California Itinerary - what do you think?

[Lovewhereilive]

Ok, next August we are hopefully going to make it out there. Here's what I was thinking:

Fly to Vancouver (Yes I know this isn't California but DH and I really really want to go there and its close (relative to the UK!)

3 nights Vancouver
Fly to San Francisco (2.5 hours)
3 nights San Francisco
1 night Monterey
1 night Pismo Beach
2 nights Santa Barbara
1 night Santa Monica (drive to Universal from here for the day)
1 night Huntington Beach (go to Knotts Soak City for the day)
2 nights Carlsbad
2 nights San Diego

Fly home from San Diego or Los Angeles (preferably SD)

Think this is ok? There are 5 of us (3 active boys who will be 13,12 and 8)

All advice/tips gratefully received!

Umm my favourite places in California are all north of San Francisco. San Francisco has a special climate all of its own due to the way the land forms, but it can be sunny. But then I guess I'm more a National Parks type of person.

We saw whales all along our drive down Big Sur

Currently touring California. We chose a combination of 2-3night stays but really we felt 2 nights in one spot wasn't long enough. Next trip I'll be doing 3-4 night splits. Yosemite is great, your trip seems very beach focused with too much car time.

Ooh dingit did you have fun? I was on some of those threads re California this year, and we were doing v similar! juneau did you go this year too?
We di 4 SF, 4 Yosemite, 1 Monterey, 1 madonna inn, 2 SAnta Barbra and 2 Santa Monica.
Had the most amazing time. Def would like to spend some more time in SOCAL as loved it down there but didn't have much time. Def want to try San Diego. If anyone sees cheap flights for 2016 let me know!!!

Very interested in your itinerary and the comments your have received.

We (family of 4 - dds 14 and 12) are considering a very similar holiday. I've been surprised by the cost of flights (from Manchester too), nothing less than £1,000 pp in July/August yet only £600 at other times of the year. I wasn't quite aware of how US flights increased in price the same way as Europe in July/Aug. What prices have you seen? I have also considered Easter holidays as a cheaper option, however I'm not sure the weather will be quite so good.

Yes the flights are around £1000 each - not good when there's 5 of us!

Was expecting it so not a surprise.

Try travel bag and get them to quote with a car included as for us it worked out cheaper!

Santa Barbara is nice but I'm not sure I'd spend two nights there if I was on a tight itinerary. Same with Carlsbad. Maybe spend more time in LA? If you're planning to do Universal and Knotts you haven't really left any time for sightseeing there.

Hi, Knotts Berry theme park is quite quaint. We quite enjoyed it, as did our 8yr old, even after 3 days at Disney (which I surprisingly found wonderful)

To be honest we were a bit let down by Huntington Beach, which is great as a beach per se but aside from the pier (with an overpriced diner at the end) there was little else to do except watch the surfers and beach volleyballers. Unless we were completely at the wrong end The 2 dollar bus ride from Buena Park was excellent value though, complete with various characters on the bus!

Two weeks for California is fine, even though you will "lose" th first two or three to jet lag. But - and this is the thing - California is abou chilling out. It's not a rushing about madly kind of place. It's massive, the traffic in the cities is shocking, and for all the places on your itinerary that you plan to spend only a night in, you will spend the best part of each day traveling. You may see stuff but you won't get the experience.

If I were you I would ditch Vancouver, Santa Barbara and Carlsbad. Some of the other stuff you could also do without but the driving won't be told bad if you do do it. When you get there, chill and relax. There's so much unique stuff to see and feel in all your other destinations you will feel you've had a great time.

Put it like this: California has approximately the same land mass as Germany and has much more interesting stuff to see. There's no way you can do any more than skim the surface in two weeks. I would rather do a few things properly than everything superficially.

Got a revised itinerary

2 nights San Fransisco
2 nights Monterey
1 night Morro Bay
3 nights Santa Monica
1 night Annaheim
4 nights San Diego
2 nights Vegas
1 night Flagstaff
1 night Phoenix airport
1 night Chicago

The Vegas drive will be long but that's fine.

When you say 3 nights Santa Monica, do you mean that's where you'll be based but you're planning on doing LA, Beverly Hills, Hollywood etc? Maybe do the PCH out to Malibu? LA traffic is a nightmare so to be based in Santa Monica but want to see LA, you'll be spending a lot of time in the car And Santa Monica definitely doesn't need 3 days. We did Santa Monica and Venice Beach in an afternoon on rented bikes. Lovely but I couldn't have spent 3 days there unless maybe you want to do a lot of beach sports etc?

If you wanted a stop between San Diego and Vegas, you could also add 1 x night Palm Springs. The Drive to Vegas through Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave Desert is worth seeing.

Chicago is a great city, I assume the 1 night is for connecting flight back to UK? If you could make that 2 nights, I think you would enjoy a lot more of the city.

There really is not that much to do in Monterey-they have a great aquarium though. You might want to wander inland to see where the food comes from.

I agree with Santa Monica-Studio City is a dump and you won't believe how hot it is in August. It's 23 C right now (had to translate it).

Huntington Beach is not all that-very touristy. I suggest Laguna Beach because it has many lovely little beaches and restaurants. Las Brisas Restaurant does a nice brunch and has a beach you can walk to.

San Diego is the perfect vacation town--highly recommend the SD Zoo.

I second taking at least a whole day in Chicago. There is a lot to do -- way more than you could cram into a day. You could choose from beaches, boat trip out on the lake, trolley tours, gangster and crime tours, museum of Science and Industry, Art Institute, baseball game (two teams to choose from, hopefully at least one would be at home), Sears Tower, great dining...

Can I jump on the thread? We're flying into LA and have a night to kill before driving to Palm Springs. Where should we stay? I quite fancy something luxury in the LA area. Friends have recommended Huntington Beach. DS will be 4 and isn't really into Lego.

I wouldn't bother with Knotts Soak City if you've been to any of the water parks in Spain etc....it is very small and quaint in comparison

So 3 days in Santa Monica is too long? Was going to do Universal for a day and maybe Malibu?

Was thinking 2 nights in Monterey as wanted to Whale Watch and also need to break up the driving a bit. Maybe we should do 3 nights San Fran and 1 night Monterey then.

Yes Chicago is on the way home, would have a long wait in airport so thought better to stay the night.

These tips are all great, thanks.

So Knotts soak city not worth it then? Maybe we will do a day at Disney instead then.

If we cut Santa Monica to 2 nights, could do Palm Springs?

"The Vegas drive will be long but that's fine"

You do realise that particular drive between SD and Vegas is further than say driving from London to Newcastle. I would look again at driving distances; you could well be spending most of your precious holiday behind a steering wheel driving from place to place.

Monterey can be visited from SF in a day. Most visitors to that town visit the aquarium (which is fab).

I would knock off a day in Santa Monica and consider adding that to Anaheim instead.

I would reconsider Vegas, Flagstaff and Phoenix (presumably you are only there due to the return flight leg) in August primarily due to the ferocious heat. I like Phoenix very much but I would never travel there at that time of year precisely because of the daytime temperatures (over 110 in PHX daily).

So is Santa Barbara a better place to stay than Santa Monica?

If you wanted to visit Universal you'd be far better off staying in that area (Universal City) rather than trying to visit there from Santa Monica. Also the hotels are within easy (level) walking distance of the park.

We did whale watching from Monterey. You can get boats off the pier. Amazing experience - blue whales, orcas (if you're lucky) and loads and loads of humpbacks & dolphins. The dolphins swim alongside & chase/play with the boat, they are fab . It was one of my favourite things.

And YY to the aquarium in Monterey, it is wonderful. The best in the World. They have a great white!

Ok so maybe we will stay near universal a night then.

Natty that's what I can't wait to see in Monterey! How long was the boat trip? Did you have kids with you? Our youngest will be 8 so think he should be fine.

Ok what about this

3 nights San Fran
3 nights Yosemite
1 night Monterey
1 night Morro Bay
2 Santa Barbara/ Monica
1 universal
1 Annaheim
4 San Diego
2 Chicago