iluvroadtrips

Hi! My husband and I are planning our first trip to San Francisco at the end of September. We’d originally hoped to spend at least two weeks on a Pacific Coast roadtrip, but our plans have been shortened and now we are thinking it will be more of a 5-7 day trip instead.

The three areas that had interested us the most were Portland, OR, San Francisco and San Diego, CA. We’ve been debating whether we should do a roadtrip between two of those cities (fly into one and out another) or just stick closer to one of them. We do not want to spend the entire trip driving. Right now, we are leaning more towards flying in and out of SFO, and leaving the other two cities for future travels.

We are in our late 20s, and are looking for: beautiful scenery, yummy foods, a few easy-ish hikes, people watching...We are not big museum goers, but might check out one or two. We like to do some touristy things, like a trolley tour to get oriented in a city, but prefer to avoid tourist traps (i.e. we’ll probably go to Fisherman’s Wharf just to see it, but I doubt we’ll stay there for very long).

We have a moderate budget, but will do the occasional splurge. We will be renting a car for this trip.

Hotels: If we’re just using the hotel to spend the night, we generally like to stay at places like La Quinta (under $150 a night). But if we’re staying two nights in a place and plan on enjoying the hotel, we will spend a bit more (but still under $250 a night). We want to make sure we spend at least a few nights at a hotel/inn(s) on the coast.

From the research I’ve been doing, here are some things that interest us so far: most importantly, we want to see the coast. Also, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Nepenthe restaurant, Big Sur, the farmer’s market in San Francisco, Alcatraz, California Academy of Sciences, Sequoia trees, and Yosemite.

At some point during the trip, we need to make it over to Redding and Sacramento to visit some friends there.

Food: One of our favorite parts of traveling is finding great food, but we are not yet into fine dining. There are lots of suggestions for amazing fine dining places in San Francisco, and hopefully one day soon we will return and try those out (and might try out at least one this time around). For this trip, we’d love some recommendations for places that have great food, but under $25/entrée (for dinner). We love all kinds of food, but really love bistro type foods like hanger steak and frites, French foods, and creamy pasta dishes. We also really like to find great breakfast and brunch places. We enjoy drinking cocktails more than beer or wine.

Other things that interest us if we can figure out how to add them to the trip:

Sonoma and/or Napa (we are not big wine drinkers, but would love to start learning more about wines and if there was time, would like to visit one or two wineries)
We’ve also read about an olive oil tasting tour - that sounded interesting!
Hearst Castle
Monterey Aquarium

I’ve read so many great suggestions about what to do, but right now I am feeling overwhelmed. I’m not sure how to organize this trip – which way to go, to get in as much as possible but not be constantly moving. Any advice or itinerary ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

janisj

You have too much on your plate for 7 days -- and waaaaaay too much for 5 days.

Big Sur, San Francisco, Sequoia NationalPark (though you can see Sequoias/Redwoods w/o going all the Way to Sequoia NP), Yosemite, Sonoma/Napa, Hearst Castle, Redding and Sacramento is about 10 days worth. And that would be a mad rush.

If you have 5 days, about all you could manage would be a couple of nights in SF (and that isn't long enough to see awfully much) a couple of nights in the Monterey/Big Sur area and one night in Yosemite (which wouldn't give you a full day in Yosemite Valley). There'd be no time for San Simeon, Napa/Sonoma, Sacramento or Redding.

W/ 7 days you could add Napa/Sonoma and maybe a dash over to Sacramento -- OR -- Redding/Sacramento -- OR -- an add'l night in YNP and and add'l night in SF.

Placename

Your post's title does not accurately reflect your question.

You are asking about whether to do a one-way trip that includes Portland, San Franciso, or San Diego. Then you mention visiting friends in Redding or Sacramento.

You only have time for one trip:
Portland-San Francisco
San Francisco-San Diego via the coast
San Franciso-San Digo via Yosemite/Sequoia

iluvroadtrips

Hi thank you for the replies. Because of our shortened time frame, we realize that both Portland and San Diego are out, and will be done on a separate trip. I had mentioned that above, but I apologize for not being clearer (it made sense in my head, and is why I left them out of the title)... I should have just left out all our original plans, so as not to be confusing, but I had added them in hopes that someone might think it could all possibly be doable in a week, lol!

Most important to us for this trip is doing the coastal drive, checking out a bit of San Francisco, and seeing some Sequoia trees (does not have to be Sequoia NP). Redding would be next on the list of importance. Yosemite and Napa/Sonoma would be great if we could work them in, but from everything I have read, it seems like they might be too far out for this trip.

iluvroadtrips

Another possibility I just thought of... would it be more time efficient to fly into Los Angeles and travel up the coast from there and then fly out of San Francisco? We don't really have any interest in LA itself for this trip, but if it would save time, we could do it that way.

Any thoughts? Thank you!

janisj

Flying into LA makes no sense for this plan -- and would definitely make Redding impossible.

Don't know your friends of course -- but all my rels/friends who live up in that part of the state are used to a LOT of long driving trips. It is just a part of life in far northern CA. So another option might be for your friends to either come down to SF to see you, or just drive as far as Sacramento and you can kill two visits w/ one drive. Driving SF to Redding really isn't an option in your short time frame since it is a 4 hour drive each way if there isn't any traffic (which is almost never)

note: All redwoods/tall trees are not necessarily Sequoias. There are Sequoias in the Sierra and Coastal Redwoods in areas like Santa Cruz and the north coast. Do you actually mean "sequoias" or do you mean redwoods in general?)

sf7307

I highly recommend asking your friends from Sacramento and Redding to come to you rather than you going to them. It's 3-1/2 hours from San Francisco to Redding (and back), so it's not a day trip. Sacramento is about 1-1/2. If they could meet you in San Francisco, you could spend time with them and sightsee at the same time!

