Modifying a SF/PCH/Yosemite/Disneyland Road Trip for Large Family with Young Kids

[ontheuptick]

Hello all - I've read lots of great trip reports and advice on touring California both here and elsewhere. What I'm struggling with is how to modify this trip to fit my large family with young kids! Lots of suggestions for SF or Yosemite seem to fit couples or older kids, so I need to modify.

Travelers: Me, DW, DS10, DD7, DD4, DS1.5

Current Plan:
2 Nights in SF, 2 nights in Monterey, 3 Nights in Yosemite, 4 nights in Disneyland

Questions on San Francisco -
Lodging - It seems like we would be best to stay IN the city, and use the MUNI to get around? Staying in the City would provide the added benefit of splitting up if small kids need more rest.
Transportation - Is public transportation and walking doable for a big family? If we want to see Walt Disney Museum, LucasFilm, Wharf, maybe Alcatraz, Bridge, etc - should we stay near the Wharf? I planned to NOT rent a car until the day we were leaving SF, and on that day we could see the Bridge.

Questions on Monterey -
Is it worth it to add the extra drive time, pack and unpacking at a new hotel, etc, to add in a stop at Monterey to see Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive, Aquarium, etc? Or, should I skip this and go straight from SF up to Yosemite and skip the PCH?

Questions on Yosemite -
Lodging - correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like staying IN the valley would be very important with small kids? If we stay 40 minutes outside of the valley, the process of packing everyone up, driving into the valley for a short hike or tour seems daunting. But, if we were staying in the valley we could come and go to the hotel (looking at Yosemite Valley Lodge) fairly easily, and separate for hikes if need be.

Any other thoughts/recommendations for things I should do, places to see, stops to make, for this road trip?

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Questions on San Francisco -
Lodging - It seems like we would be best to stay IN the city, and use the MUNI to get around? Staying in the City would provide the added benefit of splitting up if small kids need more rest.
Transportation - Is public transportation and walking doable for a big family? If we want to see Walt Disney Museum, LucasFilm, Wharf, maybe Alcatraz, Bridge, etc - should we stay near the Wharf? I planned to NOT rent a car until the day we were leaving SF, and on that day we could see the Bridge.

Walk or take Taxi/Uber everywhere, it's not worth trying to deal with public transportation IMO. Probably better not to rent a car if you're not familiar with the area. Parking can be expensive anyway.

I would probably stay somewhere in the city. It's been a long time since I've spent the night in the city, but the Wharf makes sense if you want to walk there. Alcatraz ferry is on Pier 33, which is also walkable from Fisherman's Wharf (a little less than 1 mile). If I were to stay in the city, I would probably stay in the Financial District near the Ferry Building, but it obviously depends on where you are trying to go, since that's not really close to the Wharf.

An alternative would be to stay outside the city but near a city with a BART station. You could take the BART into the city and then walk/Uber/taxi from there.

There are 2 major transporation systems in SF: BART and MUNI. There is the BART, which is mainly for commuting in and out of the city, though there is a stretch that travels within the city along Market Street, given your itinerary I don't think it would be that useful. The MUNI is comprised of a bus system and a train system. Probably the only potentially useful train route you could take would be the F-line, which runs along the water between the Ferry Building to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. There is the bus, but I don't think it's worth trying to figure out the bus system when you could just take a taxi.

There are also the Cable Cars, which can take you from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Wharf (with a transfer).

The Disney Museum and Lucasfilm are in an area called the Presidio, which is near the Golden Gate Bridge. There are no trains that go there.

Questions on Monterey -
Is it worth it to add the extra drive time, pack and unpacking at a new hotel, etc, to add in a stop at Monterey to see Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive, Aquarium, etc? Or, should I skip this and go straight from SF up to Yosemite and skip the PCH?

Yes, IMO it is worth it. PCH and Big Sur are amazing. Driving up the coast was one of my favorite trips I've taken.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Lodging - It seems like we would be best to stay IN the city, and use the MUNI to get around?

Staying in the city is very convenient, but the city has a grunge/dirtiness about it. The last we stayed there, we were on Powell Place with the cable car right out front. We found the cable cars were generally full and would pass us by. There were buses a few blocks away that we ended up using more often. Walking the town is fun, but is full of hills. Can your kids walk up and down steep hills? Can you carry them up and down? Ubers and taxis are much easier.

Fisherman's Wharf is a good place to stay were you can do several things in a relatively flat area. It tends to stink because of the fish and seals.

One time I stayed at Embassy Suites by the airport and actually liked staying there more than staying in the city. However, with young kids, you'll probably be happier being in the Fisherman's Wharf area.

Lodging - correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like staying IN the valley would be very important with small kids?

