Will be arriving in Oakland, Ca traveling down to the San Simeon area spend the night start to move back up the coast to Pebble Beach, Monerey Area will spend a couple days. Golf suggestions would be great. Hus. has played Pebble Beach, so I don't think will spend the money this time, however am traveling with 14 year old daughter who is a player. Then up to Lake Tahoe for a couple days and will finish trip in the San Francsico area. Not sure what to do when were in Tahoe would love suggestions. In San Fran we hope to do Alcatraz, Pier 39? Fisherman's Warf, Chinatown etc. also looking for suggestions for the San Simeon area will definately do Hearst CAstle. Any thoughts would be great.

Cheryl,

When??????

Also, if you do a search with Fodors, you will get many suggestions. Do a little research and then come back with more specific questions. For example, "Golf suggestions would be great", regarding the Monerey (sic), Pebble Beach area??

Native

Can't give you useful recommendations without knowing WHEN your trip is. Makes a huge difference re weather, accomodations, and activities. Especially for Tahoe.

Hi
Will be traveling 7/3/02-7/13/02. Would like specific things to do in Tahoe and San Simeon area for now. Thanks for your help

Cheryl: You might enjoy the paddleboat cruise on the lake on the M.S. Dixie II.

There are also a number of historical houses to visit if you like that sort of thing. Tallac Historic Sites include the Baldwin, Pope and Heller Estates. All furnished and I thought very interesting. Vikings Home (?spelling)is another "elaborate" summer home which you can get to by boat or by hiking down a very pretty trail.

The Lake Tahoe Museum (3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd.) is small but has an impressive number of exhibits.

Just a few things you might be interested in.

j

Cheryl - you realize of course this is july 4th weekend? I know you are first going south (the San Simeon tours over July 4th will book solid) from July 1 on, Tahoe gets very crowded so you need to make reservations ASAP.

At Tahoe be sure to take the Heavenly Valley Gondola from near the Embassy Suites - it takes you to over 9000 feet and gives views over the whole basin. Also be sure to explore Sand Harbor on the north east side of the Lake near Incline. It is the prettiest place on the whole lake.

There is some good golf at Tahoe - Biggies at Edgewood and Incline, plus Kings Beach, etc.

After the fourth of July is over Tahoe calms down until later in July and August. That second week in July at Tahoe should be fine especially if you go during the week. Definitly take Tom's advice about the Gondola. The view is truly awesome. There are hikes you can take from the top as well and part way up there is a lookout with tables where you could have a picnic lunch. Some other sites to see are Sugar Pine State Park. Take the Mansion Tour. One year there was a group dressed in period costumes and playing the parts of the original owners and their guests and it was very interesting to know who regularly visited there.

A nice beach for a day visit is Meeks Bay Resort on the west side between Emerald Bay and Sugar Pine where you can have a snack bar/grill lunch right on the beach and rent water crafts like paddle boats. Nice sandy beach in a small bay.

Definitly wrap up your day with a happy hour visit to Chambers where you can catch a half priced Chambers punch out on the peir and enjoy the afternoon sun people and boat watching from behind your sunglasses. They also have snacks and grill foods prepared out on the pier. Our kids get the french fries to tide them over until dinner while they play around the pier and beach.

Have fun.

If you expect to be at San Simeon (actually the closest town with hotels is Cambria), be sure to book a Hearst Castle tour months ahead. If you've never been, you'll want to do #1. Alternatively, there is an after dark tour that many folks love. Spend some time in the little town of Cambria with its pretty little shops and restaurants. You can walk along the beach or drive north to Ragged Point, park your car, have lunch and then take the pathway down to the water. Fairly rugged but wonderful. It's the southernmost edge of Big Sur. I would definetly not plan to drive Big Sur on the 4th of July weekend unless you want to spend about 5 hours doing it. There will be lots of traffic. If you're in the area on a Thursday, drive into San Luis Obispo for the Farmers Market---Mexican street food and great music. Lots of fun. There are less expensive public golf courses and many of them around--try www.monterey.com and www.golfmonterey.org Just don't risk you trip by not planning and reserving well ahead!

