Driving up Hwy 1--LA to Carmel (Trip Report)

Old Jan 10th, 2010, 06:25 PM
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Driving up Hwy 1--LA to Carmel (Trip Report)

My husband and I are native Californians who are now living in New York. For the holidays, we drove from Southern to Northern California to visit family and had a fantastic drive up the coast en route. It's just a glimpse, but our trip report might be helpful to someone planning a trip--it's amazing what you can see in even a day (although it would be ideal to spend far longer). If you're interested, we posted it on our site: www.hitherandthither.net. The travelogues are linked in the top right corner.

Happy travels!
Ashley

PS--If you visit, we'd love to hear from you with a comment or any questions!
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 07:29 PM
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Ashley: I already have your link in my favorites. Thank you for the update to your great blog.

Wishing you all the best in NYC!!

From a fellow N. Californian,

MY
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 07:39 PM
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It sounds like you are just the person I'm looking for with CA info! My hubby & I are flying into San Jose at the end of Jan and spending 6 days travelling the coast from SF to Carmel by car. Can you give me some ideas as the best place to start -SF for the weekend or better during the week ? Should we take a tour to see the city, etc. Any recommendations on where to stay? I would love to find a B&B with a view of the ocean in the Monterey area. Any ideas? We are from the Midwest and looking forward to seeing the Pacific coast. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you & have a blessed week
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 07:44 PM
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mrswom, do you mean 6 days including both San Francisco and Carmel (and Monterey, Big Sur, etc.)? If that's the case, and if you haven't been here before, I would recommend you spend 3 days in San Francisco, then head out of the city by car to Carmel/Monterey/Pacific Grove and spend 3 days there -- do the aquarium, the village and beach in Carmel, drive down the coast to Big Sur. The only problem is you could hit bad weather as January is our rainy season, but so far, we haven't had much rain this year.
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 08:12 PM
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Wow, Michelle--you just made my night! That's so lovely to hear! Thank you.

MrsWom--I want to be of help, but let me offer the caveat that it's been a while since we lived in California (we're in NY now) and I might not be tops on specifics anymore. I would probably choose which place to visit when based on hotel prices--my guess is that you'll find better prices in places like Carmel mid-week while there will likely be less of a difference in SF. Otherwise, I think you'll be happy either way. Do keep in mind that rush hour traffic in the Bay area can be rough--this too might be something to factor in, too, when you're moving between places.

Also, if you're driving, be sure to ask your hotel in SF about parking.

As for tours, I've never taken one in SF, but depending on your interest in walking (or not) I imagine it could be helpful to get an overview of all of the neighborhoods (without having to navigate driving/parking/public transportation). Otherwise, I would consider: exploring Union Square, taking a Cable Car (and consider hopping off at Lombard St), visiting Chinatown, checking out Fisherman's Wharf, taking in a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from up-close, sampling the fare at the ferry building (a personal favorite), and sipping cappuchino in the Italian neighborhood of North Beach. But there's a ton more to see and I'm sure Fodor's (or Frommers online) will be more helpful here. I also particularly like Sunset Magazine's travel guides (they focus on the West Coast and tend to give 3 day itineraries), and I also check out epicurious for food tips. The food in SF is a highlight and could really guide your exploration--finding the best food often means you find the best (most interesting) neighborhoods. Oh! And Alcatraz island is also fascinating.

Carmel is a charming town (a bit posh, but undeniably beautiful) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must. Bring along a John Steinbeck book to get you into the local history. There are great views at restaurants like the Chart House in Monterey (from where you can usually spot Otters in the surf), and I would go with an idea of where you want to eat as there's a lot of "tourist trap" spots, too.

You'll have a great time--I hope this helps somewhat...
All best,
Ashley
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 12:55 PM
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mrswom

It sounds like your have a great time planned. May I make a few suggestions............
Think of staying in Pacific Grove which is right next door to Monterey, in fact you can walk (it is a bit of a walk but you're by the ocean)to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There is a beautful B&B called the Seven Gables which is literally right across the street from the water. I have stayed there a few times over the years and it was always great.

If you are driving around Carmel, think of driving up Carmel Valley Rd and dining at the "Covey" restraunt located in the Quail Lodge. The food is outstanding, and it is a nice, quiet
place to dine. They are open for dinner, I would be suprised if you did not enjoy your dining experience.

