# Help plan our driving trip- San Diego to San Francisco **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894 "2022-05-22T20:32:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/61 "2022-06-01T02:56:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > SD then stay the nite in Santa Monica or Santa Barbara. I vote Santa Barbara. The 101 goes right through town, right past an area called [the Funk Zone](https://santabarbaraca.com/like-a-local/the-funk-zone/) where there are SO many cool cafes and wine tasting places (almost all the local vineyards have little patios where you can get a flight of their wines), and great coffee shops that have big burritos and gardens to sip in. State Street starts there with tons of shops, diners, and more coffee! If you had time, you could drive up the the hills to Los Olivos, and take a lovely hike (we did that to get warmer, sunnier weather… and then had an amazing dinner at the Fess Parker Hotel). ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/62 "2022-06-01T04:21:55Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Yes, 101 goes inland north of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. About the only time it gets near the Pacific again is on the Golden Gate Bridge. Generally true, but there is a short stretch when it’s on the coast briefly at Pismo Beach. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/63 "2022-06-01T04:37:32Z")
And about Ostrichland, from up close the ostriches look somewhat dinosaur-like. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/64 "2022-06-01T15:07:40Z")
When we were in SoCal back in 2002, we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park - which is quite a bit inland from the other part of the zoo. There was an ostrich farm just across the road from the entrance. We didn’t get close enough to see the dinosaur qualities, but those things are big, and in a herd, rather daunting looking! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/65 "2022-06-02T07:05:07Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > . . . we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park - which is quite a bit inland from the other part of the zoo. . . . . @bobkitty – I don’t recall that this San Diego Wild Animal Park has been mentioned before in this thread. If you’re into zoos, this is another Must See. It is part of the San Diego Zoo, but a separate campus outside of town, some miles in the outback. (IIRC there was a shuttlebus running between the two sites.) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/66 "2022-06-02T18:53:58Z")
> [@digs](#): > > If you had time, you could drive up the the hills to Los Olivos, and take a lovely hike (we did that to get warmer, sunnier weather… and then had an amazing dinner at the Fess Parker Hotel). I was involved with a workshop that met at the Fess Parker hotel, and its a great place, especially when you’re not paying for it. We had lots of dinners on the patio where you could see the ocean across the street. Most of our attendees had no clue about who Fess was. There is (or was) a Fess Parker winery which we went to for an event. Santa Barbara is an excellent place to stay. I know a few professors at the university, I’ve always wondered how they get anything done in that beautiful environment. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/67 "2022-06-02T19:31:13Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Most of our attendees had no clue about who Fess was. They rebranded during the last remodel just because of that. It’s now just the Hilton Santa Barbara. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/68 "2022-06-02T19:34:36Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > They rebranded during the last remodel just because of that. It’s now just the Hilton Santa Barbara. Interesting. It was also a Doubletree when was there. Free cookies at check in. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/69 "2022-06-02T19:53:27Z")
At least the winery still bears his name. Good wine, too. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/70 "2022-06-03T17:09:21Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > > [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > > > . . . we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park - which is quite a bit inland from the other part of the zoo. . . . . > > @bobkitty – I don’t recall that this San Diego Wild Animal Park has been mentioned before in this thread. If you’re into zoos, this is another Must See. It is part of the San Diego Zoo, but a separate campus outside of town, some miles in the outback. Nitpick of extraordinary proportions: It’s now called the **[San Diego Zoo Safari Park](https://sdzsafaripark.org/)**. [My brother lives 15min away. His son worked there for years]. It really _is_ a great park, but, IMHO, it’s just _very different_ from the San Diego Zoo – not inherently better. See both if you can. The SD Zoo is one of the best in the country (and it’s in Balboa Park – also cool if you have some time). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/71 "2022-06-03T17:20:02Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > The SD Zoo is one of the best in the country (and it’s in Balboa Park – also cool if you have some time). Seconded. The last 3 times I’ve been there I didn’t bother with the zoo. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/72 "2022-06-03T22:03:59Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Nitpick of extraordinary proportions: > > It’s now called the **[San Diego Zoo Safari Park](https://sdzsafaripark.org/)**. Thanks for the clarification - I knew the name had changed, just didn’t recall what it was. We too skipped the zoo in Balboa Park, due to lack of time. Interestingly, the climate is MASSIVELY different at the safari park compared with the main part of San Diego. We were there in March - and hoping for some warm weather, but I think most of the time, SD near the coast was COLDER than at home (mid-Atlantic), and quite overcast if not actually raining. The day we drove up to the park, we got about a 25 degree increase in temperature - mid-80s, I think, and sun. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894/73 "2022-06-11T20:58:01Z")
@bobkitty – Another place you might like, if you get up into Marin County. You might be able to work this in on your Muir Woods day: Audubon Canyon Ranch. [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Audubon+Canyon+Ranch/@37.9242944,-122.6745253,10.85z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8085948124c7ae33:0xbfa080b71de1ee1c!8m2!3d37.9248365!4d-122.6764297](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Audubon+Canyon+Ranch/@37.9242944,-122.6745253,10.85z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8085948124c7ae33:0xbfa080b71de1ee1c!8m2!3d37.9248365!4d-122.6764297) On Highway 1, just north of Stinson Beach, across the street from Bolinas Lagoon. It’s an egret sanctuary. There is a short trail up the hill into the woods, where you can see trees full of nesting egrets (at the right time of year I guess). Here’s a closer-up view: (The red pin is in the wrong place. It’s the flat area just across the highway.) https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.9253211,-122.6770533&z=19&output=embed&dg=ntvb&q=Audubon%2BCanyon%2BRanch [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-plan-our-driving-trip-san-diego-to-san-francisco/964894.md?page=3)