Heading to CA, Big Sur

[SMBooth]

Wife and I are heading to CA soon and want to make sure we have a good time and take some photos. Flying into San Fran then after a few days out to Yosemite NP for 3 nights. From there down to Monterey (stay couple days, Point Lobo Carmel etc) and drive one the Big Sur into LA then to San Deigo to meet old friends before heading home after 2.5 weeks. Going to stop along Big Sur for couple nights - any recommendations, I see there are a couple of little hotel/camps.
Places not to miss ? (besides LA)

Thanks

 

[Sirius Glass]

San Simeon Buy tickets in advance
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=590
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Simeon,_California
http://hearstcastle.org/

The Nethercutt Collection Make reservations as soon as possible. Not to be missed.
http://www.nethercuttcollection.org/

 

[CropDusterMan]

San Francisco is great...lots of history and great architecture...along with crossing the Golden Gate and heading to Sausalito and the scenic road up above the Golden Gate. Napa, to the N.E is great for wine and scenery. As you head south, there are a few cool towns...Santa Cruz, Aptos, and Half Moon Bay. I've been to Yosemite a bunch. A good book to order on Amazon is Michael Fryes Yosemite guide for photographers. Not sure if you're into staying in the park, but a great hotel just outside is called Tenaja Lodge. Takes about 30 min's to drive to tunnel view from there. Good photo store in Yosemite for film and Adams prints. When you leave, there is a great deal of agriculture in the Central Valley of California towards Fresno, and some cool old Ag towns, crop dusting etc.

I HIGHLY recommend Monterrey and then Carmel. Big Sur is nice...for a day. Just south a few hours is Cambria and Morro Bay. Cambria has some great little motels on a road right next to the ocean...Moonstone Beach Drive.
Great little hotel called the FogCatcher Inn, has free breakfast...great photo ops of people spilling out of their polyester pants filling up on DIY pancakes. I kid I kid. Place is nice and literally right next to the Beach.
The town has a great main street and a wonderful place to eat is called Lynns'. They are famous for their Olallyberry (sp?) pie. I also highly recommend Morro Bay. It's a neat
old fishing town and a wonderful place to stay is called the Beach Bungalow Inn and Suites...it is fantastic and totally renovated and modern. On the warf in Morro Bay is a great
fish place called Tognazzini's Dockside. They have fresh fish, and I mean fresh...you order from the counter, seeing the actual fish and they cook it up and
you sit outside and there is usually live local music. You are on the docks next to the sailboats and it's a great place to shoot early in the AM...the harbor. Place is awesome. I always bring a cooler and load it with fish.

A short drive away is San Luis Obispo. Has a good photo store there for film.Great town great food. From there, you pick up the 101 South. Santa Barbara (wonderful town), Ventura... The Reagan Library (regardless of political
affiliation, for the twits who were about to comment) is wonderful. (Simi Valley)...it's an entire day though...I went through it in 6 hours and felt I rushed a bit.

Take the 1 South from Oxnard to Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice. Venice is a trip, just hold onto your wallet...lots of salty lookin' dudes there but it's great for photos. Venice has a Samy's Camera...good for film and gear. The Getty Museum
in LA is spectacular and worth a stop along with the Annenberg Space for Photography. Sunset BLVD is cool, and I can highly recommend lunch at the Chateau Marmont. This is the place where Helmut Newton used to live for part of the year...great old Hollywood Hotel...high class but affordable lunch......a lot of Hollywood folk eat there and photogs are ritualistically taken out back and beaten, so leave the Leica in the bag. Downtown LA is a bit of a shit-hole, but a great place to eat is Philippes...home of the most incredible
Lamb French dip...the place is famous and as old as dirt and fantastic, and near the LA train station which is beautiful for photography. If you have a death wish, head over to skid row for
some great street photography.. LOL. Not for the faint of heart. I kid I kid.

