3 weeks to spend in California

Shybride2016

Hi all,

Starting to plan for next summer now and looking at California for three weeks with two kids (8 and 12).

Where would you recommend visiting/staying for a few days/avoid?

Didn’t realise how far away places are even within California itself until I ventured onto Google Maps yesterday!

Flying from Dublin and open to renting a car for a few days if necessary.

Thanks in advance!

Spanish Eyes

Well I would give the LA area a total miss. You will not lose out on much. Unless you want to go to Disney in Anaheim.

Then go to SF for one day only and go to Alcatraz. There are panhandlers and some sad sights on the streets elsewhere. Very sorry for them don't get me wrong but it is up to the Mayor to sort it out, but they don't seem to want to anymore.

The drive across the Golden Gate Bridge over to the wine country is something else.

I could go on, but I can only speak about where I've been.

towger

You’ll need a car for the whole time almost, not just a few days.

Shybride2016

towger wrote: »

You’ll need a car for the whole time almost, not just a few days.

Thanks towger!

Shybride2016

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Well I would give the LA area a total miss. You will not lose out on much. Unless you want to go to Disney in Anaheim.

Then go to SF for one day only and go to Alcatraz. There are panhandlers and some sad sights on the streets elsewhere. Very sorry for them don't get me wrong but it is up to the Mayor to sort it out, but they don't seem to want to anymore.

The drive across the Golden Gate Bridge over to the wine country is something else.

I could go on, but I can only speak about where I've been.

Thanks Spanish Eyes, I would like to see LA alright, but I’ve heard it’s a horrible place so it would be more a drive thru experience I think! We’re keeping Disneyland in mind though for the kids definitely.

Anyone any experience of Yosemite or any of the other National Parks?

dubrov

Universal Studios in L.A. would be good for the kids.
You could do a tour of Hollywood while there but most of it is a dump.

Rent a bike in San Francisco and cycle across the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito.
Alcatraz is great too and you'll need to book well in advance.
Yosemite national park is another option.

Maybe consider a detour to Vegas and the Grand Canyon at some point.

alchemist33

Shybride2016 wrote: »

Thanks Spanish Eyes, I would like to see LA alright, but I’ve heard it’s a horrible place so it would be more a drive thru experience I think! We’re keeping Disneyland in mind though for the kids definitely.

Anyone any experience of Yosemite or any of the other National Parks?

Yosemite is beautiful. If further north I'd consider other parks like Sequoia

We're going over next year to Anaheim, and I'm considering driving the highway north of LA, going to San Diego for the zoo, Joshua Tree park or Palm Springs.

lobbylad

I think LA is worth a visit, even if its only to see movie locations!

It is big, very very big - roughly the same size as Leinster, Sepulveda Boulevard is about 38 miles long for instance.

Venice Beach and Santa Monica are nice (for a short visit), you'll recognise most places from lots of movies.

Outside LA, the drive up Pacific Coast Highway is nice (Route 101, PCH). A stop in Carmel is good.

Once in SF, then defo spend a few days there. If you want to go to Alcatraz, you should book in advance, they have very limited spaces for people who just show up.

I hired bikes and cycled from city centre, across the Golden Gate, out through Sausalito, up to Muir Woods and back on the ferry (included with a lot of bike hire). Despite what you might expect, they have plenty of well maintained bike lanes.

Shopping in SF city centre is typical main brand shops. If you want a more local experience, there's a large shopping mall in Dublin, about a 40 minute drive out through Oakland (not during rush hour though). It has a Cheesecake Factory too...............Also its a good excuse to use the Oakland bridge!

Driving in California is very handy.

Enjoy the trip!

mayordenis

Shybride2016 wrote: »

Thanks Spanish Eyes, I would like to see LA alright, but I’ve heard it’s a horrible place so it would be more a drive thru experience I think! We’re keeping Disneyland in mind though for the kids definitely.

Anyone any experience of Yosemite or any of the other National Parks?

