California coastal roadtrip in the fall
 

Hubby and I are planning a coastal California road trip starting in San Diego and ending in San Francisco. This will be a 9 day trip in late September / early October.

A couple of years ago we had planned to drive from our hometown (Vancouver) all the way to SF to spend a couple days but we were so blown away by the beauty of the Oregon coast that we slowed it down and only made it as far as Eureka. So this is really part II of our road trip

The plan is to fly into SD, do one-way car rental, and just stick to the coast leaving the national parks for another trip.

So here are a few things we are trying to iron out and we hope you could help us out!

1) Should we fly into SD or LAX? I ask because SD flights involve a longish layover at LAX anyway and we would prefer to spend the extra time outside driving rather than waiting in an airport lounge. However if dealing with car rentals and driving out of LAX is too much of a hassle then we'll just suck it up and do the airport lounge thing.

2) We only have time for one wine region. Would you recommend Santa Barbara over Napa/Sonoma given our time constraints?

3) We normally do not book hotels except in major cities, preferring instead to overnight where we happen to stop. Do you think this is a good idea for the California coast?

Thanks muchly!

I can only respond to question 1. Why fly into San Diego if you have no interest in San Diego? You're just wasting 2+ hours of your road time (between San Diego and LAX) and the extra time of the layover. I'd definitely fly into LAX and immediately head north.

I'd go with Santa Ynez (near Santa Barbara) wineries or maybe Paso Robles (near Cambria which is good stop) especially if you like big reds Paso is doing some nice ones. Napa and Sonoma are a bit out of your way with only 9 days plus they are pricier on their tasting fees.

This is a popular time of year, prices will be down a bit and kids back in school, weather is great. I would probably book in advance as lodging selection is limited. However if you want to "wing it" you could get a good guidebook or maybe something from AAA if you are a member. Make a list of at least 3 hotels or motels in the cities you plan on stopping in so you do not end up paying $300/nt or staying in a dump. In other words have a plan.

Getting out of LAX to drive north is <i>much</i> easier than transferring at LAX/getting out of San Diego/driving thru SD County/driving thru Orange County . . . .

The Fall is the very best time of year along the coast - truly the warmest/clearest weather. Which also makes it quite popular for local's road trips.

So no, you definitely don't want to 'wing it'. Most places will have a two night minimum on weekends. I would have ALL my coastal accommodations nailed down well before the trip.

The various wine regions are also very busy/popular in the Fall - the harvest/crush/etc.

It honestly doesn't matter which wine region you visit IMO - logistically Santa Ynez/Santa Barbara area or Monterey county makes the most sense

Oh we do want to visit San Diego and were thinking of spending our first night there before heading north. Whether we fly into SD or LAX, we'll get down to SD at mid-afternoon either way. We've heard La Jolla is really pretty and the Mexican food is a standout. But it sounds like SD is worth skipping to avoid doubling back?

Re question 3: I admit I'm bias on this issue as I hate spending time looking for lodging when I'm traveling. Anyway it may not be easy to find good lodging in popular destinations such as Santa Barbara, Carmel/Monterey, Cambria on the spur of the moment on the weekends. The weather on the coast is typically quite nice in September and we locals like to take advantage of it (since many of us don't go near these places in the summer!!!!)

Did you say you had no interest in San Diego? I don't see it in your post.

I think it's very reasonable to fly into LAX, rent your car there, and drive to San Diego. The drive time from LAX to say La Jolla is nominally 51 minutes.

I don't understand your comment about a "hassle" associated with picking up your rental car and driving out of LAX. As for many airports, you take a shuttle from your terminal to the car agency, get your car, jump on the southbound 405 fwy. and you're on your way.

The Santa Barbara wine region is actually in the Santa Ynez valley just north of Santa Barbara. It was the location for the highly regarded film "Sideways". It's convenient because if you follow the Google map route that takes you up the coast through Santa Barbara, it goes right through the Santa Inez valley via SR 154. (If you haven't seen "Sideways", rent it. It's worth your while.)

I would be nervous about not having advance hotel reservations, but I tend to be the nervous type, This is a very popular route, although because school will be back in session, traffic will be down a bit. So,???

Thank you all for your well thought out responses and thank you especially for the warning about pre-booking our accommodations. You don't know until you ask!

Much as it pains me, we'll save San Diego and Napa/Sonoma for other trips. It looks like we have a lot of homework to do!

dbhurand. I guess I had it in my mind that LAX is this big scary place just like LA where you will get caught up in lineups and traffic for hours. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

First off, it'll be good to know what time you plan to arrive LA/SD and depart SF. Traffic is an issue, but not at all hours. I've driven numerous times in the middle of the night from the Bay Area to San Diego and the traffic is nonexistent at the time - not suggesting that you do this! Just an example.

E.g. if you arrive latest afternoon at LAX, that's really a terrible time to get on the 405 going north.

If you arrive early, around noon, or earlier, then get a car at LAX and just head due west towards the ocean gong south towards San Diego. Most of what you will be driving is called the Pacific Coast Highway. Some of it quite beautiful, while other portions will be more industrial and you'll see lots of shipping activities. It's really a nice drive not only to see beautiful vistas towards the ocean but to get a sense of the Southern California life (beach communities) and industry. Round about Redondo Beach you want to go inland and catch Highway 1, or if you have the time, go around the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula. At Newport Beach, if you have the time and the weather is good, take a Newport Harbor cruise of the inlet where the Orange County wealthy live and where John Wayne and Shirley Temple used to have homes. A bit like the water equivalent of the Stars Tour in Hollywood.

Here's the Yelp reviews of one cruise boat:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fun-zone-boa...-newport-beach

At some point around Dana Point or San Clemente, you'll want to join up with I-5. Around Carlsbad you'll want to get off I5 and head towards the ocean again to catch Highway 1. This part of the San Diego coastal communities are a bit different from the coastal communities you passed through in LA County. This is where the real surfing starts. Used to be lots of surfers and the whole 60's vibe of Hara Krishnas (they used to have a temple in Encinitas, don't know if it is still there). Much more upscale today. Keep going south and this should get you into San Diego.

This may take a bit longer but it's much better than spending two hours waiting in LAX. You'll get quite a feel for life in Southern California, especially the beauty of the ocean and the coastal communities.