mdmom

We are planning a 10 night trip to California this summer with our 16yo daughter and 13 yo son. Would it be better to fly to LA (3 nights) drive up through Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel (1-2 nights), then Yosemite (1 night) then San Francisco for another 3 nights or so, OR, maybe that's too big of an undertaking and we should fly to San Diego and drive up to San Francisco from there, eliminating Yosemite on this trip???? (sorry for the run-on sentence). We want to book the flights soon and can't decide what to do - any recommendations would be appreciated. This is our kids first trip to California but we've travelled a lot with them in the past.
THANKS!

saps

Yosemite is 4-5 hours from Monterey and then 4-5 hours to SF.

In my opinion if you were only going to give it 1 day then I'd save it for another trip when you can spend 3-4 days there.

With teenagers I'd do this trip:

San Diego - 3 nights (Lots of beach time, zoo, La Jolla, Gaslamp Quarter)
Los Angeles - 2 nights (One theme park, Santa Monica, Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Westwood)
Monterey - 2 nights (Aquarium, 17 mile drive, Carmel)
San Francisco - 3 nights (Alcatraz, GG Bridge, Chinatown, Presido, Haight, Golden Gate Park)

4 cities might be too much in 10 days so you might consider skipping Monterey and spend one long day driving the coast to get from LA to SF and spend my time 3-3-4 SD-LA-SF.

J_Correa

I would be inclined to go with San Diego. Even though Yosemite is spectacular, it will be a lot of driving to get to for only 1 night. Plus summer is very crowded, so it will take longer to see the things you want to once you get into the park.

San Diego is a lot of fun and it is much closer to the other places on your route.

JLR

The first itinerary of LA-SF without Yosemite will probably hold the teens' interest more than adding San Diego with a possible 4+ hour drive to LA. Don't forget Santa Cruz along the way, it's a fun college/surf town. Also, you should lump Carmel and Monterey as they are so close. I did this trip with my family some twenty-plus years ago when I was 11 and I still remember how fascinated I was by LA and SF, and all points between. However, I can't say I remember anything about San Diego.

Barbara

It really does not take 4+ hours to get to LA from San Diego. Two hours would be more likely.

laurenzo

It depends how active your kids are..My almost 16 yr. old daughter and 13 yr. old son loved Yosemite this past summer. We were there for almost a week and then another long weekend (of course we live in CA). Do your teens like to hike? If that is not their thing, then skip it. It isn't worth the drive to just see it for a day.
I like saps itinerary but remember that CA is a big state and how much time do you really want to spend in the car? You'll have X amount of nights in each city, but how much day time?? Do you just want a taste of each big city or do you really want to explore? You could spend days in each (San Diego, LA, San Francisco) and not see everything.

What are your goals for the trip? Are you interested in just getting a feel for the diversity of CA? Do you want to see as much as possible in your 10 days? If we know a little more of what your kids would like, we could help you. One thing for sure is they will love it here

mjs

I too would eliminate Yosemite with your time frame. Sap's itinerary actually sounds pretty good to me. San Diego to LA may only take 2 hours if there is no traffic as it is only about 120 miles but it would not surprise me if it did take you four hours or even more if you picked the wrong time to take the drive.

kleroux

I would skip the 17 mile drive with teens. I'd consider visiting some college campus' along the way...UCLA, UCSB and Cal Poly. I would also visit several of the California Missions, and Hearst Castle. In San Diego consider the Wild Animal Park esp. towards the end of the day when the animals are most active. I'd also skip beach time. They can go back for that on their own. They'll see plenty of ocean from the drive and it will inspire them to return (one hopes). I agree to save Yosemite for another trip.

