Midsize SUVToyota RAV4 or similar · automatic · 5 seats, 4 bags
Booked
The LAX return is not in the terminal garage. It’s a branch on W 98th St with a shuttle, so the return is not finished when you hand over the keys — budget for the shuttle ride on a morning with a 1:08 PM flight.
The booking is in Jessica’s name, so she has to be the one at the counter, with her own license and a credit card in her name. Adding Corley as a second driver is done there, not online.
Day by day
Oct 2Friday
Fly out to San Francisco
Jackson to Houston to SFO, landing at 9:50 PM Pacific. That is 11:50 PM body-clock time for Dexter, so the night is baggage claim, the rental counter and the drive to the Wharf.
JAN 5:20 PMSFO 9:50 PM14 miles to the hotel
At JAN by 3:30 PMBags and security before a 5:20 departure. The Houston connection is 46 minutes, so a late start at Jackson is the one delay you cannot absorb.
The Houston connection is 46 minutes and UA 4348 arrives on a regional jet. Check the gate for UA 1202 before you land and walk straight there.
Hour by hour
3:30 PMAt JAN. Small airport, but it is a Friday evening bank.
5:20 PMUA 4348 departs Jackson
6:55 PMLand Houston. Check the gate on the app before the seatbelt sign goes off.
7:41 PMUA 1202 departs for San Francisco
9:50 PMLand SFO — 11:50 PM at home
10:00–10:45Bags, AirTrain Blue Line to the Rental Car Center, pick up the SIXT car.Pickup is booked for 10:30 PM, which lines up with the landing — if the flight slips, call SIXT rather than assuming they’ll wait
~11:15 PMCheck in at Hotel Caza. Straight to bed.Ask about the parking garage rate at check-in
Oct 3Saturday
Full day in San Francisco
The one whole city day. Rideshare between neighborhoods in the morning and leave the rental parked — hunting for street parking is the fastest way to lose two hours. The afternoon block is all walkable from Caza.
7:00–8:00Wake, quick breakfast. Keep it efficient — the point is an early start.
8:00–8:30Rideshare to Alamo Square
8:30–9:15Painted Ladies and Alamo Square. Shoot from the east side of the park for the postcard view with the skyline behind. These are private homes — stay on public paths.
9:15–9:35Rideshare to the top of Lombard
9:35–10:10Lombard Street. Walk the crooked block and shoot from top and bottom. Don’t queue to drive it.
10:10–10:40North Beach and Washington Square — a short taste of the Italian quarter
10:40–11:20Cable car toward the Wharf.If the line is an hour, take a rideshare instead — the ride is the point, not the queue
11:20–11:45Sea lions at K-Dock, Pier 39
11:45–12:30Pier 39 — bay views, street performers, shops
12:30–1:15Lunch at Boudin Bakery. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl. Keep it to 45 minutes.
1:15–2:00Ghirardelli Square for chocolate. Dessert stop, not a shopping trip.
2:00–3:00Aquatic Park and the waterfront walk. Slow the pace down.
3:00–4:00Flex hour — more Wharf, an arcade stop, coffee, or back to the room. This is the buffer that keeps the day from feeling rushed.
4:00–5:00Back to the hotel. Rest and recharge.
5:30–7:00Dinner near the hotel — the Wharf or North Beach rather than downtown
7:00–8:00Optional evening walk if anyone still has legs
8:30–9:00Wind down. Tomorrow is the biggest sightseeing day of the trip.
Painted Ladies
Lombard Street
Cable car
Pier 39 sea lions
Boudin bread bowl
Ghirardelli Square
Comfortable shoes and a light jacket for everyone. San Francisco turns cold and windy near the water with no warning, especially late afternoon.
Oct 4Sunday
Golden Gate, then 17-Mile Drive to Monterey
Three different views of the bridge before lunch, then south to Pebble Beach. This is the fullest day on the board and it only works if you are out the door by 8:10.
