san fran,yosemite,sequoia,monterrey,san fran
 

after reading several posts i would like input. will be arriving san fran airport around 11:00 am, renting a car and driving to yosemite. what's the quickest route? if i decide to first leave san fran and check out sacramento(so the kids can always remember the capital) how much longer and what route. staying at yosemite lodge for 3-4 nites and then sequoia for 3 nite. what activites recommended for each. would like to do a little hiking up to 5 miles at a time, thoughts on cave exploration in sequoia, horseback riding, rock climbing school, floating the merced river or cool swimming holes??from sequoia to monterrey-would like to drive the 17 mile Big Sur. from monterry to santa cruz to check out boardwalk. need lodging advise for monterrey and santa cruz under $100./nite,safe just a place to sleep. am thinking of staying at hyatt san fran airport for 2-3 nites. total travel time 11 days. suggestions appreciated. thanks

JUsst returned from Yosemite. WE took the 4 hour mule ride which starts inthe valley. We had some great views and found it enjoyable. YOu don' ned any experience to ride the mules. THey also have 2 hour ride. Definitely go up to Glacier Point. LAos take the time to drive up to Tuolomne Meadows. We were up there in mid May and there was still snow all around. Tenaya Lake was beautiful. Stop along the way at Olmstead POint and see the back end of Half DOme.

SFO-Yosemite: The quickest route would probably be to take Hwy 101 south to Hwy 92 east, Hwy 880 north, Hwy 580 east. That will get you out of the Bay Area. Then take Hwy 205 to I5 north to Hwy 120 east into Yosemite Valley. That should take 4-4.5 hours.

SFO-Yosemite via Sacramento: Hwy 101 north to I80 east. Follow I80 to Sacramento. Plan 1.5-2 hours for that section. From Sacramento, take Hwy 99 south to Hwy 120 east and follow it into Yosemite Valley. I'd plan about 3.5 hours for that portion of the trip.

I can answer a couple of your questions.

Crystal Cave is near the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. There is a cool (literally) tour lasting about an hour. You buy your tickets at Lodgepole Visitor Center - they don't sell tickets at the cave.

More info on Sequoia activites here:

http://www.nps.gov/seki/pphtml/activities.htm

You can rent a raft at Curry Village in Yosemite (or bring your own) and float/paddle down the Merced River. It is really fun and gives you beautiful views of the valley. But ususally the river gets too low for rafting by mid July.

An excellent book for shorter hikes in both parks is:
50 Best Short Hikes in Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon
by John Krist,
published by Wilderness Press

probably available on Amazon if not in a local bookstore.

You are going to 2 of my favorite places on earth. Have a great time!

I have to say I would skip Sacramento. It seems like a lot of driving to view the capital building. (I toured the capital 30 years ago as a kid and don't remember a thing about it) I visited it later (drive by) one night when it was lit up and that was pretty nice.. but otherwise, Sacramento is a traffic congested city easy to get lost in.

There are 4 things you should do in Monterey.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium (allow 1 morning or afternoon)
Point Lobos (2 hours)
17 mile drive (drive) 1 hour?
Big Sur. (4 hours ? to drive there and back)
maybe add Carmel beach (1 hour)

If you go to the aquarium site in Monterey there are hotels that have wonderful packages for sleeping and visiting the aquarium. Any of those would be good and I think they are a great bargain. Some even include breakfast. Don't go to Monterey and miss one of the BEST aquariums in the world. really.

The 17 mile drive in actually in Monterey/Carmel. It's lovely, takes about 2 hours if you stop here and there, and maybe an hour if you just drive through. This is where you will see the famous "Lone Cypress". (along the 17 mile drive) Buy a post card. They give you a little map when you enter the gates. You'll see more stunning ocean views and elegant or charming homes. It's an unforgettable drive. IMO

Point Lobos for a quick hike. It's stunning ocean views and peeks at the most gorgeous inlets you ever want to see..bluer than hawaii.. almost purple. Not to be missed and easy to find along the walk. A great way to stretch your legs after the 17 mile drive and a good picnic site as well.

Now you can drive down to Big Sur. Majestic ocean vistas, picturesque bridges.. a light house. This will take 1 1/2 hours or so one way. (I'm guessing. I usually do this on the way to San Simeon/Hearst castle) However far you go, you'll be needing to drive back so just take the Highway as far south as you like.

Perhaps this could be a scenario. Arrive in Monterey and get settled into your hotel. (hopefully something downtown) Take a walk to the wharf and have a clam chowder in a bowl as you walk or sit on a bench watching the activity around you, feed the sea lions. Pile into the car and head over and do the 17 mile drive and take a peek at Carmel. Next morning, do the early aquarium thing, have lunch and take the ride to Big Sur. Point Lobos is on your way to Big Sur. STOP at Point Lobos. It's so worth it.
Either another night in your hotel if you are tired or drive on up to Santa Cruz. That corridor can get a bit slow in the late afternoon, but it's attractive and follows the ocean so you get some full and some partical ocean views along the way. Go to your hotel in Santa Cruz. The boardwalk can be enjoyed at night or you can save it for the next day. The nice thing about Santa Cruz is the boardwalk and the beach are one and the same so you can just play there as long as you want and you've basicaly "done" Santa Cruz.
I would add a little time to the Monterey portion of your trip and less at the Hyatt SF. My opinion is that you can have a really good time with two nights in monterey and one in Santa cruz.
Here are some links
http://www.montereybayaquarium.com/
http://www.montereybayaquarium.com/v..._aq_hotels.asp
http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/
http://jrabold.net/bigsur/
http://carmelmonterey.citysearch.com...0_profile_21_1

I live here and love it.

everyone, thank you for the info. We skipped the capital, followed directions from sfo-yosemite,drove to the meadows,rafted the river, rented bikes,went to the aquarium, santa cruz boardwalk, alcatraz, and i'm still in awe of what incredible places yosemite and sequoia are. the weather in CA is awesome. thanks again.

freespirit61: Nice to see someone come back with a report of what they did with regard to their posting before they left on their trip. We could probably stand a few details if you get the time. Still quite refreshing. :-)

Glad you enjoyed our state!

ibaboyd. i don't recall posting when i was going but i did go and yes i am back.

Geez freespirit61, did I misread this thread? I thought you started it on 6/8 by asking for suggestions for your upcoming trip, and then your 7/1 post was sort of a summary of your trip? I just thought it was nice to hear from someone who first asked for ideas on this board and then gave a report after they completed their trip. I hope to follow that example after our trip in October, since I have really picked up some great info from those who support this board.

ibaboyd if i misread your 7/1 post i apologize but it states that i posted before my trip. if you still want more details let me know.