10 day California Trip in July
#1
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10 day California Trip in July
Hi all, My husband, teenage daughter and I are planning a 10ish day trip from Ft. Lauderdale to California. We have never been to Cali. Our plan is to fly in and out of Los Angeles and drive from LA to San Francisco and back...OR fly in and out of San Francisco and drive to LA and back. Any thoughts on that?
Ideally, we would have liked to fly into LA and out of San Fran. but we plan on renting a car and to drop the car off in a different place than we rented it is very expensive, right?
Along the way, we plan to stop and visit in Solvang, San Simeon/Hearse Castle, Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Muir Woods, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Sausalito.
How long should we plan to stay in each location? Thanks in advance for all your input.
Ideally, we would have liked to fly into LA and out of San Fran. but we plan on renting a car and to drop the car off in a different place than we rented it is very expensive, right?
Along the way, we plan to stop and visit in Solvang, San Simeon/Hearse Castle, Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Muir Woods, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Sausalito.
How long should we plan to stay in each location? Thanks in advance for all your input.
#2
>>We have never been to Cali>Our plan is to fly in and out of Los Angeles and drive from LA to San Francisco and back...OR fly in and out of San Francisco and drive to LA and back. Any thoughts on that? LA and back. Do a linear/one way drive.
You don't mention any sites south of Solvang and 3/4 of your list are in the SF/Monterey Bay area . . . so why do you want to fly in or out of LAX?
With just 10 days (and if that includes your travel days it is really only 8 or 9 days on the ground) you could fly in/out of SFO and do a loop of SF/San Simeon/Monterey/Santa Cruz (and forget about Solvang and LA). I'd also forget about Muir Woods -- and EXTREMELY crowded small-ish park and (as of January) one MUST pre-book a visit. Go to Henry Cowell Redwood State Park instead. It is in the Santa Cruz mountains.
What do you want to see/do in San Jose?
Note -- you can visit Big Sur but not drive all the way through so you will have to back track getting to or from Hearst Castle
If you want to visit LA -- then basically SF 2 nights > Santa Cruz 1 night > Monterey/Carmel area 2 nights > San Simeon/Cambria 1 night > Solvang/Santa Barbara area 1 night > LA 2 nights is doable.
You don't mention any sites south of Solvang and 3/4 of your list are in the SF/Monterey Bay area . . . so why do you want to fly in or out of LAX?
With just 10 days (and if that includes your travel days it is really only 8 or 9 days on the ground) you could fly in/out of SFO and do a loop of SF/San Simeon/Monterey/Santa Cruz (and forget about Solvang and LA). I'd also forget about Muir Woods -- and EXTREMELY crowded small-ish park and (as of January) one MUST pre-book a visit. Go to Henry Cowell Redwood State Park instead. It is in the Santa Cruz mountains.
What do you want to see/do in San Jose?
Note -- you can visit Big Sur but not drive all the way through so you will have to back track getting to or from Hearst Castle
If you want to visit LA -- then basically SF 2 nights > Santa Cruz 1 night > Monterey/Carmel area 2 nights > San Simeon/Cambria 1 night > Solvang/Santa Barbara area 1 night > LA 2 nights is doable.
#3
Using janisj's reasoning re LA and her list at the end, I'd amend it to:
SF - 4 nights
Monterey/Big Sur - 4 nights
Cambria - 2 nights
Return to SFO for flight home (3 1/2 or so hrs drive). A much nicer pace and quality trip, I think (and saves the drop-off fee).
Or reverse it, drive to San Simeon on arrival and spend the last few days in SF.
SF - 4 nights
Monterey/Big Sur - 4 nights
Cambria - 2 nights
Return to SFO for flight home (3 1/2 or so hrs drive). A much nicer pace and quality trip, I think (and saves the drop-off fee).
Or reverse it, drive to San Simeon on arrival and spend the last few days in SF.
