Where to stay on the PCH

July 28, 2006 7:16 AM

California peeps: Where's a good place to spend the night while driving the coastal route south from Redwoods to San Francisco? Assume a noonish flight out of SFO the next day after dropping a rental car off downtown, so it should be well south of the midpoint.
posted by Saucy Intruder to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

Well, we had a nice stay in Mendocino when we did the coast road. It's south of the midpoint but probably not well south. About 150 miles, I think. Still, if you don't mind getting up early...

This place was pretty nice. Good food, too.
posted by Decani at 7:54 AM on July 28, 2006

I mean I think it's about 150 from Mendocino to SF.
posted by Decani at 7:54 AM on July 28, 2006

When I was in your exact circumstance last year, I stayed at the Ocean Court in Stinson Beach.

Had I had the means to buy the place right there and then, I would have in a heartbeat.
posted by ewagoner at 8:02 AM on July 28, 2006

peeps?
posted by caddis at 8:05 AM on July 28, 2006

Can't help wondering why you don't return the car at SFO and save the cab fare....
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:23 AM on July 28, 2006

Sebastopol is a cool town.
posted by mikepop at 8:55 AM on July 28, 2006

Clarification needed on "Redwoods" -- guessing you mean Redwood National Park or one of the adjacent State Parks, but there's redwoods all over NoCal.

Note that Mendocino is one of those tourist destinations where most of the inns insist on a two-night stay -- you're probably better off getting a motel visible from tthe 101, much closer to San Francisco, given your noon departure from SFO. And it'll make a BIG difference in driving time, whether this is happening on a weekday or weekend morning.


Peeps. Jeebus.
posted by Rash at 9:28 AM on July 28, 2006

Mendocino is pretty far if you have to get to SFO by say 11am. The 1 is very slow, and to get to the faster 101 you have to go along some also very slow windy roads. Google maps estimates 3hrs 40mins via the 101, which seems reasonable to me.

However, the Mendocino area is beautiful and if you felt like stopping there, I highly recommend the romantic clifftop cottages at the Griffin Inn in Elk. Go somewhere else for food.
posted by beniamino at 9:31 AM on July 28, 2006