Day 1 · Sat
Day 2 · Sun
Day 3 · Mon
Day 4 · Tue
Day 5 · Wed
Day 6 · Thu
Day 7 · Fri
Day 8 · Sat
The Day Plan
Easy short driving day — chill SF morning + childhood BBQ lunch + arrive Mom's by early evening
Morning in SF (before checkout)
Sleep in if the kids need it — you've had 6 days of go-go
Hotel Zephyr checkout: 11 AM (ask for late checkout if you want more time)Breakfast at Buena Vista Cafe (Irish coffee invented here, classic SF) or Mama's on Washington Square (legendary brunch, line out the door)
Anything from Day 6 you didn't get to (last chance: Lombard Street drive-by, Painted Ladies photo, one more cable car ride)
Departure timing
Leave SF by 11:30 AM-12 PM
Arrive Carmen's around 12:30-1 PM for lunch
On the road to Manteca by 2:30 PM
Arrive Mom's by 4-4:30 PM
Why this stop matters
Jason's childhood BBQ spot — the one that reminds you of growing up
Jamaican-style BBQ, slow-roasted in a wood-burning oven that's been there since 1977
Carmen herself still runs the place
Same location for ~40 years
Big portions, no-frills neighborhood vibe — the food IS the reason
Hours
Friday Jun 12: 11 AM - 10 PM (Fri-Sat extended hours)Lunch arrival 12:30-1 PM is perfect — easy in/out before the Friday dinner rush
What to order
Whatever YOU remember from childhood — that's the move
Jamaican-style BBQ ribs are the signature
Big portions = potentially take leftovers to Mom's (cold ribs on Saturday = elite)
Tell Sierra + Christian the story when you walk in — they'll remember it because YOU remember it
The drive
SF → Hayward: ~35 min via Bay Bridge + I-880 southHayward → Manteca: ~1 hr 15 via Hwy 92 east → I-580 east → I-5 south → Hwy 120 eastFriday afternoon I-580 over Altamont can build up after 3 PM — leave Carmen's by 2:30 PM
~1 hr 15 from Carmen's via I-580 east → I-5 south → Hwy 120 east
The drive from Hayward
Hwy 92 east through San Mateo → I-580 east through Livermore Valley
I-5 south at Tracy → Hwy 120 east to Manteca
~1 hr 15 if traffic is clear, 1.5+ if late commute
Friday evening at Mom's
Quiet family arrival — first stay at Mom's since the trip began
Take it easy — you've been on the road for a week
Dinner at home OR take Mom out somewhere local
Kids get to chill, you and Karen get to relax with Mom + Larry
Local Manteca dinner picks (if going out)
Heads up
If Mom's already cooked, just bring dessert from Carmen's or Boudin Bakery
Pack the car overnight if heading home Saturday — early-ish start
Or sleep in Saturday and head home Sunday (Mom + kids both win)
NorCal Coast Run · Day 7 · Jun 12, 2026 · Tap any place name to navigate