San Francisco/ Mendocino/Sonoma question?
 

I need to know if 3 full days and 1/2 of another would be enough time to drive up the coast from SF and back down to Oakland? We don't drink wine so there will be no winetasting but do want to drive through the wine country. If the drive is to much for that short of time, could you recommend a halfway point to drive to and then cut over? Thanks for your help.

Yes, I think that is plenty of time for a very worthwhile trip like you describe. You will not be able to experience any part of the area in real depth, but distances are not so great that you should be able to see and enjoy a lot without rushing. I would go for it!

I think that you have seen the best of the Coast by the time you get to Mendocino, but I would allow 1 1/2 days to get there because the road is winding and slow and you will want to stop and look often. Then I'd devote perhaps a day to Redwoods National Park and the Avenue of the Giants, and another to the Wine Country. You can get to Oakland from the Wine Country in little over an hour.

Of course, you could spend much, much longer in this area, but this overview will help you know what you'd like to concentrate on when you come back.

Johncharles,

I have just about decided (through much research) to just enjoy the coast from Santa Barbara and up to Jenner and then cut over and stay in the winecountry a couple of days. When we first started thinking about vacation, it was going to be Hawaii, then on to Oregon and the coast but I decided I really wanted to just do Ca. I have read everything I can from this board but sometimes you still have questions. People have been very helpful and I am sure that I will need more sooner or later. I just don't want a trip that is rushed the whole time. Everyone says that the most beautiful area is SB to Monterey, so maybe Mendo would have to be another trip. Thanks.

Lady,
Please don't skip Mendocino. It is like stepping into another life. The road there actually straightens and isn't bad at all past 128. Mendo is unlike any town I've experienced- no neon, no chains, no stoplights. Great people, wonderful restaurants, serenity and natural beauty.

You all just keep me thinking all the time. LOL If the road straightens out after 128, maybe we should think of going. We will not be out that way again anytime soon. This will probably wrap up my Ca. experience. This trip is really for me because my husband knows how much I love it out there. Now I am back to deciding what to do. Thanks everyone.

ladynole: You'll love the Mendocino coastline! Don't miss Fort Ross! It's a totally different experience from the rest of the coast. Russian settlers instead of Spanish ones. Wonderful history of the area!

Is 3 and 1/2 days all the time you have from Santa Barbara to Mendo and then back again to Oakland? That would be relatively tight, but still doable.

You could drive from Santa Barbara to San Francisco in one day along Highway 1, provided you don't stop to see Hearst Castle and make only a minimum stop at Carmel/Monterey. This part of the coastline really deserves 2 to 3 days.

If you do get to SF the first night, that will leave you with 2 and 1/2 days. That's plenty of time to go north of SF, first via the inland route to visit wineries. Then cut across 128 to the coast, visiting wineries. Then down Highway 1 along the coast - Mendocino, Gualala, Fort Ross - the great gift is that much of the California coast from Big Sur on up (excepting the Bay Area) is unspoilt and very lovely.

Enjoy your trip, whatever route you finally decide to take!

Easytraveler,

We have 9 1/2 days of travel. We fly into LA (cheap flight) and the 1st night is SB. Then onto Cambria for the night. Have decided against Hearst Castle since we want the whole day for Big Sur. Spending the night in Monterey and thought about a 1/2 day at Pt Lobos (heard it is wonderful) and then on to SF. Want to spend a couple of days there, so that leaves us 3 1/2 days to either continue of the coast or do the wine country. We have to be in Oakland on the 16th of Oct. to fly back to LA. I've been reading that the coast up from SF is very slow and I don't want us to feel too rushed. What do you think?

Hi, ladynole!

That's great! 9 and 1/2 days instead of 3 and 1/2 days!

Here's a couple of additional thoughts: if you are skipping Hearst Castle, there is no reason to stop in Cambria. Just continue on up the coast. Staying in Pfeiffer Big Sur would be a possibility. There are plenty of recommendations for lodging around Big Sur, just depends on what kind of price you want to pay.

Yes, Point Lobos is wonderful. 1/2 day is a good amount of time. You could do two short hikes, one down SW-ward (from the inner ranger station) to Devil's Cauldron area, the other NW-ward towards the memorial grove.

