# San Fran to LA, nice stops along the way?



## MOXJO7282 (Mar 21, 2009)

For our next Maui trip, because AA has made it harder to get FF 1st class seats, we need to go to JFK - San Fran, then LAX to Maui. I would appreciate anyone who is familiar with that drive to give us some tips on where to stop along the way. 

Our tenative plan when we land in SF at 1pm is to do the tourist thing at the Wharf, then Alcatraz the next day. We'd like to start making our way down the coast and do something along the way that evening or early the next day, as we have until 3:30pm to get to LAX for our 5pm flight to Maui.

I see the Monterey Bay Aquirium is south of San Fran so I'm going to explore that, but is there anything along the way that would be fun for our kids, 14 and 8?    

How about any restaurants that we would enjoy on the way?

Thanks in advance for any insight.


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## DeniseM (Mar 21, 2009)

MOXJO7282 said:


> We'd like to start making our way down the coast and do something along the way that evening or early the next day, as we have until 3:30pm to get to LAX for our 5pm flight to Maui.



It is a full days drive from SF to LAX along the Pacific Coast Highway.  If you spend the night in Monterey and go to the aquarium, I don't even know if you can make it to LAX by 3:30 the next day.  Taking the Pacific Coast Highway, I'm going to guess it's an 8 hour drive.  Frankly, I'd fly from SF to LAX.  

OK I looked it up - without traffic or any stops, it's 6 hours and 38 min. from Monterey to LAX, and you better add a minimum of 2 hours for traffic and even then you could get stuck in traffic some place and miss your plane.  In most places the Pacific Coast highway is a 2 lane road that goes right along the coast and through every coastal town.  I'd allow 10 hours if it was me and that doesn't include any time for sight-seeing. - map


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## LLW (Mar 21, 2009)

San Francisco to LA is about:
-  6-8 hours via I5
-  7-9 hours via US 101, OR 

-  14-20 hours down the Pacific Coast Highway (Google says about 12), depending on traffic, season (landslides, road construction), stops (meals, picture-taking and scenic oohs and aahs, slow traffic upfront because of the difficulty in driving, bathroom, stretching, etc.). 

But if you have the time, it's a gorgeous drive (one world-traveler called it the most gorgeous in the world) and very well worth it. There are many hair-pin turns that are worse than those on the Road to Hana. You may also see the Hearst Castle.


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## MOXJO7282 (Mar 21, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> Taking the Pacific Coast Highway, I'm going to guess it's an 8 hour drive.




I don't have to take the PCH do I? Its there another thruway? I knew that going in so I didn't think we could do the PCH.

I thought we could drive some one night and the rest the next day. 

Just thinking if we did the aquirium in the PM, then drove a few hours that night, it would leave us with a few hours to drive on the day of our flight, hopefully enough time to find a nice palce to grab a bite.


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## AwayWeGo (Mar 21, 2009)

*San Luis Obispo.*




LLW said:


> You may also see the Hearst Castle.


That's on my _Bucket List_ -- although now that I've seen the Discovery Channel DVD, maybe I don't need to go all the distance to see San Simeon in person. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## DeniseM (Mar 21, 2009)

MOXJO7282 said:


> I don't have to take the PCH do I? Its there another thruway? I knew that going in so I didn't think we could do the PCH.
> 
> I thought we could drive some one night and the rest the next day.
> 
> Just thinking if we did the aquirium in the PM, then drove a few hours that night, it would leave us with a few hours to drive on the day of our flight, hopefully enough time to find a nice palce to grab a bite.




The fastest way, you are going back to the center of the state and driving down interstate 5, it's about a 6 hour drive, and no, there isn't a thing to see, unless you like farming!    To get to LAX by 3:30 from Monterey, you are going to have to get on the road early and drive straight through, with a couple of quick potty breaks and a quick lunch break. Since there is nothing to see and no time to stop, I'd fly!

Here is the fastest route and it's 6 hours with no stops, and really, nothing to see! - 
From SF - http://www.mapquest.com/mq/5-_TyxrHaxYjGh
From Monterey - http://www.mapquest.com/mq/8-9Y9UWZK3

Until you get into the LA area, 99% of your drive will look like this:


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## mecllap (Mar 21, 2009)

Do you have two nights in Calif. -- one in SF and one along the way to LA?  That sounds like what you're planning.  If you've been to other aquariums, the one in Monterey may not be worth your detour and time (but then the Wharf and Alcatraz wouldn't be on the top of my list either -- but maybe you've been to SF lots of times and you've seen other things (Coit Tower, Golden Gate bridge, Golden Gate Park, top of the BOA building, and many other things).  (I was rather disappointed in the aquarium).  
You will/may need to allow lots of time to work your way through LA to the airport (depending on day and time of day), turn in rental car, find your gate, go through security, etc.  Seems like planning on 3:30 for a 5 p.m. flight may be cutting it pretty short (of course you could luck out, and not have any trouble with traffic, or finding your way thru LAX).


