Just back - highs and lows

[Hollytigs]

Got back yesterday from a 3 week trip travelling from Portland, Oregon to Disneyland. We are a family of 4 with 2 girls 15 and 10. We had a fantastic time, even the lows weren't that bad, but here are some initial thoughts:

Highs:
-Oregon - we loved it! Maybe because we stayed with friends, but the people, the mountains, waterfalls, forests, rivers, food and beers were all wonderful. We went to a local baseball match one evening which was lots of fun too. We all agreed we would go back here in a flash!
-L.A. - I know a lot of people don't like it so I was expecting to feel the same but I loved the vibe - energetic, exciting, and as if you could walk past a movie star any minute. We also felt there was a lot more we would have liked to have seen here.
-Disneyland - We found it less crowded than WDW, it was fun to do some new rides and the maxpass was great. DH and I thought it was the least stressful Disney experience we've ever had.
Monterey - exactly what a seaside town should be. We stayed in Pacific Grove and loved it, ate at Lovers Point which was a great restaurant. Lots to see and do in a relaxed atmosphere.

Lows:
-Smoke - It was really smoky in Northern California, it hurt our throats and meant that we couldn't do everything we wanted as places were closed. We didn't feel sorry for ourselves (we met a guy from Redding who showed us video footage of his town burnt to a cinder) but we probably should have just moved on to the next stop earlier than planned.
-San Francisco - Not all of it, but Fishermans wharf was dirty, noisy, smelly, crowded, tacky and expensive. We liked other parts of the city like North Beach and the tour we took with Dylans Tours (anyone else had Rolando as their guide?), but we couldn't sleep because of traffic noise and we thought the restaurants around our hotel were rubbish and overpriced.
- Prices - good God its expensive compared to Orlando! Drinks (alcohol) were generally 10/12 dollars wherever we went - we bought a nice bottle of rose from a CVS for $8, but in the same shop it was $8 for toothpaste and $10 for deodorant. We took $250 a day and overspent. Parking is expensive everywhere, but look for cheaper options - in Monterey, one car park was $35 and the next was $10.

Overall a fantastic time, and we definitely want to go back to Oregon and LA. I must try and sleep now as we have work tomorrow!

[1972]

Sounds like you had a great time.

Will you be doing a trip report?

[Guest]

Sounds great. We also loved Oregon ( and Washington ) for all the reasons you mention. Must also add it was great for eating out as a coeliac and for really good local ciders.

[MichelleB]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[JudyC]

Thanks for that. I'm hoping to plan a trip taking in Portland and Seattle .

[flo-tinka]

Thanks for quick report. Agree with the expense, but worth it from our perspective 👍

[Hollytigs]

It was definitely worth it and we would go back but next time do Yosemite and San Diego rather than San Francisco and Northern California. I might try and do a full trip report as I made a few notes while we were there.

[cornishfrogboy]

Thanks. Will you be doing a report? With images?

We were there at Easter and yes, prices hurt. Fortunately, we only picked up our car, close to and as we left over the Bay Bridge. Saved us a fortune!