drive LA-SF on Rt.1- possible in 1 day?

[lovemy3girls]

We are spending 2 days at Disneyland and then driving up to San Fran for a wedding in July. We are short on time and only have 1 day (a Friday) to get from Anaheim to San Fran. We would love to go the scenic route, I hear that road is beautiful and we have never been to CA, so we want to take it all in. Is it possible to do that drive in 1 day with 3 kids (age 6, 8, and 10-great travelers)? If not, is there a way to do part of the trip on Rt 1 and hop over to I-5 the rest of the way?) Or would that be completely out of the way? Thanks in advance!
-Chris

 

[Magix]

Is it possible? Yes. Is it a good idea? No. Hwy 1, in many parts, is extremely curvy and will likely get tiring (and possibly make the kids car sick) if done in one day. I'd recommend taking the 101 up to Salinas, then cutting across on the 183 (I think that's the number) to Hwy 1 at Moss Landing and continuing up from there. Or, you could take the 5 to the 48 (at Lost Hills) to the 101 to Salinas and head over to Hwy 1. Taking the 5 route will cut about an hour out of the trip, but the 101 is a very nice route.

That way, you'll get some of the best of Hwy 1, without overdosing on it. You're looking at 8 or 9 hours to get up there.

 

[StageTek]

It’s possible and a wonderful way to get to San Francisco.

I first did it when I was about 9. I remember my dad letting me
drive part of the way when I was 16 and it was thrilling. I still
drive Hwy. 1 every once in a while.

If you just do it, without stopping except for a quick meal and
bathroom breaks it’s around the 8 hour mark - often times less.
And so beautiful that you don’t even notice the time. Even as a
kid.

 

[Skippy24]

We typically jump on the 101 fwy and really enjoy the drive. At some parts you can see the ocean and there's lots of horses & cows along the way to look at. It usually takes us 6 1/2 - 7 hours to get there, but we stop at both rest stops along the way for bathroom breaks and to let our kids run round for a while. Just another possible route for you.