random comments:

• Monterey to Santa Monica along the coast is a 7+ hour drive w/o ANY stops/breaks. In 'real life' it is about an 8-9 hour drive if you stop for meals. So not practical to include San Simeon (for which you'll need to pre-book specific tour times) and other sites/towns. It is really a 2 day drive minimum if you want to sightsee along the way.

• A day trip to Catalina is certainly doable, but it won't leave you time to do much hiking. You'd really want to stay at least one night. One way to squeeze out a little more free time is to take the helicopters over/back instead of the ferry. But that is pricey.

• definitely - many hotels/motels around Monterey have pools - but don't necessarily expect warm/swimming weather. The coast can be cool/foggy in the summer. OR - it can be gorgeous. Often when it is baking hot inland (like over 100F in August) it is in the high 60's/low 70's just a few miles west on the coast.

Ok good points. Monterey-LA is farther than I thought but mapquest shows a bit over 5 hours. With 2 hours to San Simeon. Could we wake up early, get to San Simeon/Cambrian by about 10- 11 am. Stay there for 3-4 hours , drive 2 hours down to Solvang ( which looks lovely), stop for food ( about 2 hours), then 2 more hours to Santa Monica for arrival early evening? I am going off mapquest directions. We are not the type to stop at every turn out along the way. Would be easy for us to predetermine our stop and keep it at that.

Also, if we stayed at big sur instead of Monterey, we'd be about an hour closer to Santa Monica.

Any thoughts on staying in big sur v. Santa Monica?

I will have to think about Catalina. Maybe we should overnight there?

Are you deadset on staying in Monterey? It isn't that far from SF.

You could leave SF and visit Monterey and its aquarium. Then continue on down to more of a mid-point on the coast, like San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Cambria, San Simeon-- someplace you could day-trip to the Hearst Castle, wine country, the beach, etc.

Then drive on down and visit Santa Barbara on your way to L.A.

Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica is very nice, if you can justify the bucks. We like their Coast restaurant a lot. Shutters has a great setting on the beach, and you can walk or bike to Venice Beach and Marina del Rey from there.

We generally don't spend that much money on a hotel, since we visit L.A. a lot. The newly renovated Jamaica Bay Inn is nice, much less expensive, right on the Marina del Rey. From there you can walk up to Venice Beach and beyond.

I'm pretty sure those mapquest Monterey > Santa Monica times are for the non-coastal route. To make it in five hours would mean 101 and I-5, and even then getting to the west side near Santa Monica would add more time. That route is for speed, not sites/scenery.

5 hours through Big Sur, San Simeon and on to LA along the coast would be impossible.

janis is right. Last week we drove from Hearst Castle to Big Sur and I think it took about 2 hours on Hwy 1. It is a winding road, with beautiful views, but also some construction on the road now.

FYI, most of the nicer hotels in the usual tourist stops along the coast have a 2-night minimum between Friday (sometimes Thursday) and Sunday in the summer. If your coastal drive is between Sunday and Thursday, you'll have no trouble getting a place for a single night.

Thanks for the excellent points. Of course! I never considered there were routes other than hwy 1!! I am going to have to re-mapquest to see what's doable. Also,, maybe we could drive inland for one leg of the trip.

Will look at bypassing Monterey. The real draw was big sur- loved the hiking and nature of it but nice hotels didn't take kids and didn't want to stay at one of the other hotels for 4-5 days as there is no tv, wifi, etc. thought Monterey was close, scenic and with civilization and things to do. We are up for maybe 1-2 nights in big sur roughing it,, maybe treebones??

Want to have beach vacation too so thought we would splurge for shutters or Loews. Will check out Jamaica inn too as always nice to save $$.

I love the way this trip is evolving - thanks for all your fabulous comments!
Lisa

"<i>Will look at bypassing Monterey. </i>"

OK -- suggestion. Ditch mapquest and look at a real <i>map</i> :)

You can't really bypass Monterey and do Big Sur. Well -- you <i>could</i> but it really wouldn't make sense or save you time.

You get to Big Sur two ways. Either from the north via Monterey/Carmel . . . or from the south via Cambria. Both are via hwy 1 so whether coming up from LA or down from SF, Monterey/Carmel will be on your route.

