Santa Rosa to San Simeon and return to SFO help and ??
 

Am doing a little road trip with some relatives. After a few days wine tasting with Santa Rosa as base - we rent a car and drive down to Monterey.
We are thinking of driving down to Hearst Castle - We will arrive in Monterey the afternoon of Nov 12 and have to depart SFO on Nov 15 - flight leaves at 1 PM.

Can we use Monterey as our base or spend 1 night there and 1 night somewhere else on the road? What other spots should we see between Monterey and the Hearst Castle.

Need help with intinerary , lodging ideas please and thanks

Since you are interested in wineries, I would drive from Santa Rosa to Paso Robles to visit the beautiful Paso Robles wine district (250 miles). On the way to Monterey (or Carmel) via Highway 1, I would visit Cambria and the Hearst Castle (135 miles). SFO is 110 miles from Carmel and 100 miles from Monterey.

HTtY

PS Paso Robles, Cambria, and Carmel are more delightful places to spend a night than is Monterey.

I think after a few days of wine tasting, the people I am doing road trip with will be done with tasting and just want to see sights - they are coming from the prairies of Canada and do not get to see ocean views often.

Would you stay in Cambria or San Simeon if you want to visit Hearst Castle? Cambria appears to me to be a quainter town - but have never been there so am only making judgement based on pictures.

Cambria is definitely the cuter of the two options - with good restaurants - as San Simeon is really just a few hotels clustered on both sides of the coast hiway.

There are several good places to stay in Cambira - and definitely Ccheck out Moonstone beach: http://www.cambriachamber.org/motels-beach.php

BTW - coming from Santa Rosa - you could drive down 101 to Paso Robles and take the 46 over to the Coast. The next day - you could visit Hearst Castle (check the schedule for a morning tour) and then continue on through beautiful Big Sur on into Carmel/Monterrey.

Driving along 46 - you pass by/through some nice wineries/B & B's along the way. My wife's nephew spent his/their honeymoon at the renowned Justin Winery - and loved it. http://www.justinwine.com/visit_just_inn.php

Uno mas: You could also stop at Monterrey on the way down to Cambria/Hearst Castle - and the next day visit the Castle and overnight around there and then back to Santa Rosa. Some prefer the drive south along the coast as you are closer to the view, but to each their own. Here is a map:

http://tinyurl.com/9epwd9f

since you don't want more wine tasting and don't have any reason to return to Santa Rosa . . . Re what to see between Monterey and Carmel is probably even more impressive than San Simeon - Big Sur. Especially for flatlanders like your relatives. They will probably have never seen anything like it.

I would drive down the 101 on Monday Afternoon and book that night in Cambria. Book your Hearst Castle tour(s) for Tues AM or very early afternoon. Then drive up through Big Sur Tues afternoon. Stay Tues and Wed nights in Carmel (or Monterey if you prefer but Carmel is rather special).

W/ a 1pm flight you don't have to leave to SFO until Thurs morning by 8:30 or 9 AM. It is about a 2 hour drive and you will avoid the morning commute in the Bay Area.

<i>I think after a few days of wine tasting, the people I am doing road trip with will be done with tasting and just want to see sights</i>

I was trying to get you to think about alternatives.

Have you checked out average rain fall in Santa Rosa in November? Paso Robles and Santa Barbara wine districts have much less rain that time of year and they are extremely beautiful and interesting areas with many sights to see.

These wine districts can be enjoyed without tippling.

HTtY

well the Santa Rosa tasting is set in stone - selected by a 50th BD celebrant and coming with a contingency of 20 Canadians to celebrate.( Look out Santa Rosa!) Its post BD her mom another cousin and I plan to do the little road trip.

What is the drive time between Santa Rosa and Cambria using 101?

I had also considered spending out last night at Half Moon Bay which would be a short drive to the SFO airport- but have not ever been there- looks nice in the pics - is that a good idea or not?

