We are going to California for the first time with our 3 kids (13, 10 & 8) July 1-10. We are flying into San Francisco and plan on driving down the coast and fly out of LA. We'll be there for 9 nights. How would you break down the nights? Where would you stay in San Fco, LA and along the coast? Since we are 5, we can't stay in a regular hotel room (need a suite, apt.).

Thanks,

Clau

Nine nights is not much time at all if you want to visit San Francisco and LA properly - including the "theme parks" in LA.

Perhaps you can gather some info from this thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...arture-day.cfm

Stu Dudley

You posted a similar question on Feb. 28 and got 33 replies. You want more?

Hmm. My response sounds sort of snotty. I didn't mean it that way. My question should have been along the lines of "What additional information would you like?"

Thank you for your replies, stududley and dbdurand.

I think we will be spending 3 nights in San Francisco and I am trying to decide how to break down the remaining 6 nights. Should we stay in Carmel, Monterey, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara? It's hard to plan when you haven't been there...

As far as the free San Francisco walking tours that Stu recommends, which ones would you pick for a family?

Three nights in San Francisco is good. Put a trip to Alcatraz at the top of your list.

You have found a motel in Cambria, and that is a great place to stay. Are you going to visit the nearby Hearst Castle? Don't miss the sea lions basking in the sun on a beach few miles north of Cambria.

You will probably want to visit at least one of the missions. There are several along the way--San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, for instance.

I especially like La Purisma with children because it is isolated and has several buildings that help children to imagine mission life. It is a worthwhile detour: http://www.lapurisimamission.org/

If you want to stay on the ocean one night, check out Pismo Beach. You can get adjoining rooms at Kon Tiki Inn which has reasonable rates, free breakfast, great ocean views, and a stairway to the beach: www.kontikiinn.com

I would spend three nights in San Francisco, two or three nights exploring Highway 1 on the way to LA, and three or four nights in LA--four nights if you are going to Disney Land or one of the other theme parks.

If you want to visit a movie studio, I recommend the Warner Brothers tour which gives a much better idea of a working movie and TV studio than, for instance, the Universal Studios tour, which is more of a theme park.

In LA, admission is free to the wonderful Getty Center; it is very child friendly and it affords great views of the city. The Autry Museum is fascinating, not expensive, and a too often overlooked afternoon of fun: http://theautry.org Some worthwhile free experiences in LA include Hollywood, Venice Beach, and the Third Street Promenade and Pier in Santa Monica.

HTTY

Nine nights is not much time at all if you want to visit San Francisco and LA properly -
-------------------------------------------------------------
LOL that's funny Stu. I didn't know there was a 'proper' way to travel. Each adventure is different. Some times you want the pound the pavement, other times you want to relax or both. It really depends on the individual and what their needs are at the time. And there's that pesky too many places to see and not enough time or money.

oops got off topic here.

Should we stay in Carmel, Monterey, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara?
----------------------------------------------------------
You won't go wrong staying in any of these places. Carmel/Monterey is basically the same area so you can pick one. And if you are trying to capture the flavor of California diversity then by all means stay in Santa Barbara. It is a place of its own. If you enjoy people watching and interesting characters visit Venice while you're in LA.

Stu:

From the San Francisco walking tours that you always mention, which ones would you recommend for a family with 3 kids ages 13, 10 and 8?

Thanks,

Claudina

Not all tours are offered each day - what specific dates will you be in San Francisco??

Stu Dudley

I recommend stopping in Monterey, for sure. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is tops for kids of all ages. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

One thing I wish I had known *before* I went to Monterey was that many hotels offer a special package with aquarium tickets that are valid for two days. This is nice because you don't have to see everything in one day, especially if the kiddos are tired out. You can go do something else, and come back to finish the aquarium the next day.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/v...ts/hotels.aspx

Have fun!

Stu: we will be in San Francisco July 2-5

Which tours are "good" has a lot to do with what your interests are. Many tours, I think, would not interest your kids a lot. My wife is one of the guides on two Victorian architecture tours - "Landmark Victorians of Alamo Square" given on Saturday, and "Victorian San Francisco" on Sunday. However, when I was 8 - 13 years old, I don't think I would be that much interested in Victorian house tours. We'll be on vacation in Europe when you are here - so she won't be the guide on those tours.

"Cityscapes and Public Places" might interest you and your kids. It walks through some "nooks & crannies" downtown. It is especially fun when Jay conducts the tour, because he brings along his dog with him. However, I won't know until late June if Jay will be conducting the tour on July 2, - which is after we leave on vacation.

The Chinatown tour is very popular, and I think the entire family will like it. It includes a visit to a fortune cookie factory. It is on Saturday & 2 tours on Monday.

As much as I dislike the honkey-tonk scene at Fisherman's Wharf - the City Guides tour of the Wharf is quite interesting. You'll visit a Dungennes Crab processing facility, and if the owner is up to it - she will describe "more than you want to know" about the crabs. Also included is a visit to the Sea Lions near pier 39 - if they are present. It is on Monday & Friday.

There are two Fort Mason tours, but we have not been on these yet.

