Driving Highway 1 from San Fran to DL

[lovevacations]

We are starting our trip in San Fran (early June) and finishing in DLR. My dd-8 has issues with car sickness, so we have to pick and choose carefully how much of Highway 1 we want to do. My thought:
taking the shorter inland route San Fran to Monterey (2 hours per mapquest)

Monterey to Pismo Beach via Hwy 1 (stopping at Hearst Castle along the way) Mapquest has it at 3 hours, but I'm sure we will stop a lot.

Pismo Beach to Oxnard- I think about 2 hours. I think it was some inland and some Hwy 1, I just forgot!!!

Oxnard to Anaheim- inland roads- Mapquest has it about 1 hour and 40 minutes. This would be around noon on a Tuesday.

Anaheim to Santa Monica- about 45 minutes-late morning on a Saturday.

Santa Monica to LAX- about 20 minutes on a Sunday- don't know time of day.

If been looking at guidebooks, but I can't seem to decide which one is best! We have been to DL and south to SD, and once to Santa Barbara, but never any further north. Any suggestions? I'm also looking for a hotel on the beach in Pismo Beach. The rest will be Hilton using points, so we don't mind paying more for a nice hotel. They all seem nice online, but it is such a gamble!

 

[RangerPooh]

While the section of HWY 1 between Monterey and Cambria/San Simien is nice as I recall, it is windy and long. I believe that it actually takes about 4 hours. The Pismo section is nice, but once you are past Arroyo Grande you lose the ocean for quite some time. I don't think you see it again until Santa Barbara. When I lived in the bay area we would either take HWY 5 the entire way or would take 101 to San Luis Obispo (~4 hours from San Jose) and then take HWY 1 at that point as they join up. This way there are no real curves in the highway.

 

[lovevacations]

This is the kind of info I'm looking for!!! Thanks!

 

[Hound 109]

My dd-8 has issues with car sickness, so we have to pick and choose carefully how much of Highway 1 we want to do. My thought:

Monterey to Pismo Beach via Hwy 1 (stopping at Hearst Castle along the way) Mapquest has it at 3 hours, but I'm sure we will stop a lot.

Oxnard to Anaheim- inland roads- Mapquest has it about 1 hour and 40 minutes. This would be around noon on a Tuesday.

 

[mermaidtheresa]

I plan on taking the same trip in September- this helped, thanks!

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I just did the section from Monterey to San Francisco last week, we drove down on the 101 and back on Hwy 1 and others. the 101 inland route is easier and smoother, but I didn't have any problems with this stretch of Hwy 1.

I have motion sickness issues too. It's better now that I can be the driver and not riding in the back seat, but my youngest has it also, so we are very careful of our routes. My recommendation would be to go ahead with plans to drive on Hwy 1, but be prepared to give it up sooner than you thought and go back to the inland route if necessary. Sometimes it's quite a distance between connecting roads, so re-evaluate before each one.

 

[lovevacations]

Thanks for that great information!!!!