San Francisco to LA.
Discussion
We did a similar trip 25 years ago... yikes!
We initially stayed with friends in San Jose and they took us to San Francisco, Gilroy (the garlic capital!!) and some local wineries.
They then lent us a car for 2 weeks so we drove out to the Monterey Aquarium then onto Carmel a lovely relaxed place (or it was then anyway), where we watched the sunset on the beach and stayed the night at the lovely Cypress Inn - http://cypress-inn.com/
The next day we drove 17 Mile Way and then southwards stopping to look round Hearst Castle (worth a visit, it is weird and amazing in equal measure).
I can't remember all the details as we then detoured to Palm Springs for the 40th Corvette anniversary race meeting and then drove onto LA and flew in a helicopter out to Catalina Island (no cars at all, golf buggies only) for scuba diving. The view of brown haze of smog over LA from the island explained our sore throats during our stay at some motel near the centre of LA.
After that we returned up the PCH over a couple of days stopping for lunch at the Rocky Point Restaurant https://www.opentable.com/rocky-point-restaurant-c... to enjoy the views down onto Big Sur. We then went up to SF as we wanted to see it at our own pace and then we went back to our friends for Thanksgiving before flying home.
We initially stayed with friends in San Jose and they took us to San Francisco, Gilroy (the garlic capital!!) and some local wineries.
They then lent us a car for 2 weeks so we drove out to the Monterey Aquarium then onto Carmel a lovely relaxed place (or it was then anyway), where we watched the sunset on the beach and stayed the night at the lovely Cypress Inn - http://cypress-inn.com/
The next day we drove 17 Mile Way and then southwards stopping to look round Hearst Castle (worth a visit, it is weird and amazing in equal measure).
I can't remember all the details as we then detoured to Palm Springs for the 40th Corvette anniversary race meeting and then drove onto LA and flew in a helicopter out to Catalina Island (no cars at all, golf buggies only) for scuba diving. The view of brown haze of smog over LA from the island explained our sore throats during our stay at some motel near the centre of LA.
After that we returned up the PCH over a couple of days stopping for lunch at the Rocky Point Restaurant https://www.opentable.com/rocky-point-restaurant-c... to enjoy the views down onto Big Sur. We then went up to SF as we wanted to see it at our own pace and then we went back to our friends for Thanksgiving before flying home.
peterg1955 said:
We did a similar trip 25 years ago... yikes!
We initially stayed with friends in San Jose and they took us to San Francisco, Gilroy (the garlic capital!!) and some local wineries.
They then lent us a car for 2 weeks so we drove out to the Monterey Aquarium then onto Carmel a lovely relaxed place (or it was then anyway), where we watched the sunset on the beach and stayed the night at the lovely Cypress Inn - http://cypress-inn.com/
The next day we drove 17 Mile Way and then southwards stopping to look round Hearst Castle (worth a visit, it is weird and amazing in equal measure).
I can't remember all the details as we then detoured to Palm Springs for the 40th Corvette anniversary race meeting and then drove onto LA and flew in a helicopter out to Catalina Island (no cars at all, golf buggies only) for scuba diving. The view of brown haze of smog over LA from the island explained our sore throats during our stay at some motel near the centre of LA.
After that we returned up the PCH over a couple of days stopping for lunch at the Rocky Point Restaurant https://www.opentable.com/rocky-point-restaurant-c... to enjoy the views down onto Big Sur. We then went up to SF as we wanted to see it at our own pace and then we went back to our friends for Thanksgiving before flying home.
Seem to recal Gilroy has a massive outlet mall We initially stayed with friends in San Jose and they took us to San Francisco, Gilroy (the garlic capital!!) and some local wineries.
They then lent us a car for 2 weeks so we drove out to the Monterey Aquarium then onto Carmel a lovely relaxed place (or it was then anyway), where we watched the sunset on the beach and stayed the night at the lovely Cypress Inn - http://cypress-inn.com/
The next day we drove 17 Mile Way and then southwards stopping to look round Hearst Castle (worth a visit, it is weird and amazing in equal measure).
I can't remember all the details as we then detoured to Palm Springs for the 40th Corvette anniversary race meeting and then drove onto LA and flew in a helicopter out to Catalina Island (no cars at all, golf buggies only) for scuba diving. The view of brown haze of smog over LA from the island explained our sore throats during our stay at some motel near the centre of LA.
After that we returned up the PCH over a couple of days stopping for lunch at the Rocky Point Restaurant https://www.opentable.com/rocky-point-restaurant-c... to enjoy the views down onto Big Sur. We then went up to SF as we wanted to see it at our own pace and then we went back to our friends for Thanksgiving before flying home.
