Touring America: what to see and do

[TyroneGenade]

Hello all,

I'm visiting the US in November. I'm killing some time at a convention in Washington and then my wife and I are heading west to California to visit her uncle there.

We plan on flying into San Francisco (where a friend of mine there has been kind/foolish enough to offer us accommodation) and will then tour San Francisco and head a little North to the wineland (Napa) as well as visit Muir Woods National Monument or Big Basin. Our itinerary isn't final yet.

We are then going to drive down the coast to LA stopping at the Hearst Castle, Morro Bay etc... It will be a slow drive---can anyone suggest somewhere not to pricy but not to shabby between SF and LA to stay which is on the Cabrillo Highway? (By the way, what is the state of the roads?)

I see that Santa Barbara Orchid Estate is along the way (this did not escape my orchid-avarice eye). Is this worth stopping at from a touristy stand point?

We are going to stay out in Irvine at my wife's uncle's place for a few days. We are not quite sure what there is worth seeing in this neck of the woods.

After this we then head east onto Route 66 (interstate 40) upto Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. What are the have to see sites along this road? I understand it is unbearably scenic. We are flying back to Washington via Phoenix. My wife and I care nothing for celebrities and theme parks. We are more into sites and scenery and I'm a sucker for a good museum.

Time is tight and we want to make the most of it. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[cnycharles]

if you are going to be generally around phoenix and that area, I would highly suggest the adobe cliff dwellings that are all around the arizona/new mexico area, mostly western and northern new mexico. there are tons of things to see and do; I was there for over a week in the new mexico area this winter and want to go back for a few more weeks when possible. it is beautiful there, also. all over new mexico there are things like the white sands, alamogordo, the huge caves, lots of other interesting things (not to mention the great food!)

if you are into rock/mineral collecting, the area around deming is loaded with gems and minerals, and in the bureau of land management lands anything not staked out as a 'claim' anything can be picked up. there are also state parks where you pay the fee to enter and you can collect up to ten pounds of whatever mineral or rock you can find and take it home

 

[chrismende]

Hi, Tyrone,
You will enjoy much about California, and there are several great museums in San Francisco. The DeYoung, The SF Museum of Modern Art, The Palace of Fine Arts, The Jewish Museum (an excellent Gertrude Stein exhibit now), The Mexican Museum, The Museum of the African Diaspora (all these names may be slightly incorrectly worded, but you get the idea).
November early or late? Our summer is usually in fall, and November can be either warm and sunny or cold and foggy. Of course with climate disturbance it's harder to predict. The redwoods are indeed a good thing to visit. Napa has a wonderful food museum and demonstration garden: worth probably more than all the winetasting you could do, since there is a good restaurant there, too.
The slow drive down the coast will be fun! Certainly stop in Santa Barbara! Cal Orchid grows out plants for Norito Hasegawa, so has really nice paphs as well as just being run by great people - Jim and Lauris Rose. They have great linebred Epidendrums, too. Gorgeous colors and large flowers.
I can't give you lodging suggestions specifically, but Best Western motels are usually good value for the money. They are everywhere. Cambria is nice - small but interesting. And on and on.

 

[gonewild]

The Big Sur section of Highway 1 has been closed off and on to repair a huge landslide. Be sure to ask before you head south of Monterey.

If it is closed you can still drive south down Hwy1 to Big Sur (or farther) and see that area. But then you will have to back track to Monterey and then head East to Hwy101 south to Paso Robles. Then Hwy46 west back to Hwy1. Then North to Hearst Castle. From Hearst Castle you can drive up Hwy1 to the point where it is closed just to see the beautiful coastline. In the November the elephant seals return to the San Simeon beaches to breed.

If you are going to visit Hearst Castle plan to spend the night in that area. If you want to take a long walk on a beach without many people Stay in Cayucos. If the tide is right you can walk 7 miles on the beach to Morro Bay.
The bad news is that there are no "not so pricey" hotels in any beach town. If you can get a room for $100 that is cheap. $200-$300 per night is the norm. If those prices are too much then your option is to go back to Hwy101 for a room ( 30 minute drive), but still in the $100 range.

Paso Robles has probably 50 wineries for tasting. Now the area out produces the Napa Valley for both quantity and quality wines.

Morro Bay is a good place to watch surfers near Morro Rock or you can go out fishing on a boat.

South of Morro Bay is Pismo Beach, not near as nice as the beach at Cayucos but you can rent ORVs and ride in the Oceano Dunes. Also in Pismo there is a Monarch butterfly grove that should have butterflies by November.

From Pismo Beach south get back on hwy101, forget hwy1 until you get to Santa Barbara, That stretch is ag land and not very scenic. But stop in Nipomo and have a steak at Jocko's (the best in the world).

You have an option to drive through Solvang and the Santa Ynez valley wine country. More vinyards and ranches owned by famous people. You can drive past Michael Jacksons Neverland ranch.

Then back to the coast at Santa Barbara.
Yes absolutely go to the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. Not only is it a part of orchid history it is set up very well to just enjoy the walk through without buying anything.

