Monterey, Yosemite, and SF - Post your suggestions, photos, and trip ideas

[KCmike]

Here's what I got so far for a June trip:
Sunday - Yosemite National Park (Tenaya Lodge at Fish Camp)
Mon - Park (Yosemite Falls, hotel hop, rent bikes, go commando on Yosemite)
Tues - Park/Mariposa for the trees
Wed - Glacier Point and travel to Monterey (hotel undecided but want something on ocean) How long will it take to reach monterey? How are the roads out of yosemite?
Thursday - Monterey Aquarium
Friday - 17 mile drive, Pebble Beach, Big Sur
Sat - Nothing but ocean and relaxation
Sun - San Fran (pier, cable cars, golden gate bridge)
Mon - head home

What am I missing?
Has anyone done the tour where they take you around yosemite by bus?
Closest redwoods to Monterey?
Anyone stayed at Sanctuary Beach Resort?
What else am I missing?
Is this too much stuff packed into one extended week?

 

[DSNY4ever]

Wow what a fun trip! Quick question- is this a trip for adults or a family with kids? Here are some general suggestions or answers to your questions. Keep in mind June will be very crowded in Yosemite, the valley will be packed during the day. The waterfalls will probably be pretty weak this year due to the lack of rain/snow, but since it is early summer hopefully they won't be too bad yet- I'll cross my fingers for you!


Here's what I got so far for a June trip:
Sunday - Yosemite National Park (Tenaya Lodge at Fish Camp)- Tenaya Lodge is beautiful, but make sure you plan enough time each day to drive in to valley as it is windy and slow.
Mon - Park (Yosemite Falls, hotel hop, rent bikes, go commando on Yosemite)- I am not sure what you mean by hotel hop, there is only one hotel to see in the valley (The Ahwanee), and yes it is beautiful (like the Wilderness lodge, but with a better view outside- if you plan to eat there you need to be dressed up!). Bikes are a great way to get around the valley on the main paths. Keep in mind it is best to pack a lunch with you. There are not really any good places to eat in the valley. My favorite waterfall is Vernal Falls, but it is a pretty long hike up to it (so consider your hiking level and alloted time first). Yosemite Falls you can see from numerous spots in the valley. There is a free shuttle that runs through the valley and stops at all of the main tourist spots, so I don't see the need for a bus tour. There is a little museum in the main village area by yosemite falls that if you have kids you can walk them through and there is a nice Ansel Adams gift shop.
Tues - Park/Mariposa for the trees- lf you are wanting to see the other hotel since you mentioned hotel hopping, this would be the time to see the Wawona since it is close by. You can park in the parking lot at the mini mart/gas station and the hotel and a small museum is just right there that you can walk through. The Wawona is pretty, but it is not really a hotel with a big lobby that you can explore or anything. From this parking lot you can take a shuttle over to Mariposa grove if their lot is already full. Two hikes in upper yosemite that are wonderful are Taft Point and Sentinel Dome. Sentinel Dome has amazing view and both hikes are right next to each other and they are very short and easy (you could do both pretty quickly). When you reach Sentinel Dome though you have to climb around on the giant rock for the view so if you have kids be careful...we with kids you have to be careful everywhere there. The views will not disappoint on either of these hikes.
Wed - Glacier Point and travel to Monterey (hotel undecided but want something on ocean) How long will it take to reach monterey? How are the roads out of yosemite?- how are the roads...windy! If you get car sick be prepared, but the drive is pretty. If you want a hotel on the ocean, be prepared to pay a pretty penny and make sure you are getting one near the sights in Monterey. Some say on the water, but are not near the main area of Monterey. The Monterey Plaza hotel is on the bay and is very beautiful- but very expensive.
Thursday - Monterey Aquarium- so fun, you'll have a blast!
Friday - 17 mile drive, Pebble Beach, Big Sur- I can't believe I haven't been to Big Sur! We were supposed to go last summer, but everything was on fire Hope you have a great time there, make sure to visit the waterfall at Julia Pfieffer state park I hear it's beautiful.
Sat - Nothing but ocean and relaxation- are you planning to drive to SF this day? There are beautiful beaches everywhere, the ones along the 17 mile drive are nice, and Carmel has some beautiful ones too.
Sun - San Fran (pier, cable cars, golden gate bridge)- wow this is a lot to cram into one day, the wait for the cable cars alone can take forever. There is sooo much to see here and it is a really big city. If you have never been before, make sure you look around and decide what you really want to see and what you can save for another trip.
Mon - head home

