kirbysgirl

Please comment on my rough itinerary. After I have the locations and number of days nailed, I can start booking reservations? Will be traveling with hubby and two boys ages 13, 17. Thanks in advance for your help!

Mon. 8/9:Arrive LAX - Stay somewhere to Hollywood

Tues. 8/10 Visit Hollywood Sites with teenagers

Wed. 8/11 Visit Hollywood Sites, Universal,etc.

Thurs. 8/12 Late in day, drive to Santa Barbara. Stay Over

Friday. 8/13Visit Santa Barbara, leave late afternoon and drive to San Simeon - spend night in Cambria

Sat.8/14 Take morning tour of Hearst Castle. Drive up coast thru Big Sur and onto Monterey. Stay over Monterey

Sun. 8/15 Visit Carmel, Monterey sites

Mon. 8/16 Visit Carmel, Monterey sites

Tues. 8/17 Drive to Santa Cruz, Stay over

Wed. 8/18 Drive to Yosemite early AM. Stay at Yosemite Lodge (reserved already!)

Thurs. 8/19 Yosemite

Friday 8/20 Check out of Yosemite, Drive to San Jose, Stay Over

Sat 8/21 Fly home to Maryland

Jocelyn_P

It seems a shame to be so close to San Francisco and not see it; are you avoiding it on purpose? Personally, if I knew I wouldn't be back to the area anytime soon, I'd take the Santa Cruz day and half a Monterey day and spend it in SF. It would be more driving though...otherwise I really like your itinerary.

J_Correa

This sounds like a great itinerery. You will see a lot, but you wont be rushed or have any marrathon driving days.

You definitely could skip Santa Cruz and take a day from Monterey to see SF - it just depends on what you want to do and what your family is interested in. It's a toss up. Both Monterey and Santa Cruz are great places and I am sure your kids would have a great time in Santa Cruz.

Regarding lodging in general, you will be travelling at the high season, so make your reservations as soon as you've got your itinerery nailed down. Things fill up fast. For Yosemite, try to stay in the valley. If everything is booked up, I would recommend making reservations which could be cancelled somewhere around El Portal and then as your trip gets closer, check back to see if there have been any cancellations in the valley. This way, if there are, you can change your reservations. If not, then you still have a place to stay.

kirbysgirl

I didn't think we could do justice to SF in such a short time. Maybe I should re-think...Would the kids enjoy or should I save SF (just husband and I)for a trip (someday) all to itself?

kirbysgirl

I knew Yosemite was tough so I already booked Yosemite Lodge and I'm working back from there. Thanks

Jocelyn_P

Of course there are lots of things to see and do in SF, but for me, the biggest draw is just the unique "look" of the city, which you can get a good feel for on a short trip. I'll bet you could do Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street, Alcatraz, riding the cable car (all fun things for teenagers), and a few other highlights in a day and a half, if that's what you chose to do. Why not ask the kids what they'd prefer? My family did these kind of trips when I was a teenager and I always enjoyed them more when I had some say in the itinerary.

Whatever you decide you'll have a great time!

J_Correa

Good job on reserving the Yosemite Lodge first. Very smart move.

We are taking a trip to Yosemite in May and I can hardly wait!!!

SAB

The only suggestion I have is IF you want to spend more time somewhere else you could shave one day off Monterey/Carmel. Although I love Carmel I don't see it as a must do place for teenage boys i.e. window shopping, art galleries, dining.

easytraveler

kirbygirl: I remember that you had San Francisco on your original itinerary. Is there some reason you gave up SF and inserted SJ instead?

Do you have relatives in San Jose?

SF is one of the top travel destinations in the world. San Jose doesn't even place in the top 100, or 200, or even 300.

Unless you have some very valid reasons for going to San Jose, I suggest that you change your itinerary to San Francisco. You are being severely misled by Treck, etc. - who all happen to be the same person, posting under different names and agreeing with himself.

