US trip: Land San Fran and drive to San Diego, or other way?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Now how can you say that, when…

:stuck_out_tongue:

The fact that the Harris Ranch is the “highlight” of the Highway 5 grind ( well the open oak woodlands atop the Tehachapis are sorta nice scenery at the right time of year ), says something for its soul-killing quality. Even choking manure and ammonia reek is a welcome respite from the mind-numbing monotony.

Definitely never take the 5 unless you’re in a hurry. A big avoid for any tourist who enjoys the trip as much as the destination ( and in CA, as noted, the trip can be awesome ).

22

Oh yeah, we’re not planning to do the drive in one day, we’d like to stay at some nice spots along the way. We’d probably do a two-week trip for the full holiday.

23

Unless it’s summer and 110 degress in the central valley. Nothing like driving through clouds of baked manure dust.

I agree the PCH is a much, much nicer drive. And it’s really not all that much of a death-trap (excluding the mountain passes, of course).

Oh! Some SF exotic car rental places:

http://www.cityrentacar.com/fleet-convertibles-fun-cars.html

The only problem with those is that you probably can’t do a one-way rental. The big rental companies (Avis, Hertz, etc.) all have convertible and luxury options, though they’ll be newer models. Between just those two, they have Jeeps, Cameros, Mustangs, Corvettes and Cadillacs.

(IMHO, go with a Mustang or Corvette convertible. But that’s probably an entirely different thread. :slight_smile: And probably depends on how much luggage you’ll be hauling.

24

You should definitely make one of your stops the Madonna Inn then. It’s in San Luis Obispo and the rooms are all hilariously themed. I stayed in the Pick & Shovel Room. I live in San Jose (South Bay, home of the Winchester Mystery House, about 45 miles from SF) and my family came to visit. We drove from here to the Hearst Castle, did a tour there, saw the elephant seals, then on to The Madonna for a night on our way to Disneyland. The place is pure Americana Kitsch.

25

You might find this thread helpful: San Fransisco to San Diego - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board

I agree with the general sentiment of making it a one-way trip. If you can afford or avoid the drop-off fee on the car rental, I would fly into SD, drive to SF, and fly home from there.

I can tell you a bit about the drive from Cambria to Monterey, having done it last Friday with my family. The most important thing is: don’t miss it! It really is very beautiful. Right now there are masses of wildflowers blooming everywhere, making it especially nice.

Cambria is a nice place to stay, or at least make a stop. There are lots of little motels, places to eat, and a very nice walkway overlooking Moonstone Beach.

Hearst Castle is one of those touristy places that are actually worth visiting. It really is something! Other things to see: the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, McWay Falls, Pfeiffer Beach, Point Lobos.

It might be easier to pull over to gawk at the scenery if you’re southbound, but there are plenty of places on that side of the road that are big enough and safe enough to pull into even if you’re northbound.

Allow a lot of time for the traffic, driving carefully on the winding road, and stopping to look at the scenery. If you have the time, spend a whole day going from, say, Cambria to Carmel or Monterey, stay the night, and then go the rest of the way to SF on day two. Possibilities for the second day include spending some time in Carmel, and maybe checking out Santa Cruz.

Bring sweatshirts and/or windbreakers, as it can be cool and very windy.

We also stayed in SF on this trip, in a very reasonably priced motel with free parking. As it turned out, we used public transportation a lot, but we also found it useful to have the car. We drove down the Crookedest Street (part of Lombard), and to Muir Woods, and to Golden Gate Park, and to the nearest supermarket; we took buses to the Ferry Building, Fishermans Wharf, Coit Tower, and Chinatown. A bus/trolley ride is only $2, and your ticket is good for transfers for a few hours.

On preview, I see you’re planning a two-week trip. That’s good - it should give you time to check out both cities and take your time driving between them. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

26

Last winter there were several landslides that closed parts of highway 1, requiring major detours. If you’re planning to do this trip during winter or spring, be prepared for that possibility.

27

The one thing I will say for the Central Valley is that if you are at all interested in wildlife and you are there in fall/winter/early spring, the sheer numbers of migrating and wintering waterfowl is something that has to be seen to be believed. Birding in the wetlands of the Sacramento Valley (north half of the Central Valley) the closest I’ve been to being in one of those National Geographic videos of the African savannah. I have never seen so many birds in one place as late fall in the Valley - hundreds of colorful ducks of all different species, thousands of blackbirds/sparrows/other small birds, and dozens of egrets, herons, sandpipers, and other funny-looking long-legged birds. If it’s winter and you’re lucky, you may even see Sandhill Cranes. You don’t need binoculars to experience the sheer richness of bird-dom, just step out of your car for a minute and watch all these creatures going about their activities en masse. I find it to be a humbling and awe-inspiring experience.

I’m not saying that’s a reason in itself to choose I-5 all the way down, but if you ARE going through the Valley, or you feel like taking a short day trip, definitely spend a little time to experience it. From SF, it’s around 2 hours to Sacramento, and in between are all manner of wetlands. The SF Bay has a “reverse delta”, in which the inflow is restricted by the Coast Range but fans out as you travel upstream into the Valley. I am most familiar with the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area west of Sac, but there are other wildlife refuges, etc., downstream from there and thus closer to SF, and there are certainly places that are not far from Rte 5 as you go down south.

Anyway, as a nature geek, that is my plug for the Central Valley, part of the great Pacific Flyway.