Good Luck with your planning, hopefully something on here helped you. You can read my Monterey trip report in my siggie if you want some other ideas for there. Otherwise- have fun! Be prepared for lots of driving!

 

[KCmike]

Thank you so much DSNY4ever!

We are going as a family. My wife and I and three kids (14, 11, 11) My oldest is a girl and then I have boy/girl twins. This will be our first true nature vacation even though we are throwing in San Francisco. We have been planning a trip to Yosemite now for more than two years and we finally are getting to accomplish it this summer. The hotel hopping I was talking about was go to Yosemite Lodge as well. This is the place we thought we would like to stay at because it is in the heart of everything but I've heard how bad it is so we decided that the long adrive into the park wouldn't be bad if we could get nicer place to rest our heads. We usually do Disney vacations. It is so hard to say no to Disney especially Disneyland. Our whole family loves it there. It is nice to think that Yosemite will only cost us $20 for the week while disney tickets would cost us over $300 per day for our family. I wish Disneyland would have a deal like Disneyworld. Oh well. Money saved.


Is there anything else I am missing? Any other stuff in Yosemite, Monterey, and San Fran? I know SF is being short changed with only one day and I have a gut feeling that the whole family is going to love it there but I really wanted some beach time for the kids. Last summer we went to Coronado (San Diego) and it was their favorite part of the vacation.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Here's my input:

Here's what I got so far for a June trip:

Sunday - Yosemite National Park (Tenaya Lodge at Fish Camp)
Tenaya Lodge is beautiful, though we always drive past it. I always want to stay. How are you getting here? Tenaya Lodge, or Fish Camp, is only 2 miles from the entrance to Yosemite. The biggest town before getting to Fish Camp is Oakhurst, so gas up there. There is also a nice Vons grocery store there where you can stock up on stuff, if you want to take picnic food, etc. on your outings. About a mile from Fish Camp is an old railroad, and you can ride on the train - this is a very calm/peaceful ride, so if you're kids are looking for something exciting, they may be disappointed. However, I think they offer a dinner ride which should be nice. Going back towards Oakhurst is a Mexican restaurant. We've eaten there a couple of times, and have enjoyed our meals. Not fancy, but good enough.

Mon - Park (Yosemite Falls, hotel hop, rent bikes, go commando on Yosemite)
It's about a 45 minute drive to the valley.

You're probably planning on going to the bottom of Yosemite Falls? That is probably a five minute walk. What will be nice for you is that the falls should be pretty full. When you're there imagine back in '97 when there was a warm spell in the winter and the snow melted, causing a huge flood in the valley. The falls were so strong they literally pulverized some trees, and went over the bridges in the valley - that is a lot of water.

You might also want to go to the bottom of Bridalveil Falls. As you enter the valley from the Wawona tunnel Bridalveil will be on your right side. You can go in the parking area and walk about 5 minutes or so to the bottom of those falls. The tall thin waterfall that will be on your left, by El Capitan, is Ribbon Falls, and dries up early in the year.

