Looking for advice - What should we do in CA?

[bennifer]

Griffith Observatory is the one thing that I know we actually want to do, aside from the ballparks and Disneyland. I'm not even sure how my boys know about the Griffith Observatory, but they already mentioned they want to go there.

Good information on the stars' homes. Honestly, I think we would all be content with just driving around and seeing some of the touristy things like Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, that kind of stuff.

If driving along the coast, should we plan on spending a night somewhere? I know it can take several hours to get from SF to LA, and I'm assuming that is without stopping. Can you recommend a good place to stop? Would Monterrey be a good stopping place? I will definitely look into the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.

I will also look into Palos Verdes. I have not heard of it before. Thank you!

In LA, Rodeo Drive was a let down for us. It's just a lot of high end stores. We did go to Beverly Park to get our picture with the Beverly Hills sign, tho. Griffith Observatory was closed on the day we were there but even the grounds were nice enough for a stop. This is on my next trip list.

Definitely stay at least one night in the Monterrey area! The aquarium is fantastic and we saw a whale breach from shore! We were walking along the shore and saw a couple boats stopped so of course we stopped to see what they were looking at. It was amazing. We were here 2 nights and we didn't get to see/do everything. We will definitely go back and spend more time here.

If it were me, I would also stop at San Luis Obismo or Cambria for the night (obviously before Monterrey). You want to be able to enjoy the drive and the stops along the way.

 

[LKing]

I recommend a one way trip. Fly into SF and out of SD (or vice versa). You are going to have to pay close attention to traffic in LA, OC and SD. You may have to hit the road earlier or later so you don't spend your day on the freeway.

As an example,

1. Arrive SF - Either baseball game or sightsee, stay in SF
2. San Francisco. Stay in SF
3. SF in morning, drive to Santa Cruz, stay in Santa Cruz
4. Drive to Monterey, half day in Monterey, drive Hwy 1 through Big Sur to San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara. Stay in SLO or SB.
5. Drive from SLO/SB to LA. Possible Dodger game in evening. Stay in LA
6. Los Angeles. Stay in LA
7. Morning in LA, drive to Anaheim, stay in Anaheim
8. Disneyland 1
9. Disneyland 2
10. Disneyland 3
11. Drive to San Diego. Stay in SD
12. San Diego
13. San Diego
14. Fly home

ETA: You might be interested in a tour of SoFi stadium while you are in LA.

 

[Rex1993]

I agree on arrival at either SF or LA and then depart from the other. A few things to keep in mind.

With Highway 1 I honestly wouldn’t count on it being open next year but who knows. Something people don’t appreciate is that the drive on 1 from Carmel to Cambria is insanely windy and in spots is downright scary. The drive south puts you on the outside lane with 500’+ cliffs going straight into the pacific. Breathtaking but in more ways than one. The drive between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz has the same sort of feel but less intense and much shorter duration.

I would actually recommend that you don’t stay at Fisherman’s wharf. Definitely worth a visit to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf but it’s probably not a full day. Never been to Alcatraz but I hear it’s great. I would recommend that if you are ok spending a bit more on accommodations stay up on Nob Hill at the Mark Hopkins. With IHG Ambassador you can get late checkout and a nice room upgrade.

A few recommendations for lesser known attractions in SF are the Maritime Museum, Cable Car Museum and the Nike Missile Site.

As for stopping in Santa Cruz vs Monterey, it’s really about what you are looking for. If you want to hit the Boardwalk or surf, Santa Cruz is the place to go. I vastly prefer Monterey and if you’re going IHG (can you tell I like my ambassador membership?) staying at the Clement is awesome!

A lot of people love SLO but for a tourist I’m not sure what the big draw would be unless you’re really into nice college towns. Cambria is a gorgeous and quaint coastal town that is geared toward wine enthusiasts. There’s also Avila and Pismo Beach which would be excellent places to break up the trip south. If you are really into wine you could stay inland in either Paso Robles or Los Olivos. The latter will be much more expensive. I would hit Solvang on the way down. Even if you just drive through and grab a bite, I think it’s worth it.

After that point my knowledge base dries up a bit. The one thing you probably know is that if you are departing back home in the south, doing so from San Diego airport isn’t going to work well. Flights are few and expensive.

 

[wabbott]

Griffith Observatory is the one thing that I know we actually want to do, aside from the ballparks and Disneyland. I'm not even sure how my boys know about the Griffith Observatory, but they already mentioned they want to go there.

The opening scene of Terminator was filmed there. Recall the scene where the three punks thought they were going to do him in with a switchblade. Two of the three took dead, and the other one gave him his clothes.

Good information on the stars' homes. Honestly, I think we would all be content with just driving around and seeing some of the touristy things like Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, that kind of stuff.

