Yosemite and San Jose with a 3 yr old
 

At some point in 2004 we will travel to San Jose to visit family. We would like to take a few days from our familial obligation to see Yosemite. How long will it take to drive between San Jose and Yosemite? If it is more than 2 or 3 hours, is there someplace fun we can stop? I doubt our son, who will be 3 by the time we travel, will be able to sit still in a car for extended periods. Also, we have great flexibility regarding when we travel. We are leaning toward either May or September/October. Any suggestions?

Yosemite is about a 4 hour drive from San Jose. There are a couple of different routes that you can take. Unfortunately there are not too many places to stop along the way.

The first route is 680/580/205/120. A good place to stop along this route would be around Tracy. There are a number of chain restaurants in the area. I believe that there is an In 'N Out burger in Tracy. If you are not familiar with In 'N Out, there burgers are excellent, but a bit on the greasy side. They cut even their own potatos for the french fries. Can't get much fresher than that.

An alternative route is 101/152/140. The drive time is about the same. If you take this route I would recommend stopping at Casa De Fruta in Hollister. There's a restaurant along with fruit stands, wine tasting, rides and a zoo for the kids, etc.


http://www.casadefruta.com/index.html

Oops, I pressed reply too early.

In answer to your question about when to go, I think May would be better than either Sept./Oct. The waterfalls will be impressive in May due to the melting of the snow from the mountains.

I agree with Jacksen about the travel times, routes and stops.

Of the 2, I prefer the route through Hwy 140, esspecially if you are travelling in the spring because the route takes you along the Merced river for quite aways and in the spring it is really spectacular in places. Plus there are tons of wild flowers along the way. This also might be more relaxing with a 3 year old, since Hwy 120 is pretty steep and curvey in some places. Something to consider depending on how well your child travels.

Another route, which is longer would be to head down to the south entrance. This route brings you into the valley by way of Tunnel View, which is a spectacular view of the entire valley from a vista point after you pass through a tunnel. Very impressive.

Casa de Fruta is a great place to stop - we always stop there whether we are tired or not.

Further on, there are a couple non-descript towns, but you can really stop anywhere along the way to let the kid out for some exercise, so as long as you bring your own snacks and drinks, it shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for the information. How much additional time would be added if we took the south entrance? Also, if we went in June rather than May, would the crowds be simply unbearable?

June is the beginning of the tourist season. If you go in early June before most of the schools are out it should not be too bad. By the middles of the month it does get quite busy. No matter what time of year you plan on going, I would make reservations now for next year. It is not uncommon for hotels to book up to 1 year in advance, especially during the summer.

When making reservations, try to stay in a place in the valley (Ahwahnee, Yosemite Lodge, or Curry Village). If you stay outside the valley it's about a 40 minute dirve each way to the valley floor.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/default.cfm

I would guess that going through the south entrance will add about an hour to your trip. That's a guess though since I don't pay that much attention to driving times. You could plot it out on a map through and check the mileage difference.

As for time to visit, like the other posters have suggested, definitely May over Sep/Oct. In early May, you may even experience 3 weathers (sun, snow & rain) in 3 days which will make your trip and photos more interesting & beautiful! In June, the river level and fall are at their max. Right, but don't wait till school vacation time.

As for route, definitely **NOT** 120, IMHO. It's treacherous at some points and the driver will be very tired. On the otherhand, 140 is easy and pleasant, especially when you are entering the park along River Merced. In Spring, you will see people rafting in the river. Route 41 from the south may take longer, but I heard that it has more places to stop for the kids to rest. It's not a bad idea to take 41 if you are planning to see the Redwood anyway.

FYI, when we drove on 140 from San Jose, it took ~3 hours (without kids) for us to get there.