SF/Redwoods scenery trip
 

Hello all:

I had great luck with the trip help you provided last year for LA. Would you mind helping me with a March 2008 trip to the SF area?

We are flying out on March 12th and returning March 18th. It's an anniversary trip so we would like something for both of us. I love the ocean and DH loves nature, mountains, and State Parks. I have lived in CA and been to SF, DH has never been to CA.

I purchased a PhotoSecrets book on SF and Northern CA but it really doesn't help much with trip planning. (I think it is geared toward photopgraphers?) Anyway, the only definitive plan is we both want to see the Redwoods and I would like to see Big Sur, knowing he would too.

I am thinking SF first day or two. We land around 11am (San Jose)local time and will be renting a car at SJ airport. I think it best to start in SF and go south, ultimately returning to SJ airport for our return home.

I have read about Muir Woods but when I do a mapquest search it prompts me to chose from several options so I'm confused on that one. Also, Big Basin Redwood State Park looks really beautiful but I'm having trouble finding a place to stay nearby. I'd like to stay a night or 2 around BBRSP and a night or 2 near Big Sur. What in between should we see? Are 2 nights too much for the above 2? Any ideas on places to stay or eat? We both love fish/seafood and just about everything else so we're not picky. I know CA in general is rather expensive so nothing extravagant please! (< $200-250 per night if possible)

Also, what can we expect as far as weather goes?

Any and all help will be appreciated.

Thanks you guys, you're the best.

M & J

For Big Basin, there are some small mountain towns close by, but I would stay in the Santa Cruz area instead. Big Basin is about 30-45 minutes from Santa Cruz. There are a lot more lodging choices there - I think most of the lodging in the Santa Cruz mountains is geared toward summer vacation rentals.

Scotts Valley would be another choice for lodging around Big Basin. There isn't as much to see in Scotts Valley as in Santa Cruz though.

If you aren't interested in seeing Santa Cruz itself, then you could spend 1 night there - basically head to Big Basin from SF, hike around, spend the night in Santa Cruz and then head south to Big Sur the next morning.

Another option - take Hwy 1 south from SF, stopping at the beaches and towns there, stay in Santa Cruz. In the morning, go to Big Basin, hike around, then drive to Big Sur. Or if you want to spend more than a few hours at Big Basin, plan to spend a second night in Santa Cruz area - that way you wont be chasing the daylight in the late afternoon as you head down to Big Sur - it would be a shame to drive down there after dark.

Here's a link to a website that might help with your planning.

http://www.pelicannetwork.net/

Weather along the coast in March is iffy.

I'd let the weather determine the sequence of your trip. If the weather breaks for you, then go south to Big Sur the moment you land, don't wait till later. If the weather along the coast will be rainy/stormy, then I'd suggest going into SF and then north to Muir Woods to see the redwoods.

If you head southward, there are plenty of good and inexpensive places to stay in Carmel and Monterey.

There's been a ton written on Big Sur here on Fodors, you might want to read some of those former posts to get ideas for places to stay, eat, hike, etc. (Just type in "Big Sur" in the Search Box above) I'm certain the other Fodorites will have many good suggestions for you as well.

Welcome to California! :)

You should see Big Basin on your way south from the city, rather than backtracking from Santa Cruz. Get on Highway 280 from the city by going out 19th Avenue. It is an automatic transfer.

This is a beautiful, 8-lane freeway which goes along the hills back of Stanford University.

When you get to Sunnyvale, watch for the exit to Hwy 85. After you are on this the next exit you want is Saratoga Road. I believe the exit is called "Saratoga-Sunnyvale".

Turn right and drive straight through the town of Saratoga. Ignore the bend to the left in the center of town. You want to be on Highway 9. After about 13 miles or so you will see a sign for Big Basin State Park. This does a loop through the park and comes back out on Highway 9, which you then follow on into Santa Cruz.

I would spend the night here. It has a pretty tree-lined main street with boutiques, sidewalk cafes and restaurants, coffee houses, etc.

