Taking my 16 year old to SFO
 

hi Guys

I have stumbled across this site and am in amazement at the knowledge of the people on here. I have visited the USA many times, and am about to bring my 16 year old on his first two week vacation. We live, for our sins, in South East England .. so I'm hoping he will fall in love with the USA as much as I did on my first trip.

We fly to SFO from DFW (there on business) on the June (18-28) I will be spending 10 days in San Francisco.

My plan was :

1. drive to Santa Cruz area and do some Kayaking in Elkhorn for a morning / walk the board walk in Santa Cruz etc .. stay over the night
2. drive to Yosemite and stay 2 Days (Yosemite Valley Lodge to save travel time, with dinner at the Majestic one evening)
3. 3 Days in Lake Tahoe - do we rent a boat and take a tour?
4. 4 Days in and around Fisherman Wharf (Catch a baseball game, Alcatraz by night, Coit tower, take a cable car to Market street and back, Eat some food in China Town, Dim Sum at Yang Sing, Bike ride to Sausalito on the other side of the bay, maybe more cable cars and lazy walk down Lombard street )

My questions are these:

Am I doing to much driving in going from Carmel to Yosemite to Lake Tahoe? I think I have our stay at the Wharf nailed down (cannot go much wrong around there, or can you).

I've been to San Francisco and San Jose a few times and if I'm honest the above are places I've always wanted to visit (Spent an hour in Lake Tahoe once in 1990 and fell in love).

How would you adapt the above to ensure my 16 years old would enjoy it more.

Just looking for thoughts from the experts ..

Thanks

Leslie pb

>>Am I doing to much driving in going from Carmel to Yosemite to Lake Tahoe?<<

Not really -- since you are doing it over several days

>>3 Days in Lake Tahoe - do we rent a boat and take a tour?<<

No need to rent a boat. You can of course but there are lots of activities without renting a boat. Definite's: Sand Harbor, Emerald Bay (walk down - not just view from up on the highway), the Heavenly Valley Gondola from southshore, the MS Dixie from Zephyr cove, a day or half day trip to either Virginia City or Truckee, drive up to the top of the Mount Rose road from Incline Village (close to Sand Harbor so a good combo) just to the overlook. Or, if you go to Virginia City you can continue over the summit and down towards Reno and on to VA City.

The SF natives will yell at you for staying at Fisherman's Wharf ;) -- but it will be fine. You really only need one day exploring in that area -- other sites are spread all over the city but easy to get to by public transport. Definitely try to book tickets for Alcatraz -- though they do book up far ahead.

Thanks, at the moment I'm not nailed to stay in the Wharf. I have held off booking the accommodation until I get some feed back.

I am really looking forward to Lake Tahoe and will take your comments on board.

What is your budget in San Francisco?

I really like staying on/near the Embarcadero like at the Hyatt. Great views, good transport options including BART to the airport and the California Cable Car line, convenient to AT&T Park, the Ferry Bldg, and the piers all the way to 39 and Fishermans Wharf

budget is cool at any level ... I always said to myself I'd take both my boys to the US on a road trip when they turned 16, I've done ok in life and my view is you cannot take it with you, so road trip one .. no real budget. I luckily retired young and now spend most of my active time working with charitable causes, mostly in sectors involving homeless, hospice, childrens hospitals and the poor ..

currently planning on staying at the Hyatt Centric .. so not far from Embarcadero .

It is possible to get from the Transbay Temp station (200 Folsom St) to Yosemite Valley Lodge via public transport (Amtrak). The bus to Emeryville leaves Transbay at 7:05AM to get on the San Joaquin train to Merced.
From Merced (guaranteed connection) you get on a YARTS bus 2.5 hours to Yosemite Valley Lodge.
There are park buses that get you around within the park.
You could return on the San Joaquin to Sacramento and rent a car there for your trip to Lake Tahoe.

IMO/IME the Hyatt Regency across from the Ferry bldg would be better than the Centric -- but its rates are also quite a bit higher. The Centric would be fine.

I had to laugh at >>We live, for our sins, in South East England . . .<< I'm a northern Californian but spend more holiday time in your part of the UK than I do at home. 4 times in the last 13 months. But I am spoiled being 90 miles from SF, about 4 hours from Yosemite and have a condo at Lake Tahoe.

@Tommfuller - fantastic curve ball : I'm on it .. it could work! and be a great way to just look out and enjoy the ride!

@Janisj - I'm in Royal Tunbridge Wells, I used to live in South East London (most of my life), made me street wise. It was like being bought up in the Bronx .. However, getting married and having children made me think way ahead and I found myself moving here 15 years ago. I'm lucky where I live, it's in the middle of the country. Shame I cannot put a picture up.

I'm a city lad, that loves the country.

ps

condo on Lake Tahoe .. maybe I should think about that, we all love skiing :-)

There are some San Franciscans who would definitely steer you away from Fisherman's Wharf, but I'm not one of them. I think it's a fine place to stay, even if it wouldn't be my first choice (my first choice would also be the Embarcadero area janis mentioned). On a nice sunny day, wandering around Fisherman's Wharf, the boats, the Embarcadero, etc. is very nice -- you just have to try to avoid the myriad t-shirt shops and "tourist" art galleries. One thing you might both find fun is the hidden stairways of SF - check out this website (not mine). I think someone mentioned making reservations for Alcatraz - do not delay once you know the dates you'll be here - it is almost always sold out in advance in the summer.

http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/stairways.htm.

Do you enjoy theme park rides? If so, the boardwalk at Santa Cruz is good for more than a stroll. Go on a sunny day. If you're so inclined, you can visit several state parks on your drive that are full of beautiful coast redwoods (the really tall ones -- look up Henry Cowell State Park).

I'm also one of the people here who adores Lake Tahoe, at least all parts other than Stateline (where the casinos are, and even that's gotten a little nicer over the last few years). The drives on the east and west (you can go all the way around) are gorgeous, and the north is developed but with little towns, not high-rises. Do you hike? If so, I can recommend some great ones -- but remember it is at altitude....some are long and not as steep, some are VERY steep, but there is so much natural beauty along the way.

More things you should do in San Francisco - if you have time, visit the different neighborhoods -- Valencia and Mission Streets in the Mission, 24th Street in Noe Valley, Hayes St. in Hayes Valley, Union Street in Cow Hollow, Chestnut Street in the Marina, Columbus Avenue and Upper Grant Street in North Beach, Stockton Street in Chinatown, etc.

Do you already have a room booked for Yosemite? If not, that could be a problem....

We spent a week in Tahoe last fall and absolutely loved it. We stayed in Tahoe Vista at the Firelite Lodge. Pretty basic accommodations but the rooms were clean and quiet. Think about renting kayaks at Sand Harbor. A good hike is the Rubicon Trail, an out and back between D.L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks. Start at the former and bring a picnic lunch. Tour Vikingsholm before/after lunch.

While you're up at Coit Tower, walk down the Filbert Steps (look on YouTube for video) to see the gardens and unique houses on the boardwalk. It doesn't seem like you could still be in the city. There is also a film The Parrots of Telegraph Hill about a flock that live there, if you can find it to watch before the trip.

PLEASE ignore the Amtrak suggestion!!!! You need to understand our tom -- he thinks EVERY traveler must take trains even when it makes no sense. The trains in CA are NOT convenient or what you are used to at home. You will have a car FORGET EVEN THINKING ABOUT TAKING A TRAIN (AND CRAPPY BUS) to Yosemite (sorry for the shouting but tom does that to everybody.)

>>I'm in Royal Tunbridge Wells<<

:) I have spent many weeks enjoying the gardens of Kent and East Sussex -- last stayed in Ticehurst on Bewlwater

oh my guys .. I wake up to a myriad of new information. Thanks you.

I'm going to pay the premium to stay in the Lodge inside Yosemite .. at the very least it means I get to relax a couple days and enjoy the surroundings.

Maybe I can shorten the San Francisco stay by a day and extend the Lake Tahoe by a day. Choices Choices ..

