Tricia

Hi everyone.
We are a couple who are crossing Yosemite NP off of our bucket list.
Yosemite will be our 15th national park to visit. The hubs and I are flying into Sacramento September 7 and will have nine nights to experience California.

I'd like to run our itinerary by the experts. If you have any suggestions as to restaurants or "don't miss" things - we are all ears.

Day One: Fly into Sacramento, drive Rt. 49 to Sutter Creek.
Stay at the B&B - The Foxes Inn.

Day Two: Head out early for Yosemite.
We're staying 3 nights at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.
(We plan to drive into Yosemite via Rt. 120. Is this a good choice or should we drive in via Rt. 140, or does it not matter? We will exit on our last day, via Rt. 41.)

Day Five: Drive to coast - Cambria.
Stay one night at the Fireside Inn on Moonstone Beach.
I remember reading a while back about a popular fruit stand on this drive west - if you know what I'm talking about, please let me know.

Day Six: Drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur.
Stay one night in a cabin on the river @Ripplewood Resort.

Day Seven: Drive further north to Carmel.
Stay two nights at the Lobos Lodge.

Day Nine: Drive to San Jose for one night lodging near airport.
Early flight home (to upstate NY) in the a.m.

We have an idea of what we would like to do and see each day, but are interested in hearing your opinions regarding what you consider highlights of this planned road trip.

Thanks in advance!

cheezz

Tricia! You're going to love Sutter Creek - it really is a throwback to another time - very small. The Foxes is lovely. Be sure and walk across the street to the Back Roads Cafe and get their turkey sandwich with a big slab of cream cheese and cranberry sauce on it! YUM.

Likewise, Cambria is just lovely. You have chosen a nice, although quick, itinerary. You could spend a full day or two in any of these places you are flying through.

Enjoy your trip and let us know your review!

janisj

You have a wonderful plan (so refreshing after all 9-stops-in-9-nights-covering-3-states itineraries we see)

From Sutter Creek, you will do better taking hwy 120 to YNP - 140 is out of the way.

On your way to Sutter Creek - depending on your arrival time at SMF, you could go by way of Plymouth to see some wonderful vineyards/wineries.

Sutter Creek and Amador City are both neat places to explore. You probably won't be able to check into the Lodge until late afternoon so you don't have to rush. You'll have time to explore places like Columbia State Historic Park on your way south.

november_moon

Looks like a great plan.

The fruit stand you are thinking of may be Casa de Fruta, which is on Hwy 152 east of Gilroy. Your route from Yosemite to Cambria will take you further south than that. You'll still be travelling through the central valley though, so you should see plenty of fruit stands along the way. Casa de Fruta is like a fruit stand on steriods.

november_moon

I was thinking more about your trip - the last day (Monterey to SJ) specifically. I don't know what you had planned for that day, but there are a lot of interesting places between Monterey and San Jose, so you might consider making a day of the drive - you only need to be in SJ to sleep anyway

You could visit Capitola, Santa Cruz, the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains, there are also wineries in the Santa Cruz mountains, the coastline north of Santa Cruz is also beautiful. There is a little town called Pescadero that has a restaurant called Duarte's where you can get artichoke soup and ollaliberry pie.

paula1470

I am with janisj-great itinerary. You have really planned out your trip. Seems like we spend most of our time here convincing people they can't cover the whole state of CA in 4-5 days. LOL

november_moon has some great suggestions for the last day. Definitely stop in Santa Cruz. Depending on what time you head out of Yosemite to Cambria, you might want to stop at a winery or two in Paso Robles. If you leave in the morning, you'd have time for a winery or two before getting to Cambria.

Tricia

Thanks everyone, for your replies! I've made notes of your tips.

November moon, my husband said we'll definitely plan to stop in Santa Cruz on our last day.

We are so looking forward to California - I've never seen the Pacific and am psyched for the drive along the coast.

november_moon

Hope you have a great trip!!! Let us know how it goes.

dbdurand

With regard to fruit stands, there are a number in the Fresno area, associated with the farms nearby. They are set up along or near the routes that tourists take to and from Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. They have gotten together and established what they call the "Fresno County Fruit Trail". Of course, most of the fruit they grow goes out to the big markets, but at their stands, which are often staffed by family members, you get it fresh off the tree. This trail was recently featured on the popular Huell Howser show, which concerns itself with places of interest in California. You can get a map and a list of the fruit stands here.
http://www.gofresnocounty.com/Fruit%...itTrailMap.htm

In Fresno, you will be very close to the magnificent Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park. It's too bad you weren't able to allocate a day to visit it. Perhaps another time.

Tricia

thank you dbdurand!
I was able to view the fruit trail map.

When my husband and I were in the beginning stages of planning this trip, we considered Sequoia/KC NP. We also thought about San Francisco at the end of our trip. In the end, we decided we would need more time for both.

Our main focus this time is Yosemite and the Big Sur area.
There's still so much of California that I hope to see on future trips. Thanks again!

elnap29

Have a wonderful trip! (And I totally agree with janisj re. driving on Hwy 120 to Yosemite. You'll have an astounding view of Half Dome as you enter the park, too).

november_moon

Yes, you'll just have to come back for another trip