Family road trip from San Francisco- itinerary help please.

[BoogleMcGroogle]

We would like to spend about 12 nights on a California road trip next Easter (2022, but 2023 if not possible). DC will be 10 and 13. We love nature, walking and history ( and I’m desperate to visit SF). Happy to fly out from a different city. Any ideas for a fun, not too arduous itinerary welcomed

@RestingPandaFace
It is isnt it

Op its not a commercial place, just an old mining town in the middle of nowhere

I forgot we also went to Hoover Damn

@LondonMummer Nice blog!

We have been to California several times and a lot of that was familiar.

I had forgotten about Zazie's - have had some amazing meals there.

One recommendation to add for OP is, if driving SF to LA, try and fit in a stop at Nepenthe. One of the nicest places I have ever had lunch.
They have a live weather cam which I occasionally look at and sigh nostalgically.

Can't wait to get back there.

We also went to Muir Woods and Monterey and they were lovely. Santa Monica was great too - wish we’d stayed there rather than in LA.

Don’t go to Santa Cruz. It’s horrible.

We flew in and out of LA because the flights were literally half the price of both SF and San Diego. We went down to SD, back up to LA where we stayed on the Queen Mary which was great, then up to SF. I'm a massive fan of San Diego, I'd happily spend a week just sat on the Coronado beach!

As a child we did a campervan trip and went to Death Valley, Grand Canyon and Mammoth Mountain which were all incredible. Vegas held nothing for us because we weren't even allowed to look at the slot machines etc.

Can't wait for dc to be big enough to take them and repeat those trips!

We did Sand Diego - Vegas - Santa Monica trip in 2019 with our boys who were 8 and 11 at the time. Was the best trip ever and I'm dying to go back soon. Currently also planning to go sometime 22 and this time include SF, Yosemite and Death Valley too. Will follow with interest.

@trilbydoll We all loved San Diego too, we had a week there, stayed in Air b&b with a pool and just loved it so much. I'd love to stay at the Hotel Del Coronado one day. Great ambience there and sunsets to die for.

Vegas was fun to visit but I have no desire to return there ever. We all really enjoyed the helicopter trip over the Hoover Damn and Grand Canyon though.

Santa Monica was a great base to visit the sights in LA and Hollywood. It's also an easy base to just to walk and mooch in shops and restaurants (well was pre-covid). The fun fair on the pier is also fun to visit with kids, it's free to enter you'll just pay as you go.

If you stay in Santa Monica, hire bikes and cycle along the iconic beach to Venice Beach. Our hotel had a free bike rental for the guests and I hired one for 7:30am one morning and went for the bike ride along the beach whilst rest of the family still slept. One of my highlights . Homelesness is shocking there but I never felt unsafe and there were quite many joggers and cyclist around at that time too.

So many amazing ideas. Thank you everyone. I can’t wait!

I always recommend Lassen Volcanic NP, but it is a fair hike north of SF.

If you only have 12 days, some of these ideas are too far!!! Las Vegas? Why? It’s another state and it’s grot!

If you want SF, either go north or south. You wanted walking and outdoors. Yosemite is a possibility. However going north along the Pacific coast would be great.

Otherwise go south down highway 1. So many places to see. Historic missions at Carmel snd Santa Barbara. Great seascapes and whale watching off Monteray (check time of year). Hearst Castle is worth visiting and Big Sur is beautiful.

I liked Santa Monica. I also found LA perfectly ok. You choose the best bits! The Getty Centre is fantastic. All the Brits do is head for the theme parks. This building is amazing! The views of LA are stunning. There is also the Getty Villa at Malibu.

From LA you can easily get to Pasadena. There you will find the Huntington Gallery and Gardens. It’s fantastic. The cactus garden is the best one!

There are also hidden gems in LA. Take a look at the former Max Factor factory. Also drive Mulholland Drive. Forget the tat of stars in pavements - Marilyn Monroe’s had gum all over it. But you can see one of her dresses in the Max Factor museum. And a whole lot more. Anyone who doesn’t like Ssnta Monica and LA didn’t look properly. In 12 days, stick to California and save LV and it’s grubby facades for another time.

@PresentingPercy the OP asked for ideas of what people have done. Clearly these aren't too far if people have done them! Vegas and the Grand Canyon are often combined with a California trip, the drive up through Death Valley being the link. It doesn't mean the OP has to do that but it's not unusual and you come across as quite rude to people who are just sharing what they did. Some people want to go to tourist attractions, others like to find quiet places, there's no right or wrong. Lots of people visit Vegas because it's tacky and like nowhere else! I personally wouldn't spend more than a couple of days there and probably wouldn't include it on a trip with children but it's certainly an experience.

The OP did say California. Not elsewhere which she probably knows about. 12 days is not enough to include another state. Unless you spend all your time in a car. It is not rude to point out that maybe posters should reply to the question asked? When people have 3 weeks (as some did) it is a very different holiday.

[quote littlemisslozza]@PresentingPercy the OP asked for ideas of what people have done. Clearly these aren't too far if people have done them! Vegas and the Grand Canyon are often combined with a California trip, the drive up through Death Valley being the link. It doesn't mean the OP has to do that but it's not unusual and you come across as quite rude to people who are just sharing what they did. Some people want to go to tourist attractions, others like to find quiet places, there's no right or wrong. Lots of people visit Vegas because it's tacky and like nowhere else! I personally wouldn't spend more than a couple of days there and probably wouldn't include it on a trip with children but it's certainly an experience.[/quote]
My kids LOVED Vegas. I think there is a lot to do there for the whole family.

I personally loved it and didn't find it grubby at all.

@PresentingPercy

The OP did say California. Not elsewhere which she probably knows about. 12 days is not enough to include another state. Unless you spend all your time in a car. It is not rude to point out that maybe posters should reply to the question asked? When people have 3 weeks (as some did) it is a very different holiday.

Its a bit rude of you to decide what Op wants to hear about. It might give op some other ideas she hadnt thought of, we even entered utah for an hour or so on our trip

We flew into Vegas and out of LA and the OP is open to using different airports. Vegas allows you to start or end with Death Valley, if it's somewhere you want to visit. Just an option, it's not far over the border!

I just prefer to answer the question.That is all.

@tisonlymeagain I thought it was fun too, couple of days was enough though as the heat was draining. I guess I just thought that as kids can't actually go in the casinos it would seem a shame to go somewhere that was restricted. Not for the gambling, we only did it once because 'when in vegas!' There's so much to see from outside and rides plus the Hoover Dam is awesome so yes, I can see your point.

I’ve seen some recommendations for Yosemite and Death Valley, but that’s a lot of driving, as the Tioga and Sonora passes won’t be open at Easter. Death Valley is great, but if you only have 10 days I’d give it a miss this time.

I know you said road trip, but Palm Desert is a good base for Joshua Tree, Mount St Jacinto and the Idyllwild area. Plenty of wildlife - coyotes, roadrunners and hummingbirds.

Some great suggestions here! We did a similar trip a couple of years ago - particular highlights were Yosemite, Sequoia NP, Hearst Castle (Do Tour No.2/upstairs - fewer people on it so you get to see so much more), whale watching in Monterey Bay and all of San Francisco.

I flew into Las Vegas and then out of San Fran and managed to fit in:
Las Vegas
Hoover Dam
Colorado River at the base of Grand Canyon & Hualapai Falls
Grand Canyon
Sequoia
Yosemite (stay in the valley if you can)
Monterey (the aquarium is worth it)
Big Sur
San Francisco

The highlights for me were Grand Canyon (stayed in the lodge right on edge) and Sequoia, the giant trees were utterly incredible. It was a lot of driving in two weeks though.

@littlemisslozza Oh I know. We were there in August, it was 42 degrees most day but it did make sitting by the pool sipping cocktails rather pleasant while the kids splashed around!

If you do decide to fly in and out of different airports make sure you check the Ts&Cs on your car rental agreement. The additional cost of this can sometimes be huge and can also be hidden away in the small print!

I ssume you specify when you book the car, where you pick-up and drop off, so will be told price then
I would also say though San Francisco parking is expensive. Our hotel was $60 a day in 2016. We didnt actually use the car at all while we were there

Yes of course you specify when booking but when booking online the price quoted and charged in advance often doesn't include the additional fee for dropping off at the second location. It can be in the small print and is charged at the the pick up/drop off desk. It varies from company to company and from state to state.

I drove a circular route from Seattle to San Francisco including Lake Tahoe, crater lake, Portland, redwood national park and the Oregon coast. Was away 12 days. I've also done Southern California, Arizona and Nevada on a different trip. Great age to do it, mine were tiny so don't remember

Re: Yosemite, absolutely yes, but when planning routes, bear in mind that the Tioga and Sonora Passes are usually only open from about mid June to early November. There are longer, less scenic alternatives. This Trip Advisor discussion is helpful.