I am new to this forum (Hello everyone!) Was able to put this trip together at the last minute, we leave next Tuesday 7/30! We are so excited to finally visit California for the first time, but as I sit to write out daily itineraries, I'm feeling a little panicked and realize that I am needing help to tweak this to get as much in as possible. We are a family of four, with LOTS of energy...want to see everything that we can. I would appreciate any advice and/or suggestions

TUES - Fly into SF at 11:30am & plan to drive straight to Yosemite Valley. Should we take 140 or 120? I would love to enter through Wawona Tunnel to see Yosemite the first time, but that way doesn't make sense, does it? I know the best place to stay is IN Yosemite, but couldn't pull it off so we are staying in Fish Camp. Still looking for cancellations. Want to maximize the second half of our day. Maybe take 120 route and explore north Yosemite??

WED - Yosemite (Looking for an awesome 2 day itinerary and exploring best hikes & maybe rafting trip)

THURS - Yosemite

FRI - Leaving Fish Camp and heading to Monterey/Pacific Grove. Not planning on going to aquarium as we have an amazing one close by & already too much on our agenda. Would love to kayak or maybe bike along 17 mile drive

SAT - Drive down Highway 1: Point Lobos, Pfeiffer/Big Sur. Nepenthe, McWay Falls and then back to spend another night in Monterey. Assume that this will take all day??

SUN - Leave Monterey to head to SF. I am training for a half marathon and want to do a run over the Golden Gate bridge and surrounding areas. Hubs & kids will probably rent bikes. Also want to do Coit tower, painted ladies, Lombard street, Pier 39, trolley ride, etc.

MON - San Francisco 11:30 red-eye home, yikes!

Last half of trip is giving me anxiety as there are activities that I'm still trying to fit in! My husband would like to crossfit somewhere at least once, probably SF. He would also like to surf if possible. My kids are begging to go to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. Do we change reservations to spend one night (Sat?) in Santa Cruz to try and fit the carnival and surfing in? Also my husband is all about the trees, and although we will see the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite...should we stop at the Santa Cruz redwood grove? Have reservations made but have the option to cancel. I'm very open to make changes, but need to finalize plans son. Thanks so much for your time.

You won't have enough time to do even half the things you want to do. Best suggestion I can make is to nix Yosemite (huge crowds/no parking/other complications) and just visit Carmel/Monterey & San Francisco.

Here are some suggestions
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/

Note that Fodors will allow you to only make 1 additional post within the next 24 hrs (or something like that) - so make it wisely.

Stu Dudley

Your plans are awfully 'optimistic' -- especially for Yosemite

Day one for instance SFO to Fish Camp is more than a 5 hour drive (JUST to Fish Camp). So starting out at maybe 12:30 you will be very lucky to get there by 6 PM. Then FishCamp to say Yosemite Village is close to 90 minute drive each way.

See IF you can get a room at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal (and cancel Fish Camp) El Portal is an hour shorter drive from SFO and an hour shorter drive into Yosemite Valley.

You have WAY too much on your propose itinerary. Simply not realistic. My suggestion would be make an itemized list of everything above and prioritize and eliminate the bottom half of the list. I'd agree with the suggestion to skip Yosemite entirely and focus on the coast and the other things you family is most interested in (board walk, cross fit, run, etc.)

Here's a somewhat similar thread we're working on right now you might be able to get some tips from:
San Diego-SNP-Yosemite-San Jose

My suggestion was ONLY if Yosemite is a must for you.

Late July/August is about the very worst time of year to visit Yosemite. It is HOT, dry (though this year the waterfalls have not dried up because the snow pack was so deep so at least there will be some water falling) . . . and very VERY crowded. Parking is extremely stressed so you'd have to get in to the Valley in the AM, find a place to park and leave the car there ALL . DAY . LONG and use the park service shuttle buses to get around. Especially staying in Fish Camp - with the bumper to bumper traffic into the Valley it could easily be a 2 hour drive.

If you can bear to eliminate Yosemite - Tues to Mon is enough time for a family trip to Monterey/Carmel, Santa Cruz, and SF.

is it ground hogs day? nvm....

janis has given you the relevant info about where you are planning to stay at Yosemite. - especially the drive time from Fish Camp to the Valley.

