongly recommend getting a convertible, which is what we did. It costs a little more, but it is definitely worth it - you can see all of that spectacular scenery so much better! In the short amount of time we had, the only attractions we stopped at, other than frequent stops to gawk at the scenery and to do some hiking, were Hearst Castle and the Monterrey Aquarium, both of which I highly recommend. We also enjoyed wandering around Carmel. As for where to stay, that would depend on how many days you're taking and how much distance you want to cover each day. There was so much more we wanted to do but didn't have time for, we can't wait to go back and see more!

cangel

Thanks janis and Sara for the feedback. I'll bet that there's tons to recommend about this particular journey. Like Sara, however, we only have three days in which to make the trip, and will definitely rent a convertible. Would you both suggest one night halfway, or so, Monterrey or San Simeon, and two nights in San Francisco, or one in San Fran and two along the Coast? April or June weather? And restaurant recommendations?

StuDudley

>>> Would you both suggest one night halfway, or so, Monterrey or San Simeon, and two nights in San Francisco, or one in San Fran and two along the Coast? April or June weather? And restaurant recommendations?<<

Why so little time in San Francisco? For 1 night, I would not even bother.

1 night at San Simeon, 2 nights in the Carmel area. Lunch at Nepenthe in Big Sur on the way from San Simeon to Carmel.

Where are you going after this trip. Are you flying home from SF ???

April may get rain, June may get fog.

Stu Dudley
San Mateo (San Francisco), Ca.

Melissa5

I'd recommend you take your time because it's a beautiful coast. Spend a night in Santa Barbara, then several nights in some of these great places: Cambria, Monterey, San Francisco.

kimamom

The Harbor View Inn in SB, is very nice. We recently spent two nights there on our anniversary trip. www.harborviewinnsb.com Right across the street from the beach and Stearn's Wharf.

In SB, we enjoyed the Wine Cask and Olie e Limone for nice dinners. The SB Shellfish Co. was great for a casual dinner and lunch.

In Monterey, try to stay at the Plaza. It's a gorgeous property, right in Cannery Row. The Highland's Inn in Carmel is also a favorite of ours. We recently stayed at the Tickle Pink Inn and it was gorgeous, right next door to the Highland's. You do have to drive a bit to go into Carmel, but it's a very scenic, short drive.

In Pebble Beach, check out Roy's for dinner. Excellent food, service and gorgeous setting. In Cambria, my favorite is the Sow's Ear Cafe. Go for the salmon in parchment paper or the country fried steak, both excellent. Enjoy your trip!!! ***kim***

TravelDiva

Hi there,

My boyfriend and I just did that roadtrip in reverse in Nov. from SF to San Diego. We didn't get to spend a lot of time unfortunately because we had to make it to a family Thanksgiving celebration, but some great stop include:

Santa Barbara - North of LA, beautiful coastal town, we had a great casual dinner of in season local lobster tacos and bisque at this tiny shack at the very end of the pier.

Big Sur - You'll definitely be stopping several times to take in the breathtaking scenery, lots of photo ops. Try to make sure it's light out when you're driving through. A great restaurant for lunch is Nepenthe, which is high up a mountain. Their outdoor deck has a spectacular view of the ocean and surrounding forests. (And great drinks too.)

I would personally skip Montery in favor of it's smaller more quaint neighbor, Carmel, which has a great little town area lined with cute boutiques and cafes. It's also right next to Pebble Beach, which someone mentioned, you have to do the famous drive. We did this a couple years ago during winter (Jan.) and it was still lovely.

Tons to do in San Francisco, so I'll skip that for the moment to recommend that you shouldn't stop there. The areas north of SF, wine country, Mendocino, are absolutely gorgeous with tons to do, whether you're a wine aficionado or not. If you're interested in any suggestions for SF, Napa or Sonoma, let me know.

kimamom

The famous drive is called 17 Mile Drive, cangel. It's very nice, there is a gate charge at the entrance, but if you dine at Roy's, they will reimburse you there!

If you do go to Big Sur, check out Sierra Mar @ the Post Ranch Inn. We dined there in Sept. for a birthday celebration and it was amazing! ***kim***