17 days in California's Central Coast Itinerary

Mission San Juan Bautista and San Juan Bautista State Historic Park will appeal to history buffs. Visiting Dolphin & Whale Watching and Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail will get you outdoors. Get out of town with these interesting Santa Cruz side-trips: Monterey (Cannery Row, 17-Mile Drive, &more) and Pinnacles National Park (in Paicines). There's still lots to do: explore and take pictures at West Cliff Drive, do a tasting at Beauregard Vineyard, enjoy the sand and surf at Natural Bridges State Beach, and look for gifts at Bookshop Santa Cruz.

To find other places to visit, traveler tips, ratings, and more tourist information, read Santa Cruz sightseeing planner.

Frankfurt, Germany to Santa Cruz is an approximately 14.5-hour flight. You'll gain 9 hours traveling from Frankfurt to Santa Cruz due to the time zone difference. Traveling from Frankfurt in July, expect Santa Cruz to be little chillier, temps between 26°C and 15°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 29th (Sat) early enough to catch the flight to Morro Bay.

Escape the urban bustle at Morro Rock and Piedras Blancas. Visit Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and Nitt Witt Ridge for their historical value. Explore Morro Bay's surroundings by going to Montana de Oro State Park (in Los Osos), Speed Boats Tours (in Avila Beach) and Fiscalini Ranch Preserve (in Cambria).

To see ratings, more things to do, reviews, and more tourist information, read our Morro Bay trip itinerary planning tool.

Traveling by flight from Santa Cruz to Morro Bay takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. Traveling from Santa Cruz in July, you will find days in Morro Bay are somewhat warmer (31°C), and nights are about the same (15°C). Wrap up your sightseeing on the 3rd (Thu) to allow time to drive to Santa Barbara.

Your itinerary includes some good beach time at Carpinteria State Beach and Thousand Steps Beach. Step off the beaten path and head to Arroyo Burro County Beach Park and Mission San Buenaventura. Change things up with these side-trips from Santa Barbara: Old Mission Santa Ines (in Solvang), Oxnard Beach Park (in Oxnard) and Foxen Canyon Wine Trail (in Santa Maria). The adventure continues: tour the pleasant surroundings at Cabrillo Bike Path, steep yourself in history at Casa del Herrero, identify plant and animal life at Douglas Family Preserve, and head outdoors with Santa Barbara Sportfishing Charter.

To see maps, reviews, photos, and tourist information, go to the Santa Barbara road trip tool.

You can drive from Morro Bay to Santa Barbara in 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus; or do a combination of bus and train. In August, daytime highs in Santa Barbara are 28°C, while nighttime lows are 18°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 8th (Tue) to allow time to travel back home.