Here's a possible 2 day itinerary at Yosemite if you decide to keep it in your plans.
Assuming you are staying in Fish Camp (or even if you are staying in El Portal)

day 1. drive into the valley at oh-dark-thirty am, or soon after sunrise so you can be ahead of the traffic that WILL clog it up, get good parking and be ahead of the mobs that will crowd the shuttle buses. Hike the John Muir or Mist Trail. That will get you deep into the valley, away from the crowds, with some excellent hiking, close up views of 2 amazing waterfalls and views of half dome and other peaks. Do NOT stop on the way into the valley - you can see other sites on the way back to Fish Camp....Bring a picnic lunch and a liter of water/liquid each. You can refill the water at numerous spots all over the valley. You can youtube Mist Trail or JM trail and see what it's like. After that hike you can do numerous other things in the valley., incl walk to Mirror Lake (easy), ride the shuttle around the valley and get off at Yosemite Falls, El Cap, etc., or you can drive back towards Fish Camp. On the way back you can take the side road to Glacier Point - but parking may be a challenge. And/or you can stop at the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, which is near the south entrance to the park where you'd be staying.

day 2. hike the valley floor trail loop (easy / flat, ~4mi loop I think). visit the Yosemite Village / visitors center, walk to the bottom of Yosemite Falls (either dry or v. low flow). If you want to go UP, then you could go 1/2 way up the Yosemite falls trail. Round trip it's a 2-3hr hike, strenuous but exhilarating. Or hike all the way to the top. 5-6hrs round trip. Good x-training for a half....especially if you like trail running. If you don't want to do the 3hr round trip drive from Fish Camp to the Valley and back the 2nd day, then perhaps put Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove on day 2.

day 3. drive to Monterey and explore the town, perhaps walk along the beach north of town Doubtful you'll have the energy or time to tackle kayaking or biking on 17mi drive. (not if you do the hikes I reco...)

Honestly I'd just keep Fish Camp. It's much better for Mariposa Grove and for the most spectacular viewpoints (Glacier Point and Tunnel View). Also better for accessing Sentinel Dome hike (another of the best hikes and viewpoints).

You'll want to come in via 140. Tuesday I wouldn't expect to see ANY of Yosemite. Anything you get will be a bonus. At a minimum, you should be able to see Bridal Veil Fall and Tunnel View which is off the Wawona Road, on the way out toward Wawona. If you get lucky, perhaps use the loop one-way roads as far as El Capitan. If you still have lots of time, park there and walk the Valley Loop, or use the shuttle. If the traffic is too backed up, maybe you can visit Mariposa Grove on the way out toward Wawona.

Wednesday and Thursday. One of the two I'd recommend getting up to Glacier Point. From the overlooks you'll be able to see Nevada and Vernal Falls. Also do the Sentinel Dome hike that day, more great views. Assuming you wouldn't have had time for Mariposa Grove on Tuesday, you could try for that toward the end of the day.

The other day Yosemite Valley . Priority would be Vernal Fall/Mist Trail. Parking from Camp Curry possible but not guaranteed. You just have to take what you get. Use the shuttles or walk to see other parts of the Valley. If you want to stay the whole day, sunset on Half Dome from the meadow.

For me, Yosemite Valley itself isn't really worth it in summer. I prefer Glacier Point Road and Tuolumne, but I think you'll have to skip Tuolumne. So I'd stay in Fish Camp not El Portal. I would keep trying for maybe one night at Camp Curry though, since that gives you parking for Mist Trail. Note that the check-in times are quite late.

Carmel or Pacific Grove are better locations for your Monterey Bay itinerary. I'd probably skip the kayaking. If you can find something at Asilomar or PG, that works for 17 mile drive on the Friday.

So you have two days in San Francisco? Sunday and Monday? Flight at 7:30 pm Monday night? You'll have to prioritize your SF sights. Saturday night, instead of staying in Monterey, I might head back to the Bay Area to give you the full time in SF. You could even stay near the airport (since my brother lives in Burlingame, that's where I usually visit from).

Pretty much all of tourist California in summer needs to be treated like a day at Disneyland. If the OP is from back east, at least the jet lag should help with getting up early. It isn't unusual for me to leave the house before 4-5am to miss traffic.

Wanting to see Santa Cruz will mean less of San Francisco. If you stayed there Saturday night, nice drive up Hwy 1 to Golden Gate, maybe only 20 minutes slower than going through town. You'll probably not see everything you want in SF.

Summer weekends are extremely busy in Big Sur. I'd get to Point Lobos when it opens at 8am. Parking is likely to fill during the first hour. Save your day use fee receipt as it's good at other CA state parks the same day (assuming you can find parking elsewhere). If there's no parking as you drive south, you can try again as you drive north. You can see coastal redwoods at Pfeiffer Big Sur. The wait at Nepenthe can be long. Their Cafe Kevah downstairs offers counter service. There's a new BBQ place called Big Sur Smokehouse at Hwy 1 and Coast Ridge Rd right before Ventana. It's a big red building along the highway but no ocean views. Or consider packing a picnic. Parking along the west side of the highway at McWay Falls has been eliminated and trail access directly from the highway has been closed off. The best way to see McWay Falls is by parking inside Julia Pfeiffer Burns and walking via the highway underpass but again the parking lot is fairly small. The McWay Falls trail is currently only open to the first overlook. The remainder of the trail to the observation platform is closed. You can still get a good view from the trail closure point but expect lots of other people trying to do the same.

