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Is it still possible to drive in san Francisco and the Bay Area?

Help me plan a day trip from San Francisco to the Monterey Bay Area.

  • Where should my boyfriend and I go and what should we do on a day trip to the Monterey Bay area? One of my very best friends is getting married in San Francisco later this month, and my boyfriend and I will be be in town for about 5 days. Growing up, my family would vacation in Monterey. I haven't been back to the aquarium - probably my favorite place on earth as a child - since I was about 12, so I'm hoping to drive down for one of our days, go to the aquarium, and generally bum around. I also have fond memories of beautiful stretches of coastal highway and beaches around Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur. But I don't remember specifically what or where they were. We're open to driving around; we love all kinds of food (equally at home with road food as we are with more rarified fare), art, Americana, the natural world - especially wildlife. What route should we take to get there? What should we do, aside from the aquarium? Where should we eat? We're open to leaving early, and would like to be back in San Francisco by 10, and certainly by midnight. Generally, we'd prefer free or affordable activities over expensive ones, but we might make an exception for something truly special. If it helps, we're both 20-something literary types; I lean artsy, he leans nerdy. Thank you!

  • Answer:

    I recommend taking 280 instead of 101, because 101 is basically surrounded by strip malls, whereas 280 goes through lovely rolling hills (you can also take Hwy 1 down from SF, though it takes longer and I think a piece of road is actually closed now). Good idea to quickly check traffic (call 511) before heading down. Highway 17 in particular can have major issues. Santa Cruz is great (I like Natural Bridges State Park), but if you're looking for wilderness, I might recommend going all the way down to Monterey, stopping at the aquarium, then going a bit further down 1 into Big Sur. The drive is breathtaking the entire time in Big Sur. You can spend a few hours along the coast, and then head back into Carmel, Pacific Grove, or Monterey for dinner. If you go straight to Monterey, you can also avoid 17 if traffic is bad, and switch from 280 to 101, then cut over on 152, a short stretch of 2-lane road.

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you're a kitty!

http://www.mapquest.com/#d564d716d4d5f3ad8ae42055. It's really pretty, plus you can stop in Santa Cruz and check out the Boardwalk. It's free to walk along it, and you can get taffy and fried artichokes. Go do what you do in Monterrey, then take http://www.duartestavern.com/tour.html and have dinner athttp://www.duartestavern.com/ They're famous for their artichoke soup, cioppino and O'lallieberry Pie. Then Skyline back to the city. Should be a glorious day!

Ruthless Bunny

If you like wildlife, I highly recommend http://www.elkhornslough.org/index.html - it's a lovely nature preserve between Santa Cruz and Monterey. There are otters, lots of birds and more. You could hit it up between checking out the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz and going to Monterey for the aquarium.

deeparch

It's not far from there to http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=571, one of the most beautiful places in the world.

w0mbat

My partner and I just did a few days in Monterey and it was amazing. We had a great breakfast at First Awakenings in the Cannery Row outlets, and a great lunch at Compagno's Deli in Pacific Grove (seriously amazing sandwiches and desserts but expect a line at lunch time), and a great dinner at Il Vecchio. We stayed at Asilomar and just spent a lot of time sitting in the lodge and beach boardwalk area. It's one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in California. I know your plan is to just drive down and back in a day, but you should consider staying the night if you really want to see anything. That's a LONG day of driving, especially (as others have correctly noted) it's on a weekend. The traffic going into Monterey when we left (on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago) was backed up for at least 20 miles. It was crazy.

guster4lovers

Because of a massive influx of anchovies, the http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Paddling-with-giants-Humpback-whale-spectacle-in-5670656.php and are coming very close to the shore, so a whale-watching trip might be in order.

potsmokinghippieoverlord

Check the tide table before you go and see if you can visit the http://www.on-scenic-routes.net/2012/10/05/the-great-tide-pool/ in Pacific Grove. It's a ~10 minute drive south of Monterey proper.

mudpuppie

I think the drive along the coast from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz is too beautiful to miss. Go that way down Hwy 1 on your trip south, instead of 101 or 280. If you're going back to SF in the dark then go up 280. Absolutely avoid Hwy 17 if it's the weekend, or if you're nervous on a fast twisty mountain freeway; the median barrier on 17 has been much improved recently, so it can be fun if you're an OK driver and are not in weekend stop-and-go traffic. It's a bit off the coast track, but the mission complex at http://www.oldmissionsjb.org/history.html takes you right back into the mission period. It's on the edge of the small town, and unspoilt by modernity.

anadem

Monterey Bay Aquarium is my favorite place in the world, too. I'm very jealous. I have one idea to add to people's suggestions -- if you're driving through Pescadero, you might think about stopping for lunch at this http://www.harleyfarms.com/. So pretty, and you can buy a delicious picnic, and it won't add much time to your day. (And I have to disagree with the boardwalk, that's like 300th on my list of things I'd recommend seeing between SF and Monterey.)

gerstle

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