mwessel

We're planning a family vacation with Husband, 17 year old daughter, 15 year old daughter and myself for July 08. Have sketchy plans so far with no reservations made yet. Think budget minded for accomodations and meals.

Would appreciate input regarding best way to organize sightseeing to make things go most smoothly. with little backtracking as possible. Will bus or cable car be easily managed with how I have things listed, or are certain areas better paired with other ones? Am I jamming too much in to enjoy anything? Any help on driving times for Monterey section of trip?

We won't have a car in San Francisco, except on the last day there. (Day 4)

Here's our plan thus far:

DAY 1: Thurs: Fly into San Francisco
Stay in hotel around Fisherman's Wharf.
Walk around Fisherman's Wharf, Hyde Park Pier, Balcutha Ship, Musee Mechaniqe, Tacky shops at Pier 39 (younger teenager LOVES touristy traps)
Evening Alcatraz Tour

DAY 2: Friday:
Cable car to Chinatown. Explore and have lunch.
Walk to North Beach. Explore
Walk to Coit Tower for view
Take cab/bus to Haight. (older daughter interested in vintage shops, funky clothes etc.....any great suggestions?) Also, how late are shops open on a Friday in Haight?
Dinner in Haight somewhere. Ideas welcome.

DAY 3: Sat:
Ferry Bldg and Embarcadero
Maybe buy lunch stuff
Golden Gate Recreational Area..Presidio and Crissy Field….Picnic maybe?
Lombard Street
Visit Castro or Mission area for dinner.

DAY 4: Sunday
Rent Car
Drive around Pacific Heights and see cool houses
Drive to Japantown, visit Kinokuniya bookstore and shops. Have lunch
Walk across Golden Gate Bridge
Drive over for awesome view.
Muir Woods
Visit Muir Beach or Stinson Beach or Point Reyes National Seashore (what will we have time for?)
Eat somewhere

DAY 5; Monday
Drive down coastal highway to Monterey Peninsula
Stay in Pacific Grove, Monterey or Carmel…any thoughts on which is best for our plans?
Walk around, check out shops and sights
Wine tasting at Chateau Julien or Bernardus

Day 6: Tuesday
Monterey Aquarium
Bike Ride on Monterey Recreational Trail
Do 17 Mile Drive
Explore Carmel, walk along beach

Day 7: Wednesday
Early start: Point Lobos State Reserve
Drive down to Big Sur
Point Sur Historical park or Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur State park
Is it feasible to drive back to Monterey or should we spend night in Big Sur? How far, is it tough drive at night?

Day 8: Thursday
Hang out in Monterey/Carmel for morning.
Drive up to Santa Cruz
Walk along Ocean View Blvd
Perkins Point for tidepools
Dinner at Phils Fresh Fish Market in Moss Landing
Spend night in Santa Cruz

Day 9: Friday
Visit either Big Basin Redwoods State park or Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park…which is closer/better?
Natural Bridge State Beach OR Ano Nuevo State Reserve?….are there any elephant seals even there in July?
Santa Cruz Boardwalk for evening

Day 10: Sat
Drive back to San Francisco airport to fly home.

Sorry for the long post. Appreciate all of your expert help!

iamq

Sounds like a nice trip. A few comments:

I think you have too much planned on day 4. A trip up to Point Reyes can easily be full days outing. I would suggest you do it and can the other things or perhaps fit them in somewhere else.

I'm not a huge fan of the Santa Cruz area so I would not spend two nights there. I would use this time to spend overnight at Big Sur or venture further down to Hearst Castle or even add another night to San Francisco. There won't be elephant seals in July.

There are some nice, reasonable places to stay in Pacific Grove. I really like it there. The town is cute and depending upon where you stay you will have nice walking access to Sunset Drive and the trail around the point there.

xkenx

On the Monterey Peninsula, if you stay in the heart of Carmel, you can walk to restaurants, boutiques, galleries, the gorgeous town beach, and use it as a base for the short drives to Monterey and Carmel Valley, and for your day 7 drive to Big Sur. There is enough time, but return before dark for easier driving and scenery.

trippinkpj

July can be a pricey time in the Monterey area, although the fact you'll be staying Monday - Thursday and not on a weekend will help. Some of my favorite spots to stay (budget to moderate):
Padre Oaks in Monterey
Days Inn San Carlos in Monterey
Carmel Garden Court in Carmel
Best Western Bay View Inn in Carmel
I haven't stayed in pacific Grove in a long time, though I'm sure there will be good suggestions.

mwessel

Thanks for the thoughts, all.