Incidentally some of the trip advisors reviews on the Hyatt at Embarcadero are pretty scathing. Should I just ignore them?

ps my son loves theme parks. I'm very lucky in that my youngest son (stay with me here) goes to school with the grand son of the William "Sully" Sullivan of Disney fame .. so he has pointed me to Six Flags, and indeed in the right direction generally. However, I'm now looking forward to the boardwalk more that I know it has some attractions .. :-)

I'll look to re-jig my dates and at least get the Yosemite Lodge booked today, including the meal at Majestic (I'm told it is amazing - history).

Thanks once again all.

I'll be curious as to whether you find availability at the Lodge; from what I can gather from their website, they appear to be booked up in June.

>>Incidentally some of the trip advisors reviews on the Hyatt at Embarcadero are pretty scathing. Should I just ignore them?<<

Sure there are some 'scathing' reviews. But there are <B>fifteen times</B> more outstanding reviews. 1,515 excellent vs. 109 terrible. Or almost as dramatically 2,828 Excellent/very good vs. 358 poor/terrible.

(I would suggest you not look at reviews of any of the properties in Yosemite if those ratios put you off)

I've requested a booking and await the outcome. If not then I'll just drive through and take a day trip moving on to Lake Tahoe early, there seems to be a lot to do in Lake Tahoe.

If you want a more upscale hotel in Lake Tahoe, the only one on the lake on the north shore is the Hyatt at Incline Village. Alternatively, there are many motels and many condo developments, some of which are quite nice.

>>I've requested a booking and await the outcome. If not then I'll just drive through and take a day trip moving on to Lake Tahoe early,<<

Easier said than done. There is no guarantee Tioga Pass will be open. For a back up position, book at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. They have a generous cancellation policy. Then keep trying for a room at Yosemite Valley Lodge. Yosemite View is the most convenient accommodations not actually on the Valley floor.

June 25 is the day of the Pride Parade. I guarantee you exciting photos of people in costumes. Plan to watch it.

When you mentioned kayaking in Elkhorn, did you mean Elkhorn Slough near Moss Landing? It's a brilliant place: sea otters and birds galore, whales can often be seen offhshore.

If you enjoy wildlife, you might want to take a whale watch trip. Whale watching off the California coast is excellent, though the sea can be rough. Dolphins and seabirds are also plentiful.

You mentioned driving from Carmel to Yosemite to Lake Tahoe. Your plan says you will spend one night in Santa Cruz. Then you will drive from Santa Cruz to Carmel to Yosemite?

I'm one of the "locals" that hates the Wharf & Pier 39. When I choose a place to stay in NYC, Paris, London, etc I want to be close to non-touristy restaurants I can walk to, close to unique & interesting shops I can browse through, I want to be surrounded by as many local residents and as few tourists as possible, and I want to be close to good public transportation. With these requirements in mind, the Wharf gets a 0 out of 10 rating from me, and the Embarcadero at the foot of market gets about a 8 rating. I would only go to the Wharf for 1 reason - to get away from the Wharf and:
1. ride the cable car to Union Square
2. Catch a boat to Alcatraz

IMO, the only attractions at the Wharf are the Musee Mechanic, Maritime Museum, and the Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty Ship.

Here is something I wrote awhile back about the Wharf;

I'm not a fan of the Wharf at all. I advise vacationers to visit other spots instead. The Wharf is OK for a place to stay, but IMHO it's the tackiest place I've ever seen (I vacation in Europe & other places 2-3 months each year). I was down there recently for a survey. It's worse than I remember from my last visit (I’m a SF native, and have lived in SF or very close by, for 42 of my almost 70 years). The storefronts were loaded with bracelets, hair bands, key chains, placards, etc with people’s first names on them. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I claim that more than 50% of the shops are T-shirt stores. On the main “Boardwalk” (on Jefferson between Leavenworth & Taylor) there are the trinket shops, the T-shirt stores, a McDonalds, In-N-Out Burger, Hooters, Wax Museum (featuring a wax statue of Brittany Spears out front), a Ripley’s believe-it-or-not , a place called “Rainforest Café” that looks like a theme restaurant but when I looked in, all I could see was t-shirts. I’m not just “cherry picking” the most “gawd-awful” places and describing them – what I just mentioned accounts for probably 85% of the stores along the Wharf Boardwalk. I did not make it over to the Ghirardelli Sq – I hopped on a cable car & got away from the Wharf as fast as possible. Also, there seems to be a lot more parking lots right in the middle of the Wharf than I remember – not very scenic at all. I drove down the Wharf about a month ago on a Saturday, and it was mobbed with tourists – and this is the off season.

