Help!!!! Cal Coast Itinerary
 

Have eight days to tour from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Current itinerary on first three nights and four days is:<BR><BR>Day 1: Land at LAX, drive to Santa Barbara or Solvang.<BR>Day 2: on to Cambria or Morro Bay<BR>Day 3: Visit Hearst Castle, then on to Big/Sur or Monterrey/Carmel-by-the-Sea/Pacific Grove.<BR><BR>Questions:<BR><BR>Which city to stay in, Solvang or Santa Barbara, and where?<BR>If Solvang, are we pushing it trying to drive from LAX to Solvang. We land at noon.<BR><BR>Which city to stay, Cambria or Morro Bay, and where?<BR><BR>We have dinner reservations at the French Laundry on the evening of Day 4.<BR>From where we stay on Day 3, can we make it to our hotel in Sonoma, change, then drive to the restaurant at a leisurely pace?<BR>

When you say "we" who do you mean? The suggested itinerary will vary greatly depending on whether "we" refers to you and a significant other; you and your family with very young children; or you and a family of older children.<BR><BR>Solvang is about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara, so it's not that much further, really, and shouldn't be much of a factor either way (Santa Barbara takes about 2 hrs from LAX). What matters most is what you like to do. Solvang is a quaint touristy Danish village. Lots of shops, Danish restaurants, etc. Cute, especially if you're in the mood for window-shopping or buying souvenirs.<BR><BR>Santa Barbara, on the other hand, is a larger beach community. There are plenty of site-seeing favorites here: the Mission and its Rose Garden; the Courthouse; and the SB Art Gallery to name a few. There's also the beach, and Stearn's Wharf with its shops and restaurants that attracts tourists year-round.<BR><BR>If you give me a little better idea as to what type of vacation you're looking for I can offer further suggestions (include whether you'd prefer a standard hotel or a luxury one.. SB has plenty of both!).

I prefer Santa Barbara to Solvang. Solvang is ok, but it's overrun with outlet stores and losing what charm it might have had. Good danish though. But there's absolutely nothing to during the evenings there.<BR><BR>If you really want to see Solvang, you could stop and have breakfast the next morning on your drive up from Santa Barbara. Or you could wait and have lunch in the downtown area of San Luis Obispo. <BR><BR>On Day No. 2 I'd plan on spending the night in Cambria. Get a room along Moonstone Beach and plan on having dinner at the Sow's Ear or Robin's in Cambria. <BR><BR>Be sure to make reservations ahead of time for the Hearst Castle tour, since they tend to sell out.

This may have already been posted.<BR><BR>We means my wife (38) and me (43). No kids.<BR><BR>Since my wife has been traveling quite a bit, this will be a relaxing, roam around and see the sites, spend time with spouse vacation.<BR><BR>We like to see interesting and unique places, so San Simeon is a must. Other things we like to do are picnic, go to local shops (my wife), visit wineries and vineyards. Coolest place we ever visited was a glass blowing facility on the road from Sienna to Florence. My wife's newest hobby is cheesemaking, so cheese factories would be great.<BR><BR>We also like dining out, however, already have reservations for two splurges. Local places with good food and reasonable prices ($40 to $80 per couple) will be of interest. Would like nice hotel or B&B between $120 and $180 per night. Don't need luxury like the Four Seasons.<BR><BR>Thanks for all feedback. You are helping me a lot.<BR>

Cambria should meet your needs for a place to relax, local shopping for your wife and nearby wineries.<BR><BR>If you like handblown glass, definitely stop in to Seekers while in Cambria...they have some remarkable pieces. <BR><BR>While driving up Hwy 1, right before you get to Cambria, you're going to pass a very small community (pop. 18) called Harmony. It's worth a stop. There's a studio in the rear that offers some nice handmade ceramic pieces at reasonable prices. There's also a handblown art glass studio at the other end of the street where you can watch the artists at work. There's a winery in Harmony (at the top of the hill). While not great quality wine, they do carry some good gourmet food items.<BR><BR>As for wineries, there are a number of good wineries outside of Santa Barbara on your drive along Hwy 101. And if you get a good start, you will also have time to hit some wineries along Hwy 46 on your drive up to Cambria. Grey Wolf and Wild Horse are a few of my favorites in that area.

Cool. Thanks.

