Help- Where to Begin Planning California Itinerary??

[StephC1217]

Hi Everyone

I am starting to plan a vacation to California for August 2015 for me, my husband, and DS 8. We are planning on flying into San Fran and out of San Diego (or vice versa). There are quite a few things on our to-do list (will probably be a once in a lifetime trip so we are trying to fit in as much as we can!) I did a 10-day trip like this with my parents years ago so I know it can be done! But it has been so long that I have no idea how to start planning it at all because of all the driving and different hotels. There are some things that I really want to do again from my last trip so I can share in them with my husband/son, and other things that I will probably skip this time around since I have already seen it once.

Things that we really want to do:

1. Tour San Francisco- cable cars, GG bridge, the wharf, Ghiradelli, etc (we only had 1/2 day in San Francisco last time so I would love to have 1-2 days this time around)

2. Alcatraz (I never got to do this last time and really want to!)

3. Yosemite (i know its out of the way but i have never been and really want to! I want to see Redwoods too but heard you could see them here. Not sure how many days are needed here? We probably don't have a lot of time to spend but would like to see it)

4. Monterey Aquarium (haven't been here either and want to stop. We did stop in Solvang last time and I wouldn't mind stopping again if there was time but if not, then I could skip it)

5. Disneyland! (we are big wdw fans but never been to DL. we would prob only have 2 days to spend here because there is so much more that I want to do)

6. Scenic drive down the coast! (we did 17 mile drive before and i really want to show my husband the view! of course driving so close to the edge terrifies me but i want to try and manage it)

7. Laguna Beach- I would like to spend a day at a beautiful beach =) If there is time

8. Hollywood- I did this on my last trip and wasn't terribly impressed by LA or Hollywood. I would prob only spend a little time there just to show my husband the sign/graumann's/walk of fame....but other then that I have no desire!

9. San Diego!! I would love to spend a few days in this area. San Diego Zoo/ Wild Animal Park (at least one if not both). Also La Jolla beach!! And any other places that are must-dos. San Diego was our favorite part of the trip last time!

10. Santa Cruz Boardwalk if there is time!

Those are points of interests. I was thinking 10-12 days. I know its a lot to fit in but is it do-able??

 

[ILUVALASKA]

It is doable if you skip Yosemite.If your focus is redwoods, just drive across the GG Bridge and go to Muir Woods. YOu can walk around the redwoods there in 2 hours. When you get to MOnterey, you might want two days so Santa Cruz might need to be cut.

It will take all day to drive PCH from Monterey to Hollywood.

IN San FRan, you must see the new Exploratorium Museum on the water. Amazing.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

Fly into SF, rent car

Days 1-2 San Francisco
Day 3 Santa Cruz
Day 4 Monterey
Day 5 drive down coast from Monterey to Laguna
Day 6 Laguna
Day 7-8 Disney
Day 9-10 San Diego (fly out of San Diego...use a one way car rental)

Or...
Day 11 drive to Yosemite
Day 12 Yosemite
Day 13 drive to SF, fly home

 

[bcla]

It is doable if you skip Yosemite.If your focus is redwoods, just drive across the GG Bridge and go to Muir Woods. YOu can walk around the redwoods there in 2 hours. When you get to MOnterey, you might want two days so Santa Cruz might need to be cut.

It will take all day to drive PCH from Monterey to Hollywood.

IN San FRan, you must see the new Exploratorium Museum on the water. Amazing.

There are redwoods all over Northern California, including San Francisco (try Stern Grove or Golden Gate Park). However, old growth is another matter. Muir Woods has the only remaining stand of old growth redwoods in the Bay Area. The trees themselves aren't really that impressive (the conditions aren't ideal) compared to the giants along the North Coast or around Santa Cruz, but they're accessible to people visiting the Bay Area.

 

[StephC1217]

Thank you for the responses! I did go to Muir Woods years ago with my parents. I wanted to go to Yosemite to experience it- and figured I could skip a specific trip to see the Redwoods by just seeing them while at Yosemite.

BUT if Yosemite is what is throwing off my whole itinerary then I will rethink going there and spend all my time on the Coast! That seems to be the general consensus. Is Yosemite just mostly scenery to look at anyways?

And I have never heard of that museum in San Fran- I am going to look into it right now! Is it an all day experience?

 

[bcla]

Thank you for the responses! I did go to Muir Woods years ago with my parents. I wanted to go to Yosemite to experience it- and figured I could skip a specific trip to see the Redwoods by just seeing them while at Yosemite.

BUT if Yosemite is what is throwing off my whole itinerary then I will rethink going there and spend all my time on the Coast! That seems to be the general consensus. Is Yosemite just mostly scenery to look at anyways?

And I have never heard of that museum in San Fran- I am going to look into it right now! Is it an all day experience?

