West Coast Drive Itinerary

[Buzz n' Piglet]

Will be driving Highway 1 in a few weeks time, have the following rough plan

San Francisco - 1 Night
Santa Cruz - 1 Night
Morro Bay - 1 Night
Malibu - 1 Night
San Diego - 2 Nights

We have a nearly 3 year old with us, any suggestions of things to do that will be suitable for her age?

Not really done much planning for this. Plan on stopping at Monterray / Carmel / Big Sur National Park and maybe going to Hearst Castle, and then Santa Monica pier. Full day in San Diego will be spent at the zoo. Any good beaches to stop at?

Have planned to not drive for much more than an hour at a time without stopping, other than the drive to San Diego, and also only really spending up until 3pm in SF before leaving, as doesnt seem much to do there with a small child.

Does this sound alright?

[jdouds]

Hi first off wouldn't stop at Santa Cruz , stop at Monterey, you will then have 17 m dr,Carmel and aquarium which is fantastic all easy access.
What length is your trip, be aware of the distances and check travel times.

[Buzz n' Piglet]

Only staying overnight in santa cruz as didnt want to drive too far that day and plan to leave first thing in the morning.

We have 4.5 days from arriving in SF, to arriving in San Diego

Going by google maps its roughly 2 to 2.5 hours between each hotel we have booked.

[jdouds]

Hi again San Fran to Monterey is 1 hour 45 drive so would definately drop Santa Cruz if you can . You can drive via Santa Cruz if you wish which will add 1/2 an hour. This in turn will gave you more time for Monterey/Carmel which should not be rushed. There's lots to see on the next leg of your trip so this will also help for this.

[Buzz n' Piglet]

Have already paid the Santa Cruz hotel. Could maybe change the Morro Bay one but then that gives a pretty long drive the following day. Will have a think. Thanks.

[400ixl]

Santa Cruz is fine if you have that booked. Monterrey is the typical stop but it is 2 hours plus from San Francisco on a weekday.

Keep the Morro Bay, will be a nice place to stop especially with a youngster. Has a really nice feel to the place.

I wouldn't bother with 17 mile drive if you are heading straight down highway 1. I'd have a look around Carmel rather than Monterrey itself as it is much nicer.

Maybe swap Malibu for Santa Monica with a youngster as there will be more there. Malibu is nice though.

[jdouds]

Hi we all try to help from our individual experiences and different likes so hope this helps you settle on a plan that suits your family.

[smithlane]

We have just returned from the West Coast and stopped in Santa Cruz for the day from San Francisco before staying in Monterey for 3 nights. We really enjoyed it there, had a good vibe to the place. Had lunch at Ideal Bar & Grill which was really nice.
Also stopped for dinner at Morro Bay after driving the PCH then stayed the night in Solvang. We also really liked the feel of there too and wished we’d had more time to explore it