Splitting hotel locations for football games

Question

Hello,

Starting to plan a trip in November and looking at the best places to stay for what we want to do.

Initial plans were to fly in to SF on a Thursday and then leave Monday AM to do the Highway 1 road trip to LA.

As we're also planning to go to a Stanford game on a Saturday and a 49ers game on the Monday night football, we are now considering staying somewhere nearer that area on Saturday night-Tuesday AM to save driving back and forth to the city. Are there any areas that come to mind that could be a good place to base ourselves, and that would be easily accessible to start the coastal drive on the Tuesday morning?

We like walkable towns with nice restaurants, bars, shops as well as nature and hiking too - somewhere where we could possibly see some redwoods on the Sunday would be nice.

Thank you in advance!

Answer

Given your plan to attend both a Stanford game and a 49ers Monday Night Football game, splitting your hotel stays is a smart strategy to minimize driving and maximize enjoyment. Here’s a detailed approach:

Initial stay in San Francisco (Thursday–Saturday):

Staying in San Francisco for your first two nights makes sense for exploring the city and having access to nightlife, restaurants, and walkable neighborhoods. Consider areas like:

Union Square: Central, close to shopping, restaurants, and easy public transit.
Fisherman’s Wharf/Embarcadero: Tourist-friendly with waterfront walks and easy access to ferries.
Marina/Cow Hollow: Trendy restaurants, boutique shops, and good views of the Golden Gate.

Saturday–Monday stay closer to stadiums:

For the Stanford game (stadium in Palo Alto) and the 49ers game (Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara), it’s efficient to base yourselves somewhere in the Peninsula or South Bay:

Palo Alto: Walkable downtown with shops, cafes, and restaurants. Easy access to Stanford Stadium. Sunday, you could drive to nearby redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains (e.g., Big Basin Redwoods State Park) for a hike.
Mountain View or Menlo Park: Slightly more affordable than Palo Alto, still close to stadiums and has good restaurants.
San Mateo or Redwood City: Central Peninsula locations with good connectivity to both Stanford and Levi’s Stadium, plus easy access to coastal Highway 1 for your Tuesday departure.

Redwoods and nature:

Big Basin Redwoods State Park: About 30–40 minutes from Palo Alto/Menlo Park, offers towering redwoods and several hiking trails suitable for all skill levels.
Alternatively, the Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve near Half Moon Bay is closer and offers shorter hikes.

Tuesday departure for Highway 1 drive:

Staying in the Peninsula or South Bay positions you well to start your coastal road trip south toward Santa Cruz, Monterey, and eventually Los Angeles. You’ll avoid driving back into San Francisco early in the morning, saving time and reducing traffic stress.

In summary, splitting your stay—San Francisco for city exploration and Peninsula/South Bay for football games and nature—is the most practical approach. It balances walkable neighborhoods, dining options, and efficient access to both sporting events and your coastal journey.