SF is awsome, I have worked over there and explored around the area for many years. I would recommend taking a tour so you can at least see the highlights and then you can revisit any area that peaks your interest on your own. Depending on your interests,there are all kinds of tours you can take. San Fransico has a very vibrant and exciting past, there are many things to see and do.

Having said that, there are many other areas UP the coast which are quiet beautiful. It;s called the "Lost Coast" and certainly worth a visit sometime. I haven't even mentioned the Gold Country.

Hope you have a great time!!!
Colleen
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 01:16 PM
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>>and dining at the "Covey" restraunt located in the Quail Lodge. The food is outstanding, and it is a nice, quiet
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 01:35 PM
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3 days in SF and 3 days around the Carmel/Big Sur area is a good call.
Make sure you have lunch at Sierra Mar at the stunning Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur.
Pacific Grove has a great restaurant called Passionfish which is excellent too.
Such gorgeous area.

www.postranchinn.com
www.passionfish.net
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 01:36 PM
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Ashley love your blog!
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 02:48 PM
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Stu,

Obviously you get around!!! Well yes I guess it is nice and quiet now. Sorry to hear about it closing, I had many great meals there.
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Old Jan 12th, 2010, 07:52 PM
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Alovesa,
Really enjoyed your coastal and Yosemite reports and photos. It will be very helpful for our upcoming 4/27-5/08 trip there.

Also enjoyed your Montauk Point trip report and photos. My grandfather had a house in Amagansett and when I was small our family would take the LIRR from Freeport to Amagansett to spend vacation time there. That was way back when steam engines were in use and what could be more exciting for a five or six year old than a train ride with a steam engine.

My folks bought a small house in nearby Springs in the early fifties and enventually retired there. DW and I continued to enjoy spending vacation time in the area until we moved to Virginia in the mid 1960s.
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Old Jan 13th, 2010, 07:18 PM
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Ronkala,
Thank you so much for the nice note! Amagansett seems so lovely and you've filled my imagination with your desription of the rides you would take out there on a steam engine as a young boy. What a wonderful picture that paints. My young nephew loves trains--it is amazing, too, what a draw they continue to have. Thank you for sharing!

I hope you have a wonderful time in California--early May should be a beautiful time to visit.

All best!
Ashley
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Old Jan 13th, 2010, 09:09 PM
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Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge. Yes we have 6 full days , which now doesn't seem like enough for all the fascinating places I've found to go !
Colleen, I think Gold Country and Murphys will have to be in our next trip . They sound intriging !
Ashley, thanks for all the info. I was wondering about the traffic. We are actually flying in & out of San Jose, so we will have a rental car already when we get to SF. So finding a nice place to stay without a BIG parking fee will be one of my quests.
And,STU DU,you are the guru of SF. I've been reading your topics on other forums so thanks for this post. OK it's already tomorrow here in STL so I'll check with replies tomorrow. One last tidbit though.....
GETAROOM.COM has some great rates for rooms all over the country BUT once you find the hotel on line you must call their number and ask for "the unpublished rate" and even more will be discounted. Nite for now
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Old Jan 14th, 2010, 08:34 AM
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mrswom, are you planning to keep the car in San Francisco? There are a number of motels in the Marina District that do not charge for parking at all. Downtown you'll pay upwards of $50 a night.
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Old Jan 14th, 2010, 04:11 PM
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We are considering hanging on to the car since we want to go wherever or whim takes us. Is the marina a safe area to stay in? thanks sf7307 for following me to this forum
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Old Jan 14th, 2010, 07:24 PM
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It's definitely safe! There are a lot of motels on the main street (Lombard Street, which is the street that leads to the Golden Gate Bridge), but also there are two parallel streets that are great for strolling/eating/shopping (Union Street -- which is different from Union Square - and Chestnut Street). Union Street is "technically" in Cow Hollow and Chestnut is in the Marina, but both are upscale neighborhoods.
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Old Jan 15th, 2010, 12:47 PM
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Thanks again sf7307. I will check these out.
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Old Jan 20th, 2010, 09:41 AM
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I enjoyed your blog, very nice! We visited NYC for the first time this past Nov., we loved it there! Our stay at The Plaza was amazing and we found Central Park to be very beautiful. ***kim***
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