stlascbd

Hi guys!

We are a family of 5 (ages 50, 42, 22, 18 and 10) from New Zealand and we are planning to go to the US in July for 3 weeks. We just wanted to know some tips on how to plan our trip and the places to go.

So were thinking on flying into San Francisco spend 4 days there, take a side trip to Napa Valley and then do a drive down to LA and spend a week and then fly up to Vancouver to visit family, do another side trip to Seattle and then fly back home to NZ.

We just wanted to know:
- How many days do you think we should stay in San Francisco, LA and Vancouver? Should we split it up equally?
-Do you think its worth it to go to Napa Valley if we just wanted to see the views of vineyards? We're not really wine people
- How many days should we spend on the road trip between San Fran and LA? We want to drive down and see the coast and the views.
- Do you think we'll have enough time if we had a side trip and go to Yosemite National Park or maybe Las Vegas or even San Diego?
- What are some must-see attractions and must-do things in San Fran, LA, Seattle and Vancouver?
- We're also planning to go to Disney Land, do you think that one day is enough to see Disney or should we add one more day?

We are mostly interested in scenic views, beaches and big cities and attractions.
We'd like to do some tourist things as well as some local things.

First time to go to the US and were very excited
Let us know your opinions, thoughts and recommendations
Thank you for all your help.
Estela

janisj

>>-Do you think its worth it to go to Napa Valley if we just wanted to see the views of vineyards? We're not really wine people>- How many days should we spend on the road trip between San Fran and LA? We want to drive down and see the coast and the views. >- Do you think we'll have enough time if we had a side trip and go to Yosemite National Park or maybe Las Vegas or even San Diego?>- We're also planning to go to Disney Land, do you think that one day is enough to see Disney or should we add one more day?

denise8101214

One day at Disneyland is fine. Not having time at California Adventure or Downtown Disney should not dissuade you from seeing Disneyland.

tomfuller

Surprise, surprise! I agree with all of janisj's response! Why not fly to LAX and then work your way north instead of crossing the area between LA and San Francisco twice?
I can't see the point in visiting any of the California wineries in July. I'd much rather see Yosemite.
If you have to miss all of Oregon, fly from San Francisco to Seattle and then cross the border to Vancouver on an Amtrak train or bus and then fly home via Hawaii.
Happy 60th birthday to Disneyland.

happytrailstoyou

Some highlights between Vancouver and Los Angeles are Mt. Rainier, the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon coast, the redwoods of northern California, the Hearst Castle, and Highway 1 from Monterey to Malibu.

You have time to go to Yosemite, San Diego, or Las Vegas, but not all of them. Of these three, Las Vegas is the least conveniently located to your other destinations.

Top attractions in Seattle are Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and the ferry to Bainbridge Island for views of the Seattle skyline and surrounding mountains. The Golden Gate Bridge and colorful neighborhoods are the main attractions for me in San Francisco, and in Los Angeles Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, and a motion picture studio tour are worth a look.

HTtY

janisj

You only have 3 weeks and want about a week for LA/Disney and probably at least 5 days for Vancouver / Seattle. That doesn't leave much for all the other great places others are recommending. So you need to sit down w/ maybe a guide book or two and decide what you want to cut/include.

ltt

you'll enjoy your time a lot more if you don't try to jam too much in. it's so beautiful along the coast you want time to relax and take in all the beauty. vegas will be really hot in july and the 2 younger family members can't go into any casinos. san diego has 2 big events going on during the month - comic com convention and the all star baseball game so hotel prices may be high and vacancy will be low. i'd plan on 4 nights in san fransisco. if going to alcatraz, book tickets early. hotel prices in that city can be very high. as mentioned, spend 3 nights between san fran and la. again, book accomodations as soon as you can.

Dukey1

I agree with flying from Auckland to Los Angeles instead of to SFO; start at the bottom and work your way up.

marvelousmouse

I would skip Napa and Vegas. I think I'd skip San Diego too because the aspect I like most is the beach and there are plenty of gorgeous beaches near LA.

Yosemite is awesome but be aware that the drive is time consuming, you need at least 2 nights there, and the crowds are MUCH worse than Disneyland (in the valley at least). Redwoods might be a great alternative, if that's of interest. But I wouldn't drive from SF to Vancouver with the amount of time you have. For what it's worth, though, I'd do one day at Disney and cut a few days from somewhere else in order to do Yosemite. It's just that amazing.

