I am spending a vacation week in Orange County, CA soon (Irvine - NB area) with a car rental. Any suggestions from current SoCal residents to a former one?
I’ve spent ten days in San Diego and surrounding area (week in San Diego, and a couple days in the desert state park 2 hrs west of there.)
And I’ve spent a week in the San Francisco area.
And in each place, we still did not do all of the things we wanted to do.
Either place warrants at least a week in itself, imo.
And yes, it’s a very long drive between SF and SD.
Also, if you’re looking for warm temps and sunny weather, SD is a much better option than SF. It’s apparently always mid-70s and sunny in SD. We went there in mid-March and that was the case.
Went to SF in mid-March and it was rainy, gray and cool most of the time. (I hear it’s warmer other times of the year) Still a beautiful area, especially outside the city (the city itself has it’s own kind of beauty).
If you’re more into cities and urban life and culture, SF is the better option.
In short - San Francisco for urban life, culture, day trip to redwoods… San Diego for sun, a more laid-back vibe, a little culture, and side trips to desert or LA.
There are few such resorts, possibly due to the beach public land doctrine - in our area, only the Hotel Del Coronado fits the bill. Also it’s a different culture than the winter vacation destinations on the east coast. Beach communities and activities developed for the residents, not visitors - sunning, surfing, swimming, fishing piers, amusement parks, etc. Of course they’re all tourist destinations, but California is not so much a snowbird destination. We do get a lot of Zonies (Arizona residents fleeing the heat) in the summer, though!
June can be iffy in San Diego - it can be sunny and 70’s, but it can also be overcast and 60’s along the ocean. Inland is usually lovely though. I’ve waded in the surf in June but only gone deeper in August and September, when the water does warm up enough .
The most logical way to see as much as California as possible is to treat it like a road trip. i.e. the trip is the destination. One night in each destination - like San Francisco, Santa Cruz/Monterey, San Simeon (Hearst Mansion), LA (Santa Monica maybe), Laguna Beach, San Diego. But that’s certainly not relaxing!
I can go either way on this one. Is this your one trip to CA from the East Coast? Hit the wave tops. If it’s one of several, pick an area. I’ve visited Yellowstone, Rushmore, Badlands, Chicago, Niagra Falls, Manhattan, and more in one three week trip. Did we see any site to its fullest? Not even close. Was it a trip of a lifetime? Absolutely.
I lived in CA for five years. I hate the drive from Central CA to San Diego. I love the Pacific Coast Highway. If it wasn’t closed at Big Sur, My first recomendation would have been SF then south on PCH with a slow timetable. If this is your one trip, then make a list of wha you want to see and start narrowing down and build a timetable from there.
You can do a whirlwind of SF in a day but add more if you want to go to Alcatraz.
Carmel and Monterey is another day.
Yosemite is my favorite spot is CA but it’s a half day drive from SF and need two days in the park do hit the wave tops. If you are interested, I can give details on Yosemite. You can see Sequoias in Yosemite without having to go to Sequoia NP.
I hate LA but there are cool things. Drive Hwy 1 through Malibu. La Brea Tar Pits are amazing. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is a must see. I’m not enamoured with Hollywood. Tourist trap and hustler trying to get you to pay for photos.
San Diego: Balboa Park and the zoo, Seals at La Jolla. Gas Lamp District. Tour USS MIDWAY.
The trip is all about opportunity costs. Make a list of things you want to see then prioritize.
I live in the San Francisco area and there is plenty here to do/see in the area for an entire week. No, the weather won’t be sunny and beach like, but who cares! As others have suggested, a day trip down to Monterey Bay and Carmel is worthwhile. I can’t comment on LA as I’ve spent little time there, but I have visited San Diego a couple of times and love the area. Still, I wouldn’t count on beach weather there. My family visited for July 4th week a few years ago and we have pictures of us wrapped up on the beach, freezing.
I agree you could spend a week at any of them. It’s just a choice on how much to see. And whether this is the only foreseeable trip to the west coast.
And another vote that the water is always too cold for me to go in.
Have visited California numerous times over decades- mainly Orange County where H has relatives. You need to choose ONE area- north or south. You can easily find enough to do in either part of the state with a base city and road trips from there. There is a reason N and S CA each get a AAA tour book.
Mad85- For the Orange County trip you can do several side trips. Ayres Hotel chain is an excellent choice- two in the county we stayed at during our last visit (included the Rose parade with numerous relatives- the Penn State band was bad, especially knowing the UW one and the Pulaski, WI HS band good- and immediately followed the CA dairy float- on purpose?). Visit a beach for the afternoon, there are cities to choose from. You can hobnob with the rich in one area or check out another. The Queen Mary is good. San Diego can be a day or two trip- zoo worth it. You can make day trips to places in LA. Many places listed in the old fashioned AAA tour books. In Orange Co it is hard to tell city boundaries- they all run into each other. Plan to fly into one of their airports and NOT LAX- so much easier (plenty of flights from Milwaukee and Chicago). Feel free to PM me for tips.
