We are planning an October honeymoon in California. We have already booked hotels, and now need to fill in the gaps for things to do and places to eat. Below is our itinerary so far (with questions). Any feedback and suggestions are much appreciated!! Thanks --

Flying into Santa Barbara. Staying at Harbor View Inn. Need suggestions on beaches. Will it be warm enough to swim/sun-bathe? Any suggestions on where to eat breakfast/lunch/dinner. We are saving the expensive type restaurants for Carmel and Healdsburg, and are looking to do more casual-pub-type places in SB. I hear Mexican food is good in SB. What else should we do in SB?

After SB we are driving up the scenic coast to Carmel. Any suggestions on places to stop for lunch on the way?

We are in Carmel for 4 nights. Staying at Tickle Pink Inn. The only things we have planned so far are the Monterey Aquarium and Point Lobos State Park (picnic + hiking). Where else should we take hikes? What else to do? I hear cayaking is nice on the Peninsula? I also read something about "renting" a custom bonfire on the beach? Does anyone know anything about that? Also, any suggestions on where to eat in Carmel/Monterey. Again, looking for something mid-range, since we are saving up for pricey restaurants in Sonoma Cty. What are some good pubs in Carmel...I expect my beloved Red Sox to be in the playoffs, so where would be a good place to catch a few innings?

After 4 nights in Carmel, we drive the scenic route to Healdburg (probably over Golden Gate bridge). Any suggestions on where to stop for lunch? Is it worth swinging into SF just for lunch. WE don't care much to sight-see in SF.

We are staying at the Honor Mansion for 4 nights in Healdsburg. For restaurants, the owner of the hotel has recommended Dry Creek Kitchen (for the one that we splurge on)...and then Zin, Cena Luna & Willie's. Any feedback on these places. Any other hidden gems?

What about places for lunch in Healdsburg area? We heard about the Oakville Grocery...apparently they pack a picnic for you to bring to a winery?????

What about wineries? We plan to do quite a bit of tasting....would prefer the "hidden gems" instead of the tourist-traps. Don't mind making appointments. Scenery is important, as is good wine! Is it worth it to rent a driver for a day?

Any and all help you can give us is much appreciated!! Thanks, Erik

Wow! A lot of questions! Good for you!

Usually we have to ask for specifics, but not with your post! Good posting!

I'll just focus on a few areas - since you will be driving up Highway 1, try Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The hike to McWay Falls is very easy and the view is great. Not to be missed.

Last weekend, we hiked in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and did a few short hikes among the redwoods there. You could try the same.

Point Lobos is a great area, plan on spending at least 1/2 a day there.

On the way up, try Nepenthe for lunch. The view is awesome, the food erratic.

In Carmel Valley we like the Rio Grill, but haven't been there for a couple of years.

Do drive the 17-mile Drive and stop off at the Pebble Beach Lodge. We like the Tap Room for a quick bite or the Stillwater Grill for more expensive food. Even if you don't eat at the Stillwater, just walk across the lobby area to the terrace and drink in that gorgeous view over the golf course.

Also inside the 17 Mile Drive is Spanish Bay. We like Roy's at Spanish Bay. Lunch should be reasonable.

As you head up north from Carmel to San Francisco, stay on Highway 1. It's more scenic and has lots more to offer than the inland routes. Stay on 1, then take Highway 35, and keep along the ocean along the Great Highway in San Francisco.

One of my favorite stops in San Francisco is the Cliff House and the Bistro restaurant there. It's right along the ocean. Look it up online.

In Healdsburg, don't miss the Healdsburg Charcuterie. It's right in the downtown area. Lots of wonderful pigs in there. Last time we went, tho, they had remodeled the bathroom and the flying pigs in there are gone! But you'll enjoy their other pigs and their food!

Have a great time and congratulations on your marriage!

We have stayed at both the Harbor View and the Tickle Pink Inn, both are very nice places, you have made some great lodging choices.

In Santa Barbara, for a very nice dinner go to the Wine Cask. We also enjoyed the SB Shellfish Co. on Stearn's Wharf for the lobster bisque and lobster dinners. I think we ate there 3 times on our trip! Olie e Limone is very good for Italian food in Santa Barbara.

Casanova is nice in Carmel for a meal, there is also the California Market at the Highland's Inn which is casual and has gorgeous views of the coastline.

For a real splurge, you may want to try Cyrus. We dined there in March, it is amazing. We also enjoyed Dry Creek Kitchen, but Cyrus is much better. Have fun on your honeymoon! ***kim***

Thanks for the great ideas!!! Looking forward to more suggestions! Thanks again!!