Yes, I agree you'll be happier staying inside the park. There is too much car time if you stay out of the park.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I lived on the Monterey Peninsula for 16 years and it's truly beautiful.
Big Sur: There was a wildfire last summer. Took months to contain. Evacuations as far into Carmel and Carmel Highlands. Now being hit with rains. Don't know when you plan on going, but be cautious. Know road conditions and weather because it's the perfect storm for mud slides and rock slides.
Carmel/Carmel by the Sea: A quaint town full of charm. Some high end retailers, art galleries, and some of the BEST restaurants I have ever eaten at. One of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Carmel Beach, right off of Ocean Ave. Highly recommend. Some of our go to restaurants: Tommy Woks, Club Jalapeno, and Little Napoli.
Carmel Valley: Wine tasting.
Pebble Beach: Again....beautiful. 17 mile drive is worth it. Especially to see the Lone Cypress. I suggest making a stop of The Lodge in Pebble Beach. They do have restaurants but I rarely eaten there. What locals like to do is sit outside, especially by the fire pits, have a drink and take in all the beautiful scenery (ocean). If you schedule it right, you can be there for the bagpiper (just one) who comes out to play as the sun sets.
Monterey: The big draw is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's worth seeing. It's located right on Cannery Row. Restaurants and shops are there. I highly recommend Awakenings. Very popular with the locals. Great food, great prices. FYI, closes at 2 p.m. It's right across the street from the aquarium (on the furthest end to Pacific Grove).

 

[VandVsmama]

Hello all - I've read lots of great trip reports and advice on touring California both here and elsewhere. What I'm struggling with is how to modify this trip to fit my large family with young kids! Lots of suggestions for SF or Yosemite seem to fit couples or older kids, so I need to modify.

Travelers: Me, DW, DS10, DD7, DD4, DS1.5

Current Plan:
2 Nights in SF, 2 nights in Monterey, 3 Nights in Yosemite, 4 nights in Disneyland

Questions on San Francisco -
Lodging - It seems like we would be best to stay IN the city, and use the MUNI to get around? Staying in the City would provide the added benefit of splitting up if small kids need more rest.
Transportation - Is public transportation and walking doable for a big family? If we want to see Walt Disney Museum, LucasFilm, Wharf, maybe Alcatraz, Bridge, etc - should we stay near the Wharf? I planned to NOT rent a car until the day we were leaving SF, and on that day we could see the Bridge.

Questions on Monterey -
Is it worth it to add the extra drive time, pack and unpacking at a new hotel, etc, to add in a stop at Monterey to see Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive, Aquarium, etc? Or, should I skip this and go straight from SF up to Yosemite and skip the PCH?

Questions on Yosemite -
Lodging - correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like staying IN the valley would be very important with small kids? If we stay 40 minutes outside of the valley, the process of packing everyone up, driving into the valley for a short hike or tour seems daunting. But, if we were staying in the valley we could come and go to the hotel (looking at Yosemite Valley Lodge) fairly easily, and separate for hikes if need be.

Any other thoughts/recommendations for things I should do, places to see, stops to make, for this road trip?

Your mileage may vary, but when my kids were 18 months old, they were a nightmare on long car rides. However, I also know that not everybody has experiences like I did with my cranky kids at that age!

Driving on PCH is not a fun experience for little kids. Adults and older kids would enjoy it but your 1.5 yr old and 4 yr old probably will be bored. However, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is really awesome.

If you DO spend a couple of nights in Monterey, on your drive from SF to Monterey, stop in San Jose and go to the San Jose Children's Discovery Museum. It's really great for all of your kids' ages. https://www.cdm.org/

I agree with your idea of staying in Yosemite Valley instead of staying 40 min outside the park.

In SF, your kids would probably love the Exploratorium. If you decide to skip Monterey, you could stay an extra day in SF and go there. https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/galleries

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I may have missed it - what time of year are you planning on going?

 

[bcla]

Most of the stuff has already been mentioned, but I thought I'd say something about Yosemite. Hope it's not too late.

Yosemite Valley isn't easy to get reservations. All lodging is available for booking a calendar year in advance. Yosemite Lodge (or whatever they're calling it now) typically becomes booked the day the rooms become available for stays in the peak months. They also have larger family rooms that accommodate maybe 6? The Ahwahnee Hotel doesn't necessarily fill up as quickly, but it will generally be fully reserved in the peak season. Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp are a bit different (not much different than tent camping) and bedding isn't provided.

 

[ontheuptick]

Thanks for all input so far! As far as when: I'm planning to make the trip over our spring break next year (so, somewhere around March 30-April 10th 2018). So, I still have a couple months before I have to get serious about booking the Yosemite stay if we want to be in the Valley!

