Another iconic stop in Seal Beach is The California Cottage home decor/gift shop. One of our favorite places EVER is off the coast of Southern California. Responsibly, of course! Visit the art galleries, golfing, shopping, relaxing spas and more! California has some of the best weather in North America, with Southern California having some of the most ideal and temperate temperatures year-round averaging 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Fly into San Francisco, rent a car and drive to San Diego, where youll fly back out. Feel free to take a drive across the 2-mile long bridge or rent a bike from one of the bike rentals in the area. The Santa Monica Pier is definitely one of the greatest attractions in the city, it is home to the Pacific Park, full of rides, carnival games, an aquarium, good eats, and more! If youre looking for a more luxurious beach experience during your drive, make sure you stop in Dana Point. Tons of opportunities abound for golfing, bicycling, tennis, hiking, horseback riding and scuba diving. How far is it from San Diego to San Francisco It is a little over 500 miles or 800 km from San Diego to San Francisco on the fastest route which is Interstate 5. While youre visiting, you can check out the awesome downtown area. If youre on Main Street theres a couple of places you wont want to miss! If not, take a look around the historic Downtown Ventura and make the most of the vintage boutiques and second hand stores. The Big Basin Redwoods is Californias oldest state park, which was established in 1902. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) After nearly a week straight of on-again, off-again rain and stormy weather for the Bay Area, Thursday will see a break between storms. Enjoy non-stop flights from San Francisco to San Diego with Alaska, Southwest, or United Airlines. So after the official end of Highway 101, youll be taking the coastal roads of Camino Del Mar, Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla Blvd, Mission Blvd and so on into San Diego. Thanks for your information much appreciated. Often hosting music events, street performers and festivals, Ocean Beach a fun place to go for an afternoon at the beach. Im so excited for you to start this adventure! Its a great spot to watch surfers catching the waves. Its actually the longest pier on the west coast, coming in at over 1/3 mile long. There is an entrance fee of $11.25 charged per vehicle if you wish to enter the private community of Pebble Beach and discover 17-Mile Drive. Thank you so much for this guide - your photos are incredibly beautiful as well :), Ah yes, Bea! From the beach, there is an amazing view of mountains, palm trees and the Channel Islands. You can walk around and look for sand dollars. Notable stops include Malibu, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Los Angeles, as well as Big Sur, Torrey Pines State Reserve, and Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. Enjoy the best of San Francisco. Don't forget to visit Hearst Castle when you pass through San Simeon! This one square mile town is easy to get around by foot and by car! If youre up for a walk, the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreational Trail is the perfect adventure! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-15956862', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Pacific Grove or Monterey. If you need surfing lessons, there are plenty of options for that as well. Travel Photography Its definitely a good idea to park your car and set up camp overlooking the gorgeous water and keep your cameras handy because this is easily one of the most photogenic beach cities youll come across. From San Diego, the most direct way to get to Los Angeles is to drive north on I-5. One of my favorite places in California is Monterey. The diversity of the state's terrain is chock-full of interesting sites and plenty of adventure along the way. ~ 0 miles from San Francisco & ~ 520 miles from San Diego. Customize this itinerary based on what youd love to do most and how much time you have. This lesser-known wine region, called the Santa Rita Hills contains over 60 wineries. Regardless of your fitness level, youll find a trail or 2 that are perfect for a stroll along the coast. Each trail is definitely doable, moderate at most, and totally worth the sweat. A few great beaches and stops along the way include San Gregorio Beach, the Pillar Point Harbor (and Sam's Chowder House for some classic seafood), Mavericks Beach, and the Point Montara Lighthouse. Located just a short distance from Los Angeles, this beach town is known as Surf City USA and offers a laid-back lifestyle with plenty of fun things to do, see and experience. Amtrak is the one and only train line which connects San Francisco to San Diego. Day 1 morning: San Diego and the Southern California Coast. Avila Beach offers everything from shopping, golfing with an oceanfront view, farmers markets, spas, and so much more. Depending on the season and ferry schedule there are a few different options of which islands you can visit, if youre looking for an easy half-day trip we recommend visiting Santa Cruz Island. On the adventurous side of things, there are trails for hiking and biking and go to the beach for surfing, sailing, and sunbathing! Bixby Bridge is one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world and is one of the most photographed bridges on the Pacific Coast, right after that other . Its a short stop on the road trip, but one you absolutely cannot miss. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are connected by pedestrian walkways. San Francisco To San Diego Road Trip Factfile. Recommended by me Nikki of Inspired Routes follow on Pinterest. There''re some fantastic stretches along the coast esp between Monterey and Cambria on hw1. Visitors and even drivers on highway 1 can still see zebras grazing along the estate on occasion. San Luis Obispo is a nice college town. Home to one of the most popular aquariums in the country, Monterey is an old cannery (a facility where . Posted on Published: May 16, 2022- Last updated: October 26, 2022. From beautiful wildflowers to classic Southern California beaches, the views just dont stop. #3 Santa Cruz A fun California beach town known for its beautiful university campus and surfing culture, Santa Cruz is also enviably close to forests of towering redwoods and the Santa Cruz Mountains. In addition to their beautiful white sand beaches, visitors can take advantage of riding ATVs in the