LONG awaited and need vacation

[CraigL]

My wife and I have decieded to take a MUCH needed vacation next month for 9 days. We are leaving the kids with their Grandma and hitting the road with our two Aussie dogs and the 90 Westy we picked up last year. This will be our first real, long, camping trip in her (no name yet, hoping the trip will inspire us and her to come up with one). I will have our Westy looked over one last time before we hit the road and I have read up on all the things to have for the trip just in case things go wrong.
Why I am posting is because we have no set agenda except to see a friend for dinner in the SF Bay Area, so am turning to the "Crew" to get campsite suggestions. We live in San Diego and were thinking that we would take the coast all the way to Mendocino, stopping at remote camp sites on the way up and on the way back.

I am sure I could get some suggestions from a book or two but why do that when I have one of the best resouces around....you folk.

As I suggested, we will have two dogs with us. What I am looking for are those sites that give you the "Holy Crap" feeling when you pull in. I AM NOT a, "camp next to the other 200 cars/RV" kind of guy just to see the ocean, Here are my thoughts so far:

Day 1 (Sat). Leave early, drive up to San Luis anc camp on coast somewhere.
Day 2- Head out of SLO and camp (you fill in the blank here) somewhere along Hwy 1
Day 3- Again, camp along Hwy 1. Have driven through Big Sur but have not stayed. Would like to check it out.
Day 4- Cruise up the 1 and camp in or around Santa Cruz.
Day 5- Head out of Santa Cruz heading north towards Mendocino.
Days 6-9 open but I have to have dinner with a friend sometime in the trip that lives in Dublin (wife requirement).

So, plan away. Nothing that I have written above (with the exception of taking the Dogs and Wife and having to stop in Dublin) is firm, so if you have a better idea or areas that are a must see then that is what I am looking for. Have at it. I'll take pictures and post, noting those locations that list members passed on (unless they are special secret locations that you would not want me to post). Thought is would be a fun social experience.

Thanks in advance,
Craig

[Sheesh]

Point Lobos, for certain.

I've been wanting to get to Big Sur over the winter but Pheiffer SP has been closed due to the fires last year. Drive-up camping is kind of limited around Big Sur, unless you want to go private OR drive the steep roads into the Ventana. Better check out the the info on the sites for current status.

To add, it is an unfortunate fact of life today in Cali that one must plan ahead and reserve sites. The days of rambling and stopping then the sun goes down are darned near dead (unless you go on the east side of the sierra, of course).

Have fun!
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1982 Westy, 2.0L AC CA emissions