>>not sure it's worth packing winter clothes for 3days<,

On our Yosemite trip, I wore the same type of clothes I wear in SF in the winter - except I wore my heavy coat instead of my middle-weight coat.

Stu Dudley

Summer is the very <B>WORST</B> time to visit Yosemite! Not just because of the crowds. It is hot, dry, the waterfalls are either trickles or dried up completely.

The 'Best time' - probably April/May. But Fall, Winter, Spring are all better than the height of summer.

Fall -- you get the colors, and small crowds - though no waterfalls.

Winter is drop dead gorgeous in Yosemite Valley -- but you can get to Glacier point or into the back country. And the Christmas decorations at the Ahwahnee are terrific (I refuse to use the new/hopefully temporary name)

Spring -- still no big crowds and the waterfalls are torrents.

While it can be cold in Yosemite -- it won't be upstate NY cold.

>>Winter is drop dead gorgeous in Yosemite Valley -- but you can get to Glacier point or into the back country<<

Can't??

Stu Dudley

I would not bad mouth LA; my hometown until we moved to Sacramento two years ago. There is plenty to see and do there, late December is a good time to visit. The OP wants to see Southern California. Why can't we help him do that without all the negativity. I still think San Diego is a great little city, and a very nice place to visit with a 6 year old. With 10 days, a San Diego-LA- Santa Barbara trip would be a really nice vacation. Come back sometime in the spring and see Yosemite/San Francisco. The southern part of the state will have better weather in December.

Thanks Stu and Janisj. I guess Yosmite is a must to go see during our holiday vacation.

oops -- typo alert! should be >> but you can<B><red>'t</B></red> get to Glacier point or into the back country. <<

"San Diego is a great little city".

It's great but not little. It's the second largest city in California and the eighth largest in the USA.

Yosemite in winter? I think you should ask your wife first.

Btw I grew up in the Caribbean and Miami, and also find northern CA too cold much of the year. It also tends to get rainy earlier in the year than Southern Cal.

Last time I checked there were no mountains in Florida.

You might enjoy Malibu, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes, Laguna Beach. Different than FL beaches.

Griffith Park Observatory, Topanga, Mulholland Drive, Downtown's historic buildings, Pasadena's museums.

A side trip to Palm Springs perhaps?