Drive the few blocks down to the Bay. It is a pretty drive along the bay to Natural Bridges State Park, just 2 miles from the wharf (it looks like you will be going north, but the Bay faces south, so it is really west..You want to be on West Cliff Drive.)

If it is not too late to visit the park, the Monarch Butterflies are here for their annual migration stop on their way to Mexico, and they are a sight to see..hundreds of them in the eucalyptus trees.

If you want to eat on the Municipal Wharf, the locals eat at Riva's Fish House. However, they do not take reservations or credit cards.

At this point you are only 45 minutes from Monterey and can make Big Sur the next day, if you like. You will probably want to spend some time in Monterey/Carmel either on your way down or on your way back.

You should be aware that if you have a car in San Francisco, hotel parking will be very expensive. The other alternative is to stay in the Lombard Street area in a motor lodge with free parking and leave you car there, taking public transportation downtown, etc. Parking is expensive and hard to find. One such motor inn which is popular is the Columbus Motor Inn. There are also these sister properties...Cow Hollow Inn and Suites, Coventry Motor Inn, Chelsea Motor Inn, and Lombard Motor Inn

Since there is no good public transportation from SJC into the city of San Francisco,(about 40 miles) you *will* need to get your car at the airport.

Be sure to check the weather reports before venturing down to Big Sur. We will be almost at the end of the rainy season, but sometimes there are mud slides which close Highway 1 in the Big Sur area.

Have a wonderful anniversary trip.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I am looking into any and all suggestions.

I had another idea while browsing. Perhaps I should go north from SF?

I could spend a day and night in SF then go North to Muir Woods (which I finally found) stopping at Sausaleto on the way up. Then continue up to the Redwood coast/Humboldt County area. Eureka looks lovely and so do the other areas nereby.

Which Redwood area would you suggest -- North of SF or South? Which area is more mountainous? Is the drive North too much for a 6 day trip?

I just posted an itinerary for a 2-3 day trip across the GG bridge, Muir Woods, Coast Highway, Wine Country, etc. Click on my name & try to find it.

Stu Dudley

Stu, I did a search on your name and found the post where you detail the highlights of the SF area. I could not find one on the northern coast or which is better for Redwoods, North or South. Would you mind posting the link?

Thanks,

M & J

Stu, I think I found it but it only goes as far up as Wine Country. I am talking about way North, as in Eureka/Humboldt County.

In your opinion, which is better, Northern CA redwoods (Eureka area) Vs. Big Basin Redwoods. Which are do you consider to be the most scenic? Is the drive from SF to Eureka too far from SF for a 6 day trip?

Thanks,

M & J

I haven't been to Eureka in about 15 years, and I have not visited Big Basin in over 30 years. Redwoods don't do anything for me. I have 3 of them in my back yard, and there are about 50 or so in our neighborhood - so I don't travel an hours or so to see more of them.

The giant redwoods are up north. It's a pretty drive but too long for a day trip from SF. If you have 6 days and your primary sightseeing goal is the redwoods - then head north. If you want spend your 6 days in SF, Carmel/Monterey etc - then visit Big Basin.

Stu Dudley

<I haven't been to Eureka in about 15 years, and I have not visited Big Basin in over 30 years. Redwoods don't do anything for me. I have 3 of them in my back yard, and there are about 50 or so in our neighborhood - so I don't travel an hours or so to see more of them.
The giant redwoods are up north. It's a pretty drive but too long for a day trip from SF. If you have 6 days and your primary sightseeing goal is the redwoods - then head north. If you want spend your 6 days in SF, Carmel/Monterey etc - then visit Big Basin.Stu Dudley>

Thanks Stu. I don't know if they'll "do anything" for me either but the DH really wants to see them.

I wasn't planning on making it a day trip though. I was trying to figure out which way to go from SF -- north or south, knowing the Redwoods are in both directions. Take the drive down to Big Sur and see the Redwoods on the way or take the drive up to Eureka passing Muir Woods and Saucaleto. If it was just for me, I'd head south, but I'm thinking the drive north would be prettier and more mountainous? There is so much to see. I'm just not sure which way to go.

