Where in California?
 

My teen daughter has requested to go to California this summer. I have only been to San Diego as a child. Need suggestions. We will probably go on Friday and return on Tuesday. That works well with work schedule.....so short trip. I am thinking June or late May.....depending on college summer school schedule which is not posted yet.

I am considering San Francisco or San Diego .....

**If my teenage son goes along, he is not big city type .....into outdoors. Need ideas for that option also. Would consider longer trip if we chose this option.

joebear:
I love San Francisco and I think would be a better option specially if your son goes. There are lots of options for outdoor things to do. Muir Woods is close by, Sausalito, there is also a park right next to Golden Gate Bridge (just a few suggestions) Hope this helps Gina

Los Angeles would work for the same reasons, and the weather would probably be better. Ocean, Griffith Park, Santa Monica National Recreation Area, Catalina for your son. More and better museums, shopping, Hollywood, amusement parks for your daughter. Three days isn't much time, and I hope you aren't talking about Memorial Day weekend...

Why does your daughter want to go to California? What does she want to do?

I would think Los Angeles, Santa Monica area would be fine for such a visit. Or maybe Newport Beach area.

Is she looking for sun and beaches? If so, San Francisco would be a bad choice.

Although I prefer SF to Southern California, teenagers would probably prefer San Diego or LA area. This is what they see on TV and movies and want that experience. Sun, beaches etc.

Not interested in beach. Will do weekend close to home.

I think she just wants to see it....no reason in particular.

Just got back from DC so museums are not high on list.

No not Memorial Day weekend....

What is there to do in Santa Monica?

California is like 5 or 6 states - w/ so many different areas/climates/attractions.

Do you/she/he want mountains (Tahoe or Yosemite)? Redwoods (several places in the far north and near SF)? Theme parks? Coastal scenery? Shopping? or something else?

"where to go in California?" is sort of like "where to go in Italy?" -- too many choices. So maybe get a guide book and let her get some general ideas and then we can help you refine the itinerary.

I like the idea of giving her a guide book.

With only 3 days, she certainly isn't going to "see California".

If you want an efficient (minimum travel time between sites) & car free visit - San Francisco would be my choice.

Stu Dudley

I like the guide book idea - or you can check out travel shows online. That might be even better to help you guys narrow things down. hulu.com has a bunch of travel shows you can watch and it is free. Netflix also has travel DVDs and may have some in the "watch instantly" section too.

Since your daughter doesn't have a particular reason to go to California other than to go, I think that by checking out some guidebooks or travel showes, she can see what appeals to her and then you can go from there. All the ideas given so far are great - just a matter of tailoring the trip to your family's interests.

San Francisco with a few side trips, if you haven't been to Yosemite, plan to visit! Also Lake Tahoe is a beautiful area.

You don't have to fly to SFO only, check also OAK especially for Southwest. Both connected to the city by BART, depending on location of your hotel.

Hands down San Francisco. There's so much to do and you don't need a car. We took our kids on a private tour of the city that went out to the Muir Woods as well. They loved SF.

Southern California is too much about driving around. Takes hours to get anywhere.

Thanks, will read up on San Francisco. High on list since my hubby or I neither have been.

Will fly and won't get a rental car.

NO on the amusement parks too. Rather see the city and sights.

How far is Yosemite?

I realize not many days but work calls....We find shorter trips through out the year work best for us. Probably will extend to 4 nights.

Yosemite is about a 4-hour drive from the city, as is Lake Tahoe. With only 4 days, though, I wouldn't recommend that -- there are plenty of outdoor spaces a lot closer to the city. If you have 4 full days and want to get out of the city, I'd recommend you drive down the coast as far as Big Sur, and turn around and come back. Here's a link to a report on a similar day-trip we did (we live a little south of SF) over Labor Day Weekend:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...t-part-way.cfm

Here are my ideas about things to "do & see" in San Francisco & surrounds

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=35129049

Stu Dudley

for such a short trip and with your interests in cities and such and since you have never been to SF, I would definitely vote for san francisco. And, I live in San Diego.

If you aren't going to rent a car, then I think SF would be my choice too. San Diego is ok without a car too, although not as easy to get around in as SF. And for such a short trip, I'd stick to SF rather than making day trips.

