California Itinerary Help

[fiona88]

Morning dibbers,
Ive hit a bit of an awkward point in trip planning, we have flights with 16 nights in-between.
Booked are:
3 nights from a Friday in SFO union Square
Then 6 nights of no bookings
Followed by 5nights Disney - sun-fri
2 nights Burbank
Flight home from LAX Sunday

For those 6 nights with no booking the plan was originally to drive San Fran - Yosemite for 4 nights - Monterey for 2 nights
But
Then our travel agent pointed out Sequoia National Park, so we thought
San Fran - Monterey - Yosemite - Sequoia
But then we miss the coastal drive
However it seems like it'll be a lot more driving to go back to Monterey from Sequoia.
Any thoughts, or ideas on staying somewhere outside sequoia maybe so we aren't as far out on the last morning, or somewhere mid-way.
We do however want 2 full days in Yosemite staying in the park so that's the bit to work around and 1 full day in Monterey for aquarium and a whale watching tour

[red cuillen]

It'll be a compromise, but then holidays always are. If you don't want to do Sequoia then there are coastal redwoods around Bug Sur, or Santa Cruz Henry Cowell and Felton areas?

[grant_w]

We had 3 days in Monterey and could have stayed for more
Did whale watching, kayaking and a sea safari, plus visited the aquaruim twice

[The Golfer]

i would do the redwood forests of muir woods and also alcatraz you can book both these 90 days in advance

[the_lemms]

As other reply, generally with a road trip there will be compromises. I would drop Sequoia, drive from San Fran to yosemitie for your 2 nights, then to Monterey for 2 nights, then down the PCH via 17 mile drive and stay over at Pismo / Cambria this will allow for stop offs along the way.

[jdouds]

If it's your first trip you must do Monterey and the coast, and definately do whale watching

[fiona88]

Thanks everyone, think we're going to do as suggested and drop sequoia, so:
3 nights SFO
3 Yosemite (split between night 1 in a hotel as we'll arrive late and tent cabin the rest)
2 Monterey
1 pismo area
Onto Disney then LA the same

Now to find the hotels for Yosemite and the coast, any suggestions around £150p/n much appreciated

[smithlane]

We have booked an Air BnB for in Monterey which is £200pn but it does have 2 bedrooms so probably cheaper if you only need one, the hotels are eye wateringly expensive for our dates. We then drive down to Solvang which isn’t on the coast but a lot cheaper than Pismo and Cambria. Paying $155pn for the Svensgaard Lodge