W. coast help please, Brit booked California next Easter, worried/confused!

[kazzie]

Hi,

I know this is OT (although I will be going to DL for the first time for a few days before I fly home!) I posted this on the Community board and they suggested theer are many Native californians here and you may be able to help me.

If you could help me I would be eternally grateful I have booked a trip next Easter flying into San Fran on March 31st and flying home from LA on April 15th.All I have booked accomodation wise so far is 4 nights at the Handelry Union Sq. in San Fran.

The reason I am so confused and have thoughts flying round my head at night when I'm trying to sleep is how I'll plan everything else,it's so hard for me to picture!

We want to see the Big Sur and I thought it was the same thing as the 17 mile drive but after reading another guide book it looks like they are diffent things to see.SO we want to drive down the coast as far as we need to see Big Sur and 17 mile drive,my question is...........

*do we need to break this journey up with 2 stopovers for a night or one night stay half way down?If one or two where would be nice places to stay.*Would 2 nights driving down the coast be a 'waste' and better used somewhere else?

*What I don't know is how far down do we drive down the coast to see tha natural attractions above, before we 'Go off' inland and drive to Las Vegas?*I don't want to drive down the coast further than we need to (unless there is a particularly nice town to stay in) as we are driving to LA after staying in Las Vegas.

*From LV would it be worth taking a night or two to stay at Lake Mead maybe do soemthing unusual like stay on a houseboat if they allow you to for one night! Or just to visit for day?*

Very Rough Itinerary!
San Fran 4 nights
Drive down coast 1 or 2 nights
Las Vegas 4/5 nights
Lake Mead 1/2 nights
LA 4 nights

BUT I only have 15 nights,somethings gotta go/be changed!!

When I planned a trip to another part of California 2 years ago ( that never happened)a DISer on the Community board was very helpful but as my computer 'died' a few months ago,I lost everything I had ever saved on it,all e-mails,PM's,links to DIS threads etc.

If anyone could take the time to give me info and advice,I might be able to sleep tonight!!

 

[Sonya in Boise]

I used to live in Las Vegas, so maybe I can help with that part of the trip.

I personally think there is lots more to see in Las Vegas and wouldn't stay the night at Lake Mead. I don't know if you have huge lakes near where you live, but a day trip on the lake would be more than enough for me. It's not especially pretty, just hilly, but not really woodsy. You might want to check into a lake cruise. They used to do a day cruise or a dinner cruise. If you have kids, there are a few places where you can go down to the water, but be warned, it's not a sandy beach. I would suggest water shoes or old tennis shoes that you can get wet.

As far as Vegas goes, there is lots more than gambleing. Many of the newer hotels have wonderful shops, musuems, aquariums....so much more. We will be there for Thanksgiving and I would be happy to pick up some hotel info. They print a monthly magazine that gives show, hotel, resturant info. I can grab some stuff and mail it off first of December.

e-mail me privately at madydea@aol.com and we can chat more.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Regarding drive down coast....

I would recommend a 2-night drive, with nights spent at Monterey and either San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara...

The drive from San Francisco to Monterey is about 2 hours, and it's really pretty. You go through Carmel, which is an artistic type city, I think. It has/had a famous mayor - Clint Eastwood.

In Monterey, you'll find Cannery Row, a wharf made famous by John Steinbeck in his novels. There is also a really good aquarium there (we spent at least 4 hours, and could have spent more), and the 17 mile drive is in Monterey. You could spend one day driving to Monterey, and visiting the aquarium/Fisherman's Wharf (Cannery Row) there, and either go in late afternoon to 17 mile drive, or start your day there before heading down south.

I remember driving along the coast, south, past Fisherman's Wharf, and right where the residential area began there was a blue restaurant - we ate there, and it was really nice - windows overlooking the ocean, and when we walked to the shoreline there were otters playing in the water - very neat. I could live in Monterey.

As you go south on Highway 1, you'll go through Big Sur. We never have spent a lot of time here, so I don't know too much about it.

We have stopped at La Purisima Mission, which is a good representation of mission life that the Spaniards established along California -- there are 21 of them ranging from San Diego to a little north of San Francisco.

From La Purisima, we've visited Solvang - but I'm not sure if that would interest you since you live in Europe. It's a nice Danish community, with a mission right there.

You'll also pass Hearst Castle (famous to us Californians), Morro Rock - a big rock out in the water - think miniature Gibraltar (really miniature ), and Gilroy, famous for its garlic festivals - think garlic ice cream, even.

Santa Barbara is a pretty little city, right there on the coast, and it's worth a stop, and maybe a night if it's already late. If you continue along the coastline, you have another 4 hours ahead of you to reach LA, and if you take the shorter inland road, you probably have 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on how fast you drive.

