43cheeks

Good grief - 25 miles? Looks so much closer on the map. LOL. See what good advice I'm getting?! No problem though, we'll take your directions and I know we'll have no worries. Mapquest was a great idea and I've used it before Also liked the idea of breakfast. in Burbank - get out before traffic is heady.

LCBoniti

And see how relative everything is? In SoCal, 25 miles is nothing!

ltr

I think you should ask your son to research San Diego and pick out a couple of things he would like to see. Arriving in the city without an agenda can be overwhelming. When he decides what he would like to see, then perhaps someone can suggest a hotel nearby that would be nice.

If you are taking the coastal route to Santa Barbara from Santa Monica, you will travel through Malibu. There will no doubt be some die hard surfers in the water. You may run into road closures due to mud/rock slides if it has been raining, but the drive is very picturesque and since there are only two lanes each way, not as nerve wracking as a freeway might be.

March can be very rainy here, and not very warm, or as someone else said, we could have a heat wave and everyone is in shorts. Even then, the ocean water will be cold.

odie1

43 cheeks,

I grew up in Santa Monica, went to college in San Diego (and regularly commuted back and forth) and had great friends that went to school in Santa Barbara (who I visited often). You really have a tough schedule you are trying to work with.

If your son really wants to see San Diego I would then consider flying into SD and heading north from there. I realize the studio tours don't go on the weekends so I would stay the 8th and 9th in SD and then the 10th and 11th in SaMo. See the studio tour early on the 12th and head from there to Santa Barbara. If you go to Burbank Studios, you can go up to SB via the Ventura Freeway. Yes, you miss part of the Coast Highway (the part you would have seen if you had started off in SaMO) but you end up turning inland part way up to Santa Barbara anyhow. Then from there you can continue up the Coast Hwy to San Fran.

You really are doing a lot of back and forth, as janisj mentioned, with your original plan.

43cheeks

Ok, back to the drawing board! Will check out flights from SF to SD. Can't afford much. Checked the trains and they were $89 each, which we thought was a lot.

Just read a response to another post and someone was saying that four days exclusively in SF was a bit much. Would 2 full days be too short of a time to spend there? Bus tour of the city is a must, alcatraz would be nice, but not necessary, we're great walkers so can cover a lot of area. (We 'did' NYC in four days and saw and did a LOT). Don't laugh, but we 'have' to see wine country too, which we could do before getting to SF. So much to do, so little time!

canterbury

43 -

I think Odie was referring to flying into SD from Nova Scotia. And then leaving from SF. This would seem preferable to me.

However, if your son is set on SD it really isn't too bad a drive in non-peak hours. But truthfully, I don't care much for SD. The Mission there is nice, beaches are okay, but overall SD doesn't do it for me.

I'd prefer to spend the time in Newport Beach or Laguna Beach. Maybe even Dana Point.

janisj

"someone was saying that four days exclusively in SF was a bit much."

Probably the same sort of person who says they "did" London in 3 days and saw all the important stuff.

2 days is OK for San Francisco, 4 days is OK, 4 weeks is OK. I would think you could see the bare minimum of the major sites in SF in 3 full days - but not EVEN all of them. 2 days is better than no days . . . . .

43cheeks

Our tickets were bought long ago, so can't change them
I think we'll take all your suggestions and play it by ear. Thanks to all for your time and participation.

luvtotravel

Just my two cents, but I also vote for skipping San Diego or you will spend the majority of your time on our highways. If your son needs the beach, why not look into Laguna Beach in Orange County, or Venice Beach, near Santa Monica? Both locations are great for young people regardless of the time of year (unless it's raining, of course).

Is it possible for you to rent a car with a navigation system? Our signs are great, but it helps a lot to know in which lane to be when the freeway splits.

A great stop on the way to SF is Hearst Castle.

jrecm

Hello
I grew up in North Hollywood, near Universal Studios and now live in San Diego.You have a good 2 hour drive if the traffic is good. There is so much to do here and it is gorgeous. San Diego needs at least 2-3 days so if you can get you son to agree try the beaches closer to LA
Ask your son if Malibu or Zuma beach would suit him? You could stop for lunch look at the million dollar homes and be off