Epic California vacation: Where should we stop?
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Anonymous
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Yosemite is amazing! Love the historic hotel Ahwanee. You have to make hotel and park reservations a year in advance. June and May is the best time.
Bay Area. I love San Francisco. The one downside is that the hotels are concentrated in union square and the eastern side where it is getting better but still not what it used to be. Business travel has not come back, tech workers are remote or hybrid and many of the stores have shut down. The western side of the city is amazing. If you can find a nice Airbnb in Inner Richmond, Pacific Heights or the Marina it’s so much nicer. Russian Hill is great the hills are a killer. Sausalito is a really cute town on the Bay just over Golden Gate Bridge. Just south of the Bay Area is Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. Fantastic area! Beach, nature preserves, redwoods, wetlands etc. In the LA area you have the Getty, Griffin Observatory and Universal if you want a theme park in the NW area. If you are into Disney, there is Disneyland in Anaheim about 90 minutes east and slightly south. 30 minutes south is Huntington Beach and Newport Beach or go another hour or two NW and you have Joshua Tree. Santa Monica is fun. Malibu is shockingly beautiful. The drive along the coast from Santa Monica up to the Bay Area is phenomenal! Highly recommend this. You could split the drive by staying overnight in Santa Barbara or go a little off the route and stay in SLO. |
Anonymous
| Tahoe! If you are in CA for five weeks, you really should go to Lake Tahoe. We like the Hyatt in Incline Village during the summer. It’s close to Sand Harbor. You can rent bikes, jet skis, paddle boards, kayaks, or hike. |
Anonymous
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As an east coast native that just returned after 10 years in SF, you can find cities anywhere. The things in California that you won't easily find anywhere else: Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Big Sur, Redwoods and Giant Sequoia, highway 1 up the northern coast, and Tahoe. Reserve your time for those things.
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Anonymous
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Former CA resident here. The cities are meh, except for San Francisco - I absolutely love the Bay Area. But focus on the nature --
Do the ENTIRE coast - I'm talking all of Highway 1, up to Oregon on the 101, and make a detour and visit the Lost Coast area. Do all of the California National Parks -- they're all worth it. Eastern Sierra is my favorite area in California -- actually probably my fav area in all of the US. US 395. You'll thank me later! You can hit Tahoe from here too. Shouldn't be missed. Visit the Salton Sea area -- Bombay Beach -- for a real eye-opening experience, that yes, this is still the USA. California is amazing and you will love your 5 weeks there. I'm jealous! |
Anonymous
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Depending on when you are going always be mentally prepared for a back up plan and make sure you can cancel reservations or change them.
Winter storms can and often knock out the route to or from or last year both sides of highway 1 through Big Sur.Fires can create smoke that travels very far. Depending on the weather it can settle in. Take the heat waves seriously especially at higher elevations. It’s not humid like DC and will cool off at night but the sun is very intense. People can and do die hiking if they don’t heed heat warnings. Do not swim in the ocean or swim cautiously where there are lifeguards. The Pacific is not like the Atlantic It’s cold and you’ll notice the surfers have wet suits. The waves and rips can be really strong. The Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz areas are great white shark nurseries. They don’t seem to bite anyone but if sharks freak you out stay on the sand. There is an otter in Santa Cruz that is stealing surf boards. Don’t climb on rocks next to the ocean with big waves. Don’t turn your back on the ocean. In Tahoe or Yosemite do not leave food in the car, even a candy wrapper or a cooler. Bears will break into the car, trash it and you will be fined for enabling the bear break in. In San Francisco do not leave anything in your car, people will smash the window. |
Anonymous
This times a thousand. I’d kill to go there again. |
Anonymous
| If you are looking at national parks, Channel Island NP is pretty easy to get to from LA and worth checking out. |
Anonymous
This! Monterey for the aquarium. Carmel/Pebble Beach for the views. You must do the Point Lobos hike! I would add in Sonoma county if you go north of SF. Bodega Bay is beautiful, Point Reyes has great hikes. Just east of that is wine country (looove the pinots). Stay in or around Healdsburg--amazing restaurants and cute shopping area. |
Anonymous
| Santa Cruz, Carmel, Pebble Beach Drive. |
Anonymous
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If you go to SF, park outside the city and BART in to avoid your rental car being broken into. The city truly has become a cesspool of crime since nothing is being prosecuted. The liberals realized they took things too far and miraculously recalled the DA, but it'll take some time before some order can be restored.
Second Monterey and Carmel. Beautiful places. If you like Steinbeck especially. Or can time things with the monarch butterfly migration. If you really like weed, don't forget Humboldt County. |
Anonymous
Oh BS! We drive into SF all the time. Just do not leave stuff in the car. I would also pay for parking at the hotel so you don’t have to search for a spot. |
Anonymous
| I live in the Bay Area. My family loves San Diego for vacations but we like animals (ie the zoo). I’ve really enjoyed visiting Point Reyes and Healdsburg and would recommend both but be careful of fire season. I just returned from a 24 hour trip to Monterey and it is beautiful down there! Just north of Monterey In Moss Landing you can do a kayak based whale watch tour or take an “ecotourism” boat trip in Elkhorn Slough which has one of the most diverse population of migratory birds in the world. I recently visited Muir Woods for the first time. Granted it was Father’s Day but it was hot and very crowded. I had a hard time finding a spot alone to listen to bird song. Personally I’d skip it and pick something like Purisima Creek trail near Half Moon Bay instead. Finally, depending on the season, it can be fun to go fruit picking. Don’t forget layers! I recently went fruit picking in the East bay and the temperature difference from the San Francisco area was about 30 degrees. |
Anonymous
| If Yosemite is a priority, especially trails/activities in the Valley, I would stay IN in the park not just near it. Too much of a pain to drive in and out all week. |
Anonymous
And I'd focus on the hikes on Tioga Road and Glacier Point, instead of down in the valley hell. Cooler in the higher sports, and less people. |
Anonymous
| California has a lot of poverty and homelessness. Beware. |