Need advice to finalize our days in SF (and we read Stu Dudley’s posts). Family of 5 with seasoned-traveler teens. Staying at Nob Hill Motor Inn (Pacific Ave). Plane gets in early afternoon of a Friday (after 5 hr flight), get rental car (free parking and hope to not use car). Looking for meal and sights first. Head out to Yosemite Monday sometime. After 2 days there, back to coast (? Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur) and head down to LA. Have Alcatraz Night tour booked for Sunday. Things we would like to fit in – Wok Wiz tour, trolley, parrots of Telegraph Hill, GG bridge, Marin Headlands. We are considering accomplishing these with city tours (Gray Line or other), so we are guided or directed rather than wander aimlessly. We like to sample local foods and unique experiences. Can we do a city tour to get food and our bearing that afternoon and return for in depth looks that evening (we will be 3 hrs off)? Do we do the Wok Wiz 10 AM tour Sat, Sun, or even Mon? When or if to do Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Muir Woods, Union Sq, Presidio, other things in Sausalito, etc?

"Can we do a city tour to get food and our bearing that afternoon and return for in depth looks that evening (we will be 3 hrs off)?"

When are you going? You say that you want to "finalize" your days but it sounds like you are just starting. Also, how much time do you have since you are going to drive to Yosemite, Monterey area, and LA. That's a long way.

And, could you translate the sentence at the top please?

He/she said they want to make final plans, and he/she read StuDudley's posts on San Francisco to get ideas.

Lee Ann

supercilious-Family Wanderers has another thread that explains most of their trip. I think they are looking for ideas in SF.

Here's the link:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...0&tid=35026256

FamilyWanderers-Sometimes it's easier to continue the thread you already have going since you had lots of advice there.

Don't know about tours since I prefer to explore on my own so hopefully someone else can help you with that. Do a search on here for SF tours and maybe you will get advice.

Hi, Wanderers:

Following your other post:

As for being in SF, since the Alcatraz night tour is at the very end of your stay in SF, I'd suggest that you do a city-wide tour either Friday when you first arrive, or early Saturday morning.

Once you have get a feel for the city from the city-wide tour you can replan the rest of your time in SF to visit those areas that you want to do on your own.

Since you'll have a car, on Saturday I'd suggest driving all around SF by following the 49 Mile Scenic Drive. Check out this website:

http://tinyurl.com/2kecaw

This is supplement your city-wide tour and give you a great sense of the city.

You'll be riding the trolley anyhow, so no need of a tour to do that. By trolley, you do mean the cable car?

I'm not certain about the parrots either. You can see them at the Presidio just flying around.

Definitely, drive over the GG Bridge to the Marin Headlands. However, since you are going to Big Sur, I'd suggest again that you skip Muir Woods. There are plenty of the same redwoods in Big Sur. You really don't have enough time for SF. We suggest Muir Woods to those who are NOT going south to Big Sur or north to Mendocino. Since you are going south, you can get your fill of redwoods in Big Sur. It's better use of your time to see other sights in SF rather than seeing redwoods twice.

Late Saturday and most of Sunday you can wander around SF in those areas that have chosen: Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, etc. A lot of places in SF are best explored on foot.

Sometime during your driving around SF, you will be driving through the Presidio. It's a beautiful area. Try and find the old Letterman's Hospital site (near the Lombard Street gate), which has been converted into George Lucas's Digital Arts complex.

Have a good trip!

I can't read her post on the other thread because of an insidious pop-up that covers it about BC escapes. I can't get it to go away.

Lee Ann, the sentence I wanted he/her to translate was the one I quoted at the top of my post, not the top of hers. It just did not make sense to me.

Peeps - Please do not start new threads when you already have one that's active.

I will go away now.

Super: you can click on paula's connection or just click on Wanderers' name. He/she has posted only twice.

I couldn't figure out what the OP meant either.

Wanderers: I forgot you are going to Yosemite. So that makes it three times redwood trees in three different locations on one 14 day trip. I understand that you want to add to your National Parks experience, but really California has some awesome state parks. Hope you'll rethink your itinierary.

Sorry, Supercilious, I misunderstood you!

I think the OP wants to know if they can get some food and an overview of the city on a guided tour, then explore in more depth later, which certainly is possible.

Lee Ann

Sorry for starting a new thread - I was not familiar with Fodor etiquette. We did follow the excellent advice and cancelled some plans as suggested. We are going soon. Now we are trying to work on timing and organization. We will do the Gray Line city tour Friday, giving us Sat and Sunday 'til 5 to explore. We read that the clam chowder in the sourdough bowl is great. Ghiardelli Sq for a meal. We will skip Muir Woods and just pass quickly thru Big Sur. Any other food we shouldn't miss?