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Thank you for mentioning Muir Woods has reservations required starting January 1. In fact, if you get there by 8 or 8:30 in the morning, there is parking and there are not people. We live right by the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and will be sure to get there before it's reservation time (which may be a good idea since by 10 it's a zoo, but is taking away one of our favorite weekend things to do.
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Thanks for everyone's input. janisj, ideally, we would love to fly into LA and out of SF, but someone said the drop off fee for a car rental would be close to 800 dollars extra..
As far as San Jose, we are interested in the Egyptian Museum, Japantown, and the Winchester House.
MmePerdue, I will consider flying in and out of San Francisco. I thought it would be more expensive than LAX but it doesn't seem to be.
So, we need reservations just to get into Muir Woods? Do we need to chose a time frame too or just the day?
As far as San Jose, we are interested in the Egyptian Museum, Japantown, and the Winchester House.
MmePerdue, I will consider flying in and out of San Francisco. I thought it would be more expensive than LAX but it doesn't seem to be.
So, we need reservations just to get into Muir Woods? Do we need to chose a time frame too or just the day?
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That is good to know janisj. Everyone around here tells us we have to go to Muir Woods,but it sounds like it isn't the only place to see beautiful redwoods.
We wanted to go to Redwood National Forest, but it is just too far.
We wanted to go to Redwood National Forest, but it is just too far.
#12
Sf, not surprising. We from the area know where all the redwoods are and I think the particular value of Muir Woods is for their draw, to keep the tourists corralled there and we have the rest to ourselves. I don't recall ever having been there though quite a while ago I did visit what may be the next park to the north, Armstrong Redwoods. It was inadvertent as I was visiting someone who lived on the same road and figured I may as well.
My favorite "secret" redwoods are near the San Mateo County coast south of SF, Butano State Park and has the advantage of not being near any built-up area, just the beaches & stunning coastal drive and the nearest tiny town, Pescadero. That's the one I recommend, though in this case it may be a bit out of the way. Not a lot but not a straight line if San Jose is on the itinerary.
My favorite "secret" redwoods are near the San Mateo County coast south of SF, Butano State Park and has the advantage of not being near any built-up area, just the beaches & stunning coastal drive and the nearest tiny town, Pescadero. That's the one I recommend, though in this case it may be a bit out of the way. Not a lot but not a straight line if San Jose is on the itinerary.
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Regarding one way car rentals - put your dates and locations in to a couple of rental sites and you will probably find one that does not have a drop off fee. We've done it a couple of times and all companies do not charge the fee.
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O.K., thanks--I'll look at Butano State Park. If we could avoid the tourist crowds, all the better. We are so tired of looking at palm trees!
I'll also play around with the car rental companies. I just assumed they all had a drop off fee-good to know.
I'll also play around with the car rental companies. I just assumed they all had a drop off fee-good to know.
#19
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Butano is one of my favorite parks. It has plenty of redwoods, but no old-growth groves, so you won't see the really big trees there. It's still a great park though. And you can hike for hours and only pass a few people.
Both Big Basin and Henry Cowell have old growth groves - both are popular, but not really crowded, especially if you visit on a weekday. We visit Big Basin regularly on summer weekends. The main park headquarters area is busy, but all you have to do is walk 0.25 mile down any trail and to leave the crowds behind - there will be people on the trails, but not a ton.
Both Big Basin and Henry Cowell have old growth groves - both are popular, but not really crowded, especially if you visit on a weekday. We visit Big Basin regularly on summer weekends. The main park headquarters area is busy, but all you have to do is walk 0.25 mile down any trail and to leave the crowds behind - there will be people on the trails, but not a ton.
#20
Butano is a wonderful park . . . But I definitely recommend Henry Cowell or Big Basin instead. You want to see the big trees -- that isn't Butano.
••• Now, IF you have time for Butano PLUS one of the other two -- absolutely fit it in. But not 'instead of' •••
••• Now, IF you have time for Butano PLUS one of the other two -- absolutely fit it in. But not 'instead of' •••