Please help me plan a California vacation

[twobone]

I'm planning a vacation from Sept 30 to Oct 7

Me, wife and 5 year old

Flying in from Toronto Canada

What are the top 5 things to do in California?

Lets assume I fly in and out of San Fransisco

[RoninLB]

Personally I'd stay away from the cities. All cities are the same unless it's an artsie cultural vacation you're interested in. Calif can be a natural wonder.


go to at least one redwood forest. Yosemite is also great and not far from SF.

[jyl]

Depends if you like city/nature, coast/mountain.

That time is usually good for SF (Indian summer - though weather always unpredictable), and great for Yosemite (fall leaves, not crowded), okay for coast (though getting a bit late in year, play it ear as to weather).

So, I would:

3 days in SF.

Stay in an interesting hotel downtown. Don't know many (never needed one when I lived there) but I always thought this place was really cool and will stay there on my next business trip to SF (now I've moved away). http://www.hoteltriton.com/

Lots of tourist books on what to do in SF, but I would include the Castro (colorful gay subculture area - I used to live there and it's interesting even if you're straight), Haight Asbury and nearby Golden Gate Park, DeYoung Art Museum (recently reopened), Sausalito (a ferry ride from SF, have lunch here on a nice day), Berkeley (a subway ride, the UC campus and Telegraph Ave are well worth seeing)

1 day on coast

Go to Point Reyes. http://www.pointreyes.org/ This is a seashore area about 1 hour north of SF that has great beaches, rolling hills, and interesting little towns.

I would stay at Pelican Inn in Muir Woods, 1/2 mile from Muir Beach http://www.pelicaninn.com/ old English-style pub/inn, good food and ale, big roaring fireplace, I love it.

Visit Point Reyes Station (this is a little town), some beaches (Stinson is the touristy one, I prefer the more remote ones on the Point Reyes Natinal Seashore. http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beaches.htm )

2-3 days in Yosemite.
Rent car, drive 4 hours to park

Stay at Awahnee Hotel http://www.webportal.com/ahwahnee/ classic old National Park landmark hotel.
Or go to opposite end of budget with tent cabins in Curry Village

Walk in meadows, take photographs, dayhike, visit waterfalls (though they'll be running low), just chill out

Now, if you prefer coast to mountain, then I'd skip the Yosemite and spend more time in Point Reyes, also consider going further north to coastal redwood country in Humbolt and Mendocino counties.

[charleskieffner]

SCUBA DIVE LAKE TAHOE! and WALLY WORLD!

[jyl]

By the way, I assume you're going to visit only Northern Calif on this trip. Don't try to visit Northern and Southern Calif. The state is huge, it would be a disaster, esp w/ a 5 y/o.

[Steve Carlton]

Yosemite should not be missed! Consider going through the Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur area. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a rare White Shark exhibit. Nepenthe is a cool restaurant with a spectacular view. Carmel is a beautiful stroll with lots of art galleries and a nice beach. You could even continue south to Hearst Castle.

You could take a ferry out to Alcatraz.

There's a Titanic exhibit in SF that's supposed to be quite good.

Consider staying at Indian Springs Resort in Calistoga, and check out the Napa Valley.

Consider a meal at Skates on the Bay in Berkeley.

Drop by the Chabot Space and Science Center in the Oakland Hills, especially when they have a telescope open to the public.

[Burnin' oil]

Don't forget Bakersfield, Barstow and Blythe - and if you're going to the Bay Area, stay a night or two in Hunter's Point.

[speeder]

Sacramento is supposedly a blast.

[scottmandue]

You guys forgot Fresno.

SLACKERS!

[serge944]

Originally posted by speeder
Sacramento is supposedly a blast.

Eh, I'd pass on this, since the vacation isn't quite that long. There are other far more interesting/scenic places mentioned above.

[speeder]

Ya think?

[pwd72s]

Modesto?

[scottmandue]

But seriously,

Redwoods are a must see, one of the most awesome living things on the planet.

Monterey Aquarium is very nice, Monterey is nice but pricey.

What sort of stuff are you looking for, nature, city, ocean, or a combo thereof?


Oh and DON'T FLY INTO SAN FRANSISCO!!!!!

To fly into central California use Oakland or Sacramento airport.

I'm serious here, S.F. airport is notorious.

[goat]

If you travel up to Napa & Sonoma area there is a Porsche only car show at the Ledson Winery. Oct 1st.
Really great event.

http://www.ledson.com/

[serge944]

Originally posted by speeder
Ya think?

You'd be surprised how many tourists come here every day - to the state capital in particular...

[stevepaa]

SFO is just fine, and better suited to going to SF by taxi, bus, doing cable cars, busses to see the sights, and then renting a car for Yosemite.

Do jyl's trip and add monterey/carmel.

And add North Shore of Lake Tahoe on your way back from Yosemite, drive over the summit out thorugh Tioga Pass down to Nevada and see Mono Lake, drive up the back side to Carson City, back over the Sierras to north shore of Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, stay at Hyatt and gamble.

Yeah you'll need at least two weeks to see N. Ca

[Seahawk]

Do you want something different?

Toronto is a city, surrounded by flora. If you want to experience anti-flora, fly into Vegas, rent a car and drive one of the off beat routes into Death Valley, stay at one of the hotels there for a day.

From there, drive the passes into China Lake (Ridgecrest)...they are spectacular.

Stay in China Lake (get a tour of the test center).

From there, drive Nine Mile Road into the Sierras. There is no other road I am aware of that answers the question of, "how should I handle a 1 and 1//2 lane road, with sheer thousand foot drops" with, "no guard rails". Not for the weak. Amazing road.

Yosmite is close so all the recommendations already posted apply.

Don't know if you already done this

[Vipergrün]

** Napa/Sonoma for wine country, maybe a hot air balloon ride.
** Pier 39 for touristy stuff and chowder bowls
** 17 mile drive thru Carmel
** Big Sur, back to nature and beautiful beaches
** Santa Cruz, back to the 60's and the Boardwalk

[stevepaa]

Originally posted by Seahawk
From there, drive Nine Mile Road into the Sierras.

Where is this?

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by stevepaa
Where is this?

395 north out of Ridgecrest...it is a county road on your left in about five mile that heads to Kennedy Meadows. It leaves the desert floor and has you into the pines in, well, nine miles.