Confused from the east coast

[DianeMMHH]

We are cruising out of LA on the Jewel and we are from the east coast. We will be driving down the West Coast from SF and staying in Monterey/Carmel and Cambria/San Simeon. How much time do we need in each location? 1 or 2 days enough? Can anyone recommend places to stay!

 

Diane

[CruiserBruce]

You could do 2 full days (3 nights)in Monterey. I would do just one full day (2 nights) in San Simeon. Book an early tour of the Hearst Castle.

 

There are dozens of hotels of all levels in Monterey. Many great places to stay. Fewer in San Simeon, but a range to choose from. Your budget is the key in both places.

[Keith1010]

Jus to add to what CruiserBruce said, give yourself some pad and arrive to somewhere near the port the night before and not the day of the cruise.

 

Monterey is about a three to four hour drive from San Francisco. I too would stay there for two nights. Give yourself time to also visit Carmel which is right next to Monterey.

 

There are other places to stop along the way after you leave Monterey including Solvang.

 

Keith

[Bruin Steve]

We are cruising out of LA on the Jewel and we are from the east coast. We will be driving down the West Coast from SF and staying in Monterey/Carmel and Cambria/San Simeon. How much time do we need in each location? 1 or 2 days enough? Can anyone recommend places to stay!

 

Diane

 

First figure out what you want to see and do at each location...or at other stops along the way.

For Monterey, the Aquarium is one attraction, Carmel--with its art galleries is another...others like to see the sites associated with John Steinbeck...And some just want to play a round at Pebble Beach. For many people, a one night stop is enough...leave San Francisco early, check into a hotel, go visit the aquarium, eat some sea food at Cannery Row...then, drive the "18 Mile Drive" visit Carmel and walk around the next morning...

You DON'T want to leave Carmel too late as you NEED to take Route 1 through Big Sur during daylight hours...The road can be treacherous and unlit at night.

 

Realize that there are only organized tours for Hearst Castle...You MAY need reservations depending on season/day of week. The tours each deal with a different part of the property rather than being overall tours. For some people, one tour is enough, others like to take two or even more...So, you may want to go all the way to Cambria and check in to a hotel, eat dinner and backtrack to Hearst Castle for tours the following morning...

 

I don't particularly like San Simeon as a hotel destination...There really isn't much around there in the way of restaurants...and nothing as attractions except Hearst Castle...Cambria means you backtrack to the Castle, but it's a nicer little town if one is going to have a little time to kill in the evening...

 

From Cambria South, the Santa Ynez Valley is the nicest spot to spend some time--the area is the Southern California Wine Country with numerous vineyards and wine tastings (This is the area spotlighted in the movie "Sideways"). For Dinner in this area, I highly recommend AJ Spurs on the highway leading out of Buellton towards Solvang...Then there is the very touristy little Danish town of Solvang...lots of little gift shops and great bakeries. For a scenic drive, leave Solvang to the East and take the Cachuma Pass into Santa Barbara...Santa Barbara is a very popular resort town (and a cruise port on those California Coastal cruises) with an old Spanish Mission, lots of antique shops, designer shops, restaurants, a beautiful stretch of beach and more...

 

From there, you drive South through Ventura, then make the option of following the freeway (101-not too scenic) or taking Highway 1 through Malibu and into Santa Monica...

 

Good luck...

[DianeMMHH]

Thank you Cruiser Bruce and Keith.......we are staying in San Pedro the night before the cruise. We were staying in San Francisco 2 nights but then decided we needed three nights. That leaves three nights to divide between Monterey and Cambria\San Simeon.......that is the dilemma!

 

Diane

[DianeMMHH]

First figure out what you want to see and do at each location...or at other stops along the way.

For Monterey, the Aquarium is one attraction, Carmel--with its art galleries is another...others like to see the sites associated with John Steinbeck...And some just want to play a round at Pebble Beach. For many people, a one night stop is enough...leave San Francisco early, check into a hotel, go visit the aquarium, eat some sea food at Cannery Row...then, drive the "18 Mile Drive" visit Carmel and walk around the next morning...

You DON'T want to leave Carmel too late as you NEED to take Route 1 through Big Sur during daylight hours...The road can be treacherous and unlit at night.

 

Realize that there are only organized tours for Hearst Castle...You MAY need reservations depending on season/day of week. The tours each deal with a different part of the property rather than being overall tours. For some people, one tour is enough, others like to take two or even more...So, you may want to go all the way to Cambria and check in to a hotel, eat dinner and backtrack to Hearst Castle for tours the following morning...

 

I don't particularly like San Simeon as a hotel destination...There really isn't much around there in the way of restaurants...and nothing as attractions except Hearst Castle...Cambria means you backtrack to the Castle, but it's a nicer little town if one is going to have a little time to kill in the evening...

