I am planning my grand honeymoon trip for the end of May. I have arranged to fly into LAX, rent a car and take two weeks to drive up the coast to wine country. When we're done we will drive down to San Jose to fly home to Boston.

So far I have booked nights in Ventura, Cambria, Pacific Heights. We are booked at Inn at Depot Hill in Capitola for four nights. We then travel to Forestville (The Farmhouse Inn) for three nights. Finally we will spend three nights in Yountville (Bordeaux House.)

My questions are 1. Who is the best car rental agency to rent from if I want to get a convertible? 2. Are there any can't miss restaurants in any of these areas. 3. What should I be doing in Capitola for four days? and 4. Where is the best place to go hiking/kayaking/canoeing in these areas?

If you are in Yountville, travel to St. Helena for the Martini House. It is a romantic setting.If you want an inexpensive wonderful CASUAL lunch, don't miss Taylor's Refresher. VERY good! In Capitola don't miss Gayle's Bakery. It is fantastic. You probably already know about the place to eat in Capitola with the "hillavator".(Can't remeber the name).We really enjoy the experience, food and service were not exceptional on our last trip though.Have fun!

Most every rental agency at LAX will have convertibles - it is California afterall. But do book it ahead of time since they are pretty popular.

I believe the "hillevator" is at the Shadowbrook.

Interesting things to do near Capitola:

*Wander around Capitola Village
*Walk along the beach - Seacliff, New Brighton, Twin Lakes, and Castle Beaches are all nice. I grew up near Castle Beach so I have a particular bias towards that one
*Santa Cruz Wharf and Boardwalk
*Lighthouse and Surf Museum at Steamers Lane - great place to watch the surfers
*Big Basin SP and Nicene Marks are excellent places for hiking.
*Ano Nuevo SR north of Davenport to see the Elephant Seal pups.
*Elkhorn Slough is a great place to birdwatch and kayak. If you want to kayak in the ocean, there are several companies availible. Check out the wharf areas in Capitola and Santa Cruz.

As far as restaurants are concerned near Santa Cruz and Capitola - there are bunches depending on what you are looking for.

In Capitola Village itself near your hotel there are several casual places right on the beach. An italian place that I really like called Bella Roma is down there, about 2 blocks from the beach. It's a little less casual than the others, but everything is pretty casual in the area.

The Crow's Nest on the yacht harbor is a great place for some good food and views.

On the Santa Cruz wharf I like Stagnaros for seafood. The Stagnaro family is an old Santa Cruz fishing family that has been in the area for generations.

For Mexican food, here are my picks:
El Palomar on Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz
Casa Rosita's on Portola in Santa Cruz
Manuel's Mexican Restarant in Aptos
The Whole Enchilada on Hwy 1 in Moss Landing (you pass this place on your way from Monterey to Santa Cruz)

If you are not locked into your current hotels, you might consider staying the night in Santa Barbara or its upscale suburb Montecito instead of Ventura. (Though maybe you have a particular reason for Ventura....) Santa Barbara, to my mind, is a much more interesting town than Ventura with better restaurants, shops, sightseeing, etc. Anyway, just a thought. You will have a terrific honeymoon. Do pack a jacket or sweater as it can be a bit chilly on the coast in May. We made one trip to Santa Barbara in early June where we packed mostly shorts and T shirts and our first stop was to a store to buy sweatshirts for our shivering kids!