Fly Drive San Jose/Yosemite/San Diego
 

HELP! We have just decided to "DO" California with 3 kids (9, 12 and 13), my husband and my mom!

I thought that we could fly into San Jose OR SFO depending on what I can get cheaper. We are planning on leaving Chicago on June 8th.

From either city we will drive into Yosemite and spend 2 nights. Want to see Redwood Forest, 1/2 Dome and Falls.(June 8th and 9th)

From Yosemite we were planning to drive to the coast...maybe San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay and spend the night.(June 10th)
Spend 1/2 the next day seeing the sights and heading down the coast...spend the night somewhere????? (June 11th)

Next day end up in San Diego and Spend 4 days. 1 day for the zoo. 1 day to head to Mexico. 1 day for Sea World. And I MUST find time to see the Aquarium because my 9year old found out they have a new shark exhibit opening and she plans to be a marine biologist! And believe me she is serious about sharks. (June 12th - 16th)

So what do you think??? Much of this trip I am doing from memories of when I was a kid and took the trip w/ my parents. My mom really wants to stop in Morro Bay because see remembers how much my Dad loved it. Same w/ Yosemite.

Can someone help us go down memory lane? I also need some hotel recommendations for each stop.

I have no reservations as of yet and I plan on getting everything finalized in the next week or so.
Thanks so much for your help!
Janet

There is one more airport, check Southwest flights to Oakland, CA, it's the "other" San Francisco airport.

Faina is correct. Your best airport for getting to Yosemite from the Bay Area is Oakland Airport.

Otherwise, if the costs are justified, you could try flying into either Sacramento/Fresno to place you even closer to Yosemite.You didn't say where you will be flying out of: San Diego?

If you are going to go from Yosemite to the coast, I would strongly suggest that you get to the coast north of Morrow Bay. Try getting into Monterey from Yosemite. Then you can go down the Big Sur coast. This is a spectacular stretch of the California coast. You will be exchanging kinda-blah farm scenery for the fabulous coast and it will add about 50 miles to your total trip. Take a day from your 4/5 days in San Diego to do this. You will not regret it.

Which Aquarium are you referring to? I know that the MONTEREY Aquarium has recently added a shark exhibit. If this is the Aquarium, then you will HAVE to go to Monterey and therefore along the California coast! :)

RE: Aquarium-- must be the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. Excellent facility (associated with Scripps).

I doubt it's the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach (my hometown), simply since it's not nearly as well-known as the Birch. Both are educational facilities, but I would guess that the Birch will be more geared to your daughter's needs.

Bear in mind that the facilities you're thinking about aren't incredibly far apart. La Jolla is a neighborhood in San Diego, maybe 20 minutes from downtown. A few hours at the Birch should squeeze in nicely somewhere along the way.

Oh! I thought I read an article about the shark exhibit opening at the San Diego Aquarium...boy hit 45 and brain cells start dying! LOL.

We are flying from Chicago to Oakland or San Jose or where ever I can get a good rate and then flying home from San Diego.

Any recommendations on hotels?? What if I cannot get a room at Yosemite park. Where would you recommend we stay outside of the park for easy access?
Thanks
Janet

Yeah, Monterey is the aquarium where they just added a shark exhibit. Birch and AotP have had such exhibits for a while, but Monterey's is in-depth.

Monterey is the gold standard of aquariums in the western US, so it's very much worth a visit.

Having been to the Scripps/Birch aquarium as recently as the last few months, I don't believe there was any new shark exhibits.
There is a tank outside on the patio with a few dozen sharks, but hardly anything I'd consider a new exhibit.
I didn't see any mention on their website, either.
http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/

While Scripps is a world reknowned oceanographic research organization and the fairly new Birch Aquarium is alot nicer than the old aquarium, I think Monterey might be best for the whole family.

OK I am changing my itinerary to reflect Monterey.

Fly into San Jose or other
Drive to Yosemite
Then on to Monterey maybe spend 1 1/2 or 2 days here.
Then drive down coast to San Diego.

Hotel recommendations anyone? Especially outside of Yosemite and in Monterey.

