Itinerary for first time in CA

Old Jul 2nd, 2007, 06:22 PM
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Itinerary for first time in CA

We are trying to finalize plans for a 2 week trip in August. We start out in SF for 3 days. (Alcatraz night, 11 hr to Carmel and back) Off to Yosemite for 2, then down thru Death Valley. Overnight nearby and see a bit at the lower end before it gets too hot. Off to LA for 3 days and then 3 in San Diego. Parents and 3 seasoned teen travelers used to long rides. Hoping to reduce in town driving. Have the hotels done.
Thoughts on city tours of SF - Gray Line vs Viator?
Places to see as we drive to Muir woods and north.
Suggestions for Yosemite or Death Valley sights.
Any LA tours to hit the highlights?
San Diego - zoo and park, then a beach to wind down.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2007, 07:00 PM
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Whoa! slow down!

As much as I like driving around and seeing new places, your trip represents a LOT of time in the car. Which means less time for sightseeing activities - which is the whole reason for travelling to a distant location. If you want to ride around in a car, you might as well stay home.

You need at least two days and better three just for San Francisco alone.

I'd suggest cutting out Yosemite and Death Valley. Death Valley is best viewed in cooler months up through April. It will be EXTREMELY hot there in August.

Or cut out Carmel.

Or cut out Muir Woods.

GOING to too many places, not enough time to ENJOY those places, IMHO.

Maybe other Fodorites will have better suggestions.

Have a great trip!
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Old Jul 2nd, 2007, 08:05 PM
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Hi ET, look like we are hanging out on the computer tonight.

As easytraveler said, way too much driving. First of all has your family been to San Francisco before? Basically you are coming to San Francisco and then not visiting it at all. Teens love SF and just wandering around. Going to North Beach (little Italy), Chinatown, checking out the shopping in Union Square. They probably would also like Fisherman's Wharf although you can see that when you go to Alcatraz. Muir Woods would be fine for a short day trip if you cut out some other things.

Yosemite is nice but is very crowded in August. Do you already have hotels booked in the area? I, however, would skip that and just concentrate on the coast area. SKIP DEATH VALLEY no matter what. The temperatures will be running around 120F plus and there is really nothing you do there with that kind of heat. Plus it can be dangerous driving in that kind of heat if your car overheats, etc.

As far as driving in town, you said you had your hotels booked. It would help us to see what hotels you've booked especially in Los Angeles area and San Diego. In those towns you really need a car to get around but some areas are closer to the sights.

This would be suggestion for your trip.

Day 1-3 SF-Do Alcatraz, Muir Woods, explore the city. You won't need a car in SF except for Muir Woods so pick up your car and do that the last day.

Day 4 - Drive to Carmel/Monterey explore area

Day 5 - Drive through Big Sur and stay either in Cambria or go on down to Santa Barbara.

Day 6-9 Los Angeles (If you stay in Cambria, it will be about a 4 hour drive-from Santa Barbara much closer).

Day 10-13 San Diego

If you absolutely have to go to Yosemite then skip Carmel and Big Sur, drive from SF to Yosemite and then Yosemite down into Los Angeles.

Come back and let us know more about LA and San Diego and we can fill you in on things to do there. Look at this thread as there is a lot of detail about how to do Los Angeles in 3 days.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...0&tid=35022212

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Old Jul 2nd, 2007, 09:03 PM
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Hi, Paula!

Yes, looks like just two "elegant ones" tonight.

I'm so sore from all the physical activities over the weekend, can't move, except to type.

Have a great Fourth of July!
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Old Jul 2nd, 2007, 10:14 PM
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Too much (by far) in too little time for sure.

Plus - no one in their right minds goes to Death Valley in August.

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Old Jul 2nd, 2007, 10:27 PM
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I am sitting here listening to the 11pm news on the West Coast. They were talking about the heat wave we are going to have for the next few days.

They mentioned Death Valley. The temperature could possibly hit 132F to 134F. The record for Death Valley is 130F and the usual temperature this time of year is 120F. All I can say is...THAT'S JUST CRAZY!!! I grew up in the desert and still can't imagine those temperatures. I was at Lake Havasu once when it was 122F and that was unbearable.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 05:16 AM
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Grey Line for tours; just my opinion. Defo...Alcatraz and Muir Woods. The teenagers will enjoy Fisherman's Wharf...lots of shops nearby, places to eat and you will be there boarding for Alcatraz. Also take a trolley (in SF) if you have time.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 09:02 AM
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In LA: Hit the Getty Museum, even if you're not that into art. Beautiful views of the city, lovely landscape and great architecture and artwork. Admission is free, parking is $8. Take a picnic and enjoy it on the lawn, or do the museum, then drive down the hill to Westwood and get a bite in the fun UCLA neighborhood.
Also, Santa Monica will be beautiful. Roam around 3rd St. Promenade to just people watch, and the beach is right across the street.
If you want to do the touristy thing, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is, of course, right there. But it's a huge tourist trap and not all that exciting. I'd say make it a quick, 1-2 hour stop, then head down to Pink's Hot Dogs on La Brea.
Wandering on Melrose is also neat for shopping--there are all kinds of boutiques, and some second-hand stores that you could actually afford to buy something at. It'd be fun for your teens.
Window shopping on Rodeo Dr. is also interesting and a glimpse of the LA life that's always featured on TV (but that few actually live).
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 09:30 AM
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1. Yosemite- Unless you have reservations, skip Yosemite- you won't be able to stay there. It will be all booked up.