Michael

La Purisima Mission St. Hist. Park between Solvang and Lompoc is well worth a visit. It was reconstructed in the 30s and gives a better sense of how a mission operated than the ones in more settled areas, such as Santa Barbara and Carmel, although these are well worth a visit also.

mdmom

Thank you all so much for all of these suggestions - I hope I continue to receive even more of them! It looks like the advice is fairly unanimous to save Yosemite for another trip and that is what we will do - we just booked the tckts last night - we will get to San Diego on a Friday and fly back east to NJ on the Monday 10 days later. We think we'll be in San Diego from mid-day Friday til Sunday afternoon - is that a reasonable time to drive to LA? We definitely want to avoid any traffic jams if at all possible. Is Hearst Castle definitely worth it with teens?
My kids want to see as much as they can, particularly my daughter, aged 16, but I don't know how interested they will be in touring a beautiful mansion. They like the beach and I know they will enjoy the scenery. I am sure they will love the amusement parks and shopping and we wanted to visit the Museum of Tolerance with them - has anyone been there?
Thank you!

ltt

personally, i would add on another night in san diego - teens love that city. when ever i drive to la, i try to leave really early in the morning so that i arrive at my destination in la by 7:30 a.m. for example, if i was going to meet people in disneyland, i'd leave san diego around 5:30 and had breakfast in anaheim. very little traffic.
if you are doing it in the evening, i'd recommend you leave san diego late afternoon. go up to laguna beach and spend a few hours exploring/beaching there - it's beautiful. have dinner. leave there around 8:00 p.m. to go to la

J_Correa

Hearst Castle is definitely worth a tour - it is not just a beautiful mansion. In fact, I don't think I would even classify it as a mansion. It is in a class by itself. It is on top of a hill, so the views are spectacular - you ride a bus up and up the hill from the visitors center. Then when you get to the top, you follow your tour around. Some of the stuff is just over the top, like the swimming pools. Your imagination will run away with you thinking of the parties they used to have with all the hollywood stars. The house is huge with very unique architecture and antiquities galore. The guides are great and tell really good stories about the Hearst family and the house. It is just a really neat place and I think your kids are a good age to go.

enzian

I visited Hearst Castle at the age of 16 and loved it. So much that I dreamed of getting a job as a guide there . . . just so I could swim in that beautiful pool.

Maybe have your daughter watch Citizen Kane before you go?

J_Correa

I have friends who worked at Hearst Castle while going to school at Cal Poly San Luis - and they got to swim in the pool. To this day I am still jealous

enzian

J_Correa---I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who fell in love with that swimming pool!

My friend who went to Cal Poly spent all his time diving for abalone at Morro Bay and Avila. Another thing worthy of jealousy.

Would you recommend that mdmom and her family stay at the Madonna Inn while in the area? We never stayed there, just stopped by to gawk, so I don't know how is as a place to stay.

mdmom

Thanks to all of you for these great tips and suggestions - i just finished taking notes and I am grateful to all of you for the input!

J_Correa

I've never stayed at the Madonna Inn either, but it looks really fun.

In the area, I have stayed at the Ascot Inn and the Days Inn in Morro Bay, both were fine, neither anything to rave about, but decent for a place to sleep. I have also stayed at the Fogcatcher Inn on Moonstone Beach in Cambria which was really good.

familytravelforum

If you go to Hearst Castle, be sure to reserve a tour in advance - they have several types to pick from, but the general is absolutely fun for teens. If you drive Highway one to get to Monterey stop at the Nepenthe for lunch -- or a break, as it has amazing views up and down that dramatic stretch of coast. One night in Monterey is enough - check out the aquairum, and then head up the coast about 50 miles to Santa cruz which has a wonderful boardwalk and vintge carousel and roller coaster, plus a great beach. You might want to look at familytravelforum.com for more ideas - they have an article now up on traveling up the California Coast with kids - where to stop and all. It's one of 10 or so revolving articles on the first page, so if it doesn't come up, hit your refresh button (the two arrows at the top of the page) until you see it. San Diego is really fun - kids like it.

5alive

I would disagree with Kleroux. Teens definitely need one day at the beach in California. It could be at San Diego or near L.A. I still remember our day at Huntington Beach when I was 16. Also, Venice Beach was quite a scene. You might want to read up on it.