165 milesBattery Spencer17-Mile Drive, $12.50 per car
Out the door by 8:10 AMBattery Spencer’s lot is tiny and fills, and 17-Mile Drive closes at sunset. Everything after depends on this one.
Hour by hour
7:00–7:45Wake, pack the car completely before any sightseeing. Jackets, water, snacks and cameras stay reachable.
7:45–8:10Quick breakfast. Check out.
8:10–8:35North across the bridge to Conzelman Road and Battery Spencer
8:35–9:10Battery Spencer — the classic elevated shot of the bridge with the city behind it.Parking is tiny; going first thing is the whole strategyMap
9:10–9:35Back across the bridge, which is its own experience
9:35–10:15Park on the SF side and walk out onto the Golden Gate. You don’t need to cross it — far enough for photos is plenty.
10:15–10:40Crissy Field for the third angle: bridge, bay and city together
10:40–11:10Palace of Fine Arts. Walk the lagoon, shoot under the rotunda. 30 minutes is plenty.
11:10–11:35Drive through the Presidio, one short stop if everyone wants it
11:35–12:15Quick lunch near the Marina, or eat what’s in the car. No sit-down meal today.
12:15–2:30Southbound to the Monterey Peninsula. Pure transit — keep snacks handy.
2:30Enter 17-Mile Drive. Open sunrise to sunset.$12.50 per car, refundable against a $35+ spend at a Pebble Beach Resorts restaurant
2:30–2:50Spanish Bay — beach, dunes, ocean
2:50–3:15Bird Rock for sea lions, seals and seabirds
3:15–3:35Cypress Point or Point Joe, whichever has parking that day
3:35–4:00The Lone Cypress. The signature photo of the drive.
4:00–4:25Pebble Beach and the Lodge. Brief stop, not a shopping trip.
4:25–4:45Finish the drive toward Carmel
4:45–5:30Carmel-by-the-Sea. Ocean Avenue and the fairytale cottages. You get more Carmel tomorrow morning, so keep it light.
5:30–6:00Check in at Home2 Suites at the Dunes
6:30–7:30Easy dinner near the hotel
7:30–8:30Lay out clothes and snacks for Big Sur. Early night.
Battery Spencer
Walk the Golden Gate
Crissy Field
Palace of Fine Arts
Spanish Bay
Bird Rock
Lone Cypress
Carmel
Running late? Cut in this order: Presidio, then Cypress Point, then shorten Spanish Bay, then shorten Carmel. Do not cut Battery Spencer, the bridge walk, the Lone Cypress or the core drive.
Oct 5Monday
Big Sur, then inland to Solvang
The longest driving day and the best one. Highway 1 south through Big Sur, over the Santa Lucias, then inland to the Santa Ynez Valley.
220 milesHighway 1Corque check-in 4:00 PM
Leave Marina by 8:15 AMGas up first. If Highway 1 is still closed and you are taking the inland route, make it 8:00 and skip Carmel Beach.
Hour by hour
7:00–8:00Wake, pack, free breakfast at Home2. Fill water bottles and grab snacks.
8:15Leave the hotel.Fill the gas tank before you go — Big Sur stations are scarce and expensive
8:40–9:30Carmel Beach and a short walk on Ocean Avenue
10:05–10:35Bixby Creek Bridge. Use the designated viewpoints; never stop on the bridge itself.
10:35–11:45The Big Sur coastal drive. A few good pullouts beats every pullout.
11:45–1:00Lunch at Nepenthe, 48510 CA-1. Cliffside tables over the Pacific. No reservations, first come first served — expect a wait; burgers and sandwiches keep it easy.831-667-2345Map
1:30–2:00McWay Falls — the waterfall onto the turquoise cove, seen from the roadside viewing area.The Overlook Trail is closed for a retaining-wall project through 2026 — the pullout view is the view
2:00–3:00South to Piedras Blancas. An hour of coast with no stops worth an argument.Only if Highway 1 is open through — see the flag below
3:00–3:30Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. Optional — first thing to cut if you’re behind.
