If you started your road trip in San Francisco to go down to Los Angeles and return by plane from there, we recommend heading to Santa Barbara, with a brief stop in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
A MUST!
Many go to visit Monterrey. If you have time for just one, we recommend going to Carmel instead, which is in the same county, but more to the coast, and nicer! A very warm, small town, with a lot of green, and a "miniature" style. . Even the gasoline dispensers at service stations are in a small size. It's like a recreation of Hansel and Gretel.
And its beach is one of the most beautiful on the West Coast.
Fun fact: Did you know that Clint Eastwood was its mayor from the Republican party?
There are two ways to do the West Coast, Pacific Highway 101 that goes through California, and you get faster. Or Route 1 or Highway 1, which is the one that borders the coast. It takes a little longer but the landscapes are AWESOME. If you want to do a West Coast roadtrip, this last one is the best option.
The road from San Francisco to Santa Bárbara takes 5 hours or so, therefore it is a good idea to stop in different spots, and we highly recommend dedicating this first stop to Carmel.
You can walk around, go through the beach, eat something and continue.
The secret of road trips to enjoy them is to take the time to stop at each place and get to know other places along the way. There are so many awesome towns/cities and beaches on the west coast! Each one different, with its own style.
Therefore, we recommend organizing the schedule in such a way that: you reserve a whole day to travel from destination to destination. Even though there are only 3 hours of travel. This allows you to stop at beaches or in small towns on the way, get off, rest and leave for your destination without rushing. And begin to count that final destiny from the following day.
Not much more to say about Carmel, such see it for yourself in some of this pictures:
OTHER USEFUL GUIDES