If this comes up twice, I apologize. Somehow Fodors lost my original post.<BR><BR>Sounds like a lovely trip. I would go to Santa Barbara and spend the evening there. You won't have enough time to do both Santa Barbara and Solvang. Solvang is small and touristy. It is a nice place to visit but given your schedule I would skip it.<BR><BR>If you are getting in a noon, figure on getting to Santa Barbara in the late afternoon. You can stroll down State Street and browse the shops. Or go to the Arboretum or the Mission.<BR><BR>Lots of wonderful restaurants. I like the Palace--cajun/creole.<BR><BR>Also lots of places to stay. I like the Secret Garden Inn. A quiet bed and breakfast. Lots of privacy--some of the rooms have private decks with hot tubs. I think their website is secretgarden.com. It is in your price range. Great breakfast in the am.<BR><BR>A good book to check out is "Best Places to Kiss in Southern California". There is one for Northern California, too. Lists lots of romantic places to stay and dine.<BR><BR>Enjoy--I am jealous!<BR>

We drove through Solvang, shopped for a while, and got back in the car. IMHO, not worth a stay but rather a visit.<BR><BR>We LOVED the Madonna Inn (www.madonnainn.com) in San Luis Obispo, stayed there the night before our visit to Hearst Castle. <BR><BR>Marlena

Santa Barbara would be the better choice for a romantic getaway. Someone mentioned the Secret Gardens, and there's also the Upham Hotel which is a nice b&b-type hotel (the oldest operating property in SB) which is wonderful and I believe falls within your price range. Their website is: http://uphamhotel.com<BR><BR>As for dinner in Santa Barbara, as someone above mentioned, the Palace has wonderful food (cajun/creole) but the atmosphere is more fun/casual than romantic. Some other options are: Blue Agave with great food and more of a romantic atmosphere in a contemporary setting with smoky lighting; or Chad's (one of my favorites), which serves amazing food in what was formally a Victorian home in Santa Barbara.<BR><BR>Depending on how ambitious you are when arrive in Santa Barbara, you can do anything from sightseeing at the various places listed in other responses, to spending a day at the Wharf (where there is a wine tasting room and shops), and perhaps rent bikes to ride along the beach. At night you can take in a play at one of the theaters downtown; or go to Rocks on State Street for drinks and music and/or dancing (there are many bars along State that cater to twenty-somethings, but fortunately Rocks isn't one of them). Rocks has balcony seating (be sure to wear something warm) that overlooks State St... a great spot for relaxing and people-watching.<BR><BR>Hope this helps some! Enjoy your trip.

Santa Barbara is one of California's most beautiful cities. Solvang is a cutesy tourist trap. Skip it!

Congratulations on getting reservations at the French Laundry! You should have no trouble getting from Monterey to Sonoma well in time to change and get ready for your dinner. Just be sure to get across the Golden Gate bridge before 3pm, the traffic is bad then.<BR><BR>Cowgirl Creamery is a great artisan cheese company in Point Reyes, about an hour north of the Golden Gate. They have a website, cowgirlcreamery.com. There are some other small artisan cheese manufacturers around that area too, and there's the Sonoma Cheese place right on the Sonoma Square.<BR><BR>My vote goes to Santa Barbara as well, and by your description I think you'd enjoy staying in Carmel more than Monterey or Pacific Grove. Carmel is a very quaint, lovely town with many shops and nice restaurants. More the strolling, window shopping kind of place, whereas Monterey is a bit touristy. Have fun! You have a great itinerary! And be sure to let us know how that dinner at FL was!

Thanks for all the feedback. Santa Barbara it is. Suggestions on things to do on the road from LAX to Santa Barbara and from Santa Barbara to Cambria will be appreciated.<BR><BR>Y'all are really inspiring my wife for this trip. <BR><BR>

Hi Lin:<BR><BR>I grew up in the Napa Valley. I recommend that you stay in Yountville (French Laundry location) instead of Sonoma. Especially if you plan to drink alcohol at the French Laundry. Drunk driving is a very serious problem in the wine country and there are plenty of great hotels in the Yountville area. <BR><BR>Have a great trip.

Re LAX to Santa Barbara - I wouldn't stop much given your time constraints. save your time for Santa Barbara on this trip. maybe lunch on the coast on your way up? There are two ways to get to Santa Barbara - you can drive the coast through Malibu or a quicker route by 101 that isn't as pretty.<BR><BR>I love Cambria - can anyone weigh in on the name of that great restaurant there - a male name - beautiful patio, great food - organic slant? I'll post when I remember. I want to say Robin's but that may not be it. I know it is listed in the "Best Places to Kiss.." book.<BR><BR>Have a great time!

