hi Forum, Planning a trip to California next year 2013 (May for 16 days) 20 cars from UAE(Dubai) thinking off starting the tour in San Francisco and finish off in LA. Would like suggestions on routes, roads, activities and maybe setting up a joint event. Looking forward to connecting with many Ferrarista's. Regards
If you are coming down to LA from San Francisco stay along the coast line all the way down. You will see a beautiful coast line with beautiful roads to drive. It truely is a breath takingd drive. Stay away from taking the 5 Freeway down, all you will see is cows being abused in tight spaces! When you take Pacific coast highway down you will eventually pass through Malibu and then Santa Monica. There is a lot to do in Santa Monica, food and fun stuff. I would join you, but no Ferrari yet! Hopefully in the near future (aspiring entrepreneur). Also good to have people from the middle east coming down, I was actually born in Lebanon and came out to LA when i was 6. Anyway if you have any more questions or need any info about things to do while out here message me on here, we can exchange numbers. I would be glad to help.
You may want to see some Ferrari events in California. 2013 Concorso Ferrari in Old Pasadena is one of those that you can visit which will happen sometime May 2013. I think early registration in now on going. Just check website. Enjoy!
What sort of trip are you planning? Focused of driving or sight-seeing or both? The drive from San Francisco can be done in a day or three depending on far you want to go each day or other sights you want to see. Along the route are the towns of Monterey and Carmel, driving along the Big Sur coast, Hearst Castle, little coastal towns, San Luis Obispo, Santa Ynez wine country, Santa Barbara. Edit - for events, we have a very nice Cars & Coffee group every Sunday morning in Santa Barbara.
I'm going to expand on some of the great recommendations Chris offered and suggest a few of my favorite places. Northern CA Napa A slight detour northeast of SF will land you in the beautiful wine country of Napa. (~50 miles) You can continue heading north on hwy 29 to places like Calistoga and Saint Helena where you can visit the hot springs and relax for a day at the spa after a long flight over. There's some world renounced restaurants scattered throughout the area if you're a food connoisseur. Make reservations 6 months in advanced if you plan on dining at any of them. If you just want something quick, easy and casual there's this great Latin American bistro in Napa called Bistro Sabor that has lobster quesadillas that are to die for! There's always something low-key going on in Napa that makes for a relaxing getaway. Carmel by the Sea If you golf, Pebble Beach & Spanish Bay are incredible! 17 mile drive is like a midnight walk thru an enchanted forest.. The softest and whitest sand in CA to my knowledge. Hwy 1 is beautiful and it's a must drive for any car enthusiast Central CA Santa Barbara Santa Monica Southern CA Newport Beach Laguna Beach Have fun! feel free to message me as the date approaches
If you make the trip down Pacific Coast Highway 1, Hearst Castle is worth a stop. You will need to make reservations ahead of time. And Disneyland is a MUST, once you get to Los Angeles.
My suggestion: Going south from San Francisco, U.S. 101 South, CA 17 south, this brings you into Santa Cruz, Capitol, Soquel and Aptos, this is a very scenic area with plenty of fun for kids and fine dining for adults. Continuing on CA 1 south will take you into Monterey , Golfing, Fine Dining and the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Then head east on CA 68 to U.S. 101, go south on U.S 101 into Paso Robles , quaint restaurants, wine country. Go south on U.S 101, go west on CA 46 to CA 1, then go north 12 miles to Hearst Castle. Go south on CA 1 to U.S. 101, go east on CA 166 to CA 33 into Ojai, then follow CA 150 to CA 126, go east on CA 126 ( this route from CA 166 to CA 126 will take you through miles and miles of scenic back roads where you can enjoy spirited driving with very little traffic) the when you reach I-5, it is a short drive to magic mountain ( teenager paradise). Have fun on your trip to California If you want to learn more about California go to Google and type in : California's Gold There is a Gentleman named Huell Howser. He has done hundreds of videos about everything in California. You can watch these videos online or on public broadcasting stations.
