DancingBearMD

Just made plane reservations flying into San Francisco on July 11 (arr. 10:30 a.m.) and out of LAX on July 25 (dep. 4:15). Party of five--me, wife, kids 11 and 6, au pair. Thinking about the following rough itinerary:

Five nights in San Francisco, giving us 4 full days plus arrival day to explore SF. Thinking of renting apartment in Noe Valley area.

Then on July 16, rent car, drive to Muir Woods in a.m., then to Monterrey/Carmel area. Spend two nights in that area, giving us one full day to see the sights.

July 18, drive to Santa Barbara, seeing San Simeon on the way. Spend night in Santa Barbara.

July 19, drive to Manhattan Beach by way of Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier. Spend remaining six nights in apartment in Manhattan Beach.

emalloy

Sounds like a nice trip. Personally I would spend a little longer on the drive from Monterey to Santa Barbara and explore that fantastic coast and visit some of the state parks (assuming they are still open)

halfapair

Just a few thoughts/questions:

When you're in SF, will you be seeing all the sights in the city: Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, trolley rides, Ghiradelli Chocolate factory, etc? If you're going to be spending lots of time downtown you will want to stay downtown. Driving into SF is a nightmare (that's the good part) and parking is almost impossible to find. Between the traffic & the parking you will probably be happier staying in the city.

What is in Manhatten Beach? Are you there to visit relatives? See LA? Go the the beach? Don't sell Santa Barbara short: it has very pretty beaches, a nice zoo, shopping & dining, etc. It will be less hectic and less hot than LA; but with plenty to see & do. (They used to have a nice Museum of Natural History with a whale skeleton & everything...you may want to check that out if your kids are interested).

I grew up near San Simeon & Santa Barbara (smack in between them) and went to college in Long Beach, so I am familiar with almost everything on your agenda. That's why I have the question about Manhatten Beach - just wondering what you're expecting from it.

halfapair

I agree with emalloy - everything should be open in the middle of July. The weather is very nice on the Central Coast (if La Nina isn't in town). The mornings are cool and a little foggy, but it clears up in the afternoon and is nice & warm.

sf7307

Noe Valley is a neighborhood in the city (I'm guessing halfapair doesn't know that). I think it's a great area for a family to stay (I used to live there). If you have a car, there are places that it is easier to get to by car than by public transportation, but public transportation is readily available.

As for driving, yes, parking is expensive, but it certainly isn't hard to find, and driving in San Francisco (which I do every day) is much much easier than in many other big cities.

You should take your "side trip" to Muir Woods while you're in San Francisco -- Muir Woods is north of SF, while Monterey is south, so doing Muir Woods the same day as you drive to Monterey doesn't really make sense. Actually, since you're driving south, you could skip Muir Woods altogether and see redwoods somewhere south of SF -- Big Basin, Henry Cowell, for examples.

I'd want a full day IN Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove, then another day driving down the coast, but maybe not as far as Santa Barbara -- there are many places to stop for views, hiking, poking around, eating. Maybe only go as far as Cambria/Morro Bay/Pismo Beach and stay the night.

Next day, make your way to San Simeon and Santa Barbara and then to LA.

sf7307

Oh, and as far as the parks go, emalloy was referring to the fact that the state is "economically challenged" and there is a list of state parks slated for closure next year.

DancingBearMD

Thanks for the suggestions.

halfapair, I was thinking of Manhattan Beach for beach access and as a base for LA sightseeing. Stayed in Hermosa Beach several years ago (without the kids) and found it to be reasonably central.

sf7307, I like the idea of skipping Muir Woods and working a redwoods stop in on the drive south, thanks. That would also facilitate me shifting one night from Monterrey to further down the coast.

What would I like to have a car for while in SF? I'm certainly open to renting a car the entire time, or for a couple of days before I leave SF.

november_moon

I agree with skipping Muir Woods in favor of Henry Cowell or Big Basin state parks. I prefer to them to Muir Woods and they are on your way to Monterey. These are all fairly major parks in our state park system, so I don't think they are in danger of closing. Smaller parks in the area like Butano and Portola, yes, but not Henry Cowell and Big Basin.

You also might want to stop in Santa Cruz on your way to Monterey. The beach and the Boardwalk there is a lot of fun - esspecially with the kids.

You could leave SF in the morning, drive to Henry Cowell, see the park, then spend the afternoon in Santa Cruz. The drive to Monterey is only about 45 minutes from Santa Cruz.