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## isisdave (Mar 21, 2009)

Denise, where did you find that photo??  It is absolutely typical!

If you had one more day, you could stop in Monterey and again in Santa Barbara. From Santa Barbara it's about 2-3 hours to LAX so you could get there without rushing. Take 101 from Monterey. It will look more like this:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I think the Monterey Aquarium is great; I gave it 3 hours but my wife stayed for 6. Carmel is next door and fun to poke around, but not for kids.

Do not attempt PCH if you only have the one day. I assume you're going in summer, when there is substantial traffic daily. The scenery is gorgeous, but you'll have no time to stop and the driver will have no time to look either, although the passengers will.


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## mamadot (Mar 22, 2009)

Having grown up in Sacramento and driven to LA many, many times from the SF bay area 2 days is really not enough time to sightsee along the way.

If you arrive in SFO by noon you could maybe eat at the SFO Wharf, see some of the sights but I would then drive to Monterey that night, about an 1 1/2 drive spend the night, get up see the Monterey Bay Aquairime. That should take about 3 hours, eat lunch on the Wharf in Monterey, then head south to LA. 5- 6 hour drive
Book a hotel around the LAX airport. Use the morning to sightsee there.


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## LLW (Mar 22, 2009)

MOXJO7282 said:


> I don't have to take the PCH do I? Its there another thruway? I knew that going in so I didn't think we could do the PCH.



I think because you said "down the coast", we assumed "down the coast". Must be a East Coast/West Coast thing.  

I agree, if you want to do the Monterey Aquarium, you would want to take 101 down instead of I5. And before that, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk might be interesting to the kids. Stay in Santa Barbara that night, then start for LAX the next morning.

How expensive is that one-way car rental from SF to LA?

For a different experience, there is the Coast Starlight train from SF to LA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_Starlight
that goes from Emeryville (for San Francisco), to Oakland, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard, before it stops in LA.


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## MOXJO7282 (Mar 22, 2009)

I'm actually going Feb. Thanks for the advice about flying, but definitely won't be doing that, because we're doing the drive to avoid a 3 legged flight to Maui.

One thing I've taken note of and will assume, is the traffic will be bad, so I'll travel off hours down to LA, and give us extra time to get to the airport.

I don't mind driving in the evening, so that is what we'll do. I thought the Monterey Aquirium was considered world-class, am I thinking of another? 

So right now I'm thinking one night SF, next day Alcatraz or Aquirium whichever we decide, then one night somewhere no more than a few hours from LA. Then we can perhaps see some sights in LA the morning of the flight. 

Obviously I still have plenty time to figure out, but this is part of the fun of putting these trips together, and I'll do a ton of research in the meantime.

Thanks for much for everyones comments. TUGGERS ARE THE BEST!!!


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## ricoba (Mar 22, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> Until you get into the LA area, 99% of your drive will look like this:





Then after driving all day on the 5 Southbound you hit the Grapevine and then you will merge on to the 405 and the Sepulveda Pass, into the city of LA/Beverly Hills/Santa Monica where the traffic will look like this onto LAX.

You are on the left side heading south in this picture from the 405. 






[/IMG]​
Arriving in Los Angeles, trying to get to LAX at 3:30 PM will be PEAK TRAFFIC.

My suggestion would be arrive at SFO, and stay at SFO, and do tourist things that afternoon evening.  Then start very early and head towards LAX.  While Monterey is quite beautiful, the I-5 South is your quickest way.


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## DeniseM (Mar 22, 2009)

mamadot said:


> Having grown up in Sacramento and driven to LA many, many times from the SF bay area 2 days is really not enough time to sightsee along the way.
> 
> If you arrive in SFO by noon you could maybe eat at the SFO Wharf, see some of the sights but I would then drive to Monterey that night, about an 1 1/2 drive spend the night, get up see the Monterey Bay Aquairime. That should take about 3 hours, eat lunch on the Wharf in Monterey, then head south to LA. 5- 6 hour drive
> Book a hotel around the LAX airport. Use the morning to sightsee there.



