steviegene

Hi all,

Its our 10 year anniversary in June, we have three kids under 6 years old but GRANDMA is BABYSITTING and we want a special trip!

I have already posted lots of questions regarding where to go and received some wonderful suggestions. After agonizing over whether to go to California, Seattle area or Portland area, I think we have settled on California. Trouble is there is still so much to see! We are trying to squeeze in San Francisco, Napa Valley & a road trip to Santa Barbara so we can have some time on the water around boats, beaches, etc. I based the itinerary around the things we want to get to but also don't want to stay in more than 3-4 hotels to minimize the annoyance of check-in/check out, packing/unpacking. I would love suggestions on my itinerary -- if Im doing too much or too little as well as suggestions on hotels, sights not to miss, winery suggestions, etc.

A bit about us -- We like sightseeing but also a fair amount of relaxation time. Our usual pattern is sightseeing in the morning into afternoon but stopping for early cocktail hour. We like roadtrips but absolutely don't want to spend the entire trip driving. Husband loves boats. I love art, beautiful homes and gardens. We absolutely enjoy nice restaurants, beautiful hotels and maybe even dressing up a little at night.

Thanks as always!


California Possible Itinerary - 8 nights.

Friday June 13 – JFK - Arrive San Francisco 12pm
Overnight San Francisco

Saturday June 14 – San Francisco – walking tour.
Overnight San Francisco

Sunday June 15 – San Francisco – Alcatraz? & Gardens.
Overnight San Francisco

Monday June 16 – 1 hour Drive up to Napa via Muir Woods. Explore Napa.
Overnight Napa/Calistoga (possibly Solage in Calistoga? Suggestions on where to base welcome)

Tuesday June 17 – Wine Tasting thru valley. Suggestions for itinerary welcome.
Overnight Napa/Calistoga?

Wenesday June 18 – Depart early am. Point Reyes in morning. Breakfast & Cheese Tasting.
3.5hour drive on Coast Road to Monterey. Explore Monterey.
Overnight Monterey in hotel on water (possibly with view of boats?)

Thursday June 19 – 2 hour drive to San Simon via Carmel & Big Sur.
Lunch & Explore Hearst Castle.
2 hour drive to Santa Barbara
Ovenight Santa Barbara

Friday June 20 – Explore Santa Barbara & possibly surrounds.
Overnight Santa Barbara

Saturday June 21 – Morning at the Beach. Relaxing. Leisurely lunch.
Depart Santa Barbara 9pm – layover LAX depart 1145
Arrive JFK Sunday 7am

happytrailstoyou

What jumps out at me is that if you visit Point Reyes, it should be in conjunction with Napa instead of Monterey. (Point Reyes is a place beloved by many that is much father off the beaten path than it appears on a map and once there you will find parking restrictions in popular places.)

Buy ticks for Alcatraz why in advance.

HTtY

zorrosf

You may not like these comments, but someone needs to make them.
1. You don't say where you are from, but California is a big state. It takes a bare minimum of 6 hours from SF to LA, without stopping. Spend some time on Yahoo maps or any other website to ascertain the driving times you are considering.
2. For example, your plan for Wednesday is highly over-ambitious. You will be spending the entire day in the car, with perhaps 60 minutes to "look around" Point Reyes and Monterey (which should include Carmel and Pacific Grove).
3. The drive from Monterey to Cambria (Hearst Castle) and on to Santa Barbara is another full day in the car, with very little time to do any actual sightseeing or relaxing. Forget about water, boats and gardens.
4. I suggest you spend the entire 8 days in a MAXIMUM of 2 places, or better yet, one place. Given your indicated preferences, I would pick either Newport Beach area (PLENTY of water and sailboats) or San Diego (ditto) with day trips to Norton Simon Museum or Getty from NB. San Diego has the zoo, La Jolla, even a trolley car into Tijuana (not necessarily recommended, but doable), Old Town, GasLamp, etc.
5. With ONE stop, you could rent an apartment (rather than 5 hotels), check in once and get some quality time relaxing and getting to know a given area rather than driving 8 hours every day for your entire vacation.

