You are probably not accounting for typical southern California traffic in your time estimates. Santa Barbara is probably going to be a 2 to 2.5 hour drive. Santa Ynez is probably 2.5-3 hours. SLO is probably 3-4 hours.

google had it mostly clearing up by 630/7, but that's another reason that SLO is probably too far a push the first night, unless it would be much better to wake up and have more time there...

Thursdays are the worst traffic days in LA. From LAX to SB, I'd give yourself at least 2.5 hours, but you should expect it to be closer to 3+. The 405 N is horrible. The 101 west is horrible. The 101 N from Ventura to SB is under construction with lanes closed. It's all horrible.

You might want to consider spending the night in LA and leaving early Friday morning, and possibly even taking the scenic route along PCH until you reach Ventura where you can hop onto the 101. If you have a long flight into LAX, this is what I would do.

Are you going to Ragged Point Inn, south of the 1 closure? If so...


6:30 p.m. you'll miss some traffic, but Santa Barbara is still likely 3 hours. SLO way too far IMO. Since it looks like you've got two nights, what I would do is drive from LAX to SBA the first night, stop for dinner in Ventura along the way. Take PCH/Hwy 1 connecting thru Oxnard.

Friday morning, wake up, take the 101 exiting at the Hearst Castle exit in SLO, stop for lunch. Firestone Brewery is good. Take hwy 1 to Cambria for the night. Stay on Moonstone Beach Drive if you can. SBA to Cambria is about 2 hours. Can stop in Solvang, Santa Maria (not much there), Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, SLO, Morro Bay, Cayucos, etc....

If you make Cambria, tacos at Boni's tacos for lunch, take them to go eat along Moonstone, dinner at the Sow's Ear.

Sat morning drive the half hour or so to ragged point, stopping to see the elephant seals, etc.

Thanks guys, yes Ragged Point Inn.

I considered the night in LA, just don't want to spend the whole of Friday in the car. Santa Barbara sounds good.

Looks like Paso Robles or SLO are ~1hr from ragged point, where I can stay for free with points. Seems that Cambria is pretty small, would you recommend a night there over Paso Robles or SLO?

Paso Robles you are off the coast route. You want to be on the coast route. Cambria is head and shoulders above either of those two towns. Especially is you get a place on Moonstone (which can be $$$). IMO. Cambria is quaint. PR and SLO are just small towns.

I think you can actually catch a commuter flight from LAX to SLO. That might be your best option.

Flights are pretty limited, so it would be 4hr layovers. Maybe Duffy can fly down and take us up...

6;30 on Thursday at LAX is going to be a mess. Like others have said, SB is probably as far as you would want to go, it will be after 10pm that you get there once you navigate the airport departure. At the very least go up to Ventura perhaps, that gets you out of most of Friday morning traffic the next day, and if you hoof it, you might catch the sunset on the ocean there..Lots of places to eat and stay there too, lot cheaper than SB too..

If you arrive in LAX at 625 and have flexible plans, I would stay in the area for the first night. Like Chris M, I live in the South Bay right next to LAX.

The South Bay: Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach have some nice boutique hotels and good
dinning options. You can go for a run on the beach in the morning, and then breakfast in the morning at your own pace then head North on Friday
around 930am after traffic and have a nice drive up the coast.

Arrival at 630 pm to LAX means bags and rental car 730 - 8pm on the road. This will be the end of the daily traffic bubble. But going North you
will be sitting the car for some time. Santa Barbara will be a 3 hour drive probably, with several spots of 20 mph grinding in traffic. It will be dark, by the time you hit the 1, so will miss the "Scenic Coastal" drive as well.

Santa Monica, could also be another option as well, same as the South Bay options. Just a little farther north, and you can leave in the AM via
PCH and drive through Malibu up the coast as well.

By the way Sept is a good time of year as this is the warmest time of year at the coast. If Ocean swimming is on the list there is a Friday morning swim group out of Manhattan Beach on Friday mornings at the pier. You might not even need a wet suit depending upon what you consider to be cold water.

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I'm coming around on the don't drive all the way to SB team. I've done it before. Could be not bad, could be bad, you just never know. The real problem is getting LAX to PCH/hwy 1. That's an hour right there. *Generally* breaks up some where Topanga Canyon on PCH and drive gets better. Personally I wouldn't stay near LAX, you're gonna hit traffic thurs nite or fri morning either way, might as well get it out of the way in the dark IMO.

If you wanted to knock off a little bit of the Thursday drive, couple of decent places south of SB
-Crown Plaza Ventura
-Pierpont Inn Ventura (and if you got there in time you could have awesome fish tacos on the ventura pier across the street)
-Cliff House mussel shoals