California - North or South?
 

Think about California this April or Summer have never been. Taking children - 13 yr old boy and 18 yr old girl. Do you think they would like the north or south better? My daughter wants to be able to go to the beach. My son would like to go to a baseball game - suggestions please.

I prefer Northern CA - just better scenery and for the most part easier to get around. But for kids - probably SoCal might offer more if the theme parks are high on anyone's list.

But if by "go to the beach" you mean laying out in the sun and swimming in the Pacific - San Diego/Orange county/LA is your only real choice. The Pacific is very cold everywhere but truly frigid up north.

April is too early to be sure of beachy weather anywhere. But Summer along the coast can be even colder. "June Gloom" is fog and low clouds that hug the coast and make sun bathing a non starter.

Up along the coast from Monterey to Fort Bragg, summer is often much colder than April/May or Sept/Oct. When it is 95F - 105F inland it can be in the low 60's 40 miles away in SF.

Baseball isn't an issue since there are 5 teams to choose from.

Do both if you have a full week. Fly into San Diego or SNA, and fly home from SFO or Oakland...stopping to see the sights and lights of Hollywood on the way up. Round trip fares are available and you can usually find a decent one-way car rental. How about 3 nights at Laguna Beach (near SNA), 2 nights driving up the coast (maybe a day touring Hollywood or Universal/WB tours...then the night in Santa Barbara, followed by a night in Monterey and then 3 nights in San Francisco?)

I think the baseball option is better in San Francisco than anywhere else in Calif. The ballpark is very close to downtown (20 min walk) and your son could enjoy a day game while you and your daughter shop. On non-game days, they offer guided tours of the park. Be aware, however, that quite often Barry Bonds does not play day games after night games.

I also think you can "pack more in" if you visit the SF Bay Area, than you can in the LA/Orange Co region. You could spend your entire time in San Francisco, and never need to rent a car or leave the City. Can't do that in LA.

The beach weather will be much more predictable in the SF region - it will be predictably foggy in summer, and overcast most days in April. In April there could be some very lovely sunny days, however.

LA is better for the Disneyland, Universal Studio, Rodeo Dr, and all the "manufactured" entertainment stuff. You will also be doing a lot of freeway driving through un-scenic areas in Southern Calif. San Francisco and the Bay Area has more natural beauty, and is much smaller than the LA region. San Francisco itself is almost always voted the "favorite city" by the readers of the various travel magazines.

Stu Dudley

tracy2cents has suggested a great itinerary. Usually, that much driving with a 13 and 18 year old is my idea of hell but on that route, I can almost guarantee they will be fascinated.

San Diego's baseball stadium is right in the downtown area. There is shopping close by, and many, many hotels and resaurants. The beaches here are great. Yes, in June we often have a foggy coastline which makes sunbathing on the beach less pleasant(!), but the rest of the year is fine. There is plenty to do and see here and your kids will love it.

I would opt for Southern California, specifically San Diego. April will not really be beach weather as far as going into the water, but the weather might be on your side and it might be warm enough to sit at the beach. Summer would be better, but do expect more crowds - SD is a popular place!

Besides some beautiful beaches that your daughter would enjoy, San Diego also boasts great shopping and eating. There is also enough activities to keep the whole family entertained, either in San Diego or close by.

If your son wants to see baseball, Petco park is close to public transportation if you don't want to hassle parking (San Diego has a strange parking set up, because the park is down town). Also, the Padres did very well last season, and could possibly repeat next season. Only 2 of 5 California teams made to the Playoffs last year, and they were both in So Cal. That might appeal more to your son, but perhaps he has a specific team in mind?? If he's not thrilled with the Padres, a ride on the Amtrak will take you right to Angels Stadium in Anaheim. Or, farther north there are the Dodgers. (Not sure if the stadium is easily reached by Amtrak - Angels Stadium has an Amtrak station in the parking lot.) Tickets to either the Padres or the Angels can be difficult to get, so if this is your plan, I suggest you plan to purchase tickets as soon as plans are firmed up. (Can't speak for the Dodgers or the Giants, but A's tickets are normally always easy get.)

Have fun!

Let's reconsider the comments about the Pacific Ocean being cold, etc.

If you're from a cold area of the world, the Pacific Ocean is not cold for swimming. If it's June-Sept in NorCal, the ocean is fine. April will be a little early for most people to swim.

SoCal has winter temps also, however - the ocean has swimmable temps for longer than simply June-Sept.

Pis

Hi Midwesttoo,
I am 19 year old girl living in the east bay (northern california).(I also lived in southern cal for 8 years!) I think you definetely need to do both southern calif and northern. I would recommend a day(maybe even 2) at Disneyland, with the addition of California Adventures Themepark across the way...two days might work better. If the kids are into "scarier, more thrilling" rides, maybe Universal studios would be a better option. A day at the beach is a must!! My friends and I went to Newport Beach last summer, in June ( the weather was not too warm but it didnt stop us from boogie boarding...lots of fun...easy to do!) I believe Newport Beach was only a 30 minute drive from the disneyland area. My family spent a week in Cambria( the central Calif coast) a few years ago. We visited the Hearst Castle which my brother(age 16) and I really liked. We hung out at the beach in cambria(another option). We took a day trip to Pismo beach where we rented ATV's and ATVed on the sand dunes( I had never been on an ATV before...but we did it again a day later...so much fun!!) I live an hour from SF and can tell you that there is a lot to do there...probably 3 days worth...i recommend( if its a clear day) driving up to Twin Peaks (gorgeous views of the city). The Coit tower also offers fantastic views. Alcatraz offers a good tour that leaves from Pier 41?? one after pier 39...which is pretty much a tourist "hot spot". The SF Giants stadium has to be the one your son sees a game at...it is great...great views even from bleacher seats! China town is ok. I really like GoldenGate Park.. the Japanese Tea Garden is really neat,(prob. wont be high on your son's list) and the Stowe? lake offers paddleboat rentals...its a really nice park! Anyways, I hope this is of some help to you!! Any questions feel free to ask!!