3:30–5:45South on Highway 1 past Cambria, then inland on 46 and 101 to Solvang
5:45–6:30Check in at the Corque. Shower and reset.
6:45No trolley tonight — the horse-drawn tour runs weekends and holidays only, 12:00–5:00, and this is a Monday. Walk instead.
7:30Casual dinner downtown so you can walk after
8:30–9:15Danish architecture, windmills and bakeries. Get Dexter an æbleskiver.
Bixby Creek Bridge
Big Sur coastal drive
Nepenthe
McWay Falls
Carmel Beach
Solvang evening
As of Sept 13, Highway 1 is closed to through traffic south of Big Sur — from Kirk Creek Campground to Willow Springs — for the Plaskett Fire, with no reopening date. Carmel, Bixby, Nepenthe and the McWay pullout are all reachable from the north; Piedras Blancas is not. If it is still closed on the morning of: drive the coast as far as McWay, turn around, and go Carmel → Salinas → 101 south to Solvang. That is roughly 300 miles instead of 220 and about seven hours behind the wheel, so leave the hotel by 8:00 and skip Carmel Beach.Inland route, one tapCaltrans QuickMap Pfeiffer Big Sur and Andrew Molera state parks are closed regardless. Check Caltrans QuickMap the night before and again at breakfast. Download offline directions — cell service south of Carmel is unreliable. Hearst Castle is deliberately not on the plan.
Oct 6Tuesday
Solvang to Anaheim, and Oogie Boogie Bash
A short Danish morning, on the road by 10:45, and everything after that exists to protect the 3:00 PM park entry. No extra stops between Solvang and Anaheim unless traffic is unusually kind.
175 milesDCA entry 3:00 PMParty 6:00–11:00 PM
Leave Solvang by 10:45 AMTwo and a half to three hours in normal traffic, and Southern California traffic is rarely normal. This protects the 3:00 PM entry.
Hour by hour
7:00–7:30Wake, dress, start packing
7:30–8:30Breakfast at Paula’s Pancake House. Get the Danish pancakes.
8:30–9:30Walk downtown — Solvang Park, Copenhagen Drive, Mission Drive, the windmill
9:30–9:50Pastries or æbleskiver for the road
9:50–10:00Back to the Corque, load the car
10:00–10:30One more bakery and the last of Copenhagen Drive. The trolley does not run on Tuesdays.Horse-drawn tours are weekends and holidays only, 12:00–5:00 — call 805-794-8958 if you want to try anyway
10:45Leave Solvang. Two and a half to three hours in normal traffic, and Southern California traffic is rarely normal.
12:00–12:30Quick lunch on the route, or sandwiches from Solvang. Nothing sit-down.
12:30–2:00Continue south. This block is the traffic cushion — check live conditions before you leave.
2:00–2:30Home2 Anaheim. Park, drop bags, change for the park, charge phones.
2:30Leave for Disney so you’re not arriving exactly at 3:00
3:00Enter Disney California Adventure.Three-hour head start before the party — the most valuable hours of the night
3:00–3:20Get oriented, first Halloween photos. Don’t commit to a long line yet.
3:20–4:00Cars Land under the Halloween overlay. Radiator Springs Racers if the app says under 45 minutes — otherwise leave it for after 9:00.
4:00–4:45Work down the head start list in the ride plan. Save Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and Little Mermaid for after 6:00, when those lines collapse.
4:45–5:15Halloween photos and a snack. Slow down before the party.
5:15–5:50Early dinner. Eat now so you’re not sitting down at 6:15.
6:00Oogie Boogie Bash begins. Treats and characters first — the rides worth riding tonight get better later, not worse.
6:00–7:00Treat trails, eleven of them. Oogie Boogie’s is nearest the entrance and mobbed at 6:00 sharp — do it first or last, never in the middle.
7:00–7:45Villain and character experiences. If Dexter wants a specific one, take it over any ride.
7:45–8:45Villains Grove at Redwood Creek while the 8:05 street party pulls the crowd to the route. The most distinctive thing in the park that night — protect this window.
