Hello everyone. We are spending 2 weeks in California in June (first time to USA flying to San Francisco, out of LA. So far we have planned 3 nights San Fran, 2 nights Napa, 3 nights Yosemite. Then the plan is to drive back to the coast and spend six nights on/near the coast before flying out of LA. Is this a good idea? Any suggestions as to where to stay/what to do on the coast would be v. welcome. Would 3 nights Monterey/3 nights Santa Barbara be too long in each? We want to drive Big Sur and also chill out a bit on the way down. We are active 50 year olds who like scenery, hiking, visiting places of interest, wine etc. Any suggestons/alternatives welcome.

I think your plan makes a lot of sense and think you will have a good time, getting to see a lot of Calif. However, I think 3 nights in the Monterey area is too long. Have you thought about seeing San Simeon on your way south? You should be getting a lot of other suggestions soon. Then you can make your final plans. Happy travels.

Hi paulineh!
You can to a search using the "search
this forum" box and typing in Monterey
and santa barbara in the box-there's loads of info here.

Be aware that June,as well as July and August can be foggy along the coast.
It can roll in around 4PM and burn off
by 10-11AM or it can stay all day.
I live in Sonoma County,CA and it has been foggy here all day.

It's all in the luck of the draw.
If you are thinking warm beach weather
you most likely won't find it-be sure to pack sweaters. Napa,however, should be warm enough for shorts.

Now, over on the coast,I think a hike at Pt.Lobos would be fun
during your Monterey stay. Consider taking one of those days/nights and
visit Cambria and Hearst Castle
during the day-San Simeon as qqqsal suggested. East of Cambria
is Paso Robles and a nice
wine region. Did you see the movie
"Sideways"?. The wine region where it was filmed is off Hwy 101 on Hwy 154
just north of Santa Barbara, look for Los Olivios on your map.
Lots more will come your way !
R5

paulineh, I think your overall plan is fine, but I do think three nights in Monterey and three nights in Santa Barbara is too much time in both places.

It's heresy, I know, and others will post in indignant disagreement, but in my opinion Monterey has become one of the two most overrated places where dollars are taken from tourists on the Coast (the other being Cambria) and is entirely skippable, unless you have a strong interest in a great Aquarium, and don't have your own great Aquarium near home. Of much greater interest are Carmel and Big Sur just to the south of it. Put each of these names in the search box in this forum, and you will find a wealth of discussion of their attractions, accommodations and restaurants. Although close together, each of these has their unique beauty and atmosphere, and each, I think, may be worth a night's stay for you.

I do think Hearst Castle is worth your time, more for the spectacular setting, and its use in the views from the buildings and particularly the incredible Outdoor Pool, than for the buildings and art objects, impressive as they are. In this setting, you will find this to be so much more than one more old mansion/museum.

The towns near it, Cambria and San Simeon, are in my view both just convenient nesting and refreshment annexes for the Castle rather than destinations in their own right, although Cambria has tried hard (but unnsuccessfully, I think) to make itself an imitation Carmel. The coast is more interesting both to the north and south of here. Southward, see the great Rock in the harbor at Morro Bay, the surf at Pismo Beach, the gorgeous beach at Carpinteria just north of Santa Monica, and the beautiful Santa Barbara area itself. And save the last night for Santa Monica, so you can have a day experiencing the L.A. beaches, for a taste of that classic image of California sun.

Nah JBC411,Fishermans Wharf in SF way out ranks Monterey and Cambria !!
paulineh, you may find Pacific Grove
more charming than the touristy
areas in Monterey. DEFINETLY see the
Aquarium, tho. I don't think all that much of Carmel, after $$$$ shopping + food what do you have ?
Yet, these are destinations that folks want to visit and that's why we
can say "been there, done that, bought the T-shirt."
R5

Oops, I see in locating Carpinteria Beach I put it just north of Santa Monica, when I meant Santa Barbara.