Can't skip Japantown on Day 4 as oldest daughter is totally into Japanese everything. Does it sound more reasonable (and possible) to do Point Reyes in half a day and skip Muir Woods, Muir Beach and Stinson Beach?

Was thinking we should stay in Santa Cruz the last night becuase it would be closer to San Francisco for departure on Saturday. Thought I probably couldn't do just one night there which is why I was thinking two...but If I can get only one night in Santa Cruz we may try for that.

How long is the drive from Big Sur to Santa Cruz?

Love all the ideas and will check out the recommendations. Thanks much.

Otis_B_Driftwood

Point Reyes is a wonderful place but you can't see much in a half day. It's a park for walking the trails and beaches rather than driving around. And driving around in July may not be any fun because of the persistent fogs that time of year.

Stinson Beach and Bolinas are usually less foggy but they too are usually best in the late Spring and Fall. If you do drive over that way, you can get out of the fog by driving up Mt. Tamalpais where there are awesome trails with some of the best views in the Bay Area.

Another suggestion is to avoid Muir Woods on a Sunday. This is the most crowded day of the week and if it's warm, it will be very crowded with limited parking. If you are going to visit Big Basin later, you could skip Muir Woods. An alternative would be to take the ferry out to Angel Island and walk the trails there if the day is nice. Also, you might enjoy spending some time in Sausalito.

easytraveler

Here's my take:

Day 1: Hope you are arriving EARLY, because that's a LOT to do in one day!

Day 2: Except for the name "Haight", personally I believe there are better areas for shopping. However, I hate shopping and will defer to anyone else who is familiar with the various shopping areas of SF. Personally, I'd prefer to be on Union Street rather than Haight.

Day 3: You will definitely need a car for this day. The Golden Gate National Recreational Area, Prsidio, and Crissy Field cover a whole amount of territory. Hiking and walking will not do it justice, you need to drive some of these areas.

Day 4: As suggeted, skip Point Reyes.

Days 5, 6, and 7 - generally OK. Except that Day 7 over night in Pfeiffer Big Sur park in one of their lodges which is set right in the midst of giant redwoods.

Day 7 either skip Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park or go further south. There is no point driving that far down Big Sur and not seeing Hearst Castle as well, so I'd suggest that you make this the drive day from Monterey/Carmel to Cambria/St Simeon. This is a beautiful drive and there's plenty to see along the way. Overnight in Cambria.

Day 8 Visit Hearst Castle, drive back north to Monterey/Carmel. Skip Santa Cruz.

Day 9 Replan this section. You'll be seeing a lot of redwoods along the way, so can safely skip Big Basin, which would be a waste of time for you on this trip.

Day 10 - wne is your flight time?

Good luck on your continued planning!

trippinkpj

I agree with EasyT on Union Street over Haight. More pleasant for walking, shopping and dining IMHO.

dmlove

Whether you pick Haight St. or Union St. for strolling/eating/shopping totally depends on the experience you're looking for. Union Street is more upscale, with some chain stores and some individually-owned shops. Haight St. is much funkier without many chain stores (if any).

mwessel

Thanks for all the suggestions, you have been very helpful. I’ve revised our tentative itinerary as follows. Any additional feedback, suggestions or things we ought not to miss are appreciated.

Are certain areas of town better (or safer) during day versus night and I should rearrange any of those? Can I get from Coit Tower to Castro or Mission by bus or cable car easily?