If you go along the coast, and time it right to reach LA just before sunset, stop at Gladstones - it's a famous restaurant in Malibu, where Sunset Blvd meets the ocean. Having dinner there and watching the sun set over the ocean is a real treat.

Hope some of this helps, and let us know if you have any more questions.

You might also pm TheLionKing since he lives in Santa Barbara and can tell you about his part of the world much better than I.

 

[kazzie]

Thanks to you both Very much.There is some wonderful info here.

I haven't old DH I've booked this trip yet.I booked it on impulse when I was feeling low!

I've figured a good time to tell him is when we're on vacation in Orlando in October.He should be relaxed and happy then and will not put up too much reistance

I will keep your info and when we're back fron Orlando will finalise where we're staying and book accomodation.The concensus seems to be take 2 days to drive down the coast and to stay in/near Monteray and Santa Barbara.I think I will leave Lake Mead for just a day trip too.

Sonya I wish I did live near a lake,unfortunately I live in London the least attractive place.

I was hoping you'd mention Hearst castle as that is somewhere I would really love to visit.

As I'm going at Easter would it be a good idea to book tickets to places like Alcatraz and Hearst Castle as soon as I can,I'm guessing these shouldn't be left until arrival?

Thanks again

 

[Cinderella_68]

I'm not too familiar with the route you are looking to do, but your request reminded me of a TR I read on Passporter's Boards. Perhaps you may find some help in reading the poster's report? There are also photos.
CA Coast TR
HTH,

 

[din]

Hi there Kazzie. I am not a "native" california, but after being here for more than three years, I think, that qualifies

Anyway, a suggestion for you is to go to Vegas first, then visit SF. Not sure if you have been to SF, but after a couple of days, you may want to consider driving to LA using the coast route. You can start in SF at the city, and start at the Golden Gate park, Route 1, and follow that all the way to LA. The route as described by the poster is beautiful from city landscape to rugged country. You can break up your trip and visit all those places in addition, you can consider a visit to Catalina Island. A nice road trip.

Just a word of caution, the roads can get slow due to traffic, and also in the northern part watch for rolling fog.

Have fun planning.

 

[wendym]

Kazzie
You will have a wonderful time. You must do Hearst Castle and if I were you I would book tickets for that and Alcatraz. Where are you planning to stay in LA? We only ever stay in Anaheim for Disneyland - LA is just too big for me!
Also if I were you don't get a car until you leave San Francisco - there is no need to drive there and usually parking is very expensive.
Wendy

 

[kazzie]

Thanks Wendy,

Hearst Castle is a me thing I want to do! I will pre-book tickets for that and Alcatraz,I had thought about not getting car hire until we leave San Fran,thanks great tip.

Could anyone please tell me what the two towns the '17 mile drive' is between? A we will drive to Las Vegas after that or stay the night there and then drive next day.Is the end of the drive far from Santa Barbara?

I have bought a map of California now But there is no indication of where the 17 mile drive is

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Kazzie,

Look up in Monterey for Pebble Beach - the 17 mile drive is right there, and Pebble Beach is part of it. You'd have to do that drive while you're up by Monterey.

Here's a link to a little map of 17 mile drive. Click on the arrows to see pics

http://www.pebblebeach.com/17miledrive.html

This page has various info, including how to get there, and an overview map, too.

Also, in the map of California, the part that juts out into the ocean above Los Angeles is Sta. Barbara.

 

[kazzie]

Mary Jo,and all who helped you are ****'s

I thought the 17 mile drive was further down the coast from Big Sur I didn't realise it was further up!

I have ordered lots of guide books from Amazon,they will kep me busy (and quiet!) for a while when they arrive!

 

[Di$neyDad]

I live half way between San Francisco and Monterey, so hopefully I can help you out with the area. I would recommend spending one night in Monterey and then a second night in San Simeon or Santa Barbara. If you go to maps.yahoo.com and select "Driving Directions", you can map out these two legs of your trip.

San Francisco to Monterey should take a little over two hours, assuming you avoid rush hour. The entire Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove area is wonderful. There's tons of stuff to do, lots of places to stay, and many great restaurants. You could easily spend several days there, so you should try to plan as much of a day as you can. If you give some ideas of your interests, and if you'll have kids with you, I could probably recommend some things. And if you give an idea of your hotel and dining budget, I could probably give you tips there too.

The drive from Monterey to San Simeon (this entire stretch is considered Big Sur) will likely take 2 1/2 hours or more of just driving time, with a few short stops. The road along the coast for this stretch is often steep and winding, which makes for slow going much of the time. And you'll probably make several stops to take in the views. Just south of Hearst Castle is an area with several hotels. And a few miles south of that is the town of Cambria. Either of these areas would be good to spend the night, because Cambria is one spot where you can cut inland to Bakersfield and on to Las Vegas. Santa Barbara is about another 2 1/2 hours farther south if you've made up your mind to stay there. One problem with going down to Santa Barbara, is that in order to get to Las Vegas you'll have to drive through LA traffic, which at its best is pretty bad. The nice thing about cutting over at Cambria is that you'll avoid the LA traffic, which you'll have plenty of time to experience after Las Vegas.

