California Highway 1 from Monterey to Pismo Beach family recommendations

Road trip. Going to pack up the mini van and head from Seattle to San Diego. Have to spend one night in Sacramento to see my mother, who can’t travel any more. Go spend a few days with my father in San Diego, who got out of the ICU a few weeks ago and whose traveling days are now behind him.

I’ve driven this before but it’s been decades. Please let me know if someone has discovered any place worth stopping on I5 (Oregon maybe?).

China Wife really wants to do Calif Highway 1, which is really getting popular with Chinese tourists. My kids love the beach and ocean. 14 year old and twins are 9 with the youngest twin on the autism spectrum.

So the plan is to head to Sacramento. It’s a ways so probably need to stop somewhere like Redding or Red Bluff. Any cheap hotel with a pool will probably work. Take a detour to see Colusa (I lived there from first to eighth grade) and maybe drive down the Sacramento River to Sac.

Then down I5 to Santa Nella and cut over to Monterey. While I love Santa Cruz and went there a lot, it’s going to cut out traffic and driving to just to to Monterey. Probably hang there for 2 nights, 17 mile drive, big sur, aquarium, etc). Then head down the coast on 1 to somewhere (Pismo?) and probably stop at the hearst castle or a beach.

Then drive to Universal Studios. Probably spend 2 nights and one full day in the park. Then on to San Diego on a Saturday. Hang out in San Diego for around 5 days. Then a power trip back to Seattle. Maybe stop in Oregon if anyone has good I5 stopping recommendations?

So, looking for suggestions on
a) this route (as easy as possible is the priority)
b) places to stop on Highway 1 that an autistic 9 year old would like. Beaches, seals, sea lions, etc
c) hotel recommendations (trying to use up my starwood and hyatt points) for everywhere except San Diego

Totally agree on Sacto->Monterey via Santa Nella. Avoid the Bay Area unless it’s a destination.

Don’t miss Point Lobos in the Monterey area. From Carmel to San Simeon on the Big Sur coast there is very little beach access. It’s extremely scenic, but the road is high on a steep hillside.

If you’re stopping in Redding anyway, you might want to check out Turtle Bay.

Is Turtle Bay where the Sundial Bridge is? That’s worth a look in Redding! There’s a botanical garden right there too, at one end of the bridge. You can also walk down a path to the river and walk underneath the bridge and see how it’s built from the underside. (ETA: The Sundial Bridge is calibrated to be accurate on June 21, the summer solstice. So it should still be passably accurate at this time of year too.)

Route 1 merges with U. S. 101 at San Luis Obispo, so you’ll be driving on 101 from there on. (These routes separate again south of SLO, around Pismo Beach and merge again around Lompoc. There’s not a whole lot interesting on that portion of Rt 1.

If you have time and inclination for more side trips, you could check out Solvang. It’s highly touristy and kitschy, if you’re into that.

Plenty to see in Santa Barbara if you want to take some time there. Up in the hills, above the Mission, there’s a fabulous botanical garden.

God’s own stretch of highway from Malibu to SF, and then pick it up again in Marin and go as far as Ft. Bragg, then 101 through the Redwoods till you hit 1 again, and then to Oregon. Take it slow and easy enjoy the view.

As stated by Twoflower, Hwy 1 south of Carmel is very twisty and windy and not close to the water, for the most part. The scenery is outstanding, but not sure how interesting that will be for kids. After the 3rd or 4th Kodak moment, they may be bored. I think this is the road that helped invent the phrase “are we there yet?”.

If your kids survive the road without car sickness, there are a couple of places that may be interesting to them:

  • Sand Dollar Beach - about 60 miles south of Carmel - probably the largest accessible beach along the Big Sur coast. It is about a 10 min walk down to the beach from the parking area on a somewhat steep dirt trail and staircase. The water is going to be too cold for anything but dipping your toes. It is a nice place to stretch the legs. I think it is $5 parking fee.

  • Piedras Blancas - a few miles north of San Simeon is the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. There is a viewing area just a few feet from these big seals; so close you can really smell them. Depending on the day, there may be docents, and there are informative signs posted there as well. Free.