I live in Silicon Valley where San Jose is just one of the cities. San Jose has NOTHING to offer you. Beware!

Ladies and gentlemen of Fodors, is this not a prime example of how the multiple poster has misled an innocent person?

kirbygirl: Jocelyn and JCorrea have both given you very good advice. They are very different people regardless of how the multiple poster will characterize their advice.

easytraveler
Now the angry part of the Borg >

easytraveler

PS

I would shave one day off those "Hollywood sites, etc" and go elsewhere - San Diego, or spend it in San Francisco.

rjw_lgb_ca

easy: My guess is that the family is flying out of SJ. I doubt they'd have time to hit anything other than Santana Row and maybe the Tech Museum. Nor would they want to....

kirbysgirl, you're missing SO much of southern California-- I can't overstate this. The LA metro area is so much more than Hollywood (which after all is a relatively small NEIGHBORHOOD of Los Angeles), first of all. So you're going to skip Beverly Hills? Santa Monica? Venice Beach? The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood? Pasadena? Huntington Beach? Laguna Beach (arguably the prettiest bit of coastline in Orange County)? And then San Diego is a great town as well....

Given the fairly limited time you have, and the sheer size of this state, I'm wondering if you might rethink your trip and either focus on the northern part of the state (August is a nice time to visit) or the southern part of the state (also nice, if I can brag a bit), and really explore the part you choose. North or south, you can't go wrong. Happy planning!

Jocelyn_P

easytraveler, I love you! Should we all sign our posts now as "official member of the Borg"?

kirbysgirl, I wouldn't go from Hollywood to SD for just one day as you'd spend most of your time in the car--I just did that drive recently and it was 3 1/2 hours each way with the traffic.

And yes, you could spend that last night in San Fran instead of San Jose (I'd go with the better air fare), although by that time you may just want to crash at the hotel!

Jocelyn_P

Fellow Borgsman rjw: although I usually agree with you, I really like kirbysgirl's leisurely drive up the coast. They'll get a big picture perspective of the state and see how the landscape changes as you go north and inland to Yosemite. They probably will end up going outside the small neighborhood of Hollywood; I think people who don't live here have a broader view of what "Hollywood" is.

easytraveler

Jocelyn: I love you, too!

Or better not say that, since I'm from Northern California, land of the free and home of the happy, "gay" people. LOL!

Sorry, I missed the SoCal GTG. Hope you all will post pictures. Of course, you know what will happen. The multiple poster will accuse you of getting a group of your friends together and posing for those pictures!

kirbygirl: I'd save this thread or print it as soon as possible. It will probably get deleted once the multiple poster comes on here.

The way to avoid coming to San Jose is to declare outright that you are not coming. That will save his waving this nothingburger city in your face.

Yes, Jocelyn, all together now:

THE BORG!

bigdog50

Have a few suggestions. I was born in SF and lived in the Bay Area for many years. Been to Yosemite 20 times. Now live in Orange Co so I know north and south CA pretty well. HAve 3 boys who not to long ago were in that 13-17 ager range. Here is what I would do:

Arrival -- amny years ago on first trip to SoCal stayed in Hollywood -- many seedy places and many decent ones not far away. Stay in Santa Monica. Or stay at Universal Sheraton next to Univeral STudios Park. First day hit Universal -- you kids may want to do the whole day there especially with the Universal Walk outside the park (you can leave and reenter at night).

If had enough do your tourist thing around the La and H-wood area. Take a day to drive down to Huntington Beach, Newport Beach (balboa island) and Laguna Beach and also go in the ocean at one or more of these. Follow the advice of rjw_lgb_ca above and search his/her other posts as they give good tips on where to stay and wbat to see in SoCal.

There is SO MUCH more in the 40 miles of LA to Laguna Beach area to see and do than there is in Santa Barbara. You can leave late one morning and see lots of SB then still make it to San Simeon for your stay over.

