Oct 4 (Sun) — Morro Bay → Big Sur → SFO — MS/LK depart

All times are PDT.

Hard deadlines

9:30 AM Depart Rockview Inn, Morro Bay
Target the SFO SIXT Rental Car Center by 4:00 PM; booked/planned early return remains 4:30 PM, but the flight-day route should not rely on that later time
UA8073 / AC573 SFO → YVR departs 7:30 PM (flights) · Air Canada check-in · return bag fee at check-in
Checked bags and boarding passes are required by 6:30 PM; be at the gate by 7:00 PM

Road status checked 8:57 AM

Caltrans reports Highway 1 open for through travel, with one-way controlled traffic at Rocky Creek Bridge, 15.7 miles south of Monterey
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park remains closed because of fire impacts; other Big Sur parks have service/trail restrictions. Do not plan park entries or hikes today
Follow live navigation, Caltrans signs and emergency directions; if through travel closes, switch immediately to the fastest US-101 route

Recommended route — Big Sur core, then fastest to SFO

The forced coastal route through Monterey is about 227 miles / 5 hours 10 minutes baseline before live traffic, construction, stops and fuel. Starting at 9:30 AM leaves room only for two brief stops.

9:30 AM Depart with fuel, water and portable food; no sit-down lunch
10:20–10:30 AM Elephant Seal Vista Point — free, roadside wildlife viewing
10:45–10:55 AM Ragged Point — brief cliff-and-ocean viewpoint/restroom stop
10:55 AM–12:30 PM Drive the Big Sur coast; the road itself is the main sight
Around 12:30 PM Bixby Creek Bridge — drive-by only; do not enter the crowded pullouts with all luggage aboard
By 1:00 PM Reach Monterey and switch to the fastest route via SR-156 / US-101 toward SFO
Around 3:30–3:45 PM Fuel near SFO
3:50–4:10 PM Return the vehicle to SIXT, complete the inspection and take AirTrain to the terminal

Bailout: if Monterey is reached after 1:00 PM, stop nowhere else, take the fastest route to SFO and fuel only near the airport. Do not continue on Highway 1 through Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay.

Skip today

McWay Falls / Julia Pfeiffer Burns: park restrictions, extra parking/walking and an uncertain seasonal waterfall
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: closed
Point Lobos: deserves at least 1½–2 hours and parking is capacity-limited
Año Nuevo: elephant-seal viewing requires a 3–4 mile hike
Full coast via Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay: about 5 hours 35 minutes baseline before stops and construction; unsafe for the 4:00 PM rental-return target from a 9:30 AM departure

All luggage remains in the vehicle. Carry valuables, conceal bags before departure, do not open the luggage area at stops and keep both stops short; roadside lots are not secure storage.

Addresses

Place	Address	Map
Rockview Inn and Suites — Morro Bay	1080 Market Ave, Morro Bay, CA 93442	search
Elephant Seal Vista Point	Highway 1, San Simeon, CA	35.6633, -121.2577
Ragged Point	19019 Highway 1, Ragged Point, CA 93452	35.78072, -121.33083
Bixby Creek Bridge	Highway 1, Monterey County, CA	36.37159, -121.90193
SFO Rental Car Center (SIXT)	780 N McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128	37.62813, -122.40025

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