jeannedaly4738

We are planning a 2 week California trip this July with our 2 teen boys (12 and 15). Flying into LAX on 7/24 and flying out of either OAK or SFO on Aug 7.
Older son wants some days in cities, younger son wants beach towns, I want redwoods/sequoias and a few days in the woods. My husband is up for all of it. I've become overwhelmed with all of our options! I don't think summer is going to be a time to wing it with hotel reservations along the coast so I know we need to be less spontaneous than we usually like to be. Any feedback, recommendations on places to stop/stay and input as to whether or not it is worth it to detour to Yosemite for a few days on our way north? Thanks!

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. Summer is not a time to 'wing it' anywhere in scenic/popular parts of California. Some accommodations (like in Yosemite Valley) will already be very limited, and on weekends most coastal properties will have a 2 night minimum . . . and some even on weekdays.

I personally think you have plenty of time to fit in Yosemite. Try booking now, and if you can't get a room in the Valley (Yosemite Valley Lodge or Curry Village) book at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal -- almost every other property that says they are 'Inside the park' or 'near Yosemite' will be a 1 to 1.5 hour drive from the Valley floor. Yosemite View Lodge is a large property right on the river with pools, restaurant, etc and is the very closest accommodations to the Valley. Then keep trying to get a cancellation in the Valley and if successful, cancel ay YVL.

https://www.stayyosemiteviewlodge.com

It is possible parts of Hwy 1 through Big Sur will still be closed due to storm damage/rock slides. So from the Cambria/San Simeon/San Luis Obispo area you'd have to head inland and north then back to the coast at the Monterey Peninsula

tomfuller

Hello and welcome to Fodors! Have you considered the logistics of renting a car in one place and returning it elsewhere (one way fees)? One possibility since you want to start in Los Angeles would be to go from LAX to Los Angeles Union station and take an Amtrak bus to Bakersfield and a San Joaquin train to Fresno. You can get a taxi to the Fresno airport (FAT) and rent a car there to go to Yosemite via the south entrance.
Reserve lodging inside the park if you can. When you are done with Yosemite, you can either keep the rental car for the rest of your trip or you can return it in Fresno and continue the trip north on a San Joaquin train all the way to Emeryville or Oakland where you can rent another car to take your trip along the coast.
One favorite lodging spot along the coast about 50 miles south of SFO is the Pigeon Point Lighthouse HI hostel. There is also another hostel I have stayed at in Monterey.
Another airport to consider is Sacramento (SMF) with easy access off I-5 and I-80.
The big trees you will see in the south end of Yosemite in the Mariposa Grove are Giant Sequoias. The big trees you will see near the coast (Henry Cowell and others) are Coast Redwoods.

jeannedaly4738

This is very helpful! Thank you

jeannedaly4738

We are renting a car at LAX and returning the car to OAK before we spend a few days in SF and then fly home. We wanted to drive up the coast before heading inland for a few days in Yosemite.

janisj

Not to worry -- tom is our resident champion of all things train travel

For your itinerary driving is the only practical option.

Jean

Keep in mind that many (most?) hotels in coastal towns (and some slightly inland towns too) will have a 2 or 3 night minimum between Friday (sometimes Thursday) and Sunday. You might get lucky and roll in on a Friday afternoon and find a vacancy at an acceptable hotel/motel, but as you'll probably want/need 2 rooms I wouldn't think of arriving anywhere without reservations for those nights.

July 4th is on a Thursday this year, so lots of places will get booked up fast for dates from before to after the holiday.

tom_mn

Noting your interest in Yosemite and sequoias, I looked up whether the shuttle to the Mariposa grove will be running in 2024 (it was not during my visit in 2023, it’s about 2 miles each way to walk. There are small groves of sequoias elsewhere in the park not needing a shuttle). I actually couldn’t find out.

I stumbled across the fact that reservations are required now for each day of entry to Yosemite during your dates, but 1 reservation covers 3 consecutive days, see https://www.recreation.gov/timed-ent...icket/10086746.

If you are all fit there are phenomenal Yosemite day hikes, just ask.

janisj

If staying IN Yosemite Valley that will include the entry pass, if staying at Yosemite View Lodge then you do have to book the pass.


Even if the shuttles are up - they may not be running in April - depends on how much snow we get between now and then. But for Sequoias -- after leaving Yosemite, if you head north on Hwt 49 tere is the TERRIFIC Calaveras Big Trees State park - from there you ca then head back west towards San Francisco.

