California Advice

[QueenArnica]

Not posted in travel before so hello!

We are doing a road trip of Californina in August, me dh, dd (14) and ds (11).

Car and accommodation are booked, just want to make sure that we see the best sights, eat at the best places so any top tips or suggestions gratefully received.

We are in San Francisco for 4 days and will do the obvious (Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, trams maybe cycle across Golden Gate Bridge)

We then drive to Yosemite for 3 days, then on to Monterey/Carmel for 2 days (maybe whale watching), then on to Santa Barbara for 4 days, Hollywood for 3 days (booked VIP tour of Universal) and then last stop Newport Beach for some R and R.

Thanks in advance!

Monterey Aquarium is amazing, I could have stayed all day. Whale watching great too.
If you like cycling, carry on past Sausalito to Tiberon, there's a ferry that takes you back to SF. Sausalito is gorgeous for a lunch stop.
We swam in the river at Yosemite which was so refreshing as it was 40c.

In San Francisco The Chicago cheese Cake factory on top of Maceys in Union Square.Huge menu not just cheesecake.

A must is bread bowl with clam chowder at fishermans wharf. Alcatraz the Behind the Scenes tour is worth the extra money, but make sure you book Alcatraz well in advance as it gets booked up quickly. We never bothered with the Trams as the queues are really long. We got photos as the end of the track was round the corner from out hotel.
Just outside Santa barbara is a viewing point for Elephant seals on the beach. Also the pier attracts sea lions who pinch the fishermans catch. The town hall is also worth a visit, it is free and very picturesque.
In Yosemite we went horseriding and did a photographic tour which was free and run by Christine White Loburg who is the resident photographer, it was fascinating. Yosemite is stunning.
LA worth going to the observatory at sunset, we preferred the Warner Bros tour to Universal but had a big disappointment as the Harry Potter ride was closed in Universal the day we went. Warner Bros isnt a theme park like Universal but you get taken round the back lots on a buggy with a driver so a bit more personal. My DC were a bit older 18 and 20 and they loved it. Universal has some good rides and their backlot tour is automatic with a few thrills.

We liked Monterey Aquarium (sea otters) and 17 Mile Drive at Monterey. On Hwy 1 it is worth stopping at Big Sur - we stayed at Deetjen's and ate outside at Nepenthe. Lovely.

There is also a Disney family museum in San Francisco which is very interesting, its not aimed at children but dd and I had a lovely afternoon there. DS went off to the Musee Mechanique in Fishermans Wharf which he found fascinating.

The piano stairs on the pier ( think tom hanks in big) in SF. Glacier point in Yosemite. Muscle beach at Santa Monica.

In Yosemite we enjoyed hiking up Vernal Fall. Not too strenuous and offered stunning views.

Lunch or dinner at the Awahnee Hotel.

the elephant seals
riding stables in Yosemite

The shops in Yosemite are expensive for food ie $7 for a box of cereals, so worth stocking up before you get there.

The tram that ends in Fisherman’s Wharf has massive queues but others are less of a problem if you pick the right time. We thought FW was just a tourist area and a bit kiss me quick. There are other things to see! The modern art museum is lovely as is Yeuba Buena. There is the first ever curtain wall building in SF and it has just been renovated. You can also go to the Cable Car museum. The Haight/Ashbury area is not to our taste but obviously started a whole new movement in the late 1960s. Just walking around areas is fun in SF.

Carmel is a fantastic town and Big Sur, is wonderful. Nepenthe is highly recommended and lunch at the Post Ranch Inn was a highlight! We also liked Santa Barbara. You might see whales at Monterey but not sure if they are there in the summer. Check the migration times.

Malibu is worth a visit, especially the Getty Villa and do not forget Hearst Castle further up the coast.

LA is a great city. The Getty Centre is truly magnificent. We also liked the Max Factor costume museum. Hollywood Boulevard is fairly yuk but drive along Mulholland Drive for fantastic views of the city. Bel Air is just - expensive. But it’s great having a drive around! We also took a peek around the Canyons.

We went to Paramount to see studios that actually work. No rides but we don’t do theme parks. We also liked Santa Monica and the beaches around are lovely.

Everywhere has great places to eat. It’s fun choosing. We are fans of the Lonely Planet guides and feel their restaurant recommendations are usually spot on for us.

This is all amazing everyone, thank you so much

Watching with interest!

BOOK Alcatraz as soon as the dates open up on their website, they go so quickly! Really recommend going for the first boat out.

Forgot to say that the japanese gardens and Museums are quite expensive but there are certain days which are gree

We did this trip with teenagers
It was brilliant
Other bits I'd add to the above:
Do the sea kayaking trip in Santa Barbara
Visit Hearst Castle ...apart from all its amazing stories, it was the location for a Lady Gaga video
Def cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge
We went one evening to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. It was all rides for a dollar or similar. Great photos. Proper old rollercoaster.