I like this plan too - I think there are too many things that could go wrong if you try to drive from Monterey or San Francisco the day of the flight, and try to make a 3:30 flight.  

As an alternative, stick to your original plan, but after visiting Alcatraz the second day, have lunch at the Wharf, and then drive to LA, which will get you there after rush hour, and spend the night before your flight at an airport hotel.

Have you priced airfare from SFO to LAX?


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## glenn1000 (Mar 22, 2009)

ricoba said:


> My suggestion would be arrive at SFO, and stay at SFO, and do tourist things that afternoon evening.  Then start very early and head towards LAX.  While Monterey is quite beautiful, the I-5 South is your quickest way.



I agree with the advice above. This is really the only way it seems feasible IMHO other than flying. Monterey is not on the way unless you are taking a leisurely drive. There are inexpensive fares on Southwest so it might be worth looking into. We spent five days going from SF to LA along the coast then blasted home on the I5 in about six hours.


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## LLW (Mar 22, 2009)

ricoba said:


> You are on the left side heading south in this picture from the 405.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have heard that it is often like this at midnight (without the sunlight, of course)?


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## DeniseM (Mar 22, 2009)

MOXJO7282 said:


> I thought the Monterey Aquirium was considered world-class, am I thinking of another?



It is world class and I'm sure your family would love it, but I'm not sure you really have time to do it on this trip.  Do not underestimate the traffic in San Francisco and LA - it's awful!  The picture that was posted above is typical!



> I'm actually going Feb. Thanks for the advice about flying, but definitely won't be doing that, because we're doing the drive to avoid a 3 legged flight to Maui.



I understand your reasoning, but for us, the drive from SF to LAX and fighting the traffic at both ends is FAR more grueling than a 50 min. flight from SF to LAX.  I don't think it's going to be the pleasant and relaxing sightseeing drive you are looking for.


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## ricoba (Mar 22, 2009)

I just saw where you are doing this in February.

There is always the possibility that the I-5 at the Grapevine out of the San Joaquin valley, will close in February due to a snow storm, thus cutting off traffic in and out of the LA Basin from the north and south.

This does not happen all the time, but you certainly don't want it to happen when you are on it.






[/IMG]​
Are you sure you just don't want to connect on a cheap flight to LA?


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## ricoba (Mar 22, 2009)

LLW said:


> I have heard that it is often like this at midnight (without the sunlight, of course)?



Yes, that stretch of the 405 is a nightmare day and night.  In the picture the cars facing you have just come down the Sepulveda Pass past the Getty Center which you see on the hillside left, and through Beverly Hills, high rises on the right.


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## MOXJO7282 (Mar 22, 2009)

ricoba said:


> Yes, that stretch of the 405 is a nightmare day and night.  In the picture the cars facing you have just come down the Sepulveda Pass past the Getty Center which you see on the hillside left, and through Beverly Hills, high rises on the right.



Wow, I knew it was bad, but not as bad as everyone is suggesting. So is it completely unavoidable to hit traffic, even after 8pm and after morning rush?

I'm inclined to stay in SF one night, drive to Monterey next day, then that night towards LA. 

Am I going to get jammed up if I leave SF for Monterey mid day? Leave by noonish? Then 3pm-6pm Aquirium, dinner there, then hit the road for 4 hours if not more, to get as close as I can get to LA. I'm a good midnight driver so I don't mind that. A few redbulls, and I can drive 20 hours straight.


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## vacationhopeful (Mar 22, 2009)

LA (and I suppose many of CA drivers) are NOT trained like the NY/NY/CONN drivers.  That laid back West Coast style means you will find a ratty old car/truck just poking along in the left lane without fear of the 18-wheeler helping them along the highway.  And 35 MPH would be TOP speed from Santa Barbara south (which is about 3+ hours north of LA).

I did that drive 25 years ago SF to LA.  I go out to LA every year or so.  My vote is take the short plane flight between the two cities.

JMHO,


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## applegirl (Mar 22, 2009)

Joe, 

I admire your ambition, but I would not want to drive from Monterey to LAX on the day I have a flight.  That just won't work.

I think  you should choose seeing some of the California coastline over the aquarium.  If it were me here is what my itinerary would be:

On the day I arrive in SFO at 1pm I would spend the rest of the day just exploring a little arouond the neighborhood where my hotel is.  If you stay close to Union Square there are lots of things close by including China town which is fascinating!  I would grab dinner at a cool restaurant and call it a day.  The next morning I would take the deluxe city tour with grayline tours which gives you a very good overview of the city and you see a lot of the big sites.  We just did this tour last year and it was excellent.  It lasts three hours.  After the tour which would be from 9am to 12pm I'd grab some lunch down at the warf (where the tour departs and returns from), then I'd head down I-5.  