8:45–9:30Monsters After Dark, then Racers if the app has dropped
9:30–10:10Remaining treat trails, then find a spot on the route for the second street party
10:15–10:45Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake, second showing. Thinner crowd than 8:05, and it is the finale.
10:45–11:00Out. No need to stay to 11 if everyone’s done.
~11:15 PMBack to Home2 and straight to bed
Ride plan
3:00–6:00 — the head start
At the gateOpen the app and check Radiator Springs Racers before you walk anywhere.Party wristbands are handed out at entry — take them now, not at 6:00
Under 45 minRadiator Springs Racers. The longest line in the park on any given day, and the one ride worth spending the head start on.40 inches
Over 45 minWalk away and take it after 9:00 instead. Nothing else in Cars Land is worth an hour.Luigi’s and Mater’s are two-minute waits all night
ThenIncredicoaster on Pixar Pier — the other headliner, and the one the party crowd helps least.48 inches
ThenWEB SLINGERS. Moderate in daylight and no better at night, so it belongs here rather than after 6:00.No height minimum
If timeSoarin’ Around the World. High capacity, so a posted wait moves faster than it reads.40 inches
Only if warmGrizzly River Run. You will be wet for the rest of the night, and it tends to close at dusk.42 inches
After 6:00 — the party list
Party onlyGuardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark. A different ride from the daytime Mission: BREAKOUT!, and it runs only during the Bash. Don’t spend the head start on it.40 inches
8:05 / 10:15Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake — A Haunted Mansion Street Party. New for 2026 and it replaced the parade. Ride during the first showing, watch the second.
3:30 / 4:30Mickey’s Trick and Treat at the Disney Theater in Hollywood Land. The party ticket covers these two daytime shows — a sit-down during the head start if Dexter wants a show more than a ride.
Short waitsToy Story Midway Mania, Monsters Inc., Little Mermaid, Luigi’s, Mater’s. Long lines by day, walk-ons by night.Dexter clears every minimum in the park — the tallest is Incredicoaster at 48 inches
After 9:00Second pass at Racers or Incredicoaster. Waits across the park are at their lowest in the last two hours.
Biggest costVillain meet-and-greets. The lines are the single largest time sink of the night — pick two, let the rest go.
Costumes are allowed for adults at this party, which is not true on an ordinary Disney day. Checked against Disney’s published 2026 lineup on Sept 13: Oct 6 is a party night, Villains Grove and Monsters After Dark are back, and the street party showtimes are 8:05 and 10:15. The party sold out in advance — have all three tickets in the app before you leave Solvang. Heights are from the app and still worth a glance on the day.
Paula’s Pancake House
Solvang windmill
3 PM entry
Racers
Monsters After Dark
Madame Leota
Villains Grove
Treat trails
Charge every phone and battery pack before you leave Anaheim. Between the app, wait times and a night of photos, this is the day something dies at 8 PM.
Oct 7Wednesday
Universal, the Hollywood Sign and the Walk of Fame
Universal is the day; Hollywood is the bonus on the way to the coast. General Admission means an early arrival matters more than anything else you do.
59 milesUniversal, general admissionHollywood Sign
Check out and roll by 6:45 AMCheckout happens before you leave, not after. Bags ride with you all day.
You start this day in Anaheim, not Santa Monica. Check out of Home2 by 11:00 — do it before you leave at 6:45 — and the bags ride with you all day, because the Santa Monica room won’t be ready until afternoon. Universal’s lockers are small.
Oct 7 is a Halloween Horror Nights night. The day park closes early — 5:00 or 6:00 — and October weekdays have been opening at 10:00, not 8:30. Universal posts hours about four weeks out, so Oct 7’s should be on the calendar now. If the gate is 10:00, everything in the morning slides ninety minutes and the Studio Tour rule below still holds; your 4:30 departure clears the early close either way.
