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Itinerary and route from Big Sur to Big Bear Lake (2 days travel)

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Itinerary and route from Big Sur to Big Bear Lake (2 days travel)

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Old May 25th, 2010, 06:55 AM
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Itinerary and route from Big Sur to Big Bear Lake (2 days travel)

For the 2nd part of our Ca trip, we will be leaving Monterey/Carmel on Sunday, July 18th to drive south along the coast, stay the night somewhere, and then head to Big Bear Lake for 5 night beginning Monday, July 19th.
We want to explore Big Sur and take a tour of the Hearst Castle. That's all I've got so far.

Would it be best to explore Big Sur and do a castle tour in one day?
Or stay the night somewhere and do the castle tour the next day before heading up to Big Bear Lake?

What route is the best to drive from the coast to Big Bear Lake? On a Monday. Through Los Angelos! (I've never been to California before but have read your reports of the traffic in Los Angelos) Is there a better time to drive though it?

These are the instructions from Big Bear Lake web site:
From Los Angeles and Orange Counties: Interstate 10 East to the Running Springs Interstate 210 North exit in Redlands. Follow Interstate 210 North to Highway 330 To Highway 18.

Alternative route from Interstate 10: Interstate 10 East to Orange Street North in Redlands. Follow signs to Highway 38.
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Old May 25th, 2010, 07:14 AM
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I don't know if you are committed to five days in Big Bear but as a former SoCal native I feel that is too much time there and you are seriously short changing your self on the Highway One part of the trip.This drive could easily take three days to see all of the beauty there. Big Sur, San Simeon, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Solvang and the Santa Inez valley, Santa Barbara and more.Also, the drive itself from Carmel to Big Bear will take a considerable amount of time.As far as directions Mapquest can answer all of your questions but there is really no good time to try to get through L.A. on a week day.
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Old May 25th, 2010, 07:35 AM
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I agree, but we are committed with a time share in both San Francisco and also Bear Lake. We were lucky to get anything favorable in California to begin with, as we were unable to plan way ahead like we normally do. We added the 2 days to our schedule to drive to BBL. Was originally going towards Yosemite on our way to BBL, but switched gears a couple of weeks ago to drive the coast.
Ideally we would have spent our entire vacation in Lake Tahoe, but I'm excited about these alternate plans of SF, the coast and BBL. Either way you look at it, we've never seen any of it, and so far, it looks wonderful from my computer screen. : )
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Old May 25th, 2010, 11:31 AM
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OK that being the situation I have these opinions. First, the drive down Highway 1 is amazing and in my opinion is the most important part of that leg of your trip. As far as exploring Big Sur to me the views are the main thing and can be seen from Highway 1. So I would plan on going from Carmel through Big Sur and on to San Simeon on Sunday and staying in San Simeon that night. You could either visit Hearst Castle that afternoon or Monday morning, preferably Sunday afternoon.Hearst Castle tours are fantastic and, in my opinion tour one is the best for first timers. The drive from San Simeon to Big Bear will take you most of the day and L.A. traffic used to be the worst from about 7:00 am t0 9:00am and from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm so plan around that.I'm sure others who still live there can give you better info. I hate to tell you to just enjoy Big Sur from the highway but since your time is so limited I don't see how you could spend more time there and still meet your schedule. Good luck and enjoy California !
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Old May 25th, 2010, 12:04 PM
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"Would it be best to explore Big Sur and do a castle tour in one day?
Or stay the night somewhere and do the castle tour the next day before heading up to Big Bear Lake?"

If that's your only choice, spend the night in Cambria (or similar) and take the tour in the morning before you continue on.

Stop here for a meal on the way down and enjoy the incredible views.
http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/


"I agree, but we are committed with a time share in both San Francisco and also Bear Lake."

You are committed to the Bear Lake timeshare, but you don't HAVE to spend all 5 days there.

I would suggest you arrive a day "late" (communicating well with them re your plans) and add a day on the coast. You'll be paying twice for one night, but for many of us it would be well worth it!

If you did that, I'd recommend staying in Monterey or Carmel - and taking your kids kayaking on Monterey Bay. You could actually enjoy the area by taking two days, rather than just doing a "drive by" vacation.

Spend the 2nd night in Cambria or SS near the Hearst Castle, see it in the morning and continue on.

