On a trip down the coast I need help deciding between Cambria and Santa Monica. . .we are late 20's and love areas like Manhattan etc, etc. Which local would you recommend after we hit SFo & Sonoma?

Appreciate any help!

Comparing Cambria and Santa Monica are like comparing night and day.

Cambria is a quaint, central coast beach town. Walking along Moonstone Beach, Hearst Castle, wineries, etc.

Or Santa Monica where there's noise, traffic and homeless people. But don't get me wrong, Santa Monica is still a nice place to hang out.

Are you looking for trendy shopping malls and party bars or would you prefer a more tranquil romantic getaway??

Well - that depends on tranquil get-a-way . . . is that "sleepy"? I imagine that Cambria may be like Asheville, NC - artsy, different, great vibe but still kind of touristy without being too generic? We want to have great atmosphere, cool places to have a glass of wine, dinner and talk. . .

Cambria is very small, just a couple of "antique" shops, galleries and restaurants. And lots and lots of motels (some pretty nice however, with great ocean views). Other than the town there are beaches (no swimming!) and Hearst Castle.

Santa Monica is a large, progressive beach city adjacent to Los Angeles. MUCH more to do in the way of shopping, restaurants, galleries, and nightlife. And of course, access to lots of great beaches.

Do you want a big city or a small town? That's really the choice you should make.

The only comparison between those two places is that they are both in California and both are near the Pacific Ocean. They are also about 3-4 hours apart. (is that right?) How about after San Francisco, then Big Sur. Either camp out or stay at the Big Sur Inn--funky and romantic. Then drive to Cambria for lunch and on to Santa Barbara or environs such as Ojai,(I think you would like Ojai)for the night.
From Ojai, Santa Monica is about an hour and a half. Take the coast highway.

When you say that you love areas like Manhattan I suppose you mean the city in New York not Manhattan Beach. There is nothing anywhere in the U.S. that compares to Manhattan.

There are some good wineries outside of the Cambria area. I would much prefer Cambria, but maybe that's just me. I get enough traffic and hectic lifestyle in my every day life. Cambria provides some reprieve and I love Moonstone Beach for taking a long walk on the beach.