Megan

I can't believe nobody has written a suggested route with itinerary for this. We will be travelling the 1st week of April.
We would like to dep. LAX Fri AM and head up to San Luis Obispo - stay Friday night, then head towards Monerey - stay Sat. night..
***Can anyone provide distances and travel times from each with consideration for stopping at any recommended points of interest (Santa Barbara? Lompoc? Pismo Beach? Carmel? etc etc) and estimate time we will need at each. Also, we still have Sunday & Sun. night to consider however must be at San Fran airport by 10:30 am.
Help! Your suggested itineraries and comment would be greatly appreciated. Detail, detail, detail please.

sam

It's been a while since I made the trip but if you have the time hiway "1" IS VERY NICE but don't expect to make much time - it follows the coast and is very twisty -- The Hearst Castle is well worth the time in my book.. Have fun.

Jud Compton

Strange you should ask. I recently completed a route for friends coming from Australia. Here it is . . .

From airport, Rt. 1, then onto Rt. 101.
SANTA BARBARA--Historic adobes - Mission Santa Barbara - County courthouse
Rt. 1 to Lompoc - AAA recommends Tally Ho Motor Inn or Best Western Vandenberg Inn
Continue north on Rt. 1, then Rt. 101
SAN LUIS OBISPO--Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Now, back on Rt. 1
SAN SIMEON--Hearst Castle. Reservations required, 1¾ hours
MONTEREY--Monterey Bay Aquarium. Excellent - Cannery Row (John Steinbeck) - Seventeen-Mile Drive, toll $7.50
SANTA CRUZ--The Australians plan to stay in hostels, so I don't know about motels
SAN FRANCISCO--So many things to see and do. We suggested . . .
Muir Woods National Monument, across Golden Gate Bridge on Rt. 1 (redwoodss)
Golden Gate Park
Chinatown
Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39 along the harbor
Ride the cable cars
Boat tours - Walking tours.

About 450 miles. Will be slow driving but worth it.

Most the suggested places to see can be found in Search with their names.

You're in for a great trip

Paul Rabe

For free distance listings, travel directions, and maps that you can print out, go to www.mapquest.com

Emily

Forget about the Coast -- power straight up I-5. It'll only take you about 6 hours and then you'll have all that extra time to spend in San Francisco!

Harriet

Once you actually get out of LAX and onto the freeway (take the 405 to the 101), it will take you about 1:45 to Santa Barara if the traffic isn't bad. Hwy 1 is pretty, but the traffic will probably be awful on a Friday (especially since it's a holiday weekend) and you'll see plenty of the coast later in your drive.

In Santa Barbara, I'd suggest a quick visit to the Courthouse, the Mission and lunch at the beach or any outdoor cafe.

Take Hwy 154/San Marcos Pass to the Santa Ynez Valley and stop off at one of the wineries. (40 minutes) The Side Street Cafe in Los Olivos is very good and the 3 block town is charming. If you arrive there at dinner time, there are several good restaurants. Even if you don't want to stop in Santa Ynez or Solvang or Los Olivos, the Pass is really beautiful this time of year and will cut 15 to 20 minutes off your drive from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo.
SB to SLO is 90 miles and will take you under 2 hours. SLO to San Francisco via Hwy 101 without stopping takes about 4 hours.

From there my favorite stops would be Cambria, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey. Big Sur is really spectacular. So, Saturday depends on how much driving you want to do and what you're interested in. There are lots of ideas on this forum for that.

Monterey to San Francisco will take you about 2-2.5 hours depending on on your route.

And then in San Francisco . . .!!! So much to see and do. You'll never be able to do it all, but you'll love whatever you do.

Just a note on the SF Airport - it's a mess right now with seemingly never-ending construction, and the car rental complex can be confusing. Watch for and follow the signs carefully. The airport is only 20 minutes south of the city center, but on a Monday morning, during commute time, this drive can take you 45 minutes. Check with your hotel on morning driving strategies.

Have a great weekend!

A Vernon

Have vacationed in these areas and I agree with what Jud has mapped out -- with one exception. If you're spending the night at San Luis Obispo, you've got to stay at the Madonna Inn. It's big, it's pink and it's unforgettable. (And right on Hwy. 1.)

Megan, this is the place where every room is a different theme. (You may have heard about "jungle" rooms with rock-wall showers.) We stayed in the "Swiss Chalet," which was large, comfortable and on an end. With tax the price was somewhere between $95-$115. The experience beats a chain hotel/motel anyday.

Have a good time...I love the central coast of California.

Cindy

I live on the Central Coast Monterey/Carmel area. Most of the above recommendations are right on. I would not stay in SLo however. The Madonna Inn is interesting but gaudy. There is also a nice place called the Apple Farm (B&B type place). However, I would stay in Santa Barbara instead, much more to see and do. I can give you ideas where to stay here & where to dine. If you are interested in scenery do not take I-5. It is faster but really uninteresting. E-mail me and I can give you more ideas for when you get here.

manny

I have a service route covering resorts and restaurants in Santa barbara and San Luis obispo counties.There is alot to do here (wine tasting,antique and artisian shopping, beach walks etc...). You could stop in Santa Barbara, but factor in traffic congestion, parking problems and long distances between activities. Santa Barbara is a must see when you have 3 days. Drive through it into San Luis Obispo, then take hwy 1 thirty miles north and stay on moonstone beach in Cambria. This is a half mile stretch of charming single level motels running parallel to the beach. A great beach. sand, tons of facsinating driftwood, tidepools, cliffs. I have heard you can hear the soothing ocean in most rooms. A million dollar setting at a great value. Cambria is a quant town nestled in a ravine sourounded by pine trees. The small town has wine tasting, art, fun knicknack stores and martha stewart type of garden shops. It is exciting- yet peaceful. Great restaurants, check out the menus first. Dont take the hotels advice. If you can pull yourself away the next day, drive up WORLD FAMOUS highway 1 up to the monterey area. This highway is litterally carved along the mountain range that goes straight down to the ocean. It is a windy road and will take about 4 hours but well worth it. If you dont do it you will regret seeing pictures of this scenic route in almost any coffee table book. Plan to stop at Ragged Point north of Cambria on the way up hwy 1. The food is incredible, you feel like you are in the French Alps somehow looking out over the ocean. You can probably get ahold of the county Visitor agencies for the areas you are visiting.Have fun.