Head south. Honestly...Orange County is, well...Orange County. Skip it. Long Beach Harbor is cool...lots of cranes and ships. I am near San Diego...and quite frankly, as an Ex-NY'er, the town always leaves me wanting more. The downtown is
pretty though, along with all of the beach towns along the 1 north of it...Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach...Pacific Beach and Mission Bay. Oceanside pier is cool. A FANTASTIC fish joint in Leucadia (next to Encinitas) is called Fish 101. Amazing. PM me if you want any other restaurant ideas or any Q's on California... Crap...I read my post and with all the talk of food, you'd think I was as big as a house. LOL. San Diego has a few camera stores, but basically, it sucks. Georges Camera and Nelsons.

Long winded but I hope it gives you an idea or 2.

Jason

 

[rorye]

Let me know if you need anything while in the Bay Area.

 

[SMBooth]

Thanks Sirrus, Jason and Rorye. Sound like plenty to see and do.

 

[SMBooth]

Rory: Where to buy film in San Francisco ? 120 B&W Also love your B&W gallery.

Never mind, i see Sammy's is in San Fran

 

[trythis]

I haven't been in there for 20 years but stayed at a friends house on a coastal mountain looking over the ocean. I miss that place.
Anyway best beach is Pfeiffer beach. Its hidden but well known and the walk to the beach is very nice. They get mud slides there including the only road so make sure hwy1 isn't washed out before you head south of Carmel.

 

[Sirius Glass]

January through April one can see the whales migrating from Point Dume. Bring binoculars, long lenses and a picnic basket.

The Getty Villa [http://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/] is a reproduction of a Roman Villa in Eurculean at the base of Pompeii; requires a reservation [parking] or arrive by bus. The Getty Museum [http://www.getty.edu/museum/] has photographic exhibits; pay for parking or arrive by bus.

 

[rorye]

Rory: Where to buy film in San Francisco ? 120 B&W Also love your B&W gallery.

Never mind, i see Sammy's is in San Fran

Also Glass Key Photo on Haight Street, a great quirky independent store with lots of film, paper, vintage cameras and root beer.

 

[Bill Burk]

Also Glass Key Photo on Haight Street, a great quirky independent store with lots of film, paper, vintage cameras and root beer.

I would make a point of visiting Glass Key Photo.

 

[Tis Himself]

I concur with all of the aforementioned sights to try and visit. I noted that you intend to drive south on Hwy. 1. It is a spectacular drive which I have made numerous times (both north and south). Keep in mind that as you are heading south you'll be on the ocean side of the road. At various points there are steep dropoffs to the rocks and waves below with only a guardrail. It can be closed due to rock or mudslides, so make sure to check. Didn't mean to scare you about the ocean side of the road, but in can be an experience if you don't know about it. Hope you have a safe, pleasant and enjoyable trip .. and take lots of pics!

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Hi Shane, if you're looking for accommodation in LA we highly recommend Magic Castle, great location and awesome service plus free snacks.

 

[SMBooth]

I concur with all of the aforementioned sights to try and visit. I noted that you intend to drive south on Hwy. 1. It is a spectacular drive which I have made numerous times (both north and south). Keep in mind that as you are heading south you'll be on the ocean side of the road. At various points there are steep dropoffs to the rocks and waves below with only a guardrail. It can be closed due to rock or mudslides, so make sure to check. Didn't mean to scare you about the ocean side of the road, but in can be an experience if you don't know about it. Hope you have a safe, pleasant and enjoyable trip .. and take lots of pics!

What! you mean you drive on the right side of the road....!!!

 

[SMBooth]

Hi Shane, if you're looking for accommodation in LA we highly recommend Magic Castle, great location and awesome service plus free snacks.

Thanks Kevin, it looks OK

 

[SMBooth]

Also Glass Key Photo on Haight Street, a great quirky independent store with lots of film, paper, vintage cameras and root beer.

Yes I saw them, looks like a place to visit, maybe I won't take a camera and pick up one there..

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Thanks Kevin, it looks OK

I forgot to mention that they even have Vegemite available at breakfast.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

You might want to venture North over the Golden Gate at least for a day trip to check out Mount Tamalpais. Take the high road. There is a reason why so many car commercials are shot there. You may want to hit SFMOMA and Pier 24, but you need reservations for the latter.

Also a stop in Oceano will be worth it. Shooting the dunes is an experience. Do it either at dusk or in the early morning. You want to venture into the dunes just inside the entrance. If you go too far it is open to off road vehicles. At least that was the way it was the last time I was there.

 

[Tony Egan]

Another vote for Morro Bay and I also liked Pismo beach. An early morning walk all the way around the bays at Carmel is great - just have to watch for the dogs and joggers. Leave yourself time to stop at all the bridges along Big Sur and take a few of the side roads to get some different views.

 

[jeffreyg]

While in Carmel visit the two photography galleries - Weston Gallery and Gallery West. Near the Hearst Castle there is an elephant seal rookery along with the other sites mentioned. Near Pismo Beach there are sand dunes at Oceana.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[Sirius Glass]

Also a stop in Oceano will be worth it. Shooting the dunes is an experience. Do it either at dusk or in the early morning. You want to venture into the dunes just inside the entrance. If you go too far it is open to off road vehicles. At least that was the way it was the last time I was there.

Oceano is the only place in California where you can drive on the beach. Two wheel drive is ok on the packed sand; four wheel drive for any loose sand but you will need to air down your tires. There is a truck with air pumps to air back up for $1US per tire.

 

[wiltw]

Since you will be driving a good amount of the coastal Highway 1, here are the current advisories posted:

SR 1
[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.

[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]

THE NORTHBOUND CONNECTOR TO NORTHBOUND SR 17 /IN SANTA CRUZ/
(SANTA CRUZ CO) IS CLOSED FROM 2000 HRS EACH NIGHT TO 0530 HRS EACH MORNING
7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 3/18/16 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION - A DETOUR IS AVAIALBLE

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FROM 1 MI NORTH OF THE RAGGED POINT INN
(SAN LUIS OBISPO CO) TO THE SAN LUIS OBISPO/MONTEREY CO LINE 24 HRS A DAY
7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 0001 HRS ON 6/1/16 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION - MOTORISTS ARE
SUBJECT TO DELAYS OF UP TO 10 MINUTES

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC 5 MI NORTH OF LUCIA /AT BIG CREEK RD/ (MONTEREY CO)
24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 0001 HRS ON 6/1/16 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION

1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM WESTERN DR
/IN SANTA CRUZ/ (SANTA CRUZ CO) TO THE SANTA CRUZ/SAN MATEO CO LINE
FROM 0600 HRS TO 1600 HRS MONDAY THRU FRIDAY THRU 3/18/16 - DUE TO
CONSTRUCTION - MOTORISTS ARE SUBJECT TO DELAYS OF UP TO 20 MINUTES​

 

[SMBooth]

Oceano is the only place in California where you can drive on the beach. Two wheel drive is ok on the packed sand; four wheel drive for any loose sand but you will need to air down your tires. There is a truck with air pumps to air back up for $1US per tire.

Thanks but I doubt I'll be taking a hire car onto the beach. Worth a walk though.

 

[Bill Burk]

If you find yourself near Santa Maria (south of San Luis Obispo) early in the morning, Guadalupe Dunes is a nice spot to park near dunes and walk around. It's a bit of a backroads drive off the main highway, (15-20 minutes from 101 to the beach). Go right when they open though, the parking lot fills fast with fishermen. Watch out for the cute little sandpipers. They'll run you out of all your film in just a few minutes.

 

[trythis]

Thanks but I doubt I'll be taking a hire car onto the beach. Worth a walk though.

I did that exact thing and got stuck. Luckily someone helped us dig out and a little push got us going. Not a bad memory but it could have been expensive. I washed all the sand out of the engine bay and everything was fine in the end. I was still in my late 20s of course.