# 3 nights near San Francisco



## Deb from NC (Feb 21, 2015)

I'm looking for some advice/ ideas....DH and I have 4 nights planned at the Wyndham Canterbury in June and would like to go somewhere new outside of the city for 3 more nights..  We've been to Napa and to Yosemite before.  FYI, we like museums but also nature and hiking, and always good food!  This will be a hotel stay, not timeshare, I'm out of points ...I would welcome ideas from the West Coast !   ( FYI ,We will plan on renting a car )
Thanks!


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## DeniseM (Feb 21, 2015)

I would go to the Carmel area.


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## chapjim (Feb 21, 2015)

Deb from NC said:


> I'm looking for some advice/ ideas....DH and I have 4 nights planned at the Wyndham Canterbury in June and would like to go somewhere new outside of the city for 3 more nights..  We've been to Napa and to Yosemite before.  FYI, we like museums but also nature and hiking, and always good food!  This will be a hotel stay, not timeshare, I'm out of points ...I would welcome ideas from the West Coast !   ( FYI ,We will plan on renting a car )
> Thanks!



Pine Acres Lodge in Pacific Grove (near the start of 17 Mile Drive) is a timeshare resort but does rentals.  You might give them a call -- (831) 372-6651.


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

I second the Carmel idea.


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## Deb from NC (Feb 21, 2015)

Carmel sounds great...I had been thinking that might be a nice place to go! I would also welcome suggestions on places to stay, things to do there, good restaurants, etc.
many thanks!
Deb
BTW...how long of a drive is Carmel from SF?


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## bevans (Feb 21, 2015)

Carmel depending on traffic and no stops would take about 2 and 1/2 hours from San Francisco. The nicest drive would be Hwy1 the coast road to Santa Cruz with lots of great beaches, then continue on to Monterey, Carmel, then Big Sur. You can continue on Hwy1 to Hearst castle and stay in Cambria which is a delightful little town. Curt


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

Deb from NC said:


> Carmel sounds great...I had been thinking that might be a nice place to go! I would also welcome suggestions on places to stay, things to do there, good restaurants, etc.
> many thanks!
> Deb
> BTW...how long of a drive is Carmel from SF?



We have used Inns by the Sea to find and book hotels in Carmel.  None of them are "fancy" but we've always been pleased.  The ones we stay at most often are the Swensgaard Inn or the Dolphin Inn.  

How long of a drive.  Using Google maps:

Most direct, and quickest, drive is 127 miles, just a little over 2 hours.  That goes down 101 all the way to Prunedale where you cut over to Highway 1.

Going down Highway 1 the entire way would take closer to 3 hours, than 2 1/2.

There are a couple other variations from 101, depending on where you want to cut over.


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## VacationForever (Feb 21, 2015)

I have stayed at the Hyatt in Monterrey and it is a nice hotel.  I booked a suite as I was travelling with a girlfriend from overseas.  Much cheaper than Hyatt Highlands Inn in Carmel.


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## Rent_Share (Feb 21, 2015)

Napa ?  Lake Tahoe ?


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

sptung said:


> I have stayed at the Hyatt in Monterrey and it is a nice hotel.  I booked a suite as I was travelling with a girlfriend from overseas.  Much cheaper than Hyatt Highlands Inn in Carmel.



What I like about staying right in Carmel (and Highlands Inn is not in town) is that you can walk everywhere.  Park wherever you're staying (free) and then just walk.

Favorite place for breakfast (although the places we stay do provide a breakfast) is Katy's Place on Mission between 5th and 6th.

For dinner we like Little Napoli, Dolores at 7th.  There is another Italian restaurant we tried, and liked, but I cannot remember the name.

On the Monterey peninsula favorite places are Point Lobos and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The 17 mile drive is fun if you've never done it before.  And the drive from Pacific Grove down around the point, which is free, is gorgeous.


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

Rent_Share said:


> Napa ?  Lake Tahoe ?



Said they'd already been to Napa.  Lake Tahoe is farther away, about 4 hours?


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## sue1947 (Feb 21, 2015)

Carmel is ideal especially if you are flying in/out of SFO or San Jose.  You might also look at Pacific Grove which is just the other side of the 17 mile drive.  The walk from Asilomar south on the beach then the boardwalk/trail south along the bluff is a beautiful walk.  Or the other direction along the tidepools towards Monterey. 

Point Lobos State Park is not to be missed.  It's spectacular.

The other direction from San Francisco is Point Reyes National Seashore.  It's the north side of San Francisco Bay.   There are some nice B&B's on the north side in Inverness near Tomales Bay.  Muir Woods National Park is also nearby as is Marin Headlands (the north side of Golden Gate Bridge).  