3 and 1/2 days is plenty of time for what you plan to do north of San Francisco. Depending on how much time you spend in the interior visiting wineries, you could even extend your coastal return route to go by Point Reyes. I would not recommend driving all the way south on Highway 1 through Stinson Beach, as the road in that area is terrible and a slow go.

Hope you get a rental car that has no/small dropoff fee. Have fun! Great trip!

Oh, BTW, as you head north out of SF, as you go over the Golden Gate Bridge, take the first exit on the right to the vista point. Then, as you exit the vista point, take the next immediate exit on the right (Alexander Road), follow it UNDER the freeway as it curves back towards SF, then take the RIGHT branch for the Marin Headlands. Stop at the top of the hill and hike a bit for one of the most breathtaking views back across the GG Bridge towards SF. Enjoy!

One other thing- LOL..I love driving through Sonoma Valley, but Napa is the pits. Lots of traffic, stoplights. If you don't want to taste wines, it will be a pretty drive through acres of vineyards. Some places have art galleries, some have picnic areas, there's ways to enjoy a few wineries w/out drinking. Can't beleive I said that. Highway 101 from SF is an easy drive. 128 is VERY windy at points. Cool though, some nice wineries, a couple of cute towns; the road changes with each section and ends at Hwy 1 in a big batch of redwoods. Awesome. After that, you come upon the coast.That's just a suggestion, but you may want to do as earlier poster suggested and see the towns along the coast south of 128.

You have given me so much to think about! Keep all the info coming my way. It is really hard to plan a road trip when you don't know how the road is. I have been reading this board for weeks and it is really helping me. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi ladynole35,

There are others here who know that area much better than I do, but I can tell you that we did a similar trip about six or seven years ago and did not feel rushed for time -- and we stopped at a number of wineries.

After a couple of days in SF, we drove north and spent two nights in Mendocino and then two nights in Glen Ellen near Sonoma before heading back to catch a flight at SFO. As I recall, we took the 101/128 route, and 128 is everything LLindaC described - a very memorable drive. I think we came back that way, as well, since we were headed to Sonoma. If I were to do it over again, I'd probably drive up the coast one way and back the other. I've driven the coastal route as far as Ft. Ross on a previous trip and agree that there are so many places to stop, you might want to take more than one day for that.

We really liked both Mendocino and Sonoma Valley, by the way and had great accommodations in both places: the Agate Cove Inn in Mendocino (little cottages on the bluff overlooking the ocean) and the Gaige House Inn in Glen Ellen.

Sounds like a great trip.

I am so excited about our trip. Part of the fun of it is planning too. I do think that we will go all the way up to Mendo. This might be the only time to go, so I'd better jump at the chance. Sounds like everyone thinks the best route would be going up 101 and over and not taking hwy 1 all the way. Is that best?

My two cents. I live in No. California, but I did a lot of this driving in March. If you are going from Santa Barbara to SF along the coast, take a break and hop over to 101 going through Healdsburg (if you want to drive through the wine country, check out the area of the Dry Creek Wineries) and then turning back toward the coast on 128. On 128 you will go through several different microclimates; oak forests, wine regions, and redwood forests. Then you'll reach Highway 1 again and head toward Mendocino for another chunk of beautiful coastal views.

While I would not argue that the road from Cambria to Monterey is truly beautiful, I think I actually like the coastline near Mendocino better. It's certainly less traveled.

Grasshopper is right.

As someone who owns property in both Big Sur and on the Mendocino Coast, I have to say that the drive from Jenner to Mendocino is more scenic than the one from Monterey south.

They are, of course, both spectacular drives. But if I had to pick just one it would be the Sonoma/Mendocino coast.

Ladynole, here's hoping you can do both!

Lisa,

I emailed you directly a couple of days ago. I hope you will email me back.

We have decided to drive on up to Mendocino and I was wondering if we should go up Hwy 101 and cut over to come in at Jenner, go on to Mendocinco and then return on Hwy 128? That way we will have the coast drive from Jenner to Mendo and get the scenic drive on 128 going to Sonoma. Does this sound good? Thanks.

Personally, I prefer driving north to south along the California coast. Just my HO.

I'd go north inland, visiting the wineries, cut over on 128 (visiting the wineries - LOL!), then drive southward along the coast.