driving up PCH from LA to Wine Country
Mar 13th, 2002, 05:44 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
You can't do it. Well, maybe you could, but you don't want to. PCH after Malibu goes inland through ugly cities, you'll hit OXnard, its bad. No one does this. Rather take the highway (we call them freeways) 101 to Santa Brabara. Have luch there, lovely town. That will be a 2:20 trip if you really speed, maybe 3 hours. From SB, take 101 North, it wil cut in to Lompoc, Solvang. Keep going, and it will reunite with PCH, but I am not sure it will be called PCh anymore. The 101 after SB is coastal and nice. Get a map. At some point you stay coastal, choosing to go to your right, coastal, and no longer will be on the 101, and will be on the 1 (PCH) passig Big Sur (a hairy drive!) Carmel, Santa Cruz, then to SF. The SB to SF portion with 1- 2 short photo lunch stops is 6 hours, I think.
The fastest LA to SF is highway 5, interstate. Truckers highway. Very dull. Takes 5 1/2, 6 hours.
The fastest LA to SF is highway 5, interstate. Truckers highway. Very dull. Takes 5 1/2, 6 hours.
Mar 13th, 2002, 10:13 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
On US101, downtown to downtown is around 8 hours at the limit, 9 if you stop for a burger or the loo. "PCH" is a term which changes its definition several times along the route, and it's not especially used north of the LA area. I think technically "PCH" is a combination of US101 and SR1; both highways use the same roadway in places, such as the Golden Gate Bridge; in other areas they can be separated by miles. Interstate 5 also shares the monicker here and there. SR1 is always the closest to the ocean, however.
Mar 13th, 2002, 10:21 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
North of Santa Barbara, beginning at Morro Bay when you can go out again on the coast, the road is called Highway 1 not PCH. PCH is a southern CA term. Hwy 1 through Big Sur from Cambria to Carmel is only 90 miles, but can easily take 3-4 hours to drive depending on traffic and weather. I think if you plan to drive all the way from LA to SF in one day you will miss a lot of beauty, but you should probably stick to 101 all the way and expect it to take about 7-8 hours. Better to plan to stop a couple nights along the way.
Mar 13th, 2002, 11:38 AM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
I would do some combination of Hwy 1 and 101. 101 is actually a lovely drive north of LA (through open country and vineyards), but it's inland. However it moves a lot faster than 1. If it were me, and assuming I had more like 11 or 12 hours to work with, I'd take 101 up past Santa Barbara, maybe as far as San Luis Obispo. Then cut over to the coast to get the experience of Big Sur. You'll end up cutting inland again north of Monterey. I'm not looking at a map, but there are a few choices to get to Hwy 1 from 101.
Mar 13th, 2002, 03:22 PM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
OClocal,
From the title of your post it sounds as if you are going directly to the Wine Country, but you ask about directions to San Francisco. If you are interested in going directly to the Wine Country from LA via Highway 1, you can stay on Highway 1 up to Monterey and north to Santa Cruz and from there get on 17 North into San Jose. If you head through San Jose on Highway 17 or 101, do not do it during the morning commute (6-9 AM) as the traffic heading into the city is a nightmare. If you head into the city via 17 North, turn off on 280 South which will change into 680 North. Keep on 680 all the way up to Benecia where you will cross the Benecia Bridge and merge onto 780 West, then to 80 East and finally to Highway 37 towards Napa. from there, 29 North and 12 West will take you into Napa. The faster option would be Interstate 5 to 580 West, 680 North and then follow the same route through Benecia. If you take 680 or 101 North leaving San Jose in the afternoon (3-7 PM) during the week, beware of the heavy commute traffic exiting the city. If you get to this point at that time, you might be better off stopping for a bite to eat until the traffic has gone.
From the title of your post it sounds as if you are going directly to the Wine Country, but you ask about directions to San Francisco. If you are interested in going directly to the Wine Country from LA via Highway 1, you can stay on Highway 1 up to Monterey and north to Santa Cruz and from there get on 17 North into San Jose. If you head through San Jose on Highway 17 or 101, do not do it during the morning commute (6-9 AM) as the traffic heading into the city is a nightmare. If you head into the city via 17 North, turn off on 280 South which will change into 680 North. Keep on 680 all the way up to Benecia where you will cross the Benecia Bridge and merge onto 780 West, then to 80 East and finally to Highway 37 towards Napa. from there, 29 North and 12 West will take you into Napa. The faster option would be Interstate 5 to 580 West, 680 North and then follow the same route through Benecia. If you take 680 or 101 North leaving San Jose in the afternoon (3-7 PM) during the week, beware of the heavy commute traffic exiting the city. If you get to this point at that time, you might be better off stopping for a bite to eat until the traffic has gone.
Mar 16th, 2002, 08:12 PM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
i have done of the same trip but piecemeal on trips west....Sonoma over Napa ...Healdsburg was fabulous...Monterey and Carmel in 2 days...lots of tourists on weekends
San Francisco rates more time but the wine country part is the most peaceful.
Check out a concert at Villa Montalvo
Sararoga and hit Sausolito for lunch on the way up or back. Thr rats at the airport have all been searched for weapons.
San Francisco rates more time but the wine country part is the most peaceful.
Check out a concert at Villa Montalvo
Sararoga and hit Sausolito for lunch on the way up or back. Thr rats at the airport have all been searched for weapons.
