I want to start by thanking everyone who replyed to my questions. I have my final itinerary set and I'd like some input. I have spent hours on this site reviewing everyone's posts.

June 3 Arrive San Jose from Chicago 12:30pm. Pick up van rental and head to Big Basin for a couple of hours. My husband really wants kids to see redwoods.
Then to San Francisco for 2 nights.

June 4 Up really early to sightsee in San Fran. Since I have 3 kids (9, 12 and 13) along w/ my mom, we will do the touristy things like Pier 39, FW, cable cars. We have already gotten our tickets for the night tour of Alcatraz! Kids are very excited.

June 5 Leave SF early and drive to Monterey. (I will take the quickest route as opposed to senic)

Spend 1/2 day at the Aquarium. I have already ordered our tickets so we can pick them up at will call and avoid line. After that we will had down Hwy 1 to San Simeon. Spending the night at the Cavalier.

June 6 Doing the 9am tour of Hearst Castle. I already have my tickets. Then heading to the beach w/ the elephant seals. We will make stops along the way to eat and see sites. spending the night at Beverly Hills Hilton. (Priceline - $60. per night for 2 rooms).

June 7 We will spend a good part of the day in LA. Plan to take the girls shopping on Rodeo Drive. (to look/not buy) maybe go to Hollywood. Not sure what else we will have time to do. Any suggestions?? In the evening we will head the rest of the way to San Diego.

June 8 - 12 Got a great rate at the Residence Inn in La Jolla. $169. per night for a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit w/ breakfast daily. I know it's not on the beach, but it will give us a little privacy.

Plans in San Diego include Sea World and the behind the scenes tour where the kids get to pet a shark, feed eels, etc.

I have ordered the City Pass which gives us 5 days of admissions to Sea World, the Zoo and Safari Park.

Also would like to spend a few hours in Tijuana. Kids want to see it and shop...tacky is OK at this age.

I'd also like to work in some kyaking in LaJolla so we can see the sea otters, if possible. Any suggestions? What about Whale watching in La Jolla?

So other than this being a whirlewind tour, does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? I figure I will rest when we get home! LOL
Thanks so much
buzymom3

The easiest way to get to Tijuana would be to take the San Diego trolley--otherwise you have to deal with car-rental agencies (not many) that allow you to drive into Mexico.

The rest of your itinerary is definitely whirlwind, but very well planned. Depending on what time you're finished at the Monterey Aquarium, stop off at Point Lobos State Park for an hour and walk out to the end of the trail overlooking the ocean. It's breathtaking, and with luck you will see seals and otters in the wild.

Hi, BusyMom!
We basically just came back from this trip in reverse! Sounds good, but it will be hectic. I think the Sat drive will feel particularly long, especially with weekend traffic on Rt.1 and stopping at the Aquarium. But you sound prepared for that!
We stayed at the Beverly Hilton, too, and really loved it. They have a nice pool/area that the kids may enjoy. Also, they have a complimentary limo service (just tip!) that will take you and your girls to Rodeo Drive and back, or to any local restaurants at night. Such fun!
My two teens LOVED the Warner Bros tour. It's not just shows on the WB, but many, many network favorites and movies that are filmed there. There is also a small movie museum with a large Harry Potter display upstairs. Very cool to see the actual petrified Hermione!
We also booked a half day Hollywood tour (something like 9am-2pm) from the hotel that took us to the old Mexican section, Chinese Theatre and Walk of Fame, and through a neighborhood of stars homes. That was fun, and we didn't have to figure out the maze of roads in LA!
The trolley tours in SD are very informative, and take you on a single round trip around the city, and you can hop off/on at any point.
Also in SF, you may want to check out Chinatown. We had fun trying dim sum!
Wishing you a wonderful family vaca!

Abosolutely MUST go to Wild Animal Park north of San Diego. Since your trip town the coast is a long one, you can drive up from your base in LaJolla. There are package tickets for the zoo and the Wild Animal Park. The zoo is great, but the Park is stupendous.
I don't think you need to kayak to see the sea lions at La Jolla. They're close to shore, and at a place that started out as a children's beach, they've taken over and you can see them very close.
Scripps Institute just north of La Jolla is wonderful for the whole family, too.
Another thing your kids might enjoy is a tour of one of the huge Navy ships that let people on board when they're anchored there. Right next to SeaPort Village, which is a fun walking around place.
One night eat Mexican in Old Town. Beautiful place.
Vera

When in La Jolla with the kids be sure to go to where they used to have the "childrens wading area".. it's an area surrounded by coves where the seals now rest and sun themselves during the day. We had the best time there after a nice lunch in La Jolla cove. Talk to the locals and they'll point you in the right direction. There's a small parking area right in front of it and a walkway walking around and out over the water to get a great view of the seals and excellent pictures.
Enjoy the journey!
Colleen

Another vote for Point Lobos Park...with kids that age especially, they can read the legend of the gnomes on the way. Not much to do once you get to San Simeon anyway.

Skip Tijuana and head for the Wild Animal Park!

