California/Nevada/Utah/Arizona & Wedding Pre-Trippie

[tracyh]

I'm really getting going with this now! Our next destination is Buena Park, California. Here we will be visiting Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland CA, yea I get my Disney fix and I can add to my pin collection. I've bought a lot of pins the last couple of trips and I have them in a Disney pin folder that I bought on my last trip in September 2007. Gosh I am so ready for a Disney fix! I have been to Disneyland Paris inbetween, it was good but it wasn't the same without the sunshine!

Our hotel choice is Good Nite Inn, Buena Park. Another bargain at around $45 per night, for 2 nights. We get a free breakfast here and there's internet facilities, free parking and a pool. It's also apparently within walking distance to Knott's Berry Farm and again gets good reviews on tripadvisor.

Good Nite Inn, Buena Park

We have no idea where to eat here, other than eating places/restaurants in the parks. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I think that we'll do Knott's Berry first, on the day that we arrive from Palm Springs. It should be easily do-able, shouldn't take too long to drive and we'll leave Palm Springs early in the morning. We'll probably leave our luggage in the car and head straight for the park, then we can check into our hotel later.

Knott's Berry, entrance

Knott's Berry rides

Then out of the park later and to our hotel for a much needed rest. Can't see us venturing very far apart from somewhere to eat.

The next day (Friday 16th oct) we will spend at the 2 Disney Parks and that will be all day, we like to enter the parks on opening before they get really busy. But we will have to stay till closing to do everything that we want to, I don't know what that is yet though! We will probably leave some of the smaller rides, one's that they have at Magic Kingdom at least. It's the larger rides that we're interested in.

Night time we will probably eat somewhere at DTD, before making our way back to the hotel and I'm sure collapsing into bed!

On the Saturday we will be moving on to Valencia, but we will spend the day first visiting any other attractions that we want to see. Hollywood stars, Rodeo Drive, shopping maybe. Any other suggestions would be welcome, anything that we can't miss?

Then Valencia...

[tracyh]

Valencia and Six Flags Magic Mountain...

We're actually staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Valencia Six Flags, this is the name of the hotel as it is apparently next to the park. The price is around $230 including our park tickets and breakfast. I don't think that this is bad at all.

Hilton Garden Inn, Valencia Six Flags

We will probably be checking in late afternoon after our day of Hollywood/LA sightseeing and then we will crash for the night. I'm hoping that they have free food & drinks here at nights like they had in the Hilton Homewood Suites on International Drive, Orlando! Here's hoping . They had bud on draft, wine and soft drinks and a good selection of food. That would be our evening sorted out!

I'm guessing that we'll make use of the laundry facilities here again and the internet access and watch some tv in the Hilton's very comfy beds.

Next day (Sunday) will be spent in Six Flags Magic Mountain, we're looking forward to this as we're ride enthusiasts. Again we'll be in the park early as I expect it could be busy due to it being a Sunday.


Six Flags Magic Mountain

We will be hitting the rides running, hopefully everything (main rides) will be running but I know there can be closures. I expect we will in the park from opening to closing and doubt that we'll want to do anything when we leave. We'll be too tired, it will probably have all caught up with us by now with 3 park days in a row. This is it though no more parks and we can take it easy from now on.

After the park we'll be heading straight for Santa Barbara and our next hotel, a glass of wine in the grounds of our lovely looking hotel and sleep!

Next Santa Barbara...

[tracyh]

We'll be arriving at Santa Barbara probably early evening and our hotel choice for the night is Marina Beach Motel, which should cost us around $120 for the night. You can tell that you're on the coast with the change in hotel prices! This hotel is located in the heart of Santa Barbara's harbor, wharf and beach district. We get a free breakfast here and there's internet connection, tv and a fridge in the room and a gorgeous sitting area outside. I have a feeling that I'll be sat outside with a glass of wine, yet again! You can apparently use bikes from the hotel free of charge, the practice may come in useful for when we ride the Golden Gate Bridge.



Marina Beach Motel

If anybody can recommend where to eat in Santa Barbara that would be great, as we have no idea at all.

We have nothing planned here, just a mooch around the town and the next day (Monday) we will make our way down Highway 1 stopping off at any other towns on the way. On Monday night we are staying at either Cambria, Pismo Beach or Morro Bay. I keep changing my mind! But we will be visiting Hearst Castle as it's in the vicinity of all 3 of these places.

Hearst Castle

Pismo Beach

Morro Bay

Cambria, Moonstone Beach

Morro Bay reminds me of Amity, the town from the film Jaws.

I will also be choosing 1 or 2 wineries to visit whilst on the coast, you wouldn't have guessed that I like wine would you!

Next stop Monterey...

[tracyh]

Tonight we're staying at Monterey, at the El Adobe Inn. It's a bargain price and includes free breakfast, parking, internet connection, tv, and fridge.



El Adobe Inn & Suites

I think that we'll be relaxing in the jacuzzi!

Our plans in Monterey are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, shopping and sightseeing. Again any recommendations for restaurants or eating places would be good. We may travel back to Cambria, drive the 17 Mile Drive and visit a couple of wineries.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

We will also be taking a drive down the 17 mile drive, either from Monterey or on our way down the coast.

We will only be spending one night again at Monterey then our next stop is San Francisco...

