# LA to San Francisco trip ideas **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856 "2012-02-24T17:45:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/21 "2012-02-24T22:43:02Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > The elephant seals that Voyager links to are not to be missed. There is a good board walk so you can get a great view without worrying about being too close to 1000 pound animals. Hearst castle is great as is the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. In addition to Ano Nuevo, the seals can also be seen near Pt Piedras Blancas near San Simeon/Hearst Castle. Less formal and parking can be an issue, tho. I think these are the only two places on the mainland they come ashore. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/22 "2012-02-24T23:03:14Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Even if they are going up the 1? I love me some Andersen’s but isn’t that way out of the way? Not by that much. The 101 and the 1 are the same road out of Santa Barbara. Split off at Las Cruces, hit Andersen’s, then take the 246 back to rejoin the 1 at Mission Hills. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/23 "2012-02-24T23:06:00Z")
I forgot one, though it is kind of at the beginning of the trip. The Getty Museum is great - free, but you have to reserve parking in advance. However it would blow most of a day, so there might not be time for it. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/24 "2012-02-24T23:06:36Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Even if they are going up the 1? I love me some Andersen’s but isn’t that way out of the way? Absolutely worth it and, as **silenus** points out, it isn’t much of a detour. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/25 "2012-02-24T23:13:13Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Solvang --a Dutch town about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara. > Great chocolate shops and some very retro Norwegian restaurants and smorgasbords. It’s a perfect day stop. I used to live in Solvang. It is a really cute town. Ton of wine, if you’re into that. Plus, there’s a restaurant that I suggest: Grappalos. Amazing food and even better service. That’s where my wife and I had our wedding reception. And Solvang is definitely on the way if you plan on going to Andersen’s. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/26 "2012-02-25T01:45:42Z")
Be warned that San Simeon has several different tours and that they usually require advanced ticket purchase. Check the web site for details. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/27 "2012-02-25T02:28:26Z")
Lots of good suggestions here, but I would recommend doing the drive north to south, from SF to LA instead. That way, you’re always on the ocean side of the road and it’s much much easier to pull out when you want to enjoy the view. There are all kinds of “lesser” sights and attractions between the Bay Area and La La Land. South of SLO is Montana de Oro State Park and Los Osos Oaks State Reserve. Just down the road from Buelton and pea soup is a really cool waterfall (depending on recent rains) at Nojoqui Falls Park. In Cambria you can visit the Nitt Witt Ridge, aka _“The Poor Man’s Hearst Castle”_. In between King City and Hwy 1 is Mission San Antonio in the middle of Fort Hunter Ligget–the road passes through some wonderful undisturbed oak woodlands, and you can drive all the way to the coast on a narrow road with fantastic views. Just south of Carmel is Point Lobos State Reserve, once described as _“the greatest meeting of land and water in the world”_. So obviously you won’t have a problem finding neat places to check out. How much time did you say you have?😛 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/28 "2012-02-25T02:39:04Z")
[San Luis Obispo, Bubblegum Alley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubblegum_Alley). 😛 [Harmony, California](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony,_California). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/29 "2012-02-25T04:36:02Z")
The last time I went by Harmony it was for sale. Might still be for all I know. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/30 "2012-02-25T04:53:07Z")
What no recommendations for going over the Grapevine, Bakersfield, Freso, Modesto and then over to SF? I’m just sayin’ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/31 "2012-02-25T05:09:33Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Lots of good suggestions here, but I would recommend doing the drive north to south, from SF to LA instead. That way, you’re always on the ocean side of the road and it’s much much easier to pull out when you want to enjoy the view. Seconding this. I cycled the coast and there are more turnouts/easier to access view points going south. The bike lane is also wider as it assumes most cyclists go north to south (due to prevailing winds in the summer). ---
**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:** [February 25, 2012, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856/32 "2012-02-25T07:41:30Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > What no recommendations for going over the Grapevine, Bakersfield, Freso, Modesto and then over to SF? I’m just sayin’ 😉 Yeah, no trip to California is complete without smelling that cattle ranch on 5. (Insert hold your nose smiley here.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-to-san-francisco-trip-ideas/613856.md?page=1)