Driving from LA to San Fran??

[2boyshere]

We will be coming out to CA at the end of July for 9 days. We are starting at the Disney parks for 3 days and then will travel up US 1 from LA to San Fran. Questions for anyone in CA (or has done it) about it:
1. It is worth the extra time to go RT 1 all the way?
2. How long will it take going Rt. 1 all the way. We would stop at sites along the way.
3. Are the redwood forests in Pheiffer/Big Sur State park
nice? Are they big and mature. How about at Juila Pheiffer State park. Is it worth stopping to see these here?
Thanks for any help in planning our summer vacation!

 

[LucyKate]

Can't answer all your questions but we planned to do Highway 1 in December, but had to turn back at Cambria because of a rockslide.

These are quite common, and because there are no detours, if any of the road north of Cambria and south of Big sur is blocked, the entire highway is blocked.

We loved what we saw (Cambria, Pismo beach, San Simeon, and at the other end, Monterey and Carmel) but make sure you check road conditions before heading out or you could have a huge detour.

The other highway was a VERY boring drive - so if you can do Highway One, I would say it was definitely worth it.

 

[B9erSteve]

Hwy 1 is the way to go. You won't be disappointed. Remember it is a winding thin hiway hugging a cliffside in many places. You can't travel fast. I-5 will kill you with boredom but will get you to where you want to go in a hurry.

 

[Itinkso]

You may want to break up the trip up 1 by stopping in Cambria and visiting Hearst Castle. Then resume your trip the next day and that way you can take your time heading north.

 

[CalGal]

In July, the road should be in good shape, so you shouldn't have to worry about mudslides. 101 is a compromise between the long and winding hwy 1 and the fast and boring I5. When people talk about taking Hwy 1 from SF to LA, they often just mean taking Hwy 1 between San Luis Obispo and Monterey or Santa Cruz, but not necessarily taking Hwy 1 all the way from LA into SF. I have no idea how long that would take, but it would take a loooooooonnnnnnngggggggg time. Weekends are likely to take a bit longer as traffic backs up at times. I'm thinking close to 10 hours from Anaheim to SF if you just take hwy 1 from SLO to Santa Cruz, cut over to SJ on Hwy 9 or Hwy 17, and then take 280 or 101 into the city. This allows for just a few stops to enjoy the scenery.
I'm not sure about redwoods at Big Sur. You can find redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains though. (Try Big Basin State Park, north of Santa Cruz).

For the full California experience, I think it's worth doing once, but I would probably break it up with an overnight stay somewhere along the way.

 

[damo]

If you are going to stop and visit the Hearst Castle, I recommend that you pre-order your tickets. We tried doing that last year on our trip from SF to LA but when we got there, all tour tickets were sold for the day. It was disappointing.

We took 1 through Santa Barbara, SLO and Monterey. It was an absolutely breathtaking trip. We stayed overnight at Pismo beach.

 

[Magix]

The suggestions of taking the 1 from SLO to Santa Cruz are great. I'd also suggest that if you want to see Redwoods, you go through the Santa Cruz mountains to get to San Fran. It's a terrific drive! Take Hwy 9 out of Santa Cruz. There's another Hwy (can't remember the number!) that takes you from the 9, through Woodside (be sure to stop at Alice's Restaurant) and into the San Fran area, where you connect with the 101. You'll get lots of redwood forests and a great view of the lower Bay area as you come out of the forests. I'm certain you can find that other Hwy on a map of the area - it's the only one that heads North/South through Woodside.

 

[CalGal]

There's another Hwy (can't remember the number!) that takes you from the 9, through Woodside (be sure to stop at Alice's Restaurant) and into the San Fran area, where you connect with the 101. You'll get lots of redwood forests and a great view of the lower Bay area as you come out of the forests.

The highway from 9 through Woodside is known as Skyline Blvd. (Hwy 35). (I got married on the balcony of at a restaurant called the Skyline Chateau, or something like that, across from Alice's Restaurant. That was many many years ago...)

 

[darner]

Hwy 1 is definitely worth the trip. Hopefully no one in your party is prone to car sickness as there are many switchbacks and elevation changes... It's a slow go overall but one amazing highway.

We left DL late morning, hit the Reagan Library in Simi Valley and then overnight at Pismo Beach... there are 2 Best Westerns perched right on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific.

You could also do a coastal route through Malibu.

Solvang's popular for tourists.

Morro Bay / Morro Rock is a neat view.

Hearst Castle/San Simeon is definitely worthwhile, make advance reservations!

And Monterey is a great stopping place too... 17-mile drive, pebble beach, lone cypress, aquarium, carmel, etc.

 

[AFMom]

It's tiny and not very well known - but it is absolutely gorgeous. It's outside of San Luis Obispo. If you have the time - it's worth it. We really enjoyed Hearst Castle as well - there are short and long tours depending on your time. Camped at Pismo beach and really liked it there as well. San Fran is my favorite city, it'll be a drive - but it's well worth it!

 

[teribell]

We took our fist trip to CA about 2 years ago. We drove from SF to LA, with a stop at DL. The drive was awesome! We had never seen the Pacific Ocean or a view like that before. It took us about 12 hours, so as others have said on overnight stop along the way would be a good idea. We would like to go back and plan on driving from San Diego to San Francisco, and will definetly stop about half way next time. Have fun!

 

[LucyKate]

As noted above, our drive was interrupted and we missed the best bit.

We attempted to do the entire coast from Santa Monica, up throug Malibu etc, but I have to say I found this section underwhelming and would skip it next time.

We also stopped at Pismo Beach because it seemed like a good half way point. We stayed at Kontiki Inn on the northern edge of Pismo and would recommend it - great views and great location. But there were a dozen similar places nearby - once you get to the town just head north.

From the other end we loved Monterey and especially 17 mile drive - although it's a private road and they charge you $8.50 to go on it we thought it worthwhile. Carmel was also very nice.

 

[2boyshere]

Thank you to all who responded to my questions. They are great and are full of useful information which we will use as we continue to plan!

 

[RADOPT]

If You Are Going Thru Montery, The Montery Bay Aquarium Is Wonderful. You Might Want To Get Tickets Ahead Of Time As It Is Popular.

A Fun Short (& Cheap) Break In Santa Cruz Is The Mystery Spot. It Is In The Redwoods Adn Takes About An Hour Total . It Defies Gravity. $5.00 Per Person But Has A Steep Climb. Marianne's Ice Cream On The Main Street Out Of Santa Cruz, To Hw17, Is Very Good. There Is Ablso A Boardwalk In Santa Cruz - But We Find The Rides Expensive.

San Luis Obispo - The Apple Farm Has Wonderful Food And The University Is Fun To Check Out - My Kids Love Seeing The Calves (we Live In San Jose - No Farm Animals Allowed) .