My wife and I have been to the Monterey peninsula/Big Sur/Cambia area twice and enjoyed it. After Cambria, We are thinking of driving down the coast a little furthur to Santa Barbara for something new. Is there something unique about the drive from Cambia to Santa Barbara or the Santa Barbara area in general that warrants the time or is the scenery about the same? We have a disabled toddler so we can't go to many attractions--mostly just looking at scenery.

Morro Bay is a nice little harbor town. You can drive on the beach at Pismo Beach. Solvang is a tourist town on Danish theme; in the summer the PCPA theatre there can be nice.

In general the coast is a bit less rugged as you head south, and the road is sometimes well away from the ocean. The weather is definitely warmer. I like the area, but sometimes it is a bit overrun with the LA crowd heading north.

Though different, we found both Morro Bay and Santa Barbara quite enjoyable. Go to the first two albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/bookhall . Got a few pictures of both places in it.

It's true that the coastal drive south of Cambria isn't nearly as dramatic as the drive between Monterey and Cambria.

But, Santa Barbara itself is incredibly beautiful...I love the long beach with palm trees and the mountains in the background. There's a long walkway along the beach, and you can also rent four-wheel pedal cars which are fun. Downtown Santa Barbara is very attractive and charming too.

Santa Barbara has a small zoo with a little train that tours around the zoo, it might be perfect for you and your little one! The whole zoo can be seen in an hour or so, and although not fancy, I find it perfect for my boys, 3 and 1. Let me know if you need more details or ideas that your toddler might be able to handle.

why don't you go north of sf instead? much better drive