2. Skip Death Valley. No reason to go there in August. Uggg
 
Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 06:58 PM
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We have all the hotels booked months ago, but will cancel Death Valley. We plan on taking the Gray lIne tour to Carmel on Day 2 so we don't have to drive for that, or is it not woth the $81 for the drive and Aquarium? We arrive by 1:00 on Day 1, so thought we might take the City Tour to get oriented. We live near a large city, so shopping is less an issue, but Rodeo Drive should be fun. Day 3 was open until the night tour of Alcatraz. Thought Muir Woods and further in-depth sights seen on the city tour would work for Day 3.
Day 4 is off to El Portal for 2 nights. Yosemite is a must to continue our National Park collection (Denali, Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, etc)
Day 6 is now open - King's Canyon/ Sequioa National on the way to LA??
Day 7-9 -Hotel in Santa Monica. Would prefer to leave car there and see LA by other means. Getty, La Brea Tar pits and Pink's Hot Dogs, Walk of Fame and Grumans, Rodeo Dr. beach. What else? Studio tours? Fun places to eat or wander. We can walk miles. Drive to Big Sur or not worth it?
Day 10-12 SD hotel near Zoo. Zoo and Park. Beach here as well?
Day 13 - home
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 07:06 PM
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Oh, thanks to all for their advice.
For Day 6, leaving Yosemite to Santa Monica, what about heading to Big Sur and then down the coast (San Simeon, Cambria, etc) and booking an overnight along the way?
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 07:22 PM
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I'm getting a hot flash just reading about the death valley temps! Okay it was the red wine. ;-)
Anyway, I like easyt and Paula's plans as I would spend a lot of my time along the coast. Save Yosemite for a time earlier in the summer season, like June when there will be more water in the falls. Also, we had a drought year so the falls won't be as spectacular. Take it from some long time residents and native Californians.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 07:34 PM
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>>For Day 6, leaving Yosemite to Santa Monica, what about heading to Big Sur and then down the coast (San Simeon, Cambria, etc) and booking an overnight along the way?<<

That sounds OK to me. I'm really glad you're going to leave Death Valley out.

Type StuDudley into the search box here and you'll find tons of excellent suggestions for San Francisco.

Lee Ann
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Old Jul 4th, 2007, 02:40 PM
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Since you are going to Carmel...I would suggest Monterey Bay Aquarium. The whole Monterey Bay area is lovely (particularly if you have read any Steinbeck). Also are you going to see Pebble Beach?
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Old Jul 4th, 2007, 03:17 PM
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I am also glad you are dropping Death Valley. As for Day 6, yes you could go from Yosemite over to the coast and then down to Big Sur but it makes for a really long day. To start your drive through Big Sur, you will need to be in Carmel. So you will be heading back to the same place you had been a few days earlier. That's why I was trying to figure out how to avoid this.

Looking at yahoo map, it says El Portal to Carmel is 188 miles and takes 3 hours. I am sure others who have taken this route can say if this is a good time estimate. Anyway, once you get to Carmel, then you will drive south on Highway 1 to Cambria which is about 100 miles. It is slow driving on Highway 1 plus you will want to stop for lunch, take pictures, etc. With stops you could spend 3-5 hours on this road. If you got an early start from El Portal it wouldn't be too bad, just a long day of driving.

Cambria is a very cute town and you could stay at one of the hotels on Moonstone Beach. I liked Moonstone Landing myself but there are quite a few.

Then the next day, the drive from Cambria to Santa Monica is a little over 200 miles. This would about 3 1/2 hours without traffic-which you will hit somewhere!! The best time to drive through LA is between 11am-2pm which is not a big window. So you'd want to leave Cambria fairly early.

