Another must-see in Monterey is Old Fishermans Wharf, not to be confused with Fishermans Wharf in San Fran. There are several guided tours available, which we highly recommend looking into! If youd rather stay out of the waves, theres plenty of shopping and dining to do in Huntington Beach! Visit the gorgeous city of Laguna Beach located in Orange County, California along your San Francisco to San Diego drive. The OCairns Inn and Suites is a very affordable option that comes with a delicious breakfast and happy hour. It is truly a trip to be remembered. If you can, spend 2-3 days in the San Luis Obispo area. When you hike the trail, make sure to take the little detour that goes down to Mile Rock Beach. An artists dream, Laguna beach has quaint shops, art galleries and restaurants. It passes along the coast with brief glimpses of the Pacific Ocean, through Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base and north through Orange County. If you would like to spend a night camping in the park, reservations must be made six months in advance. Are you planning on driving Hiway 1 through Big Sur? Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beaches, coffee, dining, shopping, overnight stay, ~ 485 miles from San Francisco & ~ 17 miles from San Diego. http://www.cambriachamber.org/. Watching the sunset over the ocean is a favorite local activity and the views are incredible! Recommended by Jolayne of Simply Jolayne follow on Instagram. Its somewhere you must stop on your PCH road trip and on everyLos Angeles itinerary! It will be my husband, self and 16 year old daughter. Oh, and prepare for a windy walk! Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach trip, sightseeing, wine tasting, and overnight stay, ~ 241 miles from San Francisco & ~ 304 miles from San Diego. This landmark is easily one of the best stops along your San Francisco to San Diego road trip in San Simeon, California. What an iconic sight in the USA the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge! Lompoc is a great stop to spend the night as well because hotels are pretty affordable and way cheaper than Santa Barbara. The good thing with the Carpinteria State Beach is that they have en route sites for last minutes campers. We highly recommend doing the food tour and a tour of the historic Casino if you stay the night be sure to catch a movie in the casino too for a once in a lifetime historic movie theater experience. Enjoy non-stop flights from San Francisco to San Diego with Alaska, Southwest, or United Airlines. Plus lessons for stand-up paddle boarding or even skimboarding. This spot is great for awesome road trip photos! Feel free to snag a coffee or OG aa bowl from Better Buzz, one of the best and cutest coffee shops in California. Recommended by Anna of Anna Tee follow on Instagram. Youve made it! You could easily make an entire vacation out of this small beach town, but its also perfect for a day trip! Nothing like rolling the windows down and blasting your favorite jams along a coast like this one. Transportation, dining, activities, and accommodations in San Francisco can be pricier than in San Diego, according to travel guide and news site Champion Traveler with the average cost of a week-long trip to the former around $2,200 . There are six daily trains from Los Angeles Union Station north to Santa Barbara. Nearby, you can find Montana de Pro State Park, one of Californias largest state parks that is a postcard perfect destination with gorgeous beaches and blooming flowers during spring. Of course you can adjust it depending on how much time you have., Woah! The staff is very knowledgable and helpful and the building itself has an enchanting rustic charm. Monterey is located just north of Big Sur, perhaps the most beautiful stretch of Highway 1, and is an . Its even one of the best swimming beaches in the state of California. Visitors can easily lose track of time while spending an afternoon exploring these cute towns or soaking up some rays on the wide soft sandy beaches. My favorite views are at Dukes. Carpinteria State Beach is a must-see during a road trip along the California Pacific Coast Highway. While youre visiting, you can check out the awesome downtown area. Youve made it to San Diego, just like in San Francisco we recommend spending some time to see what makes this amazing Southern California city one of the best! ~ 232 miles from San Francisco & ~ 309 miles from San Diego. Now tell me a great place to stay approximately halfway between SD and SF. