My husband and I are looking to spend some time along the CA coast in late July. Our starting point will be Monterey and were thinking about spending 5-7 days total. Any recommendations on where we should go and see? RIght now we're thinking about Carmel, Big Sur and potentially Yosemite. We enjoying spending time outside (hiking, kayaking, etc) and want to maximize our trip. Thanks for your help!

I'm not the best person to answer your question, but, I assume you are aware that Yosemite is nowhere near the CA coast?

Carmel is next door to Monterey, and Big Sur is a day's drive there and back, beautiful scenery all the way (you could stay overnight, but you don't have to). But Yosemite will require at least one overnight stay, 2 nights would be better, so you'd better plan on at least 7 days total and not 5.

Don't miss Point Lobos outside Carmel; I'm sure you know about the Monterey Bay Aquarium; kayaking is good at the Ellkhorn Slough, about 20-30 min from Monterey as I recall; and you can sea kayak pretty much anywhere, there are rentals at the Monterey wharf; Carmel has the only nice beach in the Monterey Bay area, well worth a stroll, as are the galleries in town; I suggest stopping at Nepenthe on your Big Sur drive; and while I haven't been there yet, I would put Big Sur Bakery on my list of stops, too.

Do a search here as well, for dining ideas and more touring suggestions. Enjoy!

Yes. We're flying into SF so we were thinking of taking a detour through Yosemite on the way back.

Meant to add, it is best to stay inside the park at Yosemite, esp. if your time is limited, so start checking for availability right away. There are several motels and hotels just outside the park, but those book up too during peak season. Whether you can find lodging may determine if you can do Yosemite this time.

Also just thought of wineries--there are several near Monterey, can't dig the info out of my brain at the moment but I;m sure others will chime in.

There are vineyards in the Monterrey area that you should research for tours, events or dining around that time. Bonny Doone and Byron are two. San Francisco can be a long day trip or as much as you want.

Yes, if you'd like to visit Yosemite, check lodging availability right away to see if you can find something. That might make your decision for you.

An alternate to Yosemite is Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks - very much worth a visit, but not nearly as crowded as Yosemite.

Or you could stick to the coast - either going north or south.

You could go through Big Sur to Cambria/Morro Bay/Pismo Beach/etc. and then return to SFO via Hwy 101.

Going north, if you wanted to stay between Monterey and SF, you have Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz mountains, and Half Moon Bay. Or you could head further north and see Sonoma County area - Point Reyes national seashore and areas up there.

The Mission in Carmel is one of the best. We took our best ever Whale Watch from the Monterey Wharf. Not sure what the activity might be while you're there but you might want to check it out. 17 Mile Drive has had pros and cons on the forum, some thinking it's not worth it, but there are some very scenic stops along the way.

I'd love to go whale watching when we're out there but I'm not sure there's a lot of activity in late July. Does anyone know?

Also - would 2 days in the Monterey/Carmel area be sufficient? Can Big Sur be combined in those two days or should I add it as another day? I was looking at the Tree Bones Resort in Big Sur which looked interesting!

Hi blue06!

I second the suggestion to consider the 17 mile drive in Monterey-I thought it was really cool!

http://www.pebblebeach.com/page.asp?...=_17_Mile_Home

Also maybe check out cannery row.

http://www.canneryrow.com/

Sounds like a great trip-have a wonderful time!!

We flew into San Francisco, spent a few days, then drove to Yosemite for two nights--AMAZING! We stayed in tent cabins, which was fun with our kids. Then drove over to Monterey, and down the Big Sur coastline, stopping at a campground along the way. We'd been there before, and just had one night. We ate lunch in Monterey the next day, and did a quick tour of the Aquarium, and then stopped at Point Lobos, which is NOT to be missed (hike along the coast, find the greenest beach I've ever seen with a little cave you can go into), then stopped at another beach where we played in the tide pools, can't remember the name, and were back in San Francisco for a late night flight. Lucky you!