With your time limitations, I'm sure you could find plenty to do in San Franicsco to fill the trip and still leave wanting more! In addition to the Stu Dudley suggestions as well as your guidebook explorations, you might consider picking up a copy of Stairway Walks in San Francisco. These walks are my new obsession. Even if you choose to do only one of them, you will see SF in a completely unique way, and each walk only takes about an hour or an hour and a half. It's like going on a treasure hunt!

I plug the Stairway Walks in my "suggestions". They will take you to some nooks & crannies that you won't find by yourself.

Stu Dudley

San Diego area hands down and come in late May..
Outdoors and gorgeous beaches are our MO.
great deals before the summer and La Jolla/Coronado are great areas for kids.
Kayaking, boogie boarding, snorkeling, hiking on cliffs at Torrey Pines..
Come for 4-5 days and then come back in September when the ocean water is warm, the hotel rates are down and not so many tourists in town.
expedia.com usually has some great deals and a good place to get some ideas too.

www.sandiego.org
www.hoteldel.com
www.thegrandecolonial.com

"I think she just wants to see it....no reason in particular."

Maybe the question you should ask her is, "when you think of California, what do you think about?"

If she thinks lying on a pretty beach, San Diego. It would be good for your son too. Oh, just saw ksucat's answer. So, for all the reasons in ks' answer. Both kids would be sastified, unless you daughter wants something with more museums, shopping etc.

Any suggestions on hotels/accommodations in San Diego?

There are so many great places, joebear. I personally love the Estancia hotel. It has an elegant Santa Fe feel to it. The Lodge at Torrey Pines is lovely and very San Diego with ocean views....it is also probably very costly. There may be reasonable deals for the Estancia. The Grand Del Mar is very posh but not near the ocean. It does have a wow effect though, also pricey.

I think the nicest time to come is July, August and September. September is particularly marvelous because it is less crowded. May and June can be a bit overcast.

I did a little research for you, joebear. Looks like Estancia is about $240 per night for end of July and first week of August. It is the number 5 ranked hotel on Trip Advisor. I looked up the top ten advised hotels out of curiosity and it is so interesting..... I don't agree with that list at all! I can extrapolate that to when I travel to other cities.

here is the list:

1. Hotel Parisi
77 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 19, 2010
2. Empress Hotel of La Jolla
129 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 14, 2010
3. The Grande Colonial La Jolla
144 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 18, 2010
4. The Lodge at Torrey Pines
150 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 19, 2010
5. Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
6. Holiday Inn Express La Jolla
78 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 6, 2010
7. La Valencia Hotel
96 Reviews
Last reviewed Feb 2, 2010
8. La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club
27 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 4, 2010
9. Travelodge La Jolla Beach
54 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 15, 2010
10. La Jolla Inn
116 Reviews

For a the type of stay your are describing San Francisco wins.

here is their listing for hotels in san diego: the ones I agree with are the #1 which is the Grand del mar, the Omni, Se, and Hotel Solamar. Of these the Solamar is the best deal, most affordable.... under $190/night. It is a Kimpton boutique hotel right smack in the happening downtown district called the Gaslamp. It is also a great choice.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/HACSearch...nameContains:S

You've already been to San Diego, and you indicatd that you're are not interested in beach stuff - and then you asked for hotel recs for San Diego. I'm curious - why wouldn't you want to see other areas of California???

Stu Dudley

I live in Orange County and think for this trip I would vote for SF. There is a strong chance the weather might not be good in May or June in San Diego - (one of my favorite cities in the entire world).

If you do opt for SF - I would stay in Union Square. I took my 16 year old dd there for her birthday in August and we had a great weekend!

If you opt for SD I would stay downtown - the US Grant is one of my favorite properties but I think you might like the Hyatt Manchester <sp> with the sweeping views and the water right there.

StuDudley....

I failed to mention we would like to see the pandas.

I am going to research both and see what would work best with the work/class schedule.

THanks everyone for all the ideas. I look to reading all the ideas. Will print and make pot of coffee....ponder it all.

If you are not renting a car, San Diego is not a good choice.

Your best option is SF.

joebear

Pandas? You should have seen them while in DC.

But, if you are set on seeing them, San Diego is a great option. I would think kids would be more interested in SoCal than NoCal. There's the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Disneyland, Universal Studios, and don't forget - Legoland.

http://www.legoland.com/California.htm

The only real question is "are five days enough time?"

Oh,we did see them in DC!!!

Have already seen them in Atlanta and Memphis.

Not interested in the parks....just the pandas.