Planning California for 2010 - Need advice and tips

[Cyclospora]

Originally Posted by Harry

We're off in October...

So far we have planned...

Flight to LUX then drive to San Diego (3 nights... Sea World, DS Zoo and USS Midway)

Drive from SD to Anahiem (staying in Fullerton... 6 nights.. Disney parks, Universal, LA etc)

Drive from Anaheim to Pismo Beach (1 night)

Drive from Pismo Beach to Monetery (3 nights... Whale watching... 18 mile drive , aquarium etc)

From Monterey to Yosemite (2 nights)

From Yosemite to San Francisco (2 nights Alcatraz, ride across the bridge etc)

See more...

Hello Harry

We did that trip in reverse last year - apart from San Diego!

1 night LA then flew to SF
3 nights SF
2 nights Fresno for Yosemite (as a fire in Yosemite stopped us staying in El Portal!)
1 night Monterey
2 nights Pismo Beach (via 17 mile drive and Pebble Beach, Big Sur etc, Madonna Inn)
3 nights Hollywood
5 nights Anaheim

Trippy with lots of pics is in the trippy section

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Cyclospora

Hello Harry

We did that trip in reverse last year - apart from San Diego!

1 night LA then flew to SF
3 nights SF
2 nights Fresno for Yosemite (as a fire in Yosemite stopped us staying in El Portal!)
1 night Monterey
2 nights Pismo Beach (via 17 mile drive and Pebble Beach, Big Sur etc, Madonna Inn)
3 nights Hollywood
5 nights Anaheim

Trippy with lots of pics is in the trippy section

See more...

I'm off to read your trippy now to pick up lots of tips.

[Cyclospora]

Here's a link to the index:

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=233926

[rsvdaz]

just come back from california and vegas yesterday.
flew direct into san francisco with 4 nights at the HI ex FW
did the open top tours (all routes) biked the bridge into sausilito and a very long day tour to yosemite..then picked up hire car drove down the coast to santa cruz for lunch )after first drinving down lombard street!) we had a sebring convertible...stopped overnight in monterey then the morning we did 13mile drive and carmel and then down through big sur to san luis obispa for the night then from there we drove to solvang, santa barbara, malibu and santa monica on pch1 for lunch then drove up to hotel in valencia near six flags for a fun filled day in the morning.
late afternoon drove down to anaheim where we stayed for 4 days had a 2 day park hopper ticket and also took a LA bus tour and combined it with a stars tour straight after. we then hopped onto a plane over to vegas for 6 nights where we also hired a car for 2 days and did hoover dam and red rock canyon and drove down the strip..we also got re-married by elvis and a helicoptor trip to the grand canyon floor.

when i get over the jet lag i will put up a full trip report

[Cyclospora]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

just come back from california and vegas yesterday.

when i get over the jet lag i will put up a full trip report

See more...

Wow! Sounds amazing! Can't wait for your trippie!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

just come back from california and vegas yesterday.
flew direct into san francisco with 4 nights at the HI ex FW
did the open top tours (all routes) biked the bridge into sausilito and a very long day tour to yosemite..then picked up hire car drove down the coast to santa cruz for lunch )after first drinving down lombard street!) we had a sebring convertible...stopped overnight in monterey then the morning we did 13mile drive and carmel and then down through big sur to san luis obispa for the night then from there we drove to solvang, santa barbara, malibu and santa monica on pch1 for lunch then drove up to hotel in valencia near six flags for a fun filled day in the morning.
late afternoon drove down to anaheim where we stayed for 4 days had a 2 day park hopper ticket and also took a LA bus tour and combined it with a stars tour straight after. we then hopped onto a plane over to vegas for 6 nights where we also hired a car for 2 days and did hoover dam and red rock canyon and drove down the strip..we also got re-married by elvis and a helicoptor trip to the grand canyon floor.

when i get over the jet lag i will put up a full trip report

See more...