We did this in October from SF to LA to Vegas to GC and back to SF via DV and Yosemite.
I lived in LA for a few years in the mid to late 80's but didn't get to see much as I was working all the time.
Use the Caltrans site: http://www.dot.ca.gov/
This is very useful for road closures - we were there during the fires and PCH was also closed around Big Sur.
We stayed mainly in motels ($40-80) interspersed with a couple of nice hotels (Palace hotel in SF https://www.sfpalace.com/ wonderful lobby) and didn't pre book as I wasn't sure how far we would travel each day.
Most places have been mentioned already but I personally found Hearst Castle and the Getty very interesting (I am an Antiques dealer though!)
Whale watching in Santa Barbara was good - we used these guys http://condorexpress.com/
Enjoy!
I lived in LA for a few years in the mid to late 80's but didn't get to see much as I was working all the time.
Use the Caltrans site: http://www.dot.ca.gov/
This is very useful for road closures - we were there during the fires and PCH was also closed around Big Sur.
We stayed mainly in motels ($40-80) interspersed with a couple of nice hotels (Palace hotel in SF https://www.sfpalace.com/ wonderful lobby) and didn't pre book as I wasn't sure how far we would travel each day.
Most places have been mentioned already but I personally found Hearst Castle and the Getty very interesting (I am an Antiques dealer though!)
Whale watching in Santa Barbara was good - we used these guys http://condorexpress.com/
Enjoy!
I've done Highway 1 from SF to LA in 2015 & 2016.
San Francisco car parking even in hotels can be crazy expensive so bare that in mind when picking somewhere to stay. I've always stayed near Pier 39 just because it's a short walk away from Fisherman's Wharf however it's easy to get around. I would recommend having a car for a bit so you can go across Marin Headlands for a drive.
Absolutely love Monterey Bay, highly recommend taking a whale watching trip out and also to Moss Landing which is where you'll find sea otters.
If you have some time then the Winchester House at San Jose is well worth a detour, fascinating place.
Hearst Castle is brilliant and just before you get to it is the Elephant Seal Beach, great place to watch them haul out on the sand.
Pismo Beach or Morro Bay are good stopping points to break up the journey.
Again if time permits, and it is a few hours there and back from SF, but Yosemite is breathtaking. I think I had 3 nights in SF, then 2 in Yosemite before heading for Monterey and onwards.
San Francisco car parking even in hotels can be crazy expensive so bare that in mind when picking somewhere to stay. I've always stayed near Pier 39 just because it's a short walk away from Fisherman's Wharf however it's easy to get around. I would recommend having a car for a bit so you can go across Marin Headlands for a drive.
Absolutely love Monterey Bay, highly recommend taking a whale watching trip out and also to Moss Landing which is where you'll find sea otters.
If you have some time then the Winchester House at San Jose is well worth a detour, fascinating place.
Hearst Castle is brilliant and just before you get to it is the Elephant Seal Beach, great place to watch them haul out on the sand.
Pismo Beach or Morro Bay are good stopping points to break up the journey.
Again if time permits, and it is a few hours there and back from SF, but Yosemite is breathtaking. I think I had 3 nights in SF, then 2 in Yosemite before heading for Monterey and onwards.
We did our trip the other way round and flew into Vegas for a few days, then down to San Diego for another couple of days. Then rather than somewhere central in LA, we stayed in Costa Mesa / Newport Beach for a few days then moved up the coast to Santa Monica for another few days.Then did the PCH over the course of about 5 days via Santa Barbara, Solvang (look it up), Santa Maria, Pismo,Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz and finally to SF (stayed at Becks motor lodge - right on vintage tram line and no charge for parking!). Some places popped into, others overnight.
4 nights in SF before flying home from there - easily enough time to see everything, including an afternoon out in the car to cross all the bridges and pop to Sausalito, Marin etc. If I did it again, I'd have got rid of the car when we got to SF and got an Uber to the airport.
Car was from Dollar, who don't charge one-way between Vegas, LA and SF. The car we picked in the garage at Vegas was on California plates and although only an Impala was big enough to fit all the luggage in the boot (and had a SatNav bolted in which we didn't really use or get charged for).
It's expensive!
4 nights in SF before flying home from there - easily enough time to see everything, including an afternoon out in the car to cross all the bridges and pop to Sausalito, Marin etc. If I did it again, I'd have got rid of the car when we got to SF and got an Uber to the airport.
Car was from Dollar, who don't charge one-way between Vegas, LA and SF. The car we picked in the garage at Vegas was on California plates and although only an Impala was big enough to fit all the luggage in the boot (and had a SatNav bolted in which we didn't really use or get charged for).
