Trip to Cali help

[whoopazz]

We're planning our summer trip and this year the kiddies (their actually adults now) want to check out California. We'll have about a week in July and I definitely want to see Yosemite for at least two days. Flights are cheapest into Oakland or San Jose so that will be the travel base. Sooo, lets say we hit San Fran for a couple days and spend a couple at Yosemite. The wife wants to explore the coast for a couple days. My questions are, should we explore the coast north or South of San Fran, and are we nuts to think we can spread it out this much (I'm sure we could easily spend the whole week in Yosemite/Seqouia or just the San Fran area). Any Huddle advice?

 

ETA, when exploring, we like scenic vistas, outdoorsy stuff and nice villages to explore. Not so much into big crowds (I know, good luck with that), glitzky overpriced crap, celebs, and other touristy trap stuff. Thanks,

Edited January 24, 2010 by whoopazz

[Bier Meister]

the north is charming (pt. reyes, mendacino, ft. bragg, sea ranch etc.), but i think you might enjoy south a little more:

- half moon bay

- santa cruz

- monterrey

- carmel (easily one of my favorite towns..... a lot of fairy tale cottages, good food, beaches and wineries are close)

- big sur

 

as you mentioned, you can spend a lot of time in each area. iirc yosemite is about 2-3 hours from sf (depending on what part of the park you would be seeing.

 

when your decision is more concrete, i'd be happy to give you individual req's for the areas you choose.

[detlef]

I will say this, Yosemite is a bit of a schlep from the Bay Area, so I wouldn't try to do both. If you're hell bent on that, then just make it a trip to the mountains and hit some of the cool towns in the foothills (there's some pretty cool wine regions up that way).

 

Otherwise, you'll waste a day getting there and back.

 

Maybe it's because it was always different for me because I lived along the coast south of SF, I actually think it would be more fun to go north. Mount Tam, Sonoma, Inverness... If I can remember, there's a great company out of Oalala (sp?) that does vacation rentals right along the Sonoma coast.

 

I think the biggest problem going south is that the towns are larger, so it's not that quaint. Sure, the coast Hwy south of Carmel is breathtaking but heading south from Santa Cruz to Carmel is just not that pretty (at least the drive itself) It's pretty much major hwy going through large scale agriculture. I do agree with Bier though, that Carmel itself is great. Get a drink at the Mission Ranch Inn overlooking Carmel River Beach.

[Bier Meister]

it may be a "grass is always green" situation. before moving to colorado, we live in marin for about 8 years. i adore sonoma/napa... and like the sonoma coast, but i viewed it as a retreat. we'd take walks on the beach and stay in and read. very scenic, but i felt that the towns were very similar and didn't believe there was a lot of activity or "things to do." in july, there will be more people in both areas...and prob more to the south.

[JoJoTheWebToedBoy]

Took a trip North about 3 years ago. Used Shelter Cove as my base for exploring the Redwoods and what is called "The Lost Coast". I really enjoyed it.... Plus I stopped in Napa for a day on the way back.

 

This year I spend 4 days traveling south from San Francisco to San Diego. The ride was great, Stopped in Montery, Santa Barbara (I am going to go back there and spend a little more time), and San Diego, but in July, it's going to be crowded.

 

If your into hiking.... I'd go north.

[Jimmy Neutron]

I'm moving to northern Cal in the next few months and will be traveling back and forth meanwhile. If I see anything noteworthy, I'll shoot you a note...

[whoopazz]

Bier's post got me thinkin about this again. More details:

 

Last week of July (probably 10 days ). Going to San Fran for 3 or 4 days, staying on Sutter St. Planning to mostly browse around town, GG Park, and Presidio and eat good food. Any can't miss activities that aren't tourist traps? Alcatraz worth it?

 

Then doing a quick two day/one night drive through Napa area, then off to Yosemite for four or five days of hiking, may hit Sequoia as time permits.

 

Pointers appreciated.

[Bier Meister]

popping out for mother's b-day. will offer some recs when i get back this evening.

[Gopher]

A few quick thoughts:

 

- Take an hour or so, while in SF, to check out the GG Bridge. It's phenomenal, and just driving across doesn't do it justice. It is somewhat of a tourist "trap", so to speak (in that there are always a lot of tourists there), but it doesn't cost a lot to park (the parking lot on the South side of the bridge has meters that cost something like 25 cents per 15 minutes). So, you can literally get in/out for just a couple of dollars, in an hour's time or so. If you want to actually walk across the entire bridge (which a lot of people do), it's going to take a little longer... A brisk walker will take a good 45 minutes to go across and back, but most people who do so will stop at various points on the bridge, for pictures, or just to stop and take in the sights. So, if you're into walking, you can walk the bridge, including stopping for a few minutes here and there, in about an hour).

 

Unless you want to go into Marin County, I would avoid driving across the bridge... The parking lots on the North end of the bridge are free, but you'll pay a $6 toll to get back across. Not a big deal, but like I said, unless you're going into Marin County anyway, you might as well park in the South lots (signs on 101 North will say "Last exit before GG Bridge") and see it from that end.

