In NY apartments sublet for less than 30 days is illegal. However, Febr is low season and you should have no trouble finding pleasant hotel rooms for $200 for 2 people. (I assume the boys are teens or young adults and would want their own room.) Check out any of the discount web sites for a lot of choices.

treebonesresort.com

tonnes better than Cambria for Cali vibe

chelsealodge.com best reputable apartments

It is ILLEGAL for you to rent apartments from an individual

in NYC SF careful MANY scammers Craigslist VRBO NEVER

wire money folks lose thousands... So Caveat Emptor

betterbidding.com for awesome values on big city 4 stars

check calender of wins...

In NYC, as stated above, apartment rentals for less than 30 days are illegal. So look at apartment/hotels such as the Affinia properties and the Beacon, Radio City Apartments, the Marmara, Best Western Hospitality, San Carlos ,Kimberly or Salisbury. These are perfectly legal since they are hotels.

While it's true, private apt. rentals in NYC are illegal, there are lots of apt. hotels that are legal. The Doubletree Guest Suites in Times Square has some 2 bedroom suites but I think you have to email or phone for prices on those. Most of the hotel is 1 bedroom suites. Beaconhotel.com also has some 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apts. that you have to email or phone them to book and get prices. Some of the Affinia.com hotels have 2 bedroom suites and all have 1 bedroom suites that would sleep 4. The Best Western Hospitality has some nice 2 bedroom suites but those only have 1 bathroom. They include breakfast in the room rate and there's a special online for stays of 4 days or more.

Thanks, I did mean apart/hotels. Wasn't thinking of renting from private owners.

We stayed at the Beacon Hotel in the upper westside and loved it. We had a 2 bdrm, 2 ba for $525/night in mid-June. You could maybe do a one-bedroom suite for your budget. It has been recently renovated.

Great semi-residential location with a full market across the street, restaurants nearby, and subway right there, too. Highly recommend it.

Feb wil be way cheaper than June. You might well find the Beacon 2 BR suite will fall within your budget. and many suites at the affinia hotels will.

CARROM,

The revised itinerary looks perfect - no comments or critiques.

SusieQQ gave a good starting point for apart/hotels - check all of them out for price/availability and come back for comments on your short list.

Hotel Frank in SF looks great. Very nice and great location. Get a 3-day MUNI pass in SF. It's good for cable cars, streetcars, and buses. Well worth it and you will use it.

"...had to leave out Houston..." You're not missing anything - really.

You'll want a car for day 8 through 20 - but not before that.

Looks like a really good itinerary. The only change I might suggest is one night in Monterey (or nearby Pacific Grove) and one night in Cambria. There is a LOT to see along the stretch between Carmel and San Simeon (where Hearst Castle is, just north of Cambria). And it gets dark earlier in February as there is no Daylight Saving Time then. You could maybe book an early tour of Hearst Castle in the morning, then take Hwy 46 to visit some of the wineries in/near Paso Robles in late morning, stopping for lunch or a picnic en route.

Think you will enjoy Mexico as well.

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouraging comments!
Does anyone know whether the tour of Hearst Castle is obligatory or can you walk around on your own?

Re: Hearst Castle.......you must have tickets for a tour. The castle is accessible only by bus for those who have purchased tickets for a tour. Book online before you go.

Another recommendation for The Beacon in New York. We were there a few months ago and had a one bedroom but it had 2 double beds in the bedroom and also had a fold out couch in the separate living room. We were 4 adults + 1 young child and were VERY comfortable and it should be well within your budget. It is a few blocks from Central Park, even shorter to the subway that will take you all over. I've also stayed at the Affinia hotels that have separate bedrooms as well but they were more expensive this last go round.

I also enjoy the Beacon Hotel. Make note that you must call them directly to make your reservation if you'd like to secure the 2 bedroom/2 bath suite for your stay.

I agree with jaime that 1 night in the Monterey area and 1 in or around Cambria is a good idea. Normally I lean toward 2-night stays rather than stringing together a bunch of 1-night stays, but in this case, I think the extra overnight in the Monterey area will make for a more relaxed trip.

Someone suggested Cambria as a good base for both Hearst Castle and the Paso Robles wineries. Is this not the case?
It would be nice to spend 2 nights in one place if at all convenient. The fogcatcher inn seems to be in a nice location and decent rates. But open to change!

Cambria IS a good base for both Hearst Castle and the Paso Robles wineries (it's about a half hour from Cambria to the town of Paso Robles (which is inland) and about 15 minutes along the coast from Cambria to the visitor center at Hearst Castle). Also, it's a very cute town.

Cambria is definitely a nice place and a good base for Hearst Castle and Paso Robles. I don't think anybody meant that Cambria isn't worth 2 nights. It is just that by driving from Davenport to Cambria in 1 day, you will almost have to bypass Monterey entirely. Monterey to Cambria is only about 90 miles, but it is a SLOW 90 miles and you will want to stop often to oogle the views, maybe stop for a couple hikes, a picnic, etc.

If you decide not to stay a night in Monterey, I would get up early the day of your drive from Davenport to Cambria, drive to the Monterey area for breakfast, spend a couple hours sightseeing there, pick up picnic food, and be headed down to Big Sur by noon. This will give you 5 hours of daylight to enjoy Big Sur.