san francisco-lake tahoe-yosemite-monterey-workable itinerary?
 

Hi,

My family and I (two children, aged 15 and 12) are hoping to plan an August trip to California. I am in the initial stages of planning and wanted to get some general feedback about how much time we should allot for each section of the trip. Does it make sense to do it in this order? I thought about 2 1/2 weeks total.

Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. My husband and I have been to San Francisco and he to Lake Tahoe. We have not been to Yosemite or Monterey.

Thank you!!

SF/ Tahoe/ Yosemite/ Monterey is very doable in 2+weeks.

Your main hitch is finding accommodations in Yosemite. It books up months in advance. You will get suggestions to stay outside Yosemite Valley, but that can cause all kinds of problems especially in August when the park is so crowded.

So get on trying for a room in Yosemite Valley any dates w/i your time period. And if you are lucky, arrange the rest of your itinerary around those dates. If you can't get rooms, try for a motel in El Portal or a house/condo in Yosemite West. Just about everyplace else is inconvenient or nearly impossible.

Where you are coming from may influence which airport you want to use and where you rent your car. Your choices other than SFO are Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento.
It is hard to rate whether you like the city enough to stay more than 3 days. If you can get reserved lodging in Yosemite for 3 or 4 nights, that may determine the order of the trip.
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful lake with some ugly beachside communities IMHO.
There is plenty to see and do between Monterey and Carmel.
You could start with 1 or 2 days in San Francisco without a rental car before heading for Tahoe or Yosemite and then see the other. Then head to Monterey area for a few days before heading back to San Francisco to see anything you missed at first. Once you go to Yosemite, you will want to go back there again. Tahoe-not so much unless you want to ski there.
You will have the chance to see some Coast Redwoods about halfway between Monterey and San Francisco. The other big trees you should see (Giant Sequoias) should be seen in the southern end of Yosemite at Mariposa Grove.

I think you have a terrific trip planned. As for Lake Tahoe, the lake is stunning as are some of the surrounding areas. The towns themselves aren't so great (very little of "quaint" or "charming"). Are you going to Tahoe for R&R? - if so, I highly recommend staying at a condo development on the lake (someplace like Brockway Springs in Kings Beach).

I was worried about Yosemite, thanks for the insight. In the actual "valley" are there just the accomodations that are listed under the Ahwahnee listing, or are there other places ot consider?

I'm on the fence about Lake Tahoe, is it worth including, or should we stay in the other three places longer? and we would be coming out of Newark, NJ.

Thanks.

I think Lake Tahoe is incredibly beautiful. I don't got there for the communities. I go to experience unique natural beauty. If you're into nature ... I suggest you include Tahoe.

If possible, I'd also recommend a day trip from SF to Muir Woods and Muir Beach. Many people visit the famous woods but are not aware of the nearby beach, but I think the beach is magical.

Your trip sounds great!

There are other options in Yo - and check other posts in here for disucssions. We have stayed about everywhere there - and always enjoyed out stay at the tent cabins in Curry Village - but if you do wind up there - ask the front desk for one of the quieter areas. http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommod...ryVillage.aspx

And I think a drive over to the beautiful Tuolumne Meadows http://www.yosemitepark.com/accommod...dowslodge.aspx and down the Tioga Pass and up to the jewel known as Lake Tahoe is worth it - depending of course on how much time you spend in the other locations - such as Carmel/Monterrey, which is also special, as is the drive south from there to Big Sur.

It would take you half a day from the valley floor at Yo to get to Lake Tahoe - and then from Tahoe back to SF is normally a little over 3 hours.

And also feel the North Shore of Tahoe is the best for the scenery, etc, especially in the summer (South Shore has more casinos but is busier) - and along Kings Beach is a good area to find places, including the one mentioned.

Look at the pictures on the Brockway Springs website - they give a good idea of what you'd be looking at. I'd go back just to see this (we've gone every year since 1973, both winter and summer).

http://www.brockwaysprings.com/valued-guests.php

Another vote for making reservations at Yosemite and working the rest of your itinerary around whatever days you can get there. Definitely visit Tuolumne Meadows - it's gorgeous and doesn't get as remotely as crowded in August as does the valley. There's also pseudocamping in tent/cabins near Tuolumne Meadows if you want to spend the night (I love it up there and weather is lovely in August) and can get a reservation. I also strongly recommend spending some time in the Glacier Point area.

Personally, I find that Lake Tahoe has been overdeveloped, but it's your trip and if you want to visit all four places, you will have enough time. Since you've already been to Tahoe and San Francisco, you may want to concentrate your vacation time on Yosemite and Monterey.

There's lots of possibilities depending on where you go and in what order. For example, if you're driving between Yosemite and Tahoe, also visit Mono Lake. Similarly, there are beautiful places to visit between San Francisco and Monterey.

I hope this helps.

"<i>and then from Tahoe back to SF is normally a little over 3 hours. </i>"

More like 4-4.5 hrs on a very good day, 6+ on a Sunday afternoon.

Your first choice in the Valley would probably be Yosemite Lodge. The Ahwahnee if budget isn't a consideration. Then Camp Curry/Curry Village to rough it a bit. If you get into Camp Curry, you likely will not have a choice of location.

They are likely all full -- but cancellations are pretty common.

We stayed in Lee Vining right outside Yosemite, nice small motel, not far from the entrance to the park. Base camp was in South Lake Tahoe, we went to SF as well. Being from Florida we were in awe of the scenery. Be sure and visit the Whoa Nellie Deli, close to the entrance to Yosemite coming from Lee Vining.

<<<More like 4-4.5 hrs on a very good day, 6+ on a Sunday afternoon>>>

Well, that depends where in Tahoe. We can easily make it in 3.5 hours from Northstar, if we go at a no-traffic time of day.

