HI TTess. My brother in law lives on Lake Mission Viejo and we've visited several times. I only say Laguna to put it in perspective if some might not actually know where Mission Viejo is. Stupid of me since I'm asking for advice from those that know the area.

Carmel and Santa Barbara have always intrigued me so maybe those would be two good places to spend the night while more leisurely driving along the coast.

Can someone please advise of driving time from SFO to Carmel and Carmel to Santa Barbara taking more scenic routes but do not factor in stopping as I'll base that on the actual driving times. Also what is the driving time from Sanata Barbara to Mission Viejo. I know that will vary by time of day but we can do it during non rush hours if they exist.

Thanks all so much for the valuable info.

You're welcome, lemidi...am happy to help.

We live in the Carmel/Pebble Beach area so we frequently make the drive to SF. As a matter of fact, we drove straight up 101 to SF on Christmas afternoon and made it in just over 1-1/2 hours...no traffic. If you're arriving at SFO after 6:00 p.m., I wouldn't worry about commute traffic since you've probably checked your luggage and have to get a rental car. In which case, you could make it here in about two hours. Just head straight down 101 to 156 Castroville (Monterey Peninsula), to 1 South. Others will say take 380 to 280, which I love but it's out of the way, at night you can't see its beautiful views and you won't have a lot of traffic on 101. Don't waste your time staying at an SFO airport hotel unless you think you'll be exhausted. It's much more fun to wake up to the sounds of the ocean rather than jet engines.

As far as driving from Carmel to Santa Barbara, you could take the coastal route, Highway 1, through Big Sur and head to San Luis Obispo to 101 the rest of the way to speed things up. I think that's about a four hour drive. We do it faster but know the road. Make sure when driving on Highway 1, if you see a stream of cars behind you, you pull over to let them by. Not that you would hold traffic up but we see it all the time.

If you need ideas on things to do on the Monterey Peninsula,for your family, search these boards and you'll find them. Have more questions - I'm happy to help. Do make sure you visit our aquarium, Carmel Beach for the sunset and Pt. Lobos, in Carmel, for ocean exploring.
Cheers and Happy New Year! :d

Clarification: When I said four hour drive, I meant to Santa Barbara, not San Luis Obispo.

I think it will depend on what time you got into SFO and how tiring the trip was as to where you might want to spend your first night. If late there are many hotels and motels near SFO. Half Moon Bay is also close. I would personally just drive to Carmel/Monterey and spend two nights there, than move onto Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara.