Road Trip to DL on PCH.....HELP!!

[scgrl]

First of all, this is my first post on the Disboards!

Anyway, we will be taking a road trip in September from Washington to Disneyland and driving on PCH most of the way. My question/request is to let me know of "must see's" and "must do's" along the way. There are a couple of spots that I know of, ie the Vortex House, the Redwood Forest, and eating at Neptune's Net. Any info will help, I need as much as possible.

Thank you in advance!!


P.S. cross-posted in the Disneyland tab

 

[RMH]

I fully realize my 'Must See' and 'Must Do' list is not normal, but here are some things on PCH that I have found extremely interesting. I have only been on it from San Francisco to San Simeon, so north of SF or south of San Simeon I couldn't help you out:

SF Fishermans Wharf - Touristy yes and not directly on PCH, but I really, really like it

Half Moon Bay - Very cool area for a break for lunch or dinner. The beach is suppose to be neat too, but I would hold off until Santa Cruz.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse - This was the first (and only) lighthouse I have see up close and I thought it was cool. But the lighthouse itself was closed due to damage and being from Washington you probably have seen much cooler ones.

Santa Cruise Boardwalk - As mentioned it has a great beach, generally 5 - 10 degrees warmer than the surounding beaches and the boardwalk and the atmosphere are worth a stop too.

Point Lobos - just south of Monterrey. My favorite thing on Highway 1, especially at low tide with my kids. Lots of neat critters and you will see more seals and likely otters than anywhere else. And in September you might even see whales.

Highway One South of Big Sur - I know you are driving it and it might see dumb to mention, but it is absolutly beautiful. Just be warned it winds a lot and if you have people that are prone to car sickness they might need frequent breaks.

Hearst Castle at San Simeon - I put this on in not as a Must Do, but as an 'Easy To Avoid'. I was not impressed. Unless you have someone that really wants to see it it can be missed. Disneyland is much cooler.

 

[cryssi]

OMG the Boardwalk! So campy but fun. I grew up going there. Be sure to get the salt water taffy, a red candy apple, and a corn dog. OK, DL's corndogs are better, but I definitely remember eating those at the SCBB.

 

[scgrl]

Thank you RMH and cryssi for your great suggestions. I will definitely make note of them.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Once route 1 joins 101, Santa Barbara is a nice break for a quick walk on the beach, or if you want to make it a little more down the road, Ventura has a nice beach too. The Rincon between the two cities will have just as nice a views as hyway 1....with lots of easy places to pull over.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

When you're passing Monterey you might want to detour along the 17 mile drive - it's beautiful.

 

[PNO4TE]

When you're passing Monterey you might want to detour along the 17 mile drive - it's beautiful.

any idea on how long it takes to do this 17-mile drive? We are planning to do it between our Monterey and Paso Robles stops.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Hmmm - maybe an hour or a little over an hour, or it could be less -- really it depends how many stops you make. There are a few places that are must-stops for me - including restless sea - two directions of waves crash into each other, the beach with all the seals laying on it, the Monterey Pine, are some of them.

 

[PNO4TE]

Thanks again, Mary Jo!

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Personally we found the 17 mile drive redundant and time consuming when doing the PCH through to Big Sur. Additionally I like the Fishermans Wharf at Monterey MUCH better than SF's (though I love The City) and I think the Hearst Castle is the creme de la creme of this whole trip. Like DL itself it's a tirp back into time and the imagery of the oppulance of that golden time in Hollywood is so cool.

Also the restaurant in Big Sur, Nepathene (I think) is so cool. Just before San Simeon there is a public beach (don't know the name) where the seals are everywhere (up close and personal).

I highly recomment Point Lobos reserve, but you will need some time here, IMO.

 

[maci]

Just subsrcibing..carry on .

 

[Lissete]

We drove from SF to LA with a 2 nt detour to Yosemite in June 2006. We made 2 nt stops in Monterey & Cambria as well.



We didn't do the entire 17 mile drive. We went in at the Monterey entrance, then exited in Carmel and got right on HWY 1 through Big Sur.

This link has points of interest for your Big Sur drive. We really enjoyed Point Lobos & the elephant seals @ Point Piedra Blancas.

In Cambria, we did do a tour @ Hearst and enjoyed it. I like that kind of stuff though.
From Cambria to Anaheim we made a pit stop in Solvang for snacks & restrooms. They have lots of clean public restrooms.

Where is Vortex House? Never heard of it, sounds interesting!

I have my trip report on my blog, July 2006 archives.

Have fun!

 

[scgrl]

Thank you to everyone for the great suggestions! I have been taking notes and we are starting to plan our course.

Keep them coming!

 

[scgrl]

It is in Gold Hill, OR. I just found out about it not too long ago, so I figured it would be a good stop on our upcoming trip.

 

[PNO4TE]

Just subsrcibing..carry on .

 

[PNO4TE]

This link has points of interest for your Big Sur drive. We really enjoyed Point Lobos & the elephant seals @ Point Piedra Blancas.

I have my trip report on my blog, July 2006 archives.

Have fun!

What a great link! Thanks. Next... on to your blog....