jamie99

Well OP has not returned to post, so no idea what they have decided upon, but agree she either needs more time or concentrate on north or south.

Lookin_Glass

Just because you can turn a vacation into a death march doesn't mean you should.

Tomsd

Different strokes for different folks. I think nothing of driving 500 - even 700 plus miles in a day, and once did 1,100. Love looking at the scenery pass by, and even if you happen to hit heavy traffic here or there - just enjoy some music and chill.

The type of trip I think the visitors were contemplating was to take an general overall/survey type look at California - from San Diego to San Francisco - and then decide where to spend more time during their next visit.

And you can easily drive from San Diego/LA up to San Francisco in two days - stopping some places along the way - so what's the big deal? They still have four more days to spend where they choose.

Fodorite018

Stupidity knows no bounds. Sheesh!!!!

Tomsd

Well, there are certainly enough timid travelers who freely express their bounds.

Fodorite018

Driving 1100 miles in one day is just plain stupid.

Tomsd

Hey - sometimes you do what you have to do. Some 8 years ago - decided to drive back to a class reunion at the AF Academy - and also make it a Northwest visit/tour - so after leaving from here in SD - went up to visit friends in Oregon (took two days getting up there - stopping in Sacto - actually Folsom - on the way).

After a couple days in Oregon - left from Bend - and drove over to Sun Valley, Idaho to see some more friends.

The next day - it was up through beautiful central Idaho - and while heading on into Montana - stopped at the great museum at the the Big Hole River/Battleground - http://www.nps.gov/biho/index.htm . Really enjoyed reading about the great Chief Joseph and his trying to take his band of Nez Perce Indians up into Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Joseph

It's the same old story in the West - when after putting the Native Americans on a reservation - the government tried to further encroach on their lands - and the forced march/retreat showed how clever Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce tribe was - and why they called one Union General - "General Day after Tomorrow."

Actually - we studied this campaign at the Academy - what - holding off a superior force - with the full tribe along - women and children - as it is one of the great military accomplishments of all time - and the Nez Perce almost made it to their ancestral grounds in Canada (going some 1,170 miles all total) - while being pursued by many more US troops, who were continually supplied while the Indians had to live off the land, etc.

Years before - Lewis and Clark said on their historic trip out to Oregon/the Pacific - the Nez Perce were like royalty among all the tribes they encountered, and they had a "tribal council" - who somewhat democratically administered the tribe, although Chief Joseph was in charge for this campaign.

But I digress - so as for my 1,100 mile day - from oh dark thirty until early evening - it started in Montana one clear summer am - and after I drove over across part the state to take the great drive south of Bozeman - the Beartooth Hiway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beartooth_Highway into Yellowstone - up and over, just magnificent scenery - it continued on down through uber scenic Yellowstone (waving at the Grand Tetons) - on into Jackson - where I stopped for a snack and enjoyed one of the places where they have a huge accumulation of antlers over the door, etc.

Then it was on down through Wyoming (taking the route through the pristine Star Valley - http://www.starvalleychamber.com/ stopping in Afton - where I bought some huge firecrackers - almost cherry bomb size - legal there) - and then down to the Flaming Gorge area (http://www.utah.com/nationalsites/flaming_gorge.htm/ which is very pretty to drive along.

Even stopped above the big reservoir (for a sandwich) to enjoy the view - and then further on into Northern Utah - where I finally pulled into a motel in Naples, Utah. http://utah.hometownlocator.com/ut/uintah/naples.cfm

It was really about 1,075 miles that day - but I round it up to 1,100, and for the overall trip - it was about 3,300 miles.

Slept very good that night - and then it was on to Grand Junction to stay with an Oregon friend of mine for a night - and then on into Aspen - before heading down to Colorado Springs for the class reunion, and later - drove to Park City/Deer Valley, Utah - spending the night with friends - and then back to SD.

It took about two weeks and I would do it again at the drop of a hat.

PeaceOut

You might be alone in your love for 1100/mile driving days. Fine if you must do it, but not a good choice for a family vacation!

d_claude_bear

Beyond what you CAN do is what it makes good sense to do. I concur that the best advice is to stay either in the SD area (with a day trip to do something in LA) OR the SF area, with maybe an overnight in Monterey/Pacific Beach. CA is a very large state (there's a lot of geography north of SF, too) with an abundance of substantially different climates (coastal, mountain, etc.) and tourist attractions--six days is time for a very selective, short visit.

