San Francisco in July
 

My wife & I are attending a conference at the St. Francis from late on July 21 to noon July 25. I've got a rental car 25th to late on the 27th. We'd like to see Carmel, Monterey, Yosemite, the capital at Sacramento and the Napa Valley in those 2 1/2 days and yes, we love to drive and look.

If that's doable, how should we break it up? If not, what should we skip?
Any "must sees" or "don't bothers" for San Francisco?

I have to admit, we are pretty good at cramming all we can into a trip, but you can't do all of that in 2 1/2 days, unless you plan to drive to each spot and immediately turn around and go to another. I'd just go to Yosemite and spend two nights there. It's too beautiful to just drive in and out of the valley without at least one night. Or, you can drive to Sacramento the first night, then back through Napa and spend a night there. I don't know how to mix Carmel in with any of this. Good Luck, and if you make it, let me know what you saw!

If you must do this (I don't recommend it)...

Leave at noon on the 25th and drive to Carmel and Monterey and spend the night.

Leave early in the morning and drive to Yosemite spend the afternoon there and then leave spending the night somewhere in the Modesto/Tracy/Stockton Area ... get to Sacramento if you can drive that far.

Leave early in the morning on the 27th and drive to Sacramento spending the morning at the Capital and leave no later than 12 for Napa. Get to Napa Valley about 1:30 - 2 and spend 3-4 hours driving around.

Head back to SF.

I would hate this trip but if it is what you want to do then go for it.

I think you should skip Yosemite and either Napa or Carmel. If you just do Napa Valley you can visit Sacramento as part of an afternoon.

If you just visit Carmel/Monterey you can include Big Sur and Hearst Castle.

If you are flying out of San Francisco, 2 1/2 days would be rushing if you went only to Yosemite.

If you fly out of LA you could do Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, scenic Highway 1, Cambria (Hearst Castle).

Working only with your stated options: Napa Valley, Carmel, Monterey, and return to San Franciso on Highway 1 via Half Moon Bay.

For 2.5 days you should skip Yosemite and Sacramento.

Looks like you’ll be leaving the city toward Carmel on the afternoon and then spending the night in Monterey or Carmel. That would only give you a late afternoon to see anything if you were to leave early the next day to see anything. It’s a 4 – 5 hour drive to Yosemite so you’d barely get there in time to see anything before you are in your hotel for the night and the next day you’d be driving back the 4 hours to the city to turn in your car.

Why not stay in the Monterey/Carmel area and if you need to see more check out Big Sur which is further south.

Otherwise skip the Monterey/Carmel trip and head north up the Sonoma coast and spend the afternoon exploring. The next day and a half you can explore the wine region before you turn in your car.

sorry - what you want to do can't be done. Even just driving straight through w/o looking at anything -- nope.

W/ 2.5 days you can <b>barely</b> manage:

- Carmel and a glimpse of Yosemite
or
- Napa and a glimpse of Sacramento
or
- Yosemite and a glimpse of Sacramento (though finding accomodations in Yosemite in July makes this unlikely)
or
- Carmel/Monterey
or
- Napa/Sonoma

Take your pick

janisj, while nobody here has advised them to do it...you stating that &quot;Even just driving straight through w/o looking at anything -- nope.&quot; is not correct.

It can be done. I would never do it but it can be done. What part of the itinerary that I laid out is impossible?

Well sure like frankandbeans says you can actually do the drive but that’s all you’c be doing.

SF to Carmel by the Sea is like 2.5 hours if you don’t have nay traffic issues at all.

So you spend the night in Carmel or Monterey.

Next day drive Monterey to Yosemite entering via the south entrance which will be at least 5 hours. Drive through Yosemite from Fish Camp to Groveland. Let’s say 3 hours assuming you’d at least stop and look around briefly. Then it’s on to Manteca for the night which will take another 1.5 hours. So that’s about 10 hours of driving for the 26th.

The next morning you are off to Sacramento from Manteca, which will be your shortest drive at a little over an hour. From Sacramento to Napa will realistically take about 1.5 hours. Then back to turn in your car in SF, so Napa to SF will be at least 1.5 hours probably more.

Though it can be done but this is not a July vacation that you will want to take. July will be hot once you leave Monterey. Yosemite will be hot. Sacramento will be hot and Napa will most likely be rather warm. But you’ll be in your car with the windows up and air conditioner on as you view the dry earth out your window. Large sections of your drive will not be picturesque as you will be traveling freeways except after you leave 99 for 145 on your way to Fish Camp through Yosemite and then to Manteca. All the rest of the drive to Sacto and Napa will be dull freeway scenery.

I agree with others that this can't realistically be done. Inland California is very hot in July, and Yosemite Valley (all you're likely to be able to see) will be swarming with tourists. I would skip Sacramento and Napa as well -- leave them both for another trip at another season. Just go to Monterey/Carmel for the couple of days you have...there's a lot to do and see there, the weather will be good and it will be much more enjoyable for you.

Don't do the &quot;drive through&quot; vacation! During the conference, stay in the city and see what you can.

When you get a car, go to Yosemite and stay overnight. If you can't get reservations in the valley, check Expedia for Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal.

Everything else can wait.

franks &amp; beans: Of course it is humanly possible. One can drive from Portland to LA in one day, after all it is only 15 hours. Or CA to NY in three days. Doesn't mean it should be done.

A route SF &gt; Monterey &gt; Carmel &gt; Yosemite &gt; Sacramento &gt; Napa &gt; SFO in less than 7 or 8 days is nuts . . .

I guess I misread your commnet &quot;Even just driving straight through w/o looking at anything -- nope.&quot;

riollano admited in the OP that they are drivers and lookers and when you claim facts that are not true it is a disservice.

Just because you or I would not do it does not mean it can't be done.

I laid out a very hectic, crazy even, itinerary that would hit every sight and require no nighttime driving.

Thanks everyone. This has been really helpful. I think we'll skip Yosemite for sure. If we decide just to venture south and make it to San Simeon how should we come back; Hwy 1? Thanks again. I feel embarrased to have asked such a stupid question, especially being from Texas where people want to see South Padre and the Hill Country in the same day, which is also impossible...