Gold Rush City on Sunday & Friday is interesting.

Haight Ashbury on Sunday??? The City Guides tour really does not even walk down Haight Street - but you'll get some history about the "Summer of Love" & see where the Grateful Dead, and Janis Joplin lived. You can decide if you want to visit Haight Street before or after the tour.

Japanese Tea Garden & Stow Lake early Friday is a new tour that we have not been on - but it is an interesting area of Golden Gate Park.

Nob Hill on Sunday might interest the kids. Same with North Beach on Sundays. There is a North Beach at Night on Sundays & Mondays at 7pm.

The Palace Hotel on Saturday would be interesting for you - but I bet the kids would only like the huge dining room with the glass ceiling - which anyone can visit.

This is not a City Guides tour - but DO NOT MISS Fort Point. Your kids will love it. They can climb all over the Civil War fort, participate in demonstrations, and get some great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay from the Ramparts on top of the fort.

Stu Dudley

Here's my take and I'm sure I'll be taken to task for this opinion, but here goes: You have kids -- they are going to be bored to death in SFO with architecture tours. I've done the walking tours that Stu recommends and loved them, but I just can't see kids that age being patient enough for most. Forgive me, but there's just too much talking and not enough doing for kids.
Have a look here:
http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo...nfrancisco.htm

I agree completely with taking them to Alcatraz. Its fun and the ferry ride across the bay is a treat. Encourage them to read about Alcatraz in advance.

Ride the cable cars to Fisherman's Wharf, The Cannery, Ghiradelli Square and Pier 39. Walk around on your own and let them see and smell and taste things. Eat someplace fun - outside on the water to watch the boats and sea lions. Let them get a taste of seafood that isn't their norm. There are lots of places to get "street food" for a taste of this and that.

Walk them through Chinatown and let them shop, eat dim sum, see and smell - especially in the markets or apothocary shops. Visit the Chinatown kite shop and let them buy kites to fly later. You can guide them through Chinatown at your own pace with many good books. http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo...cisconorth.htm

If you want to take a tour, book one of the 1/2 day city tours so they can see all the typical SFO sights -- the artchitecture, the hills, Lombard Street, the bridges, the bay views, etc. That's probably all the attention this age group has for organized touring. The Hop on Hop Off bus is great.
http://www.allsanfranciscotours.com/...ge=TourDetails

Since you'll have a car, surely you're taking them to Muir Woods to see the amazing red wood trees. It is a marvel. We took a picnic lunch and ate on Muir Beach and then hiked the woods.
http://www.nps.gov/muwo/forkids/index.htm

I vote for Monterey and the aquarium as your half way point. The kids will love it and so will you. You can go into Carmel for a walk around and dinner. Stay at a hotel in Monterey for an easy walk to the aquarium and the ocean. My sister stayed here with her family and loved it.
http://www.montereybaylodge.com/

>>You have kids -- they are going to be bored to death in SFO with architecture tours. I've done the walking tours that Stu recommends and loved them, but I just can't see kids that age being patient enough for most. Forgive me, but there's just too much talking and not enough doing for kids.

Hi Stu, We're on the same track. My grandkids are 7 and 10. I love them to death, but have to be realistic about their attention span. Restless kids make the tours uncomfortable for the parents also.

This web site for things to do with kids in many, many places around the world is wonderful. Besides giving insight to the attractions from a kid friendly perspective, the suggested reading materials seem great for preparing and keeping them interested.

www.travelforkids.com

Your kids might enjoy the tour at the Boudin Bakery (www.boudinbakery.com) at Fisherman's Wharf. I took my Girl Scout troop there, and they loved watching the bakers form the dough into shapes. There are some interactive exhibits in the museum the kids like, AND there are free samples~always a plus!

In San Francisco my boys love Giants games, riding the muni, the Science Planetarium with rainforest and aquarium at Golden Gate Park (you can ride the muni there), they like seeing the old pictures of San Francisco that are on display at the Flood Building on Market, riding the ferry to Sausalito, driving over the Golden Gate bridge, riding on the very front or very back of the cablecars and eating alligator bread from Boudin Bakery, drving down Lombard Street and climbing around the fort. My youngest is five and he still enjoys startling pigeons and watching the kites fly on the grass by where the ferries are... also entertaining for them were the street dancers near there. (They were facinated by the guy who had painted himself gold.)

They wouldnt like to walk on the tours I dont think but they do like to ride the muni and see the various neighborhoods just for fun.

I'd stop in Santa Cruz for at least an afternoon (between SF and Monterey). The Boardwalk is great with kids, plus there are good beaches.

I'd also choose Morro Bay or Pismo Beach over Cambria with kids. Cambria is neat and close to Hearst Castle, but it is more of a scenery type of place. The others are more suited to kids, I think.

Wow, really good information here! I'm printing this page out and studying it all. Taking my three boys, 11, 13, and 16 on a similar route in July (excluding the LA part and adding San Bernardino mtns.)
Thanks for taking the time to answer her questions so thoroughly. It's helpful and appreciated!

There are some great tidepools at Natural Bridges State Park near Santa Cruz.....check for low tide times!