I think it would be worth making your way over to the 101 Fwy somewhere around Paso Robles (you could take Hwy 41 or 46 to reach the 101). Once you reach the 101, your very close to Pacific Coast Hwy.  I would stay the night somewhere along the coast (Cambria, Morro Bay, Solvang, Pismo Beach) and get up early the next morning to drive to LA and enjoy the scenery!

This is what I would suggest.  The Monterey Aquarium is great but just would be too complicated for this trip and you'd miss a lot of the coast becauase you'd have to race down to LA.

Best of luck on whatever you decide!

Janna


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## luvsvacation22 (Mar 22, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> I like this plan too - I think there are too many things that could go wrong if you try to drive from Monterey or San Francisco the day of the flight, and try to make a 3:30 flight.
> 
> As an alternative, stick to your original plan, but after visiting Alcatraz the second day, have lunch at the Wharf, and then drive to LA, which will get you there after rush hour, and spend the night before your flight at an airport hotel.
> 
> Have you priced airfare from SFO to LAX?



I agree! The traffic in LA is too unpredictable to drive down the same day you fly out.  Since we live in northern California, we have driven down to LA many times. We go to Disneyland often and my in-laws live in San Diego. 

When we go to Disneyland, we leave our dog in a kennel. On our return, I never assign pick up day at the kennel the same day we leave, because of traffic delays. If there is an accident on the freeway or heaven forbid the grapevine we have been delayed an additional four hours. Sometimes the normal traffic delays could cost you two to three hours alone. If we are going or coming from San Diego we bypass LA to avoid the traffic! The pictures above are spot on!

 My advice to you would be stay in a hotel in the LA area or near the airport. What about Marina Del Rey, or Manhattan Beach! They are not that far from the airport and you can enjoy time at the beach! But leave yourselves plenty of time (more than you think) to get to the airport in time! By the way I love the Monterey Aquarium, so much that we are members!


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## ricoba (Mar 22, 2009)

MOXJO7282 said:


> Wow, I knew it was bad, but not as bad as everyone is suggesting. So is it completely unavoidable to hit traffic, even after 8pm and after morning rush?
> 
> I'm inclined to stay in SF one night, drive to Monterey next day, then that night towards LA.
> 
> Am I going to get jammed up if I leave SF for Monterey mid day? Leave by noonish? Then 3pm-6pm Aquirium, dinner there, then hit the road for 4 hours if not more, to get as close as I can get to LA. I'm a good midnight driver so I don't mind that. A few redbulls, and I can drive 20 hours straight.



The problem with traffic in LA is that it is fairly constantly heavy.  It's not always like the picture shown, but there is always the possibility that it can be.  While I have not been in that section of the 405 late at night, I have been stuck in traffic there in the middle of the day, non rush hour times.

If your plan is to spend the afternoon in Monterey, and then travel to LA that evening and night, with a flight the next day, that is workable.

My guess is if you do that 4 hours puts you at about Bakersfield area.

From Bakersfield to LAX is probably 2 - 3 hours.  That would be workable, just get an early start to head into LAX from Bakersfield or wherever.

But again, in February remember the Grapevine can close due to weather conditions.


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## UWSurfer (Mar 22, 2009)

I live a couple miles south of where that picture of the 405 was taken.  It is typical of that strech of road south to LAX in part because there is construction going on (just behind the person taking the picture) of a car pool lane and freeway widening to accomodate the extra lane.

Usually after 9pm that stretch of road moves ok UNLESS there's construction closures or accidents.  They frequently do closures and construction at night because the road is so heavily used.   Provided there's not an incident effecting traffic, the freeway can move from 9pm until approxmately 5 am.  After that it crowds up with commuters and commerce, with it lightening up a bit from 10am until 1pm, then it's socked until 9pm.  This is the normal pattern.  Weekends, the 405 moves from midnight until 8am...after which all bets are off for it not being jammed up.

I think the theme here is you don't want to risk your vacation in Hawaii by missing your flight because you cut it too tight given how easily the timing I gave you above can be screwed up.    Jana's post isn't a bad way to go.  Also staying in Marina Del Rey or Manhattan beach the night before is a good idea too.  A trip to the Getty or Santa Monica the day of your flight would keep you all busy for the morning with time to get back to LAX.  I live 10 - 15 minutes from LAX and I never arrive less than 90 minutes, and often more like 2 hours when flying out of there...and that's when I'm simply dropped off.  If you have to return a rental car or park, add another 30 - 45 minutes.   Between traffic, TSA and murphy's law you really need to add in time cushion when flying out of LAX.

