California Coast PCH Master Thread

[ushdadude]

Google maps calculates it at 7h58m, on the 1. So you want to buffer in another house, fine make it 9 hours. Add in stopping for kids and view another few hours, and still got time before do dinner.

Google is wrong.

@Ya'alili have you ever driven it?

@PG lol...true

[Mech]

Google maps calculates it at 7h58m, on the 1. So you want to buffer in another house, fine make it 9 hours. Add in stopping for kids and view another few hours, and still got time before do dinner.

+1. I've done it. It's close to 9 hrs on pch the whole way with a few stops.
Agav- I paid $5.65 for a gallon of gas on pch!!!

[whYME]

It's 8 hours if you take the 5

Um no.
Taking the 5, it's 5 1/2 hours + stops and if applicable, traffic.
(that's assuming ~8 mph over the limit with stopping only for gas)

[Yaalili]

Google is wrong.

In some stuff but not here, yes have done it. To Oxnard is not more than 8-9 hours. To lax adds on another few. Perhaps most of you think to lax as in the whole pch?

[whYME]

@mochada, If you want to leave SFO in the evening and get a head start on the day's drive, consider staying overnight around S Cruz or Monterey. You'll "miss" part of the drive, but not the nicest part.

[whYME]

I know it's been written about somewhere. Can someone link me to where people have discussed driving from SF to LA?

http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=152

[Yaalili]

@mochada, If you want to leave SFO in the evening and get a head start on the day's drive, consider staying overnight around S Cruz or Monterey. You'll "miss" part of the drive, but not the nicest part.

+1 for Santa cruz, kinda liked the part from there to Monterrey too, it warms you up for what comes later

[MC]

Um no.
Taking the 5, it's 5 1/2 hours + stops and if applicable, traffic.
(that's assuming ~8 with stopping only for gas)

Edited my post, I meant it with kids (adds on a lot of bathroom and food breaks)

[whYME]

Edited my post, I meant it with kids (adds on a lot of bathroom and food breaks)

And I edited MY post, I see I missed half a sentence originally.   

That's why I always do it at night when the kids are sleeping. 5 1/2 hours door to door.

[mochada]

Edited my post, I meant it with kids (adds on a lot of bathroom and food breaks)

Not necc when you're 2 kids are still in diapers.  As mentioned before, they are 2 and 6 months.  I'm thinking of heading out of SF at night and staying at the Hyatt by Big Sur then continuing in the AM.

[mochada]

Plan is:
Leave SF/Oakland around 7 PM, drive to Hyatt Carmel (Big Sur) and continue in the AM.
Either end up in Oxnard for dinner or end up in LA for dinner.
Any suggestions along the way? Want to definitely be on PCH for sunset so we can watch as we head South but first half prob want more inland so we can speed up the trip a bit.

[Yehoshua]

Plan is:
Leave SF/Oakland around 7 PM, drive to Hyatt Carmel (Big Sur) and continue in the AM.
Either end up in Oxnard for dinner or end up in LA for dinner.
Any suggestions along the way? Want to definitely be on PCH for sunset so we can watch as we head South but first half prob want more inland so we can speed up the trip a bit.

Hearst Castle in San Simeon in a nice place to stop, as well as Point Lobos.

[Dan]

Malibu.  Home stretch.  Was a drive that you can say מה רבו מעשיך ה

Question is after driving the Great Ocean Rd will it still live up to its billing?

[Yehoshua]

Question is after driving the Great Ocean Rd will it still live up to its billing?

It's close to the GOR but not the same. Both are gorgeous in their own ways. IMO it's still worth the drive.

[mochada]

Question is after driving the Great Ocean Rd will it still live up to its billing?

Never been to Aus.  If you like 70 miles of thrilling, curvy, cliff banging waves and clear skies (on good days), then it's for you.  I stayed on 1 from Monterey till right before Pismo.  I cannot compare to other ocean side roads. 

[aaa]

how long is the drive from sfo to lax?

[MC]

how long is the drive from sfo to lax?

Without taking any scenic routes and just driving the 5 straight, around 6 hours.

[whYME]

Without taking any scenic routes and just driving the 5 straight, around 6 hours.

*depending on traffic.
If you go at the wrong time of day you can spend a considerable amount of time in traffic leaving/getting into the cities.

I basically always do the drive at night and it usually takes me 5 1/2 hours door to door. (8-9 miles over the speed limit, 1 or two stops for gas.)

[aaa]

thanks guys

[shiframeir]

Thinking about going with the fam to west coast for first time in june, would stay in SF for 3 nights, stop in palo alto for bagels and then drive down the cali coast (thx to this great thread) to oxnard, and then on to san diego.

As a general question as to the whole SF/LA California area and drive down, hard to tell where its most worth it to spend more time (only got 8 days to pack it all in). seems like i need 3 for san fran area since anyway i have a free room at the Sir Francis Drake that i must use (also will go up to Muir woods with my 8, 6 and 1 year old), then a day to do the drive down. 

1) other than the piece from santa cruz to Monterey, are there other specific parts of the 1 that are worth it and we should take in, or do we really need to go on the 1 the whole way for the experience (note we will need a van with the kids, who dont like wind in their faces).

2)  Basic time spent: do i spend more time in LA/Palm Springs/San Diego/Del mar with my young kids? thinking lots of pool/beach time (i have a couple nights free at the Hilton in Del mar thats nice enough so will prob chill a bit around there) and maybe a few small kid friendly hikes. also, food is always important for our trips, is there anything memorable in san diego area or do i need to focus on food in LA?

3) Attractions: want to do seaworld and prob legoland (my son loves that stuff, though im afraid overhyped). is Disneyland for one day worth it if we did disneyworld in Jan?