28

I’ve never witnessed a great bird migration on I5 between SF and SD and I’ve driven it uncounted times in all seasons. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, just that I’ve never experienced it between those cities. Take the coast road and schedule a day trip on the delta if you have the interest and are here during the right time of year. Don’t ever take I5 if you have the time to take the more scenic route.

29

And further to Sandra’s point, while I have never seen anything of note on I-5 either (and I have driven that rout hundreds of times myself) I have been buzzed by a California Condor on my way up the 1. The bird came within 10 feet of my car. That doesn’t happen in the Central Valley.

30

At the very least, stop there and go to the bathroom. The bathrooms in the restaurant/gift shop are worth the stop all by themselves. (I took my kids in last month when we drove to Santa Maria for my HS reunion.)

31

Since the OP says you are going to take one way there and another back I think it is safe to say you do plan to make the round trip. I would fly into SF and spend your time there, then rent a car when you are ready to hit the road. Make the trip south… enjoy having a car in LA and drive it back. Turn it in and spend the rest of your time in SF.

You say you want a “Classic American Car” which to me means either a 60’s muscle car or something like a '56 Belaire. These may be hard to find and really aren’t that great for a long trip. Call Hertz and you can get a new Mustang GT, Camaro SS, or a Dodge Challenger RT. These are all “modern” versions of classic muscle cars all with powerful V8’s. Much better handling, much more comfortable and much safer. If you are set on a convertible you can pick up a Mustang (non-GT) there. Only has a V6 but still pumps out over 300HP.

32

I did this trip many times when I lived in NorCal and strongly recommend the suggestings to start/end a day in the Monterey Bay area - much more interesting than Santa Cruz.

Stops along the way that I recommend are:

  1. Big Basin redwoods just outside Santa Cruz a compact little park you can explore in a hour or two.
  2. Monterey Bay Aquarium
  3. 17 Mile Drive between Pacific Grove/Carmel
  4. Carmel (but stay in this place in Pacific Grove - nothing like watching the sea otters frolic as you eat breakfast.)
  5. Nepenthe in Big Sur for lunch - great views. (assuming you take Rte 1)
  6. Hearst Castle (reserve ahead of time)

By starting or ending in Carmel - you can break the most time consuming and picturesque part of the trip into a single day. I would think that Cambria/Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo would be a good southern terminus.

Oh yeah, the last time I did this as a tourist from Seattle, I rented a Mustang convertible - that was a great choice.

Note that in the summer, you can expect coastal fog much of the time.

33

Yep, we’re planning a round trip (return flights are much cheaper than separate singles, which is what we’d need to do if we left from a different airport to the one we flew in to). Plus car rentals are cheaper that way too.

Thanks all for your suggestions so far! We’ve been having fun looking at the Madonna Inn rooms, trying to decide which one we want!

34

If you do hit the Monterey Bay Aquarium (which is definitely worth it) I highly recommend buying tickets on line in advance. They’re good for a year, so you’re not stuck to a specific day and the lines for tickets can be brutal, often snaking out the door and up the block.

Always book ahead (on line or by phone) for Hearst Castle too. They’re limited to the number of people they can take on a tour and once they’re sold out, you’re screwed. Same with the Winchester Mystery House.

Also, the California tourism website has coupons you can print out for discounts at a lot of attractions. If you want to do the theme park shuffle, there’s also CityPass.

35

Just posting to say that this post is excellent and you should take this advice. That would be a great trip.

36

If you’re driving both directions, and taking a couple days each way, take the advice about avoiding I-5. Go a little farther inland, take 395 up the east side of the Sierra, and go over Tioga Pass and through Yosemite*. You won’t regret it!

  • Assuming you’re going between mid-May and late October, when the pass will probably be open.
37

If you or your husband are beer people at all, I heartily recommend that you schedule a tour at Anchor Brewing, which is the city of San Francisco. Do not drive to the brewery as there is no parking to speak of (really, this is standard throughout SF), and you will not want to drive back to your lodgings. Take a taxi or the Muni. You do need to book ahead, but it is still my favorite brewery tour so far, and the tasting at the end is truly stellar.
Tour info:
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/tourinfo.htm

38

No, no, no. Stone Brewery is the one you want to tour. :slight_smile: It’s in in North County San Diego. Better yet take the Highway 78 tour and see Stone, Green Flash, Pizza Port, and Scotch Ale. Don’t drive yourselves!

39

I wasn’t saying that you see them flying over, and most birds migrate at night anyway, just saying that the valley (including the delta) is often under-appreciated. As I stated above, it’s probably not worth driving down I-5 the whole way unless you’re in a big hurry, but for a nature geek I do think it’s worth taking a detour to see things like this. Or this. Birding is spotty in the Valley, and the dry upland places can seem devoid of birds, but you find where the wetlands are and there are zillions of birds, including exotic-looking ibises, egrets, strange-looking ducks, etc.

40

The delta is possibility as a DAY TRIP from SF (as is Napa) but no one would consider it “on the way between the two” cities, if this wasn’t clear to the OP.

The previous suggestion that you take Hwy 395 is a good one, or take Hwy 49 to go up the western side of the Sierra. Either one will be more interesting than the valley, and will give you a chance for side trips to Death Valley, Sequoia Nat’l Park, and Yosemite. It is an entirely different part of California from the coast.