Thank you! Thank you!
More great ideas...
I went on line to Sandiego.org and ordered the city pass which gives me unlimited admissions to Safari Park, Zoo and Sea World. We will be sure not to miss the Animal Safari part of it.

I have added Point Lobo's to our itinerary from Monterey to San Simeon.

One last question...How far is it from San Jose to Big Basin? Does anyone have directions for the most direct route from the Airport? How about from Big Basin to San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf?

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. I will post a trip report when I return.

I would definitely spend a little time in Santa Barbara. Yesterday I was there for the day and it's just such a beautiful place (especially at this time of the year).

San Jose to Big Basin is about 25 miles. The drive should take about 45 minutes. From the San Jose International Airport take the 87 south to 280 north. Then exit 17 south. From 17 take The take Mount Hermon Road. Exit the freeway here and stay right onto Mount Hermon Road. Stay on this road as it goes through the city of Scotts Valley. Mount Hermon Road ends at an intersection with a signal (Graham Hill Rd.). Turn right at this light. You will immediately come to another lighted intersection (Highway 9). Turn right again. Stay on Highway 9 in this northerly direction for 15 miles. You will be traveling through several mountain towns. You will eventually come to the town of Boulder Creek. In Boulder Creek there is one stop sign. At this stop sign you will turn left onto Highway 236/Big Basin Way. Stay on this highway for 9 miles and you will enter the Park. Proceed to Park Headquarters.

You can also access the directions from the link below.

http://bigbasin.org/travelbasicsmain.html

I also second TKay's reccomendation for the Tech Museum. The IMAX theater there is also very nice.

Sounds ambitious but unreasonable, says a So. Cal local!
Start with Monterey....Find out the feed times for the aquarium. AM , mid day, or pm, the BEST time to see the critters as they come out of hiding/nap time to feed.
Your plan to see Hearst Castle on a Sunday and be in Beverly Hills by a reasonable hour is iffy. It can take up to 7 hours to make that drive on the week end considering other tourists and traffic. You will see little of Beverly Hills and get to San Diego at a decent hour as traffic from LA to San Diego from 3 PM to 7 Pm can take up to 3 hours. Sea world, Wild Animal Park and the Zoo are all worthy of 1 day each. If you try to do 2 in a day your kids (at any age) will mutiny!! And so will you!
Forget Mexico. What happened to Laguna Beach ? and if you want to shop and afford something hit the outlets at Carlsbad, about 20 minutes before La Jolla.California is as big as Japan and a lot of other countries! And the traffic is worse. Slow down, choose your ideal destinations carefully and then relax and enjoy...don't over do!

Sounds like a great and busy trip. Plan on highway taking longer than you think. There are so many places that will catch your eye and you'll want to pull over.
After leaving San Simeon I'd take 46 to 101 to L.A. 1 isn't that scenic after Cambria and 101 will get you there faster. You can get off of 101 near Oxnard and take the PCH through Malibu to Bev. Hills. Sunset Blvd. meets up w/ the PCH in Malibu and you can take Sunset all the way to Bev. Hills. It's fun to drive through Malibu and check out the amazing homes and you can avoid the San Fernando Valley traffic.
If your girls want to buy something in Bev. Hills there's a GAP on Beverly Drive, which runs parallel to Rodeo. Also there is a L' Occitane soap store on Rodeo. They sell really great French soaps and lotions for not too much $ and they can say they bought something in Bev. Hills.

Oh, PS... the whales are local in So Cal in the winter to March. Soap at L'Occitaine is $5 a bar.....a very small bar, available in many upgrade hotels.The sea otters do NOT live in So Cal. If you want to see them try Monterey.
More homework!

You travel like my daughter and me! Skip Tijuana with kids. i would not take my daughter there. Third world country, poverty, men without legs and children begging for money. The Wild Animal Park is definately better. From LA, take the 405 down to Orange County and get on the 55 south to Pacific Coast Highway. Go south through Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Stop in Laguna for a snack, and travel to San Diego from there. I live in Newport and still love that drive. It will also help you skip some of the traffic through OC. Ps..You'll see the Otters outside of the monterey bay Aquarium.

Oh yeah... I like the giant Sequioa better than the Redwood tree...

OK guys...I need a little more help!

Where can I see giant Sequioa's? Are there any between SFO and Big Sur?

I have added a stop at Point Lobos for a quick hike around and maybe lunch in the area.

We are going to try to add something in LA so the kids can see more, like the studio tour that was mentioned.

Dreamer2 I am so relieved that you loved the Beverly Hilton. The reviews that I have read have been very mixed. Thanks.

I think that i have a bit of down time built into the San Diego portion of the trip to sort of balance the craziness of the first week. So I am hopeful that we will have some time to do the ships and/or Scripps.

I am reconsidering Tijuana, but we may go for a few hours. My mom is going with us and I think that she remembers how it was 20 years ago when we used to go every year with my dad. Memory Lane sort of thing.