6:30–6:45Check out of Home2 Anaheim and load everything into the car
6:45–7:45Anaheim to Universal City. Roughly 45 minutes clear, well over an hour in morning traffic on the 5 and 134.
7:45–8:30Park, walk CityWalk, get to the gate. Globe photo, then move.Parking is not included with general admission
8:30–11:30Priority rides while the lines are short. Upper Lot first — Mario Kart, then Harry Potter — then down to the Lower Lot once for Jurassic World, Mummy and Transformers. Order matters; see the ride plan.
11:30–12:15Super Nintendo World for photos and anything you missed. Check the app that morning if Toadstool Cafe matters.
12:15–1:00Lunch inside the park. Quick service, don’t leave the gates.
1:00–2:15The World-Famous Studio Tour. The thing Universal Hollywood has that no other park does — a working backlot.
2:15–2:45WaterWorld. Check showtimes in the app; a good excuse to sit down.
2:45–4:30Everything left — Simpsons, Minions, Secret Life of Pets, repeats, character photos, shopping
4:30–5:00CityWalk to decompress before the drive
5:00–5:40Drive to Lake Hollywood Park
5:40–6:15Hollywood Sign from Lake Hollywood Park — close view, no hike, a lawn and a playground. Street parking only, so allow slack.Map
6:15–6:35Down to Hollywood Boulevard. Park once and leave the car there.
6:35–7:30Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre. Pick a compact stretch — the full corridor is far longer than you want.
7:30–8:15Easy dinner near the Boulevard. No reservation tonight.
8:15–9:15Drive to Santa Monica. Treat the arrival as a range, not a time.
~9:15 PMHotel and bed. You fly home tomorrow.
Ride plan
Before you plan anything
HeightsDexter clears every height minimum at Universal. The tallest in the park are 48 inches — Revenge of the Mummy and Forbidden Journey — so nothing here is off limits to him.
Two lotsThe Upper Lot holds the Studio Tour, Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter. Jurassic World, Mummy and Transformers are on the Lower Lot, down the StarWay escalators.Five to eight minutes each way — make one trip down, not three
Free leverSingle rider lines. Splitting the three of you turns an hour’s wait into a fraction of it, and on a general admission day it is the only line-skip you get.Check the app for which rides are running it that day
Rope drop — the order
At the gateIf Super Nintendo World is running a virtual line, claim a slot before you walk anywhere. It costs nothing to hold and the land fills first.
FirstMario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Newest headliner, fastest-building line in the park, and the one rope drop actually protects.
ThenHarry Potter next door — Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff if Dexter wants it. Still Upper Lot, so no escalator yet.
~10:00Down the StarWay once. Jurassic World, Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers back to back, single rider where the wait justifies it.
Get wetJurassic World soaks you. Ride it last of the three, and remember the bags are in the car — Universal’s lockers are small.
The Studio Tour decision
The problemThe tour is 60 minutes on the tram before you count the queue, and the 1:00 slot in the timeline above is the day’s peak.
The ruleCheck it at 11:00 on your way up from the Lower Lot. Over 45 minutes posted, take the tour then and push the Super Nintendo photo stop to the afternoon.Never start it after 3:15 with a 4:30 departure
Afternoon, once the headliners are done
Low effortSimpsons, Minion Mayhem, Secret Life of Pets, Kung Fu Panda. Short waits, all Upper Lot, all near the exit.
Sit downWaterWorld is the one show worth the time, and the seats matter more than the stunts by hour seven.
Oct 7 is confirmed as a Halloween Horror Nights night, so the day park closes early — 5:00 or 6:00 — and Lower Lot attractions can shut mid-afternoon for setup. Do the Lower Lot before 2:00. Single rider is confirmed on Mario Kart, Forbidden Journey and Jurassic World; check the app for Mummy and Transformers on the day. Park opening time for Oct 7 posts about four weeks out.
Super Nintendo World
Mario Kart
Studio Tour
Jurassic World
Harry Potter
Hollywood Sign
Walk of Fame
If Universal runs long, don’t bail early to protect the evening. Keep the Hollywood Sign as the priority and cut the Walk of Fame to a 20-minute check-off, or skip Hollywood dinner and eat in Santa Monica.