Thanks for your help.

M & J

Coastal redwood forests come in 2 categories - old growth and regrowth. The old growth being groves that were never logged, which is where you find the largest trees. Regrowth are forests that were logged and have regenerated themselves. Both are great IMO - redwoods definitely do a lot for me and I love hiking amoung the redwoods or just driving through. For your first experience, I'd go for old growth because that is where the really big trees are.

There are old growth groves in Big Basin and other places in the Santa Cruz mountains, but the largest groves are further north in Humboldt county and that area. The reason is that the Santa Cruz mountains are closer to SF, so they were logged first. In Big Sur, I don't know if there are any old growth forests.

Rather than visiting Muir Woods, why not drive an hour north of the Golden Gate to Healdsburg, then go West to Guerneville and visit the Armstrong Woods State Park. Its filled with Old Growth Redwoods and few tourists. Its really quite special. The area around Healdsburg has excellent wineries, and lots of great restaurants. If you want Fish, Try Willie's in Hbg. You won't be disapointed.

I like the Eureka area, but in mid-March, I'd figure the odds of rainy weather are pretty high. San Jose/Santa Cruz/Big Sur might well have rain also, but it's definitely less likely and tends to be of shorter duration.

You might plan to adapt your trip depending on weather, with more time in cities if it is wet, and more time hiking or on the coast if the weather is good.

Worst case weather: it could rain much of the time (sometimes heavily) with only short breaks. Best case: sunny and pleasant with highs around 60-70. Average probably leans towards the "best case", but both are definitely possible.

The post about old growth versus second growth is dead on. If you want to see "the redwoods" you want to see old growth. Second growth trees can be large, but they will never be anywhere near as large as old growth trees.

Even old growth areas are not all equal. Muir Woods really has about the smallest old growth trees of any of the redwood parks. It is also one of the smallest parks in area. It is famous because it is only a half hour from San Francisco. There are plenty of parks of similar size with bigger trees that are not well known because they are far from any major airport and there are larger parks with even bigger trees nearby.

If your goal is to see "the redwoods" and you have six days, and are interested by Eureka, that's where you should go. See the Avenue of the Giants and especially Founders Grove and the Rockefeller Forest along Mattole Road.

On the way north, you can stop along the Mendocino coast, a beautiful area of bluffs and crashing waves.

The only problem is the possibility of storms in March, as said, it can be pretty wet, well anywhere along the coast in March, and the chances increase as you go north.

I so appreciate everyone taking time to reply.

It makes sense to wait and see what the weather looks like but how do you plan lodging at the last minute? Cabin/cottage types require advance payment. March does not sound like good driving weather. I enjoy the rain but will it be drivable?? How frequently are roads closed? Goodness, this is turing into a disaster. I regret the airline tickets are already purchased!

Thanks again to all,

M & J

Locals here are applying "California standards" when describing our weather. We're use to almost perfect weather, so when it rains or becomes a little foggy - we complain a lot. Fog along the coast is pretty predictable in July - but not so much in March. The "average" mid-March weather will probably be OK. Can't remember what last March was like, but people say Nov & Dec are our rainy periods. It rained a tad yesterday, but that's the first time it has rained since I-don't-know-when. In fact, we've had record high temps much of November. I just put away the outside deck furnature on Monday. I've spent most of November laying around & doodling outside.

Even if it's overcast & a little drizzly, the coast is nice. One of the locals who contributed here even said on another thread that he prefers walking in the redwoods when it's misty or drizzling a bit.