Also, on the way back up to San Francisco, you'll smell garlic like crazy. I can't remember the name of the town, but they say it's the garlic capital of the world, and it's fun to go into the tourist shops along the road and look at all the garlic products.

Gilroy Cindy!? The garlic city? Heheh.

Last week we spent just over an hour on a helicopter tour around the Monterey bay. We went from Watsonville to big sur and it was amazing. you can see everything from whales to the massive mountains and everything in between. after we did that we had a great perspective to plan the spots we wanted to visit.
This trip was on my top 3 list of things i was not sure about at first but really happy i did. unforgettable beauty in the Monterey bay, can't go wrong there.

Has anyone stayed in Highlands Inn in Carmel which is a Hyatt Hotel? I was looking to use my Hyatt points there but I've heard mixed reviews about the hotel rooms. It sounds like the time share rooms are much nicer.

Also - I wanted to ask again if 2 days in the Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur area be sufficient or if I needed 3 days. My plan now is to head to Yosemite for a couple of days before driving back to San Francisco. Thanks!

Two days in Monterey area is ok, but 3 is better so that you could dedicate 1 day to Big Sur. You can either stay in Big Sur or visit as a day trip from Monterey - which ever makes most sense to you.

Here's my current itinerary. Appreciate any feedback or must see sights you can provide. Thanks!

7/25 - 7/26: Carmel/Monterey - Highlands Inn
7/27: Big Sur - TBD (I'm trying to get in at Treebones Resort. Any other suggestions?)
7/28 - 7/29: Yosemite National Park - Wawona Hotel (seems preferable to the Curry Tents)
7/30: Drive to San Francisco - Hyatt Embarcadero
7/31: Fly home

Bump

I apologize - I'm a little late to the party here!

To answer your question about whale watching - in July both blue whales and humpback whales are often spotted in Monterey Bay.

You mentioned you like hiking. We have a list of top day hikes, with links to trail maps, here: http://www.seemonterey.com/top-day-h...onterey-county

If you want ideas on how to spend a day or two in Monterey, here's a sample itinerary: http://www.seemonterey.com/monterey-...nterey-getaway

And here's one for Big Sur: http://www.seemonterey.com/big-sur-california

Both of them involve outdoor activities.

What sort of accommodations are you looking for in Big Sur?

While I think that Carmel Beach is wonderful, it is not the only good beach in Monterey County. Monterey State Beach is beautiful; I go walking there a lot, and on the Seaside end you can watch the parasailers. Marina State Beach is also beautiful, with a boardwalk through the sand dunes. It's also the big spot in the county for hang gliding.

Thanks so much for the itinerary suggestions for Monterey and Big Sur. I'm really excited to see that part of the CA coast as all the pictures look spectacular!

For Big Sur, I decided to stay to Glen Oaks instead of Tree Bones because nothing was available. Plus they had a 2-night stay minimum. I got one of the duplex cabins at Glen Oaks which look small but really nice.

Do you have any feedback on where to stay in Yosemite? Ideally I'd like to stay at the Lodge at the Falls but nothing is available yet. As I'm only going to be there two days, it would be ideal if we could be in a more central location but I'm concerned about the negative reviews about the Curry Cabins. ???

Here's my updated itinerary so far.

7/25 - 7/26: Carmel/Monterey - Highlands Inn
7/27: Big Sur - Glen Oaks Big Sur
7/28 - 7/29: Yosemite National Park - Wawona Hotel or Curry Tents?
7/30: Drive to San Francisco - Hyatt Regency Embarcadero
7/31: Fly home

I stayed at Yosemite View Lodge- just outside the park and was happy with accommadations- its an easy drive into the park or you can even take a bus in and not deal with the parking situation. Bus stops right outside.

There are nice rooms along the river - more expensive -a pool and a restaurant

Last weekend I was kayaking in Monterey Bay - loved the experience. Went with a guide who was great and gave us lots of interesting information. We saw sea otters with babies on their chests, seals, sea lions lots of birds- it was great -