Central California Coast

We did a road trip a few years ago, starting in Las Vegas, and finishing up staying with friends in Los Gatos.
Highlights were Morro Bay, Hearst Castle/San Simeon, Carmel and Monterey.

If you're thinking the Central Coast, I would highly recommend visiting Cambria. It is a charming coastal town with a lot to see and do there. You could use it as a base and head to places like Paso Robles for some wine tasting. The town itself of Paso Robles is a lot of fun to go through. They have some really fun shops and beautiful scenery there in that area.

Cambria is very near Hearst Castle and also Seal Beach, where you will see the massive Elephant seals laying on the beach. And definitely don't miss Moonstone Beach. You could even drive north a bit and head up Big Sur if you wanted. It's a beautiful drive, and you don't have to go all the way up.

I would also explore San Luis Obispo, which is a really charming city and has a lot to see and do there. Nice shopping and the Madonna Hotel and so on. The area is really lovely. Honestly, I can't rave enough about that area. I love the Central California coast, and there's always someplace to go to there.

Where you go depends on how far you want to drive and how much time you have. If it were me, I probably wouldn't go up as far as Monterey or Carmel, although you certainly could, but there's plenty to see just in the central coast area.

When are you planning to do this? What airport are you flying in to? How long is the trip? Those details will help narrow down suggestions, there is a lot of CA coastline.

My last visit was 2 years ago and we stayed in Cambria right on the coast. Like Lin and Mardee, I also love Morro Bay and Paso Robles. There is a New Zealand winery in Paso that has great wine and the downtown area has lots of shops & restaurants. I've made this trip several times. I usually fly into LAX and drive stopping every couple hours, e.g., Santa Barbara pier for lunch. I've been all the way to Big Sur & Monterey, but always check to be sure the highway is open all the way. In Cambria, I stayed at Castle Inn, a converted 2 story motel, not fancy, pool, hot tub & a great fire pit.

A great route is the 600-mile-long Highway 1 -- also known as the Pacific Coast Highway -- along the ocean. The views of the Pacific are stunning, and there are dozens of stops along the way. As others have mentioned, Monterey is a great stop. I recommend it for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is not just another aquarium: It sets the standard. I remember stopping at a winery called Bonny Doon Vineyard. Dozens of food stands sell fresh fruit, produce and other.

Lin has certainly identified some highlights.

Assume that you are planning to drive highways US 101 and California 1 between LA and SF. And that you know Highway 1 from Morro Bay nearly to Carmel is a slow, curvy cliffhanger. If you’re a little white-knuckled or have a hint of acrophobia, drive from south to north.

• Santa Barbara. Beautiful small city on the coast. Mission style courthouse and clock tower worth a visit, downtown shops, Mission Santa Barbara - one of 21 historic missions on the famous - or infamous - California Mission Trail, where Father Junipero Serra founded mission settlements to bring Catholicism to the native populations, with the effect of bringing death, disease and deprivation. Just north of Santa Barbara is the UCSB campus with two miles of oceanfront.
  
• Santa Ynez Valley wineries; Los Olivos. Wine country - a little to the east of US 101. The area portrayed in the 2004 movie Sideways with Paul Giamatti. Nearby is the way too cutesy and totally overdone Danish or Scandinavian themed town of Solvang. A once quiet, sleepy town with a few little smorgasbords and bakeries and now a victim of its own success.
• Pismo Beach. Quiet oceanfront town. You can find a restaurant near the pier and watch the surfers.
• Morro Bay. Another surfer town. Iconic great haystack rock at Morro Bay State Park.
• Hearst Castle (San Simeon). Definitely a sight to see. Historic, iconic tribute to power, ego and California’s golden era of the 1920s and 30s. Think Rosebud and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane.
• You could stay relatively near there, to the south, in Cambria.
• Big Sur. An area north of San Simeon, starting with Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (stop there and enjoy the views), past Nepenthe restaurant, Ventana and the Post Ranch Inn, through Big Sur State Park and Point Sur and up to the Little Sur River. You could stay in some of the priciest lodgings in California (Post Ranch, Ventana). Or camp out in Big Sur State Park and hike through the Redwoods.
• Up the coast from there, Point Lobos State Park. Definitely spend an hour or more, walking, hiking, gazing at the surf and the seals.
• Monterey Peninsula. Carmel, Pacific Grove and Monterey. Each distinctive. Fancy hotels, many smaller motels, inns and hotels. Carmel is on the pricey side. A number of B&Bs in Monterey and Pacific Grove, more moderately priced. At Asilomar State Park, on the ocean, there is a conference center and there are both historic and pleasant but plain and woodsy motel style accommodations for a reasonable price. Check it out and see if it works for you. There are many fine dining opportunities in Carmel, Pacific Grove and Monterey. Mostly in Carmel. Plan to spend multiple nights on the Monterey Peninsula.
• Further up the coast, an old school Boardwalk at Santa Cruz. And the UCSC campus is a gem
• Further north, as you approach SF, Half Moon Bay has iconic BIG surf and surfers.

