California Gold Country, Monterey, LA

Hi,
I'll be in California at the end of September, the first part of the trip which I've already booked and arranged will be SF, Mendocino, Humbolt Redwood, Lassen Volcanic National Park, South Lake Tahoe, Lee Vining and Yosemite.
After spending a night just outside Yosemite I was thinking about getting to Monterey on September 29th, visiting Monterey (17 mile) and Carmel-by-the sea on the same day and the next day visit Big Sur and book a night in Morro Bay. I'm not sure if there's something going on that day or if it's just because it's a Saturday but Monterey accommodations are almost sold out and prices are over 300 usd (while the next day you get a 100 usd rate).
At the moment I've booked a room in Aptos just to have a back up plan.
Considering that I'll have from Saturday 29th to Sunday 7th (half day), that I've never been to LA and that four days will be spent for Six flags, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Joushua Trees NP, would you suggest adding a day to visit Gold Country (so that I'll be in Monterey on Sunday)? or should I rather spend the night in Aptos, then in Morro Bay and leave the remaining time to visit LA?
Thanks!!

Good grief ... there must be something on in Monterey - we've stayed a couple of times at the Days Inn in Abrego Street - but it's showing $US354 for your night. We paid something like $US100. Have you looked at properties in Salinas?

But outside that - I think it's a rush to travel Yosemite > Monterey > Big Sur Drive > Morro Bay in two days. I would have a night in say Salinas (after visiting the Mission San Juan Bautista) and then a second night in Monterey, before taking on the Big Sur drive, reducing by one your nights in LA.

Apart from Carmel and the 17-Mile Drive, we really enjoyed the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve near Carmel - nice walks and marine life.

I've never been to LA and that four days will be spent for Six flags, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Joshua Trees NP

You're committing to a lot of traffic-filled driving in your time. I would be looking for first-night accommodation near Six Flags, after going through Santa Barbara. Then somewhere near Universal Studios | West Hollywood, for two nights, then to Anaheim for two nights (5-6 Oct).

Not sure how you fit Joshua Tree NP into the program, unless you have all day 7 Oct available.

Big golf tournament at Pebble Beach that weekend.

Your route doesn't really work well for visiting the Gold Country. You would have to go north, then double back south to Monterey. This map takes you to Columbia State Historic Park, probably the best place to learn about the Gold Rush without driving really far north. Notice that the driving time from Yosemite to Columbia to Monterey is roughly 5.5. hours non stop; Yosemite to Monterey without Columbia is about 4 hours.

I would have a night in say Salinas (after visiting the Mission San Juan Bautista) and then a second night in Monterey, before taking on the Big Sur drive, reducing by one your nights in LA.

Unless you are a fan of John Steinbeck, Salinas is pretty uninteresting. San Juan Bautista itself is a very charming small town for an overnight. The whole main plaza is a state historic park and there is a lovely mission. It might be your nest chance for seeing one of the California missions (a whole series of Franciscan mission churches dating from the Spanish & Mexican period), unless you go to Mission Dolores in SF. That route looks like this

Unless you are a fan of John Steinbeck, Salinas is pretty uninteresting.

Just for one night ... and the prices are cheap, it's close to Monterey, and it's directly on the route from the Yosemite region.

And if there is a big golf tournament at Pebble Beach, then the 17-Mile Drive might be compromised ... would need to check.

Second on the suggested visit to Point Lobos, but really seems altogether too rushed. Stop and smell the flowers.
17 Mile is nice coastline with mansions and golf courses, but driving or walking from Cannery Row around the Pacific Grove oceanfront can be just as satisfying and more peaceful.
If your route takes you through Los Banos coming from Yosemite to Monterey, as mine usually does, and the timing is right, you might consider stopping at the Wool Growers Basque family style restaurant near the railroad tracks.

17 Mile is nice coastline with mansions and golf courses, but driving or walking from Cannery Row around the Pacific Grove oceanfront can be just as satisfying and more peaceful.

Yes - if Carmel is a zoo because of a golf tournament, leave the car at home and do some nice Monterey walks ... traffic between Carmel and Monterey is heavy even on normal days.

If you haven't bought your flights yet, you could consider changing your route to visit Monterey after LA, on your way back to SF. From Yosemite, head down US 395 to Death Valley and Las Vegas, then loop back through LA to Monterey.

We don't know that they have to return to San Francisco ... or if they do they haven't allocated any time for it in what they've told us.