I just drove to/from LA to SF two weekends ago and it took me roughly 6 hours each way going up 405 to I-5.  There's a cutoff from I-5 into the city which I'm forgetting right now by the way.  We did have a winter storm come through this past February which shut down I-5 this year and I hoped and prayed it wouldn't happen again the weekend I went.  A GPS is invaluable for these drives by the way (not that you'll need it for much of I-5).


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## ricoba (Mar 22, 2009)

UWSurfer said:


> I live a couple miles south of where that picture of the 405 was taken.  It is typical of that strech of road south to LAX in part because there is construction going on (just behind the person taking the picture) of a car pool lane and freeway widening to accomodate the extra lane.
> 
> Usually after 9pm that stretch of road moves ok UNLESS there's construction closures or accidents.  They frequently do closures and construction at night because the road is so heavily used.   Provided there's not an incident effecting traffic, the freeway can move from 9pm until approxmately 5 am.  After that it crowds up with commuters and commerce, with it lightening up a bit from 10am until 1pm, then it's socked until 9pm.  This is the normal pattern.  Weekends, the 405 moves from midnight until 8am...after which all bets are off for it not being jammed up.
> 
> *I think the theme here is you don't want to risk your vacation in Hawaii by missing your flight because you cut it too tight given how easily the timing I gave you above can be screwed up. *



This picture is taken from Culver City at approximately Washington, isn't it?  I didn't want to mention where it was taken from since I wasn't too sure, but I thought it was around Culver City somewhere.  Am I right or wrong?

I also didn't mention the construction in that zone, which is going to be happening for at least a year or longer, I think.

By the way I highlighted what I felt was the most important part of your post.  Since one can never effectively predict traffic here, I always suggest leaving early.


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## thomtaylor (Mar 22, 2009)

*Can you adjust your flight times?*



UWSurfer said:


> I think the theme here is you don't want to risk your vacation in Hawaii by missing your flight because you cut it too tight...



Indeed, you don't want to rush so much.  Given your ambitions, it might be worth losing a day in Hawaii to gain time in California, and enjoy more of the trip down.  Otherwise you're doing a "Tuesday it must be Belgium trip".  If you are planning on driving the i-5 just to make time, then you are better off flying Southwest Air from SFO to LAX.  Those pictures of the i-5 are accurate (and funny).  Sole attraction along the way is Harris Ranch, which while a lovely oasis for steak-eaters, is the only stop along a dreadfully boring highway.  By contrast, the 101 is pleasant, and could incorporate your interest in Monterey, but you really need more time so as to not stress out.  The 101 near Santa Barbara is beautiful, too, and cuts inland at Ventura, then you can take the 405 down to LAX.  It's true that the 9p to 5a timeslots shouldn't be a traffic problem.  But you'll miss seeing anything of beauty then, too.

Highway 1 (PCH) is definitely one of the most beautiful trips in the world, but landslides closing it (and other delays) are not uncommon.  You'd really need an extra day to make that work, in which case you could enjoy Santa Cruz, Big Sur, and San Simeon.  That could be preferable to losing a little time in hawaii.


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## UWSurfer (Mar 22, 2009)

ricoba said:


> This picture is taken from Culver City at approximately Washington, isn't it?  I didn't want to mention where it was taken from since I wasn't too sure, but I thought it was around Culver City somewhere.  Am I right or wrong?
> 
> I also didn't mention the construction in that zone, which is going to be happening for at least a year or longer, I think.
> 
> By the way I highlighted what I felt was the most important part of your post.  Since one can never effectively predict traffic here, I always suggest leaving early.



Close...that photo was taken from the Palm Blvd bridge which I used to cross often as a kid walking to the Mar Vista Park pool.  I had assumed it was taken from about SM blvd when I wrote above...but as I look at it closer it was taken from Palms with the I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway) interchange about 1/3 a mile ahead.  If you look carefully you'll see the widened new lanes on the outer edges not quite complete in the photo.  They now are and the traffic has been pushed over to the edges as they take out the center divider, rip out the asphalt and build the new carpool lane.   

