Ok I just checked, it says they take reservations for parties of 5 or more. So I was half right ;) although it wounds have helped me last November as the were only 2 of us!

Stu gives good advice, but with a 7 year old in the mix, too much scenery will get boring for your son. The San Diego area also has SeaWorld, which may be fun for your son to see the whales, dolphins etc. I also think the North Rim GC may work in better with Zion and Bryce.

That should say it WOULDN'T have helped me... Arghhhhh this apple keyboard.

We drove by Nepenthe about two weeks ago and boy were there a lot of cars parked along the road. We did not have time to wait so kept on driving o ajulia Pfeiffer Burns park. So it will probqbly involve a wait if you go there on a summer weekend. Only you can decide if you have time for it.

A couple years ago we did have lunch outside and thought it was much nicer than eating inside.

Big Sur Lodge is actually inside Pfeiffer State Park, which also has lots of campground sites. Also lots of redwood trees. There is a nice swimming pool at Big Sur Lodge. When you pass the guard booth to enter the park to check in, they will give you something to scotch-tape to your windshield. This allows free access to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park along with Pfeiffer State Park (plus - some other sites I think). However, it does not allow free access to Pfeiffer beach - which is not a State Park (it is US government for some reason). Pfeiffer Beach is also hard to find. Get specific instruction from the Big Sur Lodge on how to locate the minor downhill road (yellow sign) to access Pfeiffer Beach (it is close to the Big Sur Lodge). Pfeiffer beach is often very windy & foggy - but it is a very scenic cove/beach. Big Sur Lodge and Big Sur village itself is somewhat inland - so it is not nearly as foggy as sites directly on the coast (like Nepenthe) so you can drive/walk through the redwoods at Pfeiffer State Park (lots of picnic benches).

We took the Carmel 17 mile drive last April for the first time in perhaps 15 years - and it was really enjoyable - better than I remembered.

Here is a post I did regarding things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

>> Nepenthe ..... We did not have time to wait so kept on driving<<

Their parking lot is small. You really don't have to "wait" and eat anything to enjoy Nepenthe. Browsing in the gift shop below is free, sitting on the terrace on one of the pillow covered benches is free with no wait, even sitting at the outside bar next to the "edge" (best view) is cheap if you only order a coke. I don't think there is a waiting list for these tsbles - but I may be wrong for summer travel. People wander around there all the time - even if they are not interested in eating.

We're dining there for our 42rd anniversary on Sept 5 - just after Labor day.

Stu Dudley

<<<We're dining there for our 42rd anniversary on Sept 5 - just after Labor day>>>

Hey Stu - happy anniversary to you and Mrs. Dudley. We're celebrating our 40th in late August!

Here's my mini-trip report about a day trip we took down that way a few years ago. In it, I give very specific directions for finding the way to Pfeiffer Beach (which also has purple sand, which your son might get a kick out of).

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...t-part-way.cfm

Stu, how about this:

- 2 nights in Monterey (Aquarium, Cannery Row, 17 Mile, etc.)
- 2 nights in Big Sur Lodge (Point Lobos, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Hearst Castle)
- 1 night in Santa Barbara (replacing Cambria)
- 3 nights in Anaheim; from Santa Barbara we would drive to Hollywood to see the Hollywood sign, maybe check out the Hall of Fame, and have a quick lunch. I don't see what else would interest me in LA, so why stay 2 nights in Santa Monica? From Hollywood we would drive to Anaheim where we stay the night. Next morning we do Disney (2 days) and we skip Legoland alltogether because we can always go to the one in Denmark.
- The next day we drive from Anaheim to Vegas as planned. I still wonder if we should not drive straight to Grand Canyon with an overnight stop in Kingman, and add 2 nights in Vegas towards the end of the holiday.