That's why I indicated "if [they] haven't bought flights yet." If they aren't locked in, it allows for more dramatic changes.

Thanks! We'll land at SFO and return back home from LAX, flight already booked. Unfortunately, I'll have to work something out with the remaining days.
I've been looking for accommodation in Salinas but they were either expensive or had horrible reviews. San Juan Bautista seems a little bit far to spend the night if visiting Monterey during the day (not that Aptos is close though; if you think it's better I can look out for a place over there).
Where can I find out if the 17-mile will be closed?

Not sure if it is because your date is a Saturday and September is still a very popular month to travel, but rates seem high for the date in the area. I tried looking in Marina and also in Santa Cruz and even in Santa Cruz two star motels were listed at over $150 and up for that date. Salinas is kind of a dump with some crime problems so I would avoid that town.

@55vineyard
Maybe you missed my comment. Lodging rates are high due to a big golf tournament at Pebble Beach.

I don’t think San Juan Bautista is that far from Monterey, but I was assuming that it would be followed by a night in Monterey, after the golfers have departed.

I'm not sure actually, if we'll be hiking in Yosemite on Friday 28th and probably spend the night in Mariposa, what could we do on the 29th? Should we still visit Monterey, sleep in Aptos or San Juan Bautista and then spend the next day in Monterey?

If you have a spare day, you could add a tour along Hwy 50 after So. Lake Tahoe to visit the numerous Apple Hill orchards and wineries. They start a bit after the Pollock Pines exit, and go as far west as Placerville and bit beyond. You could include a diversion south on Hwy. 49 to see real gold country - Sutter Creek. The Apple Hill scenic drive has at least 25 orchards - some with shops offering jams, etc., at least 6-8 wineries. Pumpkins, fudge, berries, iris garden, cider; Time Out resort and spa. Hwy 49 will eventually meet Hwy 120 to enter Yosemite from the west. Or another day at So. Lake Tahoe to visit Grover Hot Springs, Virginia City.

I don’t think San Juan Bautista is that far from Monterey, but I was assuming that it would be followed by a night in Monterey, after the golfers have departed.

I doesn't take all day to get from Yosemite to SJB or Salinas or Aptos, and I assumed they would have that afternoon / maybe evening in Monterey-Carmel and then return to their cheaper accomm, then move to Monterey for the Sunday night.

They could make Saturday a very full day by visiting some Gold Country, or Santa Cruz and coastal redwoods, and only go to Monterey on Sunday morning.

Where can I find out if the 17-mile will be closed?

Perhaps contact Pebble Beach Golf Club, or the Carmel City Council, or Visitors Bureau.

I did some looking to see if there was any indication that the 17-mile drive might be closed. There isn't There might be more traffic than usual if you hit it at the wrong time of day. Some people who do the drive stop to check out some of the golf courses. That might not be possible.

I'll go on the record as saying I think it's overrated. Nice views and fancy houses, but there are other places to see them. Mr. Nutrax, on the other hand loved it, so we took it in whenever in the area. He was a golfer and enjoyed seeing famous courses he'd never be able to afford to play, and loved doing photography there.

17 mile drive

Thanks to all of you. I managed to change my reservation to San Juan Bautista which is definitely a better option (@55vineyard great info about the crime in Salinas, I had that doubt reading motel reviews). @junglejurd yep I should have one full day and half a day, hopefully it will be enough. @nutraxfornerves thank you for checking

It's only a couple of hours + from west of Yosemite NP to San Juan Bautista ... and you can visit the mission fairly quickly. So I'd probably visit either Columbia State Park as suggested, or my preference - the redwoods close to Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz itself offers only modest reward to the visitor.

SJB is interesting for a short time - you can imagine Clint Eastwood types shooting spaghetti westerns there.

Salinas is kind of a dump with some crime problems so I would avoid that town.

We've stayed in a lot of nondescript towns in North America ... usually for logistical reasons, or availability/price. So long as there's a supermarket nearby, we're happy ... and are generally unconcerned and unaffected by stories of crime or anything else undesirable.

yep I should have one full day and half a day, hopefully it will be enough.

Not quite sure what this relates to, or how it fits into your timetable as described, but if you're happy, so am I!

We recently returned from Gold Country. If in the area an important place to visit is Coloma, CA which is North of Placerville on Hwy. 49. This is the location of Sutter's Mill on the South Fork of the American River where gold was discovered in the saw mill traces resulting in 10's of thousands to rush to California. Sutter Creek is South of Placerville but a different town.

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