Planning a California Trip: Advice

My 02c:

- Southern Cal is pretty much always a "pleasant climate".
- LA itself sucks - San Diego is a much better destination. [Dons flamesuit!]
- San Francisco (*never* call it 'Frisco!) has it's best weather in September/October (Really, but don't tell anyone!)

Beyond that, what are you in to? - We've got it all!

Are you figuring on driving? Camping? Hiking? Wine? History? Sport? etc etc.... Then there's the Monterrey "Holy week" in August if you fancy "car immersion".

Cheers,
Ian

 

You may want to come when it's crappy there? Shop around online for good hotel rates. Of course it'll be pricier in San Fran and I'd doubt you'd stay in LA proper so there's lots of options in So. CA. Book a few places, rent your car(don't rent from the airport) and then just go for it. Lots to do and see depending on your interests. Tying it into Monterey is always a good one but that can get expensive unless you've got the hook ups.

 

Los Angeles is the size of a small country. OK, maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but I think it's necessary to rent a car if visiting LA, as the distances are vast and public transportation not so good.

In San Francisco, you can have a great tourist experience without a car. At times having a car is a liability as parking is limited/expensive. But if you want day trips to places immediately outside of San Francisco (such as Sonoma, Monterey, or Sausalito) it's nice to have a car to get there.

Driving between San Francisco can be a 6 hour trip on a largely boring interstate, or you can take all day to do the scenic route along the coast. Stop off along the way at places like Monterey, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, etc.

 

come to LA and decide for yourself. i skipped LA the first time i was on the west coast, and now i can't imagine living anywhere else i've been.

as for LA advice, it is quite large, so do plan to rent a car, and i'd recommend staying either in beverly hills/west hollywood or in santa monica. downtown is office buildings and not much more. most other areas are essentially suburbia.

if you do plan the trip, PM me for a more detailed list depending on what you like to do and see. always happy to help a visitor!

 

Come in late September or early October for the best weather and to avoid the heaviest tourist season. Fly into SFO. Spend a night or two in SF. Then rent a car and spend a night in Napa/Sonoma. Drive down the coast and spend a night in Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur. Drive down Hwy 1 to Hearst Castle and spend a night in Cambria, Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo. You can stop in Santa Barbara on your way to LA. Assume you want to see Hollywood, etc. Maybe Disneyland? Then head down to San Diego or alternately back up to see Yosemite. You need 10-14 days to do it right. There are other threads on this subject in both N and S Cal. Hint: If you stay out of the downtown and tourist areas, you can get rooms for cheap. Shop car rentals carefully, especially if you are picking up and dropping off at different locations.

 

memiller has a good point about LA hotels. I assume you want something exciting/interesting. You didn't come halfway around the world to have a boring hotel. Unless you have a specific reason for staying in a particular neighborhood, I'd recommend something in West Hollywood (close to Hollywood or Sunset Blvds) or Santa Monica (which is by the beach).

Funny, having lived here most of my life, I have no good recommendations for specific hotels for out-of-town guests. I've never stayed in a hotel in LA. But I do know where I'd want the hotel to be located were I a visitor.

 

Pretty good advice. We live in Santa Barbara so we'd be happy to help. Our personal favorite when friends ask where to stay is the Inn at the Spanish Garden. It's a great little B&B in close to downtown Santa Barbara. If you really want to splurge then stay at the San Ysidro Ranch. It was the #1 rated hotel in the US but very expensive. Lots to see and do and the weather is nice more often than not but September and October are the best.

 

OP~ If you plan on driving from San Fransisco to Los Angeles via the "coast," you're going to need 3 days to do it right.

As stated earlier, Late Sept/early October is best as the tourists are gone and the weather is clear. (During June/July it's FOGGY.)

There are a couple places you are going to want to see/visit~ (only including areas south of San Fran)

1. The Golden Gate Bridge (you'll see it from the plane coming into SFO.)

2. Pier 39

3. Chinatown

4. Fisherman's Wharf

5. Lombard St. (twisty but slow!)

6. Tour a US Mint

Now to get on the road! You'll want HWY 1 going southbound as the water will be on the passenger's side. It will wind and twist along a ridgeline above the water's edge. There are no large cities south of San Fran for 400 miles.

Check Big Sur, Cambria, Morro Bay/Rock, Hearst's Castle (San Simeon,) 17 mile Drive (cost: $9.50. Worth it if you're a golfer.) Pismo Beach (drive on the sand!)

There's tons of websites that you can reference. One would be: www.myscenicdrives.com.

If you're going to rent a sportscar, forget all that I typed and I'll put you on a REAL wild run!

Let me illustrate...
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