Driving from San Fran to LA

[sbouncer]

Hey all,

My family and I are doing an extended vacation in California....First Time , we are starting in San Fran for 6 days and then headed down the coast to LA and Disney. I am trying to find a place to break the drive up and spend the night. Can anyone give me some suggestions where to stay that may be midway but still have something to see or do around it? Thanks In advance for your help.

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

Santa Barbara is a beautiful area. There is also Capitola and Pismo Beach.

Go to www.familyfun.com and search each are and it will give you an idea of what's there.

 

[Lisa P.]

We're considering a similar trip. One place we'd like to stop for a night or two: San Simeon to see the Hearst estate and castle. Have fun!!

 

[Claire L]

We stopped at Pismo Beach for 2 nights and did Hearst Castle, the estate was very interesting

Claire

 

[NicoleDisneyFan]

We always drive from SF to LA and have to tell you that I-5 isnt much but the drive is easy and going towards the coast we had to do once when I-5 was closed was the worst drive ever but then again we always drive late night around 1am and get to LA in the morning

 

[StormalongKay]

We drove from SF to DL last August and stayed overnight in Solvang. Cute town, but we arrived around 8pm and everything was closed for the night.

Marriott has a terrific new property nearby - I think it is called Marriott Santa Ynez.

 

[BillyFan]

You can easily make the drive in one day if you take I-5. But if you want to drive the coast, I'd suggest stopping somewhere around Cambria or Santa Barbara. Both are very nice.

 

[scooter15]

When is your trip? I ask because of road conditions during various times of the year.

Fastest: I-5. From SF you head east to Stockton and head down I-5. Its the quickest way but its also BORING! Only problem is when you reach the base of the Grapevine. If there is bad weather, they will close it and you will be stuck at the bottom of the mtn. This happens mostly during the winter season because of snow and the grade is pretty steep.

Interesting and common: SR 101. This is definitely a step up from I-5 and its a straight shot from SF to LA. You don't have to worry about the grapevine but there's a lot of traffic once you hit Ventura into LA. You can stop in either San Luis Obispo at the Madonna Inn. You might have seen it on the Travel Channel as a place to stop and check out the men's restroom, with the waterfall. Or you can stop at Solvang, a small dutch town and dont' forget to get some abelskeivers! And there's always Santa Barbara.

Scenic: PCH- Hwy1. I recommend this but you have to stay at least overnight. I suggest you leave very early from SF and head towards Monterey. In the Monterey Bay area, there's so much you can do such as the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Cannery Row or Aquarium in Monterey Bay, and Carmel. There's also the 17 mile drive in Pebble Beach. I always make DH drive through there because I love the trees and the beach over there. Its cold but its unlike any other place. Once you actually start driving down Hwy 1 its going to be a winding road with nothing but the side of a mtn and the pacific ocean. There are several places to stop and enjoy the scenery. It can get quite foggy during the summer months and COLD because of the ocean. Once you get past that area there's Cambria, San Simeon (Hearst Castle) and many other stops to check out the Sea Lions . There's also Morro Bay with Morro Rock. From Morro Bay you drive towards the 101 and it takes you to San Luis Obispo.

So you have many choices but its up to you on what you want to do and your timeframe.

 

[The Blue Parrot]

Oh boy...

I've made this trip so many times that I've lost count.

Yes, Interstate 5 is a trip. Travel from San Francisco to LA by the following route - I-80 across the San Francisco Bay Bridge to I-580 to I-5. A stop at Harris Ranch in Coalinga is a good place to stretch the legs, fill the tank and enjoy a good meal. I'm partial to the Pot Roast sandwich. That's the good point. The bad? It's one heck of a boring drive. It isn't any better during the day than it is at night. And you get to slice and dice with trucks all the way down the Five. Throw in the idiots who think that the speed limit is somewhere north of 90 mph (it's only 70) and it's a stressful run of at least 6 hours or more.

Now for the alternatives. If you want to take a trip through the San Joaquin Valley, Highway 99 takes you through the population centers. It is less boring than the Five and there are plenty of places to stop in along the way for all kinds of things. But making the trip in a day, from SF to LA can be 8 hours or better. Speed is 65 max. And there aren't fewer trucks than on the Five, either.

The Coast roads? Highway 1 is a very scenic trip if you really want to take in the Pacific Ocean. But expect a slow trip as the road is two lane for much of the Central part of the ride. But that being said, a trip from San Francisco to Morro Bay would be fine. You could even make a stop at Santa Cruz to take in what a real beach boardwalk is like and what Disney should have done for DCA if they really wanted to recreate that.

