we are in our 60's never been to calif. & want to do some of the typical tourist things. los angeles, rodeo drive,driving the pacific coast highway, hollywood & vine, san francisco. i was wondering if 7 days is enough time to do all this or do we need more time. thanks in advance

Hello alsob55, 7 days would be cutting it pretty short in my estimation. Is it possible for you to extended the days for your trip? I sure hope you get to come out here...I think you will love California. When do you plan on taking this trip?

I suppose you could if you spent 3 days in LA and flew to SF but it would be very rushed. As a resident of the state, I tend to think it as five regions > the Southland (LA, SD, south coast, desert); Central - Santa Barbara coastal and inland to Monterey; SF Bay - Monterey north to wine country; Tahoe - central Sierras, foothills, northern central valley, Yosemite; and The North - Mt. Shasta, Shasta Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, redwoods north to Oregon.

I would pick just one are and try to experience that.

If you can, I would definitely recommend adding at least a few more days to the trip. It can be done in 7, but you will have to make some hard choices about what to leave in your itinerary and what to cut out.

Also, what time of year are you planning to visit? Winter time can be pretty rainy in Northern California, so the drive up the coast may not be very fun at that time of year - or even possible if winter storms close the road.

I agree w/ the other posters that you should try to add 2-3 days to your trip. You need at least 3 days to explore LA, 2 days to do highway 1 and at least 3 for San Francisco,plus the days of your flights.