If driving along the coast, should we plan on spending a night somewhere? I know it can take several hours to get from SF to LA, and I'm assuming that is without stopping. Can you recommend a good place to stop? Would Monterrey be a good stopping place? I will definitely look into the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.

Monterrey is a good place to stay. Plenty of restaurants within walking distance of several hotels, including the original Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. The Aquarium will take up two to four hours of time.

I will also look into Palos Verdes. I have not heard of it before. Thank you!

 

[disny_luvr]

I recommend a one way trip. Fly into SF and out of SD (or vice versa). You are going to have to pay close attention to traffic in LA, OC and SD. You may have to hit the road earlier or later so you don't spend your day on the freeway.

As an example,

1. Arrive SF - Either baseball game or sightsee, stay in SF
2. San Francisco. Stay in SF
3. SF in morning, drive to Santa Cruz, stay in Santa Cruz
4. Drive to Monterey, half day in Monterey, drive Hwy 1 through Big Sur to San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara. Stay in SLO or SB.
5. Drive from SLO/SB to LA. Possible Dodger game in evening. Stay in LA
6. Los Angeles. Stay in LA
7. Morning in LA, drive to Anaheim, stay in Anaheim
8. Disneyland 1
9. Disneyland 2
10. Disneyland 3
11. Drive to San Diego. Stay in SD
12. San Diego
13. San Diego
14. Fly home

ETA: You might be interested in a tour of SoFi stadium while you are in LA.

Thank you for this! This gives me a good starting place.

My boys and DH would love to tour SoFi Stadium. I just looked it up and tour prices are actually pretty reasonable. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[disny_luvr]

I agree on arrival at either SF or LA and then depart from the other. A few things to keep in mind.

With Highway 1 I honestly wouldn’t count on it being open next year but who knows. Something people don’t appreciate is that the drive on 1 from Carmel to Cambria is insanely windy and in spots is downright scary. The drive south puts you on the outside lane with 500’+ cliffs going straight into the pacific. Breathtaking but in more ways than one. The drive between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz has the same sort of feel but less intense and much shorter duration.

I would actually recommend that you don’t stay at Fisherman’s wharf. Definitely worth a visit to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf but it’s probably not a full day. Never been to Alcatraz but I hear it’s great. I would recommend that if you are ok spending a bit more on accommodations stay up on Nob Hill at the Mark Hopkins. With IHG Ambassador you can get late checkout and a nice room upgrade.

A few recommendations for lesser known attractions in SF are the Maritime Museum, Cable Car Museum and the Nike Missile Site.

As for stopping in Santa Cruz vs Monterey, it’s really about what you are looking for. If you want to hit the Boardwalk or surf, Santa Cruz is the place to go. I vastly prefer Monterey and if you’re going IHG (can you tell I like my ambassador membership?) staying at the Clement is awesome!

A lot of people love SLO but for a tourist I’m not sure what the big draw would be unless you’re really into nice college towns. Cambria is a gorgeous and quaint coastal town that is geared toward wine enthusiasts. There’s also Avila and Pismo Beach which would be excellent places to break up the trip south. If you are really into wine you could stay inland in either Paso Robles or Los Olivos. The latter will be much more expensive. I would hit Solvang on the way down. Even if you just drive through and grab a bite, I think it’s worth it.

After that point my knowledge base dries up a bit. The one thing you probably know is that if you are departing back home in the south, doing so from San Diego airport isn’t going to work well. Flights are few and expensive.

You mentioned IHG Ambassador Membership. Is that something I need to sign up for?

How long of a drive is it from SD to LA? We were thinking of ending our trip in SD and flying out from there, but if it is cheaper to fly out of LA, we could to that, too. We always fly SW and they haven't released their fares for next summer yet, so unless I put in dummy dates I can't check prices.

 

[LKing]

@disny_luvr what airport will you be coming from? Between SD (SAN) and LAX, SWA also flies into John Wayne (SNA) and Long Beach (LGB)

For the Bay Area, look at both SFO and OAK airports.

 

[Rex1993]

You mentioned IHG Ambassador Membership. Is that something I need to sign up for?

How long of a drive is it from SD to LA? We were thinking of ending our trip in SD and flying out from there, but if it is cheaper to fly out of LA, we could to that, too. We always fly SW and they haven't released their fares for next summer yet, so unless I put in dummy dates I can't check prices.

Intercontinental Ambassador is an annual membership that is specific to the Intercontinental brand within IHG. If offers some pretty great benefits if you stay at Intercontinental properties. LA, SF, Monterey and SD all have wonderful Intercontinental hotels.

As for the time between SD and LA, it depends. No traffic it's two hours or so. With traffic, it can easily be three.