Help plan our grad trip to Califormia!

Parent Cafe
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<p>Hi All,</p>

<p>DD graduates from college in early May. When she started college (seems like yesterday!) we promised her a fun vacation for graduation. Over break we decided on California since its one of the few states none of us have ever been to, and we wanted to see more of the US before we venture overseas. </p>

<p>So, it looks like early June we’ll be flying to San Francisco and renting a car! The tentative plan is to spend three nights in San Fran, one in Monterey, one along the coast somewhere in Big Sur, and then four nights in Yosemite. </p>

<p>Does this sound reasonable? What are our must-sees? Any recommendations for accomodations in any of those places? The Big Sur night is giving us trouble, too many great places and no feel for where would be best. </p>

<p>Anybody been to the wineries near Paso Robles?</p>

<p>How about Evergreen Lodge just outside of Yosemite? All the in-park lodging is booked already.</p>

<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!</p>

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<p>Don’t give up on getting in-park Yosemite lodging. There is a one-month cancellation policy, so people with reservations now have a free option until then. Right now, I would call them every few days to see if anything has opened up. When you hit the 45 days before mark, start calling every day; at 33 days, every few hours!</p>

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<p>I am assuming your family is fit for hiking, if not then time to get into shape.
If you plan to hike Half Dome, Upper Yosemite Falls and other rigorous trails you need to have well broken in hiking boots and be able to carry your water/food in a backpack.
The payoff is the views from the top.
It is well worth the effort to get in park lodging, the drive in is about 45 minutes and if you want to climb Half Dome you need to begin at daybreak.
njmom is spot on how aggressive and persistent you need to be.
A friend could only get canvas tent lodging so he bought a Target sleeping bag, lawn chair, inexpensive camping lamp used then for 4 nights then donated the equipment to Goodwill because he didn’t want to pay to fly the stuff home.
He didn’t mind the short walk to the communal bathroom and showers.
In fact, he made friends and hiked with fellow tenters.</p>

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<p>Sounds like a fun trip. If you are planning to go to Alcatraz and/or the Monterey Bay Aquarium - both of which I recommend - you can book your tickets ahead of time and then pick them up at the will call window, thus avoiding super long lines.</p>

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<p>Something fun to do near Big Sur:
[.:</a>. Hiking in Big Sur - Jade Cove Trail .:.](<a href=“http://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_jadecove.html].:”>Jade Cove Trail - Hiking in Big Sur)</p>

<p>And if you get up to the Tuolumne Meadows side of YNP (my favorite):</p>

<p>[Tuolumne</a> Meadows Stable - Mule and horseback rides: Yosemite Park](<a href=“http://www.yosemitepark.com/activities_mulehorsebackrides_toulumnemeadowsstable.aspx]Tuolumne”>Horseback Riding & Mule Rides | Yosemite National Park CA | TravelYosemite.com)</p>

<p>Dinner at White Wolf Lodge on the way from the Valley to Tuolumne.</p>

<p>Swimming/relaxing at Tenaya Lake, while you watch the rock climbers.
Or take a rock climbing class at Yosemite Mountaineering school.</p>

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<p>Sign up for goldstar.com for discounted tickets for events around SF.<br>
The Hop on/Hop off bus tours are great to view of the many sights in the SF.<br>
I would suggest renting a car at the end of your stay in SF–it’s very expensive to
park in City, and SF has many forms of mass transit (cable cars, street cars, Muni rail, buses, pedi cabs, ferries), plus it’s a very walkable City.</p>

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<p>There was a previous thread with lots of good info<br>
I think it was titled A week in San Francisco ?<br>
(don’t have time to search right now)</p>

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<p>If budget is not a consideration, Ventana Inn is a wonderful choice at Big Sur: [Big</a> Sur Hotels, Lodging, Ventana Inn and Spa | Dining](<a href=“Big Sur Luxury Hotel | Ventana Big Sur | Hotel in Big Sur, CA”>Big Sur Luxury Hotel | Ventana Big Sur | Hotel in Big Sur, CA).</p>

