Best beach place to stay for a few days in California?

Hatunen wrote:
You might check out Avila Beach.

My first thought. I used to spend several days a Summer with friends
who rented a house there. Not far from Pismo Beach or San Luís Obispo.

Actually, if you want a fun time, try Santa Cruz, which has a
good beach and a coastside amusement park, and a municipal pier
with some interesting restaurants and lots of sea lions lolling
about underneath.

Another excellent choice.

-- __________________________________________________ ______________
Southern California's Four Seasons:
Earthquake, Mudslide, Brushfire, and Riot.
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ --- http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 ------- IClast at Gmail com


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I stayed in Pismo Beach a few years ago and stayed in a hotel off the
highway, about 5-10 drive to the beach for about $60/night. I can't
remember the name, but I think it may have been motel6??


Marek Zawadzki wrote:
On 2006-06-06, Todd Michel McComb wrote:
[...]
Beach plus camping == crowds

That said, I will suggest Pismo State Beach.

Thanks. In case I'd decide not to camp, am I doomed to pay 150 a night or
maybe someone can recommend a beach place where motels are less expensive?

-marek

There's Premier Inn in Arroyo Grande just south and a few miles inland
from Pismo Beach, which is a step up from motel 6. And I think an Econo
Lodge there too in AG. Grover Beach I think has affordable motels.

Will the 3 days include a Friday and Sat.? if yes they will be pricier
than Sun - Thurs. A little inland won't be as pricey as on or close to
the beach.


JN wrote:
I stayed in Pismo Beach a few years ago and stayed in a hotel off the
highway, about 5-10 drive to the beach for about $60/night. I can't
remember the name, but I think it may have been motel6??


Marek Zawadzki wrote:
On 2006-06-06, Todd Michel McComb wrote:
[...]
Beach plus camping == crowds

That said, I will suggest Pismo State Beach.

Thanks. In case I'd decide not to camp, am I doomed to pay 150 a night or
maybe someone can recommend a beach place where motels are less expensive?

-marek

Here's a good link, although I don't see many cheap motels in this
site:
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/index.html

My inlaws stayed at the Rose Garden Inn in Pismo Beach once and said it
was okay/ clean.

There is a motel6 in Pismo Beach:
http://www.motel6.com/reservations/m...&CP=&TA=&redi=

Here's the Premier Inn website:
http://www.premierinns.com/location.htm#PismoBeach

trippinkpj wrote:
There's Premier Inn in Arroyo Grande just south and a few miles inland
from Pismo Beach, which is a step up from motel 6. And I think an Econo
Lodge there too in AG. Grover Beach I think has affordable motels.

Will the 3 days include a Friday and Sat.? if yes they will be pricier
than Sun - Thurs. A little inland won't be as pricey as on or close to
the beach.


JN wrote:
I stayed in Pismo Beach a few years ago and stayed in a hotel off the
highway, about 5-10 drive to the beach for about $60/night. I can't
remember the name, but I think it may have been motel6??


Marek Zawadzki wrote:
On 2006-06-06, Todd Michel McComb wrote:
[...]
Beach plus camping == crowds

That said, I will suggest Pismo State Beach.

Thanks. In case I'd decide not to camp, am I doomed to pay 150 a night or
maybe someone can recommend a beach place where motels are less expensive?

-marek

I currently live in San Luis Obispo County, lived in Santa Cruz
County before moving here and have visited beaches up and down the
coast for nearly half a century. You have lots and lots of choices,
but they probably all involve some compromises. Here are some of my
favorites.

If crowds are your main concern, there are smaller campgrounds along
the Big Sur Coast with miles and miles of open space between them. My
favorite is Plaskett Creek, which is near the south end of Monterey
County. The campground is on the inland side of Hwy 1, but a short
walk to Jade Cove and Sand Dollar Beach. It's a great area for
decompressing. Big Sur is another nice campground, but larger and
busier. The following website has information and photos for
Plaskett, Jade Cove, Sand Dollar and other sites in this area:
http://www.parksman.com/

I also like Refugio Beach State Park, a few miles west of Goleta in
Santa Barbara County. It's bigger and more family oriented, but has a
very nice setting and a great broad beach. Check it out at:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=603

Carmel Hill Lodge in Monterey offers good value if you don't need to
right on the water. It's modest, but offers even more modest internet
rates - I just checked and they have week-day rooms as low as $59.
Book ASAP. Rates increase quickly as your vacation dates approach.
http://www.carmelhilllodge.com/index.html

I like the Rio Sands Motel in Aptos (Santa Cruz County). It is a
short walk to broad beach and a great resturant. A short drive gets
you to all the Santa Cruz attractions. Unfortunately, the Rio Sands
is no longer the bargain that it used to be. http://www.riosands.com/

If you feel like splurging a little, consider the Capitola Venetian
Motel. It has funky architecture and is right on the beach between
the pier and esplanade. This is a far busier beach then the one near
the Rio Sands, but you have lots of shops and great resturants within
a short walk. We stayed there last month and got a great weekday
internet rate. http://www.capitolavenetian.com/

Pismo Beach has some really pricy ocean front and view rooms, but
there are some lower rates away from the beach and in surrounding
communities. Avila Beach has become much pricier. Morro Bay is more
modest than either of these. You can get lower rates in Santa Maria
and San Luis Obispo has some less expensive motels. Either is within
a fairly short drive of the ocean.

Enjoy.

Jerry

On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 19:11:35 +0000 (UTC), Marek Zawadzki
wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'll be driving from LA to San Francisco (H-1) this June with my wife and I was
wondering which place would you recommend for stopping by and relaxing for few
days. I'm looking for something not too crowded, with a nice beach and
a camping place, where you can stay for like 3 days without suffering from the
crowds and not get bored at the same time.