 

[bcla]

Thanks for all input so far! As far as when: I'm planning to make the trip over our spring break next year (so, somewhere around March 30-April 10th 2018). So, I still have a couple months before I have to get serious about booking the Yosemite stay if we want to be in the Valley!

Have you thought of camping? Around $20/night, and you could buy essentially disposable camping equipment. However, it's insane trying to reserve campsites in Yosemite Valley. It might be a little bit easier for the days you're thinking of. However, it will be cold at night. The location of the campgrounds is incredible. I remember poking my head out of the tent and thinking "Wait, that's Half Dome." Another day I did the same thing and it was "Wait, that's a bear."

The names of the lodging have been temporarily changed while they sort out a trademark dispute with the old concessionaire. I don't even recall what all the new names are.

Staying outside of Yosemite isn't too bad. I've done it before, and the costs are generally much lower.

 

[ontheuptick]

Have you thought of camping? Around $20/night, and you could buy essentially disposable camping equipment. However, it's insane trying to reserve campsites in Yosemite Valley. It might be a little bit easier for the days you're thinking of. However, it will be cold at night. The location of the campgrounds is incredible. I remember poking my head out of the tent and thinking "Wait, that's Half Dome." Another day I did the same thing and it was "Wait, that's a bear.".

While I could consider it, camping would be very not-magical for my wife In general, we just aren't campers. We don't need to be pampered at all, but we aren't campers.

I'm thinking we would be best in a Family room at the Yosemite Valley Lodge - because it has a queen bed, and then a bunk bed (with double on the bottom), and a private bathroom. Would be tight jamming 6 people into a 400sqft room for a couple days, but I'll just make sure our accomodations on the rest of the trip are a little bigger via airbnb apartments, etc.

 

[ontheuptick]

Another question on Routes. Which would you recommend:

Starting in SF, Driving south along PCH through Santa Cruz to Monterey. Stay Monterey for 2 days, then Drive Northeast over to Yosemite. Go from Yosemite to Disneyland.
OR
Starting in SF, Driving straight East to Yosemite. Going back to the cost from Yosemite to Monterey. Driving from Monterey along the PCH through Big Sur, etc, to get to Disneyland.

Google maps says that Option 1 is less total drive time by quite a bit, depending on how long you stay on the PCH instead of making it over to the interstate. But, is it worth the extra drive time to drive the PCH through Big Sur?

 

[bcla]

While I could consider it, camping would be very not-magical for my wife In general, we just aren't campers. We don't need to be pampered at all, but we aren't campers.

I'm thinking we would be best in a Family room at the Yosemite Valley Lodge - because it has a queen bed, and then a bunk bed (with double on the bottom), and a private bathroom. Would be tight jamming 6 people into a 400sqft room for a couple days, but I'll just make sure our accomodations on the rest of the trip are a little bigger via airbnb apartments, etc.

Then I guess most of Curry Village (Half Dome Village) or Housekeeping Camp are out. Curry Village does have a few hard-sided cabins. Housekeeping is more like concrete bunkers with curtains. It looks like a refugee camp.

Oh - I guess Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp do have some basic blankets and pillows in their tent cabins, but they charge extra for extra blankets or sleeping bags.

And the bears are another issue. Read up on them before going, and make sure you don't have any food in your car after dark. That's when the bears practice their car-opening skills. They'll typically peel open the door with their claws until the window breaks. It's amazing how flexible they are. If there's a back seat in the way, they'll claw at it until there's a big enough hole.

 

[bcla]

Another question on Routes. Which would you recommend:

Starting in SF, Driving south along PCH through Santa Cruz to Monterey. Stay Monterey for 2 days, then Drive Northeast over to Yosemite. Go from Yosemite to Disneyland.
OR
Starting in SF, Driving straight East to Yosemite. Going back to the cost from Yosemite to Monterey. Driving from Monterey along the PCH through Big Sur, etc, to get to Disneyland.

Google maps says that Option 1 is less total drive time by quite a bit, depending on how long you stay on the PCH instead of making it over to the interstate. But, is it worth the extra drive time to drive the PCH through Big Sur?

I've noted it before, but technically it's not the Pacific Coast Highway until you get to Southern California. Around here it's typically called "Highway 1". It's got official names (Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway) that hardly anyone uses.

From Monterey it's pretty straightforward to get to Yosemite. I would note that if the kids get carsick, then 120 may not be that great a choice, especially at the twisties on New Priest Grade. There are various ways to get down from Yosemite, including CA-99. If you really want to see the coast, that's fine. It will take a lot more time and can be an issue if your kids get carsick.

You also should check for road conditions since the occasional rockfall closes some of the roads into the park. Right now on 140 there's a couple of bridges set up and an automated signal. There was a huge rockslide years ago and they haven't been able to clear it up.

 

[bcla]

Since I mentioned rockfall, I had no idea that this was going to happen later in the day.

