Have been trying to plan a trip to SF area. Had finally narrowed it down to 3 nights SF, 2 nights PCH, and 1 night wine country. Then a good friend said she liked Yosemite better than PCH. Now we can't decide what to do.

What would you suggest for a 20-something couple who don't want to spend any time in museums (spent last 5 vacation in Europe going into lots of museums and churches!)? We're not into wine, but still would have liked to see Napa or Sonoma. We would probably prefer Yosemite over that, but it's such a drive for our short trip. It's not so much Monterey or Carmel towns that we want to see as the coastal drive itself.

At this point we probably couldn't get reservations at Yosemite in August, anyway. I am bidding on air and hotel, so haven't gotten them yet. Flight times will influence our itinerary (ie the route we take). Any suggestions?

Do the PCH! My husband and I LOVED it! Carmel, Monterey, 17 mile drive through the Pebble Beach Golf area, Big Sur, San Simeon (Hearst Castle). The coastal drive is AWESOME! Do Yosemite another time.

Hint: When driving the PCH, take every opportunity you get to pull over and take it all in. The ride is truly beautiful!

How about 2 nites SF, 2 nights PCH and 2 nites Yosemite.

It would be hard to choose between the PCH and Yosemite. Both are beautiful but I would give up Napa in a blink of an eye especially if you don't want to go wine tasting. You can fine wineries on the coast and on the way to Yosemite. Right now the hills are brown and not a scenic as the spring when they are green. I really never understood the attraction of Napa when there is this beautiful National Park in the area.

Utahtea

Don't know where you're coming from, or where else you've been, but we liked Yosemite much more than the coast, possible because we've been to Acadia on the Maine coast a number of times.

Not that the 2 coasts are exactly the same, but Yosemite is in a class by itself.

Thanks for the input. We are from New England and have been nowhere else except all over Europe. I like the 2SF, 2Yosemite, 2PCH suggestion, but I think the first day will really only be a half day by the time we arrive. I was thinking that we could pick up a car at SFO and go directly to Yosemite. How far is it? About 4 hours? Then how far from there to say, Big Sur? Another 4? I am finding it easier to lean toward skipping wine country now after the brown description!

Figure about 4 1/2 hours from SFO airport to Yosemite Valley. You might be able to catch a cancellation for lodging in the Valley. If you can get one grab it! If you are going to be leaving anytime after 2:30 P.M. or 3:00 P.M. on a weekday you are going to run into commute traffic and it can be a BEAR especially on I-580 though the Livermore Valley.

You won't be sorry with a trip to Yosemite! The waterfalls are still going pretty good because we just saw them Thursday from the airplane as we flew over Yosemite.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/html/accom_curry.html

Utahtea

Normally I would suggest Yosemite, but since you will be in California in August, I would definitely suggest sticking to the coast.

August is one HOT month in Northern and Central California, and the coast is the best relief from the heat. August is also a classic "mountain weather" month in Yosemite, with heat during the morning hours and rain/thunderstorms in the afternoon. Puts a real damper on hiking and is downright dangerous to be exposed on the granite hiking trails during electrical storms. Flash flooding of the Mist Trail is not unheard of either.

To top it all off, the waterfalls that you came to see will be all dried up by August as the snowpack has already melted. You'll just see a watertrickle.

If you were going in the spring, I'd advise Yosemite. In August, the coast is the place to be, IMO.

I love both places, but I tend to agree with goldenstatesman about sticking to the coast in August. The central valley will be HOT HOT HOT and you will have to drive through it twice if you go up to Yosemite. Also, if you stick by the coast, you will spend more time sightseeing and less time driving since there isn't a whole lot to see between the coast and the mountains and the drive will take the better part of a day each way. With only a week, I wouldn't want to spend that much time driving though non-scenic areas. If you aren't in to wine, I'd skip the wine country all together and focus on SF and the coast.

I did both this year, and although I though Yosemite was great, I don't think that there is any area more beautiful than the California coastline. I guess it's just a matter of preference. Also, if you wanted to, you can do the wine country as a day trip from SF, saving yourself time packing and checking in and out of a hotel. I think considering the limited time you hae that the PCH makes more sense. Going to Yosemite would add at least another six hours of driving going to and from.

What's with all this "PCH" lingo? Mark yourself as a sure tourist in Northern California by using either that term or what it stands for. We call it "Highway 1" or just "One", never with "the" as a prefix.

You should head north, not south, towards Mendocino, making a swing through Sonoma County to see a beautiful wine region.

Point Reyes National Seashore - and points north - are, to some, more beautiful than Yosemite. And definitely much cooler in August.

I like Utahtea's suggestion of 2 nights each in SF, PCH, and Yosemite. Although August is a warm month, it is by no means unbearably warm in Yosemite. Also, the coast (PCH) and SF will most likely be COLD (highs around 60) and foggy most of the day. So there is a good chane that you may not be able to enjoy much of the coastal scenary anyway. It would be a shame to miss Yosemite.