Tracy for Lighthouse - you need to go up Friday. It's a really long drive. You need to save your energy for Saturday. Go up Friday, take some time tooling around SLO - maybe even drive out to La Cuesta College to see where it is and then plan on staying though to Sunday and before going home - have breakfast at Big Sky Cafe, on Broad Street. It's my favorite restaurant in town. Good for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Also make sure you book the Travelodge on Monterey. There are two others in town. All have good prices but the Monterey Street is located in a nicer area (just down from the Apple Inn - another nice place to eat). If you are willing to spend alittle more money - ask for the last suite on the second floor - at the end of the building. The room is huge (can be shared easily with 2 - 4 people) and there's this wonderful view of the hills next door. Open the windows at night and listen to the frogs chirping in a nearby stream.
If you can stay alittle later, do the Avila Beach (on the Bob Jackson parkway) ride in the morning. You can get the route slip off the SLOBC.org website.

If you stay at the Travelodge getting to La Cuesta will be easy. Travel South on Monterey, down the hill to the signal light, turn right and the road goes right to La Cuesta.

Can you tell I go to SLO alot? But this year staying home. Its a rest, recovery and save money year for me.