 

- Alcatraz - DEFINITELY worth seeing... as long as it sounds like something that would interest you. I find that kind of stuff (prisons, famous criminals, etc.) very interesting... I've been on the tour 3-4 times, and I have enjoyed it every time. The last time I went, I took the night tour, which is supposedly the best one. Honestly, I don't think it was really any better than seeing the island during the day, but since I had already done so multiple times, I decided to check it out after dark. If you've never been before, I would save a few bucks and just reserve a day tour... You will be able to see more (view of the city from the island is spectacular), and it's probably easier to get tickets.

 

- Pier 39 - Bunch of overpriced shops, restaurants, etc. Doesn't cost anything to walk through and browse, but beware of the salt water taffy at the end of the Pier... Stuff is addicting, has about 40 flavors to choose from, and costs about $40/pound. I can honestly say that, the last time I walked out of that store, I held a $25 bag of candy in my hand. The Pier is pretty cool/interesting, but if you choose to skip any of the three I have mentioned, this would be my choice. If you miss it, you're not missing much... Some nice views of the Bay, as well as sea lions and stuff, but nothing you won't see by doing the Alcatraz tour. If you do stop by the Pier, beware of the parking lots right next to it... Some of them charge about $20 to park for the day. Trust me, you won't need to park for the day... After an hour or two (at the most), you will be ready to leave. Park on the street with the meters instead (for just a few bucks).

 

For all of the above, I would try to plan them on a weekday, if you can, rather than a Saturday. Alcatraz and the GG Bridge are both busy 365 days a week, but they'll be far worse on a weekend. Same with Pier 39 (which is by far the biggest tourist trap of the three)... Crazy busy on the weekends, but not as bad during the week. All three are very close to each other, so hitting them in the same day works best. In fact, if you can, I would try to plan them in this order:

 

- Drive north on 101 and get off on the last exit before the bridge... Park and see the bridge.

- Take 101 back to the South, which turns into Lombard Street... Follow Lombard Street straight until you hit the part of it that is world famous (for the incline/crazy back-and-forth zig-zag, etc.). Kids will enjoy the 2-minute trip down the hill... just watch out for all of the Asian tourists taking pictures, as they tend to walk right in the middle of the street sometimes. Once you get to the bottom of that portion of Lombard, you are very close to the piers... Head left (North) and find a parking spot.

- Check out Pier 39 (if you want) before or after Alcatraz... they're within walking distance of each other.

- Alcatraz - Get tickets well in advance, as they frequently sell out more than two weeks in advance. Bring a camera, jacket, and maybe even an umbrella. Make sure you eat beforehand... No food on the island.

 

I'll post more if I think of anything.

[darin3]

Bier's post got me thinkin about this again. More details:

 

Last week of July (probably 10 days ). Going to San Fran for 3 or 4 days, staying on Sutter St. Planning to mostly browse around town, GG Park, and Presidio and eat good food. Any can't miss activities that aren't tourist traps? Alcatraz worth it?

 

Then doing a quick two day/one night drive through Napa area, then off to Yosemite for four or five days of hiking, may hit Sequoia as time permits.

 

Pointers appreciated.

Looks like Gopher (and later, Bier) will have you covered in terms of the Bay.

 

In terms of Yosemite, I've only been there once, and not sure how much you're going to "rough it", but I recommend a few things: Curry Village wasn't too bad. The weather should be nice and warm in July, so the tent should be nice at night. Just hope that you're not next to some snorers. They have a nice eating area, a stage with some entertainment, shops, etc. Definitely closest to the nicer hikes.

 

If you really wanna pimp out, stay at the Ahwahnee for a night. If nothing else, go grab dinner on their back patio. That place is awesome.

 

But my best recommendation would probably be The Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. Pretty much "in the middle" in terms of lodging. It's down at the end of all the action, but a quick walk to a few good hikes and the shopping/restaurants.

Edited May 16, 2010 by darin3

[Pope Flick]

If you're planning to hit yosemite, better look for reservations (even for camping) NOW...something tells me your window might already be closed.

[Gopher]

If you're planning to hit yosemite, better look for reservations (even for camping) NOW...something tells me your window might already be closed.

Yeah... I've driven through Yosemite a half-dozen times at least, but never actually stayed there. I've heard you need to get lodging/camping reservations a year in advance, to be safe.

[darin3]

Yeah... I've driven through Yosemite a half-dozen times at least, but never actually stayed there. I've heard you need to get lodging/camping reservations a year in advance, to be safe.

Eh, I got my reservations a few months in advance. Given the state of the economy, I'd bet he could get them now and be OK.

[Gopher]

Eh, I got my reservations a few months in advance. Given the state of the economy, I'd bet he could get them now and be OK.

You could be right. The person I talked to stays there regularly, but I don't know if he was referring to reservations for a particular campground that he prefers, or just Yosemite in general. The economy probably has made somewhat of a difference, although every time I go through there, it seems like 90% of the park is people from outside of the U.S. Lots of Asian/European tourists.

[whoopazz]

I made reservations at a joint just outside the park in (El Portal) a month ago. Good thing, I checked every place Darin linked and they're all booked. There were tents available when I booked a month ago, but you can't even get one of those right now. Looks like I'll be dragging the wife a kids off the beaten trail to get away from the tourists .

 

Thanks Gopher for the tips, thats exactly the kind on info we're looking for. Definitely will be hitting the bridge and Alcatraz. I avoid joints like that pier, but my wife loves that chit.