It's expensive!
pushthebutton said:
It's fully closed. Massive landslide:
It was due to reopen late Summer 2018 the last time I checked.
Showed this pic to a girl in work who did San Francisco to San Diego a few weeks back. Although the road is closed there's a side road that bypassed it up along the mountain side and through the middle of an Army camp? Saved them backtracking a couple of hundred miles. It was due to reopen late Summer 2018 the last time I checked.
Said there's some huge big drops off the roadside that made things interesting and the army occasionally close the bit through the camp.
ooo000ooo said:
Showed this pic to a girl in work who did San Francisco to San Diego a few weeks back. Although the road is closed there's a side road that bypassed it up along the mountain side and through the middle of an Army camp? Saved them backtracking a couple of hundred miles.
Said there's some huge big drops off the roadside that made things interesting and the army occasionally close the bit through the camp.
We did that road in October - Nacimiento road. Turned out to be a great detour, very scenic, and watched a couple of coyotes playing by the road. I was told that the army hadn’t closed the road while the landslide was being cleared. Said there's some huge big drops off the roadside that made things interesting and the army occasionally close the bit through the camp.
GCH said:
The CA1 takes about 14 or so hours.
Stop in San Luis Obispo (approx half way point) and then zorro’s in pismo beach for breakfast/brunch/lunch. Also some great vineyards in that area.
Don’t bother with 17mile drive. It has little in the way of scenery that you don’t see from the many stopping points on the CA1, and is very crowded. Great tax dodge by the owners, but not much else. Spend the time in nearby Carmel instead.
Los Angeles is a great place once you work it out and look past the sprawl. Sadly most don’t/can’t.
agree on LA disagree on 17 mile, but then im a golf fan and its pretty iconic, lone cypress, spyglass etc. love it!Stop in San Luis Obispo (approx half way point) and then zorro’s in pismo beach for breakfast/brunch/lunch. Also some great vineyards in that area.
Don’t bother with 17mile drive. It has little in the way of scenery that you don’t see from the many stopping points on the CA1, and is very crowded. Great tax dodge by the owners, but not much else. Spend the time in nearby Carmel instead.
Los Angeles is a great place once you work it out and look past the sprawl. Sadly most don’t/can’t.
op. done it in an RV so bit different and wheeled off to Yosemite a for a few days too, but the one major thing is add an extra day or two to what you think it will be as you always underestimate and that leaves you room to make ad hoc stops or stay longer at places you like, otherwise you could end up driving for longer periods than you want. i know people who have tried to do it in a week on leaving SF to LA and not enjoyed it as much as they should as too much driving in too short a time.
We took 10 days (i think - it was 5 or 6 years ago!) excluding yosemite time. that was just enough imo.
must visits, Monterey, carmel, pebble, 17 mile drive, san simieon, pismo beach, santa barbara (worth a couple of days), all the cheesy LA stuff, venice beach, hollywood etc.
Cisco is a great city, if you do Alcatraz, recommend the evening tour over the day. We went as 4 young blokes on a lads/bangbus type trip (undermined a bit by 2 of us having gf's back home!), so were a bit dubious on doing Alcatraz but it was well worth it. Sunset over the bay/ GG (or bay not sure)bridge is great as your traveling on the boat out, and its even more atmospheric at night, not to mention spoopy!
also adfd, as great as ciso is 7 days in and around is a long time and some of those days could be better spent on route...that said if you head north a bit from there to see some redwoods and wine country the 7 days may be ok.
We took 10 days (i think - it was 5 or 6 years ago!) excluding yosemite time. that was just enough imo.
must visits, Monterey, carmel, pebble, 17 mile drive, san simieon, pismo beach, santa barbara (worth a couple of days), all the cheesy LA stuff, venice beach, hollywood etc.
Cisco is a great city, if you do Alcatraz, recommend the evening tour over the day. We went as 4 young blokes on a lads/bangbus type trip (undermined a bit by 2 of us having gf's back home!), so were a bit dubious on doing Alcatraz but it was well worth it. Sunset over the bay/ GG (or bay not sure)bridge is great as your traveling on the boat out, and its even more atmospheric at night, not to mention spoopy!
also adfd, as great as ciso is 7 days in and around is a long time and some of those days could be better spent on route...that said if you head north a bit from there to see some redwoods and wine country the 7 days may be ok.
Edited by theplayingmantis on Wednesday 17th January 16:09
Not sure I’d its been mentioned but Yosemite is not too far and well worth a visit.
