I will be driving down from Napa to San Diego on Thursday and Friday, following the coastline as much as possible. Does anyone have suggestions on a place to stay overnight along the way? We are into historic areas, architecture, and science/technology, so anyplace that hits on one or more of those items would be great. Anything that is interesting/scenic for other reasons would be cool too. Also, if there are any unusual/quirky places to stay, that would be cool. Ideally it would be reasonably close to halfway. If anyone has suggestions for roadside attractions or places to eat along the way, that would be great also.
Thanks for any help you can give
The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is hilarious if you like that sort of thing. www.madonnainn.com
Reservations for sure… you can specify the room you want.
Unusual/quirky? How about The Madonna Inn?
eta: beaten to the punch!
If you’d like ocean front lodgings, the Best Western in San Simeon is pretty nice.
Third the Madonna Inn.
I looked up the Madonna Inn and it looks perfect! Anyone have a recommendation for the most fun/unusual room?
I was hoping there would be a Rio room that I could suggest :(. There is a Portugal room at the Inn. If only I could remember what the name of that place was…
I stayed there once. In 1960.
Thanks to the input everyone! We are booked in the Madonna Suite for tonight - looks fun! We are on the way (currently in Pacifica). Anyone have tips for roadside attractions along the way?
Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur
Stop by Fernwood Resort and you can park outside for free and walk down the path and enjoy the redwoods for a while. There is also a stream but the water is going to be cooooold. However, the fresh air is fantastic.
Oh and…grab a bite at Nepenthe if possible.
If you’re really going to stick to highway 1 as much as possible while stopping to check things out it’s going to take you more than 2 days.
If you’re interested in butterflies at all, you’ll be passing by a great spot to see thousands of Monarchs just south of SLO: The Pismo Beach Monarch Grove
I stayed in a Wild West Room at the Madonna Inn. Be sure to visit the mens room off the lobby.
I second Carmel/ Monterey. The Aquarium and Cannery Row are worth visiting, though Cannery Row is full of tourist stores. Downtown Monterey has a historic plaza, and was the first capital of California. Carmel is definitely worth a visit. You might be interested in the 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach. It costs money, though.
As you’ve probably already noticed, there are tons of state parks and beaches on the way. There are some with interesting tidal pools, where you can see seals and otters at times. You can see elephant seals at the Ano Nuevo state park. Link.. This is a good time - the elephant seals should be there, but it is not close enough to mating season to require a guided tour to see them.
Hope you enjoyed the Madonna Inn, Bike Rider! I live in San Luis Obispo so I’ve been to the Madonna Inn to eat, but have never had the opportunity to stay in one of their rooms. How was it?
The Madonna Inn was excellent! Way over the top on the cheesiness scale, but couldn’t stop smiling. The waterfalls in the shower and bathroom sink were great. Loved it! Thanks for the tips everyone!