Trip in July to San Francisco and Coast
Jan 7th, 2002, 12:54 PM
#1
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Trip in July to San Francisco and Coast
I am travelling with my family in early July to San Fracisco and down coast to Monterey and Santa Barbara. Plan to take 11 days. My sons are ages 13 and 16. What do you recommend for accomodations and attractions. Will definitely see Giants in SF.
Jan 7th, 2002, 01:21 PM
#2
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Simone, you and your boys are in for a treat at the new Pac Bell ballpark. Here are a few suggestions for your trip that come to mind immediately. I might think of more later. Also, have a look at the thread with suggestions for what to do with an 11-year old in SF -- lots of those things will be fun for your kids too.
Quick list:
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Surf Museum in Santa Cruz
Tide pools at the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve in Half Moon Bay.
Stay at the Madonna Inn near San Luis Obispo, particularly the Cave Room.
Hit the beach in Santa Barbara, and rent bikes to tool around UCSB and Isla Vista -- it will be somewhat deserted during summer but that was enough to convince me to keep my grades up in high school if it meant I could go to such a beautiful place for college!
I'll keep thinking on it.
Quick list:
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Surf Museum in Santa Cruz
Tide pools at the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve in Half Moon Bay.
Stay at the Madonna Inn near San Luis Obispo, particularly the Cave Room.
Hit the beach in Santa Barbara, and rent bikes to tool around UCSB and Isla Vista -- it will be somewhat deserted during summer but that was enough to convince me to keep my grades up in high school if it meant I could go to such a beautiful place for college!
I'll keep thinking on it.
Jan 8th, 2002, 11:57 AM
#3
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If you want to go to Alcatraz you will need advance tickets any time of year. It can be very cool in SF in July, so pack warm jackets if planning a night game at PacBell. Best places to stay in SF are along Market Street, look for something in South of Market, Yerba Buena Gardens area or Union Square. Drive along Highway 1 for the journey. It is a bit longer, but definitely the way to go. Along I-5 or US 101 is quite boring and flat. Paso Robles and Cambria are two nice places south of Monterey. Cambria is a good place to stay for a trip up to Hearst Castle, just north of Santa Barbara. The further south you go, the warmer the beaches get. Check out Pismo Beach if you get the chance.
Jan 8th, 2002, 01:07 PM
#5
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If you will have a car in SF then I'd highly recommend the Hotel Del Sol in the Marina. They have free parking and an outdoor pool -- it might be warm enough in SF in July for the kids to take a dip. It's walking distance to a ton of restaurants, a movie house and Crissy Field. It's a longer walk to Fisherman's Wharf and the ferries that can take you to Alcatraz. You can get a suite with a sofa bed in the living area for a fairly reasonable rate. Granted, it is on the opposite side of the city from PacBell Park but you can take public transportation to the park from anywhere in the city.
Jan 8th, 2002, 11:36 PM
#7
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Lots of good suggestions! A few more to add for SF:
(1) Angel Island -- a beautiful island state park smack dab in the middle of SF Bay. You can take a boat there from Pier 41 or from Sausalito or Tiburon (both in Marin Co.). There's great hiking there, and you can also rent mountain bikes and, I believe, sea kayaks there. Fantastic 360-degree views of the entire Bay and lots of interesting history too. One of my personal favorites.
(2) Alcatraz, of course -- go on the Night Tour, not the day tour. The Night Tour is a few bucks more but is well worth the money for the much smaller crowds and the spooky atmosphere at night, as well as the special tours (including behind-the-scenes tours) offered only at night. Be warned, though -- buy tickets 7-10 days in advance! You can buy over the phone or on the web.
(3) Hiking anywhere in Big Sur is fantastic. If you stop in Big Sur State Park, ask for directions to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Beach, I believe it's called, which is one of the most spectacular (but hidden) beaches I've ever been to. It was the one used in "From Here to Eternity."
Enjoy!
(1) Angel Island -- a beautiful island state park smack dab in the middle of SF Bay. You can take a boat there from Pier 41 or from Sausalito or Tiburon (both in Marin Co.). There's great hiking there, and you can also rent mountain bikes and, I believe, sea kayaks there. Fantastic 360-degree views of the entire Bay and lots of interesting history too. One of my personal favorites.