If your making a road trip of it, the drive between SF and LA along the coast is amazing, loads of great towns that are worth about a day by themselves in Monterrey, Santa Cruz, then you have Big Ser national park, if you're in LA the centre is kind of a kip, there is an unreal food market but it's just minutes away from skid row which I'd avoid being honest.

If you could stay in somewhere like Santa Monica that might be nicer and then you could take a short trip into LA.

Regarding Yosemite, I mean it's absolutely amazing, good 3 or 4 hours from SF/Oakland, and you might be a bit surprised by the traffic and crowds but I would say it was for us 100% worth it. Very well planned out, get to the visitors centre and figure out which of the various trails and landmarks suit you guys.

Some of these recommendations mightn't be the absolute best for kids but just my own experience.

ReturningForY

I don't know where this "LA is horrible" is coming from; I think LA is an awesome city if you know where to go! If it's the summer time it would be really nice in Santa Monica and Venice Beach. You could visit the Getty Museum and/or the Griffith Observatory, which are two gorgeous places in the hills above LA with great views of the city (both get busy at sunset). LA is a really diverse city and you can find lots of great Asian and Mexican food especially - though with kids exotic food might be tricky.

Other than that,

• 100% agree about the car rental; if possible I would rent a car for your whole 3 weeks there. Even in the big cities, public transit is not great because of the urban sprawl.
• +1 to the drive from LA to SF. If doing it I would recommend the Santa Barbara wine country.
• +1 to Yosemite.
• I really liked Joshua Tree, but I think in the summer it will be too hot and going for a hike there will not be safe, especially with children.

circular flexing

Just be aware if you do rent a car, most hotels in cities will charge extra for parking. An extra $50 a night wouldn't be unusual in SF or LA. California is probably one of the more expensive places in the US to visit, eating out in particular is higher than normal once tax and tip is added on (a good rule is to add a quarter on to menu price).

Another place to consider visiting is San Diego, the zoo is excellent, there's a Legoland theme park in Carlsbad and the drive from San Diego to LA a long the coast is nice.

adgib

Done Anaheim Last year, Disneyland great for the kids, done Hollywood boulevard,tacky place, would recommend the Warner brothers tour

Daisy 55

Camping in Yosemite and sequoia is a great experience. Muir woods for a visit. It’s the setting for planet of the apes. We stayed in San Mateo. Found the weather lovely. San Francisco itself can be cold and foggy. Nice atmosphere though.

Daisy 55

Ours were 8 and 10 at the time.

fullstop

I’d recommend spending a night or two in Santa Rosa. An hour north of San Francisco, but a different world. Good base to explore the Redwood forests and close to Napa Valley, Bodega Bay, etc.

MadYaker

San Diego is really nice. Nicer than L.A imo. There's a big navy base there and you can take a tour of an aircraft carrier which they might like. This place worth a look too. Great zoo https://seaworldentertainment.com/our-brands/busch-gardens/

towger

fullstop wrote: »

I’d recommend spending a night or two in Santa Rosa. An hour north of San Francisco, but a different world. Good base to explore the Redwood forests and close to Napa Valley, Bodega Bay, etc.

The Redwoods are amazing. The kids would love them.
Drive the Avenue of the Giants.

tricky D

Book as much as possible in advance especially Yosemite. Also Lake Tahoe might be worth consideration.

Stenth

I live in San Jose. When friends and family come visit, I tend to take/direct them to:
* San Francisco. One or two days to look around. Chinatown, Japantown, Pier 39 (touristy place, but it is fun to watch the sea lions). Rent a bike and bike over Golden Gate bridge, then continue north to Sausalito (downhill almost all the way, scary but fun ride), have lunch or dinner there and then take the ferry back to San Francisco and return the bike. Twin Peaks to take photos. Lombard Street is fun to drive or walk. Exploratorium is a place where you can easily spend a full day if that is your thing. If you want to visit Alcatraz, it will take half a day so in that case plan on at least two days in San Francisco. Tickets sell out months in advance, especially for weekends, so book early.
* Henry Cowell Redwoods State park. Big redwood forest, with a kid-friendly path to look at giant trees and get inside at least one of them. Amazing trees. Combine this with a trip to Santa Cruz. You can either take a steam train from here down to Santa Cruz and back, or go by car.
* Santa Cruz has an amusement park on the beach, if you are into that. Or you and the kids can try surfing, if they are more into that. Nice, walkable city. Marianne's ice cream has the best ice cream I've had in the US.
* Gilroy Outlets are... shops with cheap brand clothing.
* A lot of wineries have tours. Some of them also have amazing views. Might not be very kid-friendly though.
* Jelly Belly is a jellybean factory with kid-friendly tours. Go on a weekday.
* Stanford is cool to walk around.
* Drive from San Francisco to Monterey on Highway 1. Fantastic views. Go to the aquarium in Monterey.

