Mia

I would like some suggestions as to where is the best place to stop on the Central Coast of California. My cousins and I are spending 2 nights in SF then driving South on the coast. We're planning to spend the night in either Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, before continuing down to SB. We'd like to do the 17-mile drive and visit Hearst Castle. Any suggestions on the best towns or hotels to stop and stay in? Thanks!

c

Cambria is a good town to stay in overnight on your drive down the coast. It's just a short distance from Hearst Castle.

MJH

You can do the 17-mile drive in about 2 hours if you make all the stops. There's a gate in Monterey (Pacific Grove) and another in Carmel.

Carmel-by-the-sea was originally an artist's colony. The shops, art galleries, and restaurants are upscale. Nice beach about 10 blocks from the downtown area.

Santa Barbara is still about 5 hours away from Carmel on Highway 1. You can spend the night in Carmel or head South for about 3 hours and spend the night in Cambria (about 15 miles South of Hearst Castle). Cambria is also on the coast at Moonstone Beach.

If you spend the night in Cambria, you can get to Hearst Castle in the morning. You are still about 2+ hours away from Santa Barbara.

On you way to Santa Barbara, make sure you stop at Solvang. It's a Danish colony about 45 minutes from SB off Highway 101. You'll find a town with Danish architecture, cobblestone walks, restaurants, and shops. There's a Spanish mission (founded in 1804 and you can take a tour of the entire place) about 1 mile east of Solvang in a town called Santa Ynez.

You can take the back-road through the Lake Cachuma area into Santa Barbara. There are some wineries in this back-road area called Los Olivos.

Enjoy your trip.

MJH

Mia

Thanks for the replies, C and MJH. Sounds like Cambria would be a good place for us to stop at. One other question -- Any suggestions on hotels? There's 5 of us traveling and we're looking for good but affordable B&B's or hotels. Thanks again!

kam

Mia, I would definitely stop in Carmel before Big Sur then you can get up the next morning and enjoy the 3-4 hour drive through Big Sur. Carmel Village Inn, Wayside Inn or Pine Inn would be good moderately (for Carmel) priced places to stay. You'll be tired of driving by the time you reach Carmel from SF through the 17 Mile Drive and Monterey. I wouldn't push to drive Big Sur at that point plus you'll want to drive Big Sur during the daylight. Cambria is a wonderful town but it's south of Big Sur.

MJH

Mia,

My wife and I stayed at the Fog Catcher Inn, all rooms have a fireplace, there's a heated pool and a jacuzzi out in the garden. Try www.fogcatcherinn.com.

Two other places on Moonstone Beach Drive are www.cypresscoveinn.com and www.seaotterinn.com. Check them out, but I've never stayed in these two. Seemed nice from the outside. There are others.

You need to plan your trip carefully to make sure you don't rush yourself. Carmel-by-the-Sea is a very nice town, but it's more expensive. If you enjoy viewing/buying art, then you'll spend more time here. Lots of small art galleries in Carmel.

From Monterey to Cambria, this whole area is called Big Sur (Sur is Spanish for South). I recommend that you start reading books on this area, so you can determine how much time to allocate to each area you want to visit.

As you make your way down from Monterey, you'll discover that there's a famous bridge Bixiby, a famous restaurant Nepenthe, some beautiful hidden beaches, great hiking trails, hidden waterfalls, etc.

Have fun,

MJH

Mia

Everything sounds great - I can't wait for my trip! Thanks again, everyone.

Liz

Mia, if you aren't a golfer you'll probable think 17 mile drive is a waste of time. More houses and golf courses than scenery.