jsantana

Hi

Me and mi wife are planning a two weeks vacation in California, my first time in California and her first time in the US.

I've been reading about the great places we can visit and we have decided to drive from LA to San Francisco and then to Wine Country. That could start on this December 28

I've read some posts in this great website I am actually basing initially my trip on a great post from Stu Dudley (http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=35092377).

I was thinking of going up through 101. LA- Santa Barbara - San Luis Obispo - Monterey - SF - Sausalito - Stinson Beach - Tomales Bay - Bodega Bay - Russian River - Guerneville - Forestville and up to Healdsburg (from your posts I read this is the place to go to in wine country).

Then we would like to go back to LA through Fresno (99), so I assume I will pass through Sonoma , Napa maybe Stockton.. so we can detour to Yosemite then to Sequoia National Park, I've done this only by watching maps.

As you can see this seems to be a large trip so we need to shrink our expenses as much as possible, What recommendations can you give us for visiting or looking around ? maybe budget places to spend the night..

I think we can invest 4-6 days for this trip.

Thanks in Advance !
Jaime

easytraveler

Hello, Jaime!

I'm sorry to say: There is simply no way you can do this trip in 4-6 days time!

You can drive LA-SF in that time frame and that would still be stretching it.

NO WAY can you also do wine country and Yosemite and Sequoia. You would be spending all your time driving and have no time for sightseeing.

I'd suggest you select either Southern California or Northern California, but not both.

Tell us first what you like: big cities or the countryside? Dancing or seeing redwoods?

At that time of year, the weather along the coast may not be the best for a scenic drive. It would probably be best to fly between LA and SF if you MUST do both.

So, you see, there's a lot to consider: what specifically do you want to see and do? how much money (in actual dollars $100, $200, $300) do you want to spend per night on lodging? and so on and so on.

I'm certain the other Fodorites can come up with wonderful suggestions if you can give us more information to work on.

jsantana

Thanks easytraveler,

In our initial plan Wine counntry was not considered but after reading these posts, we started to consider it. I think we do prefer contryside, but I think we would like to at least glance San Francisco, isn't it a must ?

While driving we think we should only stop briefly.. to streach, have lunch and take pictures. While for lodging.. we would not mind stay in Motels in the road, so I think thouse of course will fall into the lower than 100 a night.. although I do not know I can find that kind of lodging in the places we are passing through.

Based on your comments I traced this route.. using Google maps. The time shown in each day is the time Google maps say I will be driving.. so I plan to use the rest for sightseen, pics, lunch, etc..

Does it sound totally crazy ???


Day 1
LA to Sanfrancisco
8 hrs 15 mins

Day 2

San Francisco -Stinson Beach - Tomales - Bodega Bay - Russin River - Hacienda - Healdsburg - Castiloga - Yountville
4 hrs.

Day 3

Yountville - Napa - Cordelia - Benicia - Walnut Creek - Dublin - Tracy - Manteca - Modesto - Merced (Need to briefly stop here) - Yosemite
5 hrs 20 mins


Day 4

Yosemite - Tipton (Need to visit a friend here)
3.5 hrs

Day 5

Tipton - Sequoia National Park - Tipton
4 hrs.

Day 6

Tipton - LA
3 hrs.

MBnancy

Good Luck with your vacation. I'm not sure if I understand you have two weeks as stated, or 6 days.

A good motel in San Francisco, is the Columbus Motor Inn. Free parking and close to transportation to see some sites

jsantana

two weeks is my total vacation time. But wanted to spend about 6 days for this trip (LA-SF-Wine Contry..etc)

MBnancy

Ok, then you won't be getting off the airplane in LA, and start the drive to SF on day one. Need to be fresh for that! Long drive with all your stops.

janisj

I am sorry - but your plan is not practical -- not at all.

Dec/Jan is a bad time to plan these sorts of long drives in Northern California. Last minute plans are OK because one could see what the weather forecasts are. But long-range planning is just about impossible.

You can have very, VERY dense and dangerous fog through the entire central valley. Fog so thick that there are regualrly 20-50 car accidents where no one sees the cars ahead until you run into them.

