Flying into SBA and home from SFO. Final night will be very near SFO because the flight is early enough plus have to drop the rental car.

How does this allotment look to you, what would you move?

General idea is to make sure I see Redwood trees at least once during the trip, and multiple groves if possible.

Night 1 Santa Barbara - arrival at 2 PM, which means I'd only have late afternoon and next morning in Santa Barbara if I move on after one night.
Night 2 Pismo Beach (I was told this is a cute town, is it worth a stay over or should I stay one extra night in Santa Barbara and merely visit on my way)
Night 3 Big Sur (this is a must do - my last visit it was totally gloomed over)
Night 4 Big Sur (also has Redwood trees nearby)
Night 5 Pacific Grove
Night 6 Pacific Grove (I've already been here but it's been 15 years, should I make this one night and move one night to another town? If so, which town?)
Night 7 Santa Cruz - Redwood groves nearby
Night 8 ??Napa?? I've been here before too, I enjoyed it but not an utter must. If I ditch Napa entirely, where would you choose instead - no farther north than Sonoma, though.
Night 9 ??Napa?? Just stay in San Francisco this weekend - ditch Napa entirely?
Night 10 near SFO airport - I'd have all day with no time limit to get to the hotel - flight the next morning.

Thanks!

When would this take place?

Yes -- when is important.

Before the end of June - i.e. soon.

Might be challenging to find accommodation’s, especially in Big Sur as limited accommodations to begin with and not only are some exorbitantly expensive, it is wedding season.

I thought that might be the case. I can at least do a little sightseeing and keep going. Thanks.

How far north of Big Sur would I need to go, to find even one night's lodging? That area seems like it's a lot of private property or perhaps state property?

I wouldn't backtrack but it would be a way point before Pacific Grove (for example, even PG isn't a certainty until I sort this out).

Can’t say for sure but I would think Monterey.

Do some lodging searches for your dates. You may encounter 2-night minimum stays in some places depending on the day(s) of the week you're there. Also, depending on your preferences, you may be stunned at the rates offered on late bookings.

North of Big Sur, you'd reach Carmel Highlands first (about 40 minutes). There are a couple of hotels in CH. It's another 30-35 minutes to Pacific Grove.

I'd skip Napa on this trip, but that's me. If you stayed in Cambria rather than Pismo, you could tour some wineries in the Templeton/Paso Robles area, about 45 minutes east of Cambria.

As ohers are suggested, since it is June already, I'd back up with planning and see where you can get reservations. I agree, skip Napa and put your time on the coastal trip. Thumbs up to both Santa Barbara and for sure Santa Cruz just in a general way.

Since it seems your dates and flights are set (?) I'd just dive in researching more but starting with where you can find places to stay, rather than what you want to see. All of the California coast is amazing.

Yes - at this late date I'd work backwards -- find lodging first and then decide how long. Places to look: Carmel, Carmel Highlands, Pacific Grove, Monterey -- all would be convenient for Big Sur / Point Lobos (another must) etc. What with Big Sur, Pt Lobos, the Mission, Monterey Aquarium, vineyards, Carmel etc etc I'd want 3 nights in wherever you end up staying.


Do be aware of June Gloom -- it may be foggy/cool, cold even, along the coast. It usually burns off by early/mid afternoon. (June isn't 'summer' on the coast -- that happens in September/early October)

Thank you everyone - will do on lodging.

I've stayed in Pacific Grove before and visited Point Lobos, Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel. Lovely places, and if I stay in PG it would be because it's easy to get to a lot of other things. I definitely want to see Big Sur again because of the gloom the last time. Sounds like I won't be staying there - I've already looked and unless something opens up, it's not happening.

The other places I mentioned are utterly lovely but lower on the list to visit because I have done so once.

The places that are really new to me would be the coast near Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Cambria, San Simeon. I might take four days/nights for the aforementioned places. Two in SB, one in SLO, one near Hearst Castle (Cambria?)

Can I fit in a visit to Hearst Castle and Big Sur in one day? Obviously not a long hike, but a look see, maybe wander on the ridge a little? The sun sets late!

That gives me 6 nights left. Pacific Grove is convenient, and might be my base to see Big Sur - a backtrack - one day. Maybe two nights in PG if I do that, and then Santa Cruz one night so that I can see some redwoods nearby.

If I do THAT above, then I have three nights left.

Two of those nights - dunno. Sonoma maybe? Nicks Cove? Too far? Stay south? Just go to San Francisco and spend the last weekend there? I've been there 4-5 times but it's been a while. Hence why I am thinking of Sonoma which is brand new for me.

Then the final night before flying home - it makes sense to stay at an airport hotel. But, if I can find a charming town near the airport that isn't too hard to get to SFO by 7 AM for dropping the rental car, maybe I could spend one last night there instead of an airport hotel.

The above is a lot of hotel changing. Two nights in: Santa Barbara, Pacific Grove, "Sonoma", but the other four are one-nighters.

PS: if I skip Sonoma at the end entirely, I can add more nights to the places down south. Stretch out San Luis Obispo, or Santa Barbara, or Paso Robles - an extra night or two.

You cannot really see Hearst Castle on your own just wandering around. You buy admission at the visitor center and then you take a bus up to the Castle which you tour with a guide as part of a group. You can simply visit the visitor’s center that has some exhibits, not sure whether the film about Hearst would be available apart from the tour. If I recall, it took several hours for the film and the tour of the Castle. I was happy to visit once but wouldn’t need to have a return visit.

would you skip it, given that it would take a chunk of the day - especially over everything else I could see instead along this route?

No, I wouldn't skip it. You have plenty of time since you are trying to figure out how to spend 3 or 4 'extra' nights. I'd maybe do 2 nights in SB then 2 nights in either Cambria or Morro Bay ( a base for San Simeon, Paso Robles, Pismo, SLO - whatever else)

Then after where ever you stay on the Monterey Peninsula I'd stay TWO nights in Santa Cruz. Using one day for Henry Cowell and maybe the Roaring Camp Railway and the other day for Capitola and Santa Cruz. (plus many places in SC have a 2 night minimum even on weekdays at this time of year)