Family 2 weeks in west coast
 

Hi,
Would love some advice. My family of 5, (kids11, 8 and 4) flying into LAX dec 12th. We are meeting family in san clemente from 20th-26th dec from there we'll fly out from LAX again.
We'll head to disney for 2 days and legoland for 1 day while staying in san clemente.
So need advice on what to do from 12-20th dec. We had an idea about hiring a car and driving north to SF via coast road , exploring the coast and SF and maybe visiting lake tahoe for some skiing then heading down to Yosemite for a look then back to san clemente. My questions are, do we have enough time to head north and back sth again between 12-20th? and exactly what is there to do in these areas or would you recommend somewhere else? We really would love to just sight see, have a day at the snow and see the national park.
TIA

Drop Lake Tahoe. Not enough time, and no guarantee of decent snow that early in the season.

Can you fly to SFO (or Oakland) on DEC 12? Rent a car there and choose then whether to go to Yosemite or south along the coast first. It will depend on how early the snow comes to the Sierras.
Drive the coast only as far south as Monterey from San Francisco. Return the car on DEC 18 and either take the train or fly to Burbank. I hate trying to drive to or trying to drive out of LAX (personal aversion).

My guess is you already have your flights in/out of LAX - right?

>>Rent a car there and choose then whether to go to Yosemite <<

Not really an option -- one can't wing it and decide about visiting Yosemite or not. Especially in early/mid December since the Bracebridge Dinner will have filled rooms months in advance.

Yosemite is MAGNIFICENT at that time of year but you will want to book now. Another issue is there is a bridge out in Big Sur so you can't drive all the way up the coast (you have to detour inland to get around Big Sur. The bridge in supposed to be open late this Fall but the original estimates were next Spring so there may be delays.

This past winter the problem wouldn't have been if there was enough snow at Tahoe - but whether one could get get there because there was too much snow. But this rain/snow season was historic and no one knows what next winter will look like.

If you just want to see snow you can stay in Southern California and visit Big Bear or maybe Mammoth.

One problem is if we ARE having another wet/wooly winter driving on the coast and in the mountains can be a major issue.

Visting Yosemite is usually not a problem because one of the routes into the Valley is lower elevation and seldom closed because of snow.

(Are you flying in from overseas? -- 'hire' instead of 'rent' a car clue) If so, you really don't want to drive much or at all on the 12th. So you'd have the 13th til the morning of the 20th. That is enough time for maybe a day/night in Santa Barbara, 1 night somewhere like Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo, 2 nights in the Monterey area (whether the bridge is open or not by then), 2 nights in Yosemite and one night en route back to southern California.

If you think your kids would like to visit an aquarium, there is a fabulous one in Monterey. There are other sights in the area that may appeal to your family, so I'd suggest 3 nights there.

I totally disagree with the suggestion of taking the train from Monterey (actually Salinas as there's no train station in/near Monterey) to Burbank/Los Angeles. It would take nearly 9 hours. There are flights from Monterey to LAX but not to Burbank, although in that scenario it would make more sense to fly from Monterey to San Diego as it's a much easier drive to San Clemente from San Diego. However, airfare X5 will be expensive.

I'm glad you don't mention sightseeing in L.A. Dec. 12-20. Holiday shopping traffic can be crazy/unpredictable, and I think it would be frustrating trying to get around, park, etc. Others can comment, but I think San Francisco could be similar...?

Unlike LA, San Francisco is very well served by public transportation (within the city). So traffic won't be a big issue once you're here.

If you want to visit San Francisco, then dash up I-5 or 101 to Monterey (not stopping mid-coast) and do Monterey, SF and Yosemite 2 or 3 nights each.

OR another option would be to take I-5 up to the Merced area and do Yosemite first then Monterey, then SF. Drop the car when you get to SF. Then fly to Orange County, San Diego, or LAX (Southwest flies to all three and would likely have the best fares)

You have time to drive Highway 1 (if open) with two overnight stops. It gets dark early in Dec. like about 5pm so you do not want to try and do one overnight. Also ignore Google Maps time estimates on Highway 1, they assume you will be driving at least 55mph (some places the limit is 25 or 35) and you will make no stops for fuel, food or restroom breaks (a ridiculous assumption with 3 kids).
So 2 nights/3 days driving Highway 1 and 3 in San Francisco (I agree with leaving on the 13th to get over jetlag), leaves you 2 spare days.
Your 4 year old will need a booster seat for the car.
Ignore tomfuller's suggestion, he is a helpful poster but has an aversion to oneway drop fees and a love of trains. That time of year you might be able to get the drop fee waived anyway as an overseas visitor.I consider it part of the cost of vacation.