The golf courses in Tahoe are great, particularly Edgewood, which has great views of the lake. Make sure you try to get a tee time as soon as possible. Lake Tahoe Golf course located on the South Shore is a cheaper alternative, but still very nice. On the North Shore try Incline or Tahoe Donner. Your husband will enjoy either one. Since the air is thinner at the higher altitude, the ball tends to go farther.

Where do you find good Mexican food in SLO? None of it ranks very high in my opinion, but I'd love to hear suggestions.

SLO is in the opposite direction of travel plans, but farmers market is good.

What is that beach that the elephant seals migrate to just north of San Simeon? And will they be there in July?

Not much around San Simeon, but a good between point between San Simeon, and Pebble Beach is big Sur. There is a beautiful gallery complex just south of the Julia Pfeifer Burns state park. Julia Pfeifer Burns is gorgeous. Take the 5 minute walk under the culvert to the gorgeous overlook. It makes you feel like a princess. Also look into Nepenthe gallery, and for lodging, Ventana. Words may be misspelled.

L is right-on when he mentions a stop at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (there's another with a similar-sounding name,) just south of Big Sur.

When we did our coast trip last year, I was tipped to McWay Falls by a local at the Natural History museum in Morro Bay. When you park at the JPB State Park (on the right side of Hwy 1,) you gotta find the stairs that go down to the path that leads back under the highway. Go along there for a few hundred yards. As you get to the coast itself, you'll look down and see the falls. The waterfall itself is small. But the setting is without peer. The picture I took of it is my Windows wallpaper.

It remains, in my mind, as the single most spectacular sight we saw on that trip. And we saw some magnificent vistas!

Cheryl,

In Lake Tahoe the any of the boat tours on the Lake are very nice. I took one at both North and South Shore. If you only take one, then make sure it is the tour that takes you through Emerald Bay. I don't remenber if that was the North or South shore tour. It was spectacular.
Where are you staying in Tahoe? South shore is good if you like gambling. The best properties there would be Harrah's and Caesars. On the North Shore, the Hyatt and Cal-Neva are both nice. The Hyatt is more like a resort. In Monterey (www.monterey.com) I would recommend the Monteray Bay Aquarium. This will probably be the most interesting thing for your daughter there. In addition,there is always the very scenic 17 mile drive and Fisherman's Wharf. In Santa Cruz, on the northern end of the Bay, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk might also be a great place for you and your daughter to enjoy. It is one of the only coastal amusements parks on the west coast. About 30 miles northeast of Santa Cruz via Route 17 in
San Jose/SiliconValley(www.sanjose.com) on your way to Lake Tahoe,you might want to check out the Tech Museum of Innovation (www.thetech.com) It is an interactive museum with both permanent and periodically changing exhibit. Its great for both adults and children alike. There is an IMAX theater as well. Being that it is downtown, there are lots of restaurants and other museums in the area as well. Another unique place is the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum which is just west of downtown. It has one of the largest collections of Egyptian artifacts on the West Coast.

Cheryl, Pacific Grove has a municipal golf course that is practically free by Pebble Beach standards and is very similar in terms of views. You might want to check it out. Also, I recommend a hike at Point Lobos State Reserve (just south of Carmel) and lunch at Rocky Point Restaurant (outside if the weather is good).

In SF you might want to check out the Marin Headlands where you will have extraordinary views of the city and there are some very pretty walking trails. Then drive down into to Sausalito or Tiburon and have lunch at Guaymas, a Mexican seafood restaurant. Rather than Pier 39 or the wharf, consider a ferry ride to Sausalito or Angel Island.

I agree that the Rosecrucian Museum is great. They have a display that rivals the Louvre's Egyptian collection.

Cheryl,

I should have mentioned that while you are in Lake Tahoe, be sure to take a drive up highway 89 on the California side. The vistas are some of the best I have seen. Also, I neglected to give you a sight for more information on the Egyptian Museum (www.sanjose.org) or www.rosicrucian.org