Vacation in CA

[Open Sore]

We are looking for any advice for our baseball trip this September.  We are going to all 5 MLB ballparks in CA this year, so we will be spending some time in SF, LA and SD.  We have a lot of the typical tourist stuff on our list for when we are in each of the cities, but are looking for some advice on cool local hangouts or must sees.

I think I would like to drive from SF to LA on Hwy 1, which according to google maps is about 9 hours of driving.  It is of course faster taking I5, but I think I want to drive down along the coast, and take our time.  So instead of driving straight through for 9-10 hours we are thinking about spending one night about halfway down 1.  It looks like the Morro Bay , Pismo Beach area is about the halfway point.  Does anyone have a recommendation on a town to spend one afternoon/evening in, in that area.

We will be in CA 9/16 - 9/27.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Sport-Touring]

[Uni]

The area around San Luis Obispo is very nice. SLO isn't on the ocean but close and the downtown area is great. If you want to be on the ocean i would go to Avila Beach. There are lots of wineries and good restaurants in the general area if you like that kind of thing. It's one of my favorite areas in CA.

Jeff

[knobnose]

San Simeon or Cambria can be a nice place to stop for the night. The Hearst Castle is in San Simeon and there is an elephant seal rookery just up the road. Wandering Cambria can be kind of fun - touristy but in a pretty good way. The highlight is the Captain's Chest restaurant - excellent fresh seafood. They don't take reservations, so either go early or be prepared to wait a bit. Worth a wait. Several other good restaurants in Cambria, not so much in San Simeon.
If you have time, the Monterey Aquarium is one of the best on the world.

[Blunder]

Kitschy little Solvang with its Dutch-themed aura (open faced sandwiches!) Is a nice little town with its own motorcycle museum.

[Sport]

Morro Bay or Cambria would be my choices.  Lodging most anywhere on the coast is $$.  Two excellent places to stop for lunch before Carmel are Lucia (brilliant fish and chips) and great ocean view inside or out on their deck but be careful as you can pass it in a second, and the more expensive Nepenthe, farther north, both on the ocean side.  Before you get that far stop in at Ragged Point just for a laugh, drive up to their gas pumps and take a pic of the price per gallon.  The Shell station in Cambria is much cheaper so mostly hiway 1 rookies ever actually buy gas at Ragged Pt.  BTW, the road gets real...interesting just past Ragged Pt.  Oh and there's a pretty good road between I-5 and 1, called 101.  Actually, 101 (is) the coast hiway north of Leggett, way north of SF.  Once in the Bay Area, if possible, try taking a BART train to the games.  Parking in SF is SCARCE and $$.  In Oakland it's now $25 I think...just to freakin park!  Bastiches!  Have a good time, one more thing, you HAVE to eat at Tommys Joynt at Van Ness and Geary in SF.  You'll thank me, no foolin.  Not to be missed.

[Blunder]

What sport recommended for the ballyard in SF. Not much parking nearby that's even reasonable. Take BART to Embarcadero station and then stroll south to the park. Lots of food and drink along the way.

[nevinfs327]

If you're staying in San Francisco, would forgo a car until you need it to drive south.  Trolley or Uber or your feet can get you to the AT&T Park.  BART has a station in Oakland.  

Fisherman's Wharf - where most hotels are - is the tourist area in SF, so get into some of the neighborhoods like North Beach by Washington Square Park (and check out the free cable car museum), Union St. in Cow Hollow just west of Van Ness/101, Chestnut St. in the Marina from Fillmore west, Lyons St. Steps (great place for a workout), fried chicken dinner at Sessions in the Presidio on Sundays at the Chestnut St. entrance.

Book your Alcatraz tours well in advance - they sell out.  

If renting bikes: I used to live around the corner from Big Swingin Cycles and found they had much nicer rentals for only a couple more dollars than the volume rental places littering Fisherman's Wharf.  Sports Basement in the Presidio also has nicer rentals.

If you get moto-desperate, Dubbleju was good when I traveled here for work before moving here 5 years ago, and a few friends have rented there since.

If in the Mission, Munroe Motors had a new Norton in stock last I was there.

Good advice from others on the trip down the coast.  

Edited to add - 21st Amendment brewing has good beers and grub and is only a couple of blocks from AT&T Park.

[Open Sore]

Thanks for the tips guys.  We are not renting a car until the day before we leave SF, we will be relying on public trans and walking to get around SF.  As mentioned we will use the BART to get to the stadium in Oakland.  Looks like a cab to the SF Giants game.

We will be in SF on a Friday afternoon and night,Saturday all day (game Saturday night) and Monday afternoon (A's game Monday night).  We are taking a bus tour to the Napa Valley wineries on Sunday.  We do have our tickets for Alcatraz on Saturday morning.  Any cool hot spots or recommendations for things to do near the AT&T ballpark on Saturdays?  On my things to see list is the Cable Car museum.  

We will probably hit the touristy areas near Fisherman's wharf on the Friday we arrive, since our hotel is right in that area.
 
Are cabs readily available in SF? both going to and from the game at AT&T park?  Although the cable cars might be an option.  Looks like there might be a route from the hotel area south towards AT&T park.  Trying to figure that map out.

Made reservations for one night in  Cambria to break up the ride b/w SF and LA.  Gonna try for that Captains Chest for the seafood.

Thanks for the input guys.

[nevinfs327]

 
Are cabs readily available in SF? both going to and from the game at AT&T park?  Although the cable cars might be an option.  Looks like there might be a route from the hotel area south towards AT&T park.  Trying to figure that map out.

Cabs are readily available but use an app or call to get one, rather than sticking your hand up like in NYC.  Flywheel and Yellow Cab both have easy apps to compete with Uber/Lyft.  I find on weekends and in touristy areas cabs are no more expensive and often cheaper than Uber because they don't do surge pricing.  

There is a trolley (streetcar) along the Embarcadero that is probably a better choice than a car, due to traffic.  The E line.  Note that the trolleys run with electric motors on level areas, and the cable cars run on a cable system and are able to go up and down hills.  Separate systems.  

[Open Sore]

Cabs are readily available but use an app or call to get one, rather than sticking your hand up like in NYC.  Flywheel and Yellow Cab both have easy apps to compete with Uber/Lyft.  I find on weekends and in touristy areas cabs are no more expensive and often cheaper than Uber because they don't do surge pricing.  

There is a trolley (streetcar) along the Embarcadero that is probably a better choice than a car, due to traffic.  The E line.  Note that the trolleys run with electric motors on level areas, and the cable cars run on a cable system and are able to go up and down hills.  Separate systems.  

Thank you for that info.  That will help.