 

From Cambria South, the Santa Ynez Valley is the nicest spot to spend some time--the area is the Southern California Wine Country with numerous vineyards and wine tastings (This is the area spotlighted in the movie "Sideways"). For Dinner in this area, I highly recommend AJ Spurs on the highway leading out of Buellton towards Solvang...Then there is the very touristy little Danish town of Solvang...lots of little gift shops and great bakeries. For a scenic drive, leave Solvang to the East and take the Cachuma Pass into Santa Barbara...Santa Barbara is a very popular resort town (and a cruise port on those California Coastal cruises) with an old Spanish Mission, lots of antique shops, designer shops, restaurants, a beautiful stretch of beach and more...

 

From there, you drive South through Ventura, then make the option of following the freeway (101-not too scenic) or taking Highway 1 through Malibu and into Santa Monica...

 

Good luck...

 

Thank you...we were looking at Moonstone Beach hotels....I particularly love the ocean views!

 

I wish we had more time (and money) so we could stay longer!

 

Diane

[Bruin Steve]

.....we are staying in San Pedro the night before the cruise. We were staying in San Francisco 2 nights but then decided we needed three nights. That leaves three nights to divide between Monterey and Cambria\San Simeon.......that is the dilemma!

 

Diane,

Were I in your shoes, I would leave San Francisco early in the day...It is about a 120 mile, two hour drive from San Francisco to Monterey--so long as you are not on a weekday competing with Bay area rush hour traffic--if so, add a little time...I would have some lunch in Monterey, then visit the Aquarium or do whatever sightseeing that day in the Monterey area and spend ONE NIGHT. The following morning, I would take the 17 Mile Drive to Carmel, then walk around Carmel just a little, maybe eat brunch, then drive through the Big Sur via Highway1 from Carmel to Cambria (Driver: Keep your eyes on the road!)...I would either plan to take a Hearst Castle tour on the way down (But you'd really have to time it right--which may mean skipping the walk and brunch in Carmel)...or I'd backtrack the next morning to see Hearst Castle, then leave after the tour...

Personally, especially if I'd seen Hearst Castle on the way down, I would limit my stay in Cambria to one night as well (It's a really small town)...I would drive that evening or late afternoon to Solvang (100 miles) and spend the night there...then I'd spend that day touring wineries or walking around Santa Barbara...It's about 140 miles from Solvang to San Pedro--so, I'd take that day before the cruise seeing Solvang, Santa Barbara and leisurely making my way down to San Pedro by dinner time--check into my hotel, have a nice dinner and go to bed to be rested and relaxed for the cruise that next day...

 

So, basically, my idea would be to plan it all out, leave the daily driving increments to a very manageable 100-140 miles each day...time each stop to be at an appropriate time...and, rather than 1/2 or 2/1 between Monterey and Cambria, I'd make it 1/1/1...

 

I once spent two nights straight in the Cambria/San Simeon area and by the second night I was questioning myself as to why I hadn't planned to just move on after visiting Hearst Castle...

[Cruisin' Chick]

My mother and I did the basic Hearst Castle tour some years ago (we stayed the night before in Morro Bay and after the tour, took to the 1 and headed for our hotel in Monterey after a lunch stop in Carmel) and I would definitely recommend making a reservation. It looks like you're talking about in a few weeks which isn't a holiday time (most Californians don't get a day off for Columbus Day anymore), but if you have firmed your schedule, it probably will be a good idea.

 

I was recommending to my family going to Hearst Castle but neither my girl nor hubby seemed interested for our road trip last month. Since hubby is now retired, maybe I can talk him into it at some time.

 

We did have a timed itinerary mostly worked out as we needed to be at the girl's college town by a specific date. Anyway, this is what we did:

1. First day, left the San Fernando Valley (northwest corner of LA) around 9:30. We stopped in Solvang for lunch, and then headed back to the 101. Solvang is a mountain road but it's pretty mild compared to many of the other roads in California.

 

We stopped in Morro Bay and checked out one beach. Then returned to the 101 and headed for Paso Robles for our first night. We liked the Best Western Black Oak the best of all the hotels we stayed at.

 

2. Went up the 101 to the 156 (we wanted to avoid 1/Big Sur because there was a major, major car event going on at that time -- fortunately we discovered about that a few days before) so we can go to the Monterey Aquarium. Excellent. We spent a few hours there. Then we went back to the 101 to drive to Santa Cruz. There was quite a bit of traffic around the Monterey Bay peninsula because of the car enthusiasts, and hotels for several miles around were booked up (much like mid-April in Long Beach).

 

3. Used the 1 to get up to San Francisco for the third day, and from there on to Marin and Sonoma County for the rest of the day. After that, onward to college.

 

4. On our way back south, we did stop back in Monterey and had dinner on Fisherman's Wharf and then found a vacancy at a Pacific Grove hotel.

 

You can check out driving distances easily with Google maps, but check over a few days at the likely time you're driving and average out the times. You can check various routes and see which one(s) will work for you. Usually the more scenic routes do take more time.