(2) Alcatraz, of course -- go on the Night Tour, not the day tour. The Night Tour is a few bucks more but is well worth the money for the much smaller crowds and the spooky atmosphere at night, as well as the special tours (including behind-the-scenes tours) offered only at night. Be warned, though -- buy tickets 7-10 days in advance! You can buy over the phone or on the web.
(3) Hiking anywhere in Big Sur is fantastic. If you stop in Big Sur State Park, ask for directions to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Beach, I believe it's called, which is one of the most spectacular (but hidden) beaches I've ever been to. It was the one used in "From Here to Eternity."
Enjoy!
Jan 8th, 2002, 11:40 PM
#8
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Lots of good suggestions! A few more to add for SF:
(1) Angel Island -- a beautiful island state park smack dab in the middle of SF Bay. You can take a boat there from Pier 41 or from Sausalito or Tiburon (both in Marin Co.). There's great hiking there, and you can also rent mountain bikes and, I believe, sea kayaks there. Fantastic 360-degree views of the entire Bay and lots of interesting history too. One of my personal favorites.
(2) Alcatraz, of course -- go on the Night Tour, not the day tour. The Night Tour is a few bucks more but is well worth the money for the much smaller crowds and the spooky atmosphere at night, as well as the special tours (including behind-the-scenes tours) offered only at night. Be warned, though -- buy tickets 7-10 days in advance! You can buy over the phone or on the web.
(3) Hiking anywhere in Big Sur is fantastic. If you stop in Big Sur State Park, ask for directions to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Beach, I believe it's called, which is one of the most spectacular (but hidden) beaches I've ever been to. It was the one used in "From Here to Eternity."
Enjoy!
(1) Angel Island -- a beautiful island state park smack dab in the middle of SF Bay. You can take a boat there from Pier 41 or from Sausalito or Tiburon (both in Marin Co.). There's great hiking there, and you can also rent mountain bikes and, I believe, sea kayaks there. Fantastic 360-degree views of the entire Bay and lots of interesting history too. One of my personal favorites.
(2) Alcatraz, of course -- go on the Night Tour, not the day tour. The Night Tour is a few bucks more but is well worth the money for the much smaller crowds and the spooky atmosphere at night, as well as the special tours (including behind-the-scenes tours) offered only at night. Be warned, though -- buy tickets 7-10 days in advance! You can buy over the phone or on the web.
(3) Hiking anywhere in Big Sur is fantastic. If you stop in Big Sur State Park, ask for directions to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Beach, I believe it's called, which is one of the most spectacular (but hidden) beaches I've ever been to. It was the one used in "From Here to Eternity."
Enjoy!
Jan 9th, 2002, 04:00 AM
#9
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Above are good suggestions - we were there a year 1/2 ago with kids just slightly younger. We did not bring enough warm clothes - being from Boston we thought we knew about cool and changeable weather, but we froze seeing the fireworks on July 4. If it will be over 7/4, they had great fireworks over Fisherman's Wharf. I know it is tacky and touristy - but my kids liked the Fisherman's Wharf area. We were not able to get Alcatraz tickets upon arrival, even though we were staying a full week. Ended up buying a city tour which included Alcatraz just so we could go. You can buy Giants tickets ahead, but I don't know if it is necessary.
Jan 9th, 2002, 04:28 AM
#10
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I'd suggest the Exploratorium (science museum), it's near the GG Bridge.
Also,
-Muir Woods
-Horsebackriding on the beach in Half Moon Bay
-the Haight
-Aquarium in Golden Gate park (if you don't make Monterey)
-Chinatown (maybe also Dim Sum lunch)
-Bike across GG bridge
-take ferry to Sausalito
Go to th library and get some books and they may have videos too (mine did).
Make sure to get lunch at Swan Oyster Depot if you guys like shellfish.
There's so much to do! I was also there in July and it was down right cold. I checked the weather and at that particular moment, San Francisco was the coldest major city in the US including Fairbanks, AK.
