Only me Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 We are possibly thinking about taking a vacation to California. I know it's a big state but what would you suggest as the top things to see and do. We would probably fly to LA and then rent a car and drive to various locations. There are just so many things to do I'm not sure how to best plan this. The only thing we would really want to do in the LA area would be possibly Hollywood for a day. Other than that we aren't set on spending a lot of time there. I just thought it would be a good central place to fly in. We want to try to get away from traffic etc since we live near Chicago. Some things that we might be interested in would be the redwoods, San Francisco, a baseball game and a nice beach. Am I being unrealistic as those things are probably on opposite ends of the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 We went to Corona Del Mar (just S of LA) for our 25th. It has a lovely beach, with a tide pool area within walking distance of the more "sandy beach" area. We loved the Warner Bros. Tour--well worth the $. We saw Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame, too. It was fun. Dh wanted to see Muscle Beach, so we went to Venice and that area--kinda dumpy, but interesting. My Calif geog is awful, We stayed in the S. I suppose you could start in LA and then drive N to see the Redwoods, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 How much time do you have? You could do Leo Carrillo State Park, drive up the coast to SF, stopping at some other beaches along the way like in Monterey or something. Then you could drive inland to Yosemite and/or Sequoia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I would consider flying into Orange County and renting a car. You could spend a day or two in OC maybe visit Crystal Cove State Park, see a museum or two, take in a ball game. Then I would drive up to LA and do a few touristy things in Hollywood for a day. From LA I would drive up north to San Francisco. It is such a beautiful drive. You could spend some time in and around San Francisco and fly out from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I would second flying into Orange County. Much less stressful than LAX. You could do some touristy things in that area (Hollywood, San Diego, perhaps Catalina Island), and then drive north toward San Francisco. Stop in Monterey/Carmel on the way and fly out of San Francisco. (I grew up near Monterey.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 As I see it you have two choices: Either stay in one area of a radius (fill on your number) and explore there or take a leisurely drive up the coast on the fabled Hwy 1 which is curvy, takes a long time but is unequaled in beauty (at least to those of us who never tire of seeing water). :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 We are possibly thinking about taking a vacation to California. I know it's a big state but what would you suggest as the top things to see and do. We would probably fly to LA and then rent a car and drive to various locations. There are just so many things to do I'm not sure how to best plan this. The only thing we would really want to do in the LA area would be possibly Hollywood for a day. Other than that we aren't set on spending a lot of time there. I just thought it would be a good central place to fly in. We want to try to get away from traffic etc since we live near Chicago. Some things that we might be interested in would be the redwoods, San Francisco, a baseball game and a nice beach. Am I being unrealistic as those things are probably on opposite ends of the state. You're flying into LA? Girl, if you don't go to Disneyland, you won't have been to California. :-) You can drive from the L.A. area to the San Francisco Bay area in a day; my vote would be to take Hwy 1, up to San Luis Obispo, maybe even take a tour of Hearst Castle. Unless you enjoy very curvy roads which hang off the sides of cliffs, I'd go over to Hwy. 101 at that point and continue north to Monterey and and Santa Cruz and up to San Francisco. If you stay on Hwy. 1, you can go through Big Sur, but frankly, that coast highway is crazy. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I agree - Highway 1 or 1/101. I'd plan to take several days if you aren't pressed for time, and stop and see things along the way. Big Basin State Park near Santa Cruz is full of big redwoods. They aren't "The" redwoods (by which people usually mean Sequoia National Park or Redwoods State Park), but it's on the way, and gorgeous camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 CA = Road Trip. :) I agree, the Highway One drive from S CA to N CA is breathtaking, and never gets old. All of coastal CA is a 'nice beach'. :) Some favorite places: The Grove/Farmers' Market in LA Le Brea Tarpits & Page Museum Leo Carrillo Beach Disneyland (very different from World) Hearst Castle Napa or Sonoma vineyard tour- some cater to families Monterey Aquarium Big Sur/ Pfieffer Beach San Fransisco - take open bus ride- really fun for kids, lots of history. You an get on and off at various sites, museums etc Chinatown, Tea Gardens, SF Aquarium, and Ferry Building Farmers' Market. Alcatraz. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie75 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 How much time do you have? I live in SoCal, but if I was visiting and had time, I would start in San Diego and work my way up. You can fly into San Diego, do one day there and head up to OC/LA and do the Hollywood thing. From there drive through Santa Barbara and head up to San Luis Obisbo. I would go to Heart Castle if you had time. From there you can take the 1 up through Big Sur and into Monterey/Santa Cruz. We drove from Santa Cruz to Yosemite a couple years ago and it's a great drive. If you have time Yosemite is incredible and worth the extra time to visit. They have the Sequoias there to see as well. I'd end in San Francisco. Or from Santa Cruz go to San Fran, then Yosemite and fly out of San Fran or Fresno. There is lots to see here! I would not try to drive from LA tro SF in one day. That would ruin your vacation. It's way to long to be in the car and you'd be driving my so much to see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturegirl Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 We flew into LAX a few years ago and drove up Highway 1. It was a great trip. Big Sur was one of my husband's favorite places. One place that hasn't been mentioned yet is Joshua Tree National Park. I'm big on visiting all of the national parks. Before we started driving up the coast, we drove out to Joshua Tree for the day. We really liked it a lot. Another suggestion is the La Brea Tar Pits. We haven't actually been, but are planning a trip to L.A. this fall and are planning on going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 You're flying into LA? Girl, if you don't go to Disneyland, you won't have been to California. :-) You can drive from the L.A. area to the San Francisco Bay area in a day; my vote would be to take Hwy 1, up to San Luis Obispo, maybe even take a tour of Hearst Castle. Unless you enjoy very curvy roads which hang off the sides of cliffs, I'd go over to Hwy. 101 at that point and continue north to Monterey and and Santa Cruz and up to San Francisco. If you stay on Hwy. 1, you can go through Big Sur, but frankly, that coast highway is crazy. :-) Hwy 1 is a lovely drive, but it is long and curvy. And can get tiresome after a while. DH and I did it a couple of years ago - we drove south from Monterey to Morro Bay and after a while it just got long. It is beautiful, though. Don't get me wrong. San Luis Obispo is a lovely lovely town. It's got the University and a very beautifully restored mission. You could also stop near San Simeon and see the elephant seals. They are amazing. Gross. But amazing. I second going to Monterey/Santa Cruz. We vacation in Santa Cruz every year and it's kind of cool. You got Santa Cruz, which is a very crazy, beachy, board-walky, university town and then you get on Hwy 9 right in the middle of Santa Cruz and within minutes, literally within minutes you are in these lush, beautiful redwood mountains. You can go up to Felton, where there's an old steam train that will take you on an hour ride through the old growth redwoods and if you're lucky you can see banana slugs all over the place (although we didn't see any this year, I think it's too dry). I personally wouldn't go to Yosemite. It's too crowded and crazy and I'm not sure the status of the waterfalls anyway. We're in a drought and everything is all dried up. You'd be better off staying on the coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Hwy 1 is a lovely drive, but it is long and curvy. And can get tiresome after a while. DH and I did it a couple of years ago - we drove south from Monterey to Morro Bay and after a while it just got long. It is beautiful, though. Don't get me wrong. San Luis Obispo is a lovely lovely town. It's got the University and a very beautifully restored mission. You could also stop near San Simeon and see the elephant seals. They are amazing. Gross. But amazing. I second going to Monterey/Santa Cruz. We vacation in Santa Cruz every year and it's kind of cool. You got Santa Cruz, which is a very crazy, beachy, board-walky, university town and then you get on Hwy 9 right in the middle of Santa Cruz and within minutes, literally within minutes you are in these lush, beautiful redwood mountains. You can go up to Felton, where there's an old steam train that will take you on an hour ride through the old growth redwoods and if you're lucky you can see banana slugs all over the place (although we didn't see any this year, I think it's too dry). I personally wouldn't go to Yosemite. It's too crowded and crazy and I'm not sure the status of the waterfalls anyway. We're in a drought and everything is all dried up. You'd be better off staying on the coast. See, that's why I recommend going back over to 101 when you get to San Luis Obispo. All of Hwy. 1 up to that point is nice, as it merges with Hwy. 101 and there is civilization as well as lovely beach. Once you're north of SLO, though, you get the true coast highway. 101 will take you inland, but you can over to the coast around Monterey--a little north of there, but not much, and then you can visit Monterey and Carmel, and then backtrack up to Hwy 1 again, and get Santa Cruz and on up to San Francisco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 You're flying into LA? Girl, if you don't go to Disneyland, you won't have been to California. :-) ... Ugh, 1 day/1 park passes for Disneyland are now $96 each. At that price I don't recommend. I'm a SoCal resident and there are so many other unique things to do which have already been mentioned on other replies. Do you like art museums? The Getty is simply fantastic. It's close to Hollywood so you could easily do it on the same day. It's not just an art museum - beautiful architecture and views of the city and ocean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I'd go to Monterey. ::sigh:: I haven't