Otherwise, depends on what you want to see. If kids like that sort of thing, you can go to companies in Silicon Valley and take selfies at the headquarters of Google/Apple/Facebook/Instagram/etc. I think the computer history museum in Palo Alto is amazing but everyone else I've taken there has been bored to tears.

Also check local news pages for festivals or happenings around the area where you will be. There is almost always something happening.

I agree with LA being boring. San Diego will be better but look at the distances if you plan to drive from there to San Francisco. Also, it is going to be *very* hot in the summer.

towger

tricky D wrote: »

Book as much as possible in advance especially Yosemite. Also Lake Tahoe might be worth consideration.

Definitely book Alcatraz long in advance, otherwise will be booked out.
I recommend the evening / night tour.

él statutorio

In no particular order.
Theme parks, I have a 7 and 4 year old. These are our favourites.
Legoland. (go on a weekday)
Disneyland.
Magic mountain.

Avoid LA as it's too big and will be pain with the kiddos, too much driving. Maybe do Venice Beach or Malibu and kick on from there.
Drive route 1 from LA up the coast, take in Santa Barbara, Carmel, Big Sur.

San Francisco, do a few nights but parking is expensive up there.

Tahoe is nice assuming you're not there in the winter. Winter there is nice too, but it's a different trip. Truckee is a nice spot to stay up there.

Stenth

él statutorio wrote: »

In no particular order.
San Francisco, do a few nights but parking is expensive up there.

Parkopedia is a great app that will show you the cheapest parking close to you.

Another thing to consider: get a SIM card with a data plan in the US. Way cheaper than paying extra for a GPS in the rental car (besides the fact that Waze is much, much better than an offline GPS when driving) and useful for all other times there isn't a friendly Wi-fi nearby.

él statutorio

Stenth wrote: »

Parkopedia is a great app that will show you the cheapest parking close to you.

Another thing to consider: get a SIM card with a data plan in the US. Way cheaper than paying extra for a GPS in the rental car (besides the fact that Waze is much, much better than an offline GPS when driving) and useful for all other times there isn't a friendly Wi-fi nearby.

+1 for the SIM card.

lawred2

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Well I would give the LA area a total miss. You will not lose out on much. Unless you want to go to Disney in Anaheim.

Then go to SF for one day only and go to Alcatraz. There are panhandlers and some sad sights on the streets elsewhere. Very sorry for them don't get me wrong but it is up to the Mayor to sort it out, but they don't seem to want to anymore.

The drive across the Golden Gate Bridge over to the wine country is something else.

I could go on, but I can only speak about where I've been.

Santa Monica is lovely.

Shybride2016

Hi all,

I seriously cannot thank you enough for all the replies and recommendations, they are brilliant!

We will read through everyone’s responses properly over the Christmas break and hopefully get something booked!

Thank you all for taking the time to respond, we really appreciate it!

solerina

Shybride2016 wrote: »

Hi all,

I seriously cannot thank you enough for all the replies and recommendations, they are brilliant!

We will read through everyone’s responses properly over the Christmas break and hopefully get something booked!

Thank you all for taking the time to respond, we really appreciate it!

We started in SF and rented a car when we were leaving...so no problems trying to park it and no costs either, we went to Yosemite, amazing and down highway 1 to LA, we loved San Luis Obispo and Santa Barabara. LA was ok, I def didn’t hate it...but 3/4 days is enough.