Re traffic - I don't think there's a way to avoid bad traffic in LA. I've driven it for business, and you're just going to encounter traffic no matter what time of day.
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Old May 25th, 2010, 05:37 PM
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"uh oh" my DH says.. We were originally leaving on the 24th from ontario/La airport. We aren't too pressed to get home (albeit my 13 yr old reminds me of his camp he's going to on the 28th), so we could actually backtrack from Big Bear and head back to Big Sur area to explore more and fly out of San Jose or San Fran.
12oaks, thank you for coming up with that plan..it's an option, although it would probably kill me to not stop at Big Sur and hike/explore some. My boys love to hike and we've had some incredible ones in British Columbia and Colorado in the past. From my mind's eye, I have no real idea of the beauty we're getting ready to see in California. I've been awestruck with the Amalfi Coast in Italy. That pretty?
You all live in an incredible place! What diversity in the State of California. I can tell I am not going to want to leave!
Considering I have 3 boys (11, 13, and 16) how would you compare kayaking on Monterey Bay to touring the Hearst Castle from their eyes. We have kayak's at our house and they use them regularly. Hearst castle/kayak with otters...kayak with otter/Hearst castle..hmmm.
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Old May 25th, 2010, 05:40 PM
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Do both.
Give two days to the coast.
Look at pictures if you have any doubts.
Make it work...if you want.
If not, just do a drive by with 3 boys in the car. That'll be fun.
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Old May 25th, 2010, 05:44 PM
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Let me add...I read on someone's post that there are Redwood trees nearby..
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Old May 26th, 2010, 06:30 AM
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I need to spend more time thinking about this and how we would rearrange things for our time along the coast between the two distinct times we would travel there, but we are seriously contemplating adding 2 days and 3 nights onto the backside of our trip. Unless there is a cancellation of a date for the timeshare, we are stuck with those dates. Wyndham is booked solid through August. So it could only be on the backside of the trip.
We would leave Big Bear Lake on Saturday the 24th and head back up the coast, leaving SF or San Jose on the 27th. (Just in time to get my son off to camp on the 28th..hectic, but short-term hectic for the pay-off).
Is there a better time for the kayak excursion? I mentioned the kayaking to my DH and his 1st words were, "don't they have killer whales out there?" lol
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Old May 26th, 2010, 06:59 AM
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IF I had to choose between the kayaking and Hearst Castle with boys that age, I'd go kayaking. Do both if you can, but if time is short, that's what I'd choose. It is really neat to get out on the water, and since the kids are already experienced at kayaking, I think it will be a great experience. No real learning curve, so they can get out there right away. A couple weeks ago, we were down there and saw some kayakers going along the Pacific Grove coastline - we saw 6 or 7 harbor seals putting on quite a show, fighting over the choice rocks for sunning, swimming around, banking up a storm. We were on the short, but the kayakers had a front row seat.

As for the redwoods, there are quite a lot of redwoods south of SF. The Santa Cruz mountains would be my pick to see them. Henry Cowell state park is just outside the town of Felton, which is about 5-10 miles from Santa Cruz. Not too much of a detour and they have a short walk you can take which showcases some wonderful trees. Big Basin is also in the Santa Cruz mountains - farther up Hwy 9 near the town of Boulder Creek. It is great, but a bit farther out of the way, so takes more time to visit. There are also groves in Big Sur, but I am not sure if there are any old growth groves - with the really big trees. Someone else can probably weigh in on that.
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Old May 26th, 2010, 07:03 AM
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As for the whales, orcas migrate up and down the coast of CA, but they wont be in close enough to the shore to bother kayakers. I've never seen an orca from shore.
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Old May 26th, 2010, 10:57 AM
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Let me get back to your first post.

"Would it be best to explore Big Sur and do a castle tour in one day?"

That's the way I would do it. I've driven the route and there are a number of places where you can stop for scenic views of the ocean. But these are brief stops and then you're on your way. BTW, if anyone in your group is prone to motion sickness, you may want to think twice before taking this route (Hwy 1).

"Or stay the night somewhere and do the castle tour the next day before heading up to Big Bear Lake?"

You could. But then the next day you'll get a late start to Big Bear Lake, and it's 6 hours of solid driving, and more with food and potty breaks.

"What route is the best to drive from the coast to Big Bear Lake? On a Monday. Through Los Angelos! (I've never been to California before but have read your reports of the traffic in Los Angelos) Is there a better time to drive though it?"

If you drive through LA in the middle of the day, generally you will not have problems, unless there is an accident somewhere. During the rush hour, traffic is heavy and very slow in some areas. Duh!

"These are the instructions from Big Bear Lake web site:
From Los Angeles and Orange Counties: Interstate 10 East to the Running Springs Interstate 210 North exit in Redlands. Follow Interstate 210 North to Highway 330 To Highway 18."

"Alternative route from Interstate 10: Interstate 10 East to Orange Street North in Redlands. Follow signs to Highway 38."

Trash those instructions!! Use Google Maps or Mapquest to determine your route. From partway up the coast they will take you down the 101 to the 34 to the 210. but starting from San Simeon or Cambria they will give you a route through the central valley and the high desert to the "back way" up to BBL. Los Angeles won't be in the equation, except on your car radio.
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Old May 26th, 2010, 12:44 PM
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Pardon me. Where I said 34 in my previous post I should have said 134.

Also, here's a site used by many Angelenos to find out about traffic conditions. I always check it before I set off, except when I'm just going to the grocery store.

http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?lat=...118.223015&z=2

Right now (1:40 PM), the 210 looks great.
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Old May 26th, 2010, 05:45 PM
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Regarding the route, having Los Angeles not in the equation..is that a good thing? What's the drive like through the central valley and the high desert? If we take that route we'd miss Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. Would we regret that?