MORE CONTINUED NEXT POST

Patrick

The first thing I'd do is cut out Santa Cruz, a half hour drive through or stop is plenty in my opinion. I would agree that San Francisco is a glaring ommission, unless you have some reason. What two boys wouldn't love the trip out to Alcatraz among other things?

I happen to love Santa Barbara, but I'm curious what your plans are for there. It is more of a shopping, dining type destination to me. Do you have specific plans? (Keep the boys away from Neverland Ranch!)

Regarding the stay in Hollywood. I think the "new" Hollywood is fun (albeit tacky). Sure, stay there! It's also good for getting to Universal or to Beverly Hills, etc.

bigdog50

MORE--- Basically I would concentrate my trip in 3 areas -- LA/Orange Co (you dont have time for a trip to SanDiego), SF Area, and Yosemite.

The trip from LA to SF can be done in 7 hours -- you are doing it the right way -- drive up the coast and take your time and stop off at spots but you only need ONE night over, 2 max and you have 4 nites stops and no SF. Santa Cruz is fun for kids but the beaches in Orange Co are better and more swimmable (and the water is alot colder towards SF).

SF has lots to see and do -- see other posts. Go across the Golden Gate Bridge and go see coastal redwoods in Muir Woods.

Leave EARLY to Yosemite as you want as much time as you can there. The falls may be lighter in August -- depends on late snows and the melt. LOTS to see and do there. Make suere you go to Mariposa Grove and see the Giant Sequoias. Only place in the world they grow is in this area.

Are you locked into flying out of SJO? You could look at Fresno -- a much shorter drive and its out the exit by the Mariposa Grove.

rjw_lgb_ca

Jocelyn, as your Borg brother, I do see your point, and it certainly will be quite fun. Maybe some re-jiggering of the cities they're visiting...?

Patrick, you're right: Santa Barbara is lovely but basically for a late morning-afternoon visit (unless you spend a few days there). I don't think Neverland Ranch is as Dangerous (*Oww!*) right now; rumor is that Mr. Jackson is in a very ritzy rehab facility somewhere ("Jesus juice" and painkillers, I hear).

Parts of Hollywood are just fine, that's true. But many recent posted have been looking at properties in the absolutely worst parts of that neighborhood (No-Tell Motels, or a slight step up).... The Renaissance Hollywood, or the Hollywood Roosevelt (historic property!), would be perfectly acceptable.

questionmotives

I have to agree with others who recommend either a So Cal or Nor Cal trip. California is an enormous state and you have scheduled a lot of driving time. I don't know how your teens like it, but I know when I was a teen, I had so much energy that I could barely survive two hours at a time cooped up in the car, lol.

For So Cal, you could do LA., try to see a T.V. show taping, Hollywood, Orange County beaches, San Diego zoo, Hotel Coronado, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studio, Medieval Times, perhaps a baseball game in LA. or San Diego, that kind of thing.

For No Cal, you could do SF, Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk, Monterey Aquarium, Yosemite, that kind of thing.

Just FYI, it will be hot as heck inland during August. All the waterfalls in Yosemite will be a trickle and there is NO air conditioning in the lodgings.

For an August trip, I personally would stick as close to the coast as possible, and I would probably choose So Cal over No Cal, just because the weather will be more tolerable and it's excellent beach weather.

But hey, those are just my opinions! You have some great things chosen (San Jose being the exception) but it's a LOT, it's all spread out and there will be lots of traffic and driving.

questionmotives, Official Member of THE BORG

easytraveler

Here he comes!

First Lake.

Then Guarto, Abi, Treck, Robinsen, etc. etc. soon to follow - All the same person, agreeing with himself.

"Don't go to SF. Come to faceless, joyless San Jose and spend your precious dollars here."

kirbygirl: you have been forewarned. There were looong discussions about this looneybird over the last few days and all those threads have been deleted.

Maybe, Patrick, you could repost that Fodors response for kirbygirl's sake.

Go for it, Borgmates!