Yosemite has some giant sequoias. This is a separate species compared to the coast redwood. The largest specimens aren't as tall, and they're adapted towards a climate with lots of snow and higher elevations. They don't carry as much water, which helps them survive freeze cycles. The wood is typically very brittle and was not of much use commercially. Coast redwoods only grow naturally near the coast where there's morning fog. They don't naturally reproduce at lower elevations, but they can be cultivated. John Muir planted a giant sequoia in front of his house in the Bay Area. It's grown to about 100 feet, but it's dying now. I recall there's also a giant sequoia at the Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite. It was planted there, but wouldn't normally be found in Yosemite Valley. If you want giant sequoias, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (as well as Sequoia National Forest) have the most impressive trees overall. Redwood Mountain Grove in Kings Canyon NP is the largest grove of giant sequoia anywhere. I hiked it once, and it was spectacular. None of the trees are marked and off-trail travel is legal. I walked right up to a couple of the trees. It's not a big deal since it's lightly visited compared to the popular spots like Giant Forest.

As for the Exploratorium, I'm a member and have been there at least 1 dozen times since they reopened at their new location. It's worth a visit, but not really an all day thing.

 

[ILUVALASKA]

Yosemite is incredible. I go up there every three years with my HS seniors . We spend full day riding the valley shuttle to waterfalls and the village museums/shops/restaurants. We then rent bikes, ride horses,raft,etc. The third day is a full day hike to Half Dome. I guess you could go for a day, but the place is too incredible to not stay for a few days.

 

[bcla]

Yosemite is incredible. I go up there every three years with my HS seniors . We spend full day riding the valley shuttle to waterfalls and the village museums/shops/restaurants. We then rent bikes, ride horses,raft,etc. The third day is a full day hike to Half Dome. I guess you could go for a day, but the place is too incredible to not stay for a few days.

The hike to Half Dome requires a permit now, with strict limits and a ranger posted at the Sub Dome to check for permits. It's not expensive, but the scheme was designed to reduce the crowds, which many people felt were getting ridiculous and compromising safety. I mean - doing it always came with a clear risk, but it became worse than it should have been.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm

The day permit system was changed from one where dates could be selected on purchase (a nominal fee actually) but now it's a lottery system so that it's no longer a race to see who can navigate the Recreation.gov website fastest, or more specifically who can program a bot program to navigate it the fastest. A Half Dome permit with a backpacking permit is from a separate quota.

If you're willing to do a technical climb, no permit is required to go up and you can go down the cables without a permit. Straight up isn't easy, but I hear that Snake Dike is relatively simple for beginning technical climbers.

Personally I think the hike to Half Dome is overrated. I know it's iconic, but it's kind of boring and really tough on the knees. You don't really get a terribly good view of HD from HD. Now the view from Clouds Rest is stunning.

 

[ILUVALASKA]

Correct on the permit IF you are doing the cables. I have no interest in the cables!

 

[StephC1217]

Thank you everyone for the replies- so it sounds like going out of way to check out Yosemite may not be worth it if we are not able to stay a few days...

Is Sequoia Nat'l Park closer to our drive down the coast? would we be able to make a stop there without throwing off our itinerary?

 

[bcla]

Thank you everyone for the replies- so it sounds like going out of way to check out Yosemite may not be worth it if we are not able to stay a few days...

Is Sequoia Nat'l Park closer to our drive down the coast? would we be able to make a stop there without throwing off our itinerary?

Anything that takes you that far out into Central California would throw off your schedule. You could do it as a day trip, that's an entire day unless your plans already involve Fresno or Visalia.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Are you a AAA member ? I would get ahold of all of there maps, ask for a trip tik etc. any road trip deserves AAA!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

Thank you everyone for the replies- so it sounds like going out of way to check out Yosemite may not be worth it if we are not able to stay a few days...

Is Sequoia Nat'l Park closer to our drive down the coast? would we be able to make a stop there without throwing off our itinerary?

If you come back to the north via 99 ...it would essentially be on your way to Yosemite from the south. If you were to do a 2 week trip, you could include both national parks.

 

[DieHardJoe]

In October, 2012 my wife and I did the same trip, except in reverse. We flew into San Diego from Boston and flew back from San Fran. The reason is that I had read some comments about driving the Pacific Coast Highway and I really didn't want to be driving south. I will say that if the dropoffs don't bother you, then stick to your plan and drive south. And we had originally looked into a Yosemite visit, but decided against it because of the time it would take to go over and come back. Our trip was exactly 2 weeks, and I wish we had more time. We stayed on Coronado for 3 nights (Glorietta Bay Inn - Fantastic! It's across the street from the big, and very nice, hotel Del Coronado, but we would stay at the GBI every time), visited the Zoo one day and Sea World another, then drove up towards Long Beach to see the Queen Mary and then over to spend 5 nights at Disneys Grand Californian. We spent time at Disney but also drove out to the Santa Monica pier and toured LA, doing the usual touristy sites like the Chinese Theater. If you have a chance, drive Mulholland Drive and stop at a couple of lookouts. There is one very popular one where you can get great pics of the Hollywood sign. We then headed north and spent a night in San Simeon (Best Western was great. Fires are lit every night with people sitting around roasting marshmallows and eating S'Mores) and visited Hearst Castle the next day (we loved it). We headed north again and stayed a night in Monterey. We did the 17-mile drive and walked around a bit in Monterey, though we did skip the Aquarium because of time. On the way to Monterey we stopped at the Point Lobos Reserve. All I can say is, look it up on Trip Advisor. It was $10 (I think) to park, but it was the best $10 we spent on the trip. If we had all day we would have stayed there all day. We ended our trip with 4 nights in Sausalito. We splurged and stayed at the Inn Above Tide. For us, it was well worth the cost. Very convenient, with all 30 rooms literally hanging over the water looking at Alcatraz and SF. We did visit Muir Woods and loved it, and spent a couple days sightseeing in SF. One suggestion - Book Alcatraz in advance! In all our research we had somehow never read anyone suggesting that. And for the nights we were there, the only available way to get a reservation was to couple it with a stop at Angel Island, which we really didn't want to do or felt we had the time.