Dear ErikS,

Some driving suggestions around Healdsburg:

The Dry Creek area is a beautiful drive with many wineries located along the route. If you feel like making a day of it, you can follow Dry Creek Road till it turns into the Stewarts Point / Skaggs Springs Road and drive out towards the coast. You will be at the coastal area where Sonoma and Mendocino counties meet - very rugged and beautiful. Be prepared for some winding, narrow roads, but so worth it.

The other drive I love in the Healdsburg area is the Geysers Road, which winds up at the Calpine Geothermal facility. It is very remote and will give you some stunning views of the area. Again, a twisty road, but not much traffic.

Enjoy your trip.

In Headsburg I would highly recommend Charcuiterie for lunch...great food!!! Open 7 days a week too. I personally think Cyrus is over done, and VERY expensive. I prefer Dry Creek Kitchen. I think Zin is too noisy but love Willies and esp. Barn Diva...another fun place for lunch (or dinner). I don't think you will have time to drive the long winding roads around here. Do visit some wineries. I LOVE Preson which is out West Dry Creek. Ferrari Carano has lovely gardens. Lots of wine tasting and shopping around the square. I would really suggest trying to see the beautiful Redwood trees in Armstrong State Park in Guerneville. Its not crowded and very pretty. You can get there easily by going out West Side Road towards the Pacific... at Jenner swing South towards Bodega Bay and come East towards Sebastapol. You might like to Google Osmosis Spa in Freestone for an unusual spa treatment that is WONDERFUL.

Have lunch or dinner at Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing. It's not far from Carmel. This is far better than tourist traps in Fisherman's Wharf in SF or around the piers in Monterey.

http://www.philsfishmarket.com/

When driving up HWY 1, you can also stop by Half Moon Bay for lunch. Pasta Moon is famous and probably offers pretty good lunch deals during the week.

Visit the farmer's market in Healdsburg.

In October, the water along the Pacific coast will be too cold to swim in.

Poster kleroux recommends a stop in Freestone and so do I. This tiny hamlet (not really a town) has the Osmosis Spa plus Wildflower Bakery - one of the nicest, most atmospheric places to get scones, bread, etc. Freestone is close to Occidental, a slightly bigger ville with a restaurant or two. If you can find the turnoff for Coleman Valley Road whilst driving between Freestone and Occidental, take the detour by all means. The road will take you up into the coastal hills, across an upland meadow, and then dramatically downhill to Highway One with a jaw-dropping ocean view on the way.

Willie's in Healdsburg is a must if you like oysters! We havent been back since chef Matt Gordon left, but loved every delicious dish when we were there!

Ooh, I adore Phil's Fishmarket and Wildflower Bakery. Bakery is open Friday through Monday, and if you plan your trip to the area around that, you won't be disappointed!

http://www.wildflourbread.com/

I 3rd Phil's in Moss Landing. Also Monterey's Fish House in Monterey. I like Bahama Billy's in Carmel. And Toastie's Cafe, the Red House & First Awakenings in Pacific Grove.

These all sound like great suggestions. So excited! Keep the ideas coming in! "Barkinpark" said it would be too cold to swim in October. Is this true, even in Santa Barbara (October 8-10)?? We're from Maine, so very familiar cold-water-swimming. Anything above 60 degrees is swim-able as far as i'm concerened!

We were just in Carmel for our umpteenth visit. We dined at Casanova, as we do every visit--very romantic, very charming, with fine, mainly Continental food. You can dine inside, outside, and on partially open patio.
We tried L'Escargot for the first time and regretted not trying it earlier. Lovely dining rooms, French food, personally prepared by owner-chef. We ate there twice--it was that good.
See www.carmelcalifornia.org
Santa Barbara beaches will probably have low-to-mid-sixties water temps. Further north, forget swimming. The town beach in Carmel is a physically gorgeous beach to sit/stroll. If you are bringing a laptop, you can subscribe to mlb and watch yours (and my) Red Sox whup whoever they're playing while the Y*****s sit home.

We live on the Monterey Peninsula. CASANOVA'S is a great place in Carmel and you will enjoy it for a honeymoon spot.

Spanish Bay resort is fun to visit. We were there with friends on Saturday. They have numerous outdoor firepits overlooking the Pacific and the golf course. The bagpiper plays for an hour each day at sunset. Enjoy that with a glass of wine, then go inside for dining at ROYS or PEPPONI"S...Italian. Both are good places.

Nice stop on the way north is Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. Beautiful New England style hotel on the ocean. Nice location for lunch or dinner.

WILLIES is good. We ate there with friends in April.

Get a list of the wineries from your hotel. There are too many in the area to start picking. Listen to the hotel's recommendations. BELLA has a cave. SEGHESIO is close to downtown and has a nice yard area and tasting room. RIDGE has outstanding wine, but tasting room is so-so.

