Anonymous wrote:FYI, Highway 1 is still closed around Big Sur.

While it is currently not possible to travel continuously on Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria, the Big Sur coast remains open for exploration from both the north and the south.

https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html

Yeah, that’s a bummer. For those wanting to still see part of the coast, you can drive up PCH/Hwy 1 to close to San Simeon and Cambria, then cut over on Rt. 46 to Paso Robles and pick up the 101 there to continue north.

Anonymous wrote:New poster here- we are planning San Francisco to LA (probably skipping Monteray). What about Pismo Beach? We were thinking that looked fun for a night or two stop.

I’m one of the PPs who has spent lots of time in that area (not from there, just lots of frequent work trips). I’d do a night in Pismo Beach, then another night in Santa Barbara, then on to LA.

I would go to San Diego from Disneyland instead of Monterey. More kid friendly activities and much shorter drive. The Zoo is amazing and tons of other kid friendly activities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drive up the coast and check out state parks, Nature, hiking

This -- I'm a native Californian from the Bay Area and even after nearly 30 years on the east coast I'm always amazed that people here don't appreciate how much of what makes California special is the abundant and varied natural beauty. I mean, I'm a fan of many cities, including LA (cue Randy Newman here), but you miss so much if you're just going to the tourist attractions -- especially if you're doing that drive up to Monterey with a 7 y.o., you're gonna need to get out of the car and run around a little bit. Going north from LA check out Will Rogers SP and Mandeville Canyon. Santa Barbara has a beautiful botanical garden and several great parks, including one with a mega climbing structure for kids (maybe somebody here can remember the details on this or just google). Carpinteria is one of my favorite little beach towns along the SoCal coast. Continuing north Morro Bay is a great spot for kayaking. Near Big Sur, there are two beautiful state parks, Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP (do the waterfall trail) and Andrew Molera SP.

I don't under stand comments like these. You don't understand that other people are not as privileged as you to have travelled extensively in California? I grew up in DC and would never say that "I don't understand that how people don't appreciate how pretty Shendoah Park is." I don't get what phrasing things in this way adds to the conversation- trying to convince people how pretty CA by calling them dumb and uneducated and unapreicate of nature? Does that work for you to connive people to think like you?

Wow -- you're a grouch. Is that what growing up in DC will do to our kids? Yikes!

OP is driving from LA to Monterey. The highlights of that drive are, IMHO, all about the natural beauty and outdoor activities -- especially if you're driving with a 7 y.o. And to set the record straight, I never called anyone "dumb". I wouldn't do that. But, then again, I was privileged to grow up in a place where people are not as crabby as they are here. Maybe that's because we can get out in nature more easily.

What is the implication of your sentence "I'm always amazed that people here don't appreciate how much of what makes California special is the abundant and varied natural beauty" if you don't think that people who don't appreciate natural beauty are dumb? It certainly does not seem like you are suggesting something magnanimous. I am curious what trait you are scribing to people here. Not grouch- try again. The worth you are looking for is empathetic, because I understand that people who have never had an experience traveling to a certain place might, on a travel board, ask questions about traveling to that place without having a full understanding of it.

For the record, I don't actually think you are privileged to have grown up in CA, and clearly neither are you since you would choose to raise your kids there rather than in DC. You parents raised snobby kids in CA though, so hopefully your kids won't turn out like that.

New poster here- we are planning San Francisco to LA (probably skipping Monteray). What about Pismo Beach? We were thinking that looked fun for a night or two stop.

FYI, Highway 1 is still closed around Big Sur.

While it is currently not possible to travel continuously on Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria, the Big Sur coast remains open for exploration from both the north and the south.

https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hearst castle is cool, but I don’t know that a 7 year old would find it so neat. As an adult it was cool though!

If trying to stick to fun, do a couple nights in Santa Barbara and do the zoo, the moxie (kids museum), do a whale watching boat, and ride bikes along the beach. Great time for hiking the foothills too—should still be slightly green from winter rain.

If wanting to squeeze in “education” la purisima mission in Lompoc is set up to show daily life in the 1800s with animals and demonstrations and how the missionaries lived.

I don’t think PCPAs summer season will have started yet, but there is an outdoor theater in solving that is adorable and perfect for families. Pretty sure the first show is May though.

Wow, someone else familiar with La Purisima! This is definitely a hidden gem. I feel people are more familiar with the larger missions, like the one in Santa Barbara. La Purisima has some nice little trails around it, and the interpreters there have been fantastic any time I’ve stopped by.

Hah, it was the standard 4th grade field trip for Goleta school kids for decades. Not sure if it still is.

Anonymous wrote:Hearst castle is cool, but I don’t know that a 7 year old would find it so neat. As an adult it was cool though!

If trying to stick to fun, do a couple nights in Santa Barbara and do the zoo, the moxie (kids museum), do a whale watching boat, and ride bikes along the beach. Great time for hiking the foothills too—should still be slightly green from winter rain.

If wanting to squeeze in “education” la purisima mission in Lompoc is set up to show daily life in the 1800s with animals and demonstrations and how the missionaries lived.

I don’t think PCPAs summer season will have started yet, but there is an outdoor theater in solving that is adorable and perfect for families. Pretty sure the first show is May though.

Wow, someone else familiar with La Purisima! This is definitely a hidden gem. I feel people are more familiar with the larger missions, like the one in Santa Barbara. La Purisima has some nice little trails around it, and the interpreters there have been fantastic any time I’ve stopped by.