Driving UP the coast instead of DOWN from San Francisco??
Jul 24th, 2003, 06:31 PM
#22
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Hamsterbrain,
The best route to Monterey from SF is via the 280 freeway then 17 and 1. You won't be missing much by not taking highway 1 from SF to Monterey since highway 1 bewteen Monterey and Big Sur is so much prettier.
Your itinerary sounds doable. To see the redwoods I would recommend stopping in Big Basin which is near San Jose off of highway 17. Try to get to Big Basin in the morning, as it's the best time to visit the park. The air is crisp and there are less crowds. As long as you leave SF after 9AM, assuming it's a weekday, you should miss the traffic. It will take about 2 hours to get to Big Basin.
One suggestion would be to leave SF on Saturday, stay the night in San Jose and go to Big Basin on Sunday AM. Leave Big Basin on Sunday afternoon for Big Sur and go back to Monterey on Monday. SJ is about a 15 mile drive from Big Basin. Downtown would be the best place to stay as it puts you close to nightlife and other attractions.
http://bigbasin.org/
http://sjdowntown.com/
http://sanjose.org/index.cfm
The best route to Monterey from SF is via the 280 freeway then 17 and 1. You won't be missing much by not taking highway 1 from SF to Monterey since highway 1 bewteen Monterey and Big Sur is so much prettier.
Your itinerary sounds doable. To see the redwoods I would recommend stopping in Big Basin which is near San Jose off of highway 17. Try to get to Big Basin in the morning, as it's the best time to visit the park. The air is crisp and there are less crowds. As long as you leave SF after 9AM, assuming it's a weekday, you should miss the traffic. It will take about 2 hours to get to Big Basin.
One suggestion would be to leave SF on Saturday, stay the night in San Jose and go to Big Basin on Sunday AM. Leave Big Basin on Sunday afternoon for Big Sur and go back to Monterey on Monday. SJ is about a 15 mile drive from Big Basin. Downtown would be the best place to stay as it puts you close to nightlife and other attractions.
http://bigbasin.org/
http://sjdowntown.com/
http://sanjose.org/index.cfm
Jul 24th, 2003, 07:36 PM
#23
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We're already booked in San Fran for Saturday night. We were going to head south on sunday morning, stop at the Redwoods, then onto Big Sur. How long do you think it will take to get from San Fran to Monterey and then from Monterey to Big Sur?
Jul 24th, 2003, 07:53 PM
#24
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SF to Monterey on a Sunday morning you will encounter some nasty traffic sinces it's the official last weekend of summer, and many will be heading to the beach. Plan on 4 hours to Monterey, and another 1-1.5 hours to Big Sur from Monterey.
Jul 29th, 2003, 01:38 PM
#27
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Ok, I'm confused. I'm hearing it's going to take 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours TO Carmel/Monterey and only 2 1/2 back?? Is this because of traffic conditions on a weekday? And maybe because we won't be stopping as much on the way back?? Thanks for all your help guys. I'll be sure to post a trip report when I return.
Jul 29th, 2003, 10:18 PM
#28
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hamsterbrain
SF airport is about 30 or 40 minutes south of SF, which is the reason for the shorter travel time back to Sf aiport as opposed to driving from SF itself to Carmel/Monterey. Even so, 2.5 hrs. to Sf airport may be a little optomistic, of course you will not be travelling during the commute hours from 3-7 pm. 2.5 hours is assuming no traffic or accidents. Realistically it will be closer to 3 hrs.
SF airport is about 30 or 40 minutes south of SF, which is the reason for the shorter travel time back to Sf aiport as opposed to driving from SF itself to Carmel/Monterey. Even so, 2.5 hrs. to Sf airport may be a little optomistic, of course you will not be travelling during the commute hours from 3-7 pm. 2.5 hours is assuming no traffic or accidents. Realistically it will be closer to 3 hrs.
Jul 30th, 2003, 08:50 AM
#30
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esg,
Goat Rock Beach is right at the point where the Russian River meets the Pacific. There are two ways to reach this point on the coast. The first would be to drive straight up Highway 1 from where you've gone out to the coast (Muir Beach, Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, etc.). The second is to drive out along Highway 116, through the Russian River area, west towards Jenner and the coast. At the intersection of 116 and 1, you take a left turn (to the south), and the entrance to the beach is a short ways down the road.
Goat Rock Beach is right at the point where the Russian River meets the Pacific. There are two ways to reach this point on the coast. The first would be to drive straight up Highway 1 from where you've gone out to the coast (Muir Beach, Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, etc.). The second is to drive out along Highway 116, through the Russian River area, west towards Jenner and the coast. At the intersection of 116 and 1, you take a left turn (to the south), and the entrance to the beach is a short ways down the road.