Sue


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## VacationForever (Feb 21, 2015)

Luanne said:


> What I like about staying right in Carmel (and Highlands Inn is not in town) is that you can walk everywhere.  Park wherever you're staying (free) and then just walk.
> 
> Favorite place for breakfast (although the places we stay do provide a breakfast) is Katy's Place on Mission between 5th and 6th.
> 
> ...



Monterrey is right next door to Carmel, about a 10 minute drive at most.  My concern about staying at "unknown" hotel brand is precisely "unknown".  When I travel I try to stick to hotel chains that are known for quality so that I don't get an unpleasant experience.


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## Deb from NC (Feb 21, 2015)

Thanks all...this is great information. I have been to Lake Tahoe (loved it).  We've never been to Carmel or along the coast south of San Francisco, so Carmel is starting to sound very appealing.  Thanks for telling me about inns by the sea...they look great!   I'm wondering if I should and try and add a day to our trip and drive down to see the Hearst castle?  I've always wanted to see it....is it worth the driving time?


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## easyrider (Feb 21, 2015)

Its a longish drive from San Francisco to Hearst Castel. You might want to get a room at a hotel on the coast. Our visit to Hearst Castel was both tours offered and was amazing. I would go back if I ever get back to this area. 

Another place I liked in this area was Capatola. Its about at the half way between San Francisco and Hearst Castle.
http://www.capitolavillage.com/

Bill


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

sptung said:


> Monterrey is right next door to Carmel, about a 10 minute drive at most.  My concern about staying at "unknown" hotel brand is precisely "unknown".  When I travel I try to stick to hotel chains that are known for quality so that I don't get an unpleasant experience.



I can't remember if there are any of the "known" hotel  chains right in Carmel.  You'll find more of the unknown individual hotels.  We've never had a bad experience in any we've stayed in in Carmel.  I like Monterey, but I prefer staying in Carmel.  Much more charming and as I said, you can walk to anyplace in town.

Also you can check reviews in TripAdvisor to avoid unpleasant surprises.


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## sue1947 (Feb 21, 2015)

Deb from NC said:


> Thanks all...this is great information. I have been to Lake Tahoe (loved it).  We've never been to Carmel or along the coast south of San Francisco, so Carmel is starting to sound very appealing.  Thanks for telling me about inns by the sea...they look great!   I'm wondering if I should and try and add a day to our trip and drive down to see the Hearst castle?  I've always wanted to see it....is it worth the driving time?



From Carmel to San Simeon (Hearst Castle) is about 85 miles; plan on 2.5 hours via Big Sur.  The road is very windy with plenty of slow speed curves.  You'll want to stop along the way so while you could do the drive to Hearst Castle and back in a day, I would add a night in a motel in San Simeon or, even better, Moonstone Beach which is a few miles further south near Cambria.  The latter has tons of nice motels across the road from a beautiful trail along the bluffs over the ocean; spectacular scenery.  If you decide to do Hearst Castle, I would do it after San Francisco and then drive back up to Carmel.  That puts you in a better location to get to the airport.  Or, look at doing a one way car rental from/to SF to Santa Barbara; I've had good luck with good prices for one way car rentals involving Santa Barbara at one end or the other.  SB is a small airport that is very easy to get in and out of and is probably 2.5-3 hours south of San Simeon.  The airport is actually in Goleta which is really easy to get into from the north.  

Personally, I've never found Hearst Castle to be of interest but the coast in that area is one of my favorites.  You will want to reserve your tour spots in advance since they fill up, especially with all the tour buses that come through.  The drive down along Big Sur is spectacular, but is slow going especially on a weekend.  If you can schedule it for a weekday, it will help.   The other issue might be fog which is likely in June (I think; the locals can pitch in here).  

Anywhere you go along the coast will be spectacular; there are more options than you have time for so you'll just have to go back another time.  You might consider spending your motel time in San Simeon/Cambria where there aren't any nearby timeshares and save Carmel/Monterey for a return trip with your April 2016 trip when you might be able to get into one of the timeshares in the area.  

Too many nifty places, too little time....

Sue


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## Ken555 (Feb 21, 2015)

Deb from NC said:


> Carmel sounds great...I had been thinking that might be a nice place to go! I would also welcome suggestions on places to stay, things to do there, good restaurants, etc.
> 
> many thanks!
> 
> ...




This place is fantastic (not cheap):

http://www.thesevengablesinn.com


Sent from my iPad


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

Ken555 said:


> This place is fantastic (not cheap):
> 
> http://www.thesevengablesinn.com
> 
> ...



We've driven by there many times and I always thought it looked like a fun place to stay.


