California Coast and LA

ailuro2

SF is very cool, LA is not.Flew over it and saw real smog for the first time, absolutely sprawling city, can't go anywhere witohut a car!

Simple decision really!

Go with the Yosemite recommendations, I'd love to go, rememebr the roads there are a lot easier than here, driving's a pleasure out of the cities.

Have a great trip:D

socks_uk

My sister wanted to take us to Devil's Golf Course in Death Valley. We never got there because she said it was too hot the road would be melting! I'm not comfortable in intense heat (Southern California is hot at anytime of year... we went at Christmas).

n57602000

Oh the decisions to make and peoples likes and dislikes of the places.

I have from 30th to the 6/7th to do stuff thats when i leave SF and then have to return to SF.

Want to see some of the coast maybe stop for one night along there, couple nights in or around LA and the same with SD and maybe try and get to the Yosemite National Park to see the beauty and Redwood's and def do some shopping cheap shopping and see beaches, Vine Yards.

HELP lol

Jo_Mc_2

Jasper27 wrote: »

I love California, this year will be my 8th visit. My favourite places are Monterey and San Luis Obispo but the whole central coast is beautiful. I'm sure you'll like San Diego too I'd stay there as it's not to far to drive to LA if you fly from there. LA does have some attractions but it's not high on my must see places. Tijuana is an experience but if you're pressed for time I wouldn't bother. When I went a few years ago we parked near the border and got a bus into Mexico. The whole time we were followed by begging children or had guys hassling us to have our photo taken with what appeared to be a donkey painted to look like a zebra! Every 4th or 5th shop seemed to be selling prescription drugs at much cheaper prices than in the US, bargin prozac or viagra anyone?! A guy outside a strip club asked us if we were on honeymoon before trying to persuade us to come in for the lunch time session, this was at 11.30 in the morning! Mid afternoon we decided to head back to the USA and it took us about 3 hours to get through customs and immigration. I wouldn't bother if I were you.

We visited San Diego last year whilst driving around California - and it really is a great place - and we went over the border into Tijuana. It really was a horrible experience and just didn't feel like a safe place to be, even mid-afternoon.

As soon as we crossed the border we were being hassled to take a cab and the hassling just didn't stop. Even our 7 year old son was being asked by children to give them a $ for a bracelet. In fact he summed it up very well when we walked across the bridge towards the city just after crossing the border, when he asked us "what happened here?" It looked like a disaster zone.

Also, we went to an outlet mall near to the border on the US side, and we were asked a few times whilst there if we'd help people out who reckoned they were stranded after having their money taken from them by the Tijuana police, it's all a scam.

realised

well, we're going to SF soon for a week and i can't think of ways to fill the time.. i mean we have alcatraz, fishermans wharf, chinatown, financial district,

Is there anything else anyone would really recommend?

Jo_Mc_2

realised wrote: »

well, we're going to SF soon for a week and i can't think of ways to fill the time.. i mean we have alcatraz, fishermans wharf, chinatown, financial district,

Is there anything else anyone would really recommend?

There's the Golden Gate Bridge, you could get the ferry to Sausalito...depending on how active you are you can hire a bike and cycle there, via the bridge, and get a ferry back.

FluffyFiFi

We are going to LA in two weeks time, we are staying in LA for 5 nights and then driving up the coast as far as Cambria which is about half way up to San Francisco. We are then going to Vegas and Grand Canyon before coming back to San Diego for 5 nights. Whilst in San Diego we've booked www.californiasuiteshotel.com as they seem really reasonable and has good reviews on tripadvisor.

realised

Jo_Mc wrote: »

There's the Golden Gate Bridge, you could get the ferry to Sausalito...depending on how active you are you can hire a bike and cycle there, via the bridge, and get a ferry back.

Oh yeah i forgot to mention we want to cycle over the golden gate bridge too..

Is it best to get a ferry and ride one way? or cycle both ways?

Jo_Mc_2

realised wrote: »

Oh yeah i forgot to mention we want to cycle over the golden gate bridge too..

Is it best to get a ferry and ride one way? or cycle both ways?

It depends how fit you are really. I'm sure you're aware that the bridge is quite a distance from the city itself. We walked to the bridge one day (one very hot day lol) from Pier 39 and if I remember correctly it was over 3 miles away. My husband is a mountain biker and hired a bike and cycled both ways and rode some of the trails on the other side of the bridge. There are quite a few hire companies and they provide maps and information.

I suppose the best thing to do is hire a bike, cycle over the bridge and then see how you feel when you get to the ferry point as to whether you cycle back or get on a ferry. Have fun

n57602000

Right i think i have made up my mind about the trip it will go in this order and stay in these places i think. If you can recommend places to stay or the best areas to stay in Santa Barbara, LA, SD and Yosemite National Park thank you.

• San Francisco

• Yosemite National Park

• Monterey

• Santa Barbara

• Los Angeles

• San Diego

• San Francisco (Flight)