PLZ Read & Give advice: SD->SF (7 days); HELP plan interesting return route

[dallool]

Hello everybody!
First off, this forum has saved my life. I spent the morning reading all posts about road trips to/from San Francisco and it's been very helpful. Thanks to everybody who shared their experiences and knowledge.

Basically, my family, all the way from Kuwait, is visiting me in San Diego. We are planning to see San Francisco and thought about doing a little road trip. I never drove further than LA so that's a problem for me. I need help!

Family: 3 kids (4-8 years old), 4 adults (2 nature lovers, 2 arts and crafts lovers). I'm having a hard time planning a trip that would fit all tastes.

These are our days:
Aug 9: Drive up – Stop somewhere in between to look around, sleep and recharge (Monterey?)
Aug 10: SF, hotel, (SF plan could change a lot),China Town
Aug 11: Wine country, Alcatraz, etc...
Aug 12: Great America Theme park
Aug 13: Checkout, head back to SD
Aug 14: need help on planning return route
Aug 15: need help on planning return route

(I have a GPS so I'm good if I need to change route due to fires affecting highways, but advice on this issue is welcome)

Route 1 going up. We start in San Diego and I plan on driving for 7 hours on the 1 route. I heard it's worth the driving and sea sickness :P
*** Any cool places we should stop and check out?
*** I need advice on what's the best place to stay a night and refresh. What is a good area that is beautiful? Recommendations would be very helpful so I can make reservations. I keep seeing Monterey pop up…
-The next day we head to SF, lots of great things to do and see. Three nights and then we're off again.

Plan for the drive down:
I'm lost on which route to choose.
We have two days for the drive down to San Diego, so my dilemma is: should I stay a night in Yosemite or avoid the big turn and take the kids to Lake Cachuma instead?? Is it worth it to spend just a night in Yosemite? Can you suggest other return routes that are interesting and I'm not aware of?

I would appreciate any kind of help and information. I'm basically a beginner with road trips and could use all the help I can get. Thanks very much for reading the post.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

On the way north from approximately Morro Bay on CA-1, there will be a number of roadside rest areas from which you can view sea lion rookeries and other wild life, as well as a number of state parks both on the ocean side and on the inland side as well. This stretch, while beautiful and offering attractions to both the nature and art lovers in your group, will be slow going due to both the nature of the road and the number of times you'll want to stop. Two days is really not enough time to do justice to the stretch from San Diego to San Francisco. But of particular interest would be Monterey with its Aquarium, art shops and history. To be clear: I do NOT recommend trying to get from San Diego, through Los Angeles, and along the PCH to Monterey all in one day!

For your return trip, you could do the PCH again. There is far more than you're going to be able to see on your drive north, or you could try US-101 instead with stops Salinas at the Carrizo Plain National Monument and (if anyone is so inclined, at Edwards Air Force Base before using I-215to skirt around the east side of the L.A. Basin on your way home.

AZBuck

[dallool]

Thank you so much. YOu are absolutely right, 9 hours of driving will be too much. Morro Bay looks quite good for a recharge night. I think we will stop for lunch at Montery on the way to SF ... i hope our plans work out ok. Thank you very much for your help.

THIS SITE IS A GEM!!!