10 Days From San Fran to San Diego

Any recommendations which places to stop for sure. Hubby, myself and 13 year old boy. Flying to San Fran late August 23, and flying back to toronto noon on Mon, Sept 3. Should we get hotel near airport in san fran 1st nite we arrive around 11:30 pm and then rent car next day? Plan on spending time in san fran, santa cruz, ????????? then end up in San Diego. We only want very reasonable hotels as we will never be there only to sleep. Any must see areas to stay overnite at. Want to spend day or 2 in LA area to do Universal studios, hollywood hills. Do you think we can fit beach time in to relax at some point somewhere - where do you recommend the beach time to be. Would it be better staying outside of san diego - how much time should we plan for san diego. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

10 Days From San Fran to San Diego

It is not adviseable to take a car into San Francisco if you are staying a couple of days or so. Traffic and outrageous parking. If you want to rest at an airport hotel the first night since you get in so late, then go to the airport hotel via their shuttle and the next morning take their shuttle back to the airport and take BART into the city. If you have too much luggage for BART there are other alternatives, which people here know about.

Then, when you are ready to leave the city, and only then, rent your car.

If you stop in Santa Cruz, take your 13-year old to the Beach Boardwalk to ride the historic and fun wooden roller coaster and other rides and concessions. (Free admission, you only pay for your rides and food and game booths.) Then drive a few blocks west on West Cliff Drive to Steamer Lane, where the surfers should be doing their thing. You will know where to stop because there is a small replica of a lighthouse here, which is now a surfing museum. The main street of town, Pacific Avenue, is pretty and tree-lined and has loads of sidewalk cafes and boutiques, etc. It also has the ONeill Surf Shop, so if your son is into surfing he might enjoy seeing the latest equipment and gear.

Since Santa Cruz is only about 2 hours from San Francisco you could explore here and then get to the Monterey/Carmel area for dinner, at least, and the night. It is only about 45 minutes. You should definitely find time for the Monterey Bay Aquarium...it is world class. You can buy your tickets by telephone ahead of time to avoid long lines. Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel are all next to each other and the 17 mile drive between Pacific Grove and Carmel is very pretty. Also, at the south end of Carmel is Point Lobos State Park, which has great views and hiking trails. This is a fairly expensive area for lodgings, but Pacific Grove has some which might fit. I have not stayed there, but the Andril Fireplace Cottages are recommended here often. You might do a google on that.

From here your choice is to go down Hwy 1 along the coast, or to cut over to the faster Hwy 101 which comes back to the ocean at about San Luis Obispo. Hearst Castle is a recommended sight, but be sure to make your tour reservations ahead of time. To learn about the trip on Highway 1 through Big Sur, etc., do a search here. There have been many, many posts.

As for beaches, I would save that for San Diego. Northern California beaches are good for surfing, but the water is very cold. In San Diego you will want to see the Zoo, and Sea World and Old Town, maybe the Wild Life Park, if you have time.

I do not think I would stay outside of San Diego. It has a great trolley system for sightseeing and buses, too. Except for a trip to the Wild Life Park you could probably just park your car and leave it.

Sounds like a fun trip.