This upcoming weekend(February 15th) my husband and I are traveling along the coast. from San Fran to Las Angeles. It is only going to be a quick 2 1/2 day trip. Neither one of us have ever been, thus we want to ONLY stop and see the "must go to " places during our drive. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions (keeping in mind that we will be limited as to how many times we stop ....considering the time restraints). We are both huge fans of scenic views. Additionally, any recommendations as to what quaint beautiful hotel(midway between San Fran & Las Angeles) we should stay at?? Any suggestion or recommendation on great restaurants along the coast would be appreciated as well?
Thank you in advance to anyone that takes the time to respond 
Sincerely,
Denise
(Ontario, Canada)
Please Help??Traveling from San Fran to Las Angeles
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This is a great trip and there are many ways to do it. The most scenic way is to take highway 1 that meanders along the coast. It's been awhile since I've done it so I don't know how to access it out of San Francisco. Carmel is a cute little town but a bit crowded. A little further south is Monterey where there's a fantastic aquarium. Soon after that there's the 40 mile scenic route along the coast. It's marked, but you should check a map or GPS. You might want to stop at Hearst Castle. There are several guided tours through it. The opulence is unbelievable. Then you'll come to Big Sur with waves crashing against the high rugged coastline. This might be a good place to spend the night. There are quite a few places to stay there, and I'd check TripAdvisor to find something that's suitable for you. You could also spend the first night in Monterey as the aquarium could take awhile.
Another charming town south of Monterey is Cambria. I've stayed at the Cambria Pines Lodge and it was great, but it's been about 20 years and I'm sure there are other places that would be nice. Again, check TripAdvisor.
Somewhere south of Cambria you will have to connect with the 101. But all is not lost. You will soon see exit signs for more coastal towns that are worth visiting, including San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach. If you want to stop for lunch or dinner, check out the Madonna Inn. The food is fairly good, but what you really need to see are the bathrooms. I kid you not.
So now you are in what is called the Central Coast. I'd plan to stay in the Santa Ynez Valley. This is wine country and if you like wine tasting you'll have lots of choices of where to go. Google Santa Ynez Valley wineries and you'll probably find descriptions of most and can choose according to your tastes. The Ballard Inn is absolutely charming and their restaurant is excellent. But both are a bit spendy. Again check TripAdvisor to find something that fits your budget and taste. There are quite a few charming inns in Solvang which is the biggest city in the Santa Ynez Valley. It's architecture is truly Danish and it's fun to just walk around. If you are there do go for breakfast at Paula's Pancake House for some wonderful Danish pancakes.
Next on the list is Santa Barbara which is definitely a bustling tourist town. The city is entirely spanish architecture. There are some nice beaches, East Beach is my favorite. And there are so many restaurants and places to stay you really do need to check out TripAdvisor. You could also stay in Montecito which is again, spendy, although the Montecito Cafe has nice food for a moderate price. There is an art museum in the middle of Santa Barbara (State Street). A walk out to the warf is fun as is the harbor with several nice fish restaurants. It's also fun to just walk around and look at all the yachts. And I almost forgot the best.....whale watching. Take the Condor Express. That's a half day trip and it is truly magical. Check out their website.
To be honest I have lived in both Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley and have traveled north many times. I think I'm pretty much safe to say that after Santa Barbara, just take the 101 and spend 2 hours driving to LA. If you have time you can pick up the 1 a bit south of Oxnard. That will take you along the coast again and into Santa Monica. I don't know where you intend to go once in LA so I can't give you any specific routes. I can say that you may have to pick and choose what you do as each of the places I've mentioned could take up an entire week-end. Enjoy!
Welcome to Fodors Denise. While suzabella1 has given you a lot of good information - you really will get more response if you re-post over on the United States board tagged for California (see the 'Change Forum' pull down menu?)
This 'Travel Tips' board is more for general travel topics like types of luggage, trip insurance and such. Relatively few Fodorites read these threads.
Once you are on the US board you will find MANY threads and trip reports about exactly where you are going.
Janisj thank you so much for the heads-up regarding where to properly post my inquiry.
Thank you so much for the taking the time to write such a lengthy informative response.