AboutSteve Springer Expertise I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I`ve lived in the Valley, west side, east side, and South Bay, so I`m an expert on getting around town. I`m knowledgeable about all of the Southern California tourist attractions. I am also an expert on state beaches in Southern California, and have an expansive camping background. No relocation/moving questions, please.
Question Hey Steve! how's it going? You seem like the California guru and I need to get some answers. In return I'm the Aruba guru so If you ever have any questions about that region let me know.....
I have some very fuzzy memories of being a young girl and my parents taking me with them on a trip to California where they rented a car and drove the coast, I have a few fuzzy memories about the vacation and thought it might be nice to do this trip with my husband, I would like to do some of the same places I went as a child but I dont know where to begin and my dad isnt alive to ask and mom dosent remember.... We drove for a long time staying in different hotels, we went to Catalina Island, alcatraz, San fransico, I rememeber a beatuful street there that wound about and was filled with flowers, we went to san diego, LA, hearst castle, we drove throught the desert to las vegas which I believe was where our trip ended after a few days stay there.
Can you help me, I'm hoping that giving you these few points of interest you would know the route we took.... If there is a book that you can recommend or just tell me how to get started I'd like to do it all in about 8 days if this is possible I dont even know, and furthermore If we could take our small yorkie that would be even more wonderful, but I'm not banking on that. I also never even though about camping along the way, we do love to camp, and I noticed you have extensive camping background as well....So this could perhaps be an option or maybe half hotels half camping, we also scuba dive, but im not guesing this could be fit in?
Any insight you could give me would be much helpful as I dont know where to begin on planning such a trip as this.
I thank you so much for your time, sorry If I rambled, wanted to give you as much info as possible, Thanx in advance I look so forward to hearing from you!
xo
Kell
Answer Hi Kell,
What great memories! I think I can reconstruct your trip based on what you told me, and based on the geography of California. It takes most of the elements of your childhood trip, and includes a few things to make this trip your own.
If you are going to end up in Las Vegas, it makes the best sense to start your trip in San Francisco. Take a couple days in SF, and be sure to see the sights there: One day, you can take the Alcatraz tour (blueandgoldfleet.com or http://www.buysanfranciscotours.com)and check out the north part of SF (Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Chinatown, Little Italy). Personally, I like staying near Fisherman's Wharf. I would also check out the A-B-C Tour on the second web site. My family walked across the GG Bridge, which was pretty cool. The other places in the city tour are also excellent. On the second day, you can take a cable car to Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world, the one with all the flowers), downtown, see the Coit Tower, and anything you missed the first day. Be SURE to get some sourdough bread from the Boudin Bakery (they're everywhere), and a hot fudge sundae at Ghiradelli Square. Better yet, get some clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.
From San Francisco, go south to Monterey and Carmel. It's about 100 miles, and should take a couple of hours to drive. I recommend taking Highway 1. It's a bit slower, but the scenery is better. You didn't mention Monterey, but it's an excellent place to visit. While in Monterey, you should visit Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium (which is at one end of Cannery Row, www.mbayaq.org). Monterey is another great seafood town, so have some. Did you see the movie Forrest Gump? Just for fun, eat at Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row (www.bubbagump.com). It's a bit touristy, but really fun. Check with your hotel to see if you can get Aquarium tickets at the hotel disk. It will save you a lot of time. Go to the Aquarium first thing in the morning, then spend the rest of the day exploring Cannery Row. If you haven't read Steinbeck's book of the same name, it's a quick read. Carmel, which is next to Monterey, is full of restaurants and boutiques which are fun to browse.
From Monterey/Carmel, take Highway 1 south. The views from Big Sur to San Simeon are breathtaking. Feel free to stop at Ventana or Nepenthe for a meal with an excellent view. The drive winds quite a bit, but the view is worth it. Just north of San Simeon, you can stop and see an elephant seal colony (www.elephantseal.org). If you aren't in a hurry, spend the night in Cambria or San Simeon, so that you can visit Hearst Castle (www.hearstcastle.com). The Hearst Castle visitor center has improved considerably since you were a child, and is very comforting. Book your tour ahead of time, it's amazing.
From San Simeon, continue on Highway 1 south. There are many options for places to stay. San Luis Obispo is a nice little college town, a sort of gateway to the Central Coast of California. From SLO, take highway one south. Pismo Beach is a nice little beach town, famous for its clams. We like the Cracked Crab or Pismo Beach Fish & Chips. After Pismo, the highway goes inland. If you have time, you can visit the quaint little Danish town of Solvang, about 80 miles south of SLO. Otherwise, you can continue on to Santa Barbara.
This is a beautiful town, known as the "Riviera of the Coast". Be sure to visit State Street, which is full of shops and restaurants. You can even park at the beach and take a shuttle up State Street.
10 miles south of Santa Barbara is a quiet little Beach town called Carpinteria. This is a great place to camp. Carp is "the safest beach in the world", and the town is full of friendly little shops and restaurants. We like to eat at The Spot on Linden Avenue, a local hangout. There is also a very nice Bed & Breakfast called Prufrock's there.
From Carpinteria, it is about 100 miles to Los Angeles. There is plenty to see and do in LA. Be sure to visit Olvera Street, Mann's Chinese Theater, Universal Studios, Hollywood, and Disneyland. There are many guides and books on Los Angeles(Fodor's Guide is the standard). If you haven't been to Disneyland, the off-season is a great time to visit.
To visit Catalina, you will need to take a cruise out of Long Beach or San Pedro. Check out http://www.catalinacruises.com/ for more information. You can take a full day to visit, or stay overnight in Avalon.
San Diego is about 120 miles from LA. It is mild year-round, and has many attractions, including the world famous San Diego Zoo and Sea World. For the best information, see Local Wally's page, www.localwally.com. He is the authority on SD.
Finally, from SD, take highway 15 north to Las Vegas. It's about 330 miles, the last 200 through the desert. If you thought it was overwhelming as a child, be prepared for a shock. It is even bigger than ever. It's overwhelming for me.
As for camping, there are a number of state campgrounds along the way. However, there are not many near the metro areas of SF or LA. Check out www.reserveamerica.com for reservations and location. You can stay in Big Sur, San Simeon, and Carpinteria, which have very nice campgrounds. Also, San Elijo and South Carlsbad State beaches are close enough to San Diego to make it worth it.
Another alternative is to rent an RV. We actually rent ours out through an agency, Open Road RV. Check them out at www.americanrvrentals.com. Ours is the 2003 Storm, a 31 foot RV with two slide-outs. It's very comfortable, and it's fun to drive. You can have Jeff deliver it to you in SF or along the way for a fee, and he can pick it up in Vegas. I'm sure you can work out something with him if you are interested.
I hope this helps, reply if you need any more info. Have a great trip!