Since the last part of your trip will be close to Easter, and the spring break vacation period, the best advice I can give is to NOT do the drive from Las Vegas to LA on Sunday. This is when everyone will be returning to LA from their weekend holiday in Vegas. I made the mistake of getting stuck driving this once on a holiday weekend, and have to say it's one of the worst drives I've ever done. Of course, that was in the summer, and April won't be as hot, but you still don't want to spend your vacation in bumper-to-bumper traffic through the desert.

 

[kazzie]

DisneyDad,thanks for the great advice

What you have suggested would be just about perfecr for what I was thinking.As I could see from my map further down the coast after Cambria there isn't a eastydirect way through to Las Vegas.

On my drivng chart it says it is further in miles from Cambria to LV than driving from LA further down to LV.

Can you tell me what you think of this idea please?Rather than go from Cambria to LV,stay 5 nights then drive to LA 4 nights (fly home form LA)as I planned.How about after Hearst Castle/Cambria I continue down to LA,stay 3 nights ,drive to LV stay 5 nights then drive back to LA stay one night (onsite at DL) then fly home? Knowing the drives and distances could you tell me which of these makes more sense please,it would be appreciated.

PS I stay 4 nights in San Fran and would begin the 2 night drive down the coast on the Sunday.So the drive to LV will be on a Tuesday or Friday depending on which of the above ideas is best.

 

[roymccoy]

kazzie...we just did the Monterey/Carmel thing and had a great time. I agree with everything that Mary Jo said but would add that we stayed at the Highland Inn in Carmel Highlands and had a GREAT time. We had a two story "town house" room with the most beautiful oceanview that I believe that I have ever seen! The room included a wood burning fireplace, king-sized bed, full kitchen and an elegant jacuzzi tub. You can hire one of their 5 star chefs to come to room and prepare your meals, too! Everything was top notch. We saw Tony Bennett while we were there! AAA offers a discount and the room can be had for about $400 a night. Expensive, but well worth it.

We also enjoyed the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Cannery Row for lunch.

Have a great time!

Roy

 

[kazzie]

Roy shame me and DH will have two teens with us That hotel sounds amazing for a couple

Thanks for your tips,it's all falling in to place now

 

[Di$neyDad]

Well, putting aside the fact that I think driving from the coast to Las Vegas and then back to LA is insane regardless of how you do it...

I don't know that there's any "best" way to do it, but here's some things I would consider:

- Hotels in Vegas are MUCH more expensive Friday and Saturday (sometimes almost twice as much as weekdays). Although I don't know how this will play out that close to Easter. So if you're on a tight budget, that may be a factor.

- If you're going to be driving all the way through LA twice, try to get some tips from someone more familiar with LA driving. Every time I've driven through LA it was a pain. Hitting bad traffic could add an hour to your drive. Things as simple as picking a freeway with a comuter lane or driving during light-traffic times (if such a thing exists in LA) can save lots of time and nerves.

- Southwest Airlines (iflyswa.com) often offers one-way deals of $30 from Las Vegas to LA. You might want to monitor their site and see if you can get cheap flights that will give you time to connect with your flight out of Vegas. That would save you lots of driving and an extra hotel change. Or if you want to splurge, maybe even consider flying round-trip from LA to Vegas - saving both drives.

- If you want to see more of LA than Disneyland, it definitely makes sense to stay a couple of extra nights close to the area you want to visit, rather than driving there from Disneyland or staying somewhere else and driving to Disneyland for the day.

- It's about 30 miles from Disneyland to LAX. If you have an early flight, you might be better off spending your last night(s) closer to the airport.

- I'd consider moving a night from Las Vegas to add an extra night at Disneyland. 5 nights in Vegas sounds like a lot. There's lots to do between Disneyland and California Adventure. (And, after all, this is a Disney board, so I feel obligated to push Disneyland - I don't want to have my posting priveleges revoked ) Also, I think you already have a couple of one-night stops planned, and switching hotels gets old pretty fast.

- Speaking of switching hotel rooms... If you do want to minimize this, you'll have to consider when you think you'll make it to Hearst Castle. If you get there around noon, and spend 3-4 hours doing a tour and having lunch, it probably wouldn't be too bad to drive on down to LA afterwards. But if you're going to be getting to San Simeon later in the day, you may just want to spend the night there and then head to Las Vegas in the morning.

Sorry I don't have any real answers. The best I can do is let you know some of the things I obsess over when travel planning.

I'll post again later with some details on Monterey. We go there quite a bit, so let me know if you have any specific questions.