<i>visit Big Bear or maybe Mammoth.</i>

That's a long drive on the eastern side of the Sierra, because if there is snow in Mammoth, the passes will probably be closed.

Thank you for all of your helpful advice! Yes we are flying in from overseas. After reading all of the replies, I'm thinking we will probably wait to leave on the 13th and head north inland towards yosemite in our rental car, then west to monterey and finally north to SF. (Leaving the car there) And give Lake Tahoe a miss altogether. I had never considered flying from SF-San Diego, great idea and much cheaper than I thought it would be. This will save us a lot of time! More time to discover Disney ��

>>I'm thinking we will probably wait to leave on the 13th and head north inland towards yosemite in our rental car, then west to monterey and finally north to SF. (Leaving the car there) And give Lake Tahoe a miss altogether.<<

Good plan.

>> I had never considered flying from SF-San Diego, great idea and much cheaper than I thought it would be<<

Flying south will help things a lot . . . Because Southwest is such a dominant carrier here, fares tend to be pretty low.

Can I just ask one more thing. Is Disneyland REALLY busy in December? Are week days better than weekends? Will 2 days be enough there? Thanks

>>Is Disneyland REALLY busy in December?<<

Yes, <red>REALLY</red> busy.

>>Are week days better than weekends?<<

Yes -- but it will be busy pretty much every day.

>>Will 2 days be enough there? <<

Maybe, maybe not. That will give you basically one day for each park, so you will simply have to prioritize your time. Disneyland takes a full day by itself - and that is missing several attractions.

You also have the issue of having a 4yo with you so you'll really be limited by the 4 yo's stamina. For a first visit I personally think 3 days is good so you aren't running crazy two full days and can have some down time.

Try this website for your dates in December at Disneyland:
www.isitpacked.com
During the holidays and especially New Years' Disneyland can reach capacity so if you leave the park (for lunch or a nap) you run the risk of not being admitted back in. So either stay inside the Park or buy Parkhopper tickets so you can visit California Adventure if Disneyland is not admitting anyone for awhile until crowds die down.

Three days at Disneyland would be torture. Sorry.
We've done two full days with our two kids, and you'd have to pay me a LOT to do a third consecutive day.
And 4 is relatively young for all that stimulation.

Besides, there are such amazing other places on your wish list.
For instance, near San Clemente is one of the beautiful Spanish missions.

Beware of underestimating drive times. Add about 20% to estimates, to be safe. You don't want to rush through those beautiful drives.
Maybe cut back on your agenda, to spend less time in the car.

Have you bought airfare yet? Is it possible to fly into LAX and fly home from SFO/Oakland/San Jose? Save yourselves the return trip south?

>>Three days at Disneyland would be torture. Sorry.<<

It would not be for Disney fans. Many families spend a week there (that would be over kill for me personally) but I could easily spend 3 days especially if I wanted to take breaks or swim or shop or ??

Just adding another voice -- I love Disneyland. Still, I have never been for more than a night and the next day (you used to be able to enter for the evening the "eve" before your ticketed day). I haven't been since California Adventure opened, so maybe I'd consider two days. Can't imagine enjoying three in a row.

sf7307: If you haven't been in that long -- things have change a lot in the intervening years. Many more attractions and IME generally MUCH larger crowds. Years ago one could whip out DL in one day or 1.5 days at most. My family always used to stay across Harbor, spend a full day in DL, go back in the morning for anything we missed, and then spend the afternoon either at Knott's or the beach, and leave for home the next morning.

Now w/ all the crowds, the limited availability of fast pass, CA plus downtown Disney - 2 full days would be pretty rushed and REALLY tiring.

Now that I have grandchildren (one and one on the way), I'm sure I'll be back. It HAS been years.

I think it's a mistake to think you can see ALL of Disneyland in a day or two (or three). Just see the things you can, and enjoy it. Don't rush around, checking things off your list and being stressed.

Navigating the crowds with little ones in tow makes a very busy day for the parents. And little kids can be easily over-stimulated by it all.

Plus, you're also doing LegoLand.

There are so many other fun things to do in California, than stand in line at a theme park, IMO.