Here's what I have so far. Helpful tips are appreciated. (Flights/airports and dates are set and won't be changed.)

7/13/06 - flight to Reno, arr. 9:30 p.m. p/u rental car and stay one night between Reno and North Tahoe in order to explore some of Tahoe for better part of next day (hotel suggestions please, just clean and for a decent sleep, nothing fancy).

Is Donner SP worth exploring - my teenager is interested in the Donner Party/Westward Migration. But I definitely want to spend some time on Lake Tahoe at least for a picnic/short hike.

7/14 - destination Lee Vinings, east side of Yosemite park entrance (probably stay at Murphey's Motel)

7/15 - spend day driving Tioga Pass and stopping along the way

7/15 & 7/16 - reservation made for 2 nights Cedar Lodge in El Portal, to explore west side of Yosemite.

Then we plan to do two more things: Explore San Francisco for a few days and explore the coast between no farther south than Cambria going north towards Santa Cruz.

Which order do you think we should do this in (San Francisco first or last) given that we are ending our trip with a 7:30 a.m. flight (yuk) out of San Jose on Sunday 7/23.
Keep in mind we have to return our rental car.

Would it be better to spend the last night in Santa Cruz and approach the San Jose airport from that direction (early 5 a.m. Sunday) or from San Francisco. I'm just not certain what the roads are like at that hour from either direction.

Thank you Fodorites!

Everyone who posts here wants help with a trip. You will likely get more responses if the title of your post were more specific. Please don't flame me, I'm just trying to help, which is what you asked for.

Cameron,

Personally, I don't know what 'flame me' means...but I didn't find your reply helpful at all. Your point is taken, but maybe you could have been more helpful by suggesting a specific title. I thought I did post under California but that my questions were too many to lump into a specific title. Besides, if you weren't answering any of my questions...why did you bother even replying...are you 'flaming' me?

Now I'm hesitant to answer, since you seem not anxious to accept advice. No, Cameron was not flaming you -- it's called "trying to help you".

There is no separate California forum. When most of us come here, we look at all posts for the US and have no way when we open a thread where the person is talking about.

Simply titling it "Tahoe to San Francisco suggestions?" would certainly be more likely to get you some good responses.

However. . .

I think you need to rethink all this. You arive in Reno late at night. The next day you are driving to the eastern end of Yosemite. You can whip by Lake Tahoe and take a glance, but forget any talk about "exploring" the area.

I spend a fair amount of time at the North end of Tahoe, near Truckee. The Donner museum is very interesting. You can't really do it though, if your day is mainly spent to get to Yosemite.

It would be nice to spend a couple nights near Lake Tahoe to explore the area as you describe. But that means cutting something out -- frankly, I'd just concentrate on Tahoe, Yosemite, and San Francisco (since your flights are set) and save the areas south of SF for another trip.

Spend time at Donner Pass for the kid.

If you want to stay over night somewhere and then see Donner have a picnic at the lake and then leave for Lee Vining on the 14th here's what I'd do:

Drive on 80 going west toward Truckee. Exit for Northstar/267 I beleive it's exit 88b or 188b. Head south toward the lake. On the left you will see a fairly new Hamptons Inn. This place will be a convenient stop for your next day plans. If that is not available there is a Best Western on Brockway Road. You reach it off the same exit, just turn right when you reach Brockway and it will be on your right.

The next day you can venture into Truckee for breakfast before you head out toDonner SP.

After your visit I'd suggest heading toward the lake on 89. When you get to the River Ranch stop in and have lunch on the patio. You can watch all the rafter negotiate there rafts for a wild river exit. Quite entertaining and a good lunch too.

Aftert lunch you can head to the lake. I'd suggest head wouth toward Emerald Bay. You can hike around there and visit Vikingsholm, the castle.
After that there are beaches like Baldwin, Camp Richardson and Pope. A great visit would be to the Tallac site near Camp Richardson.

After that negotiate you way through south shore and head out to Lee Vining by way of Kingsbury grade to 395. It's a pretty easy drive, we do it every year.

I'll let others suggest for the SF leg of your trip.

I think your teenager (they're all different though!) would like Donner SP because of the interest. It's a beautiful area also. As far as driving from SC or SF to SJC, it shouldn't matter that time of morning on a Sunday. It may be slightly quicker from SC.
Yes there is a way to sort under Calif. posts.
Also, I think the way you are going to Yosemite after Tahoe, it makes sense to do the Central Coast next, and end up in SF. Only a slight "back trach" to San Jose at the end. I'll think about lodging in Truckee/ Nort Lake Tahoe area. I personally haven't stayed there in a while, but have friends who have.

The drive from South Lake Tahoe to Lee Vining is a brief 2.5 hours at the most. Earlier in the week there will be a full moon so you'll still have that to drive by if you leave late in the day. I'd plan to get to Lee Vining by 9 -9:30. There's nothing to see on your drive that you should trade for Tahoe. I'd leave South Lake Tahoe after you have a lakeside dinner. Since it's July you'll have twilight late into the evening. That means you'll have about 12 hours to do Donner SP and the lake.

"Yes there is a way to sort under Calif. posts."

Yes, of course there is. But I don't understand what that comment has to do with the suggestion for any post that will appear any time anyone clicks onto the US board.

Thanks for all your helpful hints. Even though our time will be short at Tahoe - I'd rather see it partially than not see it at all. I think it's doable and not that much driving for one day...I don't mind arriving in Lee Vinings late in the day. Thanks to Suzie for the tips about lunch at the River Ranch, we love watching that kind of stuff even though we may want to be in the rafts ourselves! And I think Truckee is a good choice for the night. I think we can stop at Donner and see parts of Tahoe and get to Lee Vinings before midnight! Thanks again and next time I post I'll try to be more specific in my title.

From Yosemite you should head west to do the Cambria and north part of your trip and end with SF. Sunday mornings driving down the peninsula to SJ should be fine.

I agree with having California in the post title. Let's keep helpful suggestions to a minimum, and just help out. TK gave a lot of great specifics in the post of what was needed.
I agree with Suzie, head to Cambria after Yosemite (Hwy 46).

TK- Also, sign up on Frommers talk forum. There you post directly into specific state folders. Hopefully, that statement doesn't get corrected, LOL.

Let's try not to miss the point of this post which was to give tktravel some good information about his/her travel in CA.

I agree, Suzie. You might notice that's where we were headed after the couple a comment about posting and my comment trying to explain it to the poster. Lots of us were busily giving advice, and the poster acknowledged that next time she'd come up with a better title. I'm sorry it was hard for me to ignore a poster who then came in just to name call -- rather than add any real advice. No, I'm not able to sit and let someone insult me for no reason without explaining myself.

Now can we all move on?

Well said Suzie. thanks for piping in on this one. I like the Truckee website:
http://www.truckee.com/lodging.php
And I've stayed here (Inn at Truckee) before, although it's been 5 or 6 years (very nice place):
http://www.innattruckee.com

A friend of mine highly recommends the Truckee Hotel: http://www.thetruckeehotel.com/home.html

I'm so sorry, as I didn't mean to insult anyone. Not my natue. Thank-you.

Just to defend the OP a bit because as a new person to these forums I made the same mistake with a NYC post today - it isn't clear (or it wasn't clar to me) when you post in a 'topic' under a particular state that it is merely a search tool rather than a folder

Well said Possum. I had that trouble too, and was trying to defend tk, but did it "in not the best way".