San Francisco to San Diego

[krystee]

My H and I are flying into SF and have six days to drive down to San Diego and fly back home. We’ve rented a Jeep, and we’re super excited. We have been to SF and love it, but everything else is new to us. Below is how we tentatively plan to break up the nights. We’re going in November unless COVID prevents it, in which case we’d go in March most likely.

1 night in SF, 1 in Carmel, 1 near San Luis Obispo, 1 in LA and 2 in San Diego

We love anything on/by/in water, are not huge drinkers but love the occasional margarita, glass of wine or beer, we love lighthouses and waterfalls, we prefer fun restaurants to fancy ones, we love fun kitschy stuff (we had a blast driving a part of route 66 and seeing all the roadside attractions), and we enjoy nature and hiking, but pretty easy hikes.

Any recommendations?

[sakoro]

I do this drive a lot and I love Morro Bay (near San Luis Obispo). You might also consider stopping in Solvang. San Diego has endless numbers of fun things to do. I recommend Silver Strand State Beach as a relatively gentle beach with fewer crowds (because you have to pay for parking).For an easy hike near the Coast, try Torrey Pines State Beach.

I do NOT recommend taking a direct route through LA (particularly I-5) if you don’t want to spend your whole vacation in traffic. Unless there is something you especially want to see in LA consider taking 210 E through the LA basin’s foothills to 78 S.

[dearprudence]

I second everything sakoro recommends. We do this trip yearly, because my inlaws are near San Fransisco. We just did this drive earlier this month in fact! As a heads up, it is COLD in Northern CA - especially close to the water in November, so plan accordingly if you want to be out hiking around. Near Carmel there's a cute little lighthouse in Pacific Grove that's along a really beautiful stretch of road, so would make a very enjoyable drive. (Check hours ahead of time, when we just went it was only open on the weekend). There are some great waterfalls in Big Sur that you can hit up on your drive south- and November will be good in terms of amount of water if we can get some rain by then (fingers crossed), otherwise they will be less than spectacular. Dametra Cafe in Carmel has delicious Greek food.

I love San Luis Obispo, we just stayed there on our way home and I really wish we had gotten married there, but we'd decided at the time it was too inaccessible for families flying in. The Madonna Inn is your go-to for kitsch. That being said, and given your criteria, I agree y'all would really enjoy Solvang, which isn't too far south of San Luis Obispo.

LA is huge, so it's hard to give recommendations without knowing more about what area you're staying.

In San Diego, Cabrillo National Monument is your must-do. It's an easy hike and a lighthouse! You can grab a meal at Corvette Diner which is nearby, kitschy and fun. I'd also recommend Lucha Libre for fun food experience.

[meowmaps]

My H and I did this trip over ten days in 2013 I think. It feels like a long time ago. One thing I don’t see mentioned that I really enjoyed is San Simeon/the Hearst Castle.

[mrsd2006]

I want to do this trip one day. We did SF to Big Sur a few years ago but I want to go all the way down.

Are you taking Highway 1? Some of the stops we made:

Pelican Point lighthouse
www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=533

State park (the sea lions were mating, it was crazy they were everywhere- it's in March)
www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523

Monterey Aquarium

Point Lobos

17 mile drive though Pebble Beach (saw all kinds of wildlife)

Big Sur (be aware you may not have cell service thru here)
Water fall
www.hikespeak.com/trails/mcway-falls-big-sur/

Eat at Nepenthe in Big Sur

I think we stopped here too:
www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570

[sakoro]

Just be aware that there are several different ways of getting from Northern to Southern California. My standard method is to take 101 S, which goes past several of the original missions, Pinnacles National Park and Soledad, the town where John Steinbeck’s Red Pony is based. It’s relatively scenic, but it’s not the coast. You get on 101 S around Monterey and it takes you back to the coast in the Santa Barbara /Ventura area. I take this route twice a year and it is about 10 hours total from SF East Bay to Chula Vista (South San Diego county). I usually break it up by stopping either in Morro Bay or by staying with friends in the outskirts of LA county.

The most scenic route is highway 1, which is a windy road along the coast that will take several days. It goes through Big Sur, one of the most spectacular rugged wild places I’ve ever been. Be aware that it’s prone to landslides and road closures (check the weather for heavy rain predictions before you go). Also Big Sur has very little lodging or restaurants/ services. The few hotels are very high end and get booked very far in advance. Highway 1 also goes past Hearst Castle (might still be closed due to COVID, check in advance).

The fastest and least scenic route is 5 S, which goes through industrial agricultural areas in the Central Valley. There are lots of semi trucks on this route which always make me nervous in my little prius. There’s not much reason to take this road unless you want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

Given your limited amount of time, you’ll have to choose whether you want to spend more time along the coast (by taking highway 1) or by spending more time in San Diego. There’s tons to see in each of these places and you can’t go wrong.

Personally I would skip LA this trip and just drive around. I’d recommend doing a whole separate trip to see the main LA sites when you aren’t already be worn out by driving through the coast.

