Planning California for 2010 - Need advice and tips

[minkzebell]

we stayed in the Sheraton Anaheim in 2000, i know it was a while ago, but the hotel was FAB, you can laze in the hot tub and watch the Disney fireworks go over the hotel
We did SF then Carmel, LA and finished off in Vegas... brought back DS as a souvenir

[Guest]

Originally Posted by minkzebell

you can laze in the hot tub and watch the Disney fireworks go over the hotel

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Wow, how fantastic!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by minkzebell

We did SF then Carmel, LA and finished off in Vegas... brought back DS as a souvenir

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LOL!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Bobbins

Flying in to LA, then going to San Diego, Las Vegas, Yosemite, Monterey and finishing off in, and flying out of, San Francisco, is a pretty standard trip over 3 weeks.

It gives you a few days in each place so the driving is broken up.

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What's your view on taking children to Las Vegas (they'll be 13 and 9)?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by elliemay

hi we are doing San francisco / yosemite / south lake tahoe/ & nappa in just over 160 day so will let you know any tips when i get back

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If you haven't been before be prepared to drop your jaws!
San Francisco - just our favourite city - just so much to do. Great restaurants wherever you go.If you are there for afew days get the travel pass that will allow you on BART (their underground), buses, Trams (look carefully and you will se a Blackpool tram operating), the Muni - a sort of underground mani rail service). Go to Alcatraz - you'll never forget it. Pier 39 - Neptune's - lobster and crab and a view of the sunset behind Golden Gate bridge. Take the helicopter tour - they fly you over and under the bridge!
Yosemite - just stunning - if you are there when there is a full moon the granite rocks glow. Go eat at the Ahwahnee hotel - a true national park hotel lodge. If it should snow the falls will be running when it melts. We had lodge room right opposite Yosemite Falls. What a view. Little deer in your "backyard".
Lake Tahoe - just so, so beautful. Do the rim drive and if you have time go to Truckee and Virginia City (old silvermining town - just as itwas in the 1800s - ride the old train). The stateline between CA and NV runsright down the middle of the lake so the NV side has loads of casinos (no gambling restrictions). The waters so blue.

Just a few pics -

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE - SAN FRANCISCO:


YOSEMITE: (El Capitain on left - Half Dome on right - note the snow on top of mountains):


LAKE TAHOE: (Note snow on rock - it was October):


NAPA VALLEY:

[Bobbins]

Originally Posted by summertime85

What's your view on taking children to Las Vegas (they'll be 13 and 9)?

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Ours (2 girls) were around that age when we went. We stayed a couple of days and it was fine. DW and oldest flew over Grand Canyon.
We mainly toured the hotels, ate, shopped etc. You can't hang around in the casinos with them.

One issue we had it that it was extremely hot - over 100F each day. Oldest daughter didn't cope well with that and you certainly don't want to be walking around outside.

It was 10+yrs ago that we went. I've been back a couple of times on business since but I gather it's got even tackier lately. I think it's a one-off thing for a family, just to say you've been there.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by geoffa

If you haven't been before be prepared to drop your jaws!
San Francisco - just our favourite city - just so much to do. Great restaurants wherever you go.If you are there for afew days get the travel pass that will allow you on BART (their underground), buses, Trams (look carefully and you will se a Blackpool tram operating), the Muni - a sort of underground mani rail service). Go to Alcatraz - you'll never forget it. Pier 39 - Neptune's - lobster and crab and a view of the sunset behind Golden Gate bridge. Take the helicopter tour - they fly you over and under the bridge!
Yosemite - just stunning - if you are there when there is a full moon the granite rocks glow. Go eat at the Ahwahnee hotel - a true national park hotel lodge. If it should snow the falls will be running when it melts. We had lodge room right opposite Yosemite Falls. What a view. Little deer in your "backyard".
Lake Tahoe - just so, so beautful. Do the rim drive and if you have time go to Truckee and Virginia City (old silvermining town - just as itwas in the 1800s - ride the old train). The stateline between CA and NV runsright down the middle of the lake so the NV side has loads of casinos (no gambling restrictions). The waters so blue.

Just a few pics -

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE - SAN FRANCISCO:


YOSEMITE: (El Capitain on left - Half Dome on right - note the snow on top of mountains):


LAKE TAHOE: (Note snow on rock - it was October):


NAPA VALLEY:

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Wow! Fantastic photo's. Great information - Thank You.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Bobbins

Ours (2 girls) were around that age when we went. We stayed a couple of days and it was fine. DW and oldest flew over Grand Canyon.
We mainly toured the hotels, ate, shopped etc. You can't hang around in the casinos with them.

One issue we had it that it was extremely hot - over 100F each day. Oldest daughter didn't cope well with that and you certainly don't want to be walking around outside.

It was 10+yrs ago that we went. I've been back a couple of times on business since but I gather it's got even tackier lately. I think it's a one-off thing for a family, just to say you've been there.

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Thanks for this info. I'll have a think about Las Vegas, not sure it'll suit us but I know what you mean by visiting to say 'you've been there'. It might be worth it just encase we never get the chance to re-visit California (but hopefully that won't be the case!)

[scarecrow]

We're going in August of this year and my DS is 10. We're staying in Aneheim for 1 week and San Diego for the other.

Our plans include Disney of course, Warner Brothers, Universal, LA city tour (chinese theatre, Griffiths observatory, drive down sunset, hollywood homes, muscle beach, all tacky I know). 1 day at the beach, six flags magic mountain, tar pits, car museum, natural history museum, and the farmers market. I also had Catalina Island too.

In SD, we've got down legoland, Knottsberry water park, USSmidway and the maritime museum, plus the Zoo and Sea World. A cruise around the harbour, trolley ride to explore SD, coronado, and loads of other stuff.

maybe I should be going for 4 weeks, as there is no way we can do everything, but I'll give it a go.

Originally when i started planning, I wanted to go to the national park and also Vagas, but I soon realised that there was too much to see in LA and SD, so I'll save those for when DS is too old to come with us.

It really depends on what you like doing, DH didn't fancy spending hours in a car driving from place to place when he could actually be doing something. We can't go for longer than 2weeks at a time

Enjoy you planning

[Manc_Chris]

We're doing California for the first time this year, too.
We fly into San Francisco, stay there for three nights then hire a car on the last morning. We're driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and stop for one night at Morro Bay. Then we drive onto LA, spending five nights there before flying to Florida and spending 13 nights in a Kissimmee villa.

We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn-Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco, and we're staying at the Orchid Suites in LA - to be honest I was a bit wary about being in Hollywood, but trip reports on Trip Advisor and also a few DIBB'ers who've stayed there put my mind at rest. We'll be doing the usual (Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, WB studios etc) and a day trip to San Diego.
Flights were booked on Expedia using the 'Multiple destinations' option, hotels have been booked separately online, either direct with the hotel or via Hotwire.