Trip at a glance
Out · Aug 4
MIA→SFO 7:20a · Fl 2565 · 30F/30E
Home · Aug 8
SFO→MIA 9:35p · Fl 3022 · 28F/28E
Nights 1–2 · Carmel
Hyatt Carmel Highlands King · ocean view · 60K pts
Nights 3–4 · SF
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero 40K pts
Car
Toyota Camry SFO pickup → drop downtown SF Thu ~9p
In SF
Lyft everywhere no car days 4–5
📌 Before you go — book & confirm
- ✓Casanova (Tue 8p, date night) — reserve on OpenTable ~2 weeks out. Books out fast in summer.
- ✓Alcatraz NIGHT tour (Fri 5:55p ferry) — book the moment tickets release (~90 days out). Sells out weeks ahead. Official site only: cityexperiences.com.
- ✓Zuni Café (Thu 9:45p) — OpenTable up to 60 days out. Order the roast chicken the second you sit (45–60 min).
- ✓La Bicyclette (Wed 8p) — OpenTable, ~1 week out. Mission Ranch sunset cocktails before it take NO reservations — arrive by 3p.
- ✓Tony's Pizza & Mensho — no reservations. Join Tony's Yelp waitlist remotely before you arrive.
- ✓Download Google Maps offline for the SF→Big Sur corridor (poor cell signal). Phone car mount + power bank. Pack layers — Aug fog, 50s at night.
- ✓Keep dimes on you for Bud's "Dime Time," and a pen for the Mara Beach journal mailbox. 💌
💰 Budget — 5 days, 2 adults
Lodging is on points (100K Hyatt total) so $0 cash for rooms — only incidentals/resort fees counted. Flights split: Melissa MIA round-trip, Juan flying AUS↔SFO. Numbers carried from your original plan; bookable items spot-verified for Aug 2026.
🗺️ Backup ideas & alternates
Captured from your Maps routes so nothing's lost — swap in if a plan falls through or you want options: