My husband and I are going to Sanfrancisco in December and plan on driving down the coast to Monterey or wherever the road takes us for 5 days, then flying back out of LA or San Fran to go to Vegas. Any tips on California coast road tripping???

Hi Rhonda, go to www.visitcalifornia.com and you can get a great package including driving tours,Pull out map and places of interest. j

Rhonda,
It's a great trip that we've done several times! In Feb 2000, we flew into San Francisco in early evening (7pm). We had reservations for Ana Nuevo for the next day to go out and see the elephant seals (it was amazing) so we stayed in Davenport at the Inn right on Route 1. Next day, on to Santa Cruz where there's lots to do. Check out the Monarch butterflies at Natural Bridges State Park north of Santa Cruz where thousands migrate or check out the redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park. If you are willing to pay over $200/night for accomodations for one night, I highly recommend you stay at the Inn at Depot Hill in Capitola. It was perhaps the most romantic place I've ever stayed. Just incredible. The one place you cannot miss is Point Lobos just south of Carmel off Highway 1. It is absolutely gorgeous. If you enjoy wine at all, there are many excellent wineries in the Carmel Valley. Also, while in Monterey, you must eat at the Fishwife in Pacific Grove - one of the best restaurants in the area. Please feel free to email me with any questions. I love this area of California and know it pretty well. You are going to love it!

I wish you sunny skies, but do be aware that the rains start in late November/early December in the northern part of California. If it's raining, don't drive Hwy 1 through Big Sur. Very frustrating and you won't see anything. Instead swing east onto 101 and go quickly down to Cambria. If the next day is nice you can drive part of Hwy 1 from the south. You'll need to be rather flexible at that time of the year.

Rhonda,

I happened to post this reply to another thread earlier today, but I will repost it here, in case you have not seen it. The other poster was starting in San Diego and working north, and they had more time, but I think you can pick and choose from description whatever interests you. Here goes:

San Diego – World famous zoo, the beach, La Jolla
Laguna – attractive seaside town (as option, skip this and go to Disneyland which is on the way from SD to LA).
LA – Stay in Santa Monica. Go to the pier, Venice Beach, don’t miss the Getty Center, Beverly Hills, Sunset Strip. (Option - stay in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood)If you want more museums, there is LACMA, the Japanese Museum and the La Brea Tar pits all in a row on Wilshire Bl. Downtown there is MOCA and the Geffen. In Pasadena there is the Norton Simon, and old town Pasadena is a nice place to grab lunch. The Huntington Gardens are also nearby.
Santa Barbara – The mission will give you a little bit of old CA history.
Cambria is a quaint seaside town near the Hearst Castle (don't miss) and San Luis Obisbo.
Big Sur is the scenic highlight of the trip. Get a good guidebook and take all day for this 60 mile trip. Be sure to stop to see waterfalls and beaches along the way.
Carmel is another quaint town, great for walking, with a gorgeous white sand beach. It is right next to Monterey, if you want to drive there for a look around and to see the famous aquarium.

The advantage of this itinerary is that you won’t be driving for more than 2 hours or so between stops, with plenty of time to look around. Have fun!

I strongley second Hearst Castle. I am a native Californian and this is the one thing I never tire of seeing ever. They have 4 different tours I think and 1 nightime one. I love the whole tour up highway 1 and would still go in the rain however I love rain and prefer it to the 11 1/2 months of sunshine my area seems to get.

i would suggest driving the coast south of monterey instead of north. big sur is the real highlight of the area.

There's a great book called "Coastal California (Fodor's Compass American Guides). It gives all kinds of history and descriptions up and down the entire calif. coast with information about scenic stops and parks along rte 1 that you may not otherwise notice or stop for.