I'd do the south/mid coast up to Cambria-ish > Monterey Carmel area / north bits of Big Sur maybe even Santa Cruz > Yosemite > Calaveras Big Trees + Gold Rush towns including Columbia State Historic Park > SFO/OAK

AustinTraveler

There are two types of Sequoias...the really tall ones (coast) and the really wide ones (inland). A good place to see the tall ones (Sequoia Sempervirens) close to SF would be Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The other type (Sequoiadendron Giaganteum) can be found in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Calavares, as stated above.

janisj

Definitely your itinerary gives you the opportunity to see both types of redwoods (very different ambience/mood in the two habitats) . . . for coastal redwoods Henry Cowell is very close to Santa Cruz, and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is about 30 miles south of Carmel. Either would fit in your itinerary.

janisj

. . . Meant to add -- Henry Cowell really isn't all that close to SF. It is almost a 2 hour drive most days -- a lot easier to visit from Santa Cruz (less than 7 miles)

PrairieHikerI

If you want to see the really big Sequoia trees go to Sequoia National Park. We rented cabins there and had an experience of a lifetime. The day tourists go home after 5:00 pm leaving it nice and peaceful under the majestic trees.

janisj

Sequoia would be a difficult add on if their main wants are the coast and Yosemite. Not impossible but since Calaveras is a lot closer to YNP, that would be easier/more practical.

tom_mn

Although the Sequoias are marginally bigger at Sequoia NP, Calaveras SP I think offers a better experience: less crowded, not as steep, and no recent wildfire areas to drive through. I realize that fire is part of nature but the devastation has an impact nonetheless. What’s happened to Sequoia and Lassen Volcanic NPs is sad.

macdogmom

I live in Santa Barbara and Bay Area so I approve of your trip. SB is a lovely town that is very busy all summer so definitely get your reservations in before too long. I would probably jog over to Yosemite for a few nights (after SB) and then come back towards the coast. We stayed at the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite years ago when our kids were slightly younger than yours and they loved it. Beautiful historic lodge with a pool! I don’t know where you are coming from but July along the coast and SF can still be a bit foggy and cool so bring sweaters. Our sunniest time of the year is usually in September, Kids would probably enjoy Santa Cruz (board walk and rides are now popular with my grandkids) and I love the campus perched up in the hills with ocean views. Carmel is pretty but might be a little sleepy for your kids. Have fun and if you need any advice for hotels in SB a happy to help.

janisj

I like the Wawona Hotel too but the issue is - from the hotel to say Yosemite Village is an hour's drive over a very twisty turny road, whereas from Yosemite View Lodge its an easy 25-ish minute drive.

aliced

You're flying into LAX so think I'd head down to Laguna Beach & Newport before driving north, quintessential beach towns esp Laguna Beach downtown. For a non-LA kind of experience see if you can get a rental for the beachside bungalows in Crystal Cove State Park, 12 acres developed in the 30s-40s and very unlike the otherwise SoCal experience. Dunno what's on your list for LA, driving up through Santa Monica, through Topanga Canyon and up thru Malibu always fun. Next stop in Santa Barbara for night or two, then continue up to San Luis Opisbo for the Madonna Inn, a totally unique CA experience, with ten themed rooms (temporarily closed for flooding but will reopen) on your way to Carmel, Monterey, San Fran. Yes, a jaunt over to Yosemite is doable from Carmel/Monterey (we did trip in reverse) rather than SanFran where you depart from. We did above trip including San Diego MANY years ago with kids your age, and it is a lifelong memory for all.

janisj

I doubt they would find availability at Crystal Cove for July -- maybe a unicorn cancellation??

Jean

I agree that a vacancy in Crystal Cove is highly unlikely. Bookings for July 2024 opened in July 2023. FYI, it's not a user-friendly reservation process, so adjust your patience level before proceeding.

The drive from Newport Beach or Laguna Beach, through Santa Monica/Malibu to Santa Barbara in late July (esp. between Friday and Sunday) would be like swimming in molasses most of the way... not counting the drive at the front end from LAX to Newport/Laguna. If you wanted to spend time in this area, flying into Orange County Airport would make more sense. Long Beach Airport would also be closer than LAX.

If you want a beach town experience without a long drive after landing, head to Manhattan or Hermosa Beach. (I live in Manhattan Beach.) If you want to start heading north toward Santa Barbara immediately after landing, look at Carpenteria.

But if you wanted a truly unique experience, head first to Ventura and take a day tour of the Channel Islands.

https://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm