Hello! Our Danish relatives are planning a CA tour this June. Group of 4, parents and their two girls, 13 & 19. They've sent a rough itinerary and it seems pretty ambitious to me, and I live in CA!

12-14 June : San Francisco
14.16 June : Santa Cruz w/ relatives (locals)
16-17 June : Santa Maria (High way 1)
17-19 June : Los Angeles
19-21 June : San Diego
21-22 June : Bakesfield
22-24 June : Yosemite
24-26 June : Sacramento w/ relatives
26-27 June : San Francisco

I haven't heard specifics of what they want to see, but I know the trip is a present/treat for the youngest so definitely kid things are planned I'd bet. The "Bakersfield" notation mystified me (no offense), but my mom thinks maybe that just notes where they will stay on the way to Yosemite. (We are Sacto relatives)

I tried to track down Fodor poster "BDE", since they are Danes and took a similar trip last year, but no posts in the Denmark forum. BDE are you there?

Whatever input I can get on this would be great. I believe this is a first time trip so they might not understand the distances. Can anyone suggest a European comparison of SF to San Diego to Sacto and back?

Thanks!

That trip does seem a little ambitious. I would probably try to talk them out of the San Diego portion, leaving more time in LA (17th, 18th, 19th and 20th) and then going straight on to Yosemite (reservations made BEFORE) .... otherwise that is alot of driving, both long and boring ... even if they don't stop in Bakersfield!! I've been there and done that.

PLEASE convince them there is no reason on God's green Earth to ever, EVER stay in Bakersfield!

This actually would be:
12-13 June : San Francisco
14-16 June : Santa Cruz
17 June : Santa Maria
18-19 June : Los Angeles
20-21 June : San Diego
22 June : Bakesfield
23-24 June : Yosemite
25-26 June : Sacramento

When you eliminate all the duplicated dates you see how nuts the itinerary really is.

I can't speak to most of the itinerary, but we regularly do the San Diego to Yosemite run in one trip. It is long and the key is to get going early to try to be through L.A. prior to rush hour (lol). That will be pretty tough on a Thursday.


We used to stop in Bakersfield when the kids were really little. They would usually melt down at about the 6 hour mark so stopping somewhere was a necessity. The good thing about stopping in Bakersfield is that you get into the park early in the morning instead of late in the day. Either way, it's a long drive.


And btw, to save time I'd drive straight through L.A. and spend time in San Diego, but I will freely admit to my personal bias. ;-)

We are from the east coast US, and did something very similar without the Yosemite portion with two teens a couple years ago. It actually worked out very well.

They are coming all the way from Europe, and are probably not sure when they might ever have a trip back - especially as a family. I say "Go for it!" It's kind of like when Americans try to see as much of Europe as they can in two weeks. Sure, you'll be moving, and it's not a relaxing vacation, but it's a touring one. You get the feel for the area and can think about where you'd like to return for a more in depth, leisurely visit in the future. Right now, it's all about seeing as much of Calif as possible.

It even looks like they thought out Bakersville well, planning for an early entrance to Yosemite. Good for them!

Hope they all have a wonderful trip.

PS. For the European reference...

I think driving from SF to SD would be a bit in length like driving from Amsterdam to Munich.

(Not including Yosemite in this equation!) Hope this helps.

"driving from SF to SD would be a bit in length like driving from Amsterdam to Munich. "

Except they aren't driving from SF to SD -- They are driving from SF to SD to Yosemite to Sacramento and presumeably back to SF to fly home. So it would be like driving from A'dam to Munich and back again plus side trips.

(true, itineraries like this are posted on the Europe forum every day - and get exactly the same response. Too much, too far, in too little time)

Two words. June gloom.

If the SR1 - LA - SD portions are flexible, then I would leave them so; if they want SD to be beach time, it might not be the best weeks for it; OTOH it might be, never can tell.

I also don't know about Santa Maria, unless they have folks there too. Of course, being Danish, they could stay in Solvang and get jobs pretty easily. (I'd love to hear their reactions.)

I would frankly recommend them to do the trip in reverse, saving the coast bits for the end. I'd also suggest they think about traveling down the east side of the mountains from Yosemite (assuming Tioga Pass is open by then) rather than via the valley. Bakersfield indeed.

My Danish relatives really loved the wine Country, and shopping in San Francisco. On one trip, my Aunt purchased sweaters that she said were very expensive in Copenhagen (she's a lawyer). On another trip my uncle (brother of aunt) purchased jewelry at Macys on Union Sq for his wife.

Both loved to eat bar-b-qued steaks - something I guess they don't have in Denmark. Champagne is taxed a lot in Denmark, so they loved drinking it here.

Denmark is surrounded by water - aunt has a beach house. So make sure that they really want to visit San Diego & spend time on the beach. May not even enjoy Highway 1 that much, although my aunt did. Aunt loved the very modern St Mary's cathedral in San Francisco. My wife leads walking tours of San Francisco, and a German fellow mentioned to her yesterday that he loved St Mary's also - guess they don't have modern Churches where they live.

Yosemite would be very unique for them.

Stu Dudley