Tomsd

Why do some of you make such a big deal out of driving say 500 miles in a day. Prepare for it - have water and snacks in the car (good maps of course in addition to possibly having a GPS) - and let the kids snooze in the back seat, and wake them up when you come to some attractions you have planned to see.

Can easily get from SD - to/through LA and up to Cambria in one day. No problemo. Period.

And if the first time you want to see California from San Deigo to San Francisco, I say - GO FOR IT!!!!

janisj

You are talking about 'commuting' from SoCal to places you insist you've been so many times that you are the ONLY expert. . . . The folks we are trying to help have never been here before.

So do you actually advise them to dash through like bats out of Hell w/ the kids missing everything sleeping in the back seat? That is a forced march, not a vacation.

But why do we even try -- you'll just come back and post 13 more times and flood the thread w/ verbal diarrhea.

d_claude_bear

Why should they spend one of their six days on the road when they don't need to?

Most of the drive would be very uninteresting.

Tomsd

Here - we go again. Seemingly tired old folks thinking first time visitors to California could not drive 500 miles in one day - even with making a couple of stops enroute.

You either go for it and see as much as you can - from SD to SF in six days - which I think is sufficient time, or you decide to split it up.

Simple really - but from some comments - one would think I was banishing the visitors to road hell.

And if they took my advice and went up the Coast from Malibu to Santa Barbara - mindful of the commute hour time constraints - it would be a SPECTCULAR segment for their drive.

Tomsd

And to properly recap: They do NOT have to drive from SD to Cambria in one day - but it could be an option if they wanted to spend two nights in SD, two nights along the coast on the way up to SF and then two nights in SF.

You could also go from here/SD to LA and spend the night there - but I would - as I suggested - save LA for another trip - except for a sight or two the kids might want to see.

nytraveler

Most people would consider driving 6 or 7 hours to have 2 hours in LA (to do what?) a completely wasted day.

Obviously you can drive all day and all night and get to Oregon - but that's a forced march - not a vacation.

The OP said they wanted to "see the sights" not "drive endlessly at 70 mpg on a freeway".

d_claude_bear

TomSD--it should be clear that most travelers here disagree with you. You have fully expressed your opinion. Why the need to restate it repeatedly?

I agree that some parts of the route have pretty ocean views, although when I am driving I can't divert my attention to look at them. That's one reason we usually fly from SD to SF but would stay overnight in 3-4 places if we want a scenic trip: Santa Monica, Ventura, Cambria, Monterey, etc.

Don't you think the OP has a good grasp of the issue now?

Tomsd

Because some posters seem to have a reading comprehension issue - I have to clarify what they try to add.

And yes, I think they certainly can start in San Diego and go up the Coast to SF in six days, and enjoy it along the way.

What I would do/recommend - is drive one day from SD to Cambria - http://tinyurl.com/cpks6gb leaving early - taking a break to see something in LA - IF YOU WANTED TO (not mandatory to stop in LA) - and then on to Cambria - which IS very doable in a day.

Uno mas - have done it myself many times - and my sister for the past two years went from here - SD - to San Luis Obisbo (about half an hour below Cambria) many times - since her daughter was going to school in SLO - and it only took her 4 and a half hours to 5 hours on average - except for the time she got caught in late Saturday afternoon traffic in LA,and that added an hour. And to be totally honest - one other time - I think she got caught in some later afternoon commute traffic in Santa Barbara - which delayed her a half hour.

The rest of the times - she planned it so she missed the LA commute traffic - and to a lesser extent - the Santa Barbara commute traffic. Missed it, ok?

And there are some nice ocean views along the way (from San Diego to San Clemente) and from LA to Santa Barbara - especially if you go that PCH along Malibu - so it's not a dreary drive by any means - but as I ALSO noted - you can do it differently, to wit:

Drive from SD to LA one morning or evening, whatever and stay there for a night if you like.

Drive from San Diego to say Santa Barbara - maybe even stay over in Danish themed Solvang - http://www.cityofsolvang.com/ for the night - but once you get to Santa Barbara - you are only a couple of hours from Cambria and you have made it through the LA cauldron of traffic, so why not press on to Cambria, as from Santa Barbara to Cambria - there isn't that much ocean view.

From the Cambria/San Simeon area - it's beautiful drive through Big Sur to Carmel/Monterrey - which is then only 3 hours into SF (unless you hit evening commute hour in San Jose, etc).

OR - spend more time driving up the Coast and less in either SD, LA or SF.

Ok - is that clear enough?