That particular stretch of widening was tricky because there were some homes on hills literally right behind where the picture was taken which had to be removed, hillside braced up and then dug out and the bridge the picture was shot from replaced to allow for the widened freeway.  It's quite a project which has been running for a couple years with a couple more to go.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Mar 22, 2009)

Have you considered a flight from Monterey? They have an airport, not big, but some daily flights in and out. Driving in February, very chancy, snow, ice, road closures, severe fog in the evening hours where you can't even see the front of your car. LA to SF is a LONG drive. I've done it many times, mostly on the 5 or 99, sometimes 101, rarely PCH because of the time involved. Most of the trip is boring, boring, boring.
Liz


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## hawaiiguy50 (Mar 22, 2009)

*How about Hwy 99?*

Hi everyone-
We have a similar situation.  Wanted to drive from Sacramento to LA on a Sunday using the I-5 and then come back through Hwy 99 on a Thursday. Have to be in Stockton that Friday.   Was going to stay in Fresno on the way back.  Will be touching down in Sac. from Hawaii earlier- any recommendations regarding anything worth seeing or stopping for eating either way?

Would be driving in late April.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Mahalo,
Rick


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## Kona Lovers (Mar 22, 2009)

ricoba said:


> Are you sure you just don't want to connect on a cheap flight to LA?



Exactly.  We live in Bakersfield and there's nothing to see unless you take the PCH, the absolute longest and slowest route mentioned.

Marty


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## thomtaylor (Mar 23, 2009)

hawaiiguy50 said:


> Wanted to drive from Sacramento to LA on a Sunday using the I-5 and then come back through Hwy 99 on a Thursday. Have to be in Stockton that Friday.



You'll spend all your time driving on boring stretches.  Better to enjoy Sacramento, which has a delightful old town and the Capitol is worth a visit.  Stockton has been terribly depressed for a while now, though it's a pleasant place along the river, so you can find things there to enjoy.  These are Aggie communities, with some historical attractions.  But going to LA just to come back again doesn't make much sense.


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## thomtaylor (Mar 23, 2009)

*The Coast Starlight train was mentioned earlier*

And that might be a better alternative on both trips.  For the people going to Monterey, it then goes from Salinas down to Union Station in LA.  For Sacramento, you can also take it south and then have a stunning trip along the coast.  Did it once from Emeryville/Oakland to LA and it was about 12 hours, as I recall.  One of the most memorable train trips I've ever taken.


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## DeniseM (Mar 23, 2009)

hawaiiguy50 said:


> Hi everyone-
> We have a similar situation.  Wanted to drive from Sacramento to LA on a Sunday using the I-5 and then come back through Hwy 99 on a Thursday. Have to be in Stockton that Friday.   Was going to stay in Fresno on the way back.  Will be touching down in Sac. from Hawaii earlier- any recommendations regarding anything worth seeing or stopping for eating either way?
> 
> Would be driving in late April.
> ...



I wouldn't take 99 - I-5 is newer and faster and it goes right through Stockton as well.  Sad to say (because I live in the middle!) but there is nothing to see or do between LA and Sacramento.  Sacramento does have a fun, historic Old Town along the river.


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## nightnurse613 (Mar 23, 2009)

Speaking of aquariums, I thought I heard that the one in SF had been remodeled and reopened?  I kind of remember my husband mentioning something about it since we have family in Sacramento and SF would make a nice day trip. Based on our (extensive) knowledge of the Monterey Peninsula area and the SF to LA routes (inland and coastal) I would tend to agree with most recommendations. The PCH can be foggy and filled with turistas. It is mostly a mountain road with one side being a mountain and (gulp) the other a cliff in the air.  MUCH better scenery but you are on a mission.  Next time allow an extra day and stop at Hearst Castle.  On the inland route you can always stop in Gilroy and get some fresh garlic :ignore:  and pick some artichoke in Castroville!  There are a couple nice wineries not too far off the path in Paso Robles BUT NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!!


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## kjd (Mar 23, 2009)

If you are flying East out of LAX I have found that the best way to avoid traffic on 101 and 405 is to book a flight for around 9:00 to 10:00am.  Leave early so that you arrive at the rental car office around 6:00am.  I usually leave Thousand Oaks around 5:00am and it's usually clear sailing.  During busy times of the day it can take at least 2 hours.  The traffic gets bad after 6:30am. The diamond lanes for at least two passengers are the best to use when traffic starts to get heavy.


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## davidvel (Mar 23, 2009)

When I saw the title to this thread:



> San Fran to LA, nice stops along the way?



I was going to suggest that you STOP _before_  you get to LA:ignore: , but then I read your post and realized you had to get to LAX...