been in twenty years I I want to go back. For me, it's a romantic place. I loved walking around Monterey, Carmel, and pacific grove. The aquarium is awesome and you can day trip San Francisco and big sur from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 We probablly won't do Disney. My oldest dd just finished a one semester internship at Disney World and we spent a week there in April. I know Disney land is different but I think we want a more relaxing type vacation this time and we've spent enough $ at Disney for awhile. I think we would be there about a week. How long of a drive is it from OC to San Francisco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 No one has mentioned Muir Woods yet, just north of San Francisco. To visit you'd get to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, always a fun experience. You'd get to see redwoods there, too. If you're here for a week and planning to visit at least one city, I'd probably stick to the coast. Yosemite (and Sequoia, my favorite by far) are great parks, but it would add significant driving time to your trip. Santa Cruz has a fun beach boardwalk, and I've found that the beach there tends to be what people from out of state are looking for when they ask for a "good beach" - calm, lots of sand, not so icy cold. We probablly won't do Disney. My oldest dd just finished a one semester internship at Disney World and we spent a week there in April. I know Disney land is different but I think we want a more relaxing type vacation this time and we've spent enough $ at Disney for awhile. I think we would be there about a week. How long of a drive is it from OC to San Francisco Ahh...the wrong questions :) It's not "how long is the drive?" It's "how long could the drive potentially be?" Written by someone who last weekend spent hours sitting on 101 in LA. I personally would give it two or three days. It would open up flexibility for you in terms of traffic (getting caught in LA or SF, plus we've run into some delays near Monterey). Plus, you'd be driving past a great part of the state :) (I'm a little biased - it's where I live.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 How long of a drive is it from OC to San Francisco On I-5, it usually takes us 8hrs to drive non-stop from San Diego back to San Jose. We hit a jam near LA/Hollywood so it took longer. It is another 1hr drive on US-101 to San Francisco in traffic. Golden Gate Park is another place we tend to get stuck in traffic. For the scenic route we drove on Highway 1/Big Sur and the 17-mile drive. If you like train rides, the roundtrip from Felton Roaring Railroads to Santa Cruz beach broadwalk was nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Ugh, 1 day/1 park passes for Disneyland are now $96 each. At that price I don't recommend. I'm a SoCal resident and there are so many other unique things to do which have already been mentioned on other replies. ::swoons::: We took our dd to Disneyland for her fifth birthday, 1980. One-day passes were $10 each. Yeah, it's crazy expensive. Yeah, I'd go do something else (but it would hurt, lol. We *love* Disneyland.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Ahh...the wrong questions :) It's not "how long is the drive?" It's "how long could the drive potentially be?" Written by someone who last weekend spent hours sitting on 101 in LA. Indeed. I-5 is a pretty straight shot, and theoretically should only take 6 hours or so from OC to San Jose. But traffic can sure be a booger! We used to live exactly 110 miles from our front door in San Diego to Disneyland's main gate. We could drive it two hours...30 years ago...but not today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 We probablly won't do Disney. My oldest dd just finished a one semester internship at Disney World and we spent a week there in April. I know Disney land is different but I think we want a more relaxing type vacation this time and we've spent enough $ at Disney for awhile. I think we would be there about a week. How long of a drive is it from OC to San Francisco I lived virtually my entire life in Orange County-from age 10 to age 44. I've been to SF more times than I can count and love it! It's a good 8 hr or more and that's going up I-5 which is an boring, ugly drive. Yuck! With the things you say you'd like to do, I'd fly to San Francisco (or Oakland or San Jose if they are cheaper) and make that your home base. You can do all of the great stuff in SF and easily get to Muir Woods or Redwood National Park from there. The beaches are different in Northern CA but they are still beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Written by someone who last weekend spent hours sitting on 101 in LA. I hate the 101! You can't get to Santa Barbara anymore in 2 hrs because of the stupid traffic and 101 being the only way in and out of SB. My sisters live in SB and I've done that drive so much. It's annoying. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 If you want relaxing, I would not try to get from Southern California to SF in a short time. If you aren't used to the kind of traffic we have here in LA or SF, it can be a real shock. I also wouldn't waste my time on Hollywood. It really isn't worth the effort, IMO, and I say that as a 3rd generation Angeleno. There are lots of great things to see in Southern California, but Hollywood wouldn't be at the top of that list. If I only had a week in CA, I would focus on doing either Southern or Northern California; it's quite a huge state, and you will spend a lot of time driving around (and sitting in traffic) if you attempt both. Having said that, I am partial to San Diego, Santa Barbara, the Monterey Peninsula, and Napa/Sonoma myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 ::swoons::: We took our dd to Disneyland for her fifth birthday, 1980. One-day passes were $10 each. Yeah, it's crazy expensive. Yeah, I'd go do something else (but it would hurt, lol. We *love* Disneyland.) The price increases lately have been insane. 