Thank you all for these great suggestions! Actually I did my own little road trip up the coast from LA a while back, and really enjoyed many of the places you kind people have recommended. Cambria sounds like a good base...have not been there. How would it compare to other beach towns near San Simeon as a base? And then maybe stay in Carmel for a day or two?

Cambria is a charming village. Basically one main street with stores. Several hotels along the coast & wonderful seafood restaurants. I prefer it to other coastal towns although I have stayed in Santa Barbara and Solvang (not on the coast, but fun in its own way. And further up the coast in Carmel & Monterey which were great, but larger. I prefer the small town feel.

Thank you! I will look into it.

kta2754,
Oh my! You have landed on a great drive/vacation. We live in SoCal and have taken many, many California road trips. This is one of our favorites. We are going again this fall! We have gone north to south and south to north.
What month are you going? For how long? Where are you flying into and out of? Previous posters have given you some good ideas.
There are so many neat places to stop (e.g.for an hour to watch the dolphins play in the surf at Grover Beach or Shell Beach, or for lunch at Pismo Beach). Montana de Oro State Park near Avila Beach has some great ocean views and nice hiking trails. These are part of the Five Cities Drive along the coast (Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, Oceano, Grover Beach, Shell Beach). Oceano is a small town but has a charming old-time "Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville Theater" (funky and fun), plus some great sand dunes to climb and explore. This area is also a large agricultural region growing berries, avocados, citrus, to name a few besides grapes.

Not far inland is San Luis Obispo, with a popular university that has a big ag dept. and sells their produce to the public (have to check hours they are open). Every Thursday night the main street in town has a big open air market and the restaurants serve meals outside. It's a lively scene! Santa Maria tri-tip is a specialty of the area. (Santa Maria is another nearby town...charming also). There are free entertainers (some more amateur than others, but all fun)! A free trolley takes visitors on a parallel street and hits up many hotels and motels on its route through town. We have planned our road trips to be in SLO specifically on Thursdays.

SLO has one of the original 21 missions, a river through town, and proximity to several wineries. North of SLO on Hwy 101 are Paso Robles and Atascadero, both situated in areas with lots of wineries and olive grove farms. You can do olive oil tastings as well as winery tastings. Tons to choose from all along central California. (Aside...Richard Henry Dana wrote "Two Years Before the Mast" partly inspired by his sailing around the Port of San Luis Bay and Avila Beach. The bay was a major point of shipping in that part of the Calif coast in the 19th century.)

Back on the coast is Cambria, a nice community with several hotels along the ocean side of the highway. Moonstone Beach is great for having a drink and watching the sun set. We have stayed more than once at the Cambria Pines Lodge...not on the beach but really nice and peaceful in a sylvan setting. Good buffet breakfast and good dining room for dinner also. Just a 5-10 minute drive to the beach. (Also, Cambria, as do many of these small towns, has a farmer's market with local produce. Don't know which day though.) Up from Cambria is San Simeon (mentioned above...W.R. Hearst...interesting history) and Seal Beach where elephant seals come to calve (check the seasons). Some lighthouses along the coast as well, e.g.Piedras Blancas Light Station north of Seal Beach.

Keep heading north to get to Monterrey, Carmel, etc. They are a bit more upscale IMO. Beautiful settings and coastal scenes, but pricey and touristy IMO. Carmel has the mission where Fra Junipero Serra is interred. (Just fyi, from Ventura/Santa Barbara to Carmel there are 10 missions (San Buenaventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carmel, and more inland , some on Hwy 101, San Juan Bautista, Santa Inez, La Purissima, San Antonio de Padua, San Miguel Arcangel and Soledad. Some are rebuilt, some are footprints, and some are not so close to the ocean, but interesting to visit.)

I guess you can tell I love California and find it full of interesting sights and history and natural beauty. I hope you have a great trip!

S. This is probably the wrong month for you, but Pismo Beach has a large Monarch Butterfly Grove that is full of them November-January as they migrate. Also, Morro Bay, Nipomo and Los Osos have groves where they settle, but smaller. Just fyi.

Not sure how long your trip is … or whether you’re spending any time in SF or LA (or San Diego for that matter). But a day or two “in Carmel” is kinda minimal for the Monterey Peninsula area.

Someone else mentioned the Monterey Aquarium. Very near there is the walk (or bike ride) along the bayside oceanfront trail to Lovers Point and beyond to Asilomar Dunes on the ocean side. There are art galleries galore in Carmel and more galleries a bit inland in Carmel Valley. There is the 17 mile drive along the ocean front and by the legendary Pebble Beach golf courses … which is tolled, but you could rent bikes in Monterey or Carmel and bike it … or part of it … and avoid the toll while you enjoy the ride.