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## CalifasGirl (Mar 28, 2009)

*Forestiere Gardens in Fresno*



hawaiiguy50 said:


> Hi everyone-
> We have a similar situation. Wanted to drive from Sacramento to LA on a Sunday using the I-5 and then come back through Hwy 99 on a Thursday. Have to be in Stockton that Friday. Was going to stay in Fresno on the way back. Will be touching down in Sac. from Hawaii earlier- any recommendations regarding anything worth seeing or stopping for eating either way?
> 
> Would be driving in late April.
> ...


Aloha, Rick, I'm not sure if the Forestiere Gardens have opened back up, but I have visited three times, and I love it. It's kind of like the Watts Tower in LA or Arcosanti in Arizona in that an Italian immigrant came without any training and built a place for himself. It's worth a phone call to see if it's still up and running when you visit. Last time I was in Fresno, it was closed for renovations.

http://www.forestiere-historicalcenter.com/

There's also Yosemite Park an hour out of Fresno. I'd think there's lots to do there.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/

If you're into casinos, there's Table Mountain Casino. I'm not familiar with it since I don't gamble. I know that they have shows there. The B-52s are playing there in early April.

http://www.tmcasino.com/generalinformation.html

There's also the Japanese Zen garden. I like to go and feed the fish there. They're very fat from visitors feeding them.

http://www.shinzenjapanesegarden.org/

I also found an interesting link that shares lots of things to do while in Fresno. It didn't seem like it when I stumbled on to it.

http://www.laughlinnevadaguide.com/indiancasinos/central.htm

I completely forgot about the small wine industry going on there.

http://www.maderavintners.com/

So there are quite a few things to do in the Fresno area!


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## CalifasGirl (Mar 28, 2009)

*former LA girl, now a Monterey County resident*



MOXJO7282 said:


> Wow, I knew it was bad, but not as bad as everyone is suggesting. So is it completely unavoidable to hit traffic, even after 8pm and after morning rush?
> 
> I'm inclined to stay in SF one night, drive to Monterey next day, then that night towards LA.
> 
> Am I going to get jammed up if I leave SF for Monterey mid day? Leave by noonish? Then 3pm-6pm Aquirium, dinner there, then hit the road for 4 hours if not more, to get as close as I can get to LA. I'm a good midnight driver so I don't mind that. A few redbulls, and I can drive 20 hours straight.


I used to work graveyard shift in Burbank. Driving to Burbank from Torrance at 10:30 pm at night, I sometimes ran into traffic. (My shift was 11 pm-7am.) I took the Harbor Fwy (110-N) to the 101-N. Luckily, I wasn't in the bad traffic (101-S). In the Universal City area, it was actually stopped sometimes like it was rush hour! This is almost 11pm at night!  

I've driven the 405 into LA more times than I'd like to remember. I did the Oakland to LA drive when I was in college in the Bay Area driving home to the parents. You can lose an hour in the Valley just before you hit UCLA. It's BAAAAD. Sometimes I would avoid it by going the 5 to the 110, but you need to be on the 405 for LAX, so there's no avoiding it. Even getting off to Sepulveda Blvd and going on the street doesn't help. It sucks!

My suggestion is have a good time in the Bay Area, drive to Monterey and fly out to LAX. It's pricey, though. Allegiant Air has decent prices, but the schedule is spotty. Only Tuesday or Thursday flights out for LAX. You can also fly United or American, but it's extremely expensive. Sometimes US Airways has decent prices from MRY to Burbank or Santa Ana, but the LAX flight is really costly.

Another option is to have a good time in Monterey, and go right back to SJC which is about an hour back to the Bay Area to catch a cheap Southwest flight to LAX. That might be your best bet.

I'm making a drive up from LA to Monterey on Monday. I was told to drive up the 5 and then switch to the 101 via 46 in Paso Robles. Supposedly, it's the most direct route--about 6 hours. You can also stop at the diner near the James Dean memorial site.


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## Blues (Mar 29, 2009)

CalifasGirl said:


> I'm making a drive up from LA to Monterey on Monday. I was told to drive up the 5 and then switch to the 101 via 46 in Paso Robles. Supposedly, it's the most direct route--about 6 hours. You can also stop at the diner near the James Dean memorial site.



(Edited out SoCal'isms, since you're now in Northern CA.  You're welcome )

Hi Neighbor    I see you're in Royal Oaks, as am I.  I live off Lewis Rd in north Monterey County.  Where are you at?