After a night a Morro Bay (or San Luis Obispo - I prefer the Apple Farm for motel and a hearty breakfast), Hearst Castle would be my choice of things to see. As much as the Germans promote Neuschwanstein as their classic castle, this is California's classic mansion residence, thanks to William Randolph Hearst's extravagant tastes. And don't forget that some of the states best wines come from the area as well.

Highway 101 is another 65 mph max road. It takes you through some of the states best agricultural properties south of San Jose. A few places to check out along the way include Gilroy (the Garlic capital of California), Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. Always fun would be the Madonna Inn with every room a unique experience. And it's known as the Pink Palace for a reason you'll see right away.

I've done all of these routes with family and friends. For first timers? I'd suggest Hwy 101 in two days. Lots of things to see and places to stop along the way and likely to be cooler than the San Joaquin Valley, especially in the height of summer.

 

[Lisa P.]

What wonderful ideas - thank you for posting all this!

What are "abelskeivers"?

 

[Hound 109]

Hey all,

My family and I are doing an extended vacation in California....First Time , we are starting in San Fran for 6 days and then headed down the coast to LA and Disney. I am trying to find a place to break the drive up and spend the night. Can anyone give me some suggestions where to stay that may be midway but still have something to see or do around it? Thanks In advance for your help.

Here's a thread that discussed some of your questions with a few links on towns in the area & lodging & activities.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1761560

I'd spend the night in Cambria or Morro Bay.

Have fun!

 

[scooter15]

What wonderful ideas - thank you for posting all this!

What are "abelskeivers"?

I realized I spelled it wrong. Its ebelskiver and its a danish pancake ball. They are served with a berry jam on the side. I also suggest that if you are there for breakfast that you head over to Paula's pancake house (I think that's the place) and have the danish pancakes. Oh I wish I was having some now. Its a very popular place in Solvang.

 

[honeymom]

We've done the coast drive many times, over many years.

I believe the op was looking for one place to break up the trip. The entire trip is about 9 hours if I remember correctly.

Santa Barbara is only 1 1/2 hours from LA. It might still be a long day to get there. Still, we love SB.

Monterrey area is about 2 1/2 hours from SF. Might still be a long day the next day. Another area that we love.

I think that the area around Hearst Castle would be the best. We really like the Moonstone Beach area of Cambria best, but as some other posters mentioned there is also Pismo Beach. Also, San Luis Obispo isn't too far. Those areas will be much more midway.

Solvang is interesting, but it is not on the coast. It is a little inland from the 101 (after you have been riding California 1 you will merge into the 101).

While the coastal route is a longer route than the 5 or 101, it is beautiful and well worth the drive in our opinion. But, keep in mind that some of it really winds and you will be going in the direction that is next to the drop down to the Pacific. This bothers some people especially in the area north and south of Big Sur. A lot of first timers on the drive do better going north.

 

[TadStrongo]

San Luis Obispo is a good option too. Short drive to Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, plus lots of hotels because it's a college town. Has a really cool downtown, and if you happen to be there on a Thursday, they shut down the main street for a great Farmer's Market. Also, right downtown there's a little alley where the walls are covered in chewed gum (I know...sounds gross) called bubble gum alley. The kids love it.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I agree that if you are going for the most scenic, interesting drive, take Hwy 1 along the coast. But be prepared! There are long stretches with no gas stations, restrooms, etc. so be sure you have enough gas to make it to the next town. I've known a couple people who ran out of gas on some of the longer stretches between towns on Hwy1.

If you just want one place to stop roughly 1/2 way down, I recommend the area around San Luis Obispo. There's more options for hotels and it will be a little cheaper than the Cambrian area near Hearst Castle. I agree with a pp that Monterey would be a little too close to SF and Santa Barbara a little too close to LA to make either a good 1/2 way point to stop overnight.

DH and I have traveled the coast between SF and Santa Barbara several times and we love it. It's beautiful, and there's lots of places to stop and explore along the way. As others have said, it definitely will take you longer to get to LA if you go down Hwy 1, but it's by far the most scenic. If you don't take 1, then I'd recommend 101, still stopping in San Luis Obispo (SLO) overnight.

 

[sbouncer]

Thank you to all that have responded.....It sound Like San Luis Obispo would probably be a better choice for us as a 1/2 way point. With it being a college town are there any areas that we should try to avoid or is it all mostly nice area?

We are headout of San Fran on the 21st of June so schools should be out by then. I think we are definately going to take Highway 1, it sounds very scenic.