I'm in the EARLY initial research stages of our 2011 Summer vacation. We're from Charleston, SC and have family in Las Vegas. We were thinking we would possibly fly to LAS and rent a car from there (while seeing family for a day/night, of course....) and then drive to Yosemite and then onto San Francisco.

We're a family of 5 (kids will be ages 7, 6 and 3). They're GREAT car travelers - so we aren't concerned about that - and by the looks of it - it'd be 7 hours for the first leg and then 4 hours onto San Fran.

"On paper" this all looks do-able. Is it really?
Fly to LAS on a Sun.
Leave LAS on Mon
Spend......2? nights at Yosemite
Drive to SFO (Wed)
Spend......2? 3? nights in SFO
Drive back to LAS in one day (11 hours) (Friday - or Saturday if we make it a 2 day trip back)
Sunday fly back home

Is this do-able and still be able to see things? We've been to San Fran before but it's been a few years (before children). And what are the big things for kids to do there?

Just thinking "out loud" right now.

Thanks!

To me, it's definitely do-able, but have you considered flying home from San Francisco instead of returning to Las Vegas?

The kids will love San Francisco - the Exploratorium is a fabulous hands-on museum, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, take a ferry or bay cruise somewhere, hang out at Fisherman's Wharf and in Chinatown.

I'd prefer to fly back from SFO. If we rent a car from Vegas though the drop charge in San Fran for the rental will be a huge cost to factor in. We've invited the family that lives there in Vegas to go with us - so maybe they'd be willing to drive the rental back.

Is Yosemite really worth a stop with the kids? And if so, will 2 nights there be enough? Too much?

Thanks!

The kids will love the waterfalls, the river and climbing over the boulders in Yosemite.
How do you plan to get to YNP? The most scenic route is more than 70 hours. My preferred route, if time permits, goes from LV to Parhump, NV than across Death Valley to Lone Pine. North on 395 to 120 and across Tigoa Pass into the Park and Tuolumne Meadows. Then on down to the Valley.
Going out the shortest way to SF is 120 through Oakdale to 580 into the BAy area.
Your alternate is I-15 to Barstow, 58 to Bakersfield, 99 to Freson and 41 into the Park....not a pretty drive.
From SF back to LV is you have to drive, I-5 to the Bakersfield exit, SR 58 though Bakersfield and Mojave before cathing I-15 at Barstow. Be aware traffic in 15 is almost always very heavy....weekends in particular, and there is frequent road construction to slow you down.

Yosemite is great with kids and I wouldn't spend any less than 2 nights there. I'd spend more time there if you've got it (like if you could get out of the long drive back to LV).

What about this: fly in and out of SFO and convince the relatives to meet you there Who wants to go to LV in the middle of the summer anyway?