If you drive this section of coast with the kids, bring plenty of snacks and drinks, and fill-up the tank before heading south - there are scant few towns and services. Oh, and allow plenty of time.

If your route takes you thru Moss Landing, it’s a cool little town with tons and tons of sea life. Even if you have to drive north a bit, in might be worth it (just 10 minutes from Monterey). Eat at The Whole Enchilada or Phil’s, but be prepared for very steep prices. It’s not much more than a pit stop, lunch break sort of thing, but your kid will love the wildlife-- seals and otters in the harbor and lots of seabirds.

If you want to stay in Monterey, there’s a nice Hyatt right there off Hwy 1. Just take the Del Monte* exit.

*Inside joke. There about half a dozen “Del Monte” exits on Hwy 1 in Monterey County. :slight_smile:

Totally agree. I really like the SF to Fort Bragg section. Oregon coast 1 is nice as well.

thanks for the suggestions so far.

Hmmm, Redding might actually be worth a stop. Well, more fair to say if we have to stop, Redding is probably better than Red Bluff.

Any place in Southern Oregon on I5 that be worth trying to make as an overnight destination?

There’s a nice kid friendly museum in Morro Bay: http://www.slostateparks.com/natural_history_morro_bay.asp

If you want to catch the Malibu stretch of Hwy 1 going south (and avoid the San Fernando Valley), take the La Posas exit off of 101 which will take you to the coast. (If you’re into airplanes, there’s a great museum at the Camarillo Airport). The drive down through Malibu and on to Santa Monica is so much nicer than driving through the valley, and you can get back on the freeway right there at Santa Monica and continue on towards San Diego.

My favorite spot in southern Oregon is Ashland, but it’s probably the most expensive option, and I can’t imagine an autistic 9-year-old enjoying Shakespeare.

But you might want to check out Wildlife Safarijust south of Roseberg. (Disclaimer - my knowledge of it is second hand - haven’t been there myself.)

John Mace’s suggestion of Moss Landing is a good one. You can go through it on your way to Monterey by going north a couple of miles when you hit 101, then take 129 to Watsonville. That option also lets you see some of the beachier part of Monterey Bay.

Just to be clear, Moss Landing is not a destination place. If you’re driving through, it’s a cool spot to stop. Don’t let the massive power plant ruin it for you-- it’s really just a sleepy harbor town. But the Elkhorn Slough is full of wildlife, and ML is right where the slough and ocean meet.

I spend a lot of time in Carmel, and I love the drive through Moss Landing early in the AM when there isn’t much traffic. It’s where Hwy 1 narrows down to 2 lanes (one lane in each direction) and life seems to slooooow dooooown…

I second Twoflower’s recommendation of Point Lobos while you’re in Monterey. They have several very pretty hiking trails that are short enough for small children to enjoy.

Last time we drove the 1 we stopped and had lunch at Hearst Memorial State Beach, which is right outside the entrance to Hearst Castle. It was a good opportunity for our kid to romp around a bit before we headed on. (We were going north, and had bought sandwiches at a place in Cambria. Sandy’s Deli & Bakery - they were quite good.)

The elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas sounds like it would be right up your alley, as well.

All of this stuff I mention, you’ll note, is south of where the really big mountains butt right up against the coast. From just north of Piedras Blancas to Monterey (as others have mentioned), it’s spectacular scenery and an amazing drive, but you’re several hundred feet above the beach most of the time.

I’d suggest the Monterray Bay Aquarium. It is one of the best I have ever seen IMHO.

Moss Landing is quite nice, but if it is having one of its ‘Fog Generating Days’

I never got to see the Hearst Castle but I understand it is quite nice.

The Palo Alto (old Concrete ship on a dock) is a nice diversion for a beach walk.

Henry Cowell is worth the side trip up Route 9 IMHO.

If you can deal with the crowds & traffic the Santa Cruz boardwalk is fun.

There are outlet malls at that exit too, for any shopping excursions. And a animal shelter (one of my cats hails from there).

Instead of going along the coast after SB, you can cut over and got through Ojai. I have absolutely no idea what there is to do there, but it is apparently some sort of destination. There’s a fun road that will take you through to Santa Paula. You can get back on the 101 through Ventura or head through the back-road to the 5 through Fillmore. You’ll end up right near Six Flags Magic Mountain. There’s also a fun road that goes up from Fillmore to Moorpark too. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is nearby in Simi. They have an Air Force One in a hangar there.