Rockfall closes Big Oak Flat Road in Yosemite Park
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article131316794.html

Before leaving, you can check the road conditions. If there's rockfall, that will be noted.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=sr41
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=sr120
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=sr140

These highways are pretty long. The one for State Route 41 says there's a closure, but that's all the way near San Luis Obispo and not near Yosemite. I don't see any mention of the rockfall in the park, as the state highways technically end when they cross the park boundaries. They do include the Yosemite conditions phone number (209-372-0200).

Also check the Yosemite conditions, which does list the current road closure:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Big Oak Flat Road is partially closed; no access to Yosemite Valley via Highway 120 from the west
The Big Oak Flat Road is temporarily closed from Crane Flat to the Foresta Road junction due to an active rockfall. There is no access to Yosemite Valley via Hwy 120 from the west.​

 

[VandVsmama]

Another question on Routes. Which would you recommend:

Starting in SF, Driving south along PCH through Santa Cruz to Monterey. Stay Monterey for 2 days, then Drive Northeast over to Yosemite. Go from Yosemite to Disneyland.
OR
Starting in SF, Driving straight East to Yosemite. Going back to the cost from Yosemite to Monterey. Driving from Monterey along the PCH through Big Sur, etc, to get to Disneyland.

Google maps says that Option 1 is less total drive time by quite a bit, depending on how long you stay on the PCH instead of making it over to the interstate. But, is it worth the extra drive time to drive the PCH through Big Sur?

go with Option #1.

 

[VandVsmama]

Then I guess most of Curry Village (Half Dome Village) or Housekeeping Camp are out. Curry Village does have a few hard-sided cabins. Housekeeping is more like concrete bunkers with curtains. It looks like a refugee camp.

Oh - I guess Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp do have some basic blankets and pillows in their tent cabins, but they charge extra for extra blankets or sleeping bags.

And the bears are another issue. Read up on them before going, and make sure you don't have any food in your car after dark. That's when the bears practice their car-opening skills. They'll typically peel open the door with their claws until the window breaks. It's amazing how flexible they are. If there's a back seat in the way, they'll claw at it until there's a big enough hole.

Just wanted to give a +1 to the above post. It's not just a matter of not leaving any food in your car. Don't leave any food wrappers, trash, or anything that currently or used to hold food in your car. Don't leave any food trash or food wrappers in your car in Yosemite at any time of day. Even a gum wrapper!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Just wanted to give a +1 to the above post. It's not just a matter of not leaving any food in your car. Don't leave any food wrappers, trash, or anything that currently or used to hold food in your car. Don't leave any food trash or food wrappers in your car in Yosemite at any time of day. Even a gum wrapper!

Totally agree - nothing that even looks like food or a cooler should be left in the car where a bear can see it.

I emphasized this to my sister-in-law and her husband on a camping trip to Sequoia. Sure enough, we woke up one morning and saw bear paw prints on the van's windows where the bear had been looking in the car for food. On another camping trip, my cousin didn't latch the bear-proof food box properly, and woke up at midnight to the sound of metal screeching. It was a big bear that had got into our box and was eating our food. I woke up the people camped next to us and we eventually scared the bear away (my cousin was too afraid to come out of our tent. lol) You may not see them, but they are around.

 

[bcla]

Totally agree - nothing that even looks like food or a cooler should be left in the car where a bear can see it.

I emphasized this to my sister-in-law and her husband on a camping trip to Sequoia. Sure enough, we woke up one morning and saw bear paw prints on the van's windows where the bear had been looking in the car for food. On another camping trip, my cousin didn't latch the bear-proof food box properly, and woke up at midnight to the sound of metal screeching. It was a big bear that had got into our box and was eating our food. I woke up the people camped next to us and we eventually scared the bear away (my cousin was too afraid to come out of our tent. lol) You may not see them, but they are around.

SEKI and parts of Lake Tahoe are pretty bad too. It's kind of a mixture of prime bear habitat and lots of people. It's also a learned behavior. I've been to other places where there are bears, and when I mention Sierra bears they usually say "our bears aren't like that". Camping in one place I was told to just put everything in my car, even if it was in plain view. They were more worried about squirrels and birds. In Yellowstone they say in the trunk or covered. In Yosemite, it's no food at all when it's dark. I think I left some energy bars in my trunk once, and it's more like playing Russian roulette. It's unlikely that they break into your car, but why take a 1 in 25 chance that it happens to you?

They definitely test the bear boxes. I've seen one that the campers thought was properly secured but the locking mechanism was jammed. The bear seemed to be enjoying the spread. Most of the boxes can be padlocked or additionally secured with a clip/carabiner, and I've done it myself. You can do this with your own campsite, but not communal boxes like at trailheads. I've heard of rangers coming by with bolt cutters.