Have 2 full days to drive from Costa Mesa to the SFO. Looking for suggestions as where to overnight and/or "sights not to miss."
Thanks!

tt

If ou take the coastal route, there are lots of choices. Overnight in Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Cambrai or San Simeon, depending omn how far you want to drive each day.
California historic Missions in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Lompoc and SLO. A couple of nice musuems in Santa Barbara, wine country from SB north with many options just off the 101. Of course Hearst Castle in San Simeon is always worth a stop. The aquarium in Monterey and lots of early California history in Monterey. The Boardwalk in Santa Cruz and the redwoods between Santa Cruz and Los Gattos.

Leave Costa Mesa 9:45am after traffic mess, up the 405 stop at The Getty Center for a couple hours, nice garden cafe for lunch there. Or if prefered, continue onward to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
Santa Barbara wharf is always a nice stop, or Hearst Castle for a late afternoon tour. Ideas for stopping overnight depend on what you decide to stop and do, Santa Barbara? San Luis Obispo? Pismo Beach? Cambria? Carmel /Monterey? How early do you have to be at SFO on day 3?

Thanks for the suggestions! We want to turn our rental car in around 3 PM. We aren't flying out...just turning in the car and taking the BART into SF for 3 nights...then, back to SFO. One couple will fly home, while my husband and I will rent another car and spend 3 nights in the Sonoma Valley...then back to SFO and home (Louisville).

Any further ideas and/or recommendations would be appreciated!

All the major car rental companies have offices in downtown SF and probably very close to your hotel. Check the rates, but you may want to just drop your car off in San Fran rather than deal with the SFo mess.

I agree with clarkgriwold about leaving Costa Mesa later to avoid some of the traffic. But I disagree about stopping at Getty Center as much as I like it. I would get through LA as soon as possible. Maybe have lunch in Santa Barbara if you decide to do the Coast Route.

You could continue on up the coast, maybe getting there in time for the last tour at Hearst Castle and then spend the night in Cambria.

Then if you want to do the whole coast drive (which is what I would recommend), leave Cambria in the morning driving through Big Sur and stopping for lunch in Carmel or Monterey. You should be able to turn your car in near your hotel in SF so unless you are worried about driving into the city, I wouldn't take the time to stop at SFO.

If for some reason you don't want to drive through Big Sur, then you could spend the night in Cambria and then in the morning cut over on Highway 46 to the 101 and drive from there into SF. Not as much to see on this route but you could stop at a few wineries in Paso Robles although you'd have to wait until they open.

Personally, I think that driving through Big Sur is the one thing you don't want to miss.

Thanks you guys, for your suggestions. We're still working on the final itinerary, both driving route and sights to see. At the risk of sounding like a snob, I'm wondering if the Hearst Castle is really worth the stop. Both couples have been to Europe a number of times and have visited many castles (and churches!)

Is it really worth the time and money?

Also, we are afraid to drive in San Francisco. That's why we're turning the car in at SFO. The BART will drop us at Hotel Whitcomb. Wish we were more brave, but driving in several major European cities has made us shy!

Driving in San Francisco isn't even like driving in New York or Boston, let alone Rome or Paris!

And IMHO, yes, Hearst Castle is worth it. It's not like old European castles. It's called Hearst Castle, but it's more like a gigantic "current" mansion than an old historical castle. To me, the pool and grounds alone are worth the visit.

If you leave Costa Mesa later to avoid some of the traffic, you could stop in Buelton and have lunch at "Pea Soup Andersen's" <http://www.peasoupandersens.net/> in the little town of Buellton or nearby Solvang <http://www.solvangusa.com/>. San Luis Obispo is a great place to stop overnight, as others have suggested.

I love the Paso Robles wine area -- tons of wonderful wineries to visit, with wines of good quality. I recently stayed at the La BellaSerra Hotel in Paso -- fantastic!

Thanks!
If we stay the night in San Luis Obispo, could you recommend a moderately priced hotel? How about a restaurant or two?

Pea Soup Andersen's sounds good! Recommendations are always appreciated.

Everyone is saying that the Castle is worth the stop. Fodies are often of differing opinions, but this seems to be unamimous. We'll put it down as a "must see."

I absolutely recommend Hearst Castle but just remember that it takes time to do the tour. Also you need to purchase your tickets in advance and tours only go at certain times. You need to check their website for all the information. I am not sure when your trip is but I am guessing fairly soon. Hearst Castle does their last tour depending on when the sun sets. In October looks like the last tour of the day is around 3:20 and on some days, that tour is already sold out.

Although San Luis Obispo is a very nice town, depending on your tour time, I would try to stay closer to San Simeon. I absolutely love the little town of Cambria and you could stay right on the Ocean on Moonstone Beach-there is a string of hotels along this beach.

If you leave Costa Mesa around 9:30-9:45, it will take you around 2 and a half to 3 hours to get to Buellton for lunch at Pea Soup Andersons. (Not my choice but it's convenient to the freeway). San Luis Obispo is only another hour past Buellton so I'd go futher like Cambria or Paso Robles. Spend the night there and then do the early tour of Hearst Castle the next morning.

The only problem with that itinerary is that doesn't give you as much time to drive through Big Sur and stop in Carmel or Monterey on that second day. Doing that there is no way you'd get to SF by 3-4pm.

You actually could make it to Hearst Castle the first day if you just eat a quick lunch along the way or take sandwiches with you. From Costa Mesa to San Simeon, it's about a 4.5 hour drive. So if you left at 9:30am, you could get there by 2-2:30. However, this doesn't give you alot of extra time in case you hit traffic getting through LA. And you wouldn't have a leisurely drive up the coast although it's beautiful just driving along the coast by Santa Barbara.

I think you really have to decide what you want to do but I think staying a little further north than SLO would be best no matter your itinerary.

Apple Farm Inn and Restaurant in SLO.

Yes! Good choice.

I agree a good place for a restaurant. I still think they need to go a little further than SLO to spend the night if they are going to see Hearst Castle.

If they decide not to go to Hearst Castle, then they could take a more leisurely drive up to SLO. Spend the night there and then head on up the coast through Big Sur, the next day.

I would definitely suggest Hearst Castle; it is nothing like the castles in Europe. They offer evening tours in the spring and fall so I would recommend the evening tour for a different experience. I think the evening tours fill up fast so you may want to call and reserve in advance.

I second Cambria for your evening stay here. I love the Pacific Coast Highway and we used to stop at Nepenthe in Big Sur.

The mission in Carmel is lovely and you could then either stay in Carmel for the night or Monterey.

I liked Little Napoli in Carmel for dinner.

In Capitola/Santa Cruz area I used to like to go to The Crow's Nest in the harbor for dinner.

mkdiebold-As far as Hearst Castle, it depends a alot when your trip is planned. I don't think they have evening tours in the winter but again get on their website and check it out. If your trip isn't until next Spring, then the evening tour is a great idea.

whoknew-They OP only has one night to spend along the way between Costa Mesa and SF. That's why figuring out their schedule and what they want to see is important because they don't have a lot of time.

Paula, the OP wanted suggestions on places to stay. I suggested three(Cambria, Carmel, Capitola/SC). I wasn't expecting them to stay at all of them. Suggesting different locations gives mkdiebold options, which I thought was the purpose of the post.

Paula-the last post from me sounded a bit snippy...totally not intended. Sorry about that.