Have a fab time. I'd do it again tomorrow!

What sort of accommodation have you booked, OP?

We are toying with the idea of doing this this summer but the logistics are putting me off.

DH and I lived in LA for a while, but our teens have never been to the west coast. We have been to Florida for the last 19 years (omg) and have a place there. Time to broaden our horizons.

Love Santa Barbara and all the places you've listed.

Am I right saying the Big Sur is still not fully open?

@BuzzKillington we don’t have a great deal of time or patience so we put the trip in the hands of an agent who booked hotels, flights and car for us. Not necessarily the most cost effective way of doing things but definitely taking the angst out of the organisation! Happy to share details if you want to know where 😛

We lived just North of SF for 3 years. I'd highly recommend heading to Crissy Field and a wander round the Presidio just next to the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito is definitely worth a visit too. Best attraction is definitely Alcatraz, but book early! Take the time to do the full tour. We did a Segway tour with friends that was absolutely brilliant and you got to see lesser known places in SF. I always loved a wander round Haight and Ashbury too. Ghiradelli square is worth a visit even if just for a free chocolate. (+ they are the only decent chocolate in the US in my opinion) For nightlife The Starlight rooms were great and overlook Union Square & the bay. If you like wine, I'd recommend a trip to Sonoma (as good or better wine than Napa but 1/2 the price)

We always loved Carmel more than Monterey, much less tacky tourism & loads of fantastic places to eat. Definite must for Breakfast is Katy's Place and Portabella's for Dinner. The scenic drive is stunning as is the national park just outside Carmel.

In between SF & Monterey is Elkhorn Slough. There you can hire a kayak and be surrounded by otters.

Yosemite I'm not so good on as we only had 2x weekends there and one was doing 1/2 Dome which you have to book a year in advance, but it's completely stunning. Have a wonderful time x

The road signs said it was till closed 2 weeks ago when I was in Carmel

Just south of San Simeon (where Hearst Castle is) is the Elephant Seal beach. There won't be as many there in August, mating season peaks in January, but there are always a few. You're quite close to them, but protected by a walkway. It's fantastic, and literally you just pull over to the side of the road. A few miles further south is Cambria, a sweet little town with some great places to eatLinn's is the standout, pies to die for, wonderful meals, and it's own shop with lots of their jams and mixes to take home. In LA, my favorite is the Huntington Gardens. So much more than a garden, you could spend a good 12 hours here and not see it all. I think the whole place really shows off Southern California at its best. The new Chinese section is spectacular and has it's own very good restaurant. Also excellent shopping and browsing in nearby Pasadena. Griffith Observatory is great anytime, as is the Getty Museum (both the Malibu site and the West LA site). Take a drive along Mulholland Drive (top of the Hollywood Hills) on a clear night. From maybe Laurel Canyon to the 405 Freeway. Breathtaking views of all LA..plenty of places to pull over and look out over the city. Or if you don't fancy driving while you do that, book a table at Yamashiro in Hollywood at night for some spectacular viewsfood isn't so great, but it's the atmosphere that counts!

Totally second the Huntington Library, gallery and gardens at Pasadena. The gardens are amazing and the cacti garden is supberb - but hot, hot, hot in August!

I think it’s very easy to do tacky “highlights” in California which are not as good as classier places or other fantastic sights. I think you have to decide what matters to you. Carmel is lovely and Monterey less so, in my opinion. I would check the travel web sites about Big Sur but I believe Nepenthe is open.

I went many years ago. Loved Yosemite. Although we went my train and they lost our luggage - not much choice in the shops there for replacements! We also did the Warner brothers studio tour which I loved. It was the days of friends and we say the set for that! I found interesting as was a working studio tour rather than theme park.

The friends Set is still there, and they film the visitors doing a scene in Central Perk

We went whale watching from Monterey. We might have been unlucky but it was a disappointment -only saw a few whales backs from a distance. And it was FREEZING cold. There is lots of sea mist in that area in the summer (affects the coast including San Fran).

I would recommend Point Lobos - we say whales from there (breaching as well) and Julia Pfieffer park (quick stop off). Carmel is nice. A strange and haunting place to look at is Monastery Beach - do NOT swim there or go near the sea. It is overlooked by a monastery which adds to the strangeness- read up about it.

Don't bother with the beach at Santa Barbara - you will be plagued by sand flies.

This is all so helpful thanks for taking the time to post everyone xx

Another tip San Francisco is not that warm in August.

Also my geeky ds was fascinated by the Apple Store in Union Square doors. The are 2 stories high and take 5 minutes to open and close..