<p>For your SF nights, maybe venture beyond the “main” tourist locations and get yourself over to the Mission. I’ll look up my favorite taqueria name if you like that kind of thing (Mission and 24th~) - the kind of place where you stand in a (quick-moving) line at lunch with everyone from Financial District types in suits to locals speaking no English. Inexpensive, of course, and yum.</p>

<p>Driving across the Golden Gate and looking back is wonderful, of course. IMHO, Sausaliot is overrated and touristy in terms of spending any time there, but brunch overlooking the bay and city is good. Have not done so in ages, so not sure if the Alta Mira still exists - if not, I’m sure some cc-er will give you a good option.</p>

<p>Got to run, more later.</p>

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<p>Definitely try to stay in the park in Yosemite. Just keep trying, things will open up. You can book online as well. I like the Yosemite Lodge. It is centrally located and cheaper options for food. The Ahwahnee is incredible but expensive. If you don’t stay there, at least go for breakfast. If it is open, do the river rafting. It is more floating than rafting but a lot of fun and the views are tremendous.</p>

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<p>This was a great thread with lots of SF area info. Have fun!
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/517500-help-planning-week-san-francisco.html?highlight=filbert[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/517500-help-planning-week-san-francisco.html?highlight=filbert&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>On SF:
I recommend against renting a car while staying in and exploring the city itself. Beyond just the expense of parking in the city, it’s a pain in the neck to drive in both due to the plethora of hills and one-way streets as well as the terrible drivers and self-entitled pedestrians. I have lived in the Bay Area my whole life (almost 26 years) and I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually driven into the city. The public transportation is more than adequate in SF.</p>

<p>It’s a big tourist spot, but Pier 39 is always worth a trip despite this. If you are there on a day when a farmers market is happening somewhere in the city (there are a lot of them), I highly recommend finding one that has a company called Scream Sorbet in attendance. You will not regret trying this tasty treat. Best sorbet I have ever had with the most interesting flavors and great texture (very ice cream-like).</p>

<p>Ghirardelli Square is a must if you have any interest in chocolate.</p>

<p>Instead of driving the Golden Gate: walk it. It is breathtaking on a clear day and well worth the hike. Note that if you do drive it, the toll last I was on it was $5 heading into the city. It could have gone up since then, though.</p>

<p>If you make it over to J-Town (Japan Town), I have been told the crepes are excellent. I can’t really offer any recommendations on food beyond that since I only get fast food when in the city if I eat there at all. SF is definitely not the cheapest place to eat even normally cheap food.</p>

<p>Oh, and if you have time, catching a play would be a wonderful experience if there is anything good playing when you’re there. That’s the thing I have visited SF for the most :)</p>

<p>On Monterey:
The aquarium is a wonderful experience. If you have a good quality camera, make sure you bring it. Remember to turn any flash off, though. Check on their website for the current “big show.” Last I was there, it was jellyfish. So beautiful! They’ve also had a few Great Whites visit from time to time (usually around a month) so maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll have one in residence :).</p>

<p>If you are into seafood (or just liked the movie Forest Gump), you will need to stop at Bubba Gump. They do have more than seafood, of course.</p>

<p>Note that Monterey even in the middle of summer when the rest of the Bay Area is sweltering in the heat can be very cool because of the lingering fog. Bring layers wherever you go in the state.</p>

<p>And since you are going to be so close, I would recommend stopping through Santa Cruz on your way to Monterey. You have to pass near it heading on Highway 1 anyways and it’s just a short detour. The Boardwalk has two registered historical landmarks that are worth a visit if you’re into it: The Giant Dipper and the Looff Carousel. The latter is particularly fun as it incorporates a ring toss game. The former is incredible since it was one of the few very old structures in Santa Cruz to survive the 1989 earthquake unscathed. Both are among the oldest working of their kind in the US.</p>