There can be heavy rain storms anywhere - which can be especially bad on the coast and along the rivers in the wine country.

There can be snow in both Yosemite and Sequoia.

Now, you may not hit any of these -- OR - you might hit all of the above. Even in fine weather - your driving plan is very hectic for just 6 days.

If you must visit Tipton - then I would just drive there from LA and use it as a base for day trips to Sequoia and Yosemite. But being on hwy 99 in the central Valley - Tipton might be totally socked in w/ fog.

I would skip everything else.

easytraveler

Hi, Jaime: there is NO WAY you can do the coastal route LA-SF in 8 hours unless you are driving like a fiend and running everyone over - LOL!

LA has horrendous traffic. SF can have horrendous traffic.

I've done this route in 18 hours with a few stops in between. I would not recommend doing this route under 16-18 hours because you need to STOP. There is no point driving the coastal route if you do not plan to stop. Inland you could make it from LA to SF in less than 8 hours by going on Highway I-5, but that's only for people in a hurry. There is NO reason to stop except for gas.

You really need to rethink your trip by at least doubling most of your drive time.

You also need to think of where you want to stop and HAVE FUN.

This is not a race car drive, this is a drive to sample the cities and countryside you are driving through, you need to pare down your destinations. E.G. you may go only 50 miles in one day in the wine country, but oh! what wonderful times you will have stopping at the various wineries, talking to the people, sampling the wines!

I'd suggest that if you really MUST drive - and if the weather permits - you drive from LA to SF and stop off in Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo Counties and sample the wines there. They are just as good as the wines in Napa and Sonoma counties - trust me, I was just on a wine-tasting tour through there and that entire region has "grown up". Then drive through Big Sur - you will see as many redwood forests as you will see anywhere north of San Francisco or Yosemite. You also get a plus - the beautiful ocean!

Stop in Carmel, visit a bit, maybe drive the 16-Mile Drive.

Then drive up to San Francisco and spend at least two days there.

Last day, drive straight back to LA on I-5 (take you one day).

Good luck with your planning!

janisj

easytraveler: I agree w/ your itinerary - however the OP says they need to visit friends in Tipton (Sort of between Tulare and Porterville on hwy 99).

jsantana: only you can decide which is more important -- Tipton/Sequoia/Yosemite - OR - San Francisco. You do not have time for both. And you definitely do not have time for the coast north of SF/Healdsburg.

If SF is more important - easytraveler's plan makes a lot of sense.

If visiting your friend in Tipton is more important - then follow easytraveler's plan as far as San Luis Obispo (or farther north to Big Sur/Carmel) and then drive across to Tipton.

That is all you'll have time for - and only then if you luck out w/ the weather

easytraveler

Hi, Jaime: janis is correct. Follow the alternatives she has suggested for you. She's an excellent resource for California.

I hope you don't think it's too presumptuous of us to keep cutting down your trip to California! We would just like you to enjoy our beautiful state and not be stuck in a car all the time!

MaureenB

I read your plan as haviing two weeks to travel, and that would have barely worked. But if you only have six days, be sure to fly open-jaw, so you don't have to backtrack to your arrival city.

When I read your day-by-day itinerary, it sounds more than crazy, it sounds like a troll! You can't be serious:
"Day 2
San Francisco -Stinson Beach - Tomales - Bodega Bay - Russin River - Hacienda - Healdsburg - Castiloga - Yountville
4 hrs.

Day 3
Yountville - Napa - Cordelia - Benicia - Walnut Creek - Dublin - Tracy - Manteca - Modesto - Merced (Need to briefly stop here) - Yosemite
5 hrs 20 mins"

No earthly way would that be remotely like fun!
Please slow down and see just a few of the highlights in California. Otherwise all you're doing is adding to the smog and the congestion on the roads!
>-

traveler24

Just as a frame of reference--
driving from San Luis Obispo to Napa takes about 4 1/2 hrs if no commute traffic..lookat your map to get the perspective.
Also there is some"new" wine country north of Santa Barbara, even around Paso Robles. Hopefully other posters can define this area for you...IMO doing northern California is impossible on your schedule;;especially if you have to stop at Tipton..Related to this stop, you could see Sequoia maybe even Yosemite...However, remember the road to these parks could be difficult if any snow....

elnap29

While I prefer a more relaxed itinerary, I now understand your desire to see so many sites. My Australian relatives always enoy this type of major ground-covering when they visit here.

