Factory Tour then Trip Down PCH - List of "Must do" things?

[Racerx22b]

Hi all,

Looking for local advice on things to do our our upcoming trip. Any advice is greatly welcomed.

We land Oct 20th at noon and have a factory tour scheduled for 3pm. Any ideas for killing an hour or so with the wife (keep it clean - LOL)?

I was thinking Nobu in Palo Alto for lunch but I was up for other things to do not food related.

We are starting a 10 day trip down PCH (except for the closed part). Staying 2 nights each at the Ritz in Half Moon, Bernardus in Carmel, Four Seasons In Santa Barbara, Montage in Laguna, then The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Must do things for the areas nearby Half Moon, Carmel, Santa Barbara, Laguna Beach (really any beach town), and La Jolla are welcome. As well as things to do on our drive from one place to another.

Thanks in advance! We are very much looking forward to this trip!

Jason

 

[McManX]

Santa Cruz and Monterey should definitely be on your list

 

[Lasttoy]

Eat, great food in the area. Seafood is best. I was there 10 days last summer.

 

[Trailblazer]

For your time in Half Moon Bay:
- eat at Barbara's Fish Trap or Moss Beach Distillery
- plug in at the J1772 charger at Town Hall in HMB, then stroll around downtown for a couple hours
- take a quick hike at Purisima Creek (south of town, just a few miles off Hwy 1) - beautiful groves of redwood trees

 

[Racerx22b]

Thanks for the tips... but to clarify we'll be in a rental and unless National has really upgraded their fleet I doubt it'll be an EV.

Anything specific in Monterey or Santa Cruz that I should put on my to do list?

Jason

 

[RichardL]

Hi all,
We land Oct 20th at noon and have a factory tour scheduled for 3pm. Any ideas for killing an hour or so with the wife (keep it clean - LOL)?

It is worth mentioning that arriving at SFO at Noon, picking up a rental and getting across to the factory in Fremont *could* take a while, depending on traffic - so don't assume you will have loads of time to kill (hopefully you will, but be aware)

 

[Racerx22b]

Apologies but we are landing at San Jose.... I thought I mentioned that in my original post but I see that I left out that critical piece of info.

 

[Boatguy]

The Pfeiffer Canyon bridge is scheduled to re-open on October 13 so that will open up a little more of the PCH. Stop at Post Ranch or Nepenthe for a drink/lunch. A little further south it's usually possible to stop and see the California Condors cruising the cliffs, and then there is Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park with a short walk to a beautiful cove that you have probably seen in a number of photographs.

In Santa Barbara I highly recommend dining at Convivo.

Enjoy!

PS: I also read the "factory tour" as meaning you were picking up a new Tesla, we hope that will be on another trip. As someone else mentioned, traffic in that area will be pretty horrendous when you finish the factory tour on a Friday afternoon. You would be better off trying to get an earlier tour, closer to your arrival time.

 

[Bet TSLA]

Thanks for the tips... but to clarify we'll be in a rental...

Ditch the rental and get a Tesla on Turo. You'll have a much better time. If it's too much money, skip the fancy hotels and go Airbnb.

I was just back east and drove a Model X I got from @gsdrides.com (a TMC member, by the way). It was an awesome week.

 

[siucity]

You can easily spend hours at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

 

[Racerx22b]

PS: I also read the "factory tour" as meaning you were picking up a new Tesla, we hope that will be on another trip. As someone else mentioned, traffic in that area will be pretty horrendous when you finish the factory tour on a Friday afternoon. You would be better off trying to get an earlier tour, closer to your arrival time.

I already have two Teslas so I'm good on my Tesla inventory as is. Plus I live in FL so as much as I'd love to take delivery in CA and drive it back I'm not gonna pay sales tax twice.

Tours are only offered at 10, 11, 3, and 4. Since we land at noon this is our only option. Will probably dine in Palo Alto somewhere before driving to Half Moon Bay.

 

[Racerx22b]

Ditch the rental and get a Tesla on Turo. You'll have a much better time. If it's too much money, skip the fancy hotels and go Airbnb.

The car rental is free as I travel extensively as part of my job. Burning through all of my free days before they expire.

 

[Bet TSLA]

The car rental is free as I travel extensively as part of my job. Burning through all of my free days before they expire.

That's nice. But the punishment is that you have to drive whatever it is instead of a Tesla. The drive down through Big Sur is gorgeous and wonderful fun (although parts are closed now). You'll spend your whole time wishing you were driving a Tesla.

 

[SSCustoms]

For Monterey I'd recommend 17mile drive. Hit up as many beaches on that road. The homes nestled along the coastline and gold course are beautiful as well. You gotta do cannery row for the history and aquarium and take a stroll down Ocean Beach in Carmel for the shopping and good eats. A great sit down restaurant in Monterey is the Sardine Factory. Great food for sure!

 

[Racerx22b]

You'll spend your whole time wishing you were driving a Tesla.

This is essentially every week of my life when I'm working. Unfortunately, I've learned to deal with it.

 

[idealsol]

+1 for Monterey aquarium, world class
Hearst Castle is amazing
In Laguna, the best gelato shop ever
Dolce Gealto right near the beach on Broadway

 

[Racerx22b]

Hearst Castle is amazing

Hearst Castle is in the plans. Plan to visit Slovang as well.

 

[Wshowell]

Although not the “greenest” thing to do, stop at the Pismo Dunes and take a Hummer tour. No where else can you do this.
Xtreme Hummer Tours, Hummer tours, ATV, Pismo Beach Caifornia Dunes Hummer Rentals
If you want to enjoy the peace and quiet of the area the enjoy the dune access through Oso Flaco (skinny bear).
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center – Oso Flaco Lake—A California State Park

The central coast is a perfect stopping point on your way down to Santa Barbara as we are about half way (Morro Bay is truly half way and it’s scemic). Solvang is cute but it’s mostly a stopping point for overseas tourist and copied after a European town, not exactly Ca. Mission San Luis Obispo is a beautiful stopping point and a great location to enjoy lunch if you’re getting “beached out”. The village of Arroyo Grande is lovely, original and great for lunch and Doc Bernstein’s ice cream parlor (famous locally) and you can see where us natives go to when we need to escape the summer beach tourists.

 

[Racerx22b]

Ditch the rental and get a Tesla on Turo.

One other issue is I am doing a one way rental.

 

[Racerx22b]

Mission San Luis Obispo is a beautiful stopping point and a great location to enjoy lunch if you’re getting “beached out”

We are leaving the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel on the 24th and have a tour of Hearst Castle at 1120am. I was planning on doing lunch in Morro Bay. Simply based on reviews and my personal culinary preferences I was thinking of Taco Temple or Bayside Cafe for a late lunch. I'm equally satisfied at a Diners Drive In Dives type of place or a fine dining establishment. I prefer more low key for lunch though.

Thoughts?