It's your time/money, so whatever "floats your boat," but 5 hotels in 8 days sounds like punishment rather than pleasure.

Bonne Chance!

DebitNM

Do the Alcatraz tour at night - way spookier!

DebitNM

For a nice water ride during the day; take the Ferry to Sausalito.

Do you know about free [donation only] walking tours sponsored by SF Public Libarary? They are great; we have done dozens of them.

http://www.sfcityguides.org/

janisj

Nope - need some juggling, re-planning.

>>1 hour Drive up to Napa via Muir Woods. Explore Napa. >Wenesday June 18 – Depart early am. Point Reyes in morning. Breakfast & Cheese Tasting.
3.5hour drive on Coast Road to Monterey. Explore Monterey.

tomfuller

Rather than driving a rental car for your trip(s) north of SF you might want to take one of these tours. http://www.sanfrancisco.com/attractions/wine-tours.html
Several of them include Muir Woods which sometimes has the parking lots full of tourist cars.
If you rent a car (downtown) return it and then take the southbound Coast Starlight to SLO or Santa Barbara.
There are several Pacific Surfliner trains from SBA to LAX every day. There is a shuttle service from Union Station to the LAX airport.

november_moon

This is definitely a quick trip, but not too bad - I would make some tweaks though.

You basically have no time in Monterey, so I would either rearrange the Point Reyes visit or skip it entirely - otherwise you won't arrive in Monterey until mid-afternoon at the earliest, and then you need to leave first thing in the AM to get to SB on the 19th.

Also, regarding June 19 - it will take more than 2 hours to get from Monterey to San Simeon. That is about 90 miles and you will average maybe 40 mph on that road, so you should plan at least 2.5 hours for the drive NOT including stops. And you should plan a few stops along the way. Point Lobos is a must-see. I would plan at least an hour there if at all possible. There is a whole list of other great places to stop as well.

StuDudley

I agree with zorrowsf - Wendnesday & Thursday are not doable.

As HTtY pointed out, Pt Reyes will consume a lot of time. You won't depart before 12-1 pm, IMO. Despite what mapquest says, it will take more than 3 1/2 hrs to get from Inverness to Carmel on a work day by the fastest/ugliest route (through Oakland). If you want to take the coastal route down the San Mateo coast, budget a 5 hr trip. That will get you there after 6pm.

Then, you have the impossible ahead of you. I don't see how you can possibly get to Santa Barbara the next day and see/enjoy anything along the way - especially if you want to visit Hearst castle (which will consume several hours). This stretch, IMO, is the most scenic drive in the western US - why do it in 1 rushed day with no stops (like Carmel, Pacific Grove, Spanish Bay, Pt Lobos, Pfeiffer Beach, Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park, Big Sur, Nepenthe) along the way.

Bad itinerary, IMO.

I think I suggested this earlier - forget Napa. There are wineries around Carmel, and more in Paso Robles (near Hearst Castle). Visit them on your drive from SF to Santa Barbara.

It will take a little less than 2 hrs to get from central SF (Union Sq) to Calistoga - not 1 hr. DO NOT take the route mapquest suggests over the Bay Bridge and past Berkeley. That's a congested ugly drive. Go over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

>>I agree with zorrowsf - Wendnesday & Thursday are not doable

steviegene

OK, so obviously I have some thinking and replanning to do. I trust the Fodorites.

Im not willing to spend the whole trip in one place. We usually like to move locales at least once. SO.......It seems the simplest fix would be to either cut out napa and add those days to Monterey/Santa Barbara. Or cut out Santa Barbara and add those days to Napa/Monterey.

So should I cut out Napa or Santa Barbara area? Discuss.