That said, I think you might like to savor San Francisco a little bit more than your plan currently allows. If you want to get to SF as fast as possible, drive I-5. It's a boring route, but about 6-7 hrs.

My recommendation:
Day 1: Drive the coastal route north(Highway 1. It is beautiful, although slow and windy, but you can see redwoods in Big Sur, have lunch or tea with a view at Nepenthe, and drive through Carmel and spend the night in Monterey. There are some budget options for lodging there, and usually you do better without a reservation. As a "walk-in", ask for their best rate. This way you can pick the place that seems right to you. Pacific Grove is in the same area, and I prefer the lodging options there.

Day 2: Drive to San Francisco. At this point I would leave the coast for the inland route Highway 101 or whichever route is fastest. Spend the night or 2 in SF. Explore and enjoy it. You would probably need a reservation for your hotel.

Day 3 or 4: Daylong trip to Wine Country - Napa Valley might be easiest depending on the day of the week. Go up as far as Calistoga

elnap29

Oops, dropped the keyboard - sorry.
Spend the day in the Napa Valley, enjoy wonderful meals for lunch and dinner - have your fill of wine tastings and great scenery. In the evening, drive over to Cordelia or Fairfield for cheaper motels close to the highway.

Day 4 or 5: You can tke your planned route to Manteca to catch Hwy 99 or take Hwy 12 from Suisun to HWY 5, head south on I-5 and find a connection from I-5 to Merced, drive to Yosemite. Remember, it gets dark early in the winter (by 5PM) so you'd want to spend the night here or decide if you want to drive out of the park and find a place to stay near the Highway you'll take to Tipton. I'm fairly cetain you won't have time to get to Sequoia - it is not a simple drive and you are likely to encounter snow and ice. Your friends in Tipton may be able to advise you.

Good luck with your trip. My advice is to streamline the outline of your trip and then add things in if you have time and if the weather is cooperative. We can recommend some budget lodgings if you firm up where you'll be each evening.

kleroux

The drive from LA to SF up route I-5 takes about 6 hrs...depending on weather. Longer if you drive #101 from LA to SF. Forget taking #1 along the coast for this trip. From SF over the Golden Gate up #101 to Healdsburg takes about 1.5 hrs..except on Friday afternoon (avoid that time/day).. driving from Hbg over to Napa and down to Yountville will take about 1.5 hrs. Those are driving times with minimal stops. Can't tell you about the Eastern part of the state. I know we Americans drive hell bent for leather all over Europe to see as much as we can at a speed which no European would ever consider. So I understand foreigners wanting to do that here too. Our roads are pretty good, and fast. There are long parts with no towns or people. It will be interesting. I'd fly into LA and out of SF if you can. Have fun.

easytraveler

What kleroux has given is the absolutely BEST time. I've never made it SF to LA in 6 hours. You really can't do it and stay within the speed limit. If you go above the speed limit, you risk getting a ticket.

OTOH, I've spent 25 minutes going 5 miles in traffic in LA.

One time, a Saturday night at 11pm, it took an hour to get from around Pico Blvd on I-10 to DT LA.

LA has very bad traffic and it's getting worse every year.

You should factor in the traffic, especially when you are leaving from either LAX or SFO, you've got to give yourself enough time.

Just my two cents' worth.

janisj

Those drives would be tough in June - and you are trying it in the worst of the winter fog season in the central Valley.

All the optimistic drive times mentioned above are when there is no traffic, no fog, no rain, and not on a holiday weekend. You could very easily face double - or even triple those times.

jsantana

Thank you all Guys for such a great replys.

I want to share with you that I made my trip and I had such a wonderful time.

first day I drove up through 1. and (stopped at several places) spent the first night at San Simeon, Next day I continued north and arrived to SF at night..and spent the night there. Third day I was all over SF sightseeing, Fourth day I went back south through 99.