help planning Calif getaway
 

I'd like to take a 2-3 day<BR>California getaway with scenery<BR>sightseeing, but not much hiking.<BR><BR>I've some questions:<BR><BR>1. Weatherwise, is it better to<BR>go in July or in late Sept/early Oct?<BR><BR>2. Do you recommend for best scenery<BR>to visit SF Golden Gate, Big Sur and<BR>Muir Woods.<BR><BR>OR<BR><BR>3. Fly to Fresno and hit Sequoia and<BR>Kings Canyon, instead?<BR><BR>4. What is a good city to fly to that<BR>is close enough to transportation and<BR>scenery as well as guided tours?<BR><BR>I think my options for flying in (<BR>out of FL) are:<BR>1. SFO<BR>2. Oakland<BR>3. Fresno<BR>4. San Jose<BR>5. Monterey ??<BR><BR>Thanks a bunch!

I'd consider a trip to the Morro Bay/Cambria/San Simeon area if you want a peaceful place with plenty of scenery. Come in September and you should find some very pleasant weather.

Morro Bay is wonderful - but not near any of the airports you mentioned. You asked about tours - this sounds like you don't want to drive. You will have a hard time finding any tours that meet your specific needs. <BR><BR>As for when/weather? It totally depends on where you end up. The coast is generally warmer and clearer during Sept-Oct than in July - when it is 100F in the Valley it can be 60F and foggy in SF. But by late Oct there can be snow in Kings Canyon. <BR><BR>As for best scenery - all you mentioned have Fabulous scenery. Muir woods and the Marin coast, SF, Big Sur, sequoia --- all of them. Since you only want 3 days and near an airport consider these:<BR><BR>1) in/out SF and stay on the Marin coast - Tomales Bay or anywhere along there. You can see Muir woods, the amazing Marin headlands and Angel Island -plus the bonus of driving thru SF on the way to the airport. But you would need a car unless you want to hike miles.<BR><BR>2) In/out San Jose - pick up a car and drive south through Monterey, Carmel as far as Big Sur - then return through the Salinas valley back to San Jose.<BR>

San Francisco's summer is in the fall, so I would say generally late Sept or early Oct would be nice.<BR><BR>I would rent bikes in the Marina and bike over the bridge to Sausalito or Tiburon if you want beautiful scenery or hike up the Dipsea Trail from Muir Woods for a pretty hike through the redwoods that ends up on the cliffs above the ocean.<BR><BR>SFO or Oakland airports are equally easy to get to San Francisco-San Jose is an hour or more drive

just noticed you said you don't want to hike.<BR><BR>if you have a car you could drive up to the top of Mt. Tam or take the short drive along highway 1 to Stinson Beach and have lunch.

Go in and out of San Jose: Drive up hwy 17 and go a few miles north at the summit to Big Basin State Park. See beautiful redwood forest there. Drive down hwy 17 to 1 and south to Monterey/Carmel, stop at Pt. Lobos Park and then through Big Sur to Cambria and Morro Bay. Coming back you can cut over to 101 and blast up the freeway in a couple hours. That should be a great 2-3 days and SJC is an easy airport compared to SFO.

If you fly into Fresno it's a quick trip to Yosemite. It's very nice in September and very uncrowded. Stay a night or 2 in the valley and see it and the eastern part of the park like Tuolomne Meadows. Then stay a night in the south and see the giant redwoods and Wawona. Easy drive back to Fresno from the south.