<p>The tent cabins at Curry Village (in Yosemite valley) are fun with kids and not overwhelmingly expensive. I’ve gone to Yosemite in all seasons, and, although it’s crowded in the summer, it’s still fun and the weather is dependable and nice. Other times of the year you could get rain or cold, and that’s not much fun with a bunch of kids when there are no real indoor areas to hang out. Once you start hiking it takes no time at all to get away from the crowds. And I’ve found my teenagers actually like the international social scene in the Village for the evenings.
Definitely travel on 101 and/or 1 up the coast. Only adds a few hours to the trip to Oregon and is much more scenic - at least until you reach the Cascades. There is so much to see you could easily spend all your time just touring Northern California.</p>
<p>I would recommend Mt. Rainier if you can swing it. It is one of the “special places” along with Yosemite. Mt. St. Helens was truly awe inspiring. I really can’t describe it. It has to be experienced. The Columbia River Gorge is about a day drive in itself if you stop at a bunch of the water falls and lookouts. The Oregon coast is also beautiful. I have some wonderful photos from there. We took 2 days just to drive half of it! Too much to do, too little time… :)</p>
<p>"Too much to do, too little time… "</p>
<p>Agreed! I am going to write down all these suggestions. This trip will happen somehow, in some form…!</p>
<p>I’m not sure whether your trip through Oregon will be in the Willamette Valley or on the coast, but if the former you may wish to stop and hike/picnic at Silver Falls State Park near Silverton (not far from Salem). It’s a stair-step of ten successive waterfalls, the four largest of which you pass under and behind as you hike the trail. It’s somewhat off the beaten tourist path and very beautiful:</p>
<p>[Oregon</a> State Parks and Recreation: Rates](<a href=“http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php]Oregon”>Silver Falls State Park - Oregon State Parks)</p>
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surely you jest … SF is my absolute favorite place in the US to visit. Seriously it sounds like a great trip … like many others I’d suggest slowing the pace (the one direction trip was a great idea) … and I would suggest keeping SF in the mix.</p>
<p>I’m from Portland, so I can give suggestions for this area. If you want to see the Columbia Gorge, you might want to stay in Hood River which is a quaint little town in the heart of the gorge. There are some great hikes in that area. It is only an hour outside of Portland. If you are going to the coast, I love Cannon Beach (one hour from Portland in the opposite direction). If you take Hwy 1 from California, you should definitely stop in the Florence area on the coast to visit the dunes. I have never been there, but I hear it is a blast with kids (young and old). The dune buggy rides on the dunes are supposed to be crazy and better than any roller coaster. Have fun!</p>
<p>lspf: a few comments. First, you won’t be terrified when you fly with your kids, because you have to set a good example, so that they won’t be terrified. I was stunned by this discovery myself–when I fly with my kids I am not scared anymore, because I don’t want them to be.</p>
<p>Second, the Pacific Coast is NEVER hot. You might get one or two warm days–in the 80s, say–but NOT heat. The Humboldt current runs NORTH to SOUTH (not like the Gulf Stream) and as a result the coastal Pacific is cold, keeping the adjacent coast quite cool. (It also keeps us from freezing in the winter.) Inland can get hot, but not the coast.</p>
<p>I agree with those who say a week is not really adequate. If you can swing two weeks, go for it. San Francisco is great fun for a tourist; Portland has Powell’s (“Earth’s biggest bookstore”–and it’s TRUE) and Washington Park (the Rose Test Garden, for gardeners, great hikes for the rest of us) and more; Seattle has its own charms. </p>
<p>Besides Yosemite, which is beautiful but IMHO overrated (I’m not big on crowds and tour buses), there are other National Parks between SF and Seattle. The redwoods in Redwood National Park [Redwood</a> National and State Parks (U.S. National Park Service)](<a href=“http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm]Redwood”>Redwood National and State Parks (U.S. National Park Service)) are amazing–and you can drive right through one of them on your drive from SF to Portland (stopping in Eureka to appreciate the Victorian houses and the small-town vibe). There’s also Crater Lake. Olympic National Park is pretty amazing too.</p>
<p>Depending on when you go, Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier may or may not be accessible. Parts of both parks close in the winter because the roads become impassable. Mt St Helens is often socked in with fog (I know this, because on a good day I can see it on my way to work–and most days I don’t see it) and frankly, when it’s foggy, it’s not worth the trip, because you can’t see the crater. Your best chance to see the crater is in August.</p>