Suggestions for Carmel area: Drive the coast around Pacific Grove. The Pt Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove is oldest operating on the west coast. The drive has a lot of places to stop for photos. The PG golf course you will see is the "poor man's Pebble Beach"....$40 for 18 holes versus $450.00 at Pebble.

PG also has excellent restaurants. FANDANGO'S and PASSIONFISH are both outstanding and get a lot of the Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay crowd.

Good place to stop for a drink or lunch on the way north is ROCKY POINT RESTAURANT. It is located on HWY1 about 12 miles south of Carmel. It has an outdoor deck overlooking the Pacific. Good brunch place or beer stop. The dinner is okay, but not outstanding. You will see the sign if you drive on 1 going into Carmel. It is right after the famous BIXBY BRIDGE.

HAVE FUN! GREAT AREA TO EXPLORE!

Hi ErikS!

I spent some of my October honeymoon in CA as well-it will be just beautiful!

Things I particularly enjoyed on visits to CA:

*17 mile drive in Monterey (I loved the lone cypress)

*Driving along PCH (speed really is monitored by aircraft)

*Eating at Greens in San Francisco

http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

Congratulations on your nuptials and have a FANTASTIC time!

Good question about swimming in SB. I have not been to the beach there, but the beaches around SF Bay/Santa Cruz. In fact, I almost never see people swimming in these waters. People go to beaches in SF/SC just to surf, to sunbathe, or to let kids/dogs wade. The current is sometimes too strong. Yet, it may be ok at SB.

If you have time, I'd suggest you visit Berkeley. Alice Waters' Chez Panisse is worth a visit. For more dining suggestions, you can check out the SF Bay Area board in chowhound.com.

ttt: I'm a Carmel local and will give you advice a bit later.

Let's see...a place to watch the baseball playoffs in Carmel...my kids' orthodontist's office. Oh, you said you wanted a pub. Ummm....I hear Peter B's at the Portola Plaza Hotel in downtown Monterey has a dozen T.V.s with sports on them. There are bars all over Carmel with sports on them.

Mid-range restaurants. If you love sushi, Wasabi Bistro http://www.crossroadsshoppingvillage.com/230_wasabi.htm at The Crossroads Shopping Center (Rio Road and Hwy 1) is excellent. It's only a 5 minute drive from your hotel. California Market next door at the Highland's Inn is a good view spot for a sandwich or a salad. Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch has a nice restaurant for a good steak. It's 5 minutes from your hotel. There's a good martini bar, Bixby's at the Barnyard, also five minutes from your hotel.

Somebody mentioned Rio Grill...tourist trap - not worth it. Christopher's on Ocean and Lincoln is wonderful. Roy's and the other Pebble Beach restaurants are very nice but not mid-range price-wise, by any means. Casanova is not a local's favorite unless you want a good salad and a good glass of wine. It's expensive, too. Head to Grasings or Little Napoli for some nice meals.

Last but not least, pick up a picnic lunch at Safeway at the Crossroads, or sushi from Wasabi Bistro or sandwiches from Bruno's, grab a blanket and head to the bottom of Ocean Avenue, to the beach, for our glorious sunsets. What a way to honeymoon! Best wishes to you both.

Gotta debate TTess a little here. We're not locals, but have visited Carmel probably 15 times over the years, as recently as last month, dining at Casanova every time, finding the food consistently outstanding in an incredibly romantic atmosphere. Locals always a good % of the diners. IMO, consistently outstanding over 25 years says a lot about a place. We thought Grasing's was spotty, a so-so meal there last month, even though we made sure Kurt Grasing was on that nite.

The Healdsburg area is loaded with wineries. You can get a map probably at your hotel. I was down there for the winter barrel tasting and some of the wineries right in Healdsburg that I though were wonderful, and bought from are Christie, Sapphire Ridge, Lake Sonoma, right on the square and also on the square is Rosenblum. Christie is kind of hidden..it's next door to Sapphire Ridge...ask where the bathrooms are and it's right there. LOL I've been to Sapphire Ridge twice and never knew Christie was there. These are all small wineries, very friendly people. I don't know if they charge for tasting because at the barrel tasting you pay 10.00, get a wrist band and then can go to any winery participating and not pay a fee.

Others in the area, Bella (it was mentioned), and Wilson is just wonderful. There's a fairly new one where you can also taste and buy olive oil..Ducher Creek...on Dry Creek Rd. Lovely grounds and picnic area. It's hard to choose...wineries are everywhere. I prefer the small ones and like buying wine that I can't get all the time at the local supermarket. Just drive and there are wineries all over the place. There are more than you could ever visit in a couple of days..a week even. You are going to see some wonderful scenery, enjoy your trip and congratulations, and I wish you many years of happiness.