The Monterey area is definitely a must see. In Monterey
www.monterey.com the Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, and 17 Mile Drive are nice to visit. While in the area, I would also visit the quaint town of Carmel
www.carmelbythesea.com Further south along highway 1 the Big Sur coastline is the most scenic area of the Central Coast. Farther south in San Simeon, Hearst Castle
www.hearst-castle.org is also a must see. Do make reservations for Hearst Castle. <BR><BR>On the way to Monterey from San Francisco, I would suggest the scenic 280 freeway with a stop at the Filoli Estate
www.filoli.org in the town of Woodside for a tour of the Georgian Mansion. In the San Jose area
www.sanjose.org there are a number of interesting places to see including the Tech Museum of Innovation
www.thetech.org the Rosicrucian Eqyptian Museum
www.rosicrucian.org as well as the Winchester Mystery House
www.winchestermystereyhouse.com The Japanese Gardens in Kelley Park as well as the History Museum of San Jose
www.historysanjose.org are also worth a stop. There are plenty of great resturants in the city, especially downtown in San Pedro Square
www.sanpedrosquare.com From San Jose you can head down to Monterey via highway 17 south toward Santa Cruz and then to highway 1 south to the Monterey and Carmel areas. On the way to Monterey on highway 1 in the town of Moss Landing, stop at Phil's for some of the best seafood. The clam chowder is out of this world. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, I would also recommend Big Basin Redwoods State Park
www.bigbasin.org as well as the Roaring Camp steam train tour through the redwood forests
www.roaringcamp.com <BR><BR>I would also look into possibly going to Yosemite
http://www.scenicwonders.com/ The key with Yosemite is to make reservations early.