Big Sur looks so incredible, and I remember reading several post's about hikes that people recommend (can't find them right now), what I'm thinking is coming back to Big Sur and giving it a significant day. But I'd like some input about that.
We are researching tacking on 2 days and 3 nights to come back up the coast after we leave Big Bear Lake and fly out from either Monterey, San Jose, or San Francisco, as the cost is negligible.
What that would do to our schedule:
We would leave S.F area and arrive in Monterey on Sat. July 17th. Orient ourselves to our hotel and Monterey. Dinner in Carmel.

Sun: Leave area and view Big Sur from our car and quick stops as we head to the Hearst Castle for our tour. Stay the night in San Simeon or Cambria.

Mon: Drive the 6 hours to Big Bear Lake and stay until Saturday, July 24th.

Sat: Leave BBL and drive back up the coast to San Simeon or Cambria and stay the night.

Sunday: Head to Big Sur and do a proper exploration of the area for the day. Find a place to stay between Big Sur and Monterey.

Monday: Kayak on the bay with the family tour for 2 hours at 10:00 am. Maybe visit Henry Cowell State Park in the afternoon if we can fit it in.

Tuesday: Leave to go home from Monterey, or San Jose or San Francisco. Would like to fly out no later than 1:00 pm. Doable if we left from San Jose or San Fran?
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Old May 26th, 2010, 08:22 PM
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"Regarding the route, having Los Angeles not in the equation..is that a good thing? What's the drive like through the central valley and the high desert? If we take that route we'd miss Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. Would we regret that?"

You expressed concern about the LA traffic. As I indicated, I don't think it would be a problem mid-day on the 101-134-210 route. But if you still have misgivings, then yes, not having LA in the equation is a good thing.

The central valley is agricultural, one of the most productive areas in the nation, The high desert is, well, desert. It's flat, with rather sparse low growth.

You're on a tight schedule. You'll have a photo op of Morro Rock and probably just drive through SLB. Same for all the other towns and cities on the route. Nevertheless, if it were me, I would take it in preference to the inland route. That is because I am fearless. It takes more than a little LA traffic to deter me!
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Old May 27th, 2010, 03:36 PM
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Please do not let the L.A. traffic rule your decisions. As previous poster said there are ways around it and as I mentioned in my origional message rush hours can be avoided. If you pass up the drive through Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Ventura, etc you will miss one of the most scenic drives in the U.S. The drive down the central valley and through the high desert is not at all attractive, in comparison. Also, please do not skip Hearst Castle as it is well worth it You can do plesnty of hiking and kayaking in Big Bear.
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Old May 27th, 2010, 04:40 PM
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Hi hibiscus;
I agree w/ 120oaks, the drive down coast highway 1 or 101 is spectacular (especially around Monterey, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo down to Santa Barbara. If you go inland down Interstate 5 it's not that memorable.

You've probably seen movies where the main characters are driving out of LA to somewhere like Vegas and it's miles of flat highway and equally boring brown sand and rocks and occasionally a tumbleweed blows by. That's the desert route.
Not scenic IMHO
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Old May 28th, 2010, 07:17 AM
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We're not THAT concerned about it..just not knowledgeable and wondered if there was an alternative. I see there isn't, so we'll just drive through it and just plan our best around rush hour times.
Thanks dbdurand for that link. That's very helpful!
Still working on the schedule and in looking at where we will be going and researching the kayaking suggestions (which was an awesome suggestion, btw!) there is a kayak tour in Pismo Beach that takes you under arches, by rock gardens and in caves that sounds pretty incredible. Looked up a review of the company, and those that took the cave tour loved it. http://www.centralcoastkayaks.com/

Any thoughts about this area for a kayak tour compared to one in San Simeon, Morro Bay or Cambria?

I'm thinking it would be easier to fit the kayaks in on the backside of our trip rather than the 24 hrs we are in Monterey at the beginning of our trip.
So, would this be a reasonable itinerary based on the time share restrictions we have in S.F. and BBL?:

San Francisco for 3 nights (Wed to Sat with our time share)

Sat: Afternoon and night in Monterey at the Spindrift.

Sun: Leave Monterey and view Big Sur from our car and quick stops as we head to the Hearst Castle for our tour.
Stay the night in San Simeon or Cambria. Sounds like Cambria has more charm.

Mon: View the rest of the coast on our way to Big Bear Lake and stay until Saturday, July 24th. (another time share stay)

Sat: Leave BBL and drive back up the coast to Pismo beach/Cambria. Stay a night in either Cambria or Pismo Beach.

Sunday: Take "a" Kayak tour in the morning. After the tour: drive to Big Sur and get out of the car to explore some. Find a place to stay between Big Sur and Monterey.

Monday: Either go back to Big Sur area or visit Henry Cowell State Park or somewhere else to see some Redwoods.

Tuesday: Leave to fly home from Monterey, or San Jose or San Francisco.
Would like to fly out no later than 1:00 pm. Is that doable traveling from Monterey if we fly out of San Jose or San Fran?
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Old May 28th, 2010, 02:24 PM
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Here's a video of hwy 1 you might like. Taken from a motorcycle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owv7c...eature=related
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Old May 28th, 2010, 02:37 PM
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Another. From a Mustang.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJIieTLotbs&feature=fvw
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