I'm guessing you can't go in October because of school. We had no issues with any crowds, but you may run into some in August. If you can swing it, I would say look to spend 2 weeks. We were amazed how much we were able to do. We tried to pace ourselves and allow enough time to see what we could, but we could have easily used another 1-2 weeks. Enjoy your trip, as well as your planning!

 

[StephC1217]

In October, 2012 my wife and I did the same trip, except in reverse. We flew into San Diego from Boston and flew back from San Fran. The reason is that I had read some comments about driving the Pacific Coast Highway and I really didn't want to be driving south. I will say that if the dropoffs don't bother you, then stick to your plan and drive south. And we had originally looked into a Yosemite visit, but decided against it because of the time it would take to go over and come back. Our trip was exactly 2 weeks, and I wish we had more time. We stayed on Coronado for 3 nights (Glorietta Bay Inn - Fantastic! It's across the street from the big, and very nice, hotel Del Coronado, but we would stay at the GBI every time), visited the Zoo one day and Sea World another, then drove up towards Long Beach to see the Queen Mary and then over to spend 5 nights at Disneys Grand Californian. We spent time at Disney but also drove out to the Santa Monica pier and toured LA, doing the usual touristy sites like the Chinese Theater. If you have a chance, drive Mulholland Drive and stop at a couple of lookouts. There is one very popular one where you can get great pics of the Hollywood sign. We then headed north and spent a night in San Simeon (Best Western was great. Fires are lit every night with people sitting around roasting marshmallows and eating S'Mores) and visited Hearst Castle the next day (we loved it). We headed north again and stayed a night in Monterey. We did the 17-mile drive and walked around a bit in Monterey, though we did skip the Aquarium because of time. On the way to Monterey we stopped at the Point Lobos Reserve. All I can say is, look it up on Trip Advisor. It was $10 (I think) to park, but it was the best $10 we spent on the trip. If we had all day we would have stayed there all day. We ended our trip with 4 nights in Sausalito. We splurged and stayed at the Inn Above Tide. For us, it was well worth the cost. Very convenient, with all 30 rooms literally hanging over the water looking at Alcatraz and SF. We did visit Muir Woods and loved it, and spent a couple days sightseeing in SF. One suggestion - Book Alcatraz in advance! In all our research we had somehow never read anyone suggesting that. And for the nights we were there, the only available way to get a reservation was to couple it with a stop at Angel Island, which we really didn't want to do or felt we had the time.

I'm guessing you can't go in October because of school. We had no issues with any crowds, but you may run into some in August. If you can swing it, I would say look to spend 2 weeks. We were amazed how much we were able to do. We tried to pace ourselves and allow enough time to see what we could, but we could have easily used another 1-2 weeks. Enjoy your trip, as well as your planning!

Thank you for this great reply!! I am amazed at how much you guys did- it makes me feel much about our trip!

Yes- the reason we are going in August is due to school- I am a teacher (who also works summers) and August is the only time that I have 2 weeks off in a row.

As much as I really wanted to end the trip in San Diego (it was my favorite part of the trip last time), I do keep thinking that I may do the same route as you- the Pacific Highway dropoffs scared the crap out of me last time!! I don't understand how I dont read about more tragedies there on that route!

Thank you for the tips on some of the other places that I hadn't considered, like Point Lobos. We probably won't do the Hearst Castle- I did that the last time I went to California and really enjoyed it but I know my son won't That may give us time to do the Aquarium instead.

Thank you for the hotel suggestions too- I am excited about this trip now! (we are flying out from Boston as well)

Judy- yes, we are AAA members- thats a great idea to look at a trip tik!

 

[sasywtch]

I will probably be the lone hold out but I would skip the aquarium in Monterey and just walk around the cannery area. We stopped in Carmel and saw dolphins swimming right by the beach at the end of the little road there. We did the drive by Pebble Beach.

In San Francisco, you can do the on/off buses and see the Golden Gate, the painted ladies, Lombard Street. Go to Ghiridelli and do the cable car, Pier 39 on your way to the Alcantraz tour.

I always go against the grain and would just do the zoo in San Diego, skip Marine world or land or whatever it is, come up to Disneyland spend a few days, go to Hollywood, see the foot/handprints, Dolby or Kodak Theatre (whatever it is now), eat an ice cream at the Disney fountain and then go down sunset to Malibu and start heading north up the coast.