sand dunes, surfing, fishing, golfing, and much more! You could easily make an entire vacation out of this small beach town, but its also perfect for a day trip! This artwork of a coastline offers many hiking trails and different beaches to explore. Pebble Beach is located between Monterey and Carmel and offers out-of-this-world views of the ocean, legendary golf courses and 17 miles of amazing coastline. Heres a preview of the route and all the amazing stops along the way! A quick stop at the Bixby Creek Bridge, one of Big Surs most iconic stops, will give you some great views and a great photo op. These are some of the most popular and iconic surf shops in Southern California. But even the more challenging hike is pretty easy. The best viewpoint is from the Overlook Trail to McWay Falls. Can you believe this list?! There are also plenty of restaurant and cafe options. Point Lobos State Reserve is one of the top things to do on this incredible California Coast drive! If youre looking to stay a night in Pismo, check out the camping! Also, if you love charming boutique shops, youll love stopping in Carmel on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip. Youll find one-of-a-kind local spots that are simply delicious! Find places to hike, bike, and paddle board all while soaking in that Central California sun. (I will be getting the train and bus) Amtrak e.t.c I was thinking Santa Barbara, Hermosa Beach, Santa Monica.La Jolla. Should I book Alcatraz tickets and Muir Woods parking permits in advance? The trees are as large as 380 feet, but their seeds are as small as a tomato seed! READ MORE: What to Know, Expect and Do Before Your . Its amusement park right along the beach is perfect for classic rides and fair food. See all the best things to do in Laguna Beach in our full guide! So if youre hungry by the time you get to Carmel, California, this is the place to stop! Many restaurants have outdoors dining in the summertime, which is honestly just perfect. You may have to deal with road closures in the peak of wildfire season in California, which is July through October. I also work at Hearst Castle, which is a home museum with art from all over the world and beautiful views and a great stop if you're taking Hwy1. Hey! You will want to start in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a small one-square mile town that features many quaint and unique eateries and gift shops. From the rugged, northern coast of California to the classic So Cal beaches near San Diego, theres so much to see and do along the way. Youll see views from several points along the way, but the closest views to the overlook are at the end of the trail. If you want to ride a bunch, invest in a wristband for $45. But perhaps the most famous landmark is the Hotel Del Coronado. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-46643036', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach have done Cali before when I went around World on gap year! Visitors today can experience some of the grandeur of the house and see many of these sites described above. Recommended by Jackie & Justin of Life Of Doing follow on Facebookif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'inspiredroutes_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_0',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-inspiredroutes_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Not many people have heard of Lompoc, California, but it is a seriously underrated stop on a PCH road trip! You can avoid it by parking on the road and hiking into the reserve. This out-and-back hike is 1.2 miles round trip on easy terrain and walkable for most still levels, including children. Heres another opportunity to visit a central coast beach, and if youre driving along PCH on your San Francisco to San Diego road trip, this beach will be a tough one to resist. Great stop on your San Francisco to San Diego drive for: beach break, food & drink, shopping, entertainment, nearby wine tasting, overnight stay, ~ 352 miles from San Francisco & ~ 188 miles from San Diego. You can check out more info on Torrey Pines at their visitors center when you arrive. Smog Check Star Certified San Diego. If you would like to spend a night camping in the park, reservations must be made six months in advance. Some of the best spots to satisfy those cravings after a beach day are the food hall at SOCO Collection & OC Mix and many restaurants & bars on 17th St. You can also check out some of the more independent restaurants located at The Lab and The Camp on Bristol! Enjoy the galleries, the shopping, and definitely the food! Transform your photos with just one click. I am not pushed for time as have a couple of months before I fly out of Chicago. Of course, surrounded by the beautiful hills of the Santa Inez Valley, youre in wine country! Many travel insurance plans also coverCollision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage up to $35,000. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. The third meeting of the season between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks is headed for a tense second half, with the latter leading 17-14 at halftime. This is hands down one of thebest things to do in Big Sur. What an iconic sight in the USA the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge! Its completely off limits due to the fragile nature of the cliffs. I lived here for a few years and it still is one of my favorite places ever. San Diego is one of my favorite cities - so much to see and do. Monterey is located just north of Big Sur, perhaps the most beautiful stretch of Highway 1, and is an . But parking at the bridge is extremely limited. Unknown. There is also the Lompoc Museum which has 2 floors of exhibits about the area. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Encinitas for more ideas! San Francisco and San Diego make great ends for the road trip. The earliest flight departs at 05:30, the last flight departs at 22:49. $5.99 . Solvang is actually known as the Danish Capitol of the US, and enjoying some delightful Danish food is one of the best ways to celebrate that. This area is loved by hikers, swimmers, surfers, scuba divers, mountain bikers, and lovers of nature! Better yet, one of our favorite things to do in San Luis Obispo is stay at the eccentric Madonna Inn which loves the color pink and each hotel room is uniquely themed from bright pink glitter walls to cave rooms built into actual rocky terrain. 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