California Roadtrip in DECEMBER
 

My husband and I are thinking about driving from San Francisco to San Diego the last week in December. We have already been to San francisco, so we will probably just overnight there with friends, and then be on our way. I know it's not the best time of year to do this, but this is the first chance we have had to take a vacation in more than a year.

I know there are lots of posts about this subject, but I thought the advice about places to visit might be a little different this time of year. I generally prefer warm weather vacations, as it's cold where we are, and I know I won't be getting that. Is it warm anywhere in california this time of year? Are there places you would suggest that would be slightly less cold and rainy? Thanks!

I just wanted to add that even though I prefer the warmer weather, we do want to see some of the coast. We have also both been to Los Angeles. Thanks again.

What do you consider to be warm? In San Diego at the end of December the temperature during the day can be anywhere between mid sixties to mid seventies, cooling down a lot at night. There's no way to tell right now whether or not there will be any rain. If we did get rain, which is possible, but unlikely, the daytime temp would be cooler.

Thank you for your reply Barbara. Sitting in the middle of winter in NY, I think I may have overstated a bit. We want to see all of the usual, beautiful places on the way down the coast. I'm not desperate to rush as far south as possible as quickly as possible. I had originally been thinking two days someplace nice at the end in or near San Diego would be perfect, and I just learned that the average is in the 60s, rather than 70s. I'm just a naive East Coaster I guess!

USUALLY the more south you go on the coast -- the more likely for better weather--however December is one of the most unpredictable???
My favorite area is San Luis Obispo withMorro Bay being only 11 miles to the beach. Further south is Pismo Beach which has real ocean view motels.
Santa Barbara is even further south and is beautiful but much more expensive for ocean view..
I always look at www.weatherunderground.com--
type in the city at the top and then scroll down to "seasonal weather averages" you can get a "idea" of what the weather MAY be.
Good luck--enjoy the scenery.

The chances for any sustained period of bad weather are pretty low IMO - maybe one day, maybe two, more likely none. I think it's a fine time to tour the coast, the only drawback being the shorter days.

If you want warm, you might consider taking a couple of days to do the drive (which can be done easily even using SR1) then swing inland to Palm Springs or other parts of the desert, where it can easily be in the 70s - 80s (colder at night).

Otherwise the advice on the coastal route that people have posted for summer trips is still reasonably reliable.

Today in socal the weather is terrific. About 76 degrees and sunny. (what am I doing looking at the computer!)
You just never know in winter in California. It can be beautiful, in the 70's or rainy and in the 50's.
Often, it's very nice.
Santa Barbara has a very nice year round climate, and shouldn't be missed!

I will be going the same way on December with my wife and 3 kids.
You should go to Monterrey, beautiful sea coast town, San Simeon to visit the Hearts Castle, you can buy your tickets online, San Isidro, Santa Barbara, and in December is a good month to go whale watching.

Just a heads up about Hwy 1 between Monterey and San Simeon. This section of Hwy could be closed if a storm comes in during your trip or if a previous storm has caused a mudslide and closed the road. It is a twisty, 2 lane road, that hugs the side of a cliff, so you can see how it would not be advisable during a storm. In this case, you would miss the Big Sur coast, which is spectacular, but you could detour on Hwy 101, which is an inland road, and pick up the coast again around Cambria. You can check road and weather conditions during your trip and plan your route accordingly. If you miss the Big Sur coast, I would definitely recommend taking a few hours to see Point Lobos, which is just south of Monterey. It is a section of coastline which will give you a feel for the Big Sur coast so you wont totally miss it.

Well, we're on our way tomorrow, and the weather reports look like it might rain all of next week, all the way down the coast. Any new suggestions for what to do if that's the case? Thanks again for your help.

The weather reports are really really unpredictable, even on a day-to-day basis. Just keep your fingers crossed that the storms will hold off or only last a day or two. Usually that's what happens--in November they forecast this huge storm, the next day it's sunny, the day after it's also sunny and finally that night it rains a little.

I hope you get to visit Santa Barbara, we were just there the first week of December for three days. Montecito is beautiful, try to have lunch at The Patio at the Four Season Biltmore.

We had two really sunny days and one day of high winds and rain. Don't miss Stearn's Wharf in SB, try the lobster at the SB Shellfish Co at the end of the pier. Very good! SB is beautiful and not to be missed! ***kim*** :)

I have to second MonicaRichards regarding the weather reports here in California. You do better by getting up in the morning and looking outside. Sure they say rain this Sunday and Monday, but does anyone truly expect it? Oh, it might be overcast, yes. Maybe even a few rain drops. But an actual storm? Uh, no. (It is funny to see all the news stations going to "storm watch" only to see 3 raindrops fall)

Have an alternate route selected, but I wouldn't worry about it. Just enjoy yourselves!