West Coast where to go first
 

I am not ready yet but only because I can not make up my mind about where to go for the first time on West Coast? I want to be near waters. For about 7-10 days.
Any suggestions for beginning of planning?

I would say December of 2006 or next 2007 April?

Ziana, wherever you go you'll have to rent a car this time.

San Diego is a great town.

Fly into San Francisco and drive to Los Angeles, fly home from there.

If you have children, definately San Diego. It will be too cold to swim in the ocean in both Dec and April, if that influences your decision any. But the beach and tidepools will be nice.

Happy planning!

I agree that the best use of your time would be to spend it in San Francisco and on Highway 1 between San Francisco and LA. Possible stops along the way include Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, Cambria (to visit Hearst Castle), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and, in LA, Malibu and Santa Monica. There are also many other options.

Focus on San Diego or San Francisco. Yes the Central Coast (Pismo Beach up through Santa Cruz) is really nice. Typically, April would be nicer, but it varies from year to year.

No LA ? I am VERY surprised.
And I will not have to rent-a-car at no time, thanks GoTravel.
I will use taxicab as I always do.
Everyone including my husband should be on VACATION!!!

So San Diego, SF and I would love to include LA, is it too far from other 2?

I was actually very surprised that it'll be cold like that so we can't swim. We usually swim in FL in April.
Why is the big fuss then? LOL (it was A joke)

Nevermind my last post...I wasn't paying attention. Sorry.

I am choosing Fly into San Francisco and drive to Los Angeles, fly home from there.

Emily, why SD definitely if have children?

One more stupid question...how long is a drive between LA_SF_SD if you know, don't look it up for me, please.
Just if you know by heart.

THANKS....getting clearer

LA to San Francisco: 420 miles or so as the crow flies.

LA to San Diego: 130 miles or so.

SF to SD: The most direct route is a little over 500 miles. You'll bypass LA, as this most direct route is I-5 through CA's Central Valley. A coastal route will take you through LA, but will take at least another day or two to complete.

Those will be expensive cab rides. California is a HUGE state.

A lot of people will tell tourists to avoid LA, for the simple reason that it is much harder to grasp than either San Francisco or San Diego. SF is one "small" city of 49 square miles and infinite charm; San Diego is also one city, more spread out but one geopolitical entity (basically). What we all call "LA" is a complex geopolitical construct of two counties and over 100 cities spread out over 4,800 square miles. The whole world in one place, yet like nowhere else. Given your limited time here, I'd either focus on San Francisco and its surrounding communities OR greater Los Angeles plus San Diego (and understand you'll scratch the surface of this huge megalopolis) OR two days SF, coastal drive SF-LA over two days, then three days LA (add a day on each end if you like).

Also bear in mind: You can do SF without a car (as long as you stay in SF). You CANNOT do LA or SD efficiently without a car; it can be done, but you'll waste a lot of time and/or money with mass transit and/or cabs.

SD is great with kids, I live here with my two boys, 2 1/2 and 6. We regularly go to SeaWorld, SD Zoo, SD Wild Animal Park, Legoland, Balboa Park museums, Disneyland and of course, the beach. We were at the beach last week, Thursday and Friday, just playing in the sand, throwing rocks into the surf and jumping over the ankle high waves. The water is very cold, 56F! Even in July/Aug the water barely gets to 70F. It was a shock when we moved here from Cincinnati eight years ago.

San Francisco is a wonderful city, of course. The drive would be approx. SF to LA 5-6 hrs, non-stop. Then 2-3 from LA to SD.

Happy planning and have a great weekend!

You all killing me here!!! Thanks you though...
Water is 56F??? Emily! Are you sure? Go check again...lol I am totally gone out of my mind.

Ok, forget about CA...where do I go where all these movies are made where people totally live in forever Summer, at the bay and their kids surf after school and their life all THE BEACH!

Is it all Hollywood made for schmacks like me? ROFLMAO

That's southern California. People DO surf here year-round, cool or hot, rain or shine, thanks to a miraculous invention called a "wetsuit".

The ocean I'm looking at while I type this in Santa Monica is technically the northern Pacific, and the water stays relatively cool all year. Balmy southern Pacific water-- well, you have to head south for that. The climate here is closer to the Mediterranean than the Tropics (we couldn't have a world-class wine industry without the proper climate). And that's how we like it.

Our winters are normally cooler than our summers, and usually we get a little rain. This past winter, we had little rain and some oddly scorching winter days (80F days in December, 90F days in February), which we're now paying for in spring with a steady stream of little rainstorms and cooler-than-normal temperatures. If you want the "Endless Summer" visit, you MIGHT have a chance of that in April, but you're better off planning a visit in August or early September to have that kind of experience. Sorry....

Warmer now...and the place to fly to name would be...

I'm not that into LA Ziana, but 1st time on the west coast I guess you will have fun there too.

*sigh* Puerto Vallarta, maybe? Somewhere else in coastal Mexico?

Or you could simply head to southern Florida.

California is so much more than beaches, but it sounds like you don't want anything other than beaches, so given your proposed travel times, I'd head somewhere in the Tropics. Or the South Pacific.

I don't want to leave the country. Thanks

rjw: "Those would be expensive cab rides" LOL! Probably about $1000 just to get around LA to see the major attractions - not counting in dinner trips...

OK, folks, here's what I remember from Oceanography 101:

The currents in the Northern Hemisphere flow in a a clockwise direction. The currents in the Southern Hemisphere flow in a counterclockwise fashion.

So, with the equator as the dividing line between Northern and Southern Hemispheres, here's what happens:

The currents flow clockwise along the equator in the Northern Hemisphere and picks up equatorial warmth, thus, in the Atlantic, the beaches of the eastern US enjoy warm waters. The currents continue to carry the waters northward towards the Arctic, picking up cold water, which is why the beaches of Northern Europe are so cold. (Have you ever tried to swim in Wales?)

In the Pacific, it's the same clockwise motion in the Northern Hemisphere, taking the warm equatorial waters north to SE Asia, China and Japan. Continuing round the Arctic, it picks up cold water, and flows down along the West Coast of North America, which is why our waters here in California are so cold.

Same thing in the Southern Hemisphere, except that the currents flow in a counterclockwise direction, which is why the beaches of Ipenema and of Australia are so wonderful (aside from the beautiful people who populate them!).

Thank goodness for Oceanography 101, where I got an A because I learnt the names of 1000s of fish; 20% of the final was on fishes! (BTW, none of it was on ocean currents - LOL!)

Thanks for the answer to someone elses question. LOL

Ziana, easytraveler was kind enough to respond to YOUR post.



Author: Ziana
Date: 03/31/2006, 04:13 pm

You all killing me here!!! Thanks you though...
Water is 56F??? Emily! Are you sure? Go check again...lol I am totally gone out of my mind.

I thought you guys went talking geography, sorry. I just re-read it and I still don't get a squat! Maybe I am just not intelligent enough, so please, keep it simple folks for every one to understand, even me. Ok? Thanks
And what was with my post to Emily? We were laughing fine...

I think everyone has pretty much answered your questions but bottom line is if you want to spend time at the beach in California, come July-September and visit either LA, San Diego or Orange County. Laguna Beach would be good to see the California life style you are talking about.

Ziana;

You were amazed that the ocean water in California was so cold, too cold to swim in.

Easytraveler explained to you the geographical reason why the water is cold in the Pacific Ocean and why it is so warm in the Atlantic ocean.