Thanks for any advices,

-marek

Another affordable option in Monterey in addition to Carmel Hill Lodge,
is the Padre Oaks motel. I've stayed there 3 times in the past couple
years and really liked it. See trip advisor link/ review:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...alifornia.html

-Karen

Anonymous wrote:
I currently live in San Luis Obispo County, lived in Santa Cruz
County before moving here and have visited beaches up and down the
coast for nearly half a century. You have lots and lots of choices,
but they probably all involve some compromises. Here are some of my
favorites.

If crowds are your main concern, there are smaller campgrounds along
the Big Sur Coast with miles and miles of open space between them. My
favorite is Plaskett Creek, which is near the south end of Monterey
County. The campground is on the inland side of Hwy 1, but a short
walk to Jade Cove and Sand Dollar Beach. It's a great area for
decompressing. Big Sur is another nice campground, but larger and
busier. The following website has information and photos for
Plaskett, Jade Cove, Sand Dollar and other sites in this area:
http://www.parksman.com/

I also like Refugio Beach State Park, a few miles west of Goleta in
Santa Barbara County. It's bigger and more family oriented, but has a
very nice setting and a great broad beach. Check it out at:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=603

Carmel Hill Lodge in Monterey offers good value if you don't need to
right on the water. It's modest, but offers even more modest internet
rates - I just checked and they have week-day rooms as low as $59.
Book ASAP. Rates increase quickly as your vacation dates approach.
http://www.carmelhilllodge.com/index.html

I like the Rio Sands Motel in Aptos (Santa Cruz County). It is a
short walk to broad beach and a great resturant. A short drive gets
you to all the Santa Cruz attractions. Unfortunately, the Rio Sands
is no longer the bargain that it used to be. http://www.riosands.com/

If you feel like splurging a little, consider the Capitola Venetian
Motel. It has funky architecture and is right on the beach between
the pier and esplanade. This is a far busier beach then the one near
the Rio Sands, but you have lots of shops and great resturants within
a short walk. We stayed there last month and got a great weekday
internet rate. http://www.capitolavenetian.com/

Pismo Beach has some really pricy ocean front and view rooms, but
there are some lower rates away from the beach and in surrounding
communities. Avila Beach has become much pricier. Morro Bay is more
modest than either of these. You can get lower rates in Santa Maria
and San Luis Obispo has some less expensive motels. Either is within
a fairly short drive of the ocean.

Enjoy.

Jerry

On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 19:11:35 +0000 (UTC), Marek Zawadzki
wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'll be driving from LA to San Francisco (H-1) this June with my wife and I was
wondering which place would you recommend for stopping by and relaxing for few
days. I'm looking for something not too crowded, with a nice beach and
a camping place, where you can stay for like 3 days without suffering from the
crowds and not get bored at the same time.

Thanks for any advices,

-marek

Thanks, Karen

I'm going to Montery for some meetings in October and tried the Padre
Oaks. The lowest quote I got was $127 per night. For the same days,
the Carmel Hill Lodge was as low as $51 per night.

I'll check with them the next time I am up there.

Jerry

On 8 Jun 2006 16:10:06 -0700, "trippinkpj"
wrote:

Another affordable option in Monterey in addition to Carmel Hill Lodge,
is the Padre Oaks motel. I've stayed there 3 times in the past couple
years and really liked it. See trip advisor link/ review:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...alifornia.html

-Karen

"Marek Zawadzki" wrote in message
...
On 2006-06-06, Todd Michel McComb wrote:
[...]
Beach plus camping == crowds

That said, I will suggest Pismo State Beach.

Thanks. In case I'd decide not to camp, am I doomed to pay 150 a night or
maybe someone can recommend a beach place where motels are less expensive?

-marek


LOL!
You're talking about coastal California in the Summer?
Check out TripAdvisor and good luck with the pricing. Lots of nice hotels,
though.

"Hatunen" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 21:25:55 +0000 (UTC), Marek Zawadzki
wrote:

On 2006-06-06, Todd Michel McComb wrote:
[...]
Beach plus camping == crowds

That said, I will suggest Pismo State Beach.

Thanks. In case I'd decide not to camp, am I doomed to pay 150 a night or
maybe someone can recommend a beach place where motels are less expensive?

You might check out Avila Beach.

Actually, if you want a fun time, try Santa Cruz, which has a
good beach and a coastside amusement park, and a municipal pier
with some interesting restaurants and lots of sea lions lolling
about underneath.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *


Well, they were traveling from LA to SF, so I assumed a midway stop. If
they aren't interested in midway, then Santa Cruz is a great place to spend
a couple of days. The KOA near Santa Cruz frequently has space available on
a few weeks notice. Everything else is booked 7 months in advance, with
some undependable last minute availability. Santa Cruz is more interesting
to me than Pismo or Avila, unless they want to check out Hearst Castle.

Me, too. My quotes were for a Wednesday and Thursday night!

I will keep it in mind for a future trip. I go there regularly.

On 10 Jun 2006 15:23:06 -0700, "trippinkpj"
wrote:

Wow, Jerry. I stayed there for $37.- in 04 and $45.- on 05. Although
those were Sun-Thurs non summer nights. I'm surprised that they were
that high in October.....

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks, Karen

I'm going to Montery for some meetings in October and tried the Padre
Oaks. The lowest quote I got was $127 per night. For the same days,
the Carmel Hill Lodge was as low as $51 per night.

I'll check with them the next time I am up there.

Jerry

On 8 Jun 2006 16:10:06 -0700, "trippinkpj"
wrote:

Another affordable option in Monterey in addition to Carmel Hill Lodge,
is the Padre Oaks motel. I've stayed there 3 times in the past couple
years and really liked it. See trip advisor link/ review:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...alifornia.html

-Karen