sf7307

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Assume you'll end up in Pacific Grove, Monterey or Carmel. There isn't much between Big Sur and those towns.

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Yes, assuming you want to be at the airport by 11-ish, you'd have plenty of time to get to either San Jose (an hour) or San Francisco (and hour and a half), although if it's a weekday, you might be slogging through some pretty heavy traffic. If it's convenient, your best bet is to leave from San Jose -- it's a big airport with big planes -- shouldn't be a problem (as opposed to Monterey).

hibiscushouse

Thank you sf7307, that helps with that decision a lot.
dbdurand..GREAT perspective! Thanks for posting that. I survived driving the Tail of the Dragon last year, so this doesn't look so bad! SO beautiful!
Time wise, how long does it take to drive from Cambria to places like Limekiln SP or Julia Pfeifer Burns Sp?
Places like these two SP's and Point Lobos are where my son's are going to want to go most. Shopping and walking around Carmel/Monterey is not going to interest them. So, with the split time we will be in this area, I'm trying to figure out how we can fit in some visits to these parks, as well as the best place to stay. I think I'm getting closer...

Three nights in San Francisco, then head to the coast.
The first 24 hrs of being in Monterey, I'm thinking we should drive in from San Francisco and go straight to Point Lobos before we even check in the hotel. From all the post's I've read, this needs to be a priority for our family. If we stop for lunch somewhere, will we still have enough time for this?

Stay our one night in Monterey, and head south the next morning, maybe stopping at one of the other parks for a hike before heading to the Hearst castle. Take our time with this as we head towards San Simeon. Do tour #1, the last available time of the day (4:20), dinner in Cambria and stay the night in a hotel on Moonstone Beach drive, if I can find one that doesn't have a 2 night min.

Next morning, drive to Big Bear Lake and stay our 5 nights.

Saturday, head back to Pismo Beach on Saturday and stay the night.
Sunday, take the kayak tour in and out of caves, arches etc in pismo beach.
Sunday afternoon: Head back up the coast to a place to stay in Pacific Grove (for 2 nights..meeting a 2 nt min. requirement that location has). Walk around P.G. area that afternoon.

Monday: have one more full day around this area before leaving for Tampa from San Jose on Tuesday.
Any opinions?

hibiscushouse

Ok, just got done reading another post. Instead of stopping for lunch somewhere on our way to Monterey from San Fancisco, we need to take a picnic lunch to Point Lobos.
Correct?

Barblab

I would go with Starrs idea of arriving one day late to Big Bear (coast beats Big Bear) and add it to the coast. I think if you add two days onto the end, those two days will be spent mostly driving. Your savings in gas alone would probably make up for the extra night in the hotel.

As for driving through LA, if there is any doubt that you will hit rush hour, go the back way. That tip could save your marriage. =^0 !

dbdurand

You mentioned in an earlier post that your boys love hiking. I'll be very surprised if you don't find the hiking in the Big Bear area to be superior to anyplace else on your route, although obviously you won't have any ocean views.

Here's a web site that sort of gives an overview of the hiking opportunities. You can click and get trail descriptions and maps.

http://bigbear.us/big-bear-hiking.html

The "must hike" hike of all these is the hike to the top of Mt. San Gorgonio (11,500 ft.). This is a day hike, but definitely a full day. My family has done it as sort of a ritual many times over the course of years, usually near the end of August. I recommend the Vivian Creek trail. It's no nonsense up and up and up. I find it frustrating to be on a trail to a peak, with level or near level segments. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere but nevertheless expending valuable energy. Here's the relevant web page. Scroll down to Vivian Creek.

http://www.sgwa.org/trails2.htm

hibiscushouse

So appreciate your response and information. We've been feeling as though we are going to be real disappointed in Big Bear Lake, although my brother told us it's beautiful there. Since we have no frame of reference, we weren't sure what to expect. Your post has renewed our excitement, and it sounds as though we will be pleased at the things to do other than sit around relaxing and waiting to get back down to the big Sur area.
As Floridians that live at sea level, the climb from 7000ft to 11,500 in one day may just end us killing us, but your information has many other options that we can look into as well. So appreciative of this information. Thank you! It helps us make some decisions.

nicole54

you can visit Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers with your couple.

nicole54

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MomDDTravel

Okay...now I see your plan.

I think coming from Florida you will enjoy Big Bear. I am wondering what time share you are staying in?

We live in Orange County and have gone to Big Bear a few times in the summer.

We went ziplining, kayaking (it is lovely on the lake), bowling, to the movies, down the Alpine slide. Food is really just okay over all in Big Bear - hard to say but some of the worst meals we have paid for have been in Big Bear.

ksucat

if you need different type of lodging in Big Sur, treebonesresort.com has yurts that are a blast and so from the norm.
have breakfast at Big Sur Bakery.
Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn is incredible and you can do it on the cheap for lunch..
I agree with starrs and spend more time on the coast!

hibiscushouse

Great ideas MomDD..ziplining sounds like a blast. My boys would love it. I might pee in my pants. Alpine slide is a sure thing. I bet that lake water is plenty cold.
My son's are still enamored with a good cheeseburger, so we'll take advantage of better meals during the other legs of our trips. That's fine.
The time share at BBL is by Club Wyndham, WorldMark Big Bear.
I saw the yurts while doing research. Really cool. They seem pretty strict about the kid issue, and since I have boys, I didn't want to worry about it, so I didn't look into it further. We are staying at Deer Haven Inn in Pacific Grove for a few nights.
Thank you for the suggestions of where to eat though. I've printed it out. We leave tomorrow.
We live on the intercoastal at home a block from the beach, so we do love the mountains. This trip will give us the best of both. And the best part will be how different the beach is from ours!

dbdurand

I'm happy to report that the Vivian Creek trail to the summit of Mt. San Gorgonio is now free of snow. (As recently as June 21 they were recommending an ice ax and crampons.) See:

http://sgwa.org/trails.htm

I know you are ambivalent about this hike, but it could be the "high point" of your Big Bear stay.

Here's a video. These people carried camping gear part way up, but then camped overnight on the way down, which I think is goofy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWukagKej-w