Stu Dudley

Wolfie: it will be fine. It's not a disaster. Remember that you asked for opinions so everyone has a different one, including me!
I live very near Big Basin. Yes, it rains here in March, but pouring, torrential, unrelenting rain doesn't happen often. If it does, it doesn't last long. Just bring comfortable clothes and boots that will keep you dry and you'll be fine.
It's true that the redwoods north of San Francisco are spectacular, but the forests of Big Basin are absolutely beautiful as well. The park is huge and the trees are very tall, and some of it is old growth. There are creeks and little waterfalls, it's quiet, it smells great...you will love it. Big Basin is also nice because you're not too far off the beaten path (even though you'll feel like it once you're there) so you can get there in less than an hour from SJO, and if you want to see other sights during your trip or go wine tasting in the Santa Cruz mountains or go over to the Monterey Bay, it's all within an easy driving distance.
And yes, go to Big Sur. Just allow time to get there so you're not rushed. It's truly one of the most spectacular coastlines you'll ever see.

You're very sweet Caroline! You know, in my heart I want to go south of SF. I've actually investigated cabin/cottage rentals in the Santa Cruz area. I think taking the coast down to Big Sur (Rt 1) and stopping at all the sites in between would be great. I just want the Redwood thing mainly for my husband. He's a mountain man at heart and loves the mountains and really wants to see the Redwoods. I want him to see something spectacular. I think he'd love Big Sur, Carmel, Monterray, Santa Cruz. The darn Redwoods are screwing me up. I loved what you said though about Big Basin. The southern trip is what I originally planned but then I thought about going north because of my husband.

Thanks for the kind words Caroline,

Mary

Stu,

I remember when I lived in the LA area drivers would freak when it rained. I've lived in the Midwest most of my life so rain doesn't bother me. I'm just afraid roads will be inpassable.

Thanks

Mary

I forgot to ask, does Big Basin have the Redwoods that are so massive one can drive through? I know it sounds ridiculous and touristy but you-know-who is counting on it. I'm much easier, give me a glass of wine, seafood, and a spectacular view of the ocean and I'm happy!

Thanks.

Hwy 1 north of SF was closed around Muir Beach last year. That may be the first time it's been closed sine I've lived in the area (32 years). Hwy 1 near Big Sur seems to get closed about once every 5-10 years or so.

The odds of both Hwy 1 north of SF & in Big Sur being closed at the same time are very slim.

We just got back from a drive (my wife's been cooped up in the house for 1 week with a broken foot). We drove 20 mins to Half Moon Bay, then south along the coast (pulling off the road a few times to watch the huge surf generated by the recent storm) to Pescadero for lunch, and then through the redwoods to Woodside then back home. Beautiful drive. Some fog near Pescadero Beach, but when we drove back home it was in the low 60s & blue sky (a bit hazy though).

I'm an ex-LA person too. First rain of the year here & there are scads of accidents on the road. I grew up in LA but went to college at Purdue in the Midwest. First time there was snow on the road, I had no idea what to do.

Stu Dudley

No redwoods to drive through in Big Basin. Not sure if there are still any drive thru redwoods along the north coast anymore either - someone else can probably tell you for sure, but I thought I remembered reading that they are no more.

If your husband is disappointed, just remind him how terrible it is for the trees to drill through them.

If your husband is disappointed, just remind him how terrible it is for the trees to drill through them. >>

OMG, that was a good one J!

Driving through trees is kind of like throwing trash into Old Faithful. Since your husband is a nature lover, once he sees the redwoods he'll realize that you don't have to drive through them to appreciate them! There are plenty of biggies, though, including a couple named the Father and the Mother of the Forest.

For trail info, etc., check out http://www.bigbasin.org

Oh, and I had a typo in my last post. I meant SJC for San Jose Intl. Airport.

You know, in all honesty, he probably wouldn't like the drive-thru tree experience. He is a purist. It was his non-purist, room service loving wife who thought that defined "big trees". Oh well, I had good intentions. <g>

As a joke, I asked him if he'd like to stay in the Big Basin tent cabins. B I G M I S T A K E

There are a few drive through trees left up north, you can read about them here:
<http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attra...Itree.html>

Most of the drive through trees have died, and as the site says extraordinary efforts are made by the owners of the few remaining to keep them standing.

