California Travel Forum

G'day everyone. Boy am I finding this site useful. How did people previously travel without your help!!! The final leg of our Californian trip is from San Francisco to LA in late August. Our family of five (3 children 10,14.16) are keen surfers currently living near The Great Ocean Road in Victoria AUS. We are spending three days traveling down the coast after spending a few days in San Francisco. I thought we would stay overnight at Monterey and Santa Barbara (only a thought at this stage).

I am open to any suggestions and advice on:
(1) great surf beaches,
(2) cheap accommodation (we are on a tight budget and with five people),
(3) 'not to be missed' sights, and
(4) cheap places to eat.
(I think that list is 'one with the lot'!!!)

I have done a lot of reading on this site (eg Phil & Den posting below) but it is difficult to work out distances and travel times. We certainly don't want to be in the car all day. Looking forward to your local knowledge. Mick from down under

Sorry, but in late August here in the western US you will find mostly small surf. The best surfing generally is south of LA

There are two truly unique places to surf in California:
Maverick's at Half Moon Bay - rideable up to 50 or 60 feet.
The Wedge at Newport Beach ( 90 minute drive south of LA ) - mostly bodysurfing, boogie boards allowed after 5:00pm.

Bring a wetsuit. The water here is colder than one would expect.

Be sure to stop in Santa Cruz, between Half Moon Bay and Monterey for a go at famous Steamer Lane, just north of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Look for the Lighthouse on the point.

If you want some adrenaline, rent an ATV in Pismo Beach, CA. They have these massive sand dunes as high as 80-100 feet and it goes for miles. I've rented from these two companies and had no problems yet.

http://www.pismoatvrentals.com/atv_prices.htm

http://www.pismooceanoatvrentals.com/index.html (ask if they still have the deal for $110 for 2 atv's)

Greetings, Mick!

San Francisco to Monterey via Highway 1 takes about 3-4 hours without stops, and is a beautiful drive. Along the way there are many small towns, beaches, and parks.

Monterey is a great town with lots to see and do. It seems like people are always surfing at nearby Asilomar State Beach. Hotels are pretty expensive in Monterey, but cheaper in nearby Salinas. In Monterey, the best hotel deals are along North Fremont St (a few years ago I spent about a month at the Econolodge for $50 a night)... downtown hotels are generally $150 a night and up. Of course another option for cheaper lodging is camping... many of the coastal parks have campgrounds.

While in Monterey check out the wharves and the Path of History walking tour of downtown. Take a drive through the neighboring towns of Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Pebble Beach. Point Lobos Park is just south of Carmel and is one of the best state parks in California.

Cheap food in and around Monterey is hard to find since this is a very touristy town, but there are a few good Mexican places that are decently priced like Turtle Bay Taqueria (named Monterey's "Best Cheap Eats" 8 years in a row) or Papa Chano's on Alvarado St. Lou Lou's Griddle on the commercial wharf is a cheaper breakfast spot with great views of the marina and beach. Some of the local pubs have reasonably priced food as well... If you are here on a Wednesday everything at the Mucky Duck on Alvarado is half priced. Pelican Tavern is also good and near the water. Giannis Pizza is another place I'd recommend.

Continuing on down the coast from Monterey, I've only gone as far as Morrow Bay, so I can't give you too much sound advice. The drive from Monterey to Santa Barbara will take you about 5 hours. Other than spectacular scenery, there isn't much along highway 1 in Big Sur (and no fuel for under $5 a gallon) until you get to San Simeon. The Spanish Missions are worth seeing (San Luis Obispo, Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara), and you might enjoy the Hearst Mansion if you can fit it into your schedule.

From Santa Barbara to LA is only about 2 hours, so you might consider staying a little further north (maybe Morrow Bay or San Luis Obispo) to spread out your drive a little more evenly.

Let me know if you want any more information on these ideas. Have a great trip!

Joe

You 'guys' are the greatest!!! The beers are on me!!! This info is invaluable. We still have a few months to go with planning so I will keep in contact. Just another question if I may. It was mentioned the water is cold. Are we needing a 3mm/4mm steamer or something lighter? Still tossing up about bringing our boards or hiring them. Is hiring a possibility in certain places??? We are heading out to the grand canyon from LA then back to San Francisco (then down the coast) so I think our boards would experience a melt down in the heat. Thanks again and I'll keep in contact. Mick

In August, I would try Santa Cruz (Capitola) area,water temp avg.15.5C, then down to Pismo Beach (Oceano)area,water temp avg.17.7C, next down to Huntington Beach (Surf City),water temp avg 20C. Many surfers wear wetsuits and a few brave it out with only trunks. Most wetsuits are 4/3mm that are used. Remember the code and stay out of the way of locals. Website to search is: http://www.surfline.com/home/index.cfm
Board rentals at all locations. Check out Santa Cruz: http://www.shorelinesurf.com/surferspage.htm
Check out Huntington Beach:
htttp://www.surfboard-rental.com/surfboard_rentals.htm

Thanks travelgourmet et el, love your work!! Starting to think hiring boards is the go and bring our own wetsuits. Will check the sites you listed. Thanks for your help. Mick