Well the clam chowder in a bowl is OK but not what I would seek out for a meal. Same with Ghiradelli Square. However since you are going on the Alcatraz Tour, you could eat at Fisherman's Wharf before you head out.

Actually in that area, it you want to try clam chowder go to the Blue Mermaid Restaurant right next to the Argonaut Hotel. They have a chowder sampler where you can try several different types.

Also when you were talking about passing quickly through Big Sur, I just wanted to remind you what I had said on driving from Carmel to Cambria. It's around 100 miles but not something you do in an hour and a half. The roads are windy, and you want to stop to take pictures and do some exploring. There are lots of good websites about driving through Big Sur. www.pelicannetwork.net/bigsur.html

The redwoods are at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

We have been busy reading years of advice for ET, Paula, J_Correa. We have our options for SF ready, then off to Yosemite for 2 days. What I wanted to see if this is doable for the next stretch. Leave Yosemite on a Wed early (~7 am), drive the 3.5 hrs to Monterey Bay Aquarium, spend 2-3 hours(we have our aquarium in Boston, been to SeaWorld and Discovery Cove in FL) drive to Carmel for lunch at Hog's Breath Inn, see the town shops-2 hrs, Quick drive to Point Lobos for tidewater pooling-2 hrs, drive south to Nepenthe (?snack), Julia Pfeiffer Burns Big Sur SP-2hrs, then arrive at dusk (~8 pm) at Cambria Pines Lodge (Moonstone Lnading Inn had no 2 Queen rooms left). A long day, but wanted suggestions. Next morning have reservations for Hearst Castle (2 hrs), then drive 4 hrs to Santa Monica. Anything we should consider seeing along the way? Place for lunch? And then any preferred tours to see the typical touristy sights in LA? We have 3 days and then off to San Diego - Zoo, Park, and relax on beach for 3 days.

Well we will see what the others think but I think your plan for the Carmel/Big Sur day is way too tight. Yes it would be doable if nothing goes wrong or traffic isn't slow or the restaurant doesn't have a wait. It may take you some time to find parking both in Monterey and Carmel, there is usually a wait at Nepenthe and probably at most restaurants in Carmel especially at lunch time. Yes you are going during the week so it will be less crowded but it is summer.

I think what I would do is just skip the Aquarium in Monterey if you have been to other aqauriums. Drive through Monterey and then do the 17 mile drive to Carmel. Stop to take pictures, etc. Get an early lunch in Carmel and then spend more time driving through Big Sur. This will give you more time to hike, take pictures and just enjoy the beauty. Then head on into Cambria. It would be a shame to get to Cambria in the dark and not see anything.

Depending on what time you get done with your Hearst Castle tour, you could have lunch in Pismo Beach (I was just there this week-cute little downtown area). It's a small town and easy on and off the freeway. Santa Barbara is worth a stop but you really probably just want to get into the LA area as quickly as you can. Traffic starts building up around 3pm and can be bad into Santa Monica. It's either better to get through LA earlier or wait until after 7pm.

As far as LA, that's a whole other subject. Do some searches on here for LA visists. We have answered a lot of questions recently. You could start another thread for that since it's a different subject.

Hi, FamilyWanderers!

Good to see you trying to finalize your travel plans!

I'd tend to agree with Paula - your day from Yosemite to Cambria is much too much. What you are planning is exhausting. If you were to drive straight through you could do it, but there are so many things to do and some, as Paula has said, can't be hurried - and really shouldn't be hurried.

Several choices here:

a) cut out Monterey Bay Aquarium, as Paula has suggested;

b) Leave Yosemite the night before and get a headstart going to Monterey, even if you stop after a two hour drive, that'll still place you closer to Monterey; or

c) cut out one day from Los Angeles and put that into the California coastal portion of your trip.


As for the continuation, stop off at the Mission La Purisma near Lompoc (check a map for Lompoc). This is probably the best example of the California Missions which form a very important part of Californian history.

In LA, you got some very good ideas from the other post. You might want to continue your LA questions on the other post.

Good luck! You're doing great and your plans are almost to the final stage!

We shall heed the advice of the experts and skip MBA. So one option is to leave Yosemite at 8, get to Carmel and look around, have lunch and head out to Point Lobos by 2. Spend 2-3 hrs there and head to Nepenthe for dinner 4:30-5:30. Then to Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur SP for 2 hr after dinner hike and then make it to Cambria for a nice sunset. Or should we try to add in a 17 Mile Drive with few stops (about an hour)?

I would skip 17 Mile Drive. Even without the aquarium, you will have a long day. Plus since you are going to Point Lobos and then driving through Big Sur, you will have a lot of good coastal scenery.