California trip planning 2013

[HydroGuy]

Travel between SFO and LA:
Can anyone suggest if it would be better to drive or fly?
I didn't realise it was around 7 hours drive. Is there anywhere in the middle that is worth visitiing? So we could drive in two journeys?
Or would you say just fly and save time?

If you do not want to see anything along the way, then fly. is there anything between? Yes, I gave a long list in my first post - among them the most beautiful place int he whole world - Yosemite National Park - and the largest living things int he whole world - in Sequioa National Park. These are mostly on the way between SoCal and SF.

Disney area:
Someone mentione before allow 5 days here.
Is this really needed? I'm not very clued up on DLC, is it just Disneyland Park and California Adventure that are the main highlights?
Could we squeeze this down to any less time?

Chhhhhheeeeeers guys

Five days is not needed at DLR. Four days will allow you to feel like you had a solid visit of the whole resort. Three days is fine also, but you will feel like you did not really have enough time. But heck, three days at DLR is great!

Not sure what you mean be "DLC"?

 

[Sherry E]

Hi, Neil!

I moved this thread over to the California & the West forum. I have not read everyone's posts - just kind of skimmed over a few of them before I moved the thread - so I may be repeating what you've already been told.

I can't speak about the Northern California or Las Vegas portions of the trip, but I can definitely give input about the Southern California segment!


Disneyland is nowhere near Universal Studios (probably about 1 hour apart by car, and that's the minimum - more like one hour, 15 minutes). They are in two totally different counties, with Anaheim/Disney being in Orange County and Universal Studios/Universal City being part of Los Angeles County.

Knott's Berry Farm is also part of Orange County, as are Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, etc.

Six Flags/Magic Mountain is way out in Valencia - far away from everything and totally inconvenient!

Knott's (In Buena Park) and Disneyland are relatively close together by car, but more than a few minutes away from each other.

Universal Studios and Hollywood Boulevard are relatively close together by car, but it's still a bit of a drive (maybe 15-20 minutes or so) to get to Universal City.


You could feasibly do L.A./Hollywood and Venice Beach on the same day. You could maybe drive from Hollywood to Santa Monica, perhaps, and see the famous Santa Monica Pier (if that interests you) and then over to Venice Beach.


Some other suggestions:

You could visit the (Original) Farmers Market & The Grove (they are adjacent to each other, at the corner of Third Street and Fairfax) in L.A. - which are both great places to eat, and also places where you can often see celebrities strolling around.

There's also the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the La Brea Tar Pits - which are adjacent to each other. They are within a few minutes of Farmers Market and The Grove, by car.



Another suggestion is Long Beach - which is kind of in between L.A./Hollywood and Anaheim/Disneyland (but it's part of L.A. County). It's maybe 20 minutes by car from Anaheim, and 25 minutes from Hollywood/Beverly Hills.

In Long Beach you can visit the Queen Mary, the Long Beach Aquarium, and perhaps hop on the Catalina Express for a day trip over to the beautiful Avalon/Catalina Island (which is my other favorite place in Southern California besides Disneyland!) for some buffalo sightings, flying fish tours, dolphin tours - or maybe just a ride in a golf cart for a few hours.



Anyway, good luck with your planning! Have fun!

 

[fortwildernessishome]

2. Yosemite and Sequoia National Park - I have been to every continent in the world except Antartica and many countries and beautiful places - but IMO Yosemite is the most beautiful place in the world. Combine it with a trip to nearby Sequoia. These are 6-8 hours away from DLR by car. Altogether maybe 4 days (3 Yosemite and 1 Sequoia). Stay in Yosemite Valley and make reservations early. See http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/where.htm. I promise you if you go to the Grand Canyon (can't miss that - I agree) and then Yosemite you will feel that Yosemite was way better in the end.


Hope that helps!

I just have to say that I am in total agreement about Yosemite!!!! I also think that Yosemite is the most beautiful place in the world. I had seen pictures before we went, but was completely blown away when we visited two years ago and I saw the sights in person. We loved it so much we are going back this summer. We also loved Sequoia and are going back there as well! We have also been to the Grand Canyon and while that was AMAZING for sure, there is NOTHING like Yosemite!!

 

[CPT Tripss]

Hi Neil . . . can you arrange your flights from the UK to either SFO and then return to the UK from LAS? That could save you a lot of driving in your two weeks.

