Hey California People: We are exploring travel plans for next summer and California is the serious contender. Me, H, college-age D and her friend, vacationing for about 1 week. We’ll probably travel in early June. We’ve never been to CA and I’m realizing we have lots of things to consider.
My initial plans were that we’d fly into San Francisco, spend a few days, then head down the coast toward San Diego for beach fun. But that might be too much for 7 or 8 days, and the coast drive would probably be too long in the car for one day. (And I’ve learned a winter land-slide washed out the highway in Big Sur so we’d have to detour.)
My next idea was to stay in some place like Santa Cruz or Aptos for the whole week, and then have day trips to SF and Monterey. I’ve looked at places on the beach, but I’m learning that it will be rather chilly in June (highs in mid 70s). It doesn’t seem like anyone would want to play in the water (with ocean temps in the low 60s).
We are used to the Atlantic beaches of South Carolina or Florida, where both the air temperature and ocean water are quite warm/hot in summer. California beaches, particularly northern Calif., seem to be different…I find no photos of big resorts with people lounging on chairs under umbrellas and children playing in the surf.
Any suggestions? We want a combination of relaxation and adventure.
There’s lots to do in southern California (LA and San Diego). I’m sure the ocean would be warm enough in early June. But the weather might actually be uncomfortably hot. (I say this because on the day of my daughter’s graduation from college in the “Inland Empire,” the area east of LA around San Bernardino and Riverside, in the month of April, it was 85 degrees by 11 a.m.) I probably wouldn’t try to do both northern California and southern California in one trip, either.
We like to get away to Cambria and Pismo Beach once or twice a year. We are always meeting tourists who fly into San Francisco, maybe stop in Monterey, then Cambria area for a night and continue to LA / San Diego. Do it.
Honestly, much of the time June isn’t good beach weather in California - the water is still cold (up north you’d totally need a wet suit) and there’s this thing called June Gloom along the southern coast. I’d recommend you bag the beach idea and focus on one part of California. You could fly into SF, spend a couple of days there, then drive to Yosemite for a couple of days. Or fly into LA, do the sights there, and head up to Santa Barbara & nearby wine country. California is huge, and its freeways are crowded. You want to plan accordingly.
The drive from San Francisco to San Diego is 500 miles. Even if you take the 101 or the 5 (and forget Big Sur), that’s a pretty hard day. You will run into traffic in LA slowing you down. The 101 is more scenic. The 5 is a lot of trucks, fields and cow lots.
June can be nice in San Diego, yes, there’s June Gloom but it usually burns off by midday.
Myself, with only a week, I’d pick either northern California or southern California.
What are you mostly interested in? Cities, nature, historic sites?
I’d recommend 2 days in San Francisco (very doable), drive the 580 east to the 5 South to LA (also very doable…done this drive several times—4 hours to Central Cali (Coalinga or Kettleman City) eat, then another 3.5 hours to LA). Park it inLA/Santa Monica and see Venice Beach, Hollywood and Beverly Hills (2 Days). Drive down the 5 South over the Coronado Bay Bridge to stay in Coronado Island for the rest of your vacation. Lots to do and see plus you can always Ferry over from Coronado to San Diego downtown to walk the Gaslamp Quarter where there are lots of great restaurants and live music. Fly home from San Diego.
To add: rent a convertible! California is meant to be enjoyed by car…when you get back home you can say you drove through Cali! Also you have to rent beach cruisers when at the beach in So Cal. You’ll probably won’t get the typical hot beach weather for laying out anyway so might as well chill on a cruiser
If you want to reduce driving time, you could catch the train from SF to LA/San Diego or vice versa. It’s a gorgeous train ride and leaves LA and San Diego early in the morning but arrival into Oakland is variable. I’m a fan of San Francisco. I hate chopping my vacation up too much and just came back from a nice trip to SF, 3 nights in Yosemite and finished with SF. I feel like if you do too much it is really tiring rather than relaxing. In LA or San Diego, there’s a lot to see as well and I prefer not to spend all my time getting from one place to another.
A fun week for me would be a flight into San Jose, and if you get in early enough head straight down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for a few hours. Then spend the night and the next day in either Santa Cruz or Carmel, or take a couple days and check both out. Then an easy drive up the PCH to Half Moon Bay, then continue on to San Francisco. Spend a couple nights in SF in Union Square - tons to do in the city, that’s a whole separate thread on its own.
Then run up to Napa/Sonoma and spend a day or overnight touring wineries and enjoying the restaurants and views. Head back to SF and detour through Sausalito or Muir Woods. One last night or two in SF, and fly back home via SFO.
Ask yourself, if the San Francisco Bay Area were a state, and Southern California was another state, would you think of going to both in one one-week trip? Do people normally say “I’m going to Boston for a week but I thought I’d drop in on Washington DC”? “I’m going to Paris for a week and I’ll stop by Barcelona”?