<p>On Big Sur:
Make sure your car is fully gassed before you even attempt to enter here! Gas is horrifically expensive even by California standards. I passed through here when gas was starting to approach $4/gallon in the Bay Area and ended up paying $5/gallon in Big Sur.</p>

<p>Beyond that, I’ve never done more than drive through here so listen to what others are saying. Hopefully I’ll get there myself someday.</p>

<p>On Highway 1:
You do not mention this as a destination, but obviously it will be used so I’m including some information about it ;).</p>

<p>Main thing: Drive very carefully. Highway 1 is considered to be one of the most beautiful and dangerous roads in the world. You have mountains to one side and a steep cliff face off into the Pacific on the other. Fog only increases the danger, but it often burns off fairly quickly from my experience.</p>

<p>On Yosemite:
I personally loved the canvas cabins myself! I thought it was a great experience.</p>

<p>I concur with the idea of a Half Dome hike. Depending what day you go, you might need a pass to hike it, though. I would recommend beginning before daybreak if you want to make it there in back in one day. Mist trail is fun, but slippery. If it’s dark, do not take this path back. Along with good, broken in hiking boots that were already recommended, also bring headlamps (instead of flashlights) and work gloves (mostly for going up the cables on Half Dome itself). Hiking poles are not really necessary, but can be helpful if you’re fatigued. It is a very long hike.</p>

<p>Yosemite also has other wonderful destinations to explore without doing the strenuous Half Dome hike. Be mindful of warnings about dangerous wildlife sightings.</p>

<p>I hope you have nothing short of an excellent and safe trip! There is so much to do here. Do be careful not to plan too much, though, so that you can more enjoy the things you do get to do ;)</p>

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<p>Plan part of a day at the Point Lobos State Park [Point</a> Lobos Foundation | Supporting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve](<a href=“http://www.pointlobos.org/]Point”>http://www.pointlobos.org/) near Carmel.</p>

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<p>These are great ideas! Thanks, everybody!</p>

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<p>I’ve hiked down to Jade Cove that ILoveLA mentioned - it’s pretty nice.</p>

<p>I also used to scuba dive at Pt. Lobos state park that happymom1 mentioned - it’s nice.</p>

<p>Do you plan on going to the Hearst Castle around San Simeon? It’s interesting.</p>

<p>Some other spots -

  • Ano Nuevo State Reserve - this is a breeding ground for elephant seals. You can walk along the beach there and often see them on the beach. They’re huge!
  • 17 mile drive in Carmel. This is a beautiful drive - partway along the Pebble Beach golf club area and along the coast. You s/b able to see sea lions and sea otters.
  • Wander the shops in Carmel if that interests you. Maybe you’ll bump into Clint Eastwood (former mayor of the town).
  • We rented some kayaks in Monterey once and paddled around the bay watching sea otters and just generally enjoying the view. You might want to do this. You can rent the kayaks right there at the water.
  • Some of the smaller state parks along the coast, like Butano state park, and a number of others are interesting to do some short hikes in. They can be quite lush. You should be able to see some banana slugs in the area (big bright yellow slugs and mascot of UC Santa Cruz).
  • When you go to Yosemite try to also get to Sequoia NP just south of there. The giant trees are unbelievable and well worth seeing. It’s also less crowded than Yosemite. IMO four days in Yosemite would be too much unless you planned to do some reasonable hikes every day but doing some hikes is recommended anyway since you can almost instantly get away from the bigger crowds and really start to enjoy the beauty of that area.
  • Old gold rush towns - pretty near Yosemite are some of the old gold rush towns you might want to explore a bit - Columbia, Sonora, Jamestown, etc.
    [Columbia</a> SHP](<a href=“HTTP404”>Columbia SHP)</p>

<p>Be prepared for it to be socked in right on the coast - sometimes to the point where you can be on hwy 1, hear the waves crashing, but not see the water due to the fog. If you go 1/4 to 1/2 mile inland it can become completely clear and 20 degrees warmer! This fog an ‘night and morning low cloudiness’ is an effect of the temperature difference between the ocean and the air and can really vary from bend to bend.</p>