Or consider just doing California . . . SF, drive south along the coast, LA area, drive back to SF via Yosemite.

Have you plugged your prefered places to visit into Mapquest.com (or similar)? It seems like you plan on spending a lot of time on the road.

 

[Neil_UK]

Hi Neil . . . can you arrange your flights from the UK to either SFO and then return to the UK from LAS? That could save you a lot of driving in your two weeks.

Or consider just doing California . . . SF, drive south along the coast, LA area, drive back to SF via Yosemite.

Have you plugged your prefered places to visit into Mapquest.com (or similar)? It seems like you plan on spending a lot of time on the road.

that's pretty much the plan
we are defnately going to fly into San Francisco, and fly home from Las Vegas. Just still undecided as to whether we will drive or fly between SF and LA. It's more likely that we will fly. We definately want to drive between LA and Vegas though.

I have indeed put the plan on Mapquest.. I know what you mean about a lot of driving. We just want to experiance the drive if it's worth it. Looking at the San Francisco area I don't think we will need a car.
But we will definately hire a car whilst we are in LA.

Thanks to everyone else for the input about places to visit.
We are definately considering Yosemite.
Still planning to do Six Flags as I am quite a rollercoaster fan!
The Disney Musuem is also now on the list, as well as Alcatraz.
Santa Monica Pier also sounds like a good one too!

 

[Neil_UK]

Hellooo..

Sorry to keep bringing this one up.. Still planning away

Just nailing down the first part of my trip around San Francisco.
Can anyone please recommend how many days I will need there for what I'll be doing?

Planning on seeing Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf area, Disney Musuem, and Golden Gate Bridge.

Would there be a day where I can squeeze in two places? Or will all of the above need two days each?

 

[DisneylandForever]

Just nailing down the first part of my trip around San Francisco. Can anyone please recommend how many days I will need there for what I'll be doing?

Planning on seeing Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf area, Disney Musuem, and Golden Gate Bridge.

If that's all you plan on seeing in SF, you wouldn't need more than 2 days. See below.

Would there be a day where I can squeeze in two places? Or will all of the above need two days each?

You can definitely pull "two-fers" here thanks to the proximity of the places you've chosen.

1) Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf: The Wharf area is mostly shopping, with a few attractions and overpriced restaurants mixed in. The seafood is great but expect to pay a little more. So basically you can go at your own pace here. You can do the whole Wharf in an hour or two, or meander all day. And you catch the ferry to Alcatraz in Fisherman's Wharf, so that works out nicely.

Side note--If you do Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 and still have time leftover, walk just past the Wharf down to Ghiradelli Square. Best chocolate this side of the Atlantic. Really good ice cream shop there as well.

2) Disney Museum and Golden Gate Bridge: These can easily be done in one day. I actually volunteer at the Museum (if I'm there when you are be sure to say hello!), and we usually tell people around 2 hours for the casual visitor, and at least 4 for the hardcore Disney fan. But even if you were super hardcore, it still closes at 6pm.

The Golden Gate is pretty much right behind the museum. Check out this photo. That said, I wouldn't walk there. But if you have a car, it's like 3 minutes away.

And if you do have a car, the Museum is not far from here.

If you have any more San Fran questions, post away!

 

[Neil_UK]

Thank you soooo much for that, that's really helpful!
Looks like phase 1 of the trip is pretty much planned

We are not going to have a car whilst in this area, so getting to/from the musuem and the bridge will be local transport/taxi.

We are going to walk the bridge - I've overheard some nice gardens at one side of the bridge, good for photos and views of the bridge. Do you know anything about this?
How long do you reckon we'd need to the bridge?

That windy road looks pretty awesome, might have to try and get some snaps of that!!

Thanks again.. I know it's such a long way off but I'll be updating things here nearer the time Imagine, so if you are still working there next year I'll be sure to let you know and say hi!!

 

[DisneylandForever]

Thank you soooo much for that, that's really helpful!

My pleasure. I live in SF so it's definitely not a big deal.

We are not going to have a car whilst in this area, so getting to/from the musuem and the bridge will be local transport/taxi.

We are going to walk the bridge - I've overheard some nice gardens at one side of the bridge, good for photos and views of the bridge. Do you know anything about this?
How long do you reckon we'd need to the bridge?

