San Francisco...Yosemite...then what?
 

Hi all~

So I'm planning a 40th b'day trip - for myself :) - with my DH and DDs, ages 8 and 10. We'll be going over spring break this April 14 - 22ish. I've planned for 3 nights in SF and then 3 nights in Yosemite (actually, at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal). We could potentially do 2 additional nights in CA but everywhere sounds so inviting that I'm not sure I'll have the time to research it all. We'd love to see some California coastline and take a walk on the beach...we enjoy nature, wildlife, museums, and the DH digs anything historical. We'll need to stay someplace moderately priced and would prefer to stay in the same place for 2 nights before heading back to SFO for the flight home. Any help narrowing down my options would be greatly appreciated!

Christina

Coastline. Historical. Wildlife. Museums.

May I suggest centering halfway between Napa and Point Reyes, where you can quickly get to all three? Normally I'd just recommend heading to the wine country, but you said beaches and wildlife. By making it half-way, you can choose one or the other for trips just a couple hours away.

Just be aware that Northern California in April is NOT a place you can comfortably "walk on the beach." Plain and simple, the water and the air are just too cold.

How about the Monterey/Pacific/Carmel area? Monterey has a wonderful aquarium, there's the Steinbeck connection, Asilomar State Beach is gorgeous with a nice walking trail, the little lighthouse in Pacifica.

As I said in another topic, there is a HI Hostel in the Muir Woods National Monument and there are several in SF if you like the urban setting. From Muir Woods you have easy access to the Point Reyes National Seashore for your walk or maybe a quick swim in the Pacific. There is also a lighthouse to see at Point Reyes. For your historic place try Fort Point N.H.S. next to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

W/ kids those ages -- I'd definitely include 2 nights in/near Monterey.

You'd get 3 amazing destinations for families- SF, YNP and the Monterey Peninsula. Monterey has the aquarium, a fishermans Wharf, historic adobes. Then there is Carmel and the Mission, Point Lobos, Big Sur. And it is only a little over 2 hours from SFO

"<i>maybe a quick swim in the Pacific.</i>"

You have a mean streak for sure :D

What do you plan on doing in Yosemite in April? You will be early to do some of the summer things and late for some of the winter activities. For instance, I think you would have to hike along the road to be able to get to the Mariposa Grove. I wouldn't think you would be able to ski at that time. Glacier Point was still closed when we were there the last part of May this year. Half Dome was closed. You would get to see the valley and that would be great, but just wanted to make sure you know what was typically "can do's" in April @ Yosemite. It is a fantastic place.

Another vote for Monterey. World class scenery on 17 mile drive. Easy family biking from Monterey to Pacific Grove. The excellent aquarium previously mentioned. Great dining for Mom and Dad.

I think Monterey Peninsula is going to be the way to go...scenic with enough activities for the girls, not too far from SFO.

tomfuller...I'd like to see if I can get to Muir Woods/Reyes Point easily during our stay in SF using public transportation (we don't intend to rent a car until we leave SF for Yosemite). Thanks for the tip on Ft. Point NHS...I'd read about that somewhere else and bookmarked it in my head for the DH - and then forgot it!

spirobulldog...I haven't made flight arrangements for exactly the reasons you mention...I'm afraid it's not the right time of year to go and we won't enjoy YNP as much as during warmer weather. HOWEVER, after reading dozens of Fodorite entries and perusing an equal number of websites, I think there will be enough for us to do...exploring the valley both on foot and bike, a ranger program or two, a picnic at the base of Yosemite Falls, maybe a horseback ride...enough for 2 young Jersey girls to enjoy and appreciate Yosemite's natural beauty. Of course, I'll have to look into Mariposa Grove, as hugging a sequoia is a must on this trip!

I went last March for 3 days -- didn't go to Mariposa Grove or to Badger Pass -- and could have stayed longer, just in the Valley . . .