I also think that taking a day from SF and adding it to your drive down the coast is a good idea. There is a lot to see between Monterey and Santa Barbara. Of course 4 days in SF is great, but I think you can do the city justice in 3. I would probably choose Pismo Beach for an overnight between Monterey and SB - there is a good beach there for the kids to play (and adults too )

sf7307

>>

You can get everywhere in the city by public transportation, but some less "urban" areas are just easier to get to and around by car - for example, Golden Gate Park, Land's End, the Cliff House, Twin Peaks, doing the 49-mile drive, the Great Highway, Marina Green/Crissy Field, the Golden Gate Bridge. It depends on what you plan to do and see and do while you're here. For example, if you're going to spend a day in the Chinatown/NorthBeach/Fisherman's Wharf/Alcatraz area, you will not need or want a car.

november_moon

I wouldn't take a night from Monterey if you can avoid it - keep 2 nights there so that you have a full day to sightsee in Monterey.

sf7307

I agree!

DancingBearMD

Okay, now thinking:

Four nights in San Francisco, giving us 3 full days plus arrival day to explore SF. Thinking of renting apartment in Noe Valley area.

Then on July 15, rent car, drive to Big Basin in a.m., then to Santa Cruz Boardwalk in the evening, then on to hotel in Monterrey. Spend two nights in Monterrey, giving us one full day to see the sights.

July 17, drive to somewhere between Monterrey and Santa Barbara and spend the night.

First query, should I then still spend a night in Santa Barbara, or press on through to LA on July 18?

July 18 or 19, drive to Manhattan Beach. Spend remaining six nights in apartment in Manhattan Beach as a base for visiting LA sights.

Second query, should I try to get in a day trip to San Diego?

sf7307

If you have 6 days in LA, yes, I would try to get in a day trip to San Diego -- but know that it's a 2-hr drive each way when there is NO TRAFFIC (I recently made the round-trip; it took 3-3/4 hours going south, less than 2 hours going north).

sf7307

Since you will have an apartment in MB, you can leave the San Diego question completely open -- if you feel like going you can, because you'll have a car and you won't need accommodations.

november_moon

I would still spend a night in SB rather than go all the way to LA on the 18th. SB is a nice place.

And I think that a day trip to SD would be great, and you definitely can play it by ear to see what you feel like doing once you are in LA. That's how I plan our vacations when we have a home base - have a bunch of options and then decide what we feel like doing day to day.

DancingBearMD

Thanks very much for all of your input!

StuDudley

Where do you live?? Are you a doctor, or do you live in Maryland? If you will be flying in from far away - you may encounter jet lag and the first day in SF - & perhaps even the second day might not be real productive. I think only 3 full days in San Francisco is cutting it short - especially with a 6 YO in tow who might not be able to "pound away" all day. When we travel elsewhere, I always add a day to the first destination so I can get settled, obtain information, figure out the transit system, discover what I forgot to pack, purchase sweatshirts because if is cold in SF, etc.

We just returned from an overnight on the Big Sur coast - this was about our 30th trip there. It never gets old. We had fantastic weather - which you might not have in July, but even with fog there is plenty to do. I would suggest that you not stay in Monterey - try Pacific Grove or Carmel which we think are much more enjoyable than Monterey (spelled with only 1 r). If you visit Santa Cruz on the way, I would definitely spend 2 nights in Pacific Grove/Monterey and then 1 night in San Simeon to facilitate a visit to Hearst castlle. You will be staying in "cities" - so I think San Simeon would be a nice break and perhaps a better choice that Santa Barbara - which is another (large) city. Enjoy the Big Sur coast at a leisurely pace & have lunch at Nepenthe - but get to Nepenthe early to avoid crowds - around 11:15 (lunch starts at 11:30).

I agree to not "cast in concrete" a day-trip to San Diego from Manhatten Beach until you get to Manhatten Beach. I bet once you "visit" the LA freeways and all the traffic & unsightly stuff along the freeway, that you won't welcome a 3-4 hr one-way trip (perhaps 6-7 hrs RT). Especially after spending time on the Big Sur coast. San Francisco and LA are completly different in "look & feel". IMO, San Diego is not as different from LA as SF is - so why spend all that time on the freeway with 5 people in a car (incl a 6YO) just to visit some place that is only slightly different than LA.

I grew up in LA, worked in Carlsbad (close to San Diego), and have lived in the SF Bay Area for the last 36 years (Noe Valley in SF for 7 years).

Here are my ideas for San Francisco
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

DancingBearMD

Thank you, much to think about. I'm a lawyer and work in the Maryland (MD)DC suburbs. Acknowledge the travel day limitations, but generally westbound is much better for jetlag than eastbound (our return arrives at midnight--ouch!). I'm pretty familiar with LA, and have made the drive to and from San Diego, but have not been further north of that since I was a kid.

janisj

One problem -- which you really can't do much about -- is the fog/weather along the coast. Santa Cruz, Carmel, Big Sur, etc could all be fogged in, or just morning haze, or crystal clear. But some fog is most likely. Summer is the foggy/cool time on the coast.

janisj

oops - didn't mean to click submit. Because of the weather issues, I might try to spend an additional day on the coast so you'll have more 'afternoon time' when the sun is more likely to break through.