Viamar, thanks for the directions from San Simeon...I am going to take your advice and take the quick route to LA.

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful advice! I will post a trip report when I get back.
J

When I first read this, I thought it was a joke. Your itinerary seems unreasonable.

my 2 cents, probably worth less

First, skip the redwoods after landing and go to SF. You can see redwoods when driving from SF to Monterrey if you go over the hill toward Santa Cruz. State routes 9. Should only add an hour.

The Monterrey Aquarium can been seen in 2-3 hours. Driving from Monterrey to San Simeon can take 4 hours or more because it's the weekend.

San Simeon to LA will take all day, even with minimal stops for food, gas, bathrooms especially since it's the weekend.

In LA, you will not have time to see a "good part of LA" you could probably drive through BH and Hollywood and then get to SD, but not much else, maybe lunch. For a quick stop, I would suggest the area near Graumans (sp?) in Hollywood. The traffic will be a killer.

Do you realize you are checking in and out of 3 hotels in 4 days?

In San Diego, you have (finally) settled down for some fun. Don't miss Old Town or the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Whale watching is over, but you may see dolphins from Torrey Pines. Your hotel is not in La Jolla proper it's in a light industrial/high density residential area so there will be no places to walk to except strip malls. I personally would stay closer to downtown (Old Town is a great location).

If your timing is off at the beginning of your trip (and I think it will be), the rest of your trip will be catching up or skipping stuff. Too bad you can't add a buffer day in Santa Barbara or even spend the night in Monterrey.

Nolist has a good idea in waiting to see the redwoods until you drive to Monterey, however you are already packing a lot into that day. Henry Cowell is another State park w/ redwoods and it's alot easier to reach, the trees aren't as big as the ones in Big Basin but they are very nice. There also are some at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, again not as big.
To see a Giant Sequoia you'd need to head to the Sierra's and we don't want to add any more to your trip, do we? LOL.
If you're lucky you'll also be able to see sea otters at Pt. Lobos. Sadly there has been a big sea otter die off due to a parasite found in cat feces, so they have been harder to spot lately.
You may have some luck spotting some whales too. The migration is taking a lot longer this year. We've seen a ton of whales the last few weeks, even if the grey whales are gone blue whales are usually cruising by this time of year, but you'll have more luck spotting whales on your way to San simeon than you will in Southern California.

You have your priorities backwards - 1.5 days in SF and therest of your trip in Southern California? 4 days in San Diego?

That's crazy. LA and San Diego together don't have half as much to see as the Bay area. You win't have time to see most of the city - Cliff house, the zoo on the Great Highway, Chinatown, Pacific Heights, the marina, Japantown, Golden Gate Park, Jack London Square, Half Moon Bay, Fort Point, the Secenic Drive etc., Skyline Blvd, etc. And then there are nearby places: Napa, Sonoma, Russian River, Muir wood, Mt. Tam., Santa Cruz, Saulsalito, etc. I haven't even mentioned the Peninsula or the studff in San Jose, like the Winchester Mystery House. (PS avoid Pier 39. It is was constructed with only one thing in mind - to be a tourist trap.)

Believe me, I've lived both in LA and SF. There is very little to see in LA except the beach. After you've been to Santa Monic Pier, you've about seen it all. San Diego is beautiful but apart from the Wild Animal Park, there isn't much. Tijuana is a horror. It isn't tacky, it's sleezy.

PS I agree with the person who mentioned Santa Barabera: a really beautiful place. And I don't see how you can pass up Carmel. Forget the acquarium if you have to. It's fine, but there are similar places elsewhere.

June is a disappointing weather month in S CA.
I just returned from a long weekend in San Diego (I lived there in University City 1975-1980 and spent many Summers in LaJolla 1981-1993).
I cannot tell you how disappointed I was

I have to quickly respond to the post declaring that, aside from the beaches, there is "nothing" to see in southern California. That is a patently ridiculous remark. How about the Getty Center? The new Disney Hall (and the LA Philharmonic, one of the world's finest symphonies)? The Norton Simon Museum? LACMA? MoCA? Bergamot Station? The Hollywood Bowl? Griffith Park? The Queen Mary? The Aquarium of the Pacific? The galleries of Laguna Beach? Disneyland/Disney California Adventure? Six Flags Magic Mountain? Sea World? The Venice Beach freak show? The Melrose Ave. freak show? The Rodeo Drive facelift and botox parade? Watching surfers in Huntington Beach from Ruby's on the Pier? And I'm just getting started...!

But, I would agree that this is a tough itinerary, and given the short time available I'd focus on either the northern or southern part of the state. Since June Gloom will be in place up and down the coast, I'd probably stay up north (where it's at least expected by the out-of-towners), centered on The City-- San Francisco, a great town.

mikemo: You got a preview of our June Gloom, sure, but where I live, in Long Beach, the weather was glorious by 1 PM Saturday and Sunday, as I recall. Marine layer is a small price to pay for those absolutely gorgeous weekends we've had in the last couple of months. Excuse me while I gloat a bit...