I believe that Big Basin's Mother and Father of the Forest are so-named because they are, um, anatomically correct. Mother has a large um, womb-like opening in the trunk, and Father has a rather, uh, virile burl on the trunk. I've never seen or heard anyone refer to this, I just figured it out on my own. You don't have to believe me, but I am personally certain this is why those not-so-repressed Victorians called the taller tree Mother and the shorter one Father. Take a look:
<http://www.bigbasin.org/NewFiles/Hil...Forest.jpg>
<http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/3Dbayarea...Basin7.jpg>

Re: tree names, this is from the Big Basin website:

"The Redwood Loop Trail showcases the tallest measured tree in the park and the two trees with the widest circumferences. Known as the Mother, Father, and Santa Clara Trees, these famous redwoods are among the most photographed trees in Big Basin."

Sequoia's explanation is better, though. I'll never look at a redwood tree the same way again.

If your goal is to see the coast and the redwoods and not hit the wine country,
you should drive the whole coast to the Oregon border. You've got the Lost Coast, Jeb Smith State Park and the National Parks. yo've got plenty of time. You can either take the Redwood Highway to it's terminus in Grants Pass and then start back south on I 5 through the Rogue Valley and on past Mt Shasta to Redding,
a very scenic drive, or head back South on 101/1, retracing your steps.

Caroline, I'm sure they chose to name the Father and Mother because they are among the largest trees in the park, all I'm saying is that they chose those names for those exact trees due to the features I described. I'd been going there for years and always wondered why they would call the shorter tree Father and the taller one Mother, but I figured it had to do with Mother's "womb" (it's really an oval shaped opening, closed at the bottom as well as the top). Then one day I thought "wouldn't it be funny if Father had a complementary masculine feature?" The next time I went there I finally recognized it--the virile burl! Given early 20th century habit of finding animal shapes in redwood burls, I think it's almost unbelievable that they did not find Father's burl appropriate for his name.

Anyway, I would agree with several posters and reiterate: if you want to see the best of the redwoods you should go up to Humboldt and Del Norte counties, at Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Avenue of the Giants and the Rockefeller Forest) the average tree is about the size of Big Basin's Father and Mother. The largest there are another 50 feet high and ten feet wide, and there about a dozen or more of these.

Well, I have the entire trip planned out if I go the southern route. Even know where we'd stay.

If I take the northern route instead, taking into consideration it's mid March, do you think we would need lodging reservations in advance? I would love to just drive and stop when we find a special place. Being that it doesn't have Carmel, Monterray, and Big Sur type tourists, do you think we'd have a problem?

It's not like anywhere is going to be crawling with tourists because it IS March. (though if it's a weekend with incredible weather there will be some beach traffic.) It's just a matter of what you want to do most and how much driving you want to do. If you want to go to the northern redwoods AND see Big Sur, there's some distance to cover. If you want to see Big Basin and forego the north, here's a suggestion.
Arrive in San Jose. Get your car and stay locally near the Santa Cruz mountains like in Los Gatos. (20 minutes from the airport). There's a nice walkable downtown area and you can shop, there are great restaurants, and maybe catch a movie that night.
Next morning, go to Big Basin. It doesn't need to be at the crack of dawn -- you room service loving gal you -- but it should be fairly early. Be prepared to walk/hike. Bring water, your camera, and layers of clothing.
Next day,either head back to Big Basin, or if you've "done that", I don't know if you like wine or not, but if so, there are a lot of great Santa Cruz Mountain wineries, and that's a fun way to explore the beautiful area and literally get a taste of local flavor. If you're not into wine, Santa Cruz has the Boardwalk, and Capitola's an old, old beach town on the other side of "the hill", which is small and colorful and it might be fun to poke around there before heading down to Carmel/Monterey.
Stay overnight in Carmel/Monterey. You have to "do" Carmel one day because it's unlike anywhere else. There are wonderful restaurants, or you can just make your own picnic by getting some fab cheese at the cheese shop, walk to the beach at the end of the street, and take in the beauty of the ocean as you munch away on a lovely aged Gruyere. You said you like the ocean, right?
Next day, head down to Big Sur. Nature loving hubby will be in awe, and you, ocean lover, will be in awe, too. Stay overnight.
Next day, driving day. Take Hwy 1 from Big Sur up the coast past Santa Cruz, Davenport and Pescadero and land in Half Moon Bay. It's scenic, laid back and gives you yet another flavor of the coast. Next day, head up to San Francisco. Stay there for a couple of days. See as much as possible. (there's never enough time) and then drive down to San Jose airport (about an hour or so) and fly back home.

