What would you do on a California road trip?

[futurshox]

My husband and I are planning to take three weeks in September and drive up to California and up Coastal Route 1. This is in the early planning stages but my question to you guys is:

What would you go and see on the way?

Caveats:
- We may rent a car for the trip and fly back, don't know yet.
- We like airplanes, microbreweries, interesting natural features (eg Grand Canyon, Redwoods etc)
- We're not averse to camping (although if we fly back then taking tent/gear is not really practical)
- We will probably stay a few nights in San Francisco as my husband loves the place but I've never been. He's been a couple of times on business.
- Not really planning to spend any time in L.A.

What are the things a person really must do? Neither of us are from the US so I'm sure we need to be told!

Thanks :-)

Jo

[Lin]

Here's link to a 1-day itinerary for Highway One. My wife and I are going in June for a week. Flying into Oakland renting a car, NASCAR race in Sonoma, winery tours, Yosemite National Park, Carmel/Monterey and then this 1-day drive (but backwards). Don't miss Hearst Castle.

http://www.byways.org/explore/byways...tinerary/63350

[LoungeLizard]

Big Sur, Carmel, San Francisco, wine region

Yosemite, Death Valley, Kings Canyon, Sequoia national Parks

I'd do a loop by flying into SF, heading north to the wine country, then south until you can turn east to Death Valley and circle north through Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and back to SF.

[smdebnam]

In 1999 my husband and I flew into SFO and rented a convertible. We stayed 2 nights in SF, two in Monterey, and two nights in Yosemite.

The things I enjoyed most were:
Golden Gate Bridge
Fishermans Wharf
Alcatraz
Lombard Street
Haight Ashbury (Grateful dead were residents at 710 Ashbury Street)
17 Mile Drive Scenic Nature Tour
Pebble Beach
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Yosemite (we stayed in furnished tent cabins here)

[Sonny]

Here's a blog Lisa & Abel Longoria did covering 15 days of their honeymoon. They flew into San Fran and drove up the coast to Seattle. Check it out and grab some ideas.


Days 1-5
Days 6-15

[huttophoto]

A few years ago, my family did a loop through northern CA and southern OR. We flew into Sacramento (cheaper than SF), rented a minivan (3 of us, luggage, photo gear, and elbow room) and headed to:
Redding, CA (overnight); cool "sundial bridge" plus outstanding views of sunset on Mt. Shasta reflecting in Mt. Shasta Lake.
Lassen Volcanic NP - volcanic hotspot, pardon the pun; played on the snowpack July 3.
Lava Beds Nat'l Mmt - cool lava tubes & petroglyphs.
Klamath Falls, OR (overnight) sorry, no falls here.
Crater Lake NP - since you're there, you have to hike the only trail to the lake level.
Hwy 138 back towards the coast - quite a few mini-state parks for very cool waterfalls; such as the nice little hike to Toketee Falls.
Coos Bay, OR (overnight) lighthouses and Oregon Dunes Nat'l Rec Area.
Drive down the OR coast via 101... gotta stop at the sea stacks along the way.
Redwoods NP - now these are trees
Eureka, CA (overnight)
PCH1 - 'nuff said, including north Golden Gate, just missed Muir Woods
San Francisco (overnight) - the typical quick sights such as Fisherman's Warf
Kings Canyon and Sequoia NPs - more big trees, and Moro Rock
Fresno (overnight)
Yosemite (3 days): included Mono Lake, Hetch Hetchy
Finally, back to Sacramento and eventually home.
Notes: All nights were in hotels (nice soft beds and hot showers); 1 night in SanFran was a-ok since this was intended to be a nature trip rather than a city trip (even then, SanFran was pretty cool and I'll have to go back again); thank goodness for unlimited mileage (about 2k in a 1.5 weeks)
Sorry this was so long winded. I would do it all over again in a moment's notice.
Best wishes,
Steve

[photonewb]

the CA Redwoods up near Fort Brag and that area are beautiful (my family is from that area)

Also Mendocino Brewing Compnay is a nice place to vist, I went there about 10 years ago and had a good time ;).

[LDB]

I want to go to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley and see the airplane that was Air Force One during his tenure. Since you like planes that might be good for you as well.

[studiocygnet]

One tip, book where you're going to stay ahead of time. I once drove Highway 1 from Monterey all the way to the turn off to Paso Robles looking for a place to sleep. Camping, motels, hotels, were all full. Probably depends on when you're going, but most of the year is tourist season in Cali.

[Tim-in-TX]

Here is what I did for three weeks after I graduated from college in 93'.

Took I20 through Dallas & Ft Worth with a stay over in El Paso. From El Paso, I took I10 all the way to Cali with stops in Las Cruces, Tucson (absolutely GORGEOUS!), Phoenix (smoggy), Joshua Tree Natl Park, and then on to the Fresno area to stay with relatives for a week or so. I totally went around LA without even stopping for gas! Also, I can't remember exactly where it was, but north of Palm Springs I got to some country of rolling hills and THOUSANDS of those HUGE windmills! I wished I had not been too lazy to get out of the car then and take pics.

On my return trip, I took I40 back to TX with stops at the Grand Canyon (slight detour to get there from Williams, which is just before Flagstaff). When leaving The Grand Canyon I took the back way out along Hwy 64 (which in many ways the views were just as good if not better then The GC...canyons are not nearly as big, but were more picturesque). Then I took 64 to 89 back to Flagstaff. Then there were stops at Meteor Crater AZ, Petrified Forest Natl Forrest, Gallop NM, Albuquerque, then took Hwy 84 (in Santa Rosa) to Ft. Sumner to see Billy the Kids "alleged" grave. From there I continued on 84 into Lubbock where I visited the grave site of Buddy Holly...I did this for a friend because he wanted a pic of the grave marker. Then on to I20, back to DalWorth and on to home.

It was a really great trip, but I wish I had stopped more along the way to take pics. I'm afraid that I am a lot like my dad, that, when I am in the car, on my way somewhere (in this case Cali to see relatives), I hate to stop for anything other than gas and sleep...but at least I did make a couple of exceptions. Now my wife and I are planning another such trip in a year or so!!!!!!!

[Lin]

Couldn't agree more about making reservations. Particularly around Yosemite National Park. We made ours in January and they were almost booked up then. I believe the same applies to camping areas. Like he said "Most of the year is tourist season in California."

[futurshox]

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions and tips. That's really helpful!

I have bought a big map of the eastern US and will spend the weekend sticking pin markers in it :-)

[wondershots]

Jo, I don't have much to add to the other suggestions. I had the opportunity to go to San Jose on business and it took a few trips for someone to talk me into going to San Francisco. Once I went I ended up going back two more times. Be sure to go north of the Golden Gate bridge. There are many great vistas on that side. Also Muir woods for the big trees.

As others have said, you can't go wrong with Carmel/Monterrey and Yosemite.

[bands321]

Another vote for Hearst Castle....the view alone from up there is amazing...just have your walking shoes on...and be prepared for a long day.

I've been to CA several times, just went to San Francisco a few months ago....if you are a Star Wars junkie, don't forget the Presidio :)

[jerrykr]

Between SF and LA on Hwy 1 is really a 2 day trip if you stop anywhere to visit and take pictures.

Look at spending the night in Cambria which is about 1/2 way inbetween. It's a pretty little town on the ocean.