SF to San Diego help with itinerary

We hope to drive the coast this summer making several overnight stops along the way. Would like to stay at Hilton hotels, thinking Fess Parker in Santa Barbara and Embassy Suites in Monterey. Not sure yet about south of LA. How bad is the drive thru LA to San Diego? Is it worth it, or should we just fly home from LA? We have been to SF, LA, and SAN, but never drove the coast. Must see stops would be Hearst Castle, Big Sir, Carmel, maybe Dana Point. Any suggestions? We will have 7-10 days, maybe even go to Yosemite first. Starwood hotels are on our list also, anyone been to St Regis at Dana Point? It%26#39;s our 25th! Thanks!

SF to San Diego help with itinerary

Yosemite is wonderful, my fav place in California so I%26#39;d def advise you to go there

as you suggest, driving in la can be a bit of a nightmare but its well worth it to get to san diego - its a great touristy city jsut lovely with loads of fun things to do

SF to San Diego help with itinerary

I don%26#39;t want to kill your plans but in the summer Yosemite is bumper to bumper traffic and while it is amazing it is so crowded I don%26#39;t think it is worth the trip. This is just my opinion. On a happier note, I think you should take the time to travel the coast it is well worth the trip to San Diego. I have a couple of suggestions though. I would choose Blue Lantern Inn in Dana Point over the St Regis because it is right by the water and the St Regis is a few miles away from the water. You don%26#39;t say what your time frame is but there is an event that is well worth the ticket price it is in Laguna Beach. It takes place only for a few weeks each summer and it is called Festival of The Arts or Pageant of The Masters. The venue is not very far from the Blue Lantern Inn. I have supplied the urls for both of these. I live in San Diego and have lived in the bay area near SF. I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

http://www.bluelanterninn.com/index.htm

http://www.foapom.com/site/overview_pom.asp

Taking the coastal drive through Los Angeles to San Diego is worth it if you haven%26#39;t done it before! It is a different vibe than the drive north/west of LA, but still interesting. Note that Highway 1 through LA, from Santa Monica to Long Beach, is *not* on the water and you will have to take regular city streets through most of it. Worth the effort. This should help you get started: http://tinyurl.com/cmkff2

can u pls tell me where is dana point? i dont seem to be able to find it in the map thks

Hi, thks found Dana point. is it possible to see whales from the waterfront or do one have to take a whale watching trip? is there a good possiblity of seeing whales around 10th nov?

thks

If you only have 7-10 days, I agree with the previous poster on skipping Yosemite. It%26#39;s beautiful, but it%26#39;s on the other side of the state and driving to and from there during the peak summer season is horrendous.

Here%26#39;s the way I would set up my iterinary at a minimum:

Day 1: Fly into SFO or nearby airport. Assuming SFO, I would pick up the rental car and drive to Half Moon Bay for the night.

Day 2/3: Drive to Carmel/Pacific Grove/Monterrey (about 2 hours from HMB) with a stop in Santa Cruz. Stay 2 nights. You can explore Carmel, visit Point Lobos State Park and do some easy hikes, check out Monterrey and the Aquarium, etc.

Day 4: Drive to Big Sur. Visit Hearst Castle. Stay overnight at Cambria.

Day 5/6: Drive to Santa Barbara. Stay 2 nights. Visit some wineries nearby, beach, etc.

Day 7/8: Drive to Dana Point. Not exactly sure what is in Dana Point, but you can take a day trip or overnight trip to Avalon/Catalina Island. You can also get to Catalina from Long Beach and probably closer to the LA airports.

I thought people go to dana point to see whales dont they? i was going there hoping to see whales.

ysh.

You have asked your question about Dana Point in a thread where the original poster asked about a trip down the coast from San Francisco.

If you want answers to questions about Dana Point and whale watching, you will get more answers if you start your own thread with that as a subject.

Otherwise it is confusing.

The coast is amazing. I would omit Yosemite on a trip of this duration, as other posters have suggested.

My favorite part starts just south of Carmel (where Big Sur begins) and ends a few miles south of San Luis Obispo on Hwy 1. The area is mostly rural, with incredible scenery, and only a few small towns. There aren%26#39;t any chain hotels after you leave Monterey until San Luis Obispo, which has an Embassy Suites.

I%26#39;m of two minds on Hearst Castle: it%26#39;s certainly an amazing set of structures in a fantastic setting, but of questionable taste. If you%26#39;ve never seen it before, it could be worth a visit. It will take at least two hours out of your day. Try to get tickets online before you go, as it can get busy in the summer.

For Big Sur, this goList might give you some useful ideas.

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i14592-Big_Sur_…

My ideal itinerary from SF would take Hwy 280 to 85 to 17 to 1, stopping in Big Sur for a night or two. You mentioned it was your 25th anniversary, and I highly recommend the Post Ranch Inn. If that%26#39;s not in your budget, there are a few other places to stay in Big Sur, or some people opt for Monterey or Carmel.

After that part of the world, drive down to Hearst Castle, take the tour, and perhaps stay in Cambria (a lovely little town with pine forests, a romantic beach, and great shops and restaurants) or San Luis Obispo or Avila Beach farther to the south.

I don%26#39;t have much experience farther south - I%26#39;ve driven through but never spent much time in Santa Barbara, LA, etc, but plenty of other people here can help you.

likestotravelIn,

scooterboss has given you great advice.

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