Here is something I wrote many years ago and I call it "alternatives to the Wharf":

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

But with a 16 year old, the wharf area may be more fun.

Thanks for all the extra comments.

@Diamantina

yes that is right ..

So far I've only actually done three things :


19th June Elkhorn Monterey Bay Slough 2.5 hour guided tour

26th June - Extended Special Edition tour of Alcatraz (includes night tour)

That's it.

Plan is

18th - Fly in at 2pm get hire car,
drive to Santa Cruz, via the check out the boardwalk etc stay over
19th - Kayaking at Monterey Bay
20th - Drive to Yosemite and stay over
21st - Drive to Lake Tahoe
25th - Drive to San Francisco
28th - 7.30-pm fly home

Looking to book/do :

22-23 - various things around Lake Tahoe (mostly from advice here)
27th in the evening - go see the Giants play

The rest is 100% flexible.

I will go read Stu comments ...

@S7307 - thx for the LT recommendation

@Janisj - you sound like me re London. I am a born and bread South East London lad and it drives me crazy that people go to the middle of London and think that is all there is .. :-) , So I really appreciate you taking the time to advise me here.



Les

@michelleY - exactly .. Giants game, and Alcatraz .. and a look at these steps .. lots of eating. he's 6' 5" and a rower. He eats like a horse. He's actually 16 in the summer .. lol

also in SF

- bike ride
- Segway (am I mad) tour????
- Steps
- Coit Tower
- Cable car and lazy walk back down Lombard street

I'm going to be busy I think .. lol

OMG Stu Dudley - you have written an book .. I need to go hide and read this.

I don't like riding a bike in the city because of traffic, but lots of people do it. You might want to rent bikes and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, into Sausalito, then take the ferry back.

I was thinking a bike tour over the bridge and into Sausalito .. would that better controlled?

https://www.getyourguide.com/san-fra...iew_position=2

I agree - ride bikes through the Presidio and across the bridge -- not through the city.

As for what to do at Lake Tahoe -- the things in my first post will pretty much fill your 3 days there >>Sand Harbor, Emerald Bay (walk down - not just view from up on the highway), the Heavenly Valley Gondola from southshore, the MS Dixie from Zephyr cove, a day or half day trip to either Virginia City or Truckee, drive up to the top of the Mount Rose road from Incline Village . . . << and so on.

In between these places there are just tons of places to hike. The only thing you may want to pre-book is the MS Dixie but you can do that by phone the day before or that morning. Definitely pre-book if you plan to do it on the Saturday.

Janisj - thx

Just bike along the beautiful Crissy Field boardwalk to Ft Point. Then walk or ride the bikes up to the GG Bridge SF-side outdoor Bridge museum (very interesting), then across the GG Bridge to Sausalito, then ferry home. Do this on a week day if you want to ride your bikes on the San Francisco "view" side of the bridge - which you can only do on week-days. Do it in the afternoon for the best views of San Francisco. Friday June 23 would be the best day to do this because the interior of Ft Point is open Fri-Sun. https://www.nps.gov/fopo/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Stu Dudley

I recommend either a bike ride in Monterey or Yosemite or both. My teenage children enjoyed that greatly.

I took my 16 yr old daughter last year on this tour, she just thought it was great - there was a teen boy on the bus, same age, he enjoyed it as well:
http://sanfranciscolovetours.com/san...o-night-tours/

I am also someone who does not particularly care for the wharf area but it might interest a 16 yo, especially with the sea lions. My favorite hotel in San Francisco is also there at the Fairmont Heritage Place in Ghirardelli Square. The Hyatt in Embarcadero is ok, just a typical large 4 star hotel. I also prefer Monterey/Carmel to Lake Tahoe, perhaps stay there instead of Santa Cruz? Would be nice if Tioga pass were to be open by the end of June but who knows this year? Going over the top and down to Nevada through the pass is quite scenic and a good way to go to Lake Tahoe from Yosemite. Dim Sum at Yank Sing is quite good but boy has it gotten expensive over the years!