Staying in Monterey or Carmel makes total sense -- and many hotels there will have TV/wifi.

Staying in Big Sur means either paying a LOT at mostly adult resorts, or staying at very rustic places. Big Sur is gorgeous but not always the easiest most practical place to base. Staying in Carmel/Monterey gives you lots for the family to see/do plus convenient access to Big Sur.

I was still planning to drive through it (and stop for a few hours) Just not stay there as peace out suggested - that is what I meant by bypass:)

Am now thinking of staying in big sur 2 nights then staying somewhere else south of big sur for 2-3 nights, closer to la- maybe San Simeon or Cambria ?? Wish San Simeon/cambria was an hour further south though to break up big sur-la segment a bit more. Also thinking abou San Luis obispo - someone mentioned pismo resort.

Thx!

The beauty of having others respond to requests is that it really helps one plan out their vacation/routes.

Along with what I said before - I would recommend you get an early start from SF to Monterrey (2 plus hours) - and drive through Steinbeck's Cannery Row and decide if you want to visit the great Acquarium.

From there, you could also do the 17 mile drive into the artist colony of Carmel and wind up south of Carmel - in say the Highlands Inn (see http://tinyurl.com/6vkymyf )- or a bit further in Big Sur, staying for as long as you decide.

You might check out the Hogsbreath Inn (not sure if Clint Eastwood still owns this) and also grab a cup of coffee/snack at Nepenthene - a bit of an eccentric place with great views.

From there, again, if you left early, you could enjoy the beautiful drive down the Coast hiway to the beach just above San Simeon and check out the Elephant Seals - which is maybe 2 and a half/3hr drive - and it only takes about a 15 minute stop - at the Seal Beach (it's right by the road - or you cna stay longer as you choose) - and then take an early afternoon visit to Hearst Castle, and then continue on (a couple hours further) to stay a night in quaint, classic Solvang.

The next morning, have some great Danish pastries and continue on to Santa Monica, about 4 hours or so.

As for Catalina - just the boatride over is a fun experience - even if you only went for the day.

BTW - since you are from Chicago (where I was born :) ) you might enjoy seeing the golf course in Catalina, which I think used to be where Wrigley built a small baseball park and the Cubs sometimes visited there during their spring training.

And I was trying to find the name of the classic restaurant/inn? that is well up on a hill - south of Carmel - overlooking the Ocean but can't find it. Did find this though, and it might be worth checking out: Rocky Point Restaurant http://www.restauranteur.com/rockypoint/map.htm

Nepenthe restaurant in Big Sur?

When there recently, I thought the Holiday Inn Santa Monica looked like a good place to investigate. It sits right at the beach, and would be less expensive than Shutters obviously. Pictures look like the rooms are fairly current. Free wi-fi. Their rates look pretty good, and they offer a free night if you find cheaper prices at their hotel elsewhere. Parking is $27/day.

I'm at Boreal in Tahoe right now and it is dumping snow.
I think snow at Big Bear in Dec is a safe bet. (YEAH SNOW!!!!!)


I also second Catalina. I prefer the Two Harbors side of the island but Avalon has hotels and more to do. Two Harbors is one of my top ten favorite places in??(The world?? So far.) and the fishing, diving, snorkeling is some of the best I've done. That probably won't fit into your plans for this trip but keep it in mind for the future.

I think I mixed my posts up.

Yes, Nepenthene in Big Sur: see: http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

Thanks all- I love Tomsd suggestions and am so pleased by all the endorsements of Catalina. Was talking to the kids about trip and they were very intrigued by Catalina. I'm thinking we will likely overnight there.

Thanks also for holiday inn tip and Nepethene.

By the way, Chicago registered its first official snow yesterday ( nothing stuck though). I may never want to leave sunny ca.

You are all so wonderful to give us so many great ideas and recommendations .

Lisa

Correction: Nepenthe

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/restaurant.html

Peaceout: Nepenthe has a great view and is high on a hill overlooking the Pacific, but it's still on the ocean side of the higway - and the place I was thinking about it further up the hillside - above the hiway a couple of miles, and back toward Carmel. It was a long time ago - so maybe it's changed names, or possibly even closed, whatever.