Sounds like you had a fantastic holiday.
Love Rio

[travelmam]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

just come back from california and vegas yesterday.
flew direct into san francisco with 4 nights at the HI ex FW
did the open top tours (all routes) biked the bridge into sausilito and a very long day tour to yosemite..then picked up hire car drove down the coast to santa cruz for lunch )after first drinving down lombard street!) we had a sebring convertible...stopped overnight in monterey then the morning we did 13mile drive and carmel and then down through big sur to san luis obispa for the night then from there we drove to solvang, santa barbara, malibu and santa monica on pch1 for lunch then drove up to hotel in valencia near six flags for a fun filled day in the morning.
late afternoon drove down to anaheim where we stayed for 4 days had a 2 day park hopper ticket and also took a LA bus tour and combined it with a stars tour straight after. we then hopped onto a plane over to vegas for 6 nights where we also hired a car for 2 days and did hoover dam and red rock canyon and drove down the strip..we also got re-married by elvis and a helicoptor trip to the grand canyon floor.

when i get over the jet lag i will put up a full trip report

See more...

Sounds like you had a great time, look forward to reading all about it.

[Siddex]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

just come back from california and vegas yesterday.
flew direct into san francisco with 4 nights at the HI ex FW
did the open top tours (all routes) biked the bridge into sausilito and a very long day tour to yosemite..then picked up hire car drove down the coast to santa cruz for lunch )after first drinving down lombard street!) we had a sebring convertible...stopped overnight in monterey then the morning we did 13mile drive and carmel and then down through big sur to san luis obispa for the night then from there we drove to solvang, santa barbara, malibu and santa monica on pch1 for lunch then drove up to hotel in valencia near six flags for a fun filled day in the morning.
late afternoon drove down to anaheim where we stayed for 4 days had a 2 day park hopper ticket and also took a LA bus tour and combined it with a stars tour straight after. we then hopped onto a plane over to vegas for 6 nights where we also hired a car for 2 days and did hoover dam and red rock canyon and drove down the strip..we also got re-married by elvis and a helicoptor trip to the grand canyon floor.

when i get over the jet lag i will put up a full trip report

See more...

Hi,

Can't wait for your trip report as you have done almost exactly what we have planned for September.

Please could you tell me what the Stars Tour was like? Its something I have always wanted to do, but have been put off by reading various reports on Trip Advisor.

Also was the drive down PCH1 as good as they say it is?

Thanks

Mark

[rsvdaz]

we did the 5 hour grand LA tour with the 2 hour star tour after. the gran tour was ok..the star tour was fantastic...but tbh the driver/guide made it..saw loads of stars houses...but no stars..although we did see a Bugati Veron(sp)
pch1 was fantastic... even all the way up in Pacifica near san francisco/big sur... fantastic scenery..and then down to santa barbara/malibu... 3 lane high way right next to the fantastic beach...will hopefully make a start on my TR today

[pudding]

got back yesterday from california,we did 3 nights las vegas,3 nights san diego,2 nights anaheim then 4 nights marina del rey
I really liked san diego and the zoo was great..we bought california passes which worked out well..sea world was good too...
we went to disney and it was so funny i was looking for the castle and i was stood right by it..after floridas castle last year it looked like a bungalow ha ha
while in san diego go to coranado island it's lovely and they have the famous hotel del corando there..very posh
We did the star tours..we booked it online as it was cheaper..make sure you do the open top van as ours wasn't and taking pics was a waste of time through a window..
try and look if there are any events on at the chinese theater in LA if you visit as we got there and within 10 mins it was shut to the public due to the drew barrymore premier that evening so if you had one day you couldn't take pics of the hand prints..luckily 10 mins was enough for us
The thing i noticed in disney and universal is that some of the store workers etc were not as friendly as in flroida and florida had more of a magic feel...i felt disney felt like alton towers if you know what i mean..in florida everyone wears the fun hats etc but LA wasn't much of that..
we found venice beach to be a bit seedy..santa monica was nice just to go to the pier etc..malibu was lovely and lovely houses etc
any more info i will be glad to help