I will probably have to have separate threads for part of this trip but I want to get started on the real plans. I had previously started a thread about visiting Yosemite in October:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...r-yosemite.cfm

We have reservations for Yosemite Lodge at the Falls for a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, but I am going to change those. We will now arrive on Saturday and leave on Tuesday.
If I can't get YL then I will try for Wawona on Saturday night and keep our reservation for Sunday and Monday nights at the Lodge.

Right now, the plans look like this:

Saturday: fly PIT to Fresno, spend night at Yosemite.
Sunday and Monday, Yosemite
Tuesday: stay as late as possible then drive south for a few hours to spend the night on the way to Santa Barbara. Not sure of where to stay, but Fresno has lots of moderate chain hotels and we're just looking for a bed.

Wednesday , Thursday and Friday: I want to see the area between Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, but have no idea of where to stay. I am especially interested in the missions at Santa Barbara and Ventura. Also would like to take the 3 hour wildlife cruise to Channel Islands. This is a part of CA that neither my husband nor I have visited. We want to see the missions, anything historic, and natural beauty.

We don't drink and any shopping will just be incidental. Hiking will be more like longish walks. As I said, the focus will be on nature and the missions. We really like food and have found CA to be a good food destination in the past.

On Saturday, we will spend the day in Santa Monica to visit with family, and fly out of LAX on Sunday.

This is all new territory for me (we have been to many other areas of CA) and help is appreciated.

My only concern would be that the waterfalls will be dry in Yosemite. So, you might want to spend a day or half a day in Tuolomne Meadows area/high country part of Yosmite.

Be sure to go see Mariposa Grove before exiting the south entrance of Yosemite.
If all you need is a bed, stay in Oakhurst instead of Fresno.
Hotels in Santa Barbara tend to be expensive. DW and I stayed in Carpenteria when we visited our family that is living in student housing at UCSB.
Yes, visit the Mission and the zoo if you have the chance

I might do it a little differently. (I HATE staying in Fresno - had to a lot when I had a field office there back in the late 90's)

I'd drive straight through from Yosemite - not to Santa Barbara, but to San Luis Obispo. Or thereabouts.

Wawona to SLO takes about 4-ish hours. Stay the night there and the next morning head down the coast to SB.

IM(very)HO 4 hours in the car and a night on/near the coast would be 10,000% better than staying in Fresno (or Lemoore or Hanford or Coalinga or anywhere else in the southern San Joaquin Valley).

Yes, did not understand why you would choose Fresno. Would definitely make it to the coast that day and stay there.

If you have time maybe you can make it to one of the Farmer's Markets in the SB area: http://www.sbfarmersmarket.org/

I agree with Janis. Stay in San Luis Obispo or even Pismo Beach. There is a Mission San Miquel not too far from Paso Robles and SLO also has a very nice mission. Much better than staying in Fresno.

I'm a sucker for SLO, and if you leave early enough, you can hit a couple of missions before stopping the night. There's Mission San Miguel just north of SLO, on the 101. It is, for some reason, my favorite mission -- can't explain why, it just is. Then, there's a wonderful mission right in the middle of SLO. Many quaint restaurants near the mission as well.

Santa Barbara is a wonderful place to stay the night.

Have you thought of Ojai?

Wow, great feedback.

Starting from the bottom: Surfergirl, I have thought of Ojai, and we would like to visit the area, if briefly. I had a client there and became interested in the area. Are you suggesting it for a visit or a base?

Mission San Miguel, theN SLO sound very good.

Totally giving up on staying in Fresno or anywhere else. I'm checking distances from Yosemite to SLO. Husband wasn't wild about the long drive but if we can keep it to 4 hours that might be OK.

We are prepared for the dry waterfalls, but it does seem like there is plenty to see and enjoy at Yosemite, and this looks like our best time to get away.

Speaking of the mission in Ventura.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...naventura.html