If we just used Monterey as our base - stayed there Mon and Tues and Half Moon Bay on Wed -
I think we could see a lot of beautiful country without having to change lodging every night? We might not make it to Hearst Castle if we did that - but can't do it all in 3 days and don't want to spend all my time in the car

"<i>I think we could see a lot of beautiful country without having to change lodging every night? </i>"

That is why I suggested 1 night in Cambria and 2 in Monterey or Carmel. That would give you time to enjoy the area at least a bit. If you leave San Simeon in early afternoon, and if you are at all typical w/ lots of stops for photo ops through Big Sur, you won't get to Carmel until nearly dark. So you wouldn't have time to see/do anything til the next day. Moving on to Half Moon Bay for that night would be really hectic.

Santa Rosa to Cambria can be about 5 hours - as long as don't leave in the early AM or mid/late afternoon. At those times you'll be stuck in about 100 miles of heavy Bay Area commute traffic. You will be much better off leaving between 9:00 and noon-1PM-ish.

I really like Janis' route and itinerary, but if you want to stay all three nights in one place, plan a day in Monterey and Carmel, a day driving down the coast and back, at least as far as Big Sur, and on the last day, drive up to SFO in the a.m.

Here's a trip report of a day trip we took a few years ago - it might help (we live near SFO)


http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...t-part-way.cfm

Everyone seems to be missing the tight timeframe the OP mentions: "We will arrive in Monterey the afternoon of Nov 12 and have to depart SFO on Nov 15 - flight leaves at 1 PM."

That really means staying a day and a half since my rec. would be to stay somewhere near SFO the night of Nov 14.

Forget Hearst Castle. See Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur. That's plenty right there.

Whether the OP stays near SFO the night before the flight is completely dependent on 1) whether they want to change hotels, and 2) how they feel about a 2-hr drive the morning of the flight. Personally, I'd also stay near the airport that night, but I know lots of people who aren't as crazed about this as I am (people who live in Monterey and Carmel leave from home the morning of a flight all the time, after all)

I think I am with Leslie and sf7307 on skipping Hearst Castle, doing less driving and staying close to the airport the last night - at the time of year I worry about rain or fog making the drive longer.

So guess Mon and Tues we will spend in Monterey/Pacific Grove and last night Half Moon Bay?
We can drive up and down the coast and see the sights which will all be wonderful for prairie people -

Anyone stayed at the Best Western Resort in Monterey?

Any particular reason you want to stay in Half Moon Bay? If I were trying to be close to the airport, then I'd be close to the airport - I.e. Burlingame or Millbrae. If you want to pass through HMB on your way back from Monterey, you can drive through, maybe take a walk on the Main Street, but then continue on. If you want a nice suburban street to hang out on that night (after all, that's all Half Moon Bay is, a suburb that happens to be near the ocean), spend it on Burlingame Avenue in Burlingame - great restaurants and shopping, and an overall lively vibe, especially in good weather.

I just thought Half Moon Bay would provide another night at the ocean and a short drive to airport in AM

sf7307 is right. Given your short amount of time, you should stay two nights in Monterey. With Pacific Grove, Cannery Row, the pier, the Aquarium and wonderful views and dining, that could occupy all of the afternoon of the 12th plus the 13th. On the 14th, you could visit Carmel, Point Lobos State Reserve, and go down to Big Sur, stopping at the Julia Preiffer State park, maying dinner in Big Sur, with a late drive and check in at a hotel next to SFO (ditching the rental car) that has a shuttle to the airport which you'll need to take about 11:00 am on the 15th.

Half Moon Bay has little to offer compared to these other sights.

Sorry. I mis-typed. That should be Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The views are spectacular. Also, you can stop at a restaurant in Big Sur before sunset called Nepenthe. It is expensive, but you can also just get a coffee, check out their gift shop and enjoy the views from their terrace.

As to the Best Western, don't know but I notice there are two in Monterey. You probably mean the Best Western PLUS Beach Resort. There are some wonderful victorian B & B places in Monterey with oceanfront views, tide pools, though not great beach. I would just prefer those over a more standard hotel.

We love the Old Monterey Inn, but it is not beach front.

If you want to do "water" on that last day, stay in Burlingame and take a walk on the Bayfront path (you can see the planes taking off from the airport), which goes for miles, some parts nicer than others.

thanks for that tip sf7307