[DianeMMHH]

Diane,

Were I in your shoes, I would leave San Francisco early in the day...It is about a 120 mile, two hour drive from San Francisco to Monterey--so long as you are not on a weekday competing with Bay area rush hour traffic--if so, add a little time...I would have some lunch in Monterey, then visit the Aquarium or do whatever sightseeing that day in the Monterey area and spend ONE NIGHT. The following morning, I would take the 17 Mile Drive to Carmel, then walk around Carmel just a little, maybe eat brunch, then drive through the Big Sur via Highway1 from Carmel to Cambria (Driver: Keep your eyes on the road!)...I would either plan to take a Hearst Castle tour on the way down (But you'd really have to time it right--which may mean skipping the walk and brunch in Carmel)...or I'd backtrack the next morning to see Hearst Castle, then leave after the tour...

Personally, especially if I'd seen Hearst Castle on the way down, I would limit my stay in Cambria to one night as well (It's a really small town)...I would drive that evening or late afternoon to Solvang (100 miles) and spend the night there...then I'd spend that day touring wineries or walking around Santa Barbara...It's about 140 miles from Solvang to San Pedro--so, I'd take that day before the cruise seeing Solvang, Santa Barbara and leisurely making my way down to San Pedro by dinner time--check into my hotel, have a nice dinner and go to bed to be rested and relaxed for the cruise that next day...

 

So, basically, my idea would be to plan it all out, leave the daily driving increments to a very manageable 100-140 miles each day...time each stop to be at an appropriate time...and, rather than 1/2 or 2/1 between Monterey and Cambria, I'd make it 1/1/1...

 

I once spent two nights straight in the Cambria/San Simeon area and by the second night I was questioning myself as to why I hadn't planned to just move on after visiting Hearst Castle...

 

Thank you for your response, it is very helpful.

 

Diane

[SadieN]

To get an idea of the area history. Read 'Island of the Blue Dolphin'. It's about a two hour read. The main character is buried at the Santa Barbara Mission.

 

We like the La Purisima Mission in Lompoc. The historical society has restored it to how it looked as a working mission. It's design is very unique. It's on the west side of the freeway, across from Solvang.

[DianeMMHH]

My mother and I did the basic Hearst Castle tour some years ago (we stayed the night before in Morro Bay and after the tour' date=' took to the 1 and headed for our hotel in Monterey after a lunch stop in Carmel) and I would definitely recommend making a reservation. It looks like you're talking about in a few weeks which isn't a holiday time (most Californians don't get a day off for Columbus Day anymore), but if you have firmed your schedule, it probably will be a good idea.

 

I was recommending to my family going to Hearst Castle but neither my girl nor hubby seemed interested for our road trip last month. Since hubby is now retired, maybe I can talk him into it at some time.

 

We did have a timed itinerary mostly worked out as we needed to be at the girl's college town by a specific date. Anyway, this is what we did:

1. First day, left the San Fernando Valley (northwest corner of LA) around 9:30. We stopped in Solvang for lunch, and then headed back to the 101. Solvang is a mountain road but it's pretty mild compared to many of the other roads in California.

 

We stopped in Morro Bay and checked out one beach. Then returned to the 101 and headed for Paso Robles for our first night. We liked the Best Western Black Oak the best of all the hotels we stayed at.

 

2. Went up the 101 to the 156 (we wanted to avoid 1/Big Sur because there was a major, major car event going on at that time -- fortunately we discovered about that a few days before) so we can go to the Monterey Aquarium. Excellent. We spent a few hours there. Then we went back to the 101 to drive to Santa Cruz. There was quite a bit of traffic around the Monterey Bay peninsula because of the car enthusiasts, and hotels for several miles around were booked up (much like mid-April in Long Beach).

 

3. Used the 1 to get up to San Francisco for the third day, and from there on to Marin and Sonoma County for the rest of the day. After that, onward to college.

 

4. On our way back south, we did stop back in Monterey and had dinner on Fisherman's Wharf and then found a vacancy at a Pacific Grove hotel.

 

You can check out driving distances easily with Google maps, but check over a few days at the likely time you're driving and average out the times. You can check various routes and see which one(s) will work for you. Usually the more scenic routes do take more time.[/quote']

 

 

Thank you....the information is very helpful!

 

We have booked to stay in San Francisco for 3 nights. Then we will drive to Monterey and visit points of interest there. We found a hotel in Momterey. Then, we will drive to Carmel for brunch and down to Cambria stopping to see sights along the way. We will stay in Cambria one night and head back to Hearst Castle to tour there. Then, drive to our hotel in Solvang for one night. Next, we will drive to Santa Barbara and stop for lunch. Then onto San Pedro!

 

Thank you to everyone who contributed your knowledge and expertise to our itinerary planning!

 

Diane