Expert: Ernest Tufft - 9/4/2006

Question
We are going to a wedding in San Fran and are thinking of driving.  One catch, we have a 3 year old.  We will be making a 7 day vacation out of this and was wondering if you could help me think of some stops along the way to brake up the trip.  Maybe stopping a day or two on the way there and back to see different places.  Can you help?  Thanks so much.

Nicole

Answer
Depending upon your 3 year old, this may be a good time to train for car travel.  Children often sleep very well in the car, and so if you start very early in the morning, or drive at night, much of the trip from Phx to SF can be done in one day with your child sleeping peacefully in the car seat.  Last winter break, we drove from Stockton, CA to Tucson, AZ in 1-1/2 days with our miniature schnauzer in the pet cage, a young pooch that more than once has been compared to a 3 year old in disposition.  We started at 4pm on X-mas night and stayed in Buttonwillow, and then completed the journey the next day starting very early at about 5am.  I believe we were in Phx by 4pm.  So, I figure that Phx to SF is a quite do-able two day trip, if I-10 and I-5 routes are used, and even at today's gas prices, the one-way 3 tank fill-up cost will be much less than 3 airline seats.  Unfortunately, the stops for entertainment are few along this route, except within the LA basin area, and within the SF Bay Area.  But, I-10's 344 mi. from Phx to LA, and I-5's 285 mi. LA to Bay Area, are mostly either open desert or flat agricultural landscape.  There really aren't many options from Phx to LA basin better than I-10, it seems to me, so leave before the sun comes up and then stop in the LA area.  I'm not an expert in the LA area, as my bio informs, but for an extended trip as you desire, I would certainly hope to arrive in the LA area before about 3pm, and then use the MapQuest.com instructions toward US-101 North to Santa Barbara.  About 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara is a pleasant little tourist town called Solvang, which has Danish heritage, pastry shops, carriage rides, windmill buildings, and the like that would make a good overnight stop, particulary in a B&B, but Svendsgaard's Danish Lodge has high recommendations as a good place for the money here.  From there, the choice north for a 3 year old would likely mean taking US-101 north, with rest stops at any of several historic California Missions along the way (see http://www.missionscalifornia.com/missions_map.html), particularly during the 100 mile long stretch between Paso Robles and Monterey.  This trip would recommend a stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for both you and your child, an opportunity to see one of the world's most beautiful seascapes and natural tide pools along the coast between Monterey and Carmel (Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach being the most outstanding in particular).  I find Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf more interesting and scenic than the one in San Francisco, although both are pure tourism with no authentic commercial fishing atmosphere.  As a contrast driving back along the same route, consider a visit to the north shore of the Monterey Bay, particularly at Santa Cruz, which has the oldest west coast beach boardwalk and highest wooden roller coaster.  Capitola is a smaller beach town with plenty to entertain adults and children in terms of sand, ice cream, and dining with a view of the ocean.  Also, if you dare, consider the 2 hour coastal highway 1 route between Carmel and Cambria, with a stop at Hearst Castle.  The winding nature of this route may not please your 3 year old whoosey stomach, but the breathtaking view here is worth it for you.  Want to provide me more particulars?  Please reply again...Otherwise, have fun...