In Yosemite, one April a few years ago, DH and I trudged from the bottom parking lot up the hills through the snow to the Mariposa Grove - we are from Down Under, and found the snow enchanting. But it is about two miles, and by the time we got to the actual Grove, DH was too exhausted to go much further. It was actually worse coming down, trying not to fall and break an aged leg!

You are younger, and maybe with hired snowshoes or skis or walking poles, it would be an unforgettable experience. Otherwise, there is another grove of sequoias on the other northern side of the valley.

Hmm...wondering if I should look into Sequoia Nat'l Park as a potential stop...we really want to see those trees!

If seeing ANY sequoia (not necessarily the largest ones) will suffice, then you can go through Henry Cowell Redwood State Park

www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546

will probably meet your needs.

Seeing Sequoia NP would take up your entire two days. It's a WONDERFUL park, but best visited in the summer (snow packs in the Sierras can be QUITE high into April). I'd save this park for another trip to the Sierras. Since going to Yosemite on this trip will automatically make you want to come back, you can include Sequoia in your plans for this second visit to Yosemite.

And I agree that Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur would meet your needs far better than my idea above. But the warning about NOT swimming in the Pacific in April still holds!

>>I'd like to see if I can get to Muir Woods/Reyes Point easily during our stay in SF using public transportation (we don't intend to rent a car until we leave SF for Yosemite).<<

The short answer is "not easily". I would rent the car 1 day early, do Muir Woods and Point Reyes that day, park the car at or near your hotel overnight (yes, you'll have to pay, but just the one night), then leave the next day for Yosemite.

Otherwise you take 2 or 3 buses to get to Muir Woods and I don't even know if there's bus service to Point Reyes. Most of your day would be on buses, not sightseeing. There are also half-day tours to Muir Woods, but none I'm aware of to Point Reyes.

Thanks to all...the itinerary is starting to form (sometimes I think I enjoy the planning stages as much as the actual traveling!)~

PaulRabe...I'm in total agreement about making a second trip at some point in the future...as soon as we take our second trip back to YNP/GTNP LOL. Thinking about it that way makes it easier to accept if we can't visit the sequoias.

waldrons...That's good advice and food for thought as we put together our daily itinerary. I always struggle with wanting to see "everything" and wanting to do justice to exploring a new destination.

Any advice regarding 2 nights vs 3 nights in the Monterey area?

For Trees, Sequoia National Park is my favorite. 2nd would be Redwoods National Park, and then Yosemite. However, if you can see them in Yosemite, certainly do so, they are amazing every time I see them. We were in Sequoia in the winter(January) and hope to go back in the summer sometime. We had a 4 wheel drive and NPS required snow chains on all vehicles.

The Muir Woods are great, but the trees there aren't nearly as big as other places.

I think if you can work Yosemite in to your plans, it would be great. It's a great place to visit.

Don't miss Yosemite! In April the water levels will be high so the waterfalls should be spectacular. April is a little early for wildflowers but if you come into the park on the Hwy 120 route you're bound to see flowers along the route thru the foothills. Hetch Hetchy is a great area of the park to visit in the early Spring.

In the 1930's California adopted "redwood" as the state tree.
The redwoods of Sequoia National Park and Yosemite are Giant Sequoia (sequoiadendron giganteum) and are the most massive living trees on earth.
The redwoods of Redwood National Park and Muir Woods in the Coast Range of California are Coast Redwood (sequoia semipervirens) They are the tallest living trees on earth.
The other redwood is the Dawn Redwood (metasequoia glyptostroboides) which is native to China and is a deciduous conifer. I hope the dendrology lesson will help people decide which redwoods they really want to see.
The Coast Range has much less snow and is drivable pretty much year round. The Sierras have lots of snow and parts of them are snowbound for months at a time.
Monterey is a lovely place to visit if you only want to want walk on the beach but not swim.

No worries...Yosemite is a definite! I am, however, reconsidering if we should make it 2 nights instead of 3...if roads/areas are usually closed in mid-April it may make more sense for us to tack the add'l night onto Monterey.

Thoughts?