Oct 8Thursday
Santa Monica, then home
One last look at the Pacific, a good breakfast, and a comfortable buffer at LAX. Nothing new gets added today.
Santa Monica Pier10 miles to LAXLAX 1:08 PM
Car at SIXT by 11:00 AMThen a shuttle before you are anywhere near the terminal. Leave the hotel at 10:05 on the clock, not on the GPS estimate.
Hour by hour
7:00Pack completely and load the car. Sweep the room for chargers, IDs and anything bought on the trip.
7:30–8:15Breakfast at Sweet Maple near Ocean Avenue, which opens at 8:00. Rae’s opens at 6:30 if you want earlier and cheaper.
8:15–9:15Santa Monica Pier. Photo at the Yacht Harbor sign, walk to the end, the Ferris wheel, and the Route 66 End of the Trail sign right there on the Pier.
9:15–9:35Down onto the beach for one last look at the ocean
9:35–9:50Back to the hotel, final room and car check
9:50–10:05Check out. Have the rental return address loaded before you pull away.
10:05–10:50Drive to SIXT at 5251 W 98th St. Not the terminal garage — load that address, not “LAX rental return.”Return is booked for 11:00 AM. Leave on the clock, not on the GPS estimate.MapSIXT 888-749-8227
10:50–11:25Hand over the car, then the shuttle to the terminal. This leg is the one people forget to budget for.
11:25–11:50Bag drop and security
11:50–12:45Buffer. Lunch, restrooms, settle at the gate.
1:08 PMUA 1084 to Houston, then home to Jackson at 9:58 PM
Sweet Maple
Santa Monica Pier
Yacht Harbor sign
Route 66 End of the Trail
Beach walk
Nothing else goes on this morning. No Venice, no Malibu, no Beverly Hills — each one adds traffic risk on a day with a hard deadline. If you wake up late, skip the sit-down breakfast and go straight to the Pier.
Distance
Day
Driving
Miles
Avg mph
Oct 2
SFO to Hotel Caza
14
28
Oct 3
San Francisco on foot and by rideshare
0
—
Oct 4
Battery Spencer, bridge, Crissy, Palace, Presidio
22
24
Oct 4
San Francisco to Pebble Beach gate
115
51
Oct 4
17-Mile Drive, Carmel, on to Marina
28
24
Oct 5
Marina to Solvang via Big Sur
220
37
Oct 6
Solvang to Anaheim
175
58
Oct 6
Hotel to Disney and back
4
12
Oct 7
Anaheim to Universal City
33
33
Oct 7
Universal to Lake Hollywood to the Boulevard
10
17
Oct 7
Hollywood to Santa Monica
16
21
Oct 8
Santa Monica to LAX
10
20
Behind the wheel
647
38
Straight up I-5, San Francisco to Los Angeles is about 380 miles. The coast route costs you roughly 265 extra, nearly all of it on the Oct 5 Big Sur leg.
Average mph is moving time, not elapsed — stops are taken out, or the sightseeing legs would read like walking pace. They are estimates for planning: 51 on the open 101, 37 through Big Sur because Highway 1 will not let you go faster, and the teens and twenties everywhere you are threading a city. Seventeen hours behind the wheel across five driving days.
Fuel: roughly 20¢ a mile, about $130 for the trip. California regular averaged $5.93 a gallon on Sept 11, 2026, and a non-hybrid midsize SUV returns about 30 mpg. If SIXT actually hands you a 2026 RAV4 — hybrid only now, 41 mpg combined — it drops to 14¢ a mile and about $95. Either way it is 16 to 22 gallons. Gas in Big Sur is scarce and priced accordingly, so fill up in Marina before you leave on Oct 5.
