Expert: Ernest Tufft - 5/23/2011

Question
My mother and I (both San Diegans) are taking a 7 day road trip in July up the CA coast.  Neither one of us have ever done this (and who knows when we'll have the opportunity to do it again), so we'd like to get the most out of the experience. We discussed possibly spending a night in Santa Cruz, maybe a few in SF, and maybe spending one night in Napa. What suggestions might you have for us making the most out of this trip?

Answer
Jaime,

Seven days is plenty of time to enjoy the coast of California.  I think that you will want to drive right through the LA basin and begin at one of the south central beach cities, like Morro Bay.  There are reasonably priced motel rooms there within easy walking distance of the Morro Rock and beach.  I also recommend a stop at Hearst Castle, but be sure to go to the website and schedule advanced reservations.  This tour will involve a lot of stair climbing, so both of you need to be able to walk a lot.  Nearby San Simeon, the town of Hearst Castle, is Piedras Blancas, a state beach were sea lions can be easily observed.  From there, drive on through to Carmel/Pebble Beach/Monterey area, a drive along the most spectacular part of CA highway 1 that will take a couple hours at least, depending upon how many times you pull out to view over the cliffs.

I recommend you look for a place to stay in Pacific Grove, a small beach town within the heart of the Monterey Peninsula area.  Spend a couple days there.  Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, drive the 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, and window shop in Carmel.  The tide pools and beaches of Pacific Grove are very unique and quite different from anything you have in Southern California.

Then, of course, drive around for an overnight stay in Santa Cruz.  Go into the Santa Cruz mountain redwoods to Big Basin State Park, where you can see first growth coastal redwoods.  After a day of so there, drive Hwy 9 in route to San Francisco.  In San Francisco, try to find a B&B in a quaint Victorian house away from the noise and confusion of the usual tourist traps.  Find a place to leave the car and get around town by public transit only.  San Francisco cable cars, trolleys, underground rail, electric bus, and so on are very efficient and a joy to use.

Hope this helps...