I entirely agree on Fisherman's Wharf, SF, Razzle--just I didn't consider it to be on the Coast. (Cliff House is on the Coast.) Although I think Fisherman's Wharf/Cannery Row in Monterey comes a close second to its SF counterpart area for tackiness. (What have we done, John Steinbeck?) Allright, I know you're going to tell me it's on a Bay too.

What do you have in Carmel after the shopping and restaurants, Razzle? The best of Carmel, I think, which is away from those things. The deep and fragrant forest, the inns, the houses, the beach. The incredibly white sand in the glow of a glorious sunset. The peace, the sound of distant surf, occasional lamps or candles in windows glimpsed through the forest, the smoke from picturesque chimneys. The fires on the beach at night and the dogs in the surf at dawn. Things you are unlikely to discover unless you overnight there. Carmel is best for me late at night and early in the morning.

Beautiful description of Carmel. We enjoyed the Carmel beach so much, it was a bit windy the first day but the second day was gorgeous. Carmel is very quaint with a lot of charm.

If you like wine, I would suggest heading out to Carmel Valley. We enjoyed the Chateau St. Julien winery and the Bernardus winery. We stopped at the Bernardus Lodge for a casual lunch at Wickets which was wonderful. Carmel Valley is very nice and produces some excellent wines. I had a glass of the Ventana Vineyards Riesling at Forge in the Forest which was great but didn't have a chance to get over to the winery.

I would also suggest Bouchee in Carmel for a fine dining experience. My four course tasting dinner was perfect and David Fink really goes out of his way to make sure you're happy here. Cheers! ***kim***

I'd just like to clarify that Hearst Castle is near San Simeon and Hearst Castle is the place to see. If you haven't been to the US before you might not have heard of it. If you are from Europe you might not be impressed, but it is a nice place to visit.

I'll put in a plug here for Cambria. It's a delightful little coastal town full of charm and beauty. We like to walk Moonstone Beach and look for moonstones when we visit.

There is also a very nice little downtown area where you can wine taste at Fermentations, get some ollalieberry treats at Linn's and have afternoon tea at the Tea Cozy. The Sow's Ear Cafe is very good for dinner. ***kim***

Hello all,
Thanks for all your helpful responses. We have decided we will probably stay 2 nights Carmel, 1 San Simeon, 2 Santa Barbara and last night Santa Monica before flying home, but will leave things flexible so we can go with the flow. Looking forward to trying some of the wineries/restaurants suggested - Sideways has a lot to live up to!

Hi again! In Santa Barbara we really enjoyed our meals at the Wine Cask and Olie e Limone. In Los Olivos (wine country) stop by the Los Olivos Cafe for a nice dinner. Gainey & Arthur Earl are both very nice places to visit to wine taste in this area. Cheers! ***kim***

paulineh, unless you feel you must see the exact locales of the movie Sideways, I think that if you are going to have already spent two nights in Napa, you would find going inland to the Santa Barbara County wine country a little redundant and anticlimactic. It's pleasant there and there are good wineries, but it doesn't come up to Napa (or Sonoma) as a place to visit. After you head south the Napa/Sonoma area, with the limited time you have, I'd concentrate on the Coast.

I think that your plan to stay 2 nights in Santa Barbara and the last in Santa Monica is a good one. While in SB, I second Olio et Limone for luch or dinner (lunch I think M-Sat), or, for a less expensive and casual meal try La Super Rica, on Milpas a block or two No of Cota (Milpas is an exit off the 101 fwy, slightly South of the main town exit of Garden/State St). Great, great Mexican food that even Julia Child loved.

I am a little bit concerned about winging it for a hotel in Santa Barbara in June, especially if you will be there on a weekend. If you do decide to do that, some friends told us there is a kiosk by the pier taht has unsold rooms (I have NOT done this myself, so I cannot guarantee it). I would probably also get a hotel in Santa Monica for the night before you fly home, unless you're OK with an airport-adjacent place and don't need anything fabulous.

Have fun! Sounds like a nice trip.

Sounds like you have a nice trip planned. Are you sure you only want to spend one night in Santa Monica? If it was me I'd skip a night somewhere,maybe San Simeon, and have an extra night in LA.