7 years ago we bought the cheapest SoCal annual passes for $114 (which pass is now $289, and it means you can't ever go on weekends or in the summer; it's valid fewer than half of the days of the year). Now we can barely get a 1-park 1-day ticket for what we paid for our annual pass 7 years ago! And the park is always full. They acknowledged that they raised the prices this time because of overcrowding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I was born and raised in L.A. One thing I would suggest to you, is that you go down to San Diego. Take the tour of the San Diego Zoo. There are many other things to do in/near San Diego. Take a tour of the Navy Base, if they give tours. If you are U.S. Citizens, cross over into Tijuana, which will give you a tiny glimpse of what Mexico is like, if you have never been there. DO NOT drive your car into Mexico! Walk across the border and take taxis. Hollywood was very rough, when I was growing up, and I can only imagine what it is like now. As you would anywhere, be VERY careful... Regarding beaches, try to find beaches where they are not dumping raw sewage into the ocean, as they did when I grew up, near LAX. North of Santa Monica, for example, possibly Zuma Beach. Be careful of "rip tides"... National Parks, whether in CA, or another state, are always spectacular and worthy of your time and your money. Tour around Beverly Hills and see how wealthy people in CA live. Go shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. If you are in San Francisco and the weather is nice, it can be a paradise. Cable Car rides, a visit to Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Be very careful of the panhandlers, etc. Go North of there, into Marin County and see how the wealthy there live. I have a cousin who lives there. Wine Country. Bring LOTS of money... There are just so many things you *should* see in CA. Take lots of money and enjoy your trip! Disneyland is another possibility if you have not been to WDW recently. Drive up the coast, from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara and spend 2 or 3 nights there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Definitely see San Francisco, it is such a charming city. And Hwy 1 is gorgeous. If you like nature and more outdoorsy vacations you should definitely go to Yosemite. Even without the water this year it is spectacular and drive up into the high country (Tuolumne) part of the park if you're here in the summer. I grew up in Orange County and I now live in the foothills of the Sierras close to Sequoia. You can see the huge Sequoias in Yosemite too, I wouldn't make the extra drive to Sequoia Nat'l park but they would be another reason to go to Yosemite. If you like museums and are the more activity type you could spend a lot of time in the cities, especially down south. The Holocaust museum in LA is good, as is the Tar Pits, the SD Zoo is good too but I'm pretty sure they don't give tours of the naval base anymore. You can take a boat tour of the harbor which is fun. Hollywood isn't all that amazing, I think Beverly Hills is better, or drive through Malibu. If you enjoy homes and architecture Hearst Castle would be a must see on the central coast. The aquarium in Monterey is also really nice. You'll have to figure what your family enjoys doing and what you want to focus on. No matter how long you have to spend you won't see it all and keep in mind the driving, cause California is a huge state! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Just echoing the Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz areas. I realize you wouldn't be camping per se, but we have no qualms about taking the time (7+ hour drive one way) and gas money to go camping in those areas. Gorgeous. We just returned from Big Sur (shameless brag....sorry) and I'm already itching to go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Definitely see San Francisco, it is such a charming city. And Hwy 1 is gorgeous. If you like nature and more outdoorsy vacations you should definitely go to Yosemite. Even without the water this year it is spectacular and drive up into the high country (Tuolumne) part of the park if you're here in the summer. I grew up in Orange County and I now live in the foothills of the Sierras close to Sequoia. You can see the huge Sequoias in Yosemite too, I wouldn't make the extra drive to Sequoia Nat'l park but they would be another reason to go to Yosemite. ! Yeah, but every time I go to Yosemite my blood pressure goes up and I can't even enjoy it. You gotta fight for parking, and the road through the Valley is one way and there's always some idiots not paying attention and running across the road to take a picture of the deer, and you get in a rattly shuttle bus to go up to Happy Isles and it's crowded and dusty..... If you really want to see the majesty of the Sierras without all the hype and tourists, drive down the Kings Canyon into Cedar Gove. Granted, there are no waterfalls, but it is breathtaking, IMO and you can actually enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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