Whew, this is a great deal to process, but I thank each one of you for your comments/suggestions.Your insights are so valuable…I have zero experience with the area and am new at planning trips with my family, as in years past our time off of work only allowed for a quick trip to visit my family 12 hours away. I think this contributes to my desire to stretch our limited time & budget in the best possible way as opposed to the desire to just relax. Apologies in advance if I give too much info, get stuck going in wrong direction or ramble on. Just want to give as much context as possible about us/our trip and make my one post worth it.

So last year was our 1st “real” family vacation. We spent a week driving the loop around RMNP w longer stops in Steamboat Springs & Pikes Peak area and lots of hiking/kayaking. I google mapped our stops and we easily did 14 hrs. Our kids fell in love with the mountains. Despite being on the move so much, we came home revived/renewed/rested. Of course the crowds were few & traffic wasn’t an issue. We now have a huge map to tick off as many National Parks as we can get to on our bucket list. So Yosemite was the main point of our trip. As I have always longed to drive the coast & glimpse the GGB, it seemed like an easy choice with those “extras.” It was quickly apparent that YNP is crazy-town in the summer so I switch to being there to mid-week as opposed to original schedule where we would be there on the weekend. But wow…now I am so discouraged about Yosemite and really considering just having one huge day there and hitting the trails and main attractions suggested. We are early risers and with a good night’s sleep and lots of planning could arrive by sunrise and close it down with sunset at glacier point. Then on Thursday have a much more relaxed day at area surround our cabin, which I’m very excited about as our deck will overlook a stream running in the backyard. The place has fishing poles that we could use to satisfy our water fix possibly at Bass Lake…and of course we would spend time at Mariposa Grove. I have just abandoned looking for a much more expensive place in Yosemite only to fight crowds. I wish SNP and King’s Canyon were closer. Any thoughts on this? Is this ill-advised?

Friday I’m think head west early. We are staying in Pacific Grove a couple of blocks from the coast. I’m looking forward to an early morning run along Asilomar Beach/Lover’s Point Park either Sat or Sun. After talking to my family & taking the advice to prioritize…Point Lobos/Pfeiffer & Hwy 1 drive are top priority. Kayaking, whale watching, and surfing are OUT…and 17 mile bike trip is cut as well, although we staying right by the entrance so maybe we could sneak over there if it truly is worth it. My kids are still really pulling for a stop in Santa Cruz at the boardwalk and so I need to figure out a way to make that work somewhere. And San Francisco? Big huge sigh here….let’s just say it wasn’t part of the original plan at all, save flying in/flying out. Ironically, it was the very thread of yours, Stu Dudley, that you linked which brought me to this forum in the first place! I did a quick search of things to do in SF, the thread popped up & after reading it I fell in love with SF and subsequently compressed the rest of our trip together to accommodate for more time there. My husband is from Houston, and we live outside of Austin so he hasn’t been jazzed to give up nature time for city time….I know he would love it though. We are staying at the Sheraton in Fisherman’s Wharf on Sunday night. So maybe just do the Golden Gate run/bike on Monday morning as it remains a top priority, then one attraction in the afternoon before we leave & shelve the rest for a return trip down the road?

I am learning so much about myself planning this trip. A good friend insisted that I read this book on enneagrams and I came out 7w6 or 6w7. For those of you familiar with it, the 7 Adventurer is coming out strong & it seems painful to be in CA and not be able to do it all. And the talk about traffic & crowds has really dampened my enthusiasm/natural optimism about this trip. So I am making a conscious effort to CHILL, make a slower-better-more reasonable plan so that I can fully embrace as much Cali beauty & awesomeness as possible…and of course this precious time with my family. Thank you all again…so so much

And the talk about traffic & crowds has really dampened my enthusiasm/natural optimism about this trip.

I think that's common. There's always moments in travel planning when your initial ideas in reality don't turn out to be possible or like your original fantasy vision -haha.

You would have found out about the traffic and crowds eventually any way. Knowing in advance you at least then have the change to minimize some of the negatives. That's a good thing. Rather than have you enthusiasm "dampened" consider yourself fortunate to have the real scoop from people who have been where you're going and are willing to share it.

This was my report on Yosemite from July 2017, similar conditions to this year with a very late opening of Tioga Pass. Some details on traffic. I'd stick with your plan, since you get going early maybe you can get a spot by Yosemite Falls and either walk or run the Valley loop trail. I'd focus on what is accessible from Glacier Point Road, which is quite close to where you are staying. Sentinel Dome and the viewpoints from the main Glacier Point Road give some great views. McGurk Meadow may or may not be open, but try to stop for some wildflowers. If it's like the late spring/summer in 2017 should stil be fabulous. Another bonus on focus away from the Valley, is the higher elevations along Glacier Point road mean it's cooler than in the Valley.