We’ve just been in September and did
3 nights SAN Francisco
2 nights Yosemite
1 night Carmel
1 night Santa Barbara then 3 nights LA
There is a nice town called Solvang a few hours from the PCH that is also worth a look.
We’ve just been in September and did
3 nights SAN Francisco
2 nights Yosemite
1 night Carmel
1 night Santa Barbara then 3 nights LA
There is a nice town called Solvang a few hours from the PCH that is also worth a look.
waughie said:
Not sure I’d its been mentioned but Yosemite is not too far and well worth a visit.
We’ve just been in September and did
3 nights SAN Francisco
2 nights Yosemite
1 night Carmel
1 night Santa Barbara then 3 nights LA
There is a nice town called Solvang a few hours from the PCH that is also worth a look.
see post directly above... We’ve just been in September and did
3 nights SAN Francisco
2 nights Yosemite
1 night Carmel
1 night Santa Barbara then 3 nights LA
There is a nice town called Solvang a few hours from the PCH that is also worth a look.
Most people have said it.
2-3 days in SF, go across the bridge, up into Wine Country and/or Marin County (Muir Woods is great).
Drive down to Monterey, stay there a couple of days, imo, but I just love Monterey.
I hear Hearst Castle is worth a look, but the time we tried to go with youngish kids, they'd both spent a good chunk of the previous day throwing up, so we decided to make the time travelling as short as possible that day and Freeway'd up to Monterey.
Drive down to Santa Barbara or Ventura (in that order, unless you like quieter, Ventura is definitely quieter of the two).
Drive down Route 1, maybe have lunch in Santa Monica and a stroll around the 'canals' in Venice (they're a lot nicer now than when they were a warren of drug dens on my first visit!
), and then go straight to LAX (leaving as little time around the airport as it's probably the worst airport in a major city in the world..).
LA is generally horrible - Tolerable at its extremes (Hills behind and the coast), but otherwise just a 3rd world country in Drumpf's terminology... I don't really know what people can see in LA and I've been a few times...
It is an ugly sprawl of low rise, flat roof, concrete buildings in the main, but it has virtually no redeeming elements to offset that.
Downtown is a cross between skyscraper hell, a Mexicali theme park and the worst inner city shopping centre you've visited.
Hollywood is tatty, dirty and ugly.
The Griffith Observatory is nice enough, but standing there just brings home what a sprawling, ugly mess LA really is..
I guess if you're obsessed with films and/or theme parks, it might appeal, otherwise, just don't bother...
Of course, "Your mileage may vary" - There's probably a thread in "Why LA is great once you see past the sprawl"
M
2-3 days in SF, go across the bridge, up into Wine Country and/or Marin County (Muir Woods is great).
Drive down to Monterey, stay there a couple of days, imo, but I just love Monterey.
I hear Hearst Castle is worth a look, but the time we tried to go with youngish kids, they'd both spent a good chunk of the previous day throwing up, so we decided to make the time travelling as short as possible that day and Freeway'd up to Monterey.
Drive down to Santa Barbara or Ventura (in that order, unless you like quieter, Ventura is definitely quieter of the two).
Drive down Route 1, maybe have lunch in Santa Monica and a stroll around the 'canals' in Venice (they're a lot nicer now than when they were a warren of drug dens on my first visit!
), and then go straight to LAX (leaving as little time around the airport as it's probably the worst airport in a major city in the world..).LA is generally horrible - Tolerable at its extremes (Hills behind and the coast), but otherwise just a 3rd world country in Drumpf's terminology... I don't really know what people can see in LA and I've been a few times...
It is an ugly sprawl of low rise, flat roof, concrete buildings in the main, but it has virtually no redeeming elements to offset that.
Downtown is a cross between skyscraper hell, a Mexicali theme park and the worst inner city shopping centre you've visited.
Hollywood is tatty, dirty and ugly.
The Griffith Observatory is nice enough, but standing there just brings home what a sprawling, ugly mess LA really is..
I guess if you're obsessed with films and/or theme parks, it might appeal, otherwise, just don't bother...
Of course, "Your mileage may vary" - There's probably a thread in "Why LA is great once you see past the sprawl"
M
Edited by marcosgt on Wednesday 17th January 16:52
I love LA.
Practically every street and landmark is immortalized in film or a TV show somewhere, or in a lyric of a rock song. Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa walked those streets and played their music; James Dean and Steve McQueen shot their movies and drive around in their cars. It's simply steeped in movie and music culture, if you are into that kind of thing.
Sure a lot of people there are full of s
t wannabes, but it's great fun. Cool stuff happens there.
