Refining my California Itinerary
 

Trying to figure out the 3 days I have to spend after Santa Cruz before Returning to San Francisco. Plans for Big Sur and Cambria....


Day 1 - Santa Cruz with friends
Day 2 - Santa Cruz with Friends
Day 3 - Santa Cruz with friends
Day 4 - Drive Santa Cruz to Big Sur - Stop Carmel Valley Wineries?
Day 5- Stay another night in Big Sur or go to Cambria
Day 6 - Cambria
Day 7 - Drive from Cambria back to SF
(See Hearst Castle one of these days)
Which way to drive back (stop in Paso Robles?)
OR should I drive from Santa Cruz down to Cambria and do Big sur on the way back up
3 days in San Francisco (pretty set on this part)

Thanks so much!

Actually, I would spend 2 days in Carmel/Pt Lobos and skip all the stuff south of Big Sur. I don't think Cambria/Paso Robles is nearly as interesting as Carmel/Pacific Grove. The Big Sur coast gets less scenic about 1 to 1 1/4 hrs south of Big Sur village - as you get close to San Simeon/Hearst Castle.

Day 1-3 Santa Cruz
Day 4-5 Carmel
Day 6 Big Sur with a drive 1 hr south & back
Day 7 Big Sur/drive back to SF

Stu Dudley

The drive from Santa Cruz to Cambria on Highway 1 is one of the most spectacular in USA, and the drive from from Cambria to Paso Robles and through the Paso Robles wine district is also very beautiful. We have made this trip many times and we are going to do it again later this month.

The entire loop: Santa Cruz, Carmel, Big Sur, Cambria, Paso Robles, San Francisco is only 380 miles--easy to do in the time you have.

This is a road trip you will long remember with great pleasure.

Be on the look out for sea lions seven miles north of San Simeon, take the "Hearst Castle" tour, take a walk on Cambria's moonstone beach, and drive to San Francisco via Paso Robles and Highway 101.

HTtY

Thanks happytrailstoyou

Would you stay 2 days Big Sur Lodge or 2 days Cambria (Pelican Inn) ...

High class troubles!!!

Sounds like better not to back track up HWY 1 but to loop through Paso Robles.....

If you spend two nights in Cambria, you could go to Paso Robles as a day trip and the drive up Highway 1 (including the stretch through Half Moon Bay) to San Francisco.

HTtY

Like I stated earlier, Cambria is not nearly as interesting as Carmel/Pacific Grove, IMO. The coast isn't as scenic around Cambria as it is around Carmel to 1 hr south of Big Sur. Staying in Cambira will force you to do a lot of not-so-scenic driving (getting back to SF). I would get bored with 2 days in Cambria. Stay in Big Sur and Carmel/Pacific Grove. You should spend many hours wandering around on foot in Carmel/PG visiting the villages, Carmel Beach, Spanish Bay, etc. Then Pt Lobos is at least a 2 hr visit. You'll want to get out of the car & admire Bixby Bridge along with other scenic pull-outs on the way to Big Sur. In the Big Sur area, visit Pfeiffer Beach, Pfeiffer State Park (where the Big Sur Lodge is located), and Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park. All these Pfeiffer places will consume at least 3 hours to really enjoy. Lunch or dinner at Nepenthe is one of our favorite things to do. Then a 1 hr drive south on Hwy 1 from Big Sur and then back to Big Sur will be extremely scenic. You'll see things going north that you didn't see going south. Please - don't rush through the area between Carmel & 1 hr south of Big Sur. Unless Hearst Castle is a "biggie" for you - skip Cambria & Paso Robles - or visit Hearst Castle on the drive from/back to Big Sur.

According to mapquest, the Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Cambria, Paso Robles, San Francisco (on the un-scenic 101) is 405 miles and will take you 6 hrs if you don't hit the San Jose/SF commute traffic, and around 7 hrs if you do. Spend more time admiring our coast than sitting in the car getting to SF from Cambria/PR on 101. IMO, 3 nights is too little time to hit Carmel, Big Sur, Cambria, Paso Robles, and then back to SF.

Stu Dudley
67 year Calif native & resident.

I have never been to Hearst Castle (although grew up in California) and it's a bit on the bucket list. Apparently my relative carved the front doors. I don't think it's going to be my end all be all but figure this is the trip to do it.

Google maps shows it as 1 hr and 45 min from Big Sur down to Hearst Castle. 4 hours driving, plus tour, plus I hear great things about the Elaphant Seal Rookery....near there. Sounds like the hotel has lovely beach views (we won't have that in Big Sur Lodge)....

Not sure of the right call but I think you make a strong case for coming back up the coast vs. going central.

Thanks so much for all the thoughts....

Most lodgings on the coast require a 2 night minimum on weekends, so this may dictate which place you stay 2 nights. If you go back up to SF on 101, you could stop in at several of the Missions. San Miguel is right along the highway. San Antonio, Soledad and San Juan Bautista are also along the way, but off 101 a bit. There is also wine tasting in the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County.

Never been to the wineries in Carmel Valley but the wineries in the Paso Robles area are really good and they do some fantastic reds if you like red wines. I personally like Cambria and also San Simeon (we stayed at BW Cavalier Inn) although there are fewer places to eat in San Simeon.
I also enjoyed my stay at Highlands Inn in Carmel Highlands (now a Hyatt) but found the town of Carmel itself a bit stuffy and twee.

If you are in to wine, Paso Robles is a must. Most places on Moonstone Blvd. in Cambria would be a good place to stay. Get a room with an ocean view.

We had a great trip. 1 day in Big Sur, 1 day in Cambria. We ended up moving our Hearst Castle tour to later afternoon and just enjoyed the views and walks on the beach, and PIE in town in Cambria. Then blasted back in the evening to SF on 101 and didn't stop anywhere.

I could have used more time - but we were fresh from 4 days in Santa Crua and heading to 4 days in SF so it was ok. If I do stay longer I won't be staying at the Big Sur Lodge or the Cambria Hotels. Both were a bit disappointing for the price.

Amazing meals at Cafe Kevah and Big Sur Roadhouse.

Thanks for the report.

Thanks for the report. Yeah, you are paying for the location. Good to know.

I can't tell how to allocate your time or which route to take because I love it all. We drive the coast from SoCal to Monterey almost every year. My husband knows certain stops are non-negotiable: Elephant Seal Rookery, Cambria (usually just for lunch), a few turnouts in Big Sur to look at sea life, Nepenthe, etc.

But I can highly recommend the walking tour of Pt. Lobos by Monica Hudson that we took earlier this year. Monica is Swiss-born and married into a long-time Pt. Lobos family. She told a lot of insider/local stories, knew the area history very well, and brought a telescope for us to see the sea life in the bay. She does other walking tours of the area, and I'm going to hire her again when we go back up to Carmel.

http://www.calegacytours.com/

We've also taken the guided tour of the Pt. Sur Lighthouse. On a clear day, the views are jaw-dropping. During the height of the whale-migration seasons, the water looks like a freeway.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=565

Jean: >> can't tell how to allocate your time or which route to take because . . . <<

The the thread is from last May and OP's trip is over and done w/ - they reported back how it went this morning.

Dang. I should have noticed the time gap in posts....

I really recommend the Hearst Castle. Also Carmel.

sanderskn: The OP did go to Hearst castle . . . see above