Shanti, Enzian,

Let's say I drive from Anaheim to Grand Canyon North Rim, with an overnight stay in Kingman. This means we arrive at North Rim around noon. Would you have any suggestions for accommodation at North Rim? Would you stay there for 2 nights, so we effectively have 1.5 days in the North Rim? Is that not too much, since we are with a child and will only be doing a bit of hiking?
Next morning we would go to Bryce, which is still 5.5 hours driving from North Rim. So with some stops, I'd say we arrive at the Bryce Lodge late afternoon and we can't do much else on that day.
Next day we can see the sunrise at Bryce Point, and do the Navajo Trail/Queen's Garden hike (or alternatively follow one of the Junior Ranger Programs). Would you then stay another night in Bryce and leave to Zion the next morning, or drive Zion late afternoon?
I suppose if we leave early morning to Zion (and take the one hour trail round trip to Canyon Overlook just before Zion Mt, Carmel tunnel on the way), we can only need to stay 1 night in Zion. If we leave late afternoon to Zion, I guess we need 2 nights. In Zion, would a full day (or 2 half days) be sufficient to do the Riverside Walk/Narrows hike from bottom up (or alternatively the Junior Ranger Program)?
In terms of accommodation, would you also recommend Bryce Canyon Lodge and Zion Lodge, or do you know about more affordable accommodation (inside the parks)?

Thank you very much.

I think Bryce is so small that one night would be fine for visiting there especially with your time limits. Zion is also nice but it will be very hot that time of year so one full day would be plenty for me. And I'd like two nights at the North Rim especially after you've had to drive so much and will be driving again after you leave.

I haven't stayed inside Zion but ate at the lodge and it looked so nice. I'd definitely consider staying there the next time I go there. There's limited lodging at the North Rim so try to make a reservation as early as possible - I don't know how far in advance they accept reservations. It's a long drive from any lodging outside the park.

I'll let the LA experts critique the Santa Barbara/Hollywood/Anaheim portion - but that sounds like a lot of driving and a long day - especially if you'll be there on a week day with all the commute traffic.

Hearst Castle is perhaps longer than I would want to drive as a day-trip from Big Sur. Instead get an early start your last morning in Big Sur & visit it on the way to Santa Barbara. I think you might want to reserve a tour ahead of time - if that's possible.

I've never been on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon - but when doing my research for our trip there 2 1/2 years ago, my guidebooks said that the best stuff was better viewable from the south rim. Plus, when looking north from the south rim, the sun would be mostly behind you. Just the opposite looking south from the north rim - sun will be in your face & views not as good.

We spent 1 night/1 full day in Zion & that was fine. Two nights in Grand Canyon too - and that worked well. We did not hike into the canyon - just walked/drove along the rim.

Stu Dudley

I don't understand why people are advising you to drive to Big Sur and then back up to Point Lobos. Combine your time at Point Lobos with you time in Monterey and Carmel, now that you've added the extra night and don't back track!

It is a beautiful and pleasant drive from Big Sur to Santa Barbara and I would highly recommend that for your next stay over night. ( Cambria and Morro Bay is beautiful but nothing for kids except the elephant seals ( which are viewed from a lookout and may keep you busy for 30 minutes to an hour.)

Santa Barbara is beautiful, has a wonderfulbus where for 25 cents you can ride all over town, a beautiful courthouse lawn perfect for a picnic, many spanish style adobes and historical buildings, a childrens zoo that is incredible ( has baby giraffes right now!) a gorgeous beach etc... very family friendly with lots of wonderful restaurants.

You can reserve the Hearst Castle tour online , we have done this both times.

>>I don't understand why people are advising you to drive to Big Sur and then back up to Point Lobos.<<

I don't think anyone has advised ties333 to do that. I think he plans to visit Pt Lobos the first morning he's in Carmel if the weather is nice, or on the way to Big Sur after his second night in Carmal if he skipped it on morning 1 in Carmel.

Stu Dudley

<i>In terms of accommodation, would you also recommend Bryce Canyon Lodge and Zion Lodge, or do you know about more affordable accommodation (inside the parks)?</i>

Those are the only in park lodging options. Otherwise for Zion, there are a lot of options in the town of Springdale but you'll need to take a shuttle into the park at the time of year. For Bryce, there are accommodations in Bryce Canyon City just outside the entrance to the park

Kingman

That's where we stopped for the night on our "southwest" trip 2 1/2 years ago. A big nothing - really poor. In fact, we planned to return to Kingman for a night at the end of our trip. Mid-trip, we decided to go elsewhere (we ended up in Zion). Kingman has a Route 66 museum, and an "old section" of town which we couldn't find. When we asked the hotel clerk where it was, she said "you must have blinked". We went back, and AnytownUSA's old section is better. There are some hoaky ghost towns around - but I think a European would really find the Route 66 museum and the ghost towns of very little interest.