BarbAnn

I would skip Napa and use the time to travel the coast. Personally, I think that the Santa Ynez Valley area has beautiful scenery and great wines.

http://www.sbcountywines.com/index.html

http://www.santaynezvalleywinetrail.com/

dwdvagamundo

I'd cut Santa Barbara. Napa to Carmel and including Point Reyes would make a nice, compact trip-- you could see a whole lot of variety without rushing.

janisj

Actually cutting either works -- just depends on what you want to do There are wonderful wines/vineyards in Napa/Sonoma, Monterey County, and Santa Ynez so you can fit in wine tasting in any of those areas.

I'd personally cut Napa and the bits north of SF (there are redwoods south of San Francisco so you don't have to fight the crowds at Muir Woods)

jamie99

I'd cut Napa, there are wineries near Paso Robles (inland a short drive from Cambria) and also Point Reyes, if you want to see redwoods there are some at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park near Santa Cruz. I'd also stay in Cambria, Pismo or maybe San Simeon, it is a LONG drive from Monterey to Santa Barbara. There are also wineries near Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Valley.

StuDudley

On your prior post, you said that you have already visited Napa. That's what I would cut.

When you get to the end of the scenic part of the Big Sur coast around Cambria, you'll have to get to an airport to fly home. SFO is 4 hrs away, and Santa Barbara is 2 1/2 hrs with a red-eye back to JFK. You could satisfy your winery needs by visiting Paso Robles on the way to SB.

Nobody mentioned that there is often fog along the coast in June. Less as you get towards SB.

Stu Dudley

steviegene

I chose california, because I was too nervous about going to seattle/portland area due to foggy/cold weather. Would it help if I change the trip to earlier in June or may? Or should I not worry about it?

Im going to run the two choices past the hubbie tonight and see where he leans. Heres the summaries....

No Santa Barbara seems easy
3 nights San Fran
3 nights napa (with daytrip to Point Reyes)
2 nights monterey or Carmel

if no napa
3 night San Fran
3 nights split somehow between Monterey & San Simeon (suggestions?)
2 nights santa barbara?


Thank you all so much for your help

StuDudley

My suggestion would be:

Fri June 13 arrive SF @ noon & take taxi to hotel. Visit SF

Sat June 14 SF

Sun June 15 SF

Mon June 16 SF. In the afternoon, rent a car, drive over the GG Bridge, up through the GGNRA, & visit the Marin Headlands. Best views in the Bay Area from the top of Cozelman Dr, IMO. Explore the many WWII Batterys in the area.

Tues June 17 leave SF just after the morning commute subsides (around 10:00), and take 280 out of SF to Carmel (I prefer staying in Carmel over Monterey). Budget a 2 1/2 hr drive.

Wed June 18 Carmel

Thurs June 19 Depart early & visit Pt Lobos on the way south. Have lunch at Nepenthe at the southern part of Big Sur village. Lots of redwood trees. Visit Julia Pfeiffer Burns State park. Drive to Cambria.

Fri June 20. Visit Hearst Castle as early as possible, then drive to Paso Robles & visit wineries if you like. Then on to Santa Barbara.

Sat June 21. Visit Santa Barbara for most of the day. Then get on the 9PM flight to LAX and then JFK.

Stu Dudley

janisj

June will be most likely anywhere along the Pacific coast (all summer really but June is usually the worst) -- not socked in, on the ground. pea soup (though even that can happen) but normally a dreary overcast high fog that may or may not burn off in the afternoon.

May will almost always have nicer weather . . . but the most spectacular/warmest weather along the CA coast is in September/early October.

Either of your revisions would work - but on #1 I'd do 2 nights Napa and 3 nights Monterey/Carmel simply because there is so much to see/do and you could do a day trip down to San Simeon. (actually, I'd skip Napa and do the 2 or 3 nights in Sonoma/Healdsburg area. Nicer IMO than Napa)

On option #2 I'd stay in Carmel.

StuDudley

>>No Santa Barbara seems easy
3 nights San Fran
3 nights napa (with daytrip to Point Reyes)
2 nights monterey or Carmel