I also add my support for Monterey/Carmel. I recommend staying in Monterey and visiting Carmel as a day trip (the girls will be board in Carmel but the shops are so cute). Many years ago we stayed at the Monterey Bay Plaza Hotel and Spa. The location was great! If the weather is nice you might be able to kayak. Visit the Aquarium, historic Cannery Row, drive 17 mile drive.

Make your rervation for a night in both places and then cancel about a week or so ahead of time(read the cancellation policies carefully)based on what the road conditions are and what is open in Yosemite. It is possible that a lot will be closed, but it is also possible that pretty much everything will be open. My gut feeling is to leave it at the 3 nights.

Thanks for posting. We plan a similar trip in the summer to do Monterey, YNP and San Francisco.

DH and I have been to Monterey before (it will be first time for DS)and we enjoyed the aquarium then. Not sure how much it has changed since the 1980's. We didn't know about Point Lobos before but I heard on these boards that it is something not to miss if you are in the Monterey area.

Another vote for Monterrey/Pacific Grove/Carmel...it's a beautiful area. I stayed in Carmel and loved it, but it is a small, artsy town. I think polson's suggestion of doing it as a day trip makes sense due to the ages of DDs.

Definitely do the 17 mile drive, and if DH is a golf fan you can pop in and take a look at Pebble Beach since you will pass it on the drive. We really enjoyed stopping at Seal Rock, but we were extremely lucky and happened to pass it during clear weather. If you want to go to the pier in Monterrey to feed the sea lions, go early because so many people feed them that later in the day they are totally not interested. The sea otters there are fun to watch too!

Yosemite will be beautiful It's a year-round destination in Yosemite Valley; you can hike, possibly ride bikes, walk some easy trails to spectacular waterfalls. Just keep your kids out of the river, because water currents will be very strong and dangerous that time of year. Yosemite Valley is at a much lower elevation than the rest of the park. It is a long drive from San Francisco (about 4 - 5 hours) so you might consider keeping the idea of 3 nights there.

Monterey/Carmel would be wonderful for your children, too. I'd pick that over Point Reyes for this trip, and 2 nights will work nicely since you can spend your last day there before driving to the airport hotel near SFO late in the evening.

I love these forums.

So my rough 10-day itinerary is looking like this...

Day 1 arrive SFO, BART to Union Square, check into Handlery Hotel

Day 2 SF

Day 3 SF

Day 4 pick up rental car from (somewhere?) and drive to El Portal, check into Yosemite View Lodge

Day 5 Yosemite

Day 6 Yosemite

Day 7 drive to Monterey, check into Intercontinental Clement

Day 8 Monterey/Pacific Grove

Day 9 Carmel/Big Sur

Day 10 drive to SFO for mid-afternoon flight

This feels comfortable to me...no rushing around, enough time to relax and absorb...will now work on flight/hotel reservations, then fine tune the itinerary. A BIG THANKS TO ALL FOR THE INVALUABLE ADVICE! I'm certain I'll be posting again at some point for Fodorite itinerary critiquing :)

That sounds fantastic. You will have no problem finding a car rental near your Union Square hotel. All the major rental agencies have Union Square offices. People on this form have report success with Dollar (O'Farrell Street). Do be sure to inquire whether there is a dropoff charge for picking the car up at Union Square and returning it at the airport.

If "in park" lodging is available and within budget, I would stay there.

You will love LOVE the Clement - next door to the aquarium and great water views. About YNP lodging, I'd book the place at El Portal and make note of the cancellation policy. Then keep trying for a place at Yosemite Lodge. It gets booked up year round but there are frequent cancellations because folks have to book so far ahead. That way, if something opens up in the Valley, great. If not, you'll still have a decent place to stay.

sf7307...that's good to hear. I was too tired last night to figure out the car rental thing and was hoping there'd be ample choices in the Union Square area.