In any case, if you live in Royal Oaks, you're undoubtedly far enough north (as am I) that it's faster to take I-5 all the way up to CA-152, and go across Pacheco Pass.  Then take 156 past San Juan Bautista, and you only have to backtrack south a few miles on 101.  Much faster than taking 46 across.  Plus you miss the speed trap in King City.

-Bob


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## CalifasGirl (Mar 29, 2009)

*hi, neighbor!*



Blues said:


> (Edited out SoCal'isms, since you're now in Northern CA. You're welcome )
> 
> Hi Neighbor  I see you're in Royal Oaks, as am I. I live off Lewis Rd in north Monterey County. Where are you at?
> 
> ...


Hah, I forgot that only Southern Californians say "the" before the hwy/route numbers. I was in the Bay Area for 6 years, but I still said things the Southern Californian way.   

We're near Hall Rd in north Monterey County, too. I looked on the map, and you're not far from us. Well, I was going to take that route, but I was told that I'm backtracking, so I should take the other route that I mentioned. The Yahoo map seems to think my friend is right (shorter route), but it does add 15 min to the ride. Avoiding speed traps is key for me. I have too many speeding tickets, and they were mostly during those long drives to the Bay Area. I'll have to ponder it since I'd rather go a few miles more to cut off time.


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## Hoc (Mar 30, 2009)

MOXJO7282 said:


> One thing I've taken note of and will assume, is the traffic will be bad, so I'll travel off hours down to LA, and give us extra time to get to the airport.



"Off hours" are after midnight and before 6 am.  Anything else, and you do risk winding up in traffic.  Even during the "off hours," there is occasionally a traffic jam, but that's usually due to an accident or the state shutting down all but one lane of a freeway in the middle of the night to do road work.


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## WalnutBaron (Mar 30, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> That's on my _Bucket List_ -- although now that I've seen the Discovery Channel DVD, maybe I don't need to go all the distance to see San Simeon in person.
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​



Keep it on your Bucket List.  There's no way a television show can do the Hearst Castle justice.  In fact, there are actually a total of four different tours you have to take to see it all because the buildings and grounds are so extensive.  It is a fascinating place, and I would most definitely keep it on your list of things to do in the future.


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## WalnutBaron (Mar 30, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> I wouldn't take 99 - I-5 is newer and faster and it goes right through Stockton as well.  Sad to say (because I live in the middle!) but there is nothing to see or do between LA and Sacramento.  Sacramento does have a fun, historic Old Town along the river.



Denise is always full of excellent advice, but I disagree with her on this one.  Highway 99 also goes through Stockton.  In addition, the highway has received a major upgrade with resurfacing over the past year and is now a very nice way to travel from north to south.  It also offers more stops and points of interest along the way than I-5.


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## luvsvacation22 (Mar 30, 2009)

WalnutBaron said:


> Denise is always full of excellent advice, but I disagree with her on this one.  Highway 99 also goes through Stockton.  In addition, the highway has received a major upgrade with resurfacing over the past year and is now a very nice way to travel from north to south.  It also offers more stops and points of interest along the way than I-5.



I agree, 99 has many more areas to stop. We take 99 to SoCal all the time! However, we change routes and too I-5 back home because we had to go visit my family in San Jose. There are not many areas to stop (not like 99) and some rest stops are completely closed. I did see a few times (first time ever) people stopping on the side of the road..umm shall I say watering the weeds. 

 In a few weeks both  routes will look brown and ugly, but right now the drive is dare I say... beautiful! Also Gorman on the grapevine is usually nothing to see, but right now the hills are green and  have wild flowers! We really enjoyed the green hills/wild flowers this trip!


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## CalifasGirl (Apr 2, 2009)

*drive up to Monterey County*

Well, I drove up the 405 to the 5, then took the 152 to hook back to the 101. It took about 5 hours since I only stopped for gas. Not a bad route! Thanks for the tip, Blues!


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## Blues (Apr 2, 2009)

CalifasGirl said:


> Well, I drove up the 405 to the 5, then took the 152 to hook back to the 101. It took about 5 hours since I only stopped for gas. Not a bad route! Thanks for the tip, Blues!



You're very welcome.  It's the only way to go to/from north Monterey county.

5 hours?  You've got a bigger lead foot than even I do.  Good thing you didn't go through King City.

-Bob


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## CalifasGirl (Apr 3, 2009)

Blues said:


> You're very welcome.  It's the only way to go to/from north Monterey county.
> 
> 5 hours?  You've got a bigger lead foot than even I do.  Good thing you didn't go through King City.
> 
> -Bob



 I have gone up 101 to Monterey and back, but that was a long time ago. I usually fly.


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