We land a LAX at 11:00 a.m. Assume an hour to get luggage and the car, we should be on the road by 12:00. My guess is we have plenty of time to get to Santa Barbara. We will need to get something to eat on the way. Any suggestions?

Hit the road Jack! Get out of LAX pronto. After 2pm the traffic gets hairy. <BR><BR>If you'd like to take a leisurely drive through Malibu, ask at the car rental counter for directions north via the Coastal Route 1. A stop at the Reel Inn (casual seafood) or the Pier View should curb the appetite and not take too much time. If you're famished from the flight, the Jamaica Bay Inn (just a few miles north of LAX on Lincoln Boulevard) has a great little coffee shop on the water, as well as a mexican cafe. <BR><BR>If you take the 405 freeway to the 101 Ventura Freeway north instead of the coastal route, you'll pass several fast food stops as you leave the city. Sagebrush Cantina off the Calabasas exit is popular, stop in Ventura - the halfway point of your drive. If you want to get an hour's drive out of the way before eating, the Summerland exit features the terrific little Summerland Beach Cafe or The Nugget ('Bill Clinton Ate Here! says the sign) or the local favorite Big Yellow House. <BR><BR>Brophy Brothers Seafood Cafe on the beach in Santa Barbara, will give you a real feel for the atmosphere of this coastal resort city. Joe's Cafe downtown is also a local favorite.

If you make it all the way to Summerland without eating, then just keep driving since you'll almost be in Santa Barbara.<BR><BR>The route through Malibu is very time consuming and you'll spend the entire day in the car. I'd hop on the 405 and shoot straight up the 101 as soon as you leave the airport. As other posters have mentioned, the traffic can get very bad in the afternoon (especially on Fridays). <BR><BR>If you're wife enjoys outlet shopping, there's a nice center in Camarillo. But I'd be hesitant to waste time there if I could use the time in Santa Barbara instead. <BR><BR>The route isn't know for the food options, so I'd grab something quick to eat and enjoy more time in Santa Barbara.

Thanks for all the posts so far. They have been very helpful.<BR><BR>Noted regarding the drive from LAX to Santa Barbara. We are landing on a Sunday morning around 11:00 a.m. Will traffic be as bad then?<BR><BR>Looks like we will skip Solvang. Between outlet mall and the cuteness factor, it does not sound like our cup of tea.<BR><BR>Reviewing the Santa Barbara County Wineries map, it looks like most, if not all, of the vineyards are between Santa Barbara and Cambria. Is that <BR>correct? Any suggestions on ones to visit.<BR><BR>Have made reservations at the Hearst Castle for tour 1 at 8:20 a.m.<BR><BR>Any suggestions for a place to picnic on the drive from San Simeon to Monterey? Where to get picnic supplies?<BR><BR>Jessie, thanks for the suggestion on staying in Yountville. Considering the drive from Glen Ellen to Yountville, on top of the amount of driving we will be doing from Monterey to the WIne Country, staying in proximity to Yountville is a good idea. Since we want to do the Sonoma Valley and the Mendocino coast the next two days, should we change to a hotel in the Sonoma Valley the day after? Any suggestions on where to stay near Yountville and in the Sonoma Valley (either near Glen ellen or Healdsburg)?<BR><BR>Susan, received an email from Cowgirl creamery. They are open from 10 to 6. Have found a couple of other cheese places to visit. Looks like the day we drive from the Wine Country to San Francisco will focus on cheese. Should we stay in the Muir Woods region or Sausalito that night or go ahead into San Francisco?<BR><BR>I appreciate all of your input.

Yes, most of the wineries are centered in the Santa Ynez Valley area outside of Santa Barbara and then up along Hwy 46 near Paso Robles.<BR><BR>As for packing a picnic for the drive to Monterey, I'd get supplies in Cambria the night before, since there isn't much in terms of grocery stores as you drive north from Cambria. And since Cambria is pretty small, I wouldn't bank on the store being open that early in the morning before you take off for the castle.<BR><BR>

Hi Lin:<BR><BR>If you don't mind moving around a bit, I guess I would stay in Yountville one night and then head over to Sonoma the next day. Sonoma and Napa are quite different from one another and I think they are both worth a visit. The Sonoma Coast is probably my favorite area of California.<BR><BR>For Yountville lodging look at yountville.com and napalinks.com.<BR>