Anonymous wrote:I personally find San Diego nice but boring too visit - like most of SoCal. San Francisco is much cooler and Norther California is beautiful. My fav things there are Yosemite - but it gets crazy crowded - Redwood National Park and the Sierra Nevadas (Sequoia and King's Canyon). I really do not like LA at all. It can be fun but it is so much. Santa Barbara, Carmel, Big Sur are all more interesting.

Santa Monica, Venice and Hollywood might interest teens, but LA city itself, I would skip.

I personally find San Diego nice but boring too visit - like most of SoCal. San Francisco is much cooler and Norther California is beautiful. My fav things there are Yosemite - but it gets crazy crowded - Redwood National Park and the Sierra Nevadas (Sequoia and King's Canyon). I really do not like LA at all. It can be fun but it is so much. Santa Barbara, Carmel, Big Sur are all more interesting.

Op back from an outing.

Sounds like two to three days is the max in LA. I've been there for two visits, a week long each for specific events, but not much makes me want to return. The reason it's on the list is because my 14 year old boy really wants to see it as a center of pop culture.

My kids are just into cities and if it was my spouse and I we would just do the national parks and maybe the San Diego zoo. You've given me a lot of food for thought.

I wouldn't spend a week in LA, but I'd stay 2-3 nights. Cities are #1 on OP's list. Santa Monica is fun and fits the criteria for ocean views, the Getty, Dodgers game, Hollywood sign, map to the stars' homes. Keep it short and move on to the rest. We liked Palm Springs as a base for Joshua Tree.

We did a two week trip that included airbnb's in:

Pacific Palisades/Santa Monica
Yosemite
SLO
Santa Barbara
Encinitas

Not a fan of the Bay Area, but maybe if I had five weeks I's add it in.

DW would prefer to go to one place and stay there for five weeks.

Didn't get squirted once.

Your list does not have the best of the best as listed by others.

Also, do you prefer city or nature? Don't forget the state parks. They are just as awesome. Many national parks require reservation and even just parking reservations. Crazy.

Anonymous wrote:I'm very partial to the Big Sur/Carmel/Monterey area. Breathtakingly beautiful (if the roads are okay).

Oh boy a few years ago my father in law took us on a drive through Big Sur - in a car he wasn't comfortable driving. That was quite an experience! I hear other people love that drive, though!! And I LOVED that area outside of the terrifying drive.

Go see the elephant seals near Hearst Castle - and it will be overrun with tourists, but don't miss Muir Woods!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d pick San Diego or LA, not both for two weeks total. Or split a week and do a few days at one, a few days at the other.

Also look at the Northern California coast north of the Bay Area. And add Tahoe.

Came to say similar. Personally I'd skip LA.

+1 and I'm from SoCal. If you want national park, you could do Joshua Tree, but personally, I don't think LA is that interesting, though Hollywood might be fun for a day or two.

I would also add Lake Tahoe (we used to have a house up there) and Redwood forest way up north. It's pretty amazing to be in the midst of all those really tall trees. And it's so green.

Joshua Tree is interesting. But you don't need much time there if you're not a rock climber.

And don't go there from May-September or so unless you want to be confined to sunrise and sunset. It's too hot.

I'm very partial to the Big Sur/Carmel/Monterey area. Breathtakingly beautiful (if the roads are okay).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d pick San Diego or LA, not both for two weeks total. Or split a week and do a few days at one, a few days at the other.

Also look at the Northern California coast north of the Bay Area. And add Tahoe.

Came to say similar. Personally I'd skip LA.

+1 and I'm from SoCal. If you want national park, you could do Joshua Tree, but personally, I don't think LA is that interesting, though Hollywood might be fun for a day or two.

I would also add Lake Tahoe (we used to have a house up there) and Redwood forest way up north. It's pretty amazing to be in the midst of all those really tall trees. And it's so green.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d pick San Diego or LA, not both for two weeks total. Or split a week and do a few days at one, a few days at the other.

Also look at the Northern California coast north of the Bay Area. And add Tahoe.

Came to say similar. Personally I'd skip LA.

Do not miss Muir Woods or Sequoia Natl Pk.

Anonymous wrote:I’d pick San Diego or LA, not both for two weeks total. Or split a week and do a few days at one, a few days at the other.

Also look at the Northern California coast north of the Bay Area. And add Tahoe.

Came to say similar. Personally I'd skip LA.

Santa Mónica pier, golden gate bridge

I’d pick San Diego or LA, not both for two weeks total. Or split a week and do a few days at one, a few days at the other.

Also look at the Northern California coast north of the Bay Area. And add Tahoe.

We are planning on going on a long California vacation next year.
Like, five weeks, with a week in each place.

Our priorities are: cities, National Parks, and ocean views.

So, two questions for those in the know:

Which five places should we pick as our base for a week?
Which national parks should we focus on?

I was thinking:
San Diego
Los Angeles
Near Yosemite
Bay Area
San Luis Obispo

Any troubleshooting?