I am considering the Catamaran for San Diego. I have been reading alot of reviews on www.tripadvisor.com and some of my first choices are being eliminated due to bad reviews. Glorietta Bay Inn is another choice on my list.

thanks again everyone. I don't know what I would do without this list.
Janet

As your time is somewhat limited, I strongly suggest that you omit Mexico from your itinerary. There are so many great things to see and do in San Diego and California generally, and so few in any part of Mexico that is in the "day trip" zone, that it seems like a waste of precious time.

Since you will be flying out of San Diego, I would strongly suggest that you check out flights to Sacramento from Chicago, or even better, to Fresno.

Both of these cities will get you into Yosemite much, much faster than any Bay Area airport.

Also check the car rental agencies for one that will allow you to pick up in one location and drop off in San Diego with NO DROPOFF fee. These are random specials, so it's not possible for anyone to recommend any particular agency. You will have to check each website. I recently got a great deal from Payless with a dropoff fee of only $15. You might try some megasite like Travelocity or Expedia. These only have their own specials. You have to go to each car agency site to get all the specials one agency offers.

More later! Happy Easter to all! I've got to go! The Easter eggs are calling!

For Yosemite lodging - I would recommend the Yosemite Lodge since it is right in the valley and your time is limited. Curry Village has some motel rooms and some tent cabins. With the tent cabins, you have central bathrooms and showers, so you may or may not be interested in that. Unfortunately, accomodations in the valley fill up quickly and it might be too late to get a reservation. In that case, try the places in El Portal and Mariposa. There are also places outside the valley - we have stayed at the Tenaya Lodge just outside the south entrance. It's a journey to the valley from there, but you are close to the redwood grove. You might get lucky and find a cancelation in the valley for your dates - if you can't get a reservation in the valley now, I would make cancelable reservations outside the valley and keep calling to see if there are any cancelations at the lodge or curry village.

easyT-
5 words I thought I'd NEVER hear in one sentence: "or even better, to Fresno".

Kal, she's saying this in preparation for San Jose get-together, forgive her please! :-!

Well, another possibility would be to fly into San Jose, head down to Monterey for 2 nights, drive down the coast to Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo for the next night. Cut across to Yosemite from there (2 more nights), and then down to San Diego. You squeeze a day out of San Diego to fit in the Monterey Aquarium (and get to enjoy one of the most scenic stretches of coastline). It is a lot of driving, which can put stress on a family. Figure roughly 2hrs SJ->Monterey, 4hrs Mont->SLO, 4hrs SLO->Yos, 6hrs Yos ->SD... plus stops.

With limited time, I would definitely drop the Tijuana day in favor of more time in Nor Cal. Monterey could be one night if necessary, but Yosemite area definitely deserves two nights, given the travel distance.

I am thinking that I agree with all of you! I am going to cut something...either Yosemite or Monterey. I cannot get anything in Y for our dates. And while I will be very disappointed to cut Yosemite...My 9 year old is counting on going to the Monterey Aquar. to see the shark exhibit...She wants to grow up and be a marine biologist and study sharks, her idol is Eugenie Clark. I cannot imagine where this is coming from considering we live in Chicago!

So I do not want to disappoint her. But I keep feeling like I am stretching this trip out more than we can do realistically.

IN San diego we really want to do the zoo< sea world and the safari also, Scripts Marine, which someone here mentioned...Thank You!

Driving down the coast and seeing the beach towns and pretty scenery is a goal too.

I have spent all day on various sites looking at hotels. Living in Chicago I am not surprised by the cost, but I am surprised by the lack of positive reviews on sites like tripadvisor, etc. Lots of comments about musty, mildew and bad beds...even taking them with a grain of salt I'm feeling ill equipted to make these choices.

In Monterey I'm considering the BW Monterey Beach. In San Diego I was considering the Paradise Point, but the reviews were pretty bad. I'd love the Catamaran, but it's pretty steep in price and we need 2 rooms. There are 6 of us.

Any other recommendations for hotels would be greatly appreciated.

I cannot thank everyone enough for your help. I am trying to post on the Chicago site w/ info as a way to "pass it on".
J

Buzymom,

Keep in mind that there is an impressive shark exhibit at Sea World.