pennypoopers

I will be picking up my 14 year old daughter from camp in the Trinity Alps on Saturday, Aug. 11 and we will have about 3-4 nights for a mother-daughter vacation. She will have been at a very rustic camp and probably will have gone on a backpacking trip. She wants to head to Southern California beaches but that isn't happening, so I want to plan a trip that will be relaxing and fun for us. My thoughts were to leave Hayfork (town near her camp) and head over to see the Avenue of Giants, go for an easy hike, picnic, etc., then head down to the Flamingo Conference Resort in Santa Rosa which is supposed to have a nice pool. Stay there Saturday night and swim and relax all day Sunday. Then head out to the coast Monday morning. We leave SF on Wednesday, so we need to be back in SF by Tuesday evening. That gives us Monday and Tuesday along the coast. Notwithstanding the potential for fog, I would like to do some beach combing and go for a horseback ride on the beach with her. I am stuck as to where to go and where to stay. Mendocino, Pt. Reyes, Bodega Bay.....?

I keep reading previous posts, but I feel like a deer in the headlights!

Tomsd

Try to get down to Carmel/Monterrey - 2 plus hours south of San Jose - 2 and a half from SFX (without hitting traffic) - and not only see Steinbeck's historic Cannery Row and the great Aquarium http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ - but also hit the beach at one of those places.

Good for both mother and daughter.

You could also have a lovely breakfast/lunch or dinner in the artist's enclave known as Carmel. http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/inde...rants_bars.htm

janisj

I personally would not stay at the Flamingo -- I've stayed there 3 or 4 times and it is nice, but I usually only stay in Santa Rosa when attending some event in the town. But if lounging by the pool is your main purpose that day - then it would be totally fine.

Sat: I'd plan one night up north (like maybe the Benbow Inn for a splurge)

Sun/Mon: Two nights in Santa Rosa (netting you just the one full day for relaxing by the pool)

Tues: On the coast - Bodega Bay would be good.

Wed: SFO/fly out

I'd definitely stay one night up north since the drive over from Hayfork will eat up quite a bit of time.


(I don't think Carmel/Monterey or the beaches down there make sense in this situation)

Tomsd

Here we go again. Get thee out of Hayfork as soon as possible - as I am guessing your daughter will be thoroughly satiated with the adventures in the wild.

Also recommend you bag Santa Rosa (nothing special there) - and go straightaway to Carmel/Monterrey - about six hours driving time from Hayfork/Redding area. http://tinyurl.com/7d5bxll

Anyhow - that is my best advice and I am sticking to it.

tomfuller

Why not go north and try to stay in or near Crater Lake NP?
You could also go over to Redwood NP and stay at a nice motel with a pool near Crescent City. There are 2 nice HI Hostels north of AF at Point Reyes and at Marin Headlands.

Tomsd

My Q: What does the daughter really want to do?

janisj

They are flying out of San Francisco - going to Crater Lake is entirely the wrong direction.

and tomsd, who said anything about hanging around Hayfork (and I dare say I've been there more times than you have). I said the drive over from Hayfork to the Avenue of the Giants will take a lot of time (more than 2 hours). So driving over, hiking, and exploring the redwoods and then driving down to Santa Rosa would make for a long day. (more than 6 hours behind the wheel not counting any stops)

And Hayfork to Carmel is a 9 hour drive (unless one goes down ugly/hot I-5)

The same recommendations don't fit for every question you know . . .

pennypoopers: If you want to Carmel, fine. That is a different trip. You said nothing along those lines. What you want to do is totally sensible/realistic/doable. I'd just add the one night in the redwoods to make your drives less tiring.

Tomsd

jani: If I wasn't sufficiently clear - bag Avenue of the Giants also. Unless the 14 year old is a dyed in the wool nature lover - I think she will have had her fill by then.

Mom - perhaps not - but daughter, yes.

Amd the idea was to go down I-5. Why do you think I provided the map?

Was fly fishing once around Hayfork - and it's a pretty area - but don't remember anything else particularly marvelous about it.

Mother in law had some friends who retired there - and it was peaceful enuff.

Tomsd

And just for info sake: The drive down I-5 is fine/scenic enough for somebody doing it the first time, and modern cars do have a/c.

Once they get to Carmel - it's about 2 and a half hours back to SFO - unless they hit the rush hour traffic in San Jose.

tomfuller

Yes janis Crater Lake is the wrong way. However I recently drove from home north of Crater Lake to Pigeon Point 50 miles south of SF with no problem. I didn't even have a thought of stopping in SF as I drove over the Oakland Bay Bridge and paid $6 for a terrible traffic jam.
With two days after pickup at Hayfork, they should see something besides the Central Valley and Sacramento.

janisj

Jeeze louise! Are you two a tag team?