<p>It’s a deep dark secret of Pacific Northwesters that we have amazing weather from early July to early October–clear, sunny, pleasant, cool nights, warmish days (but not hot). People will tell you it rains in Seattle year round. Nope. </p>
<p>If I were planning this trip, I would go the last two weeks in August. You can count on good weather, and some of our local schools are back so traffic has died down and hotel rates are down a bit.</p>
<p>I just got back from a 2 week trip to Oregon. Originally I had thought about seeing a large portion of Oregon and Mt.Rainier and other areas in Washington State. I highly recommend cutting back on the distances and driving. I still have not made it to Rainier or to Yosemite, but our more limited trip in Oregon was really great. The mid to southern coast of Oregon is spectacular and worth much more than a drive by. You will feel rushed with even a week along that portion of the coast. I also enjoyed the area around the redwoods near Crescent City, the high mountains near Bend and the dry areas of John Day. I thought Crater and the waterfalls of the Gorge and Silver Falls were overrated.</p>
<p>That is what I have been thinking edad.</p>
<p>We just went ( H & I) to san francisco and although we had a great time and were there almost a week, we didn’t get a chance to go on a cable car or on the bridge or more than half of the things we wanted to do.
And that is ok.
I would rather spend a few days around the Gorge, stop at mt st helens and maybe make it up to the San Juans ( or better yet, hiking on the Olympic peninsula ) in ten days than try and hit so many spots at one time.</p>
<p>I am trying to pull together a San Francisco-Yosemite trip for next summer and am feeling completely overwhelmed. It sounds as though I should plan the trip around the availability of lodging at Yosemite. From there, I need to figure out whether I should begin or end the trip in Yosemite and whether I should fly in/out Fresno one way and San Francisco the other. Between coordinating two airports, two sets of lodging and a rental car in between, I don’t know where to begin. Can someone point me in the direction of a published 7-day itinerary that makes planning this trip as simple as possible? Please?</p>
<p>Can’t point you to an itinerary, but I’d start with the best round trip air fares, and don’t forget to compare round trip from Sacramento. Probably more…never mind… Also add in picking up and dropping off a rental car at the same airport.Okay, sounds like fun, but I’m no help…LOVED Yosemite in the Winter and Spring, though…</p>
<p>Try AAA and Sunset Magazine for itineraries</p>
<p>If you decide to concentrate on the San Francisco/Yosemite area, you might also want to consider Lassen Volcanic National Park and Point Reyes National Seashore. Both have lots of wonderful easy hikes and great views. Lassen in the early summer is fields of wildflowers and waterfalls (after a bit of a hike) and a cinder cone hike and a walk on a boardwalk past stinky fumaroles. Point Reyes is all sorts of different beaches (some for swimming, some where you’d be suicidal to go in the water) and meadows and wildlife and hundreds of steps down and back up to the historic lighthouse. Oh, and really good cheese! Lassen is a few hours drive from Yosemite, and Point Reyes is only about an hour or so north of San Francisco. Lassen will probably be cheaper; it’s one of the least visited national parks, probably because everyone goes to Yosemite. </p>
<p>Yosemite is going to be crowded in the summer, but if you can manage to hike just a bit off of the valley floor you’ll escape most of the crowds. </p>
<p>Crater Lake has that gorgeous view of the lake, but I’ve found the hiking more limited. </p>
<p>Keep in mind it’s a 10 hour drive from SF to Portland using the faster inland route.</p>
<p>Thanks ST but we’ve got our hearts set on those two destinations and now SIMPLIFY is my mantra. I have set up airfare alerts and checked out available lodging in the park during my target dates. Just not sure how to pull it all together. Book the Yosemite lodging first, then find my best airfare into SFO and out of FAT, and then find a hotel in San Francisco? Does anyone know of a package that would include hotels in both locations as well as airfare to one airport and from another?</p>
<p>We liked Yosemite View Lodge when we went in the spring (and were travelling with a dog). It is just outside the park entrance and right on the Merced river which flows through the park. The rooms are ordinary but just fine and if you ask to be on the river you have a nice patio which would be cool in the summer (when the Valley can be hot!) There is an onsite restaurant which was fine. If you found lodging there they might be able to recommend a comparable place in SF.</p>