Hi All,
We have 3 weeks planned in California end of the year with our two sons aged 6 and 9. Currently only constraints are flying in to SFO mid December, and out of LAX 2nd week of January.
We need plenty of advice:
- How long do we need in SFO?
- I am keen on Yosemite, but the trouble with the Xmas period is that lodging appears to be 3 day minimums, and I am concerned that that may be too long for the area. Is it worth-it in winter?
- Would you recommend a coastal drive down (Carmel, Big Sur, etc.) or inland via some of the other parks? We live in Cape Town, South Africa at the coast, so the coastal sight-seeing is secondary for us.
- Any other must-sees with the kids?
Thanks
Willem

With 3 weeks you will be able to see quite a bit and take your time, which is good because you will probably run into some inclement weather during your trip.

I would plan to spend 4 days in SF - or more This way you can plan indoor and outdoor activities and choose what to do on what days based on what the weather is doing. With 4 days, chances are pretty good that you will get some nice weather in there.

For Yosemite, I have never been in winter, but I have friends who go up every winter because they absolutely love it. I wouldn't be detered by the 3 night minimum - that's only 2 full days up there. If you can get reservations, go for it. Yosemite Valley is only at 4000 ft elevation, so from what I understant, the roads into the valley are generally cleared of snow.

I would absolutely recommend a drive down the coast if the weather is nice. Big Sur is a spectacular area and is definitely the most scenic route south. If the weather is bad, Hwy 101 is a decent inland route. It isn't nearly as scenic as Hwy 1, but it is nice.

Since you are coming in winter, touring the parks in the sierras will be tough because of the snow. Some mountain passes close for the winter and other roads may be temporarily closed until the plows can get through.

While I agree that the coastal drive is quite lovely, you may want to avoid it if your boys get carsick. My son is still talking about mommy driving around the big rocks and throwing up on his shirt. Highway 1 is very curvy in places and a little dangerous if it's raining.

Spend a bundle of time in the San Francisco area (see a show with the kids, get a sitter and see Beach Blanket Babylon, play at the Metreon, visit the zoo and the arboretum), wander up the valley into Napa and go to Copia. Don't miss Yosemite, the falls will be beautiful. I'd try to hit Disney toward the end of your trip when many of the schools are back in session.

Regarding Yosemite:

You may wish to Google “Yosemite vacation home rentals” as there are a number of them in and outside of the Park. They are great for families. If you are driving Hiway 41 into Yosemite Park, you will drive through Oakhurst, Bass Lake, and then Snowline on the way. Oakhurst will not have snow, but expect snow immediately past Bass Lake that time of year. Once you get to the Park entrance, it is a windy drive down into the Valley, so you may be required to have snow chains on your tires.

We stood in a vacation rental home just above Snowline 3 years ago in the first part of Jan. There were 6 of us and it was quite comfortable. I have family in Oakhurst that we visited by day, and the drive to our rental home on the icy road in the evening was a bit scary. We were about an hour outside of Yosemite Valley still.

I would do it again. We had a nice fireplace, built a great snowman, and watched the snow gently fall in the evening. The days were sunny and we had nice walks in the snow-cleared roads in the mornings. I’m not sure if it was that January or a previous November while visiting that my wife and I took a day for ourselves and drove into Yosemite Valley. It was snow covered and rather bleakish, so most physical activities will be hampered. We were still able to drive the valley floor and see Half-dome, El Capitan, etc., that particular year.

We had heavy snow in the Sierra’s last year and are likely to have more this year the way weather has been. You should still be able to see the Sequoia grove near the park entrance. I am just giving you my personal experience for your pool of information. Perhaps others can add their experiences in Yosemite for that time of year and other recommendations.

Some kid-friendly places:
In the bay area, SF's Chinatown was once known as the largest outside China. Worth at least a short visit.

Southern California:
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles -- near USC off Figueroa. Has some amazing assembled dinosaurs. Really impressive. Neighborhood is very urban. It's okay, but be aware of your surroundings.

For woolly mammoths and saber tooth tigers (and other mammals) the La Brea Tar Pits is wonderful (closer to UCLA, Westwood area).

Disney runs a theatre in Hollywood called "El Capitan" or some such. Like many LA movie theatres, top notch sound, viewing quality but this one also has doormen dressed up with tassels on their shoulders etc. A fun place to see a movie.

Our kids loved Legoland, and the younger two liked it MORE than Disneyland/CA Adventure. My oldest (who was 9 when we went), liked Legoland a lot too, because the first thing we did was sign him up for building and programming lego robots.

Very good rides for your sons' age group, with dinosaur, medieval, Bionicle themes, etc. My favorite was this fun ride where you ride these little jetskis in a circle but onlookers from the side can shoot water at them.

Fodor's does a great book about Southern California (the reason I got hooked on this website). One tip on the Disney experience is the Aladdin show in California Adventure.

If you are driving, perhaps visit a Mission. Capistrano is most famous but there are others.

I would question a couple of the previous posts. Copia sounds fabulous-- but isn't a food/wine mecca and more adult oriented? If we are mentioning things that appeal to grown-ups, there are many others.

I would strongly disagree with the poster about San Jose. I'm not a regular poster on USA (but I read it on occasion). My understanding is this is a regular poster who hypes San Jose. He's welcome to his opinion, but I'd skip San Jose entirely. I wouldn't spend an hour on it. My husband goes to business conferences there and laughed when I told him about that recommendation.

If you want another stop on your itinerary, consider Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara (I've heard good things about nearby Danish-themed Solvang). Or San Diego; the old-town is charming/historic, the zoo is famous nationally, not to mention Sea World.

Have fun on your trip.