Chels

In mid-September, we will have 2 days to get from LA to San Francisco, and we have 5 people with divergent interests. I've been researching and reading posts, but I would like some good, detailed suggestions for making the most of the 2 days. We don't have further time to add, so please work with me in the 2 days!

We will leave LA on a Monday morning. We plan on driving at least a portion of Route 1 for the scenery. We would like to include a few wineries on the way to Monterey (yes, we have a designated non-tasting driver!). We will overnight in Monterey, perhaps check out the aquarium and/or a whale watching cruise, and then continue on to SFO. We have eliminated the idea of the 17-mile drive, Hearst Castle, etc. Our main interests are in the scenic drive, wineries (because we don't have time to visit Napa), and a little taste of the Monterey Peninsula.

Can you please suggest/answer the following:

1) A route from LA that incorporates the most scenic part of Route 1 on the Coast, yet allows us to deviate to a few wineries in Paso Robles/central CA wine country. We are trying to bear in mind that we want to finish the wineries and arrive in Monterey before sunset so that we don't miss out on the scenery. What's the best route, and a good time to leave LA to make the most of this day?

2) What are your suggested wineries? We are by no means wine experts, and will not become experts in the near future. Therefore, a winery or two (maximum 3) would probably suffice. Perhaps more important than the actual wine (since we can always buy wine) is the experience of visiting the winery itself (wine caves, fields, etc.) So, we are balancing between convenience in terms of location along our travel route and a neat winery or two.

3) What is the best route from Monterey to San Francisco? We probably would not depart Monterey until the afternoon. Have we already seen the most scenic part of the coast? Or we better returning to the major highways versus Route 1 at this point?

I know I have asked for a lot of information, and I thank you in advance for the help.

Best,
Chels

Chels

ttt

J_Correa

1) The most scenic part of the coast is Big Sur between Cambria and Monterey. From LA, you can head up Hwy 101 though Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo and either take Hwy 1 from there or you can go a little further north on Hwy 101 to Paso Robles and then cut over to Hwy 1 on Hwy 46.

3) From Monterey to SF (SF is the abreviation for the city, SFO is the abreviation for the airport) there are basically 3 routes you can take. The fastest route is the least scenic, the slowest route is the most scenic - as is generally the case.

The fastest route is Hwy 1 north to Hwy 156 east to Hwy 101 north. At San Jose, I generally cut over on Hwy 85 to Hwy 280 because it doesn't take any longer, but is a much nicer drive.

The second fastest is Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz and then Hwy 17 over the mountains to San Jose, then Hwy 85 to 280. This is more scenic since you go through the Santa Cruz mountains.

The third route is Hwy 1 north to Half Moon Bay, then Hwy 92 over to 280. This take you through the San Mateo coast, which is north of Santa Cruz and very pretty. It is a lot different than the Big Sur coast.

Which route is best just depends on what you are looking for.

Michael

From Santa Cruz, going hwy 1 or using 17 end up to be about the same in terms of time, maybe a 15 minute difference. If going up 1, I would not cross over at 92 but continue on 1 through Devil's Slide and Pacifica to 280.

Chels

Thanks for the information - this will certainly make planning easier.

Best,
Chels