California Hwy 1 roadtrip: best places to stop?

We're planning a road trip from San Francisco to San Diego/Mexico on Highway 1. Does anyone have any suggestions on places to eat/stay/see? We're looking for cheap but decent places to stay, good bars to hit up, restaurants with good but not $$$ food, places to see. Are there small towns that are worth stopping in? Has any one done this before? How long does it take? We're estimating 4 days Thanks much! :)

Public Comments

1. Hearst Castle north of san louis obispo is a must. There is a restaurant overlooking the pacific maybe an hour or two out of San Francisco--sorry I can't remember the name-great view, good crab cakes. I have not gone beond San Louis Obispo so can't be any help for that part of the journey. It is a great drive for the part that I have driven.
2. Nothing cheap for lodging on Hi 1 that I know of . . . You'll need to detour back to 101 for that. Best way to do 1 is to just roll with it and stop at whatever grabs your attention . . . Although , when you get to santa cruz , 1 will swing through the center of town and you'll miss the boardwalk. When you come to high street , make a right and go back to the shoreline and then turn south (left). It is just a few blocks down to the boardwalk.
3. The Central Coast is beautiful. Cayucus is a nice place to stop. The Sea Shanty has wonderful food and the best desserts. We like The Beach walker hotel. Cambria is also very quaint but expensive. Go to Moonstone Beach across the highway. Love the Main Street grill. Hearst Castle isn't worth stopping at. Make sure to see the sea elephants between Hearst Castle and Cambria . There will be a lot of cars parked on the ocean side of the road. Park and look for signs. San Luis Obispo is nice. Thursdays they have a Farmers market with food and entertainment. Montana de Oro is outside of San Luis Obispo and is free. Its a state park where you can hike or walk along the ocean. They even have a blow hole! Morro Bay is nice. I like The Twin Dolphins Hotel. Walk along the Embarkadaro. Cute shops and an aquarium. I love Pismo Beach. You can drive your car on the beach. I love Arroyo Grande. Have a picnic along the river walk. You could spend 4 days just in these towns. You will love it! Have fun!
4. In southern California, drive thru Seal Beach. There's a great little Mexican restaurant called Super Mex. Lots of places to stay in that area thru to Hunington Beach. The pier area in Hunington has lots of bars and restaurants, and places to stay, but they might be pricey cause of the vicinity to the beach. I'd stop in Santa Barbara too. Lots of good places to stay and eat. In the hills above there, there's a great little town called Los Alamos. Also, theres Solvang-quaint Swedish type town. Someone mentioned Santa Cruz, can't beat eating on the pier there=Stagnaros' fresh sea food. There's alot to see on that drive. Hopefully you'll pass thru 17 mile drive, the drive is beautiful, and ocean is too. Be ready for traffic, it's always there. Have fun!