Expert: Ernest Tufft - 3/16/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello, My name is Mario and I am from NJ, I am going out to SF in May to catch a
few Giants games,  I would like to drive to San Diego from SF and take the coast
trip, I would be leaving SF in the early morning, I do not need to stop and site
see too much,  I just would like to do the trek in a day if thats possible. Any of
your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You so  so much.

ANSWER: Whoops, the coastal highway 1 is a sight-seers only route, I'm afraid, making this trip from San Francisco to San Diego more than a one-day trip.  If one takes the fastest route, I-5 through California's ag belt--the central valley--the trip is at least 8 hours, assuming no jam ups in either the Bay Area or LA metro areas.  However, if you want a rather quick route without the impossible time consuming coastal twists and turns of US 1, try Hwy 101.  The sightseeing on US 101 is actually pretty good as it goes along the coastal valleys where the original missions were strung along.  Hope this helps.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Your answer was great! I would like to leave San Fran in the early morning and do the drive straight through non stop on the coast.  How long will this take me and how shall I do this?  

Answer
Your easiest source of road map generation is still at www.mapquest.com.  Begin by putting the starting point as San Francisco and the ending point San Diego.  Mapquest will provide the most commonly used I-5 route (total 8hrs, 502 miles) through the central valley.  Then insert intermediate waypoint destinations Monterey and Santa Barbara, to show the basic US-101 route, also commonly used.  From just north of Santa Barbara through to San Diego, you'll want to stay mostly on US101 and I-5 anyway (total 10 hrs, 580 miles)   Now, If you add in San Simeon as an additional intermediate waypoint, the mapquest adjusts to include the winding Hwy 1, that goes between Monterey and Santa Barbara (total 10-1/2 hrs, 580 miles).  I have my doubts that you will indeed keep to the 2 hr drive time between Monterey and San Simeon because of the coastal hairpin turns and great scenic pull outs, but this part of the California coast is the most famous for tourists.  Good luck...