You can drive to Curry Village, and park in their huge parking lot. There you can rent bikes to ride around the valley. See if you can ride towards Mirror Lake. This lake has been filling up with sediment, and where before would be a lake year round, it now dries up in the summer. However, when it has water, there is a beautiful reflection of Half Dome, since the lake is at the base of Half Dome. You can also ride your bikes to Happy Isles. There is a little snack shop there, but there is also a trailhead that takes you up to Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Half Dome, Little Yosemite, and beyond. If you want, you can hike to the bridge at the base of Vernal Falls. This is only 1/4 mile, however, at times it is very steep. My recommendation - if you can do it, hike that trail. Vernal Falls in spring/early summer is breathtaking.

I also recommend visiting the Visitors Center in Yosemite Village. There is a little replica of a Native American village for the Miwok Tribe that used to live there. You can ride your bikes there, too. It's not far. You'll see how Yosemite was made, and life in early Yosemite. There is also a little cemetery with early settlers of the valley.

A short distance from there is the Awahnee Hotel - this is a 5-star hotel and worth visiting. It's very beautiful. You can have lunch here, but if you have dinner, like Dsny4ever said, you have to get dressed up.

For dinner, I like eating at the pizza deck at Curry Village. The pizza is really delicious, and if you're lucky you'll see the family of raccoons that lives there come out. The last time I was there we saw a small black bear, but I was staying in a tent cabin, so it was already night time when we saw him.

Tues - Park/Mariposa for the trees
The Mariposa Grove is just 2 miles inside the park gates, and a short distance from the Tenaya Lodge, so you'll get there in no time. My recommendation, if it's running, is to take the tram to the end of the road. I think it stops at the Grizzly Giant, and then hike back down to the parking lot. It's more like a sturdy stroll than a hike, but you'll be walking among the giants. There are no trees larger (in volume) than the sequoias. If the tram isn't running, then just walk up the trail and back - it's well worth the effort.

Your visit to the Mariposa Grove won't take more than a few hours at most, so I recommend going to the Wawona Hotel, as suggested by dsny4ever. There is a pioneer center there with a covered bridge and stables. There are also some cabins there, and if you go past the Wawona Hotel, over the bridge that crosses the Chilnualna River/stream, and turn right on the road just past the stables, you'll end up in a residential area. Go past the houses to the end of the road & park there. You can hike to the bottom of a waterfall there called Chilnualna Falls. The hike is easy to moderate and takes about a half hour. I think it's a full day to hike to the top of those falls.

There is a picnic area near the pioneer center if you want to bring a lunch and have a picnic. Also, there is a gas station there in case you need to gas up.

Wed - Glacier Point and travel to Monterey (hotel undecided but want something on ocean) How long will it take to reach monterey? How are the roads out of yosemite?
It will take you about 45 minutes to get to Glacier Point. You will enter Yosemite, and turn left, like going to the valley. However, before getting to the valley you will see the turn off to Glacier Point. Just turn right, go up the road, and continue until it ends. Before you get to Glacier Point, you will see Washburn Point. Stop there and spend a few minutes to take some totally awesome pictures of Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and look for Illouette Falls. It will be to your right. This waterfall carries the most volume of water in the valley, however, due to its location it's not easily seen. Hence the nickname "Hidden Falls" - you can also get a glimpse of this waterfall on the hike to the Vernal Falls bridge - you just have to know where to look, and there is a sign to help you. After taking pics at Washburn Point, continue on to Glacier Point. There are some hairpin turns, but well worth the drive, which is short. Once you park, go past the restrooms to Glacier Point. Be sure to visit the Geology Hut (we once watched hand gliders take off from this area), and walk to the end where you can see Yosemite Falls and the valley spread out below you - the view is breathtaking (you can never use breathtaking too many times when describing Yosemite). You can easily see how the two rivers of ice flowed on either side of Half Dome, and carved out the valley. The valley will be spread out below you, and you will be able to spot the places you've visited there (always fun). See if you can spot the swimming pool at Curry Village below you.

Figure on probably 5 hours to get to Monterey. The road will be steep & windy until you get out of the mountains. Then you'll go through Central California where some of the richest agriculture can be found. This is also the area where so many people came looking to find their fortune in gold.


