Hi there,

we have booked a two week trip in the beginning of Dec from SF down to LA. We have so far booked 4 nights in SF and two nights at the end of the trip in LA. I just wonder if we could get some advice on what route we should take down to LA and what are the must sees on route?
Advice appreciated, cheers.

We just got back from California. Can't advise on the route but I do have a few recommendations.

1. Stop at the Hearst Castle and take a tour. Its very interesting in an over the top kind of way.

2. Stop in Santa Barbara - its a beautiful town. We stayed at the Fess Parker Doubletree and liked it for its proximity to the beach and amenities. Great for families in the summer - other places might be better for couples.

3. Go to the Getty - its a real WOW kind of place - a truly great public space. The art work is good too!

Being winter time, be prepared for some rainy days. That said, in between the rain, we have some absolutely gorgeous weather in the wintertime.

For the route, I would head down Hwy 1 and see the coast. There is the possibility of mudslides closing the road in places if we get some strong storms early on, in which case you can make some inland detours.

I'd make stops in Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz mountains, Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove, Big Sur, San Simeon/Cambria/Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, and Santa Barbara - some overnights and some as stops enroute. How to break up your time really depends on your interests.

Early December may or may not be rainy. If it is raining heavily, you won't want to risk the Big Sur highway, especially after the recent fires. However from Monterey you can take Hwy 101 as a backup route. Stops can include Paso Robles (if you want to go winetasting), Cambria with a side trip to Hearst Castle (just north of Cambria), San Luis Obispo, Santa Ynez Valley/Solvang (another wine tasting area), Santa Barbara.

Don't take Hwy 5, there isn't much to see, and our fall-season "tule fog" can be even more dangerous than the summertime June gloom fogs.

I concur with the others. If you have good weather and have the time, head down to Monterey and then take highway 1 to SLO. People don't give SLO the credit it deserves. It's a nice halfway stopping point, where you can have lunch and visit the Mission before continuing along hwy 101 to L.A. That will have you pass through Santa Barbara.

Alternatively (or additionally), if you are going hwy 1, it would be nice to stop for an early lunch or stroll in Carmel.

If the weather is not with you, take 101 all the way down where you can again stop in SLO. On that route, you can also stop at the San Miguel mission just north of SLO. Although it was damaged by an earthquake in 2003, it remains one of the prettiest missions in California.