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive: beach, entertainment, dining, shopping, possible celebrity sightings, overnight stay. The local forums can help you but you have to be more specific in what you are looking for. Try the fresh seafood and clams. Santa Barbara is packed with museums, restaurants, wineries, and great shopping on the famous State Street where all the action is happening. Heres a preview of the route and all the amazing stops along the way! Admire the charming cottages on the residential sections of Main Street, their gardens spilling over with colorful flowers in season. Both viewpoints are worth visiting if you have the time! Located just south of Los Angeles, Long Beach feels like its worlds away with walkable streets, a pretty waterfront full of shops and eateries and a laid-back seaside vibe. Thanks, Re: Best places to stop between San Fran and San Diego? You may be surprised to find out you cant actually reach the sign itself, films have portrayed this to be some hot and mysterious hang out spot sometimes. As someone whos been to San Diego almost more times than I can count, I recommend spending 2 days or a weekend in San Diego if its possible. The previous estate of William Randolph Hearst has since been turned into one of the greatest museums on the west coast. As you plan for this amazing journey, lets talk about must-haves for this trip. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beaches, food & drink, shopping, entertainment, overnight stay, Suggested Hotel: Waypoint Ventura Vintage Trailer Hotel & Campground, Day trip to the Channel Islands National Park, ~ 363 miles from San Francisco & ~ 187 miles from San Diego. Postcard TRAIN SCENE Between Los Angeles & San Francisco California CA AK8914 . 10/24/2022. Theres also plenty of historic spots to check out along your visit in Ventura such as San Buenaventura Mission and The City Hall. The historic 115-foot tall lighthouse has been in operation since 1872 and is a great quick stop for photos. Take SR 1 again all the way to Monterey and SF. From this bridge, you can overlook the beautiful sea and rolling valleys. Bobo & Chichi are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites., 2022 All Work is Owned by Bobo & ChiChi. California, the Golden State, is one of the best places in the country to go for a road trip. Drive by Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, Anthony Chabot Regional Park, and Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, then drive through Oakland and cross the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge to get to San Francisco. This is hands down one of thebest things to do in Big Sur. After you park, theres a short trail and steps down to the beach 101 to be exact! Stop by the harbor for Fish and Chips in Oceanside (where I live), visit LEGOLAND, go to SeaWorld, stop by the zoo, experience the tide pools . . Are tours available for SF, Muir Woods, etc.? Avila Beach offers everything from shopping, golfing with an oceanfront view, farmers markets, spas, and so much more. Dont miss the famous Crystal Cove Shake Shack either for one of their amazing milkshakes, their date shake is the most famous! This includes an average layover time of around 1h 29m. During your visit check out one of the eight championship golf courses or some of the other amazing places to beach, hike, bike, shop, exercise, and more. Some of the most iconic things to do in Huntington Beach includes strolling down the pier and shop and dine down Main Street. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Encinitas for more ideas! The State Park has 3.2 miles of beach, 2,400 acres of wilderness, and an offshore water area. Theres a few different trails you can explore at Torrey Pines, they range from just under a mile to a little over two miles. A visit to these neighboring beach towns quickly reveals why they are considered a hidden gem. Getting from Merced over to the coast will be much more challenging. Walk the pier and enjoy scenic views of the mountains and palm trees in the distance. Tens of thousands of monarch butterflies fly and rest on the eucalyptus trees from late October to February. http://www.amtrak.com is a great resource to help you and decide where you want to stop and see. up the gorgeous rte 1 coastal road is Cambria our fave! This home, or castle, is made up of 165 rooms and over 100 acres of gardens, terraces, pools, and walkways. Pier 39 is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The sunsets are pretty great along Ocean Beach, too! Continue to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where a short half mile hike will take you to the unique McWay Falls flowing onto the beach. Well a fun area in San Diego is Ocean Beach. Theres usually a line out the door, so you know its delicious! Recommended by Francesca of Homeroom Travel follow on Instagram. You can see the main Amtrak Stations and their bus service to other areas. If youre exploring San Francisco and you want to get away from the city, but not too far away, the Lands End trail is the perfect place to go. The highway technically starts in Washington state and ends in San Juan Capistrano (just south of the Laguna Beach stop on this itinerary). The last thing you want to do is get lost or miss one of the great stops! You are going to love it. And it doesnt get any better than sunsets at Crescent Bay Point Park or Heisler Park. Lompoc is located about