Report on Yosemite/Traffic Conditions

BTW, some of these posters (but certainly not all) haven't likely been to Yosemite this century. Also many will not go in July. And many are from northern California or haven't lived in California in decades. Hence an understandable bias toward El Portal. Your place in Fish Creek sounds nice. You know, a lot of Southern Californians do stay at the south end of the park. Sometimes even as far away as Oakhurst. Or one year, Bass Lake. At least you know you've got a reservation somewhere.

Access and especially parking around the Golden Gate Bridge is difficult on Sundays. The Marin side view point is completely closed on Sundays. And parking on the SF side is crammed. Best bet is to rent a bike at the Wharf, ride along the bay through Crissy Field next to the water, ride to Fort Point & visit this interesting pre-Civil War structure, then over in GG Bridge. HOWEVER, you can't ride on the more scenic east side of the GG Bridge on Sundays. Therefore I suggest that you do the GG Bridge on Monday. Fort Point will not be open on Monday, but the scenic Marin section (where you can park) will be open and access to the Conzelman Road section ( see my link - best views in the Bay Area) will be more accessible than on Sunday.

Stu Dudley

It will take approximately 4 hours to get to Monterey on Friday if you leave early so I wouldn't necessarily rule out doing something that afternoon. Kayak/bike rentals/tours are available at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove https://pacificgroveadventures.com/ The coastline within Pebble Beach/17 Mile Drive looks pretty much just like the coastline in PG but if you're staying nearby and want to say you've been there, it's easy enough to walk, drive or bike in. Whale watching is excellent at this time of year. I think you have time for one of these activities if you leave early enough on Friday.

You could stop at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk on your way to SF. Boardwalk rides open at 10am that Sunday.

You know our older Fodor's demographic (I'm willing to bet most are senior citizens) don't know that Uber/Lyft is a viable option for getting to the beginning of Golden Gate Bridge on the SF side. Won't cost much more than the toll. And it really isn't that far from your hotel (4 miles). Another 2 miles to walk all the way across.

On top of that, numerous buses will run from near your hotel to the Golden Gate "Welcome Center". It sounds like perhaps some of you would want to run, others could Uber/taxi/bus and meet on the SF side for a half-way walk across the bridge. Yes the view from Battery Spencer is pretty fantastic if you can make it and it isn't too foggy. Better odds on a clear winter day.

The OP wanted to run/bike to the bridge & back. The Crissy Field & Fort Point route by bike/run is a spectacular way to get to the bridge. I have witnessed complete auto/bus gridlock getting onto the GG Bridge on "big" weekends.

>> We are staying at the Sheraton in Fisherman’s Wharf on Sunday night. So maybe just do the Golden Gate run/bike on Monday morning

Also, it is best to cross the GG bridge in the afternoon when the the sun won't be in your face for the view back to The City. Just make sure you do it on a Monday when you can bike on the east side of the Bridge and there is less congestion everywhere.

Stu Dudley

I'm immensely thankful for each insight/suggestion/opinion and feel very fortunate to go into this week more prepared. So thanks again, everyone! I have set our Yosemite plans around what was suggested here. Will also plan on getting a very early start on Saturday to Point Lobos to secure a good parking spot & beat the crowds...I have to say that I may be most exciting about the Hwy 1 dream drive! Spending Sunday morning/lunch at the SC boardwalk sounds like a good plan as well. Then we will plan on running/biking the GGB on Monday. So grateful to know ahead of time that one whole side would have been closed on Sunday..... Everyone has been SO helpful!

Quick question: Would it be a good idea to buy our Park Pass into YNP online ahead of time? Tomorrow we are traveling all day, and I don't see us getting into Yosemite until super early (before sunrise) on Wednesday. And then would the visitor center or wherever you are supposed to buy passes be open at that time? I just want to work out any possible kinks that I can in advance.

Another question which might be silly, but it seems that I am reading conflicting advice online is about packing a lunch for Yosemite regarding bears. I have read a few trip recaps where people talked about how they picnicked in the park following a hike....and I have also read accounts that say it's a horrible idea to bring food on hike as it will attract bears. One went so far as to suggest to not leave food in your vehicle or used wrappers in your backpack? I'm not necessarily scared of bears, but want to follow correct protocol, nor do I want a bear following us around haha. At the same time, packing our own lunch during the day while in Yosemite was one way we planning to save money on the trip. And my kids & hubby will need a snack somewhere during the day. Thoughts? I'm sure I will think of 1000 last min silly things as I pack today