Thursday - Monterey Aquarium
We spent a good four hours at the aquarium. We loved it. You will also be near Cannery Row (think John Steinbeck) and Fisherman's Wharf - well worth a visit. You can do both in the same day, and probably can find a place to eat by Fisherman's Wharf.


Friday - 17 mile drive, Pebble Beach, Big Sur
Take your time on the 17-mile drive. It's beautiful. Stop often, take pictures. Hopefully you'll see deer on the golf course and seals on the beach. Of course, you'll see the famous Monterey Pine. They've had to tether it to save it from the fierce ocean winds, but it still stands there.

Sat - Nothing but ocean and relaxation
Enjoy. I remember seeing the sea lions and sea otters playing in the ocean. It was awesome! Just remember that since you will be farther up north, the water and air will be a lot more chillier than when you were down in San Diego, so it won't be the same. But do some research for interesting beaches to hang out at.

Sun - San Fran (pier, cable cars, golden gate bridge)
Busy day. Start early! Be sure to drive down Lombard Street. We took the cable car down to the bottom and walked to the Pier 39. It's pretty interesting there, including the street entertainment. You'll see the Boudin Bakery, and the same yeast starter was taken & used to start the sourdough bread at the bakery in California Adventure. One drive we took was over the Golden Gate Bridge, where we took pics of San Francisco (hopefully you'll have a rare sunny day), and then drove through Sausalito, all the way to the Oakland Bay Bridge back to San Francisco. I liked the drive. Also, near the Golden Gate bridge, or beyond the GG Bridge is a park with giant redwood trees. I haven't been there, but want to go. So, you'll see the largest (sequoia) and the tallest (redwood) in the world. The oldest is also in California, called the bristlecone.

Mon - head home
Safe travels

 

[DSNY4ever]

KC Mike- The Yosemite Lodge unfortunately is not much of an attraction. You'll probably come across it while exploring the valley and riding your bikes etc., but it isn't really anything to stop at, it is not a "grand lodge" like you would think it would be, it is more like a motel (but it happens to be in one one of the most beautiful spots on earth!). Like Mary Jo said you can do the Fisherman's Warf cannery row area of Monterey on the same day as your aquarium day and your kids will probably like walking around there (lots of silly gift shops). They have a Nestle Ice cream shop and a Ghiradelli shop there (but you can go see the original in SF!) You will have a great time- you should do a trip report when you get back. I know a lot of people come on this board to plan this same type of trip, so they would probably love to see how you did it and what you thought of everything. I'll try to see if I have some pictures I can post for you

 

[Jazzylolo]

Ok I really only have ideas for your SF day. First off...one day isn't enough! It is one of the best and most interesting cities in the US. But...if you have one day that's what you deal with right! Definitely hit the main points: Pier 39, Fisherman's Warf, Ghirardelli Square (all within walking distance of each other and can be done in a few hours). Ghirardelli square can have a HUGE wait if you get there at the wrong time. That is if you want to go in and have ice cream...which I suggest you do. It is soo yummy. If they have the Chocolate Raspberry Sunday that one is the best. Although the brownie one is almost as good.

So in order to truly experience SF you see the whole picture and to do that you need to get across the Golden Gate Bridge because the Marin Headlands are gorgeous! If you cross the bridge you can take your very first exit and get to the other side of the Freeway. Go up a very steep hill and then just keep looking for a nice place to pull off. You will get an AMAZING view of the GGB and SF. Honestly, even though it is much more comfortable when it is sunny...seeing SF fog is something I hope you get. When the bridge barely peaks out of the fog it is beautiful.

As for restaurants. If you want to stay in the city you can find good seafood down at Fisherman's Warf or Pier 39. If you want a good cheap burger joint you can find a Mel's anywhere in the city. They have great food. Obviously there is In-n-Out too There is also the diner very close to the Marina called the Fog City Diner (http://www.fogcitydiner.com/). It is not your average diner. It serves a little more upscale food and much more interesting. I believe you need reservations since it is in a tiny train car I believe.