[goldengirlz]

We’ve done this drive a few times too. I’d skip SLO itself; it’s just not that exciting.

Morro Bay is a good suggestion, or you could even drive straight from Carmel to Santa Barbara.

[marshmallowhands]

I live in the Central Coast area. I'd definitely recommend driving down Hwy 1. It will add to your trip and make the drive enjoyable while 101 or I-5 would just be a means to get from one place to another. But it's a winding road so keep that in mind if you or your DH are prone to motion sickness.

I've only been to Carmel a handful of times and it's been awhile so I don't have any specific recommendations. It's pretty though and worth a stay for sure. 

For your drive down Hwy 1 to SLO area:
   - There's a bar in Big Sur with a great view called Nepenthe. Would be worth a quick stop. 
   - We've camped at Plaskett Creek before and there's a nice beach to hike down to. You can park and walk out to see it. 
   - Just before San Simeon there's an Elephant Seal beach where you can watch them. In November there's just the males but they are fun to watch. 
   - Cambria is just after San Simeon. It's got a cute little downtown that just takes a short time to watch. There's a restaurant named Linn's that is famous for Olallieberry baked goods- muffins and cakes. We always stop in for a little something. If you're looking for a quick walk on a boardwalk by the ocean, there's a nice easy one in Cambria called Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. 
   - Just past Cambria is a little town called Harmony. It's got a glass blowing shop and a really good ice cream shop. Just across the Hwy is a short hike out to ocean bluffs called Harmony Headlands hike. We like to go for a hike and then grab some ice cream and look around the glass shop. 
   - Cayucos is the next town and if you like fish tacos, definitely go to Ruddell's Smoke House. It's a small place right on the beach that sells a great fish taco. I recommend the albacore. I know a GREAT air bnb in Cayucos right on the beach and perfect for two. DM me if you want more information. There's also a breakfast spot there called Hidden Kitchen that makes cool waffles. 
    - Morro Bay is worth a stop for walking along the harbor. If you like to kayak, there's a great place to rent a kayak and go out to a nice spot where you can walk on some dunes. If you like seafood and are here around dinner, definitely go to The Galley. 
    - In SLO you'd definitely want to see Madonna Inn if you are into kitschy stuff. It's the #1 spot for that. There's a cute little downtown that has a bunch of outdoor restaurant seating that is lovely. Thursday night is the big farmer's market downtown which feels a little crazy with covid but is neat to see. For easy hikes in SLO, I'd look up Johnson Ranch or Terrace Hill. Terrace Hill is a very short walk up a hill that gives a great view of the city. 

From SLO to San Diego I'd recommend stopping in Solvang. On the way is a little town called Los Alamos that has a great bread and bakery called Bob's Well Bread. Definitely worth a stop. 

Looks like most of my recs are food based but let me know if you are looking for something else!


   

[Deleted]

My only suggestion is please be really careful of where you park the car in SF. It is probably even worth paying for parking wherever you're staying. The auto break in problem there is huge, and with a jeep it's even easier to break into. Our rental SUV was broken into in July when we were out there and they grabbed luggage out of the back.

[goldengirlz]

Sept 13, 2021 19:40:16 GMT -5 @princessbubbleyum said:

My only suggestion is please be really careful of where you park the car in SF. It is probably even worth paying for parking wherever you're staying. The auto break in problem there is huge, and with a jeep it's even easier to break into. Our rental SUV was broken into in July when we were out there and they grabbed luggage out of the back.

I’m sorry your luggage was stolen, and I’ll just add to what you said. The worst areas for break-ins are the ones with a lot of tourists. Paying for parking helps but only if it’s a garage that’s attended (some of the bigger ones just have pay kiosks.)

This is a good time to get off the tourist path and check out some of the hidden gems in residential neighborhoods. Tourism in the city has not recovered from covid and I’d be careful walking around certain areas, especially around Union Square and SoMa — mostly because they still feel a bit deserted. (It’s gotten a little better recently but most of the big tech employers here have delayed reopening until 2022; a lot of our big office buildings are practically empty.)

The best way to prevent a car break-in is to leave NOTHING in your vehicle.

[sakoro]

Sept 23, 2021 10:30:12 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

Sept 13, 2021 19:40:16 GMT -5 @princessbubbleyum said:

My only suggestion is please be really careful of where you park the car in SF. It is probably even worth paying for parking wherever you're staying. The auto break in problem there is huge, and with a jeep it's even easier to break into. Our rental SUV was broken into in July when we were out there and they grabbed luggage out of the back.

I’m sorry your luggage was stolen, and I’ll just add to what you said. The worst areas for break-ins are the ones with a lot of tourists. Paying for parking helps but only if it’s a garage that’s attended (some of the bigger ones just have pay kiosks.)

….The best way to prevent a car break-in is to leave NOTHING in your vehicle.

I third this suggestion. My rule is to never have sweaters, change, coffee mugs, shopping bags and definitely never ever luggage visible.

The break-in problem is not quite as severe in San Diego, but I would still not leave anything visible in the car, especially in touristy areas.