Day
Flying
Miles
Oct 2
Jackson to Houston
350
Oct 2
Houston to San Francisco
1,633
Oct 8
Los Angeles to Houston
1,377
Oct 8
Houston to Jackson
350
In the air
3,710
Weather
San FranciscoOct 3, city day70° / 56°October normal
Monterey coastOct 5, Big Sur71° / 54°October normal
SolvangOct 6, morning80° / 47°October normal
AnaheimOct 6, Bash night82° / 61°October normal
Santa MonicaOct 8, last morning67° / 58°October normal
Typical October highs and lows. A live forecast from Open-Meteo replaces them here automatically once the trip falls inside the 16-day window — from about Sept 22. If the page cannot reach the network, the normals stay.
The spread is the thing to plan for: Solvang swings more than thirty degrees between afternoon and dawn, Anaheim stays hot into a party that runs to 11 PM, and the two coastal stops never get warm. Universal City sits in the Valley and runs hotter than either coast.
What to pack
For the swing
A light jacket or fleece for all three, every single day
Layers you can shed by noon once you turn inland
Long pants for coastal evenings — the wind off the water does the work, not the temperature
Park days, Oct 6 and 7
Broken-in shoes. Two park days back to back, and Oct 7 is when fatigue shows up
A battery pack and a cable each — wait times, tickets and photos all run off the phone
Sunscreen and hats for the Universal day, which is almost entirely outdoors
A dry shirt or a poncho. Jurassic World soaks you and you have a hotel to drive to
Costumes if you want them. Adults may dress up at the Bash, which is not true on an ordinary Disney day
The car and Big Sur
Snacks and full water bottles before Oct 5. Services are thin and gas is expensive
Something for motion sickness — Highway 1 is curves for two hours
Offline maps downloaded before you leave Carmel; cell service south of there is unreliable
A car charger, not just the wall one
Do not leave without
Jessica’s license and a credit card in her name. The rental is hers and the counter will not budge
All three Bash tickets loaded in the Disneyland app before you leave Solvang
IDs for the flight, and the chargers swept off the nightstand every morning
Worth knowing
Deliberately not on the plan: Alcatraz, Hearst Castle, Beverly Hills, Griffith Observatory, Venice and Malibu. Each one was cut so a day stays enjoyable instead of rushed.
The car is a SIXT midsize SUV — a RAV4 or similar, five seats and four bags. SFO pickup 10:30 PM Oct 2, LAX return 11:00 AM Oct 8. One-way drop, so confirm the drop fee is already in the rate.
Two park days back to back, both heavy walking, with a late night in between. Oct 7 is the day fatigue shows up.
Pebble Beach charges $12.50 per car for 17-Mile Drive, refundable against a $35 spend at a Pebble Beach Resorts restaurant.
Universal parking is separate from general admission. Download the Universal app the night before for wait times and showtimes.
Recheck before you go: Highway 1 south of Big Sur (closed for fire as of Sept 13, see Oct 5), Universal’s posted hours for Oct 7, and that all three Bash tickets are in the app.
Time zone: Pacific is two hours behind Jackson the whole trip. Mornings are the easy part — a 7:00 alarm is 9:00 at home. Nights are the cost: landing at 9:50 PM on Oct 2 is 11:50 on the body clock, and the party ending at 11:00 is 1:00 AM.
If something breaks
Flights
UnitedRebooking, delays, a missed connection at Houston800-864-8331
24 hours
The car
SIXTA late landing on Oct 2, or anything wrong at the LAX return888-749-8227
Jessica’s name
Highway 1
CaltransRoad conditions, voice-activated. Check the night before Big Sur and again at breakfast.800-427-7623QuickMap
Oct 5
The basics
Who
Corley, Jessica and Dexter
Airline
United, all four legs through Houston
Nights
Six — two San Francisco, then one each down the coast
Driving
647 miles across five days
Flying
3,710 miles round trip
Park days
Disney California Adventure and Universal Hollywood
Car
SIXT midsize SUV, SFO to LAX
Still open
The Santa Monica room for Oct 7, and whether Highway 1 reopens south of Big Sur before Oct 5.