Expert: Steve Summers - 7/22/2005

Question
Hi Steve,

My husband and I are going to CA to visit friends and relatives and also to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We are flying in to San Diego and staying at my friend's house for a week in La Jolla. We are going to make our way up north to Guala taking the scenic drive along the coast. We are trying to figure out where to stop along the way without making the trip too rushed. We would like to fit in some sight seeing. We have to make it to Gualala and leave some time there to see family.

Right now we are planning on leaving La Jolla on a Sunday morning and driving to Santa Barbara and finding a nice hotel to stay in. By the way, do you have any recommendations for a hotel there? Then we plan to leave Santa Barbara Monday morning and drive to Carmel. We found a hotel on line that looked nice. It is called the Tickle Pink Inn. Do you know anything about that inn? We then plan on leaving Carmel Tuesday morning and driving to Gualala. After San Fran, we plan on taking more of a highway road since we have already been to San Fran and then did the scenic route to Gualala.

My question is if you think we are leaving ourselves enought time to get to Santa Barbara and Carmel? We want to be able to stop along the way and enjoy some of the sights. I think we have enough time for the Santa Barbara drive but we are worried about the drive to Carmel and going through Big Sur. I really wanted to stay over in Santa Barbara because it looks so nice but we are thinking we should drive farther on the first day. Any input will be greatly appreciated. We have asked our friends in CA but they weren't much help.

Thanks in advance!
Victoria

Answer
Hi Victoria,

That is a tough question. An extra day would solve the problem, but I'm assuming that's not an option.

SB has some nice resorts, like Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort in SB. The Montecito Inn used to be nice, but it's not what it used to be. How about stopping in Carpinteria, just 10 miles before SB? We love this little beach town. We also love Prufrock's, a nice B&B where we spent our honeymoon. If you stay here, have dinner at the Palms (you can cook your own steak here), and lunch at the Spot, both on Linden Avenue and both local favorites.

It should take about four hours to get from SD to SB: Two hours to LA, then another two from LA to SB. From LA, I would take Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH)from Santa Monica through Oxnard. Nothing like driving down the highway and seeing waves. It takes your mind off the traffic. Add an extra hour if you take PCH.

The problem (and I think that you know this already) is that if you stay in SB, it's a very long day on highway 1 to Big Sur. If you push it and try to stay in Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo, you almost have to skip Santa Barbara. If that is your choice, it's another hundred miles/2 hours to SLO. If you do go there, we've been comfortable in the Hampton Inn in Pismo, or La Quinta Suites in SLO. Both offer a decent breakfast to get you on your way.

So, the question is whether you want to drive the 100 miles/2hours SB to SLO on Sunday or Monday. SD to SB is about 200 miles, 4-5 hours drive time. SLO to Carmel is 140 miles (via Big Sur), but it is also about 4 hours due to the windy road from Lucia to Carmel. I guess if it were me, I'd just stay in SB and get an early start in the morning.

Have fun!

Steve