travelingman48

Fly into San Diego...rent a car and end up in San Francisco...fly out of San Francisco. Maybe 11-12 days. Been on this trip twice in the 90's. At 71 I want to make this trip one more time while I can still walk. Ant new tips in the last 25 years? San Diego 3-4 days/LA area 3-4 days/stop near Hearst Castle for a night and the rest in San Fran near the airport. How difficult will the trip be with the cov.-19? Most likely 2021 when things have calmed down a bit (hopefully) from the virus.

StuDudley

""in San Fran near the airport""

Why near the airport?? Do you plan to NOT visit San Francisco???

I would certainly plan to spend at least 2 nights in the Big Sur/Carmel area before heading to the airport.

Hear are some ideas for the Big Sur/Carmel and San Francisco areas.
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/


Stu Dudley - 73 year Calif resident.

janisj

You are missing the most gorgeous parts of the coast - but without telling us what interests you (maybe you are mainly into cities and not so much scenery ) it is hard to give you useful suggestions. And near SFO is not at all a good location for visiting San Francisco.

travelingman48

Staying downtown San Francisco costs me about a weeks pay per night. Then....they charge me to PARK there on top of it! Last time there in the 90's I stayed at a Travelodge. I'll think about the Big Sur. In the 90's my stop between LA and San Fran was near Hearst Castle. I'll see about streshing it to Big Sur.

janisj

First of all, no one needs/wants a car in San Francisco so if you choose to keep a car while visiting the city - that's on you. Secondly, the time and expense wasted staying at SFO is huge. If you keep the car and drive in you will pay a kings ransom to park. And if you take BART in and back out multiple times - that will also cost $$ and take even more time. To say staying in the city will cost a week's pay means you haven't looked all that closely. There are many economical places to stay. Instead of assuming staying at SFO is better -- why not tell us you budget and we can make suggestions . . .

But now it sounds more like you really want to recreate your earlier trip - if so, nostalgia is fine. It would not be my choice -- I personally would want much more time on the coast and less time in LA but that is me and maybe you have a long list of things you want to see/do there??

travelingman48

San Diego Zoo-WILD Animal Park-Huntington Beach-Venice Beach-Big Sur-Golden Gate Bridge to name a few are musts. Anything else is up for grabs. I've looked KOA's in the Big Sur area for places to stay. Much of my lodging comes off Ebay. I've been renting timeshares for about 20 years and have 100% good luck. I stayed this way in Gatlinburg-Nashville-Sedona and San Diego. Was able to get a one bedroom condo in Gatlinburg for 7 nights for $349 total. Stayed in a Nashville Timeshare (one mile from Grand Ole Opry) 5 nights for $299. Check it out some time. Have never tried San Francisco yet....will in a few minutes.

jamie99

You need at least one overnight stop between the LA area and Big Sur and the Monterey Peninsula area. Good places would include Pismo Beach, Morro Bay and Cambria among others. Santa Barbara is a bit too far south and besides they have laws against short term rentals as does most of the Monterey area (I think Pacific Grove still has some legal short term rentals).

travelingman48

Last 2 times I made this trip I stayed in Morro Bay.

torrijasycafe

You may have already seen this but the Cow Hollow Motor Inn in San Francisco is a great option if you're looking for a cheap-ish place to stay in the city. The rooms are clean, staff helpful, and the location is fantastic. It's not downtown as much as it is in the Marina, which is a fun place to be.

HappyTrvlr

Stop in Santa Barbara.

aliced

Definitely spend the day in Santa Barbara, with a ride inland toward Santa Ynez, stop at Coldspring Tavern for lunch on the way in. Skip Hearst Castle and continue as per suggested above.

tomfuller

SFO is not the only airport you should consider flying out of toward home. Check on getting home from Oakland, San Jose or even Sacramento. Consider going part of the way between Santa Barbara and Emeryville on the Amtrak Coast Starlight. If you are driving all the way, it is easy to drive from Santa Barbara to Monterey or even to Pigeon Point lighthouse. I have stayed at the hostel at Pigeon Point a couple of times. I/we also stayed at a HI hostel in downtown Monterey.

mlgb

I'm also a fan of Morro Bay, like jamie and traveling man. Many inexpensive motels to chose from. Montana de Oro State Park (especiallly the bluff trail) , Elfin Forest, and walking out to the rock and watching the sea otters.
Across from the golf course, Bayside Cafe has a deck and nice setting.

I find Pismo a bit too hectic during the summer, but November can be a very nice month to visit and you might get lucky and run into some Monarch Butterflies at some of the groves along the coast. Also a good month for the elephant seals near San Simeon.

I honestly wouldn't count on Hearst Castle opening any time soon. Nor many of the other indoor spaces you might wish to visit.

If outdoor activities don't appeal to you, it's probably not worth going even next year, since a vaccine (if it happens) will take a while to ramp up and test.

5alive

I'd wait until there was a vaccine. If you do develop arthritis, a number of places in California are very good about accommodating for a disability. Hearst Castle has a special tour for one thing.

Near San Francisco, one other option is that you can stay across the bay and take a ferry into the city. Hotels tend to not charge for parking over there. It was a beautiful ride and fun to roll up to the Ferry Building.

jamie99

The earliest the vaccine MIGHT be available is December this year, per what I have read online and from Oxford. This does not mean it is widely available to all or covered by your health insurance (they are very careful before they approve payment for what they call "experimental" drugs). The vaccine also has to be approved for use by the legislature and the FDA among others.
Also what if it is not widely effective or limited in use (I am thinking of the so called vaccine for dengue fever)?
In short I am not putting my life on hold to wait for a vaccine to arrive, but you should make your own informed decision.