Sorry, I wasn't thinking, of course, it's about 1/2 hour longer from the lake than it is from Northstar :-)

For that continued "proof reader" - used to make it back from South Shore all the time in 3 and a half hours or less, and North Shore would take a little longer. And yes, heading to the Lake from SF on Friday afternoons or returning on Sunday afternoons should be avoided if at all possible, or else leave earlier.

Also - I/we have stayed in Curry Village in Yo a number of times, and the Curry Village Front Desk usually tried to help with our requests for a quieter area (we even had a particular tent/area we liked to return to) . They have a number of people checking out each day, so they have some flexibility - and you might have to wait an hour or two longer to get an area you like - but again, just ask.

If you can - I would try to arrive early in the day - and walk/scout around Curry Village - and also get to know the front desk a bit if you are staying Curry Village, and then get in line early when they start checking people in.

sf7307: yep - 4 - 4.5 hrs :)


tommy: "<i> used to make it back from South Shore all the time in 3 and a half hours or less, . . . </i>"

Operative word there is <u>used</u> to. Just isn't doable in this century . . .

When did SF7 actually write: "yep - 4 - 4.5 hrs".

Believe she had modified her - "can EASILY (emphasis added - but pls note the operative word "easily") make it in 3.5 hours from Northstar" and then she qualified that - adding another half an hour if one is actually leaving from the lake.

So fine - add another half hour. Geesh: HUGE difference.

To add another thought, the kids would enjoy Sacramento's old town with a great railroad museum and then up Hwy 50 to Sutter's Mill (where the 49'ers discovered gold) there is great river rafting on the American River, 1/2-1 day trip. My teenagers needed some fun activities and river rafting was always a favorite, it's about 1 hour out of Sac heading towards south shore at Tahoe. Not alot to do for the kids at south shore, can rent bikes at Tahoe City? Truckee is a pretty cool little town, mainly shopping and eating though.

There are houses and condos for nightly rental in Yosemite west, a small private community tat you reach from Hwy 41 just past the junction with Glacier Point Road. It is a 25 minute drive to the valley floor, and since it is at 6000 feet it is cooler in August than the valley. Having a kitchens nice, especially with kids. And you'll have lots more space. We stayed in Hummingbird Raven house which is listed on VRBO but this might be larger than you need. There are many others listed on the Yosemite West website. I think this is a much better option than trying to book accommodations in the Valley since that is nearly impossible!

I suggeest you think of avoiding peak hour traffic regardless of the day of the week and not travel to/from Lake Tahoe on Friday or Sunday when the weekenders stream there and back.

Or, go the usual route which is Interstate-80 up to Lake Tahoe, but, on the way back to reach Monterey, if you find yourself at the south end of Lake Tahoe, then take Highway 50 to Sacramento, switch over to Interstate 5 in Sacramento and head south all the way to Los Banos, then switch over to Highway 152 to Hollister, then take Highway 156 from Hollister all the way out to the coast where you'll be along the Ocean on Highway 1 to Monterey. This way you avoid the traffic in the Bay Area.

The idea to rent your car in San Francisco is a good one. The airport fee is about $35 nowadays. You may, however, want to have a car for at least one day in SF. Find out from the rental company if they will let you drop off the car at SF airport; otherwise, you'll have to plan on returning the car back at the same rental location in SF.

Please don't skip Lake Tahoe. It's beautiful.

Have a great trip and welcome to California!

Why does anyone pay $35 extra to rent at an airport when they can rent downtown in San Francisco (or Sacramento?)
Sacramento airport (SMF) is at least one hour closer to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe than SFO.

thank you everyone! I have a lot to work with.

Hi,
I was hoping for more help. We took your advise and booked Yosemite first, am booking airlines as we speak. We will be in a cabin at Curry Village Aug 14-16 and Tenaya Lodge Aug 17-19. We will be flying into SF on August 10th and spending a couple of days there. Then my husband thought it made sense to try to stay somewhere closer to the park on the 13th so that we were ready to go on the 14th. Does this make sense and do you have any suggestions for places to stay?

Thanks!!!

"<i>Then my husband thought it made sense to try to stay somewhere closer to the park on the 13th so that we were ready to go on the 14th. Does this make sense and do you have any suggestions for places to stay? </i>"

Absolutely no reason to break your journey between San Francisco and Yosemite. It is a bit over a 4 hour drive and anyplace you'd want to stop is only an hour or so from the park.

Now, if you want to take a big detour and visit someplace else like the Hwy 49 Gold country, or the Sacramento river Delta-- then you could take 2 full days to get to Yosemite. But that wouldn't be just a stop enroute.

To get a little idea of a Hwy 49 detour take a look at one of my trip reports (I was driving down from Sacramento, not over from SF, so it would be a slightly bigger detour for you)

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rt-getaway.cfm

After SF, you could head over to Lake Tahoe for a few days. We really like the north shore of Tahoe . We spend time in Truckee each summer, which is close to North Tahoe. Then head south on Hwy 395 towards Mono Lake, entering Yosemite from the east thru Tioga Pass. This is a spectacular drive. I think your time at Curry Village will be plenty and would skip Tenaya Lodge.

Or, as Janis suggested, spend those few days around the Delta then up thru the Gold Country. After Yosemite, head thru Tioga Pass and up tp Tahoe.

thank you!

As I initially suggested - the emerald gem known as Lake Tahoe is worth a visit - and then you can easily go down 395 and up the beautiful Tioga pass - through Tuoloumne Meadows over to the Village floor of Yo.

From Yo - go the "back way" over to Carmel/Monterrey.

Get a good map and study it - don't just rely on GPS and suddenly find yourself lost. :)