Mary

Going to visit california after a weekend in las vegas. thanks to previous advice we have decided to fly rather than drive (to CA) but are confused about where to stay. We love beaches & the city & heard wine country is fabulous. Would you recommend the San Fran/wine country area with perhaps a drive to LA or San Diego/LA area for first time visitors to california????

all advice is appreciated.

thank you,

mary

kam

With 5 days, Mary, I think you need to choose either northern Ca, meaning SF and the wine country, or southern Ca, meaning LA or San Diego. It's about 500 miles from SF to LA and unless you take the hot, smelly 5 freeway through the Central Valley, it takes at least 7 hours to drive on the 101 freeway and more if you want to drive Hwy 1 along the coast. So, sadly, you must choose and then plan to return. San Diego is the place for nice beaches or south of LA. The wine country is great fun and there are some pretty beaches on the Sonoma/Marin coast, but too cold for swimming. The time of year might be the deciding factor and we don't know that.

scott

northern

Suzie

Fly Southwest from Las Vegas to Oakland. Rent a car. Drive to Napa Valley area or Sonoma Valley area for a few days in wine country. Leave wine country go to SF enjoy the sites there for a few days. Lots to see and do. But you don't say when you're coming.

jim

I'd be surprised if anyone suggested S. Cal. over N. Cal. I've been the LA area 3 or 4 times on business, and I still don't understand why anyone likes it. I has no "downtown," and really seems like nothing more than a bunch of strip malls and housing developments connected by crowded freeways. I suppose LA lovers will jump on me for this one (though it's hard for me to imagine that any Fodor's post would ever get nasty). Just one person's opinion, but I'd be interested to see if any subsequent posts recommend LA.

Barbara

Well, I'm going to recommend Southern California. First of all, it's much closer to Vegas. Then, of course, the weather is better at any time of the year. We have beautiful beaches, excellent restaurants, museums, shopping, mountains close by if you want a change of scenery. We also have our own "wine country" in Temecula. It is not, of course, to be compared with Napa or Sonoma, but there are wineries there. In 5 days, you could see some of LA and some of San Diego - it depends whether you want to rush around or have a relaxing time.

kam

I've lived in So.Cal and N.Cal and can tell you I love them both. Comparing them is like apples and oranges. Depends on what you want to do/see. We are leaving tomorrow for a week in southern CA and are excited to be back there again! It's almost as if they are in two different states.

Susan

Kam, I also have lived both in N. and S. Cal and have loved both for different reasons. But in defense of the beaches in NorCal, there are some beautiful, uncrowded beaches in the Half Moon Bay area and the weather is often perfect, depending on the time of year. For instance, our family spent New Year's Day this year on the beach and it was gorgeous and sunny. I was at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve looking at tide pools with my son's class last week and it was in the upper 70s, even early in the AM.

The Los Angeles area has a lot to offer the tourist as well, especially in the Santa Monica area. Freeway driving and traffic will be a part of both both places, depending on the time of day. Geez, don't end up driving into SF Bay area in the AM from the east!

So, you probably need to be specific about what you want to see in California and let that be your guide, or opt for a cheap Southwest Airlines flight from SF to LA (or reverse) and try to squeeze it all in. But don't waste an entire day driving from one end of the state to the other.

Suzie

I grew up in so cal at the beach, while I will always have fond memories I don't go back. There is abundant opportunity for solitude and beauty in northern california.
Mary, it will depend on whether you want city and beaches or you want city and wineries. But don't drive from SF to LA. It will eat up a day of your vacation.