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<p>Bring layers or a light jacket since you will be on the coast and in the mountains because as Mark Twain said:
“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”</p>

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<p>The Wine Country in Napa!!! Beautiful and the winery tours are very interesting!</p>

<p>And, yes, that area of Calif can be cool in the summer…so bring a jacket!</p>

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<p>Between inland and coast you will experience all kinds of weather. I remember one summer being in Sonoma County where it was so hot you did not want to do much of anything and the next day in San Francisco in the cold and fog. The cold and fog sure felt good after 100 degree heat.
Is it your tentative plan to head from Monterey down towards Paso Robles and cut over to Yosemite? I have not been to any of the wineries in Paso but I know the area has grown. Paso will be warm in the summer.
I also agree with some of the other posters to keep checking the Yosemite reservation site. Things do become available. I would say those canvas tent cabins are pretty sorry looking. We stayed at Wawona last year since that was what was available. I have also stayed at Yosemite Lodge which is basic but the location is good.We loved it but it is a drive to the valley. We were there in October so it wasn’t so bad since we did not have traffic. We did a bit of a loop. Entered the park at Wawona. Stayed 2 or 3 nights I can’t recall and continued on to the valley and spent the day. Headed out of the park at a different point and spent the night in Mariposa at a chain motel.</p>

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<p>Not clear whether the OP is going to make it up Sonoma/Napa way. I agree would be great. But she asked re Pasa Robles wineries - since you will be nearer there, definitely go for it. I have not personally been to that area (but it is next on our list). Recently we went to the Santa Ynez Valley wine country and just winged it. Stopped in at two wineries - one where the wine was decidedly mediocre and one where it was wonderful. Even the “mediocre” one was a nice experience due to the friendliness of the proprietors and the other tasters. So don’t hesitate to explore on your own, without or without prior research on the web. In my experience, these less-visited wine areas are very enjoyable.</p>

<p>Agree that it would be nice to avoid a car while in SF… really not needed and a millstone around your neck as to parking. </p>

<p>It’s touristy, but I would drive down The Crookedest Street in the World - it’s quite amazing. (Unless the residents have finally succeeded in limiting access - like I said I haven’t done these kinds of things in quite a while).</p>

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<p>Being early June Big Sur will most likely be cold and foggy. June Gloom.</p>

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<p>The Evergreen Lodge is near Camp Mather, the city of San Francisco’s family camp. The camp was built for the workers who were building the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. If you come on Memorial Day weekend, the Strawberry Music Festival is at Camp Mather (and everything will be booked). The lodge has expanded and done some renovations in the last few years (I haven’t stayed there myself). You can drive up to Hetch Hetchy and do a reservoir rim hike. Note that you can’t swim in the reservoir. An excellent hike with a trailhead just off of 120 on Evergreen Road is Carlin Falls. It is about a 3 mile hike that ends in a large swimming hole with a waterfall. The water will be cold in June. It is at least a 20 minute drive (check with the folks at Evergreen) to the floor of the Yosemite Valley. </p>

<p>The Monterey Aquarium is pretty hectic. It is always crowded. When I last was in the area, we stayed at the Portola Hotel & Spa and got a 2 day pass to the aquarium. That helped to break up the visit a bit. One possible itinerary is to head to Monterey and see the aquarium, stay overnight, do the aquarium for a bit in the morning and then drive down to Big Sur. A family favorite is a meal at Nepenthe right on the cliffs above the Pacific.</p>

<p>When I pumped in Big Sur and Evergreen Logdg into maps.google.com, the directions have a 5 hour drive. </p>

<p>One possible itinerary would be…
arrive SFO
rent car and drive to Monterey. night in Monterey
drive to Big Sur and then return to SF
few nights in SF
drive to Yosemite
few days in Yosemite and return to SFO</p>

<p>With monterey, big sur, sf and yosemite, I’d forego the wine country. but do consider crossing the bay bridge and visiting the east bay (berkeley and oakland)</p>