Caroline, are you in travel? You make everything sound so easy! I love your ideas. I also like the go to SF last instead of my original plan.

I'm going to run this by nature boy tonight and see what he thinks. If I had 2 weeks it would make this trip so much easier to decide on.

Thanks guys,
Mary

Did I tell ya, his latest was renting an RV. Heaven help me.

Wolfie, since this is for March head South this time, then take another week and do the North trip for a week
in about June or July some year.

I think you're right BBJ. It makes my life so much easier.

We shall see what he thinks.

Thanks again to all. Although I do reserve the right to pop in again for questions. <g>

Mary

I don't work in the travel industry but I love to travel and I'm a native of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Whenever I travel, I do a lot of research ahead of time using all kinds of resources, and that helps me figure out what I want to see and do once I get there. I try to keep it a short list, though, so I'm not completely programmed and there is some unscheduled time.
Once I'm there, I always try to talk to locals and find out what THEY like about the area and where they would go if THEY had a day or two to venture out. Often these tidbits end up being the best part of our trips.
For example, my hub and I went to upstate NY for a wedding some years ago and we were dying to see Niagara Falls. We were chatting with some folks at the wedding, telling them of our Niagara plans, and they said, (in their wonderful, thick, NY accents) while Niagara was nice, what we REALLY wanted to do was go to the Thousand Islands. "It's God's Country up there", we were told. Of course all I could think of was pinkish-orange salad dressing, but we followed their advice, got on a ferry, and were completely taken by the beauty and uniqueness of the area. It was truly was a highlight of our trip.
Just travel with the mindset that you're on an adventure and you're going to see things and do things you've never done before. Try not to have a lot of pre-conceived notions because that's almost asking for disappointment.
And for crying out loud, tell Nature Hub that an RV is a great idea - for another trip. With his man friends. This ANNIVERSARY trip will include as much nature as he can handle as well as lodging with turned-down sheets and a mint on the pillow every night. Love is full of compromises, right?

Earlier in this thread, I posted that I did not remember what the weather was like last March. Someone "topped" another thread, and I made this comment about our weather last March on it.

>>>I think the weather has changed this year. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we just set a new record for the most days with rain in March - 25. It is set to continue through next week also. Temps 5-10 degrees below normal.<<<

If you believe in averages - it should be dry this coming March!!!

Stu Dudley

So much for the nature lovers on here, the redwoods play a huge in the ecosystem. National Geogrphic had a great special on the importance of the redwoods and how its been affected by global warming.

Ok guys, all of my reservations are booked -- lodging, car, and of course air which was done last week.
We're staying 2 nights by Big Basin, 2 nights in Carmel, (to drive down to Big Sur and check out the Carmel/Monterey areas) and 2 nights in SF.

As it happens (thank you SC!), we'll be in SF for our anniversary. Any seafood/fish dining recommends? Where can we go for the absolute best seafood in the SF area?

Oh, I almost forgot. A good while back, while perusing, someone mentioned a fish place that was on the way from SF to Half Moon Bay. For that matter, it may have been Half Moon Bay, I cannot remember. In any event, it was NOT a tourist place, not 5 star dining either, but supposedly had the best fresh fish in the area. I think it was off of Hwy 1. Am I imagining this?

Thanks,

Mary

I found the fish place but it's in Moss Landing. It's called Phil's Fish Market. We will go there during our Carmel/Monterey stay.

Have any of you heard of Plouf's? I read they have fabulous mussels.

Mary