Going to California for the first time ever in Oct.-don't laugh-have one week and want to drive the coast and see the highlights between SF and LA. Any suggested itineraries/stops? Thanks.

Do a search here on hwy 1, pch and any other variant. It's a popular subject and there's plenty of suggestions. You're lucky--October is perhaps the best month for that drive, as well.

Thanks...

Good choice. You will see some of the most beautiful parts of CA. I would recommend that you stop for:

Hearst Castle
In Big Sur eat at the outdoor patio at Ventana Inn or Nepenthe.
Hike at Point Lobos
Walk through Carmel-by-the-Sea and down to the beach from there.
Drive 17 Mile drive
walk or bike the recreation trail on the coast in Pacific Grove
see the Monterey Bay Aquarium
go to San Francisco either via hwy 1 or hwy 280
Have a great trip!

Thank you! I am really looking forward to Big Sur-the pictures I have seen are amazing!

I agree that October is one of the best times of year to visit the California Coast. On piece of advice, I wouldn't take Highway from from SF to Monterey, instead take 280 to 17 to Highway 1 south. Both 280 and 17 are scenic freeways. The part of Highway 1 from SF to Monterey is not nearly as beautiful as the part south of Monterey and down to Big Sur.

There are so many places to see along the way. A suggested itinerary would be:

Day 1: Drive from SF to San Jose. On the way to SJ off of the 280 take a tour of the Filoli Estate. If you decide to visit Filoli, it's suggestible to make reservations for tickts. Stay the night in SJ. Some interesting places to check out would be the Tech and Rosicrucian Egyptian Museums, Winchester Mystery House, and the Japanese Gardens.

http://filoli.org/visitor_gen.html

http://sanjose.org/index.cfm

Day 2: Leave SJ in the morning for Big Basin to experience the coastal redwoods. Drive to Monterey.

http://bigbasin.org/

Day 3 and 4: In the Monterey area the aquarium, Point Lobos, 17 Miles Drive, Fisherman's Wharf, and Carmel are some of the most popular places to see. On Day 4 drive the along the coast through Big Sur and stay the night in Cambria.

http://monterey.com/

Day 5: Take a morning tour of Hearst Castle. Again, as with Filoli, reservations are a good idea.

http://hearst-castle.org/

Day 6 and 7: Los Angeles. In LA I highly recommend the Getty Museum in addiiton to the other popular tourist sites: Hollywood, Santa Monica Pier, etc.

http://www.getty.edu/

Have an excellent trip.

I don't think I would spend a lot of time in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Although many people say it is outstanding, I found it no better than many others I have visited. I wish I had spent that time driving down the coast and making more stops.

I am going back to drive the coast next week and will skip the Aquarium and spend more time at overlooks, parks, and beaches.

I enjoy the Aquarium, but I would skip it in favor of more outdoor activities if I had a tight schedule. Everyone is different though. My husband loves aquariums, zoos, and all that.