1 week trip w/6,9,and 11 year olds. 3 nights in san diego which looks great. We wanted to show the kids some of the great national parks in calif. but which to see? Yosemite looks too far. Is sequoia worth the drive and how long is it? Or is Joshua Tree a good alternative as it is closer?

Sequoia is probably even further than Yosemite from San Diego. If I had to choose between the 2, Yosemite would be at the top of the list.

Joshua Tree is closer to San Diego. It's a nice park to see, but I can't imagine spending 4 days there. Absolutely nothing to do in the evenings. Palm Springs is around a 40 minute drive.

Palm Springs is at least 1.5 hours drive. There is a Sequoia Nat'l Park about 3hrs, a long way up,up,up. It was very nice, but I'd only stay 1 night there at the lodge. Haven't been to Joshua Tree (just palm springs) You could go to Big Bear Lake, it's about 2.5 hours. I've only been there skiing though. Hopefully someone else can give you some more info.

Hi Paul:

Joshua Tree is desert, with nothing much to interest 3 youngsters. It most certainly IS NOT one of the great national parks in Calif. I agree with prior poster: If there is one place to visit in California, its Yosemite. A long drive from San Diego (no more than Sequoia), figure on an all day trip with rest stops, etc., but well worth it. While in San Diego, some must sees imo are Sea World and Wild Animal Park. You didn't say where your home is. If you are driving to Calif., then the following suggestions do not apply. However, if you are flying, consider an open-jaw itinerary: Fly into San Diego and return from Fresno or even Oakland, which is an easy 4 hour drive from Yosemite. Again, if you are flying, consider flying from San Diego to Oakland and renting a car there. Southwest Airlines has some great fares going this fall (www.southwest.com).
Happy travelling, Chet

I love Sequoia and the adjacent Kings Canyon as did our kids. If you go there, be sure to see Crystal Cave and Moro Rock. It is noted for the beautiful big redwood trees.

However, Yosemite is a bit more spectacular IF the waterfalls are full (check w/ the forest service as this has been a dry year and by October the various falls may not be so great.) Yosemite is truely a place people come all over the world to see. It's in a valley and the scenery is a little more varied than Sequoia. The crowds can be oppressive but October should be better and you'll have some pretty fall color.
Yosemite is at least 2 hrs further drive and neither really could be driven in one day with such small children.

Don't know Joshua tree. I laugh at the mention of Palm Springs in the same sentence with great national parks! But Palm Springs actually might be nice to consider, with the Living Desert Museum and the Aerial Tramway to Mt. San Jacinto, the kids would love these.

Just one more comment. The above poster is incorrect in stating the drive from San Diego to Sequoia is 3 hours! The drive to LA is 3 hours. Then plan on another 5-6 hours to Sequoia and a couple more to Yosemite. Unfortunately, its all up highway 5 and then the 99 which aren't very scenic, but I'd still break it into 2 days for the kids' sake.

First of all, LA is at the most a two hour drive from San Diego, depending on where in San Diego you start from. Is this going to be one fo several future trips to California, or a once in a lifetime visit? If you will be coming again, then stay in San Diego and S. California this time. You will easily find fun things for all of you here. Yosemite is gorgeous, but it's a long and pretty boring drive for young kids, and getting there will take up a whole day out of the seven you'll have here. On the other hand, if you will never have the opportunity to come back, then it's probably worth the effort.

It often takes me 3 hours to drive from San Diego to LA. No one ever seems to factor in the typical traffic that is found all day long, year round anymore.

Yosemite is breath taking. But it isn't for a short one day trip from San Diego.

I don't know why someone would laugh about Palm Springs. It's set in a beautiful desert setting. You can horseback ride or hike through the Indian Canyons (including waterfalls). It does have nightlife, but so much more.

Barbara gives some good advice about whether it makes sense to have such a split itinerary with only 1 week in CA. I agree that much depends on your likelihood of returning again.

However, to emphatically state that it the drive from San Diego is "at most" 2 hours is really misleading. The answer lies more in where in LA you mean. I'll grant you that I've been driving between San Diego and my home in the San Fernando Valley for 30+ years and 3 hours is pretty much about it. San Diego is so small that it's really less a function of where you start from in San Diego. Yes, I think 2.5 hrs from downtown to downtown might be reasonable but ONLY if you drive really early in the am or late evening to avoid rush hour traffic all through San Diego, Orange and LA counties. Otherwise the drive could take MUCH longer.