I enjoyed the distance comparisons. Except for some tiny NE states distances within a state can be day long drives. You can spend an hour or two driving along the coast but it is a waste of your time to hit one area for only a day or two. Being on the freeways is not sight seeing- you can see cars and concrete anywhere.
For a different type of beach relaxation in Northern California, consider going to the Point Reyes National Seashore for a couple days. There are nice inns and restaurants in the area, and the scenery in gorgeous. You won’t be going swimming 
Another possibility: a short river rafting trip on the American River. Overnight is nice, but then you usually need a tent and sleeping bags. A day trip will give you the experience, and then you can spend a night in a hotel.
Also, I’m kinda shocked by the number of CA natives who’ve never been swimming in the Pacific. Were all of you in Northern California? Because in the southland, everyone went swimming/bodysurfing/boogie boarding.
SoCal: Hollywood is overrated. Do go up to Griffith Observatory for the views and the building and the view of the Hollywood sign. Take a working studio tour like Warner Brothers. Then go do other things: check out ethnic neighborhoods and the historic architecture of downtown, see the Getty museums and the space shuttle at the Science Center, catch a show at the Hollywood Bowl along with the requisite fancy picnic, go for a bike ride along the beach and a hike in Malibu, and stroll around Huntington Gardens in Pasadena.
My H’s aunt has been a long time Orange County, CA resident (originally from India) and visited us here in Tampa one July with his mom. The usual hot and humid. We went to the Clearwater beach and pier one afternoon. We had to persuade H’s aunt to wade in the water. She had a pleasant surprise- the Gulf waters were 90 degrees. I have only dipped a toe into the Pacific to say I have done so. Cold year round.
You could go to the Bay Area…then up to Napa and Sonoma. Plenty to do in those areas. But it won’t necessaruly be hot.
DD’s college graduation in the east bay was mid June…and it was unseasonably hot…near 90. But relatives who took the train to SF were freezing, and had to buy sweatshirts, and long pants!
I just have to say that, of course, there is plenty to do in one week in any of these places. I guess it’s just the way one wants to travel on any particular occasion. I would say of all these places where you want to mix doing sightseeing and relaxing on the beach, San Diego is the best bet…if you don’t want to see anyplace else.
We enjoyed staying oceanfront on Pacific Beach, great area for young people,too. We would tour around all over, but it was nice to come back to the beach and veg out if we wanted.
However, if it’s your first visit to CA, I think it’s a shame not to do 2 places. My son thought SF was the coolest place he’d ever been, but loved the southern CA vibe, Malibu, the beauty. Like I said, they are glad we went to more than just one place.
It’s sort of like going to Italy. Yes, you can stay in just Rome. But how cool to see Venice, or Florence,too.
My husband and I are lovers of the outdoors and nature. Several years ago we went on a long road trip with our two girls (about 12 and 9) from Boise, ID with the first real stop being Yosemite as my H had a work meeting there for a few days. It’s very scenic, but it is crowded, and IMO there’s a very odd lack of nice lodging there. Be sure to visit the Sequoia Groves there if you go.
We then drove to SF, didn’t do anything but drive through, visiting Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge. Urban sight seeing is not our priority, so we weren’t interested in staying in SF for any longer than that.
From there, we visited Muir Woods and spent the night at Stinson Beach. Liked it very much. We actually love the PNW and it’s beaches - the water is cold, but the scenery is spectacular. We love walking the beaches, beach combing and tide-pooling (we went on another trip to the OR coast and it rained half the time, but we just put on our rain gear and hit the beach and still had a great time) . NoCal beaches are also good for collecting sea glass. I think we also stopped in Point Reyes National Seashore for a day.
The highlight of our trip was spending a couple of days in redwood country farther north. We went on a couple of breathtaking hikes. I’ve been to Sequoia National Park (further south in CA) and from what I remember is that the trees were very big and amazing, but I don’t remember the scenery being as lush and green . The climate is different between the two areas as Redwoods need more humid weather. BTW, Sequoias are the largest trees in the US in circumference, but Redwoods are larger in height.
We then went home from NoCal on a brutal 13 hour one day drive. With two pre-teens. But the trip was one of the best we’d ever taken, and we’ve traveled a lot.
If you are more into eating, shopping, urban sight-seeing then disregard, lol.