I’d suggest a minimum of 3 nights, 2 full days for the Monterey Peninsula/Carmel area alone.

Since you’re coming all the way from Georgia, I suggest you spend at least 6 nights starting with Santa Barbara or very near there and ending with the Monterey Peninsula. If you spend 8 nights on that central coast, so much the better. With closer to 2 weeks on the west coast, you might add a few days in LA or perhaps Ojai (inland from Ventura) and/or a few days in SF.

Someone else mentioned Mission San Juan Bautista. The tower scene in Hitchcock’s Vertigo was set there. That mission is inland from Monterey, not far from US 101. If you go there from Monterey, stop in Castroville for some French fried artichoke hearts.

You have received so many great suggestions. I just wanted to answer your specific question on how staying in Cambria compares with others along the coast near San Simeon. As a frame of reference, I lived in SF Bay Area and travel to the Central Coast about 4x/year. I primarily stay in Cambria after staying in the past in San Simeon, Pismo, Morro Bay, I go back to Cambria for a couple of reasons.

• It is a quaint town with great views, especially if you stay on Moonstone Beach. There is a walk way that goes along the beach which is a great place for a stroll and the sunsets in the evening are breathtaking. Many of the hotels have outside seating so that you can have a view from your hotel.
• Wonderful hiking options, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is free to visit. The Ranch has high bluffs along the ocean, wide grassy meadows, and a forested ridge with amazing views. You might see whales swimming, birds flying, or otters playing. Bring binoculars.
• Great local restaurants, some of my favorites are Indigo Moon, Cambria Pines Lodge (if you love prime rib, this is the place to have it), Robins, Madelines.
• Access to local wineries, including Hearst Winery overlooking the Pacific Ocean (had gourmet food options as well).
• Minutes away from Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seal Rookery.
• 30 minute drive to other coastal towns and more wine tasting in Paso Robles.
• Places that I stay that are budget friendly are Sea Otter Inn (on Moonstone beach), Cambria Pines Lodge (in the hills above Cambria, it is rustic. A more upscale splurge is White Water Inn.

The only real drawback is that the beaches are rocky, so if you are going to be on the beach a lot of the time, then Pismo is a better choice. For me, Pismo is a bit too beach town touristy and I can drive to Cayucos which has a nice beach if I want to go into the water.

I agree with Sandy. Cayucos is a neat beach town. Well worth a stop for a meal and beach stroll.

So much great advice already! We love to stay at Moonstone Beach in Cambria. Stop in Harmony to visit the glassblower. We also love Morro Bay because you can see sea otters from the boardwalk and shore.. At least stop there for a bit! You can see redwoods if you're willing to drive above San Francisco. It's hot inland but chilly in Mendocino--we're there right now!

CA native here. Great suggestions above.

If, per chance, you decide on Morro Bay or Cayucos do not miss Sensario which is outside Paso Robles. https://sensoriopaso.com/

Own a home in Paso Robles and spend a lot of time there. You have gotten a lot of good recommendations. It’s been hot inland lately, like 90 degrees on a consistent basis. Nipomo, Oceano, and Arroyo Grande are all nice small towns. If you stop in Paso, Tin City is an easy way to visit multiple wineries without having to drive. They also have a brewery and a couple places to eat. The Firestone Walker brewery is also close by and has an interesting tour, if beer is more your thing. Try the tri-tip when you are on the central coast.

Sensorio is a light installation which we have often considered visiting, but iMO it is very overpriced, at about $75.00 per person. Open days are limited (Thu. through Sun., I believe) Perhaps one day they will have a sale and we will visit it on one of our road trips. Still, it looks interesting. If you go when here in Calif., tell us about it.
Thanks!

Many have given great suggestions.

I do the Highway 1 drive (from Morro Bay to Monterey) at least 1 time per year. In fact, I am going soon. Pacific Grove is my favorite small town and I try to stay at Asilomar Conference Center when I am able (the price has slowly crept up to not being a good value anymore for me). I stay at a timeshare rental in Pacific Grove instead.

If you stop at Big Sur State Park and park at the main lodge parking lot, you can take a 40 minute round trip walk/hike to see a great sampling of the coastal redwood trees. No charge to park at this lot for the short visit. Take the Valley View trail just across the lot and the trail rises up a few hundred feet and you are in the midst of a small grove, by a running stream. Not difficult, but a slight incline. No need to climb the rest of the Valley View trail, once you have seen enough redwood giants.

I take this small trek to break up the drive onward to Monterey. I then do a day trip from Monterey to Santa Cruz area to see the redwoods again at Henry Cowell State Park (actually in Felton). This park has a level redwood loop trail that is worth the drive. Many more parks with redwoods in the greater Santa Cruz area, if you are so inclined (Just not Big Basin which was virtually destroyed by the 2020 Lightning Complex fire).

Enjoy your visit.