However, there aren't many other places to stay in that regions. Also, our San Francisco Chronicle's weather section has the hottest & coldest spots un the US (outside of Calif, Hawaii, and Alaska) listed each day. Often, Kingman is the hottest.

Stu Dudley

<i>Let's say I drive from Anaheim to Grand Canyon North Rim, with an overnight stay in Kingman.</i>

Or you could change the order and drive from Anaheim to Zion in one day.

I agree with Patty, stay in Zion if you decide to drive from Anaheim, before heading to the North Rim.

During my 2 days in the Monterey/Carmel area I have plenty of other things to do, so I will visit Point Lobos after my 2nd night in Monterey on the way to the Big Sur lodge. The next day I have a full day in Big Sur, stay for a 2nd night in the Big Sur lodge (even though it is quite expensive, but I prefer 2-night stays in hotels), and leave for Santa Barbara in the morning.

With regard to Grand Canyon, I decided to go for the South Rim after all. The plan is now:

1. Drive Anaheim to Las Vegas only
2. Drive Las Vegas to GCNP South Rim, via Hoover Dam
3. See sunset - it can be outstanding
4. See sunrise - ditto
5. Explore South Rim, stay second night
6. Drive via Marble Canyon to Bryce Canyon/Tropic
7. Perhaps go via Page / Lake Powell if road is repaired
8. Overnight Bryce, see BCNP all day, second night at/near Bryce
9. Head for Zion NP really early (just after sunrise)
10. Go through the tunnel for the stunning scenery
11. Have all day in Zion NP, overnight in Springdale
12. Head for Las Vegas via Valley of Fire SP

I realize some people have advised 1 night in Bryce and 2 nights in Zion, but I think after the long drive from Grand Canyon to Bryce, it will be quite relaxing having a 2 night stay and take it easy the following day.

I am a bit concerned about two long drives (Anaheim-LV & LV-Grand Canyon) two days in a row with a child, but I'm not sure how 'relaxing' an extra day in Las Vegas would be.

So I am really happy about the first part of my trip (San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey/Carmel, Big Sur) and the last part of my trip (Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion), but I need to LA experts for the in between part.

My family put in a special request for an additional day in Universal Studios Park, in addition to the 2 days in Disney/California Adventure. Coming from Santa Barbara, we could see Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Sign and Hall of Fame in the afternoon, and spend the night somewhere in Hollywood. Then next day to Universal Studios. Should I then stay another night in Hollywood and drive to Disney the next morning (and only check in my Anaheim hotel in the evening), or drive from Universal Studios to Anaheim, check in the hotel in the evening, and go from there to Disney in the morning? What is better from a logistics point of view? Also, I am trying to avoid too many 1 night hotel stays during my holiday.

Universal studios is a one day deal - you don't need two days - there is a sheraton right there - I would suggest staying right by Universal - http://www.sheratonuniversal.com/

Are you spending the night in Santa Barbara? I am unclear on that.

As far as your question on should you stay another night at the hotel in Hollywood? I would say it depends on how late you want to be at Universal Studios - if you want to be there at night etc. You will have to check out in the morning before you go to the park if you don't want to stay another night.

Personally, being at Disneyland first thing is a good thing... the parks get very crowded as the day progresses, but I am not sure how early your family will want to get up and go even if you spend the night - depending on what time you arrive?

Universal studios Hollywood is not as "nice" as the one in Orlando and we were happy to be there for about 5-6 hours.

I would also suggest 1 night in Universal City (I think there's a Hilton there as well) but is the following day a Friday? I've lost track of the days. If so, you'll encounter very heavy traffic leaving Universal for the drive to Anaheim in the afternoon/early evening so perhaps it would be better to stay another night and leave early morning Saturday instead.

Yes, there is a Hilton right there as well.

Regarding Yosemite, since you have 3 days total with drive times, I'd skip Tuolumne Meadows and perhaps Mariposa Grove to free up time doing all the things the valley has to offer. Mariposa Grove is beautiful but far away from the valley and the Big Sur area will give you some time in the redwoods.