I advise picking SF Bay Area or Southern California.
It is an all day drive between the Bay Area and the Los Angeles area.
When choosing airports to fly into, consider their locations to your actual destinations. The Bay Area has three major airports (SFO, OAK, SJC), while the Los Angeles area has five (LAX, LGB, BUR, ONT, SNA). San Diego has a major airport (SAN), and Monterey has a minor airport (MRY, though a connecting flight to there may be less convenient than flying to SJC and driving).
Downtown San Francisco would be most convenient from either SFO or OAK (your preference may depend on which airline services your home area, since SFO is mostly United while OAK is mostly Southwest). Santa Cruz would be most convenient from SJC.
@“Cardinal Fang” when my kids were 13 and 10, we did an 8 day trip to Boston and NYC (we flew into Boston and the took Amtrak to NYC) and it was the most fun, adventure-packed trip we’ve taken as a family. We still talk about that trip to this day and enjoy looking at the pictures of all the places we visited.
OP will be with two college-age girls so I think they would get a kick out of visiting as many CA landmarks.
Our very first time to California was in June a few years back, but we did 10 nights. We started in Santa Monica and ended in San Francisco. My kids were 20 and 17 at the time. 3 nights Santa Monica (LA), 1 night Cambria (to visit Hearst Castle), 3 nights Santa Cruz (visited Carmel and Monterey) and 3 nights San Francisco. Yes, we were on the move, but loved it! We saw so many different flavors of California and did so many different things.
If you truly have 8 days, you could do different places. It will be cooler, not beach weather in SF. It will be warmer in Southern California, but warming up throughout the day…generally. I think I would rule out San Diego and do Santa Monica. We actually did San Diego by itself last year and glad we did.
I would do this:
Day 1 (arrival day): SF
Day 2 : SF
Day 3: SF
Day 4: Cambria for Heasrt Castle in afternoon.
Day 5: Depart for Santa Monica
Day 6: Santa Monica
Day 7: Santa Monica
Day 8: Departure.
Now, I went south to north, because we did the PCH drive and I’m terrified of cliffs and heights, I wanted to drive on the mountain side. If any of your family feels the same, you might consider that, I know part of it is closed off, but you can still see some of it and then detour.
If you really have 8 nights, not just 7, I would add an extra day to San Francisco and use that to tour Carmel and/or Monterey…or skip Hearst Castle, but it’s amazing.
It’s very doable and I’m very happy we city hopped, so are the boys. It wasn’t that big a deal.
We have done the California trip many times, and often with both SF and LA, occasionally with SD thrown in. However, it was always for anywhere from 16-24 nights. I can’t imagine doing the entire state in one week. Too much travel and you won’t really get much time in any one spot. For one week, my choice would be SF and part of the week on the Monterey peninsula, incorporating the sites of Monterey as well as Carmel. It isn’t likely to be beach weather and you may have the dreaded marine layer but walking on the beautiful beach at Carmel is lovely. I’m not sure where the closure on the PCH is but if you can get to Nepenthe, it’s worth the trip.
A few days in SF with maybe an afternoon drive to Muir Woods after lunch in Sausalito to finish out your trip. Have fun! It’s a beautiful state.
I grew up in Aptos (locals pronounce it Ap-toss, FYI). The water is never warm there. But you should still head to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Great wooden carousel and roller coaster over a century old.
We have done California twice. Once we flew into LA - spent a few nights there and then flew to San Fran - spent a few nights there and then flew home (probably a week total). San Fran is very nice - not a fan of LA. Another time we went to San Diego for a week and we loved that trip. There was definitely plenty to do to keep you entertained for a week (we are not big beach people so we only spent one morning on the beach in La Jolla.- but the hotel had a great pool area .)
I’ve lived in California most of my life and I have never ever been swimming in the ocean here. It’s just too cold for me. I get in up to my knees and that’s enough. There can be (depending on the weather) dangerous rip tides and high surf so it’s nothing like Florida or the Carolinas.
I don’t know your preferences but the most unique sights in Calfornia, different from anywhere else in this country are the sequoias in Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park. Get to the valley early in the morning to avoid the crowds or better yet book lodging in the park. The valley is too crowded for my tastes so I usually go up to Tuolumne Meadows in the high country of Yosemite at 9,000 feet. Take a hike up there. It’s heaven on earth.
Why about San Diego? There is plenty to do there for a week…or more. You candrive to Julian, and out to the desert. For a little fun, take the not too long drive to Anaheim, and go to Disneyland, which is very different from Disneyworld.
Lots lots lots to do in San Diego. If your family likes museums…there are a bunch in Balboa Park…and a good variety too.
And the weather in San Diego is nearly perfect year round.