Help Big Sur Closure

[Belindabelle]

We (DH, DS age 12 and me) are off to California for 2 weeks in October. Flying in and out of San Francisco. The original plan was to spend 4/5 days in SF then drive down the PCH stopping off along the way. Then fly back from LA.

However the road is blocked and doesn't look like it will be open any time soon. They hope to reopen by late September but that might not happen. Flying back from LA was silly money so I have booked a return from SF

I think the plan now is to spend 4/5 days in SF then 2/3 days in Pacific Grove/ Monterey area then a further 2/3 days in Pismo. If the road remains closed it looks a fairly easy drive down the 101 from Monterey to Pismo. If by some miracle it re opens we could stick to the original plan and maybe try and book a few nights en route and just spend the one night in the Pismo area.

We then have the option of driving to Yosemite for our last 2/3 nights or we could head down to Santa Monica for some proper beach weather as Monterey/Pismo won't be that hot. If we did this we would fly back to San Fran from LA.

I have no idea what to do for the best. We have never been before and I don't want to try and squeeze too much in and then not remember it all. Then again I do want to make the most of the trip and I am worried that Monterey and Pismo won't be that exciting.

I had decided against Death Valley and Grand Canyon as we only have 14 nights. The big thing for us was driving down Highway 1. Now it looks like that may be closed should we do San Fran,Yosemite, Death Valley, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon then fly back to SF from Vegas.

You lot or always brilliant with the travel advice. I got some great tips here a few years ago when we went to New York. Please help me make our California adventure just as good.

That's funny. Virgin was MUCH cheaper for me than BA.
I paid £498 or so for one adult return flight LHR to SFO. Flying 29 Sept & back about the same day as you.

What did you pay?
We're camping in Yosemite. I think your hotel is just too remote for us to consider, although a struggle to find hotels then at all, isn't it.

ps: I think 9 hrs to drive SJ to LV is about right with a reasonable stop.

The reason for the 5 nights in San Fran was to get over the jet lag as we have to fly from Glasgow via Heathrow it is a long flight. We won't get to our hotel till fairly late on so realistically we will have 4 full days. We went to New York for 7 days and that didn't feel too much. I am happy to be corrected though.

Initially I wanted to avoid the 1 day here, 2 days there approach, but with so much to see and do I concede it makes sense.

Yes DH has pointed out that it is further from Central Scotland to St Ives than it is from Monterey to Las Vegas and apparently driving an automatic on an American road is to quote, "a piece of piss".

How it looks like that may be closed should we do San Fran,Yosemite, Death Valley, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon then fly back to SF from Vegas.

We had 3 weeks which we flew into Vegas and flew home from San Diego.
In the first 2 weeks we covered
2 nights
Las Vegas
Flagstaff with a grand canyon flight and rafting
Grand Canyon North ridge
Back to Vegas for a night
Bishop which included Death Valley and Fire Valley
3 nights in Yosemite
4 nights San francisco
3rd week was
Monterey
Santa Barbara
2 nights LA
3 nights San Diego

Unfortunatly Big Sur and the other parks were closed labor day last year because of the fires and the only thing we saw of Pismo beach was a toilet break, couldnt think where i had heard of it before so had to google it and it was purely fictional Pismo Beach disaster in Clueless

Lat time we went to SF, we stayed the first night in a hotel near the airport, which is my top tip. Ideally one with a free shuttle, as it is an exhausting flight (although i seem to remember we met up with friends and had a drink at the Hotel after our flight - so it couldn't have been that bad.
Our itinerary was: SF 1 night, drive to Yosemite 2 nights, then drive via Mono Lake to Lake Tahoe, then up to Larsen national park, then across to Eureka, then down the coast to SF, a day in wine country and then SF for a few days, then home.
I'd skip wine country if I was doing it again, and maybe spend longer at Lake Tahoe. You don't need or want a car in SF.

The previous time we did: SF maybe 3 nights, then south to LA, then south to San diego, then across Joshua tree national park to Palm springs, then to Grand Canyon, then Zion and Bryce Canyons, then back to San diego (and a side trip there to Tijuana) and home. But that one involved some American Football games.

Driving is easier, but with lower speed limits. When we were on the East Coast last year the Roads seemed in poorer repair, not sure if that is also true of California.

The worst road was the one that comes into San Francisco from Yosemite, it was in a really bad way.

English DH always comments on how potholed the roads are. But that's city roads. Desert/Valley roads & highways will be ok, ime.

I went to Yosemite and Grand Canyon in the same trip about 10 years ago - way preferred Yosemite it was just beautiful. (Even though luggage got lost on train up there and we had nothing!)

Our flights were similar lljkk. When I looked about a month ago BA were doing an adult return for 379.OO but we weren't sure of our dates. By the time I booked a few weeks later it was 469.00. Still a bargain as our last flights were closer to 900.00. We are on the A380 which is meant to be good. Premium economy was a big jump and though it is a long flight I would rather have the money to spend when I get there.

I now have 2 rough itineraries worked out with hotels booked and all apart from Evergreen Lodge can be cancelled last minute depending on what we decide to do. Just need to remember and cancel the ones we won't need.