A thought on Las Vegas with kids - I have taken my two children twice to Las Vegas and we have had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Tahiti Village - it has a wonderful pool area and activities to enjoy - you can get a room with a kitchen to cut down on meal costs. Ride the roller coaster, visit Madame Tussaud's, have a gondola ride, see a Nascar track, see Hoover Dam, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel tower, watch a volcano erupt, a pirate show or the Bellagio fountains. Side trips are easy from Las Vegas - the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead paddleboat cruise ( swim in the hottest lake ever!), Red Rocks and of course the Grand Canyon. We drove to Williams and then took the train - its corny but fun. We visited Disneyland for one night - great hotel across the street - Best Western Park Place Inn & Mini-Suites.

Keep Mariposa Grove in. The giant redwoods in the Sierra Nevada are a different species then the coastal redwoods. You should experience both.

saywithballoons

What time of year were you & your kids in Las Vegas?

Ties333 will be there in late July. This year in late July the daytime temps hit 110F/43C. Maybe others can tolerate high temps better than I can, but I would not want to take a roller coaster ride outside and do all of the stuff you did with that kind of heat. A European (ties333) might not be impressed with replicas of the Eiffel Tower, Venice type gondola ride, & Golden Gate Bridge (he will have visited San Francisco by then).

Stu Dudley

Momddtravel2, yes, I am still planning to stay a night in Santa Barbara after coming from Big Sur. When leaving from Santa Barbara in the morning of Thursday 17 July, we drive past Santa Monica (maybe check out the pier), visit Rodeo Drive, check out Hall of Fame and the Hollywood sign, and find a hotel in West Hollywood. The next morning we go to Universal Studios. Driving to Anaheim on Friday evening will be a nightmare, so we stay another night in West Hollywood, and leave very early on Saturday morning to Disney. We will check into our Anaheim in the evening.

Can anyone recommend a nice affordable hotel with pool in West Hollywood?

sayitwithballoons, the Tahiti Village hotel is already fully booked for 26-28 July 2014. I found the Palms Place Hotel Spa just off the strip which seems quite nice and affordable. Do you know this hotel?

How about Best Western PLUS Hollywood Hills?

Ties I have not stayed in west Hollywood - sorry no recommendations there.

We have enjoyed 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica of you decide you want to get out and walk around ... Walking down to Venice beach area is always a fun thing... Seeing muscle beach ... Lots of what you see in TV shows/movies :-)

Adding if you decide against a Disneyland property - check out this hotel - walking distance to the parks a s gets high ratings on the Disney boards and has a fun pool area
http://www.hojoanaheim.com/

If you select it, there is a Mimi's Cafe right across the street that has great reasonable food - better than what is in downtown Disney for a less expensive sit down meal ... Breakfast there is awesome!

My nursing school was right up the street :-)

Just spent three days near Tuolumne Meadows. Definitely spend a day here bit is gorgeous.

The Valley is stunning but it will be insanely crowded in July. Some of the falls may have dried up by the time of your trip. So one day there would be fine.

Thanks for all your comments. Here is the 'final' plan:

