Going to drive Highway 1 from San Francisco to San Diego - Recommendations along the way?

[gaara46]

im doing this drive tomorrow, def gona try n hit up some recs in this thread.

dissapointed to hear the negative reviews about splash cafe, ive heard from a few people the chowder is good so ill still try it.

 

[Sp33dealer]

im doing this drive tomorrow, def gona try n hit up some recs in this thread.

dissapointed to hear the negative reviews about splash cafe, ive heard from a few people the chowder is good so ill still try it.

I went to college in the area and people never shut up about that place. I’m not a seafood guy so I never had it. Iirc there is 2 locations, one in Pismo Beach and one in SLO proper

 

[VicenteFox]

Thanks for all the suggestions! The trip is mostly plotted. I just need to add a few little details (gas stations, maybe find an extra restaurant or two), but I think it'll be an excellent drive!

(Since I've done Highway 1 down to Monterey previously, I decided to take 101 to Monterey to save a bit of time there and be able to spend more time in Big Sur on some hikes)

how many days you have planned?

 

[Vanilla Tarantino]

how many days you have planned?

5 days total to make the trip.

Bay Area -> Morro Bay
Morro Bay -> Solvang
Solvang -> Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara -> San Clemente
San Clemente -> San Diego

 

[VicenteFox]

5 days total to make the trip.

Bay Area -> Morro Bay
Morro Bay -> Solvang
Solvang -> Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara -> San Clemente
San Clemente -> San Diego

nice. in my head that map was a 5 day trip

 

[Tonster MBA]

5 days total to make the trip.

Bay Area -> Morro Bay
Morro Bay -> Solvang
Solvang -> Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara -> San Clemente
San Clemente -> San Diego

Santa Barbara -> San Clemente

Better do this at the right time of day or it is going to take you 6 hours.

 

[Vanilla Tarantino]

nice. in my head that map was a 5 day trip

Yeah, I did a similar trip from Seattle to San Francisco last year. I was almost perfect with my time planning, maximizing every day.

The wild card this time around is that my partner is going with me, but I did the Seattle -> San Francisco trip by myself. She’s absolutely terrible at getting going on time, so I’ve tried to budget in an extra 30-60 minutes in the morning compared to what I would do if I were alone.

 

[Vanilla Tarantino]

Santa Barbara -> San Clemente

Better do this at the right time of day or it is going to take you 6 hours.

That’s likely to be the longest day.

We will be doing that part on Tuesday, but with some stops in the Santa Monica Mountains/Malibu area, I’m expecting that we’ll be passing by LAX around 12-1.

I don’t expect that to be the right time of day

I’m in no rush though. Given the route I’m planning, it would be 4-5 hours without traffic. I’m expecting 6-8 in the car.

I just hope we get to San Clemente in time to hit up Pizza Port.

 

[bauermj]

Nepenthe Cafe in Big Sur has some pretty amazing views and is a good spot for lunch.

Came here to recommend Nepenthe. Great wines, great food, great view.

 

[VicenteFox]

the best meal i've ever had along big sur was a semi-cold breakfast burrito and a coffee porter at the willow creek picnic area

 

[hondaluva]

In for answers....

I started to do the opposite from San Diego, but finished at the Santa Monica pier and never got back to it.

 

[Tonster MBA]

That’s likely to be the longest day.

We will be doing that part on Tuesday, but with some stops in the Santa Monica Mountains/Malibu area, I’m expecting that we’ll be passing by LAX around 12-1.

I don’t expect that to be the right time of day

I’m in no rush though. Given the route I’m planning, it would be 4-5 hours without traffic. I’m expecting 6-8 in the car.

I just hope we get to San Clemente in time to hit up Pizza Port.

Might consider stopping for a beer at Neptune's Net on PCH on Ventura LA county line.

 

[Dismay]

Might consider stopping for a beer at Neptune's Net on PCH on Ventura LA county line.

beer only, food is horrible

 

[FlyNReeLow]

this is the wrong map to choose to drink beer in orange county
View attachment 233463

golden road is pretty lack luster

 

[gaara46]

TS,

i dunno if you have a set schedule, but i drove from monterey to ventura today and it was painful from about monterey to san simeon.

good amount of traffic and they were all goin 10mph under the limit and i guess no one can read/care about the multiple slow car turnouts. yeah i get it, its a scenic drive but there was coastal fog so there was nothing to even slow down to gawk at.

i liked the chowder at splash cafe, and the hitching point was a nice oldschool vibe place. good steak. zero cell reception there tho haha.