I don't laugh at Palm Springs because it isn't a nice place to visit or doesn't have natural beauty...only because when Paul asked about "great national parks in California" PS certainly isn't what comes to mind. Still, would be a great adjunct to a one-week San Diego Trip in October and might be more enjoyable than the arduous drive up to Sequoia or Yosemite.

From San Diego it is

455 miles to Yosemite Valley via hwy 395
475 miles to Yosemite Valley via hwy 99
350 miles to Sequoia
207 miles to Joshua Trees

If you go to Yosemite or Sequoia it's going to be two days of just driving.

I don't know if you can find 4 days worth of stuff to do in Joshua Trees but it was an interesting.

If you do decide that driving for two full days is worth it then Yosemite is a wonder to see.

Are you flying or driving to San Diego?

Utahtea

Leslie and desert, I also live in San Diego and I drive to LA often on business. From my home in North County inland to my clients' downtown LA offices takes an hour and a half to an hour and a quarter. I do not go before or after the rush hour traffic in the morning and evening. The road to LA is always very busy now, unlike 25 yrs ago when at least at night it was quiet! Yes, if there is particularly bad traffic, or a bad accident, the drive can take longer, but it is not generally the case.

When are you going in Oct.? If you are there the first week or so, then don't discount spending time at the beach. The best surfing I ever did was in early Oct in wonderfully warm water.

It is a long way to Yosemite. I haven't been to Joshua Tree since I was lost there as a 9 yr old Indian Guide. I don't see it as worth a 400 mile round trip.

There is lots to do in San Diego. Lots to do at Balboa Park (at least one day plus the zoo). Spend at least a day down at the harbor - take a ferry to Coronado. Take a train trip to San Juan Capistrano t see the mission (1 block from the train stattion)

Birch Aquarium in La Jolla is interesting altho I would not do it if I also was going to Sea World.

Sorry it has taken so long to get back.. Boards were down for a while and we were trying to do some extra research on the idea of flying to Yosemite on Southwest for $78 round trip. We are flying from Chicago to San Diego in mid Oct for a week. I doubt we will come out again in the future, so we are debating if the travel time flying to and from Oakland and then driving to Yosemite is worth the time. We could just stay in San Diego the whole week and still have a great time. All the posts on this board seem to think that Yosemite is awesome so that is why we are considering this... the kids would proably do OK... it's just taking a huge chunk of time out of the vacation. Any thoughts?

San Diego is a great spot to travel with kids. possibly the worlds greatest zoo, animal park, Sea World etc.
To see some of California's best natural beauty I would suggest Anza Borrego State Park. Not too far from San Diego,and lots to see and hiking to keep the kids busy. October weather should be lovely there.
Don't forget about Mexico, very close and a chance for the kids to see the Third World,and beautiful coastline as well.

one week goes by so fast. i appreciate the fact that you'd like to see yosemite (so would i) but to include it in this trip doesn't seem smart. too far away. san diego is a fabulous city and you could easily be happy there for a week and as mentioned above, go for a day trip out to the desert.
or, plan on 2-3 nights in palm springs. it's a nice drive out there (you could hit the wild animal park on the way). if your kids enjoy pools, it is a beautiful place to spend a few hours around a pool. joshua tree national park is really nice. go early as it will get hot in the p.m. there are several routes you can take between san diego and palm springs so you can go different ways to and from. there is a tram in palm springs that is suppose to be nice - decent restaurant at the top.

The tram in Palm Springs is worth a visit, but skip the restaurant up there.

San Diego to Sequoia - 340 miles
Sequoia to Yosemite is 165 miles-
Since you have four days to view the parks consider doing Yosemite and Sequoia in a loop.

You'll wind up spending your entire vacation in airports, on planes and on the road and really only have a few hours here and there to enjoy the sites. With only a week, I'd suggest that you stick to Southern California - San Diego and maybe a trip to Disneyland.

Just went to Yosemite. It is great but easily a 8 hour drive from San Diego and it is a very boring drive. Live near San Diego and there is more than enough to do for a week there. Anza Borrego is a good 1/2 day trip if you want to see desert. Be sure to take boat ride in Harbor. Bike ride in Mission Bay, Sea World, San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. Become members at the zoo and the savings is great for all of you. The kids can become members and then you can go to the zoo and park. They each are a full day with kids that age. Take bus trip in zoo for overview and then visit the places you want. Balboa park is a grea place next to the zoo for an afternoon.

Thank you all for your feedback. After careful consideration, we have decided to enjoy the city of San Diego and the surrounding areas for the week. There is so much to see and do in the area and I know we'll have a great time without all the hassles of the extra travel time to and from Yosemite. Someday we'll go back and see that Great National Park.