Janis :)

You can actually stay north of the GG Bridge at Marin Headlands.
http://norcalhostels.org/marin/
The HI Hostel is somewhat cheaper than many hotels in San Francisco.

I'm a bit confused too. How about a new updated Iten and what you've decided on so far.
You're going to have a great time and see what I think is some of the very best scenery that exists.

Since you are going to Sequoia and Yosemite, I'm not sure I would do Muir Woods at all. It is somewhat like a rain forest and is a bit different feel, but if your thinking cool trees, then Sequoia has it beaten a thousand times over, IMOP.

I think i'm reading this correctly. I think I would stay at Wawonna over Fish Camp if it is available and CV isn't

Thanks everyone.
So far this is our trip plan

Friday evening sleep at SEKI
Spend Saturday at SEKI
Saturday night sleep SEKI
Spend Sunday at SEKI
Sleep Sunday night at Fish Camp
Spend Monday at Yosemite
Sleep Monday night at Curry Village
Spend Tuesday at Yosemite

This is what I have planned so far

Do I spend Tuesday night at Curry Village and in the morning drive to Muir Woods or do I leave Yosemite Tuesday night and drive to Muir Woods or do I spend Wednesday at Yosemite and then drive to Muir Woods at night?

If I spend Wednesday in Yosemite then I will only have one day in SF. Is one day enough to do the typical tourist things in SF?
Thanks
Melissa

I say you go towards Muir Woods on Tuesday night. Visit Muir Woods early Wednesday and then onto SF. Then you have Wednesday sfternoon all day Thursday and some time on Friday for SF?

After enjoying the Sequoia and Yosemite area for a number of days - it seems to me that Muir Woods may not seem all that impressive?

Personally - I would maximize my time in Yosemite - v. trapsing around Muir Woods.

And as for spending one day in SF - you can visit a few of the sights, but that's about it.

What you do need to realize is that Muir Woods will not look like that empty CGI'd version you saw on Rise of the Planet of the Apes. There will be lots of people there. If you don't get there at 8 or shortly after, the small parking lot will be full and you'll have to park off site and take the shuttle to the park.

http://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Plese be familiar with the shuttle in case you need to take it.

http://www.ourmuirwoods.com/parking-at-muir-woods.html

Here is one other approach: Try to move your Curry Village stay a day up - to Sunday and Monday, and bag Fish Camp. Then on Tuesday - leave about noon? - and visit a winery or two in the Gold Country/Sierra Foothills area (within a couple hours easy drive - and that should satisfy your DH?) and stay at a B&B, whatever - in one of the cute little Victorian styled towns. http://www.historichwy49.com/wine.html

The next day - Wednesday - enjoy a nice breakfast and then finish the rest of the drive through gold country/Sierra foothills, and then head into San Francisco (2 hours or less from the Sacto areas) - trying to arrive before say 3 PM - before the traffic picks up. You can stay in SF your last two nights, and if you still want to see Mill Valley - you could drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and visit it, 30 plus minutes away - and you don't have to again move. :)

I like that idea but if I cannot get Sunday night in Curry Village and keep Fish camp, is that such a big deal?

Should we make reservations to stay at a B&B or can we just wing it?

Where should we make reservations for Wednesday night?

Where will you be Wednesday night?

I plan on being in Gold Country/Sierra Foothills area .The link that Tomsd listed showed wineries and B&Bs. I have no idea where we would end up that night

I always like to make one reservation well ahead of time - with the option to cancel with say 48 hours notice. Anchor to windward and all that.

Then keep checking on where else you might want to stay.

I can't remember which town in Gold Country we liked the best - but wherever you find a place you like will probably be the determining factor. Just google and google and google till you find what you want.

From Jamestown over to Sutter Creek - which covers most of the cute little towns along the 49/Gold Country route - is only about 46 miles and can be done in an hour plus. So IMO - just find a place you like somewhere in that area.

http://tinyurl.com/6m27kuf

If you make it all the way to Placerville:

http://edenvaleinn.com/rooms.htm

Sutter Creek if you prefer not to drive too much:

Elegant:
http://www.foxesinn.com/

Nice B&B:
http://hanfordhouse.com/suttercreek/rooms

More typoical flowery B&B
http://www.greygables.com/sutter_creek_guestrooms.html

I'm a huge fan of Amador qwines so if you can't get enough:

http://www.imperialamador.com/amador...tel_rooms.html

You are the best
Thanks so much

New2CA,
Your name isn't, by chance, Bill? A friend by that name just moved near San Diego from North Carolina!

In any case, going to SF and then trying to do Muir Woods AND do a tourist visit in SF in one-to-two days from Yosemite is too much. Stay in Yosemite and drink it in.

The Yosemite Lodge Hotel would probably have an opening or cancellation and it's RIGHT outside the park (22 minutes from the entrance, going 25 mph on the road) and they have a shuttle bus to and from it. More costly than camping though!

I left a link to my recent 2.5 days at Yosemite, showing the sights we saw and in case you don't get back to those threads, here's the link again.

http://www.pbase.com/andrys/yosemitetrips

The March 2012 one is the one that shows the typical stopping points. The October one shows a few of the sites during the end of Fall when they're a bit more colorful.

At any rate, you will have a great time if you just allow enough time to relax and enjoy. The walk to LOWER Yosemite Falls from the shuttle bus (free) stopping there is an easy, short, slow-going walk and I do show that walk also in the photo set. I think RT it is less than one mile and is beautiful - and you get to see the lower falls hitting and running off.

To clarify andrys' post -- he is talking about Yosemite <u>View</u> Lodge (in El Portal).

'Yosemite Lodge' is the one on the Valley floor (it used to be just 'Yosemite Lodge' but now it is officially 'Yosemite Lodge at the Falls)

No I am not Bill .My name is Melissa

Another question - is Muir Woods worth going to after Sequoia/Kings Canyon?