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## Deb from NC (Feb 22, 2015)

Thanks so much all...it sounds like I need to plan several trips to do justice to the area!  This is a huge help....It will now be fun to plan this trip


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## vikingsholm (Feb 22, 2015)

I'd suggest you visit Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park along the Big Sur coast on a side trip from Carmel too. Try to find a sunny day though. The famous calendar shot of McVay Falls is a short walk right along the coast at the park, and there is substantial hiking on the other side of the inland side just across the road.

The Mission Ranch restaurant outside Carmel is fun too - pretty good food at this inn/restaurant owned by Clint "Squint" Eastwood, and good jazz combos play there regularly.  Nice setting in an open area of what looks like flat filled in estuary stretching towards the coast.

It's probably best to make a second trip to visit San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles with the Hearst Castle, Solvang, Santa Barbara, and Santa Ynez valley wine country, rather than trying to pack all that in from Carmel. Lots to see there too.


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## Luanne (Feb 22, 2015)

vikingsholm said:


> The Mission Ranch restaurant outside Carmel is fun too - pretty good food at this inn/restaurant owned by Clint "Squint" Eastwood, and good jazz combos play there regularly.  Nice setting in an open area of what looks like flat filled in estuary stretching towards the coast.



Have you eaten here recently?  The first time we went, which was back in 1986 we thought it was good.  The next time we went back a couple of years later it was terrible.  I also thought that Clint Eastwood had pulled out years ago, but maybe I'm thinking of the Hogsbreath.

I went and took a look at the reviews and it seems that the Mission Ranch restaurant must have improved a great deal since we were last year, which was many years ago.

And in looking at reviews I found the Italian restaurant I was trying to think of earlier, it's da Giovanni on Lincoln between 5th & 6th.


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## b2bailey (Feb 22, 2015)

*I am a long time user of Hotwire and Priceline...*

and sometimes I wonder why more people don't use them. This reply answers my question.




sptung said:


> My concern about staying at "unknown" hotel brand is precisely "unknown".  When I travel I try to stick to hotel chains that are known for quality so that I don't get an unpleasant experience.



For me, I like the suspense and surprise of using these discounted services where you don't know the hotel's name until after you book. When I have booked a 4 star with a 90% approval rating -- I've never been disappointed. I just checked and there are currently some good deals for the Central Coast area which would include Santa Cruz, Monterey and Carmel.


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## vikingsholm (Feb 22, 2015)

Luanne, we were at Mission Ranch just last April. It was pretty good on our visit, and we normally judge food by SF standards. Nice outdoor patio seating as well as indoor space and bar.

Eastwood got out of the Hog's Breath is my understanding, I think Mission Ranch is a newer acquisition for him?


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## Luanne (Feb 22, 2015)

vikingsholm said:


> Luanne, we were at Mission Ranch just last April. It was pretty good on our visit, and we normally judge food by SF standards. Nice outdoor patio seating as well as indoor space and bar.
> 
> Eastwood got out of the Hog's Breath is my understanding, I think Mission Ranch is a newer acquisition for him?



I'm pretty sure he was associated with Mission Ranch back when we went in 1986.  I don't know how active he is in its management however.

As I said we liked it in 1986.  Next time we went back, which may have been a couple of years later we were talking to the guy at the front desk where we were staying.  We mentioned we planned to go back to the Mission Ranch restaurant.  I don't remember exactly what he said, but he tried to talk us out of it.  We didn't listen, went anyway and were very disappointed.  We never went back in our many visits to Carmel over the years.  I'm glad to hear they've gotten better as it really was a fun place to go.


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## juliewhitehall (Mar 3, 2015)

Go to Sonoma County. 1 hour North in San Francisco. Beautiful resort in Windsor.  Wine Country!


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## Luanne (Mar 3, 2015)

juliewhitehall said:


> Go to Sonoma County. 1 hour North in San Francisco. Beautiful resort in Windsor.  Wine Country!



The OP said they'd already been to Napa.  And yes, I know Sonoma and Napa are different (I used to live in northern California), but if they want something different I think Carmel, and the Monterey peninsula are a great choice.


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## Deb from NC (Mar 3, 2015)

Thanks to all for the great input!  We have decided on Carmel for our few extra days in California in June :whoopie: But we hope to take many more trips back to California to visit all of the other wonderful places mentioned ! 
Thanks to all!
Deb


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## Luanne (Mar 3, 2015)

Deb from NC said:


> Thanks to all for the great input!  We have decided on Carmel for our few extra days in California in June :whoopie: But we hope to take many more trips back to California to visit all of the other wonderful places mentioned !
> Thanks to all!
> Deb



Have a wonderful trip!

One thing to mention is that in June you can get the "June gloom" fog on the coast.  But honestly, Carmel at any time of year is beautiful and charming.


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## Deb from NC (Mar 3, 2015)

Thanks!  I'll keep my fingers crossed for sunny weather, but I'm sure we will have a great time either way


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