If you want to leave the city you can head to Marin and find a great restaurant with a view of the city. My personal favorite is a restaurant called Guayamas (http://www.guaymasrestaurant.com/). It is in a town called Tiberon that has a gorgeous view of the city. It would probably take you, with no traffic, 20 or 30 minutes to get there. The restaurant is right on an inlet of the bay and on a good sunny day there will be sail boats galore and a crystal clear view of the city. There is also a great chinese food place in that same area. Don't know the name.

Ok...so I grew up in the bay area (Marin if you couldn't tell) and have a true love for SF and the bay area. There is not much else like it. Have so much fun!!

 

[Hound 109]

Hi Mike,

I'm sure you already saw this thread (it's on the second page), but i really love the 60 - 90 miles of coastline between Big Sur & Cambria (the little town just south of the Hearst Castle).

Try googleing up or you tubing the "san simeon sea lions" & / or the Hearst Castle....both amazing sights. Lots of cute motels on/near the beach in San Simeon & Cambria. Also, I think a state highway heads east from Cambria so you don't have to take highway 1 each way. (unless you want to).

Here's the dis link...with other links inside it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1761560

 

[Skippy24]

For a Monterey hotel that is directly on the beach I would suggest the Best Western Beach. It is on the beach and if you want to pay a little more you can even get a room facing the ocean/beach. The rooms arn't that big, but if all your really doing there is sleeping it shouldn't be a problem. It's also about a 1 1/2 to 2 miles to the aquarium from there. In the evening my kids enjoyed walking along the beach and checking out all of the jelly fish that washed up. It also has a restaurant on the top floor facing the beach which was nice, but it was kinda on the expensive side. I hope that was of some help.

 

[KCmike]

Is it safe to wade in the water in Monterey? Or are there too many jellyfish? I understand that it will be very cold. We thought the water in San Diego was cold at the time but after you get in for awhile you get use to it. What about south of Monterey like in Big Sur/Carmel? Or north of Monterey....we were looking at a place called Sanctuary Beach Resort?

 

[Skippy24]

My kids went in the water even though it was cold and they only time they saw jellyfish were when they washed up with the hightide in the evening.

Sorry I don't know anything about the place that your mentioning, but i'm sure someone else will.

 

[metsno1]

Sanctuary's a GREAT choice. It's actually up the road a bit in Salinas. Dune view rooms are fine, and you'll save a few bucks. You'll be hangin' in the hot tub with ocean views anyway!

If you're in Salinas and want an incredibly authentic and dirt cheap Mexican meal, stop in at Mi Tierra on Broadway Ave. It's nothing more than an old-school Mexican grocery store with a fast food restaurant in the back. The tacos asada (3 for under $2.00, I think) are the best I've ever had by far. The papaya juice is fresh made on site. But be prepared. It's not the cleanest looking place on the outside, and it doesn't appear all that friendly. But we were in Monterey for three days, and I stopped in 3 times-even left my wife and kids at the hotel one night to go grab a few more tacos!! It's less than ten minutes from Sanctuary!

 

[KCmike]

Did you stay at the Sanctuary Beach Resort? Is it worth the money? How far up the road from Monterey Bay is it?

And...
Thanks Hound for the link!

 

[KCmike]

Has anyone ever done a whale watching cruise?

 

[ScooterL]

I have a few comments to add to the excellent advice given to you by Mary Jo and others.

I echo the "don't waste your time at Yosemite Lodge" statement. There's really nothing special to see there, unlike the Ahwahnee.

On your Commando day in Yosemite, I would suggest just riding the free Valley tram all the way around to start, just to get some idea of where things are. That goes to a lot of the places that Mary Jo mentioned, like Happy Isles, the Ahwahnee, the Visitor Center, and Lower Yosemite Falls. Also to the Mirror Lake junction, but it's about a 3/4 mile walk to the lake from there. You could of course also get off at each of those places instead of coming back later.