As far as Los Angeles is concerned, read the thread that I mentioned in my early post. There is quite a discussion about driving a car in LA as well as putting together an itinerary for 3 days. You said you can walk long ways. You do understand that LA is not a walking town. NO ONE WALKS IN LA and public transporation is very sporadic. The places you have mentioned are all spread out and in different parts of town. LA is very easy to drive just be prepared to sit in traffic. Since you are staying in Santa Monica, the Getty Museum is close by and of course the beach. Then you could spend a day doing Hollywood, Melrose Ave, Beverly Hills, etc. If you want to do a studio tour, Warner Bros is best but you need reservations. Again read the thread I mentioned.

Lastly driving to San Diego from Santa Monica will take you anwhere from 2-3 hours depending on traffic. I wouldn't leave Santa Monica too early, let rush hour traffic die down. In San Diego, for the beach either go to Coronado or La Jolla.

I can't see anyway of avoiding going to Carmel twice unless you skip the tour from SF and just see it after Yosemite. Then you would probably have to cut something out of LA or SD. If it was me, I would cut out San Diego and spend more time up north. Don't get me wrong, I love San Diego since I live in that area but you are trying to cover so much ground. I assume you are flying home from San Diego, though, so that probably wouldn't work. I still think your kids would enjoy spending more time in SF and you could just do a quick drive through of Carmel on your way to Big Sur. In my opinion, I don't think the $81 per person to do the tour to Carmel and the Monterey Aquarium is worth it. It's a long day on the bus and expensive for a family of 5. I know my girls when they were teens would have prefered to stay in SF.
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Old Jul 5th, 2007, 06:33 AM
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In Yosemite, take advantage of the roads that are only open in summer, to Glacier Point and to Tuolumne Meadows. You can still walk up to Vernal Falls which is year round.

You can also go thru Tuolumne Meadows and drive I 395 to LA. Overnight around Mammoth Lakes. Sights on the way to LA are the Schatz Bakery, Manzanar museum and camp, you can also do whitewater rafting along the Kern River (it is below a dam so usually year round depending on releases).
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Old Jul 5th, 2007, 06:36 AM
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paula has given you very good advice.

I would suggest that you dedicate your three days to San Francisco and not split up your days there with a tour of Monterey. You may even skip Muir Woods, since you will be going to Big Sur. If you dont' drive to Muir Woods, do take the ferry to Sausalito, even for a 1/2 day trip. Then on to Yosemite.

Then on the way back from Yosemite to the coast, take Highway 140 and at Merced take Highway 59, then take Highway 152 westward until it splits with Highway 156, go southbound on Highway 156 to Hollister (at the split which will be just after the Casa de Frutas, this will be the LEFT lane), then take Highway 1 southbound to Monterey. All these roads are mostly two-lane state roads, so budget at least 4 hours for the trip from El Portal. START EARLY from El Portal, like 6 am.

If you can get to Monterey by 10am, you can do the Aquarium tour for a couple of hours before lunch. Noon, you can either lunch at the Aquarium or start southward to Carmel and dine in any one of the cute restaurants there. Forge in the Forest might be one choice, another is the restaurant that Clint Eastwood used to be part owner: the Hog's Breath. Walk around DT Carmel, it's worth it.

No later than 2 p.m. you should be starting southward to Big Sur. BUT, just a few miles south of Carmel, stop off at Point Lobos State Reserve. This is one of the more beautiful spots along the Californian coast.

Really no later than 4 pm start along the Big Sur coast for Cambria. If you missed Muir Woods, I would suggest stopping off at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to view the redwoods and do a short hike. It could be as short as 1/2 hour to Feiffer Falls and back.

From Carmel to Cambria, it's about 90 miles but a slow and beautiful drive. You do not want to hurry this part of the trip, but will want to do a number of pull-outs, just to look at the view.

This should get you into Cambria before nightfall. You DO want to be in Cambria before nightfall and not be on Highway 1 when it's dark.

From Cambria, you can pick up on paula's suggestions.

Have a great trip! And welcome to California!
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Old Jul 5th, 2007, 08:43 AM
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Easytraveler's itinerary makes the best sense. It is a long day if you leave El Portal around 6am and you won't get into Cambria until 5-6 pm but you will see the Aquarium, Carmel, Big Sur, etc. I think that makes a lot more sense than driving down to Carmel on an expensive tour and taking away from SF. I don't think you will need that much time in Carmel unless you like to shop. Although it's very beautiful, it's mostly expensive shops.
If you eat lunch in Monterey, then you won't need to stop in Big Sur. However, it's worth it to stop at Nepenthe (a restaurant) for the view and maybe some drinks.

If you decide you don't want to do the coast, mlgb has a good idea about taking Highway 395 south into the LA area. Hiking to the top of Vernal Falls is fun although I would image the falls are pretty dry. Drive out to Glacier Point at sunset and you will get an unimaginable view of Half Dome as the sun goes down.
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Old Jul 5th, 2007, 08:44 AM
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Sorry the last two sentences were about things to do in Yosemite. Didn't make that real clear.
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