Sat. 5 July: Flight from Amsterdam to San Francisco
Sun. 6 July: San Francisco: recover from jetlag, dinner/browsing Union Square
Mon. 7 July: San Francisco: golden gate bridge, tram, Lombard Street, Fisherman’s wharf -harbour trip/ sea lions pier 39, Alcatraz night
Tue. 8 July: San Francisco: Coit tower view, Embarcadero, nobb hill, north beach. Pick up rental car.
Wed. 9 July: Drive to Yosemite NP early morning (4 hr drive). Relax for the rest of the day. Stay at Yosemite Rose B&B.
Thu. 10 July: Yosemite: Mariposa Grove, Mist Trail to Nevada Falls and a drive to Glacier Point. Stay at Yosemite Rose B&B.
Fri. 11 July: Yosemite: Yosemite Valley (e.g. bike riding). Stay at Yosemite Rose B&B.
Sat. 12 July: Drive to Monterey early morning (4 hour drive). Visit Carmel Beach, wander through Carmel shops, Spanish Bay, Pacific Grove. Stay at Asilomar Conference Grounds (meals are served camp-style in the large dining hall)
Sun. 13 July: Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, 17 Mile. Stay at Asilomar Conference Grounds.
Mon. 14 July: Drive to Big Sur. On the way, visit Point Lobos. Stay at Big Sur Lodge.
Tue. 15 July: Have lunch or dinner at Nepenthe and visit Pfeiffer State park, Pfeiffer Beach and Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park (hike to McWay Falls). Stay at Big Sur Lodge.
Wed. 16 July: Drive to Santa Barbara (4 hrs). Stop at Piedras Blancas for the elephant seals on the way, and spend the rest of the day in Santa Barbara (restaurants, beaches, historic Mission, wine tasting rooms, etc.). Stay at Ramada Limited Santa Barbara.
Thu. 17 July: Drive to LA. Visit Santa Monica (pier/beach), Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Hollywood sign and Hall of Fame in West Hollywood. Stay at Best Western PLUS Hollywood Hills.
Fri. 18 July: In the morning (after rush hour), drive to Anaheim and visit Disneyland / California Adventure. Stay at Howard Johnson By Disneyland Park.
Sat. 19 July: Visit Disneyland / California Adventure. Stay at Howard Johnson By Disneyland Park.
Sun. 20 July: Visit Disneyland / California Adventure. Stay at Howard Johnson By Disneyland Park.
Mon. 21 July: Leave at 6am to drive to Grand Canyon South Rim (7 hour drive + stops) via Hoover Dam. Stay at El Tovar and see the sunset.
Tue. 22 July: See the sunrise and explore the South Rim. Do the Bright Angel Trail hike (up to 1.5 mile rest house) and/or follow Junior Ranger program. Catch the California Condor nature talk with the ranger. Stay at El Tovar.
Wed. 23 July: Drive via Marble Canyon, along the Vermillion Cliffs and House Rock Valley to Bryce Canyon/Tropic. Stop at the old highway bridge over Marble Canyon, now a pedestrian walkway. Stay at Bryce Canyon Lodge.
Thu. 24 July: See the sunrise at Bryce Point, and do the Navajo Trail/Queen's Garden hike. Check out the Junior Ranger programs. Stay at Bryce Canyon Lodge.
Fri. 25 July: Head for Zion NP really early (just after sunrise). Go through the tunnel for the stunning scenery. In Zion, do the Riverside Walk/Narrows hike from bottom up. Check out the Junior Ranger Programs. Stay at Zion Lodge.
Sat. 26 July: Drive to Las Vegas (3 hour drive). Go via Valley of Fire SP. Return rental car. Stay at Tropicana Las Vegas a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Resort.
Sun. 27 July: Full day in Las Vegas (the lights at night, the pirate ship, Circus Circus, the swimming pools, aquariums in the casino lobbies, child friendly show). Stay at Tropicana Las Vegas a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Resort.
Mon. 28 July: Flight from Las Vegas to Amsterdam

Sounds like a fantastic trip!

Sounds great. But try to stay in Yosemite Valley. The Yosemite Rose is in Groveland, too far to be driving back and forth.

Mostly looks really good -- except for the B&B. Sorry but Yosemite Rose is <u>NOT</u> a good base for Yosemite. It will take about 1.5 hours each way from the B&B to Yosemite Valley. Three hours lost to just commuting each day. Definitely try for a booking at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls in the valley. Much MUCH more convenient.

Also a quick comment about the drive to Yosemite Even though you will be driving the opposite direction of the worst commute traffic -- on a weekday morning it will take more than 4 hours because the first 50 miles or so could take two hours.

To clarify my 2nd paragraph -- that is about the drive from downtown SF to YNP.

Re: your Southern California portion - looks great! Would be happy to give you feedback for your time at DL - we had passes for many many years... and went all the time :-)

janisj, I will take up your advice and stay in the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls instead (if available). Would you suggest to leave to Yosemite after the rush hour? Would that be around 10am?

I'd either leave VERY early in the AM or around 10 or a bit before.

Re Yosemite Lodge - even if it is full when you contact them- keep trying. There are frequent cancellations because folks book so far ahead and plans change.

If you can't get into the Lodge, I'd make a cancelable reservation at Yosemite View Lodge or Cedar Lodge (Preferably Yosemite View)in El Portal while you keep trying for Yosemite Lodge. That way if you don't get into Yosemite Lodge you'd still be in much closer location than Groveland.