The hike to the Vernal Falls bridge is worth doing, but it's closer to 3/4 of a mile, and it's pretty steep - climbs about 400' in that distance. It's all paved trail, though.

I have friends who did the Valley Tour a few years ago - they are experienced Yosemite visitors, and said they learned a few things about the park that they didn't know. If you want something more active it might not be for you, though.

 

[KCmike]

Yosemite hotel is booked.
We didn't do Tenaya Lodge because the cost went up. We panicked for a few hours and then decided on Yosemite View Lodge. It's closer and it's near/on the Merced River and suppose to be alot closer to the valley floor than Tenaya. We trip advisored it and it gets ok ratings. Does anyone know that area? I've heard it has a gas station that charges ridiculous amounts and one restaurant. Are there seriously no other things near this hotel? It's in El Portal.

Now its time to figure out Monterey.

 

[ScooterL]

Keep trying for Yosemite Lodge as you get closer to your trip - people have to cancel at least 7 days in advance to avoid losing their deposit, and of course as plans change people cancel reservations all the time. I once was able to pick up several nights at Yosemite Lodge within 10 days of when we were scheduled to leave, and I had friends who did that last year.

In El Portal, I would suggest you look into staying at Cedar Lodge. I haven't stayed there myself, but my brother and his wife have been there a couple of times, and it's fine - not fancy, but it's clean and kept up nicely. I believe you are correct that it is closer to the Valley than Tenaya Lodge would be.

 

[KCmike]

Can anybody tell me anything more about Yosemite View Lodge? It really is 50-50 on alot of the trip reviews on different sites.

Here is my latest itinerary:
Sat or Sun - Drive to Denver
Mon - Drive to Yosemite
Tues - Yosemite
Wed - Yosemite/Mariposa drive out to Monterey
Thurs - Monterey/Big Sur/Carmel by the Sea
Fri - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sat - Relax at Ocean/maybe head up to Santa Cruz for rollercoaster on the boardwalk
Sun - San Fran
Sun Night - Head out and stay outside of SF
Next two days drive home

What else is a must do for Yosemite/Monterey/and San Fran?

Still debating the Whale Watching cruise.....

 

[ScooterL]

You're planning to drive from Denver to Yosemite in a day???? I hope you're planning to start VERY early on Sunday and drive straight through!

Rather than the Mariposa Grove, you might visit the Tuolumne Grove instead - it's not as big, and it's more of a hike, but it's sort of on the road out towards Monterrey, whereas for the Mariposa Grove you'd have to drive all the way back to the Valley from El Portal and all of the way back to the southern entrance, and then either go out highway 41, or go back down to the Valley again to go out 120.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Whale Watching can be great if you actually spot the whales - then it's AMAZING! But sometimes it's hard to find them, and you might only see them from a distance. Oh, and if anyone is prone to motion sickness it can be miserable, because you are out for several hours. But I've been on a whale watching cruise where we saw a lot of whales and it was an incredible experience. I've also talked to friends who have had the exact opposite experience - they only saw whales from a great distance and couldn't get a single picture, and they were miserable from being sea sick and cold.

Your trip sounds like fun - a lot packed in, but you seem to be hitting the !highlights. The park with big trees just north of San Francisco is John Muir, and it's very lovely.

Beaches in NorCal are very chilly, so be sure to bring warm clothes to put on over cold kids.

Have fun!

 

[KCmike]

Yeah error on the drive time there.
Sat to Denver
Sun to somewhere in the middle to the loneliest hwy in America
Mon to Yo. Natl Park./hotel
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I am trying to convice the wife to leave a few days earlier so we can hit Disneyland again. It would a $1000 to our trip for two very quick days....but I want to see Sleepy B Castle walkthru, IASM (both times we've been its been closed), Toy Story Mania, and honestly I just miss it.

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Are there hotels and gas stations on the loneliest hwy? How desolate is it?

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