"SoCal: Do go up to Griffith Observatory for the views and the building and the view of the Hollywood sign. Take a working studio tour like Warner Brothers. Then go do other things: check out ethnic neighborhoods and the historic architecture of downtown, see the Getty museums and the space shuttle at the Science Center, catch a show at the Hollywood Bowl along with the requisite fancy picnic, go for a bike ride along the beach and a hike in Malibu, and stroll around Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. "
@SlitheyTove and others who can help! I want to do much of the above with DH in the next few months if I can convince my non-traveler DH that it is time. Here’s the question: We’ll rent a car - any concerns with driving to the areas listed above and the LaBrea Tar Pits? I’m thinking neighborhoods to avoid, not traffic. For context, I live in Chicago and know which routes are OK and which to avoid around here. I would prefer not to discover the route to be avoided on my own in LA and GPS is generally not helpful with these concerns. I have driven in several California locations, expressways not a concern to me. I just want to be sure I don’t stumble into something I didn’t expect.
Thanks and please excuse the piggy-back. It was just too perfect a comment not to ask my question!
To the OP - the other California trip I want to make soon with my Asia resident kid is to meet for a week in San Diego. Direct flights for kid and lots to do for a week as noted above. Been there, done that myself and recommend! Can’t wait for my second time around.
Such great suggestions, everyone! Thank you! I’ll have to discuss all this with my family at Thanksgiving and explore what everyone really wants out of this trip. We’ll prioritize our options, as many of you have suggested. Hopefully my H and I will have other opportunities to travel to CA, but this will probably be our only “family” trip. It’s fun to experience new things and places with my kids, but sadly, they are outgrowing traveling with parents. I appreciate the insights you all have shared.
I dunno about “outgrowing” traveling with parents. My “kids” are 28 and 30 and still like traveling with us, including sharing a room, especially since we eat at a lot of NICE restaurants and they enjoy GOOD food! 
When they travel with us, they know we cover all expenses.
We had a nice roadtrip after S graduated from college, caught the train from LA to Seattle, having an overnight “sleeper” car where our seats converted to beds. Once we got over the CA border, a ranger from the National Park Service came on the train and talked about the countryside we were passing. We had nice meals in the train, in the dining car. In Seattle, we stayed a few nights and then got a car and spent a few nights on Mt. Ranier then drove down to Crater Lake, then down to see an aunt then to the dawn redwoods near Crescent City, then SF, then Sequoia National Park and finally back to LA. It was several weeks but we had a blast.
I completely agree with the recommendations to pick northern vs. southern California. Don’t try to do it all in a week. You will skip right over many worthy stops, and spend unnecessary time in the car.
If it were me - a nature lover rather than a city person, I’d spend a day or two in San Francisco - making sure to see Alcatraz - then head to Yosemite for a few nights, making sure to take a side trip to Bodie - a preserved wild west ghost town, where you can do a self-guided tour. Then… wow… I have a personal love for King’s Canyon and the Giant Sequoias there. We’ve stayed in the John Muir Lodge and enjoyed it immensely. And you can rent kayaks on Hume Lake. But it’s 322 miles from Yosemite. Maybe pick Yosemite OR King’s Canyon. And then swing back to the coast and see a few sights there and work your way up. Cambria is absolutely lovely. If you do go past San Simeon (and Hearst Castle) make sure to stop in on the elephant seal rookery. Absolutely fascinating. You can stay 10 minutes or much longer as you watch these amazing creatures.
If you swing slightly north of San Francisco, through Fairfield, you can take the Jelly Belly Factory tour. It was very interesting.
I’ve lived in California most of my many years, and you could easily spend a couple of months here and not see everything. Don’t try to do it all. Savor what you do decide to do, and tell yourself you’ll come back again.
We finally saw the La Brea Tar Pits our last trip. It’s a small area and it does smell. Hard to find parking very close, we walked from some nearby street. Make it an as long as you’re in the neighborhood short visit.
I live in the SD area. If you go to a popular beach on a warm day, many people will be sitting under umbrellas with children playing in the surf. However, like you said, the water temperature is cool… typically mid 60s in June, which relates to why the air temperature is moderate all year round. Rather than playing in the surf, I much prefer walking along the beach, with other worldly cliffs on one side and the ocean on the other. The tidepools by Cabrillo are also a nice ocean experience, exploring a series of rocks with waves crashing below, rather than a sandy beach. You mentioned wanting a combination of relaxation and adventure. It’s less than an hour drive to Rosarito/Puerto Nuevo, which would qualify and has the types of resorts you described. Other adventurous could include things like taking a ferry to Catalina. I wouldn’t recommend the desert, if you are going in June.
Do one or the other, North or South.
I’ve lived all of my life in Southern California but travel up and down the state all of the time.
Driving 500+ miles is tiring.
You never know what the traffic will be like in LA. You never know what the backup will be like ANYWHERE on I-5.
You never know how the accidents impact the two-lane highway.
During the fires in Santa Rosa, we were driving up to SF. The freeway drive was long because of the numbers of large tankers going up to the fires from all over the state.
June gloom takes a long time to burn off in La Jolla, PB, OB and Coronado… My kids surf and had to use wet suits in June.
Pick one and then return for another trip later.
The beaches/coastline in California is so beautiful you will not care if you can’t swim you will just want to keep walking and walking and walking! Take your shoes off and wade for sure!