Were getting ready to start planning a trip to Cali for next year, we plan on spending some time in San Fran, LA and San Diego. We already know we want to see Alcatraz, The walk of fame and the Chinese theater. What would you guys recommend we see in your great state?

 

Lots of tourist traps between SF and LA. Winchester house San Jose, Mystery Spot and Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. Great coastline south of there. Hearst Castle, & Pismo Beach south of there.

How much time, are you driving, kids/no kids/what do you like?

 

The Peterson auto museum in LA.

 

Were not sure right now if it will be one week or two so were trying to condense as much as possible. Were frying out, with the kids but one is 19 the other is 15 now so there grown. We like history stuff like Alcatraz, and shopping the unique boutiques and natures wonders.


I got it Steve, I'm takin notes.

 

There is just too much to do here, and that makes it difficult to guide someone if you don't know a lot about what they like.

Here are a couple things that I would like to do, but have not. If you like history, particularly maritime, I think you would like these.

http://www.nps.gov/safr/index.htm

http://www.sandiego.org/listing/Visitors/3985

 

Whittier, Whittier.....yea, don't forget two Presidential librarys. Reagan in Simi Valley, about 40 miles NW of downtown LA and Nixon, about 20 miles E of downtown LA in Whittier. Even my whacko-left-fundraising SIL had good things to say about these.

 

If your into wine, there's also plenty of wine tasting spots between San Francisco and LA. I'm not a wine drinker myself, but my GF is so we have visited a number of these.

 

Thanks guys I'll check those things out, I'm trying to check as many places on line as I can but to do a search without someplce to look for is a bit to general. Any other places you all could point out would be great, just stuff you all like is great then I can look them up, thanks again...

 

Do you know when you're going to be coming out Brian?

 

Next year in the begin of June Steve.

 

The Nixon Library is in Yorba Linda where Nixon was born. He and his wife Pat are buried on the library grounds, next to the home that Nixon was born in.

A coupla miles SW of the library is Featherly Park, where the F100 Western Nationals Truck Show is held every June.

The aircraft carrier USS HORNET is berthed at the former Alameda NAS, across San Francisco Bay from Alcatraz.

ESE of San Francisco is Yosemite National Park and the Gold Rush Country.

WSW of San Francisco, will be found the city of Monterey and Highway 1, the most picturesque road in CA.

LA LA Land has enough distractions to last a lifetime: Disneyland, Hollyweird...an amusement park in itself. Auto museums, plane museums, Old West museums, museum museums, enough Antique Malls to empty your wallet many times over.

The aircraft carrier USS MIDWAY is berthed at San Diego's Maritime Museum, also in the area is Old Town San Diego, Coronado Island, Balboa Park which features a car museum, Air & Space Museum in the original FoMoCo Rotunda Building, and the largest Wurlitzer pipe organ in existance. Free concerts every Sunday afternoon.

There are 21 CA Missions from the one located in Sonoma in the Napa Valley Wine Region (north of Bagdad-by-the-Bay aka San Francisco), to San Diego in the south.

If one spent a year in CA, they could not see all of this. I've lived here for 65 years, and as a CA historian, have traveled far and wide...and still haven't seen all of the state.

If one belongs to AAA, they can visit a local office and get a gazillion free maps and the TWO local travel & hotel guides. One for NorCal, the other for SoCal.

Car rental: Renting from an off airport site will be cheaper than renting at the airport, as y'all will not have to pay the outrageous airport taxes and other BS.

While many ppl choose Hertz, get their price...and then call around giving the other rental car companies Hertz' price. I've found that Alamo is usually much cheaper.

Y'all can also visit websites like Travelocity, and get a vehicle even cheaper...sometimes.

 

You said that your Family is into history so I would recommend the Winchester Mystery House. My wife and I took the tour a few years back and it was very interesting. http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

For nature, Yosemite is amazing. The Muir Woods is 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and I imagine you'll want to cross one of the most famous bridges in the world. http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

The Arboretum in Arcadia (So Cal) is also amazing: http://www.arboretum.org/


Are you renting a vehicle and driving from San Fran to LA to San Diego? It's a 6 hour drive from San Fran to northern LA if you take Interstate 5, the coastal route is far more pleasant and scenic but takes at least 2 more hours. You'll be driving quite a bit, even if you stay 2 weeks!

As Bill stated, Cali is huge and has many, many diverse attractions across the entire state. You may want to consider focusing your trip on San Fran and LA, leaving San Diego for another time. Whirlwind tours can be stressful and can take the fun out of a vacation, IMHO.

 

This is a great show....if you're out here on the third Saturday of June you could make it. Bobbi would like it too.....really......I swear she would!


I tend to agree with what Russ said about putting too much on the agenda - it does make things frenzied.

 

Great thanks for all the info guys, I want to see as much as I can without being like a chicken with its head cut off..... Thats why I want to get as much info as possible ahead of time so I know were I want to go.

 

Did they move them out into the ocean?