Wine Country to Carmel
 

We will be in CA wine country for our first time this summer (2-3) days, then would like to go south to Carmel...either through San Francisco, but more likely along the coast to the Carmel area for 2 days or so.
We have the wine country covered, but are interested in things to see, places to stay the night, dining, etc. along the way to Carmel. Our budget as a couple is flexible, but generally $250 per night lodging, meals: $75-100 a day, etc.
We'd like to soak up as much of the local flavor as possible from Napa/Sonoma to Carmel. Any ideas/recommendations, particularly in the Carmel area?

I assume that your comment about through SF means that you don't intend to stay in SF, because you can't travel the coast from wine country to Carmel without going through SF.

The Highland's Inn in Carmel is my favorite. The California Market and the Pacific's Edge are both very good choices for meals. Enjoy Carmel! It is truly beautiful! ***kim*** :)

As SAB has said, if you want to go from wine country to carmel along the coast, you will naturally be passing through San Francisco.

"Wine country" should put you on Highway 101 which is north of San Francisco. Just follow 101 down to San Francisco, then I would suggest that you try to follow the coastline - go to Cliff House and along the Great Highway for a more interesting drive. Follow the Great Highway which will lead you to Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35), keep going south on Skyline. It will become Highway 1, the Coast Highway. Drive along Highway 1 all the way to Carmel.

Check this forum for numerous excellent suggestions on Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel.

Happy travels!

One place to stay in between given your budget, assuming you want to stop, would be the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay.

The best way to get to the scenic part of the coast from Wine Country is not to drive through SF. For one thing, the traffic through town can be a real pain. From the Wine Country take Highway 12 to 680 south then 280 north to 17 south then 1 south in Santa Cruz and on down the coast to Monterey and Carmel. You can easily make the drive in a day from Wine Country to Carmel without spending the night. Otherwise, the most logical place to spend a night on the way down would be in San Jose where you could visit a museum or catch a Broadway show, etc. on the way to Carmel.

Thanks for the replies thus far! Very good suggestions.
SBrown8243