Good hotel/town to stay overnight between Sacramento and San Diego (Los Angeles: coupons, theatre)

[jem299]

Driving cross country to San Diego, and our last night we're looking for a good (yet affordable) area/hotel to stay in. Ideas? Must be dog friendly. We were looking at the tent cabins in Big Sur, but they're already booked. Everything else around the coast is pretty expensive. Should we move more inland? If so, what are safe, cool areas? Thank you!

[esmith143]

How about something completely different, like Stovepipe Wells or Furnace Creek?

[oddstray]

If you're coming down the coast, perhaps Pismo Beach area or San Luis Obispo or even Ventura or Santa Barbara if you make it that far south the first day. If you travel Highway 99 there will be places to stay, but the weather will be hot (I assume you're driving this during the summer). If you don't mind driving a long day, we did Sacramento to San Diego on the I-5 (mind-numbingly boring, hot since it's inland, but it goes pretty past except through Los Angeles) starting at 9 AM and getting here around 6:30 PM.

Originally Posted by esmith143

How about something completely different, like Stovepipe Wells or Furnace Creek?

Those would work if the OP wasn't coming via Sacramento, but they're nowhere near to the route from Sacramento to San Diego.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by oddstray

...but it goes pretty past except through Los Angeles)...

Goes pretty *fast*. (Darmit!)

[esmith143]

Originally Posted by oddstray

Those would work if the OP wasn't coming via Sacramento, but they're nowhere near to the route from Sacramento to San Diego.

Furnace Creek isn't substantially further away from Sac-SD route than Big Sur. Total distance travelled would be greater if they go through Death Valley, but they avoid LA altogether by taking 395 and 15, which saves time.

[ElliottJM]

having lived in sacramento, san luis obispo, and san diego and having to commute...I'd recomend Morro Bay. its just 10 minutes outside of san luis obispo, its on the coast, and its where the best priced motels are. there are alot of 45 dollar a night places and I've known people who got one for 35 bucks a night. Morro bay is small, cool, has some cool places for breakfast and if u want just drive 10 minutes to SLO and theres a bunch of cool places to eat and old movie theatre, grocery stores basically everything. It takes 5 hours from sac to morro bay taking I80 west to 680 south to 101 south and 101 goes right to SLO. and it takes about 5.5 hours from SLO to san diego from 101s to 405s to 5s. but that is avoiding rush hour. I once did the commute during rush hour (huge mistake) it took me nearly 4 hours just to get through LA. hope this helps

[ElliottJM]

PS the motels in Morro bay are nice, they arnt S**T holes. Mostly they are days inn, bestwestern types.

[jem299]

How about Gilroy? We're already traveling 6 hours before we even get to San Diego, so I'm trying to keep the driving days balanced. I figured we could chill in Sacramento until rush hour was over, then drive the 3ish hours to Gilroy, and leave for San Diego early the next morning arriving early that afternoon. What do you think? Plans can be changed of course.

[SandyCo]

There are lots of small towns (truly a couple of hotels, a couple of gas stations, and several fast food outlets) along I-5, which is by far the most efficient and boring way to get from Sacramento to San Diego. Often, if you stop to eat at a Denny's, you'll see those free magazines with the hotel coupons. I stayed overnight once at a place along the 5 for only $35 a night. It wasn't an exciting place, but it had clean sheets and air conditioning (a requirement for this time of year in the Central Valley!).