 

[VicenteFox]

TS,

i dunno if you have a set schedule, but i drove from monterey to ventura today and it was painful from about monterey to san simeon.

good amount of traffic and they were all goin 10mph under the limit and i guess no one can read/care about the multiple slow car turnouts. yeah i get it, its a scenic drive but there was coastal fog so there was nothing to even slow down to gawk at.

i liked the chowder at splash cafe, and the hitching point was a nice oldschool vibe place. good steak. zero cell reception there tho haha.

there are weeks at time in may/june into July where the marine layer is so thick that the flow creates like a moving wall over PCH. you see so many tourists pulled over trying to look at bixby bridge yet you can barely see it. i usually recommend fall for central coast since it's way sunnier and summer crowds have died down

 

[VicenteFox]

golden road is pretty lack luster

their beer is fine and the anaheim location is great for large group gathers. but it's budweiser owned beer and not reflective of what makes OC beer special

 

[Iconoclast]

Realize on day 4 and you pass the Long Beach traffic circle you are only 1.5 miles directly north of me. And the worst of the industrial portion of your drive is done so feel to stop at the Staples to your right and grab that ream of paper you have been needing.

 

[VicenteFox]

Realize on day 4 and you pass the Long Beach traffic circle you are only 1.5 miles directly north of me. And the worst of the industrial portion of your drive is done so feel to stop at the Staples to your right and grab that ream of paper you have been needing.

the whole socal drive looks a chore to me

 

[turbo35]

Has anybody recommended you don't do it? Cause that's my recommendation. Don't do it.

 

[VicenteFox]

mix in as much santa monica mtns as you want. this is a bigger traverse but you can just go up and down. Skip most of LA, added in Venice just to have a taste of what socal streets are like. then cruise nice beaches to san clemente.


can't seem to set it to go along back bay, but it's a one way slow rd along a wetland

 

[Vanilla Tarantino]

Realize on day 4 and you pass the Long Beach traffic circle you are only 1.5 miles directly north of me. And the worst of the industrial portion of your drive is done so feel to stop at the Staples to your right and grab that ream of paper you have been needing.

the whole socal drive looks a chore to me

mix in as much santa monica mtns as you want. this is a bigger traverse but you can just go up and down. Skip most of LA, added in Venice just to have a taste of what socal streets are like. then cruise nice beaches to san clemente.
View attachment 233969

can't seem to set it to go along back bay, but it's a one way slow rd along a wetland
View attachment 233970

Ok, ok

I’ll cut out some of the LA PCH stuff. Sounds like it’s really, really not worth it.

That will give an extra hour, guarantee some more time in Laguna Beach which looks to be an awesome area to explore.

 

[VicenteFox]

yeah down in laguna go chill at victoria beach or something. tide pools in corona del mar. loads of small coves you can access if you park off of PCH (Shaws cove, Fishermans Cove, etc)

 

[ObeyTheNoodle]

Don't stay in the Motel 6 in Carpinteria. Stayed at that place 20 years ago when I was driving up 101 from San Diego and was exhausted from driving all day. It was late and that hotel was the only place that was cheap/had rooms. I think a murder happened in the room I stayed in because there was dried blood on the sheets, pillow, and towels. Front desk didn't respond to my calls so I ended up sleeping on top on the bed with all of my clothes still on and wearing a hoodie so no skin touched the sheets. I tried to talk to the manager about it the next morning but during the course of our conversation, this person's comprehension of English suddenly got really bad so I wasn't able to get anything resolved...

Worst hotel I've ever stayed in.

 

[hondaluva]

MY only recommendation is to at least drive by Oceanside beach, it's the best Socal beach imo.

I say drive-through because by then I'm sure you're gonna want to hit the finish line.

Del Mar any day over the summer is tits. last thursday they had a car show and all of downtown had classic cars for 6 blocks long.