Practically every street and landmark is immortalized in film or a TV show somewhere, or in a lyric of a rock song. Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa walked those streets and played their music; James Dean and Steve McQueen shot their movies and drive around in their cars. It's simply steeped in movie and music culture, if you are into that kind of thing.
Sure a lot of people there are full of s
t wannabes, but it's great fun. Cool stuff happens there.JuniorD said:
I love LA.
Practically every street and landmark is immortalized in film or a TV show somewhere, or in a lyric of a rock song. Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa walked those streets and played their music; James Dean and Steve McQueen shot their movies and drive around in their cars. It's simply steeped in movie and music culture, if you are into that kind of thing.
Sure a lot of people there are full of st wannabes, but it's great fun. Cool stuff happens there.
At the risk of coming over argumentative (God forbid! Practically every street and landmark is immortalized in film or a TV show somewhere, or in a lyric of a rock song. Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa walked those streets and played their music; James Dean and Steve McQueen shot their movies and drive around in their cars. It's simply steeped in movie and music culture, if you are into that kind of thing.
Sure a lot of people there are full of s
t wannabes, but it's great fun. Cool stuff happens there.), I think that's the image Tinseltown likes to present, but I don't think it's really true.Sure film stars lived there, because the films were made, mostly on the huge studio lots, but which Dean or McQueen movies are iconically LA?
What you say about landmarks sounds more like San Francisco! The Bridge, the hiily streets, GG park, Coit Tower, the cable cars, Alcatraz, etc, etc, etc
I struggle to think of a LA landmark that I'd recognise other than the Hollywood sign! OK, at a stretch, the railway station and the tar pits, but would people who've never been recognise them?
You can't count Santa Monica Pier as it's not actually in LA!
M
marcosgt said:
At the risk of coming over argumentative (God forbid! ), I think that's the image Tinseltown likes to present, but I don't think it's really true.
Sure film stars lived there, because the films were made, mostly on the huge studio lots, but which Dean or McQueen movies are iconically LA?
What you say about landmarks sounds more like San Francisco! The Bridge, the hiily streets, GG park, Coit Tower, the cable cars, Alcatraz, etc, etc, etc
I struggle to think of a LA landmark that I'd recognise other than the Hollywood sign! OK, at a stretch, the railway station and the tar pits, but would people who've never been recognise them?
You can't count Santa Monica Pier as it's not actually in LA!
M
That's really not true.), I think that's the image Tinseltown likes to present, but I don't think it's really true.Sure film stars lived there, because the films were made, mostly on the huge studio lots, but which Dean or McQueen movies are iconically LA?
What you say about landmarks sounds more like San Francisco! The Bridge, the hiily streets, GG park, Coit Tower, the cable cars, Alcatraz, etc, etc, etc
I struggle to think of a LA landmark that I'd recognise other than the Hollywood sign! OK, at a stretch, the railway station and the tar pits, but would people who've never been recognise them?
You can't count Santa Monica Pier as it's not actually in LA!
M
The areas in and around Hollywood were and still are filming locations for many movies. I don't want to list everything as, if it's not your thing, then it's boring for both of us. The movies, houses, iconic venues etc are only a part of it. There's so much more if you put the effort in which takes us nicely back to GCH's post near the beginning. Personally, I like that part of it, but it's only one of a few reasons why I like to visit.
Admittedly, if you like infinity pools, rain forest treks, water huts or peace and tranquility then it's probably not for you.
Rollin said:
I do wonder if these LA haters just go to the US for the scenery. Do they not actually talk to people?
as per above i liked LA but my mate was spat on by one of 'the people'admittedly it was downturn by a random homeless person we walked past, but still....the rest of the locals we met were much nicer and very accomadating
Are you suggesting the people in LA are somehow more interesting than those in Portland, Springfield, Rachel or anywhere else in the States?
Of course LA has something for some people.
As I said, a great interest in movies or theme parks make it attractive, but it's lacking in much else, including history, landscape or interesting architecture.
Get out of LA and there are things to see and do, but this part of California isn't even attractive by desert standards...
Anyway, I suspect us naysayers won't discourage those keen to see it, but after numerous visits (usually business with some leisure added on) I've not grown fonder of the place...
M
Of course LA has something for some people.
As I said, a great interest in movies or theme parks make it attractive, but it's lacking in much else, including history, landscape or interesting architecture.
Get out of LA and there are things to see and do, but this part of California isn't even attractive by desert standards...
Anyway, I suspect us naysayers won't discourage those keen to see it, but after numerous visits (usually business with some leisure added on) I've not grown fonder of the place...
M
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff