I have been planning this trip for seven months and it is almost here. I have my maps and my lodging and my alternative maps in case I can not drive the coast due to the weather. Now I need help with the actual drive time and sights. Just I reminder I have two kids 6 & 9. We are leaving San Fran on the 27th and driving to Monterey. From other postings I am gathering that this is less than a 3 hour trip. I need to reserve tickets for Hearst Castle and trying to decide which tour. How long will it take me to drive from Monterey to Hearst Castle assuming we can take the coast and will stop along the way and will drive the 17 mile drive? Also how long will the drive be from the Castle to Santa Barbara? Any suggestions for dinner lunch and dinner along the way tha tday?

Depending on time of day and traffic conditions, SF to Monterey is between 2 and 2 1/2 hours. Monterey to Hearst Castle is also probably between 2 and 2 1/2 hours (it's about 100 miles), then add extra time for stops, 17 mile drive, etc. Can't help with the other questions, sorry.

Unless you're golfers, you can safely skip 17 mile drive. You'll see better scenery in Big Sur, and your kids won't enjoy it at all.

I agree, and I mentioned this on a post the other day. I did the 17 mile drive about 10 years ago (and paid the fee), then I was at Pebble Beach about 10 days ago and was staying there, so was on the 17 mile drive for free. I didn't remember it from the first time, and commented that I certainly would not pay to do this now--you're basically paying to drive around a residential neighborhood seeing some nice houses and occasionally parts of the golf courses. You shouldn't waste your time, instead just drive south and take your time going down Big Sur--it's much more spectactular.

great thank you any ideas for lunch along the drive?

Sorry, can't help you with that. When I made that trip, we ate in Pebble Beach, then drove down to Hearst Castle. Others should be able to help, or you may want to check out chowhound.com

Hearst Castle to Santa Barbara should be another couple hours.

Nepenthe for lunch; it's a few miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and if the weather is nice, you will have a wonderful view of the coast.

Second suggestion for Nepenthe, if it is nice there is plenty of space for kids to explore i.e they don't have to be confined to sitting a table. Also second the suggestion of skipping 17 mile drive since you will be driving the entire coast from Monterey on south. Try to fit in stops at Point Lobos and/or Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park rather than stopping at every view pull in. You can also save time for the coast if you skip Carmel.

Tour One at Hearst Castle is the more "introductory" one and is probably best for first time visitors. That tour also includes the movie which is worth seeing (it's 30-minutes long).
The Nepenthe suggestion is a good one for lunch-the food is not the greatest, but the setting is magnificent. There are not many other places to eat along that drive.
Dinner suggestions on your drive depend on what time you finish at Hearst Castle. There are some nice places in Cambria which is just south of the castle. I like Robin's or if you want something more casual, the Main Street Grill has good sandwiches etc. A little further south in Morro Bay there are a variety of restaurants within a few minutes of the highway. The Great American Seafood Company has simple fish dishes at reasonable prices and just a little further away in the state park is the Bayside Cafe which is in a shack by the marina and has good food (they only serve dinner Thurs-Sun).
A little further south is Pismo Beach where there are a number of places to eat. The kids might enjoy the extremely casual, beachy atmosphere at Splash Cafe.

Thank you all so much the information I get fro this site is priceless!

I agree with the others about skipping 17 Mile Drive. If you take Highway 1 all the way to Monterey from S I would plan on about a 3.5 - 4 hr hour drive. Highway 1 is a slow road and two lanes in some areas. In all honesty the scenery on Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz is not all that great, especially when compared to Big Sur, Point Lobos, etc. Your best bet is to take Highway 280 toward San Jose to Highway 17 south to Highway 1 south. Highways 280 and 17 are both quite scenic. This route will be a quicker one to Monterey (maybe 2.5 hours) which will give you more time to enjoy the scenery in the Monterey Bay area.

Along the way a visit to the Tech Museum (www.thetech.org) in San Jose would be great, especially with the kids. Right across the street from the Tech Museum is Christmas in the Park which is a lot of fun. (www.christmasinthepark.com) There's an ice skating rink about a block away as well. Big Basin off of Highway 17 is probably one of the best places to see the coastal redwoods. (www.bigbasin.org) In Monterey the aquarium is also worth a visit as well. (www.mbayaq.org)

You'll definitely want to make reservations for Hearst Castle. I recommend Tour #1 for a good overview for a first time visitor. The drive to Hearst Castle from Monterey should take about 2 hours. You may also want to allow for stops along the way to take pictures. Below is a link to the most scenic part of Highway 1.

http://www.pelicannetwork.net/big.sur.coast.htm

Have a great trip.