an hour northwest of Santa Barbara. Stop at the long-standing Pezzini Farms outpost in Castroville to pick up some fresh artichokes, or even a whole artichoke plant! When you stop in La Jolla on a San Francisco to San Diego road trip, theres a variety of things to do. Huntington Beach also offers one of the beach farmers markets there is. This small beach town is perfect for parking it on the sand and sunbathing, surfing, and swimming. The purple sand Pfeiffer Beach is next, and you wont want to miss checking out the keyhole rock. Lands End Trail is a 3.4 mile loop, but there are several options for parking, and you can make it a shorter out and back trail if you want. However, if youre lucky enough to see it during high tide, youll watch the water flow directly into the ocean. Travel Guides Santa Barbara is one of the most iconic stops on a San Francisco to San Diego road trip. The 80-foot waterfall flows year-around from McWay Creek, situated above the ocean. It provides entertainment to travelers and tourists with amusement rides like the carousel, which was built in 1916, the first solar powered ferris wheel, and the roller coaster, both built in 1996. Sing along to the live weekend music while sipping a tasting flight, enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, or perusing all of the local wines available by the bottle. Was wondering where is best to stop in California between San Francisco and San Diego? I hope you have a great trip! With a total length of 1942 feet, this wooden pier is the longest over-water pier on the West Coast. , A very thorough guide, so glad I stumbled upon it, Im headed to San Diego in the summer and would love to check out some of these places. Although there are eight Channel Islands, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara, and Anacapa make up the five islands included in the National Park. First visit to SF advice on itinerary please, itinerary and hotel thoughts, mom and daughter trip in March, Accomodation recommendations with free or reasonable price p. What part Of San Francico Should I stay in? Much appreciated can't wait now Amtrak tomorrow Chicago to Denver then long journey Denver to San Francisco and make my way to San Diego to party with local dude I met in South Africa. The possibilities are endless on the island in and out of the water. The best viewpoint is from the Overlook Trail to McWay Falls. There are quite a few different tours guests can take including evening and holiday themed tours. The best time for a road trip for cruising along the coast is easily May through October and August through September if youre looking to swim in the ocean. The entire region is great for wineries, but the Urban Wine Trail is a great way to experience the best and most unique wineries in the area. This post may contain affiliate links. ABC Smog. Elephant seal rookery California road trip itinerary stop #12. The California coast also gets a dense layer of marine fog, which makes for moody views and doesnt allow you to see as much. Explore its charming downtown with a food walking tour. Dont miss the seals at the Childrens Pool or the awesome Sunny Jims Cave! If youre looking for great shopping, stop by the Fashion Island mall or head to downtown Newport Beach or Balboa Island. This out-and-back hike is 1.2 miles round trip on easy terrain and walkable for most still levels, including children. What better way to experience the sights and adventure is there than a road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), aka Highway 1? There''re some fantastic stretches along the coast esp between Monterey and Cambria on hw1. Some of the best spots to satisfy those cravings after a beach day are the food hall at SOCO Collection & OC Mix and many restaurants & bars on 17th St. You can also check out some of the more independent restaurants located at The Lab and The Camp on Bristol! This is another spot you wont want to miss on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip. You can rent a surfboard from a local company on the beach, like Jacks Beach Concession, or a surf shop in Downtown Huntington Beach, like Huntington Surf & Sport. But parking at the bridge is extremely limited. Its a surfers paradise and the vibe of laid back SoCal beach town can be felt around the city. Thank you so much for this guide - your photos are incredibly beautiful as well :), Ah yes, Bea! The Santa Monica Pier is definitely one of the greatest attractions in the city, it is home to the Pacific Park, full of rides, carnival games, an aquarium, good eats, and more! Check off everything that Santa Barbara has to offer or just kick your feet up and relax on the gorgeous beaches! While youre in San Francisco, there are a few more awesome sights you can check out: San Francisco also has a variety of places to grab amazing food and drinks, as well as places for shopping, all while exploring one of Californias best cities! 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