When I say fun road, I mean really curvy and fun to drive in a roadster. A minivan, maybe not so much.

No. Kids will be bored by any long road, but Hwy 50 through Nevada and Utah, I-5 through the Central Valley are far more boring roads. My understanding is that the road through the outback in Oz is the most boring.

The stretch of 1 starting through Marin and to Mendocino is my favorite part. It is like driving through heaven. My recommendation for tunes during this stretch is Grateful Dead, of course, Dick’s Picks Four and Terrapin Station Limited. I think I’m going to do this in August now that you got me thinking about it.

Ashland!

keep on with the recommendations. I used up both hotel points and cash (goddamn hotels in the US can only accommodate a family of 4 in a room but not 5). So, Sacramento Hyatt sorted, 2 nights in the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, and 2 nights at the Sheraton Universal Studio Hotel. All of which have pools, so the kiddos will burn off steam. Hyatt Regency Monterey should be pretty fancy. We’re covered in San Diego at my father’s place. That leaves finding a fleabag somewhere between Eugene and Colusa on both directions. maybe Redding? If you know of a budget hotel with a decent pool or something for 9 year olds to do up north, I’m all ears up. Ditto for somewhere between San Simeon and Pismo-ish.

Amazing that staying in expensive corporate hotels in Asia for a while on biz trips translates into only a few free nights.

By the way, thanks for some of the driving suggestions

hints on cheap tickets for universal studios, Monterey aquarium, SeaWorld would all be appreciated. Bonus points if you have personal experience with accommodations for autism spectrum kids.

It will be fun and give my kids a tiny taste of where I grew up. Need to definitely drive thru Colusa to see the old house, church and school. I’ve done the Sacto to Seattle drive a number of times but not for 30 years. Sac to LA probably a dozen times but not for around 30 years. Highway 1 south was also around 30 years ago. Would love to do highway 1 north of SF to Fort Bragg where we went camping as a kid, or to Lassen for my first peak but not this trip.

oh, and any other seal, sea lion, spots would be welcome. My wife promised by kids we would see some, and neither my wife or kids have any inkling that there is more than one spot along the coast.

If you have the time, from Redding west to the coast and south to the redwoods is nice. Avenue of the Giants is pretty much one of a kind, it’s where they filmed the Return to the Jedi forest speeder scenes*. The road through Clear Lake will take you back to Sac. 3rd the Point Lobos suggestion, small park with a ton of diversity you’d never guess from the outside. Gorda makes a nice stop with an ocean view about halfway down the Big Sur rd, everything’s expensive along that stretch, though. Personally, I don’t care for Pismo, too tacky, always looks like it’s full of Bakersfielders. I live in SLO, though, so I may be biased. Have fun.

*Ok, actually they were filmed in the redwoods near Cresent City, but you’d never know that to look at them.

The other famous spot for elephant seals (besides Piedras Blancas) is Año Nuevo, a little bit north of Santa Cruz on Highway 1. But I don’t know if they’re there in either of those places this time of year.

You can see harbor seals at Princeton, a tiny harbor hamlet on Rt. 1 near Half Moon Bay. But it doesn’t sound like any portion of Rt. 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco is on your itinerary.

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco has been taken over by California sea lions, by the hundreds. They’re all over the place. I think they are increasingly common around Monterey too, along with sea otters too.

If you stop in Moss Landing, you’ll see plenty. If you skip that, and you’re doing 17 mile drive, stop at Seal Rock there. Guess why it’s named that? :slight_smile:

I really liked the Sun Dial Bridge in Redding, and some of the gardens in the area too. I didn’t go into Turtle Bay, but it’s right there too. Just a half hour north or so of Redding is Lake Shasta. You can tour the dam there, or just walk across it, and of course boating and hiking are very popular in the area. If you take an inland detour in Oregon, you could stop by Crater Lake, but that might be overdoing it for an already long drive.

I agree with suggestions for Monterrey Bay Aquarium and Hearst Castle. I loved Ashland, but mostly because of the theater. I wouldn’t take a one year-old there.