If you have 5 days, i'd recommend 3 in San Francisco and 2 driving down the coast to Big Sur (and back). With 7 days, you could add Yosemite or Napa/Sonoma but not both.

sf7307

This might help -- this was a "day-trip" from where we live south of SFO to Nepenthe and back. We did not stop in either Carmel or Monterey on this trip, so that would be "day 2":

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...t-part-way.cfm

A restaurant you might like in Monterey (I haven't been there, but have heard only good things about it, from friends and on this forum) is Bistro Moulin.

janisj

"Sacramento is about 1-1/2"

Maybe at 0300

But not in real life and not for the foreseeable future. Just yesterday from Sac to the Vacaville GTG (middle of the day on a Saturday) it took me more than an hour because of the construction/traffic. And that is less than 1/2 the distance Sac to Union Sq or Fisherman's wharf.

Plus "Sacramento" is a biiiiig place and the chance the friends live on the Sac/Yolo county border is slim to none. More likely they live in a suburb that is another 20-40 minutes beyond "Sacramento"

Count on 2 - 2.5 hours to get from anyplace in downtown SF to most residential areas of Sacramento. And longer on a weekday morning.

sf7307

Janis is just being realistic

JCarlinsv

If you can't stretch it to 10 days Redding is out. That would go on the Portland, Avenue of the Giants, Crater Lake trip.
5 days is tough. A day in SF Cal Academy a must. Late afternoon drive I280 to San Jose, stay overnight there. Up early 17 to Santa Cruz and down to Monterrey and the aquarium. Stay there. I like the Clarion but a bunch of good mid price hotels. Day 3 down the coast to Nepenthe, and Pfeiffer and Hurst. Really need an extra day here if you can. Day 4 to Yosemite stay in lodge if you can Long hard drive but worth it. Day 5 back to SF via Sacramento, Could fit in a half day at Yosemite, but better add another day there.

JCarlinsv

I was rushed. I have never been able to get out of Pfeiffer in less than half a day, which is why I say spend the extra day there. A nice $150 hotel right down the street in San Jose the Moorpark Hotel I have heard good things about, and looks nice from the outside. Right on your way, and near Santana Row for a dinner splurge. Night 3 or 4 in San Luis Obispo up early 5 hr drive to Yosemite but you will want to stop at the Wawona-Mariposa Grove of big trees a nice break at hour 4. If you can't get the lodge at Yosemite the tent cabins at Curry are a hoot as is Curry Village. Pure Yosemite funk. I have done it all, and a better Central Ca trip couldn't be found. I would add day 8 to Yosemite and Tuolomne Meadows, 9 to Sonoma, have your Redding friends meet you there. As much of 10 as you have before the plane tourist in SF. I won't bother to tell you to enjoy! you can't help it.

iluvroadtrips

Hmm, I guess we should probably cross off Redding, Sacramento and Napa/Sonoma from this trip. We will follow your advice and see if any of them can meet us in SF. If we get to the end of the trip and have extra time, we can always add to it.

When I say sequoias, I do mean the real sequoias, not the tall redwoods. Where are places we can see them? What would be the closest place to SF that we could see them?

Thank you for all the great advice so far. We are trying to make it work for the full 7 days if possible.

november_moon

The closest place to SF to see sequoias is probably at Calaveras Big Trees state park - it is near the town of Arnold off of Hwy 4. It is also only a couple hours from there to Sacramento, so if you still wanted to go to Sac, that might work.

Mariposa Grove in Yosemite would be the next closest place to SF to see them, followed by Sequoia NP, which is further south.

JCarlinsv

The Wawona-Mariposa grove are real sequoias as are the ones in Tuolumne Grove on your way out of the park on 120. Which is the fastest way back to SF.

november_moon

I just read JCarlinsv's post in more detail and he/she has recommended staying in San Jose enroute between SF and the Monterey area. If it were my trip, I wouldn't stop in San Jose at all - I'd head down to Monterey for the night. SJ is a perfectly nice city (I live there), but there isn't a lot here that attracts tourists and it is only an hour from SF and an hour from Monterey.

elnap29

If this is your first trip to San Francisco, you'll want to spend at least 3 or 4 nights to get a proper taste. Yosemite MUST have a minimum of 2 nights because of the long drive (4 - 5 hrs). There is a small sequoia grove in Yosemite, but I agree that Calaveras Big Trees would be much more impressive. However, if driving on the coast is a priority, you'd be better off with SF and Monterey/Carmel. Picking only 2 locations on this trip will be much more satisfying than driving all over the place trying to see it all.

JCarlinsv

@Nov Moon The only reason I suggested San Jose is that after a full day in SF the drive to Monterey is a bit much. Not much to do there late eve. Santana Row is worth grazing and makes a nice dinner break in the trip. Plus morning traffic to Monterey and or Santa Cruz is more pleasant than the evening rush.

SAB

The drive to Monterey from SF is about 2 1/2 (non-rush hour), I have never experienced it as too much. Heck I've drive down to Monterey, spent an entire day in court and driven home in the same day.

sf7307

>>

Heck I've driven down to Monterey, spent a few hours at the aquarium and driven home in the same day