When you are in Irvine you can go to the beach and look at the Housewives of Orange County.

 

[chrismende]

Great ideas, Lance! Next time I drive south myself, I'll do some of those things!

 

[gonewild]

Let me know when you are near Cayucos, we can meet. But this fall I think I will be in Peru otherwise I would have made the suggestion to Tyrone as well.

 

[T. migratoris]

There's a very clean and reasonably priced Best Western in Goleta - near Santa Barbara. Cal Orchid is across the street from SBOE - very convenient.

If you have time and like unique scenery, try to fit in a jaunt to Death Valley. There really is nothing like it anywhere in the world.

 

[TyroneGenade]

Thanks for the replies and advice.

Lance, I will be in touch We found a nice hotel on the beach in Cambria but that steak at Jocko's is very tempting. Chris, Laura and I are bigger fans of food than wine so now Napa sounds even better!

 

[gonewild]

Thanks for the replies and advice.

Lance, I will be in touch We found a nice hotel on the beach in Cambria but that steak at Jocko's is very tempting. Chris, Laura and I are bigger fans of food than wine so now Napa sounds even better!

Do get in touch.
Cambria is a good choice. Which Hotel? It will be very near a great seafood restaurant "The Sea Chest". Be sure to have dinner there, they don't take reservations or credit cards. They open at 5:30 for dinner, get in line at 5:00.

 

[jjkOC]

Welcome to Orange County!

Hello, I am based in Irvine and originally from the South Bay (in Southern California). There are a ton of things to do! Please feel free to PM me and I will be happy to supply suggestions for your interests. My husband and I also drove up PCH for our honeymoon, so there are some really nice spots that we can recommend for you to stop and eat or stay. I look forward to hearing from you

 

[TyroneGenade]

Hi Lance et al,

Looks like we are going to spend an extra day on the Cabrillo Highway, overnighting in Carmel or Monteray and then either at San Simeon, Cambria or Morro Bay (but that steak at Jocko's is still on my mind). Not 100% sure yet. We are worried that drive is very much longer than what Google Earth estimates (especially with fog). Also, as we only have about 7-8 hours of sunlight there is a lot to see in a very small space of time. Anyone have any guesses on the speed limits along Cabrillo and how far you can practically travel in a day if you are doing a touristy trip?

Again, any and all advice is much appreciated!

 

[gonewild]

Hi Lance et al,

Looks like we are going to spend an extra day on the Cabrillo Highway, overnighting in Carmel or Monteray and then either at San Simeon, Cambria or Morro Bay (but that steak at Jocko's is still on my mind). Not 100% sure yet. We are worried that drive is very much longer than what Google Earth estimates (especially with fog). Also, as we only have about 7-8 hours of sunlight there is a lot to see in a very small space of time. Anyone have any guesses on the speed limits along Cabrillo and how far you can practically travel in a day if you are doing a touristy trip?

Again, any and all advice is much appreciated!

You can stay in Morro Bay for the night and drive the 45 minutes to Jockos for that steak!

I think you will have more daylight than you think. I know the days get short but from dawn to dusk there is more light time than that.

Don't be concerned about the fog slowing things down. On the coast it rarely slows travel time. Inland it can be a huge problem, but mostly at night.

Probably about 3 -4 hours driving time from Carmel to San Simeon if you don't stop. It is a very winding road on the side of a cliff and the speed is slow. Since you want to stop and enjoy you should assume it will take all day. That stretch of coastline has to be one of the most beautiful in the world. After all that is why the 60's hippies made it home. The Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is a great spot to watch the sunset (15 minutes north of Cambria).

The rest of the Cabrillo highway south is fast moving mostly 55 mph. After Pismo Beach there is not that many places that will lure you to stop until Santa Barbara. Just to give to some real driving times...
Morro Bay to Santa Barbara on the 101 fwy is a little over 2 hours.
Morro Bay to Los Angeles Airport is about 3.5 hours.
Morro Bay to Irvine is about 5 hours.

About 20 minutes south of Santa Barbara take the Bates Road exit and stop at Rincon Point to watch the surfers at the place made famous by the Beach Boys.

You should leave the 101 at Oxnard and get back on the Cabrillo Hwy to go through Malibu. Once you get to Santa Monica you are on your own, it is all city and out of my comfort zone! In the LA area from 4 pm until 7pm forget being in a hurry cause you are going to be in a traffic jam.

 

[nikv]

There are too many decent places to see and do in San Francisco for me to even begin to list. My only advice to "tourists" is to avoid the Cliff House like the plague and instead go to the Beach Chalet at the end of Golden Gate Park. It has better food, better service, and a better atmosphere. Also, drive up to the top of Twin Peaks to take in the panoramic view.

You must visit Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and Cal-Orchid while in Santa Barbara. It's a must do.

While in the Los Angeles area, be sure to visit the Huntington Botanical Garden. Here's a link to their site:

http://www.huntington.org/default.aspx

Best Regards,
Nik von Ruden