spiro/janisj...I tried for Yosemite Lodge at the Falls but it's booked up - for now - so I will definitely go ahead with my El Portal reservation but call Yosemite Lodge regularly to check for cancellations (the other in-park lodging options were either too pricey or farther from the valley than our El Portal hotel). I'm definitely more inclined to stay right in the park if possible! And jsnisj, I was borderline about the Clement as there were several choices between Pacific Grove and Monterey, but the location is so perfect and the price is right - $171/nite plus parking for what looks like a much more expensive hotel. Putting my trust in TripAdvisor on this one :)

I agree that the Clement is a great choice. It is a very comfortable hotel, and even if you don't have a "view" room, the views are pleasant anyway. Also the views from the restaurant are lovely. We had breakfast there every morning and loved watching the sea otters playing in the surf. (At first glance, the breakfasts seemed pricey, but they really are not. Fabulous breakfasts!!) You will be able to walk around Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is practically next door, and you can walk (or rent bikes) along the path that goes along the water from Cannery Row to Lovers Point and beyond.

Be aware, though, that hotel parking is expensive (can't remember the cost). We used the valet parking because I had my 87-year-old mother with me and it was pouring rain, but you can self-park for less in the hotel lot. I'd explore other parking options, though. Cannery Row is not that big an area, so it seems like there should be some sort of non-hotel parking area within walking distance of the hotel.

If you can manage to snag a room in the park at Yosemite, by all means do, but, if not, Yosemite View Lodge is a pretty good place to stay. I recommend spending the extra money for a riverside room, especially as in April the river should be very full and wild. We stayed there the first time we went to Yosemite, and enjoyed sitting out on our balcony in the early mornings drinking our coffee and watching and listening to the rushing water.

When you're in Monterrey, definitely go to Point Lobos, it's spectacular! If you have time to drive down to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, it's pretty neat to see the beautiful waterfall that drops right onto the beach. It's about an hour's drive south of Monterrey.

Sara, thanks for posting. I have been calling YVLodge daily but nothing yet. I am absolutely planning to book a riverside room in El Portal!

Point Lobos and JPB State Park are both on my list...we'll have 2 full days to explore so we shouldn't have a problem fitting in a side trip to the south. Is it worth our time to visit Hearst Castle? I haven't looked into it yet but wasn't sure if it would appeal to my 8 and 10 yr old DDs...

By all means see San Francisco, but you might get a better deal flying to Sacramento and renting your car there. It is an easier drive from Sacramento to Yosemite.
I've rented cars in both places and like the easy access without a shuttle bus to the rental cars in Sacramento.
Flying in to Sacramento gives you the option to see SF at the beginning or end of the trip depending on the weather.
The kids would probably like the Capitol buildings and grounds in Sacramento. For a one night lodging, I love the HI Hostel on the NW corner of 10th & H just north of City Hall.
It is the second oldest mansion in the city. Governor Brown's father was the last to live in the oldest one.

travelbug, of course it depends on your particular DDs, but I went to Hearst Castle the first time when I was 12, and I was "suitably impressed".

tomfuller: "<i>I've rented cars in both places and like the easy access without a shuttle bus to the rental cars in Sacramento.</i>"

You can't get to the rental cars w/o riding a shuttle. It would be a VERY long walk.

I usually ride the YOLO bus out from downtown ($1.50) they stop not too far past terminal 2 within sight of the rentals.
When I take the Coast Starlight from Oregon to Sacramento, this is the way I get to the airport and rental cars.

If you're not tied into the Handlery Hotel, you could change hotels. For free parking in San Francisco as well as a colorful, inexpensive place to stay and good for those with children, there's the Hotel Del Sol:

http://www.sftravel.com/hotels/htlma...teldelsol.html


Unless the weather is in your favor, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a bit far to drive for a two-day stay in the Greater Monterey area. Better to spend the time at Point Lobos and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There's also the 17-Mile Drive which would provide just as much interest as the drive down to JPB park.

Have a safe journey and welcome to California!

TomFuller: It must have been quite some time. The rentals are across a huge construction site and two major roads from T-2.

Actually that should read Terminal B -- not T-2

You REALLY should do the 17 mile drive. Hearst Castle is amazing and I would think your DDs would enjoy it.