San Francisco to Anahaim

[The Duchess]

We're planning a trip first week of November with three days in San/Fran, then driving to Disneyland for three days.
Would like to go stay in Solvang one night...sort of a "Sideways" theme.
Would Solvang be best the first or second night driving from San/Fran to DL? And any suggestions for the other driving night? Any good Pacific Hi-way tips...food, views?
Thank you!!

 

[Snow Brite]

Solvang is only about 3 hours from Disneyland (without bad traffic). It is definitely a second night stop. For the first stop you will want to look at the Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove area. This would give you a chance to walk Cannery Row, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17 Mile Drive and Carmel. There are sooooooooooo many good places to eat there, but my favorite, the one I miss the most, is Tillie Gort's. Its what my husband used to call hippy food, but it was so good and had such a good atmosphere and a vegetarian atmosphere. Its on Lighthouse on the border between Monterey and Pacific Grove.

Nepenthe in Big Sur for lunch is another good option. This was where we went for New Years Day lunch every year. It has AMAZING views and terrific, world famous, burgers.

If you are looking for something different there, a fancy restaurant or a breakfast place let me know.

 

[daannzzz]

Taking Highway 101 from San Francisco you will be in Solvang in about 6 hours. So if you leave early in the morning you can get to Solvang and have half a day to explore, spend the night and then leave early the next morning and (depending on LA traffic) be in Disneryland by noon!

 

[Snow Brite]

Taking Highway 101 from San Francisco you will be in Solvang in about 6 hours. So if you leave early in the morning you can get to Solvang and have half a day to explore, spend the night and then leave early the next morning and (depending on LA traffic) be in Disneryland by noon!

Oops maybe I was confused...it would indeed be only 6 hours or so on 101...but I thought you were going on Highway 1? In which case it is more like 8 or 9 hours.

On 101, then I wouldnt worry about a two night trip. On Highway 1, I would do the two day trip to be able to spend some time exploring.

 

[DisQueen]

I agree that Monterey is a wonderful stop. It's very representative of northern california coastline beauty. Solvang is not a favorite place of mine. After a short time looking around, we're done. I suggest Santa Barbara. It's about 1/2 hour south of Solvang. It's absolutely beautiful and November weather is the best! We spend every Thanksgiving on the beach at a beach house. I would drive through Solvang, maybe stop for lunch (or a snack - the bakeries are GREAT), then spend the night in Santa Barbara. The wharf area has fun shops, restaurants, etc. The area near the beach is developed with a bike path. You can rent bikes, surry bikes, and enjoy a great afternoon on the beach. Santa Barbara also has one of the most beautiful missions in California. A great stop for a slice of old California. My kids would prefer a day on the beach or at the zoo to a day of window shopping in Solvang. Of course, now that I said this, November will be cloudy and chilly It is then about 2 1/2 hours to DL.

 

[Lissete]

We are doing a similar drive in June. It's our first time, so I am not much help. We arrive in SF and stay for 3 days, then we drive to Yosemite for 2 days. From there we drive to Monterey and stay 2 nts, then we plan a a leisurely scenic drive along Big Sur (with as many stops as we like) to Cambria. From Cambria we go to Anaheim and are planning a quick stop (maybe an hour or so) at Solvang.

Anyone have any feedback on Cambria??? We are planning on visiting Hearst Castle the day after we arrive and we got a really nice deal on the accommodations since we are staying mid week.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Hearst Castle is GREAT! We've incorporated it twice in this exact same type of trip.

I think the 17 mile drive is a waste of time if you're taking the PCH, just my opinion.

Monterey is really a great town (I wish I could live there). The acquarium is very nice and the Wharf is quite enjoyable.

I agree than Nepethene is a fantastic lunch stop, it's quite memorable.

We planned out two trips with late night Disneyland arrivals meaning I wouldn't have to negotiate the worst of LA driving and that worked out great.

We love SF as well.

 

[DisQueen]

Cambria has gorgeous scenery and fun shops. You'll love Hearst Castle! In Cambria, Linn's has good food. Their bakery and fruit products are locally famous. It's also family friendly. Cambria used to have a nice farmer's market/street fair, but I don't know about days or times.

 

[freecia]

I'd recommend Carmel as a stop if you like romantic towns. It is right next to Monterey. Pacific Grove is a wonderful place to stay with many B&B's wedged between Monterey and Carmel. The food in Carmel is wonderful and the town is truly picturesque - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/carmel/clusters/california-beach-ocean/ (Photos)

The Aquarium takes at least a half day but it is an excellent aquarium. Hearst Castle tickets should be purchased in advance (I forget if this is possible) or early in the day as they sell out all year 'round.

South of San Francisco, near SFO in a town called Millbrae are several wonderful Chinese restaurants that serve Dim Sum- a Chinese brunch/tapas and rivals some of the better places in Hong Kong. This would be an excellent way to start off around 10:30/11 am. Eat at Fook Yuen - http://www.onmyplate.org/2005/01/dim_sum_at_fook.html Drive down to Monterey, take in the aquarium, check in to the B&B/hotel. Have dinner in Carmel (Forge in the Forest is a favorite of mine) or at the much raved about Passionfish in Pacific Grove http://www.passionfish.net/.

Next Day, hit Solvang by noon, grab a bite to eat, then travel on to Santa Barbara for a nice dinner and stroll. You could continue on to Disneyland then or Stay in Santa Barbara. It you don't do Solvang, you might be able to squeeze in Hearst Castle with an early start.

I've always wanted to drive through Big Sur. The scenery looks stunning!

 

[AspiringCindy]

We are driving from San Francisco to Anaheim in July and have opted to take highway 5...We don't have the time to take 101 or highway 1. How long should I expect the ride to take?...what is the quickest way from Fisherman's Wharf to Highway 5?

 

[boosmom96]

How long should I expect the ride to take?...what is the quickest way from Fisherman's Wharf to Highway 5?

The quickest way is to go across the Bay Bridge and take 580 east to the Altamont Pass and then on to I5. The travel time is always dependant on the traffic in the Bay Area. If you are leaving the city in the AM you should be okay. The back-up will be westbound on 580. We live in Berkely and we generally make it from our house to DL in 6 - 6.5 hours. (Keep in mind we drive like the Californians we are!!) I'd say, plan on a minimum of 7 hours from the City.

 

[LucyKate]

Lissette - we did many of the sights you plan to see in December 2004.

We actually skipped Heart Castle and instead saw the elephant seals on the beach at San Simeon, just to the north of the castle.

We stopped for lunch in Cambria and thought it a lovely town, but had our overnight stops in Pismo Beach and Monterey.

You might find our diary entries helpful, beginning at this spot - http://www.ballofdirt.com/entries/5333/35821.html

We also loved Carmel.

 

[jlmarr]

Would like to go stay in Solvang one night...sort of a "Sideways" theme.

Note that there really is a Hitching Post restaurant, and it's a highly regarded steak house. It's on the road between the 101 and Solvang. You might enjoy a side trip from the hustle and bustle of Solvang to the little town of Los Osos, just northeast a few miles.

 

[disneycrazycatlady]

How far is Hearst Castle and Big Sur from Disneyland? We are planning a july trip and have about 10 days- we want to spend about 3-4 in Disney land-

Thanks