Eric

Vacationing in California this sept. in previous visited, have explored san francisco, Los Angeles, Yosemite, and for this trip, will do the Highway 1 Drive for several days.

I have 2-3 days for a side trip from San Francisco. My girlfriend, and a friend's family (with a 1 year old) are going as well. We want to drive / not spend too much time on the road (as it's only a 3 day trip) ; and want to see another aspect of California after San Fran city and highway 1. Any recommendations ?

Thanks

Jo

Did you find your other posting from earlier today asking the same?

Lucy

My boyfriend and I did a drive on Highway 1 from SF to Santa Barbara and back. We drove to Half Moon Bay, stayed at The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay (great views, right by the beach, but cold-BBBRRR). Adults can relax at the spa or have high tea. Really pretty with a golf course. It's perched on a hill, so it is like driving up to a castle.

Then we drove further to a little Danish town called Solvang (I do mean little), after stoping for a great pastry, it literally to us half an hour to finish walking around. This town is like out of a fairy tale. If you get a picture of it, you'll know what I mean. Also...besides good pastry, there is nothing else good in this town. We also went to The Hearst Castle. That was a great experience-especially the pool that was made of all marble. Like something you would see in Italy. From there, you can keep going to Santa Barbara or head back to San Francisco because there is nothing in between. Take turns driving because it is really pretty along Highway 1. The only bad thing about Highway 1 is the traffic. There is only one lane, so if the person ahead of you is going 5 miles per hour, you're basically stuck. We eventually switched to Highway 101.

If you want something relaxing, try Napa or Sonoma. Plenty of wine, and spas abound. Also a much shorter drive. You can cover a lot of ground in 2-3 days. The earlier suggestion might be a little hard with a one year old, because there is so much driving.

Christina

Hi Eric,

I live in San Jose (about one hour south of san Francisco) and went to college in a town called San Luis Obispo, which is between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. San Luis Obispo (or SLO as it is usually called) has a quaint downtown area, great shopping and if you are traveling on a Thursday, they have an amazing Farmers Market, where they close off two downtown streets and locals farmers sell fresh produce. During the market, there are live bands in the street and a festival atmosphere. Close bt is charming Pismo Beach, which is know for it's Clam Chowder. Also nearby is Avila Beach, where there is a natural hot spring you can relax in...like a hot tub. The Hearst Castle, which another poster mentioned is also close by.

Another great place to visit, which is even closer to San Francisco, is Santa Cruz. It's about an hour and thirty minutes from San Francisco, has a funky downtown area, the famous beach boardwalk, and close by is charming Capitola-by-the-Sea.

If you are looking for bigger cities, then I would recommend San Jose or Monterey. Any internet search will garner you tons of information about each of them.

Have fun! The weather is still usually very warm in September so bring lots of shorts!

Christina

David

Eric,

I concur with Christina and Lucy regarding Santa Cruz, Monterey, Solvang, Pismo Beach, and Hearst Castle. If you decide on Hearst Castle, be sure to make reservations(www.hearst-castle.org).
In Monterey(www.monterey.com) the aquarium and 17 mile drive are great. I also would recommend stopping in nearby Carmel(www.carmelbythesea.com) As Christina pointed out, if you want more of a big city atmosphere, San Jose(www.sanjose.org)or (www.sj-downtown.com) has alot to offer in terms of restaurants, museums, performing arts, and concerts.

Paula

I lived in S.F. for several years and agree with the Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel recommendations. A few other possibilities that are really nice would be Napa/Somona Valley for wine tasting, or the Russian River area, or even Lake Tahoe. Depends on what you like to do. Whatever you decide, it's really nice there and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.