I'm itching to plan our trip next year...but

[JudyC]

I can't decide when it would be best for us to go to California

The problem is DS2 has GCSE's until the end of June so we can't go until after then.

DD will be 21 on 10th July, she isn't coming with us as she plans to work in New York next summer..different story. We can't be away on her 21st though, but maybe she'll be in New York then

Now DS2 tells me he's going to be asked to go to Ghana for a week for a project with a local youth group he's involved with. He's says he's been told he will be asked, but there is nothing official yet. He thinks this might be after exams in July and it's an opportunity I wouldn't want him to miss.

All this started me thinking it might be best to go in August, but we need to be back for exam results for DS2 and him to enrole at college. But will the flights be more expensive, and will be parks like Six Flags and Disney be more crowded

Or maybe end of September would be best but DS would have to take at least two weeks of college and he'll only just have started. I don't think this would cause he too much trouble as DD missed the first half term of college due to starting a job and then changed her mind about going to college. She caught up six weeks work ok though it wasn't easy.

I'm started to lean towards the end September now as it would be easier to get two weeks off work too.

[Diamonddog2801]

Depending on where you're going when you say "West Coast"...

Weather wise: LA & San Diego are year round destinations - the coolest months (Jan & Feb) are still in the 60s/70s mostly. The real desert areas (Palm Springs etc) cool down in the winter, but not by too much. A little known local 'secret' is that October is the best time to visit San Francisco. If you're looking to go to Vegas, then the temperatures drop dramatically from Nov-Feb/March. It will still get into the 60s, but not always, and nights are cold.

I've been to LA, San Francisco, San Diego & Las Vegas twice at the end of September - it's a great time to visit. The parks are much quieter than during the summer months and the weather has just cooled enough to make a difference. Flights would be cheaper than July-August, certainly. And hotels would not be that much different, in my estimation, but it would be difficult to say quite what the difference would be. Certainly in Vegas, rooms would probably be more expensive in September than during the blistering summer holiday season?

I think the end of September would be fine - just watch the Santa Anna winds in LA in October! You'd also avoid Labor Day Weekend, at the start of September.

[JudyC]

At present we are planning to visit San Francisco and then Yosemite for the first week, then go down to LA/Anaheim for another week to ten days. My brother lives in Santa Anna, so we'll be visiting him while we are there.

We'd like to do Vegas, but I think this will have to wait for another visit

[Guest]

We thought school holidays were bad enough to have to plan around. I think it gets even harder when kids are older and they have so much else on. Good luck with your planning whenever you go, sounds like a fantastic trip you have to look forward to.

[DIBBadmin]

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