[tracyh]

Now the final leg of the journey, last but certainly not the least! From Monterey we will be heading for San Francisco Airport, where we will return the hire car and take a taxi into San Francisco as we wont need it for our time in SF.

Our hotel choice is the Hotel Mayflower. We will be spending our last 4 nights in SF.



We have a tour booked to Alcatraz and we will be biking over the Golden Gate Bridge to Tiburon using 'Blszing Sadles' and will then be catching the ferry back to San Francisco. We'll be visiting Ghirardelli Square, Union Square, The Wharf and will ride the cable cars. I hope to take a trip to the Napa Valley to visit a winery or wineries, but this depends on time and the obvious... shopping!

Once again we have nowhere in mind to eat, so recommendations would be appreciated.

So we arrive in SF on Wednesday 21st October and our flight home is on Sunday 25th. I feel sad now thinking about going home and we haven't even been yet!

We arrive back in blighty on Monday and we will be driving straight back home, no hotel stops on our return. I am due straight back to work on the Tuesday, but I have a feeling that I'll be needing to take another day holiday. Iain is due back on Wednesday.

The next trip will probably be Florida again in 2010, can't wait for this either!

[Jools]

Wow that is some trip you have planned. We looked at a ghost town in 2006 and really enjoyed it - we did Calico.

The restaurant at the top of the Palm Springs tramway is nothing great but the views are spectacular - see if you can get a window seat. There are lots of Walmarts in Palm Springs so you'll be sorted for your shopping.

Have fun

[tracyh]

Originally Posted by Jools

Wow that is some trip you have planned. We looked at a ghost town in 2006 and really enjoyed it - we did Calico.

The restaurant at the top of the Palm Springs tramway is nothing great but the views are spectacular - see if you can get a window seat. There are lots of Walmarts in Palm Springs so you'll be sorted for your shopping.

Have fun

See more...

We originally planned to visit Calico Jools, but then we changed our route and won't be going near it now. So I researched other ghost towns and we decided on Bodie instead and all is not lost with Calico... there is a Calico area in Knott's Berry Farm!

We'll decide on the restaurant when we're there I guess, we'll check out the prices and the look of the food before we decide. But we'll keep your advice in mind, I don't want to pay for food that we won't enjoy.

[tracyh]

Originally Posted by mitchbite

We did something similar in 98 when we sneaked off to LV to get married. Now with kids we are thinking of recreating the journey without too many long stints of driving. We did LA - SF - San Diego -LV- SF. Could do without the LA bit and try to get out of doing Disney but started putting the plan in my mind for summer 2010, if only to make sure we get the Yosemite accommodation that we want. We loved LV and hope the kids do to.

See more...

That's exactly what we're thinking Mitch, we just want to sneak off and get married without any fuss or the expense of churches, venues, attire and food and drinks etc. We'd rather spend it on this holiday!

I don't think that we will do such a crazy trip again, we are going to be cream crackered at the end of it. We want to experience it once though and see as much as possible, then we can revisit our favourite parts in the future on a much smaller scale.

[Jools]

Originally Posted by tracyh

We originally planned to visit Calico Jools, but then we changed our route and won't be going near it now. So I researched other ghost towns and we decided on Bodie instead and all is not lost with Calico... there is a Calico area in Knott's Berry Farm!

We'll decide on the restaurant when we're there I guess, we'll check out the prices and the look of the food before we decide. But we'll keep your advice in mind, I don't want to pay for food that we won't enjoy.

See more...

There is a connection between Calico and Knotts Berry Farm. I remember reading about it at Calico. It was something about Walter Knott who founded Knottsberry Farm making a huge donation to Calico.

I'd read poor report on trip advisor about the Tramway restaurant, but as our ticket included a meal we just ate there anyway. Service was very slow and the food was cold, but saying that we really enjoyed sitting there and taking in the views so were not really that bothered about the food. There are some photos of the restaurant in day 18 of our 2008 West Coast trip report. There are loads of restaurants in Palm Springs if you decide to eat there.

I really wish we were going back to the West Coast. Our holiday there last September/October is the best we've ever had anywhere - ah well maybe in 2010

I'm already looking forward to your trip reports and you don't go for ages yet.

[tracyh]

Originally Posted by Jools

There is a connection between Calico and Knotts Berry Farm. I remember reading about it at Calico. It was something about Walter Knott who founded Knottsberry Farm making a huge donation to Calico.

I'd read poor report on trip advisor about the Tramway restaurant, but as our ticket included a meal we just ate there anyway. Service was very slow and the food was cold, but saying that we really enjoyed sitting there and taking in the views so were not really that bothered about the food. There are some photos of the restaurant in day 18 of our 2008 West Coast trip report. There are loads of restaurants in Palm Springs if you decide to eat there.

I really wish we were going back to the West Coast. Our holiday there last September/October is the best we've ever had anywhere - ah well maybe in 2010

I'm already looking forward to your trip reports and you don't go for ages yet.

See more...

Yes we already read your trip reports Jools, but I'll go back and take another look at your photos though. I forgot what it was like now!

I plan to do my trip report as were travelling, or at least start it anyway. There will be some nights that we'll have nothing to do, if I planned to start it when I get home I don't think that I'd do it. The last time that we went to Florida I wrote notes in a notepad, but gave up half way through... I lost interest. I think I was writing too much, I was running out of time at night time etc and couldn't keep up with it. This time I'll type it straight up and I know that I don't need to put every single detail in, just the highlights and photos.