We will be driving from Yosemite to San Fran for the flight home but it takes off around 7pm so we should have plenty of time even if the road is bad.

OK just the ESTAS and insurance to sort out. Oh and must book Alcatraz and maybe Monterey Aquarium. I am leaving the car hire up to DH but I have told him if he wants to do a few 10-12 hour driving days I need luxury.

For anybody else reading this search the old topics on this site. Lots of tips and suggestions from well travelled Mumsnetters.

Well just coming back to this as 4 weeks tonight I will be in San Francisco.

We are doing 5 nights San Fran but picking up hire care hire day 4 and heading up to Bodega Bay via Muir Woods.

Then down to Pacific Grove for 3 nights to go whale watching, visit aquarium, 17 mile drive drive etc.

Pacific Coast Highway still closed so....

DH gets his way and we are off to Las Vegas for 2 nights so he can visit Hoover Dam.

One night Death Valley

Then 3 nights Yosemite via Tioga Pass.

And then back to SF for night flight home.

what do you think?

You have just reminded me that I need to sort things out...
Have the flight tickets to SF and flying out of LV
Yosemite and GC accommodation done but rest of the things need to be sorted...completely got sidetracked by other things
No help 🙂

I can't believe it has come round so quickly. Must get ESTAs done and fill in the passenger details etc.

We are currently on the end of our trip, we leave LV tomorrow. I really didn't want to come to Vegas as I thought I'd hate it, I actually don't, it's great. We did the whole tourist bit on the strip but also paddle boarding on lake Las Vegas, a water park etc. It's been great. Tioga pass was amazing, Yosemite was breathtaking. Enjoy!

Belinda - don't discount driving the top part of the Big Sur when you are staying in Pacific Grove.

We were there in July, had 2 nights in Monterey and drove the 26 miles that are open on the top part of the Big Sur on the middle day. It was worth doing, the views are breathtaking. We ended up not doing the 17mile drive, but glad we got to do some of big sur. Point Lobos is a brilliant national park at the top end of it.

We also did Vegas, the Dam, death valley and Yosemite. DV was baking hot, but may be cooler when you are there. Where are you staying, if at the Ranch, the swimming pool was lovely in the evening, clear skies, v warm still. There's also a good place to view the sunset near there too.

Yosemite is lovely, do do some of the walks, also drive to glacier point for the view. Unfortunately we got some cloud from the forest fires further west, so wasn't clear, but we could see how good the view should be.

We did the full Dam tour at Hoover, which was interesting.

Vegas was better than we expected, but everywhere is just huge. Every hotel is the size of a mini shopping complex, we almost got lost in the Venetian.

Don't minimise how tiring it will be, doing 1 & 2 night stays, we also had the heat to contend with, it may be cooler in places for you, but maybe not in places like DV and Vegas. Interesting that all 4 of us liked the 5 nights self catering near Yosemite the best. Was just nice to chill and not check into yet another hotel.

I want to go back, sob sob!!

Got back from our trip 2 weeks ago. So a couple of SF recommendations:
DS age13 was impressed with www.smittenicecream.com/locations/marina/. Each ice-cream is made to order using liquid nitrogen. There are other ones dotted around the city.
If you want a meal in Chinatown www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g60713-d353954-Reviews-R_G_Lounge-San_Francisco_California.html was full of Chinese-Americans eating plates of crab. We didn't go for crab but had some great noodle dishes.
Go to a high point in the city in the evening, some IT guy with $$$ has paid for the Bay Bridge to be lit up in patterns/as an installation.

Thank you for the further recommendations, that ice cream place looks great. We intend to drive down as far as the Bixby Bridge to see some of Big Sur so glad to hear that its worth doing.

Just heard that Tioga was closed for a few hours yesterday due to a freak snow shower! Hopefully that won't happen again and it will stay open for a few more weeks.

We stayed in Evergreen lodge, it's amazing.

I don't love SF, but I'm in a minority there. If it was me I'd reduce my time there and add a day in Yosemite. Or go up to Napa.

I liked Vegas more than I thought (for a one off visit, I can't see why anyone goes twice) but the Hoover Dam is, well, just a dam.

Whale watching in Monterey was the highlight of our trip. A must do.

We are picking up the car a day early and using our last day in SF to go over to Sonoma or up to Bodega Bay. We can't add on to Yosemite now as our Death Valley hotel can't be moved.

I am not getting the dam thing either! But if it keeps the men folk happy?

Who did you book the whale trip with? We haven"t booked yet but I have bookmarked a few options and will book before we leave.

Op will you come back and update us pretty please on good and bad etxI

We are there during October half term
3 days in SF
2 days in Yosemite
Flying to LV from Fresno - staying in airport hotel LV
I night in GC
1 night in monument valley
2 nights between Bryce and Zion
Last day in LV
What do you all think?
Have booked SF, Yosemite lodge ( is evergreen better?), flight from Fresno to LV( DH prefers this instead of driving to LV and I could not convince him otherwise) and GC National Park accommodation
Can anyone recommend places to stay in monument valley, Bryce and Zion canyon and also in LV..
Have so much going on IRL am unable to look into this carefully to book...typical
When I had time I did not have money to book!