Okay. There is a path to the bridge. It's about 20 or 30 minutes on foot. Yeah the area you're referring to is where the main parking lot is. There's a statue of the Bridge's chief designer, Joseph Strauss. There's also a sample of a cable span on display, with a few fascinating factoids on a sign above it. There's a coffee shop and a gift shop, and on the walkway to the Bridge itself, a nice little section that is well landscaped.

Um, not too long. Sometimes it can be pretty windy up there, so have a good jacket. You have the option to walk across the entire Bridge if you want. There are plenty of photo ops while up there. Just be careful of cyclists. When I take any out of town visitors to the GG we usually stay about an hour or so. Maybe two if you want to walk across the entire span.

That windy road looks pretty awesome, might have to try and get some snaps of that!!

Thanks again.. I know it's such a long way off but I'll be updating things here nearer the time Imagine, so if you are still working there next year I'll be sure to let you know and say hi!!

If you make it to the crooked section of Lombard street, there is a walkway there as well. It's pretty cool, and in between Fisherman's Wharf and the Disney Museum.

Sure thing! Any time you have questions just post them. And, cool! Just look for the tall goofy guy who looks like the dude in my avatar.

 

[Nahanni]

I hope you don't mind me inserting a question here - I think it may help OP as well.

Does anyone know of any discounted one way car rentals from SFO to LAX or San Diego? I priced a minvan over $1500 for 2 weeks.

 

[tessieg]

About car rentals, I think the clue is to book early. We are traveling in June, with a minivan from SFO TO SAN. We booked it for $950 about 5 months ago. I thought I would continue to look and find a better rate. However, prices have only gone up and up. The cheapest I have seen since is $1500. I am very grateful I booked when I did!!!! You have nothing to lose as almost all reservations can be canceled without penalty.

As for CA itineraries, here is ours:
Day 1 - San Francisco: flying in early and then Muir Woods, Fisherman's Wharf
Day 2-San Fran: Alcatraz, Lombard St, Alamo Square, Chinatown, cable car museum
Day 3-am: Golden Gate Park( Japanese Tea Gardens, botanical gardens), then drive to Yosemite and spending afternoon/evening on valley floor
Day 4- Yosemite
Day 5- Monterey. Arrive by noon and see Monterey Aquarium, evening and dinner on Cannery Row
Day 6- 17 mile drive along Pebble Beach. Then drive to San Simeon for Hearst Castle tour. Stay overnight nearby.
Day 7- Elephant Seal Rookery near Cambria. Then spending rest of day/ night at Jalama State Park in a cabin within the park--beach day.
Day 8- Santa Barbara(mission, courthouse, etc) and drive into Hollywood.
Day 9- La Brea Tar Pits, Grauman's, Walk of Fame, El Capitan,maybe Cirque Du Soleil "Iris," etc.
Day 10- Head to Anaheim. Downtown Disney. Character dinner. Early to bed!
Day 11, 12, 13- Disneyland and DCA
Day 14- San Diego: USS Midway, Cabrillo Monument/tide pools.
Day 15- San Diego Zoo
Day 16- Sea World
Day 17- Old Town San Diego and then fly home late in day

It will be busy and we will be exhausted when it is all done, but we have never been to CA and we are excited to get a taste of so many beautiful spots!

Good luck with the trip planning! This has taken a lot of time to research so many spots and make all the plans/reservations!

Tessie

 

[Neil_UK]

Sounds like an action packed trip, someone's gonna need a rest when they get home! I inagine mine will be the same.

The first part of my trip to San Francisco is looking good..
2 days spending time visiting Alcatraz, Disney Museum, Fisherman's Wharf and Golden Gate Bridge.
Then will catch a flight down to Los Angeles.

Need a little help on my time in LA/Hollywood now..
Not sure how much time I need in each place.
For definate, looking on visiting the following:

- Santa Monica Pier/Venice Beach
(I noticed these are near to each other, can we combine in one day?)
- Universal Studios
- Chinese Theatre/LA/Hollywood sign/area etc
(Really unsure how much time here?!)
- Six Flags Magic Mountain.. just thinking day trip here.

Any ideas anyone?
Any other landmarks that could be squeezed in that are close by?

 

[msheriffm]

Yosemite would be at the top of my northern California list. I camp there every year. If you want to stay in the Valley of Yosemite (where most of the sightseeing is located) you will need to book reservations the minute literally that they are posted. Check the website for information. If you do not stay on the floor be careful because many places advertise -- miles to Yosemite but that is just to the gates and the floor is about an hour longer drive. If you are in SF you might see what kind of day trip to Yosemite a bus company offers. It is about a 5 hour drive.