Also,
-Muir Woods
-Horsebackriding on the beach in Half Moon Bay
-the Haight
-Aquarium in Golden Gate park (if you don't make Monterey)
-Chinatown (maybe also Dim Sum lunch)
-Bike across GG bridge
-take ferry to Sausalito
Go to th library and get some books and they may have videos too (mine did).
Make sure to get lunch at Swan Oyster Depot if you guys like shellfish.
There's so much to do! I was also there in July and it was down right cold. I checked the weather and at that particular moment, San Francisco was the coldest major city in the US including Fairbanks, AK.
Jan 9th, 2002, 09:39 AM
#12
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Took my family with young daughters (10 and 7) to California two summers ago for a similar trip, I also go there frequently on business.
Here are some thoughts:
1) Have a great time - focus on enjoying yourselfs and just one or two things in each place - don't feel like you have todo everything!!!
2) SF: Dinner at Nan Kings; Cable Car and citi bus tour where you can get off at some sites to walk around; and Giaradhelli (forgive spelling) square for best chocalate in US! Go for a sundae - put the diet aside! My wife said the modern museum was disappointing compared to the one in NY; particularly for kids.
Also, the tech museum in San Jose was pretty cool -we went twice! Its about an hour or more from San Fran, but gives you the Silicon Valley feel!
3) Monterey, be sure to see the big glass wall downstairs, we missed it! There is a great breaksfast place on the walking path - try the hot vanilla! And bike ride on the path/coast
4) Going south on Rte 1 should be great,we had fog in early August, so you never have guaranteed views, but we enjoyed it regardless
5) San Luis Obispo is a nice lunch stop on the way down.
Jan 9th, 2002, 10:29 AM
#13
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Hi Simone:
I'm glad to hear that you will be visiting the beautiful SF Bay Area. The only thing I have to say about weather is this (everything else was said already): even if it's warm at noon in July, does NOT mean it will stay warm. Please, bring layers. It cool off from about 1-2pm until 5pm due to the fog (watching the fog roll over the hills is one of the great SF treats.
Ok, onto my next point. Why not come across the bay with your sons and visit us in Berkeley one of the days you are here!! I'd recommend a weekend day if at all possible, much more going on. It's a great city, and I think two teenage sons would enjoy Telegraph Avenue. It's very "alternative". Lots of street vendors, cool music stores, and all sorts of people and things you'll never find in most cities. I think it's the kind of area two teenage boys will appreciate.
For the adults, the university (University of California - Berkeley) has a gorgeous campus. It's so beautiful to walk around. And from the right places, you can get some views across the bay to SF, and the Golden Gate. There are also some great bookstores on Telegraph Avenue, inlcuding my favorite in the whole world, Cody's.
Anyway, if you want some more info about Berkeley (or the bay area in general), feel free to email me: [email protected]
I'm glad to hear that you will be visiting the beautiful SF Bay Area. The only thing I have to say about weather is this (everything else was said already): even if it's warm at noon in July, does NOT mean it will stay warm. Please, bring layers. It cool off from about 1-2pm until 5pm due to the fog (watching the fog roll over the hills is one of the great SF treats.
Ok, onto my next point. Why not come across the bay with your sons and visit us in Berkeley one of the days you are here!! I'd recommend a weekend day if at all possible, much more going on. It's a great city, and I think two teenage sons would enjoy Telegraph Avenue. It's very "alternative". Lots of street vendors, cool music stores, and all sorts of people and things you'll never find in most cities. I think it's the kind of area two teenage boys will appreciate.
For the adults, the university (University of California - Berkeley) has a gorgeous campus. It's so beautiful to walk around. And from the right places, you can get some views across the bay to SF, and the Golden Gate. There are also some great bookstores on Telegraph Avenue, inlcuding my favorite in the whole world, Cody's.
Anyway, if you want some more info about Berkeley (or the bay area in general), feel free to email me: [email protected]
Jan 11th, 2002, 09:13 AM
#15
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I'd definitely stop in Carmel, and check out 17 mile drive. The houses, sights, and golf courses are amazing. I was just at the Mystery Spot (in santa cruz) and it was worth the stop. I'm sure your kids would like it. Somehow they can make a person seem taller/shorter then they really are..some other cool things going on at the spot.
