wanderer

What is the weather like in Nov and Dec Calif coast from SF to Santa Barbara?

We are planning on flying into SF and driving down to Santa Barbara, stopping in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo, and then Santa Barbara.

We don't mind if it is cool, but would like to avoid the rainy season and would prefer that it's not freezing cold. Are these months an option given our wishes?

Also would like to know if it makes sense to just drive to LA to fly home, or drive all the way back to SF. Don't know if flying out of a different airport raises the fare.

Any help appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of a good web site with historical weather by month for CA towns, with rainfall that would be a help.

jayinla

www.weather.com provides averages and extremes in temperature by location, but is not helpful on rainfall.

shadow204

I'm on the coast of California in San Luis Obispo. Nov and Dec is hit and miss. It is the rainy season, so there is a chace of rain. It will be cool too. Highs in the high 50's to low 60's. But, it can also be warm and sunny. Unfortunately no way to predict year to year.

PamSF

Chances are you will have rain..although there can be some absolutely crystal clear days in those months. You will encounter cooler weather in the north which should become increasingly nicer as you head south. Bear in mind the coastal temps here tend to be slighter higher than inland and valley temps. I'd say fly out of LA..it will give you more time to enjoy the sights. I used to think fares were cheaper if I flew in and out of the same city..sometimes it can actually be either the same or less to fly "open-jaw"..factor in your rental fees on a car and see if it is worth it to you. It might help as well..for those of us commenting on your plans to have an idea of how much time you have in which to make this trip.

wanderer

Our itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 - Fly into SF, Drive to Half Moon Bay, staying at Old Thyme Inn. We'd like to stop and see Pacifica on the way.

Day 2 - Davenport, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Pacific Grove, Monterey and Carmel - staying in Carmel at Cypress Inn.

Day 3 - Monterey, Pacific Grove - explore

Day 4 - Carmel, Pt. Lobos State Reservation, Big Sur, and drive to Morro Bay - stay at Inn at Morro Bay.

Day 5 - Cambria, San Simeon, Harmony, and Cayucos. Stay at Morro Bay.

Day 6 - Paso Robles and the wineries, stay in Morro Bay.

Day 7 - San Luis Obispo, Avila, Pismo and Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano. Drive to Santa Barbara and stay over. Have not found a place we like there yet - Simpson House looks great but VERY pricey. Our budget is $225-$250/nt.

Day 8 - Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpintera, Summerland, Ventura, and Ojai. Spend night in Santa Barbara.

Day 9 - Los Olivos, Ballard, Santa Ynez, Solvang. Either fly out from there (LAX), or stay one more night in Santa Barbara and fly out in the AM.

What is the best time of year for this trip? We don't want really hot weather, or rainy weather.

We had looked at a place in Santa Ynez, I think called Santa Ynez Inn that just opened - anyone familiar with that? Would that be a good place to stay rather than Santa Barbara?

DavidDJ

Wanderer,

Looks like a great itineray. I wouldn't change a thing, except maybe adding in a tour of Hearst Castle while you are in San Simeon if you are not already planning to do so. If you do plan to see the castle, be sure to make reservations.

The best time to do this trip would either be May or September. June through August you will have a problem with persistent fog along the coast. November and December will most likely be rainy.

I would advise driving one way to LA and flying out from there. Often flying into one airport and out of another ("open jaw" ticket) is the same or not much more than flying in and out of the same airport. If you decide to drive back and fly out of SF, you should also factor in the cost of the rental car and the high cost of gas, around $2.50 a gallon. So a one way drive may save you a bundle.

rjw_lgb_ca

It strikes me as a very full itinerary, but to see the most sites in the least time, it will work. I would highly recommend September too-- the weather should be perfect. November and December last year were OK, as I recall. I doubt you'll get deluged in any case-- this just isn't the state for Biblical rainfalls.

sgbslo

Try the Hotel Oceana in Santa Barbara. I'm pretty sure the rates are quite a bit lower than Simpson House and it's right across from the beach. I would suggest you stay in Santa Barbara because it's a neat town and there's quite a bit to do there. If you stay in Santa Ynez you might miss the flavor of Santa Barbara.
If you're in the Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo area on a Thursday night be sure to attend the Farmers' Market in downtown San Luis Obispo. It's more like a street carnival and quite fun.

SAB

Second the recommendations for either May or September. It is usually clear at the coast i.e. no fog and nice during both of these months. September typically is warmer -- late September is when we get "indian summer". In May however the hillsides on the Coast are much greener (from the winter rain) whereas in September some places look pretty arid. For some that comes as a surprise.

J_Correa

Sounds like a good itinerary to me. I would also pick Spetember as my first choice and May as my second for the reasons already mentioned.

Since you will be right on the coast, hot weather wont be a problem no matter when you come. Anything above 80� is considered sweltering because it rarely goes above that temperature.

One problem you may face if you come in the winter time is road closure due to mud slides. Hwy 1 north of Santa Cruz is prone to slides as is Hwy 1 south of Carmel. A good storm can knock out the road. If it's just mud and gunk, then Catrans will have it cleared in a few days, but if the road has washed out, it will most likely be washed out until spring.