Also I would recommend Muir Woods (redwood forest park) near SF.

 

[AliciaG]

We should definitely keep this thread up to use for our trip planning, etc! We are doing the trip mid July 2013. I'm originally from SoCal, but we moved to the Pacific Northwest before I was a teenager. I'm a true cali girl in my heart though! Did the road trip from here (Portland, OR) to Disneyland in summer 2010. Disneyland/Universal Studios/Huntington Beach for 7 days. Jelly belly factory and the Redwoods on the way back up. This year for spring break, we did Disney World for the first time. Spent 12 amazing days in Florida exploring. So fun.

On the agenda for Summer 2013: San Diego (3 days), Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Possibly Knott's (I grew up going there), Six Flags, Santa Monica Pier, San Fran (1.5 days), a day (mainly for me, lol) in wine country, probably Sonoma (yes, the kids will be with us, but they will be 11 and 14), and the Oregon coast back up.

As for your trip to Vegas. 3 days at least. So much to do and see. We were married there almost 15 years ago. Been back about 6 times since.But, will never forget the first time. With barely any gambling, we still didn't see everything so went back our first anniversary. Happy to answer any questions!

 

[skyway]

When you're in Hollywood take the tour at the Kodak Theater. It's not very long, but it's interesting.
At Griffith Park you can visit the observatory. There's good views of the Hollywood sign from there. Also there's Bronson caves which has been used in filming. It was used in the 1960's Batman show & movie as the exterior of the batcave.
To get a good look at aviation history in southern California, go to the Flight Path Learning Center Museum next to LAX.

 

[WiganTony]

Just to say Hi - we are also planning on a West Coast trip in 2013, visiting San Fancisco, taking the Pacific Coast Highway with a stopover for a few days before hitting LA and Disney/Universal, finishing off with San Diego. Have already made note of the suggestions made by others - extremely helpful.

 

[rtfelt]

I would drive down through CA and fly to Vegas. There are so many things to see on the way from SF to LA and there is NOTHING between DLR and Vegas to see but dessert (a one way flight from LA to Vegas can be as low as $39 on Jetblue--that's what it is right now).

I also add my vote to all the others--SEE YOSEMITE. Coming to CA from the UK and not seeing Yosemite is like a Californian going to the UK and not seeing London.

3 days is just fine for DLR--especially with a hopper. Unless you're really into the expensive Vegas shows, 2 days should be enough here. Treasure Island resort also has an outdoor, nightime, free pirate show.

 

[WiganTony]

Just to add to my previous post, our tentative plans are:

Travel UK to SFO (4 nights) - 3 full days in San Francisco
Drive along PCH to Pismo Beach (4 nights) - fancy a few days rest/chilling. We did similar last year when we stayed at Ogunquit (ME) between our stays in NY and Boston and really enjoyed the quiet pace of life.
Drive to Anaheim area (5 nights) - 3 days DLR, plan to visit Universal at weekend when traffic is hopefully quieter, and possibly a day at one of the beaches or a tour around LA)
Drive to San Diego (3 nights) - planning a day at Seaworld and possibly a day at the Zoo
Return to UK from San Diego or LAX.

Fingers crossed this will give us a nice compromise between sightseeing/theme parks and some chilling time

 

[kymom99]

For the Vegas part of your trip, may I suggest the Beatles Love show? It is a Cirque du Soliel show and it is FABULOUS! I believe it is in the Mirage.

 

[viaggiamo]

Hi
Great thread, heaps of info here!

We are coming from Australia and have four weeks planned in the West.
We have two small children aged 3 and 5 so we like to travel slower and explore a bit rather than just cross main attractions off a list...

Fly to LA
have 7 nights in Anaheim see Disney and visit LA shopping outlets one day.

pick up hire car and drive to Santa Barbara (2 nights)
drive to Cambria (2 nights); see Hearst castle and have some beach time
drive to Monterey (2 nights) aquarium, pebble beach and surrounds

drive to San Francisco (8 nights); explore the city

fly to Las Vegas (5 nights); DH has a conference

LA (1 night) not sure here whether to stay in LA and see grove, farmers markets etc or stay in Santa Monica.

C