MMMG

I am planning a two week vacation for June 2007 for my husband and I (early 30's) and would appreciate comments/suggestions on my itinerary so far. I'm looking for places to stay/eat, things to do/see/skip/add. We'll be flying in/out of SFO, love day hiking, outdoor activities, good food/wine, and sight seeing.

One night in San Francisco
Two nights somewhere in Big Sur
Two nights somewhere in/near Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP
Five nights in Yosemite
Two nights in Napa or Sonoma
Two nights in San Francisco

Thanks!

Gretchen

Do you have your reservations in Yosemite?

npurpleh2

I've got a recommendation for you for a B&B near Yosemite if you are interested but it isn't inside the park and you would need to drive about 20 miles or so each day just to get into the park. For us it was perfect since we were traveling to different parts of the park each day anyway and it was a treat to stay at this B&B. It is Blackberry Inn www.blackberry-inn.com. Regarding Kings Canyon, we stayed at the John Muir Lodge which is a pretty new lodge with decent accomodations that I would stay in again. It is in the village area which is nice because you can attend ranger campfire programs at night and it is convenient.

ccrosner

Sounds like a great trip to me--I'm envious! We did some of this trip with our family in August. If you search on my name and then look for my trip report around early September, you'll get some good details on restaurants, hikes and hotels.

The previous poster is right about booking your reservations in Yosemite first. Personally, I would opt to stay in the park at either Ahwahnee (expensive) or Yosemite Lodge if at all possible. The driving around the park is quite windy and treacherous and would add some significant time on to your travelling each day. The fact that you are going to stay for 5 days, however, might make it o.k. to stay in a place like Yosemite West. At least that is close to Glacier Point (with some great hiking options) and would also give you access to the Wawona area (which we didn't spend time in since we were going on to Sequoia).

Keep the questions coming once you read the trip report

J_Correa

I would definitely look into Yosemite West for lodging. These are privately owned condos and houses just outside the park - the entrance is from the park, so you don't have to leave Yosemite to get to your place though. With 5 nights, having a little more space than in a hotel room would be nice - you can get some groceries, have breakfasts in, and so on.

In Sequoia, I don't have any lodging suggestions - we camped - but I do recommend taking a tour of Crystal Cave. Really great. Also hike Crescent Meadow for some great scenery - huge trees, wild flowers, ferns. Just really nice. I wrote a trip report for our trip to Sequoia - I will see if I can find it and top it for you.

In Big Sur, I don't know how far south you will go, but Limekiln State Park has a couple nice hikes - only a mile or so each, along some pretty creeks, through the redwoods. These are second growth trees since the area was logged, so you wont see the huge trees here, but the forest is really nice. Also, Sand Dollar Beach is great - it is south of Limekiln a little ways. You have to hike down to it, but it is worth the walk. For big redwoods, you might want to stop at Big Basin state park in the Santa Cruz mountains on your way from SFO to Big Sur.

h0b0

Some off the cuff suggestions.

San Francisco:
St. Francis Hotel on Union Square is pretty nice. Great breakfast place called Sears about a block and a half away. Always something to see in the square. Busses nearby too.

Big Sur:
Big Sur Lodge has funky comfortable cabins and is much more affordable than many of the alternatives.
Post Ranch Inn if you're ready to splurge (big time).

Yosemite - the valley will be a zoo in June. Definitely worth seeing, but if you're hikers you might find the crowds a bit much. Might want to stay outside the valley and drive in for a day. Evergreen Lodge was a pleasant find for us once - out near Hetch Hetchy. If you're alloting 5 days for Yosemite, you might want to take the breathtakingly beautiful drive over Tioga Pass and stay on the eastern side of the sierras for a night or two.

have fun!

meo

Also check out Deetjen's Big Sur Inn - it's very rustic, unique, and an incredible place.

Braunsky

This last August we stayed 15 miles outside the southern entrance to the park for a week, in a condo at Bass Lake. While it was great having a full kitchen and being able to cook and having a washer & dryer, driving into the park each day 1-2 hours (ie 2-4 hour round trip) just to get where we wanted to go was a drag and very wearing, given I'm not used to mountain driving and I did all the driving. If we visit again, I'd stay in the Valley. It's the only way to see any sunrises. Maybe you could book 2 nights in the Valley, and 3 nights at a B&B or condo with better facilities. The Ahwahnee is a spectacular old resort. They also have cottages in the back - I'm sure they're hideously expensive but they looked really nice when we were wandering around the grounds. The dining room at the Ahwahnee reminded us of the dining room / Great Room at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies. Excellent food, pricy but not hideously so. I agree that reservations now for Yosemite are a must. Weekend crowds will definitely be worse than weekday, so I'd avoid weekends. While Sequoia/Kings Canyon is supposed to be wonderful, you can see some of the really big Sequoias in the Mariposa Grove at the south end of Yosemite. Have a great time and don't spend too much of your time driving. Other than the San Francisco - Sonoma leg, the places you have on your list are a fair distance apart.

J_Correa

Braunsky - if you visit Yosemite again, you might consider the condos at Yosemite West. Sort of the best of both worlds. You aren't directly in the valley, but the condos are on land adjacent to the park on the road between the valley and the south entrance, so it feels like you are still in the park boundaries and you don't have to do nearly as much driving. Plus, you still have the kitchen facilities.

MMMG

Anyone ever stay in Foresta while vising Yosemite?

Braunsky

J_Correa - thanks for the tip. I'll check into them.