Driving San Fran to Anaheim - PCH help

[carnival kid]

We are driving down the I1 from san Francisco to Anaheim.

We have allowed ourselves 2 days with a night stop over.

We are 3 adults and 2 kids - 15 months and 3.5 years.

We would like to stop at all the photo spots and stop at any other interesting sight and towns.

We were thinking of Pismo Beach for the night stop over?? Is this reasonable? Is it about half way including stops?

We hope to leave San Fran mid morning or earlier (so soon as we have picked up hire car)

Any help/tips/suggestions greatly welcomed

 

[GrandBob]

Pismo would be a little over half way, but certainly a reasonable stopping point and probably would be a hit with the kids, due to the beautiful beach. But it is after the "ooh aah" section of the Big Sur on Highway 1, so much of your stopping for scenery is going to happen on day 1, and day 2 may be quite a bit shorter.

There's very little in the way of places to stop for the night between Monterey/Carmel and Cambria, so your alternative would be to stop for the night in Monterey, which is much less than 1/2 way. Stopping in Monterey has the advantage of allowing you plenty of time to see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is a must-see for a family with kids your ages. (Full disclosure - I work for the sister organization, MBARI, so I may be slightly biased. But I think most here will agree).

So I'd strongly suggest at least considering a stop for the night in Monterey. If you do so, I'd also suggest Point Lobos State Park as another breathtaking place to explore for a few hours. You won't be sorry.

Other recommendations -- I usually suggest stopping for lunch at Nepenthe's, which also has breathtaking views. But it's pricey, and with the ages of your kids, perhaps not the ideal spot for your family. Ditto for stopping at Hearst Castle - an amazing state treasure, but perhaps not the best with small kids. But if you do want to tour the castle, buy your tickets in advance, as they sell out.

If you do stop for the night in Monterey, also check out Dennis the Menace Park, perfect for kids of all ages, including the small ones. My DGD has adored going there ever since she was small. We also have several great beaches, but the best for little ones is probably at Lovers Point.

HTH,
Bob