"they should see something besides the Central Valley and Sacramento."

Where in pennypoopers or my itinerary would they go anywhere near Sacramento or the Central Valley (only tomsd's plan would do that)

"And just for info sake: The drive down I-5 is fine/scenic enough for somebody doing it the first time, and modern cars do have a/c."

Faint praise indeed

And I assume tomsd knows the daughter better than her mother does??

Maybe you two can re-read the OP and start over???

Pennypoopers: I won't be posting on your thread again. I did the best I could, but once our San Diego friend gets his teeth into a thread, its is all over . . .

Good luck

Tomsd

Au revoir janis.

Just offering my advice as I didn't seem to pick up on much daughter intake - after the - not a chance of their going to So Cal for the beaches.

Suzie

Ugh I had a whole response written & it disdapeeared before I could get it posted. I'll try to recreate it.

I have been going on summer vacays with my DD for years and now that she's 18 and headed to college I know those summer excursions will be great memories.

If your daughter has not burned out on the outdorrs I bet she would love the Ave of Giants area. So much to see and not all crowdede like other places around CA. Since it's about 4 hours form Haystack I'm wondering if you maybe will want to overnight along the coast instead of trying to drive all the way to Santa Rosa. Maybe somewhere like Shelter Cove.

Then head to Santa Rosa for Sunday night and Monday night. I persoanlly think your lodging choice looks great. It's also only about 10 miles or so from Safari West. This is a place my DD still wants to go. Her friend went with her mom and said it was wonderful.

Then instead of heading back to the coast go into SF. We always have a grreat time together in the city.

elnap29

Hi, pennypoopers - Your idea sounds nice!
I have a couple of ideas for you to consider:
1) Drive from Hayfork to the Avenue of the Giants. You might consider staying overnight at Miranda Gardens resort in MIranda. It is very nice with a bit of a rustic quality. Very comfortable with a variety of cabin options. There is a nice pool for swimming and fabulous walks in the redwoods right outside the door. Each cabin or room has its own patio or deck. It's a great family place. The drive from Hayfork to Miranda is about 2 1/2 hours.
If you decide not to stay in Miranda, you could stay further south in Garberville where there are several motels.
2) The next day drive to Fort Bragg or Mendocino. The drive from Miranda to Fort Bragg is about 1 hr 40 minutes. I am suggesting this area for your coastal stop because it is beautiful, has several fun beach combing options, and there is a horseback riding ranch that offers just the type of ride on the beach you are envisioning with your daughter. A co-worker took her family on this beach ride and said it was fantastic! It is offered through Ricochet Ranch in Mendocino.
I think they stayed at the Beachcomber Inn which is one of the few motels right on the beach.
In Fort Bragg is also Glass Beach which is kind of different. It's fun to scavenge various pieces of colored glass there. In the town of Mendocino, a perfect beach combing beach is where the river meets the ocean. There is a short trail past the church to the beach. It is a safe place to hunt for shells and starfish.
3) The drive from Fort Bragg/Mendocino to San Francisco is about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. You could add another stop somewhere else if you like.

Point Reyes has horseback riding also, but I don't think it would be on a beach. I enjoy Pt Reyes but it is quite varied and spread out, and there may be fewer close lodging options. The Mendocino/Fort Bragg area has so many activities that are easy to find without much effort.

elnap29

Some links for you:
http://horse-vacation.com/DailyRides.php
http://www.mirandagardens.com/directions.html
http://www.thebeachcombermotel.com/default.html

Suzie

There are many web sites about glass beach and the glass beach museum here are some links for you:

http://www.mendocino.com/?id=257

http://www.fortbragg.com/2012/02/gla...anted-to-know/

pennypoopers

We've already done the Carmel thing but she has not really seen north of SF and given the time, the drive that far south would not make sense. Carmel and Monterey are beautiful for sure and one of those places that shouldn't be missed, but since her camp is about 5 hours north of SF we need to stay north.

pennypoopers

Thank you for the replies and to those trying to keep it on track and up north closer to the coastal areas. Suzie and Elnap29, thanks for the great suggestions. I'm going with that. I really needed some concrete suggestions. Thanks again! I think seeing the Redwoods is something no human should miss and we collect sea glass and shells every beach we go to. I love it. Perfect.

Suzie

Glass Beach is a state park so you wouldn't be able to remove the glass. The glass is considered artifacts.