For the cities, it depends what you are interested in. I had 4 days in each. I wanted more time, especially in SF. Vancouver completely depends on how much time you want to spend with family. For Vancouver itself (rather than BC in general) I wouldn't spend time there that I could spend in California. 1 day for Stanley Park, 1 day for everything else, probably. Unless there's something you're dying to see in Seattle, I'd probably go to Vancouver Island instead. Must see attractions really depend on what you are interested in. I really just enjoyed exploring each city- they have very different atmospheres/cultures.

janisj

Some good ideas from marvelousmouse . . . but I do have one quibble. >>the crowds are MUCH worse than Disneyland (in the valley at least).

jamie99

You really need 3-4 days in both SF and LA. The Highway 1 drive needs at least two nights (3 is better) and you do need to make hotel reservations in advance (you do NOT need to prepay, just make reservations that can be cancelled) as this is a very busy time of year.
Napa is very pricey, there are good areas for wine tasting in both Paso Robles inland from Cambria and the Santa Ynez valley north of Santa Barbara (movie "Sideways" was shot here).
Really does not matter if you drive SF to LA or vice versa, fly into whichever airport has the best pricing.

happytrailstoyou

I didn't tell you how many days you need for the cities, because I don't know what your interests are. We go to LA once or twice a year and stay there for 4 to 7 days, but we have friends who refuse to spend the night there.

You need to decide what you want to do in each city and plan your stays accordingly. For instance, if all you want to do in San Francisco is ride a trolley car, go to Alcatraz, and see the Golden Gate Bridge, you don't need to stay there more than two nights.

HTtY

Gardyloo

Lots of opinions, all valid.

Trying to cover a big swath of the American west in three weeks is bound to be an exercise in frustration: for every destination you include there are three that you won't have time for. So really it comes down to priorities and time management.

As one who has hosted a number of overseas visitors on their first trips to the US, let me give you some personal views - which of course you're free to reject.

Disneyland. Incredibly expensive and crowded. You will spend one (or two) days standing in queues, in the heat, eating bad food and surrounded by tired children. This is your first trip to the US but hopefully not your last, so I'd really think hard about this. Disney has been there for sixty years and isn't going anywhere soon.

Yosemite. Gorgeous, crowded, and if you don't have accommodation booked already, with a large party you're probably going to have VERY limited options and might have to stay outside the park and drive in. Combined with the time needed to get there (again, what could you do instead with those hours?) it might not be the best plan.

Substitutions. The waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge are as pretty as the ones in Yosemite in July, and probably will have more water flowing over them. The virtue of the Gorge is that it's 30 minutes from Portland airport, while Yosemite is most of a day's drive from San Francisco. Plus, the Gorge has Mt. Hood, the Hood River Valley, lots of things for all ages, and it's cheaper by far than farther south. Similarly, Olympic National Park offers a wide variety of landscapes, from rocky shorelines to amazing rain forests with giant elk, to alpine meadows and views of glaciated mountains. Maybe fields of lavender at the bottom, too.

Seattle. I live here but it's crazy crowded and expensive in the mid-summer. If you have family in Vancouver they can provide you with comparable day trips on ferries, public markets, nearby mountains, the works.

Here's what I'd look at as a time outline:

San Francisco, 3 days.

SF to Monterey, 1 day via Big Basin or Henry Cowell redwoods en route.

Monterey/Carmel - 1 day to include Point Lobos state park.

Monterey/Carmel to Cambria or Pismo Beach, 1 day including the Hearst Castle.

Cambria/Pismo to LA - 1 day including lunch in Santa Barbara, see the mission.

LA, 4 days.

Fly to Portland, get a car, evening Columbia Gorge area, 1 day

Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, Portland, 1 1/2 days, then to Lake Quinault in Olympic National Park (so 2 days.)

Olympic National Park, 1 1/2 days (Ruby Beach, Hoh rain forest, Hurricane Ridge) then to Seattle (2 days.)

Evening train to Vancouver on day 16, the balance of your time with family etc. in Vancouver.

Like I said, reject away, but these are just some opinions.