REVISED ITINERARY:
DAY 1: Thurs
Fly into San Francisco, arrive before noon
Stay in hotel around Fisherman's Wharf….or possibly Columbus Motor Inn near North Beach.
Walk around Fisherman's Wharf, Hyde Park Pier,
Musee Mechaniqe, Tacky shops at Pier 39
Evening Alcatraz Tour

DAY 2: Friday:
Cable car to Chinatown. Explore and have lunch.
Walk to North Beach. Explore
Walk to Coit Tower for view
Ride F Line to Castro or Mission District

DAY 3: Sat:
Ferry Bldg and Embarcadero
RENT CAR
Golden Gate Recreational Area..Presidio and Crissy Field
Walk Across Golden Gate Bridge
Then Drive over and see great view
Visit Mt. Tamalpais State Park or Sausilito

DAY 4: Sunday
Drive around Pacific Heights and see cool houses
Drive to Japantown, visit Kinokuniya bookstore and shops. Have lunch in Japantown
Go see Lombard Street
Visit Haight Ashbury District for vintage shops, shoes and Ameoba
Dinner in Haight area --any ideas for reasonably priced places?

DAY 5: Monday
Drive down coastal highway to Monterey Peninsula
Stay in Pacific Grove, Monterey or Carmel 3 nights
Walk around, check out shops and sights
Wine tasting at Chateau Julien or Bernardus

Day 6: Tuesday
Monterey Aquarium
Bike Ride on Monterey Recreational Trail
Do 17 Mile Drive

Day 7: Wed
Point Lobos State Reserve (go early)
Carmel River State Park
Explore Carmel, walk along beach
Maybe go see Mission San Juan Bautista (33 miles from Carmel)


Day 8: Thursday
Drive down to Big Sur
Stop at Point Sur State Historical Park
Julia Pfieffer Big Sur State Park – short hike to cool waterfall
Spend night somewhere in Big Sur. Cabin in State Park? Or St Simeon or Cambria.


Day 9: Friday
Tour Hearst Castle in St Simeon EARLY
DRIVE TO SANTA CRUZ – (about 3 hour drive?) Stay Fri night in Santa Cruz
Maybe eat dinner at Phils Fresh Fish Market in Moss Landing, just south of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Boardwalk for evening


Day 10: Saturday
Drive back to San Francisco airport to fly home (is this about 1-1/2 hour drive from Santa Cruz to the airport on a Saturday?) Not sure when flight will depart, nothing booked yet. Waiting for prices to drop.

dovima

Hi mwessel,

Responding to the dinner suggestion request for your shopping afternoon in the Haight.

I'd walk to Cole Valley, which is a few blocks south of the Haight Street area, and choose one of the restaurants there. The intersection of Cole and Carl streets is where you want to be to orient your self. There's Eos, which is an Asian fusion place. Next door to the Eos restaurant is their wine bar, which is more casual (although reservations are still taken and recommended). There's a crepe place on the corner of Carl and Cole, good for a quick bite. Grandeho's is a sushi bar on Cole, despite the non-Japanese name. Zazie is a very popular, casual French bistro. Bambino for Italian. Grandeho's, Zazie and Bambino are lined up on Cole Street almost next door to each other.

Take time during your Haight afternoon to walk through the adjacent area and look at the grand Victorian architecture, particularly around Buena Vista Park and on Upper Masonic St.

After your dinner on Cole Street, you can catch the N-Judah street car to go back downtown.

tchoiniere

May just be me but it still seems like Day 3 is still too much unless you are starting very early.

DAY 3: Sat:
Ferry Bldg and Embarcadero
RENT CAR
Golden Gate Recreational Area..Presidio and Crissy Field
Walk Across Golden Gate Bridge
Then Drive over and see great view
Visit Mt. Tamalpais State Park or Sausilito

Golden Gate Park is almost a day by itself to see everything. Then the bridge will be ~ 2 miles of walking (round trip). I don't see how you will have time for the Ferry Building and Embarcadero. I am not saying drop them as they are a must especially on a Saturday. Another issue is where / when you will get your rental car on this day?

trippinkpj

I also really like Zazie, and Cole Valley in general.

mwessel

Thanks for the input, tchoiniere. Maybe we will have to skip Mt Tamalpais knowing we will see such stunning views later on in the trip. Does it seem more do-able if we skip that part and just concentrate on Ferry Bldg and Embarcadero in the morning and then Presido, Crissy Field and walking over Golden Gate Bridge for afternoon/evening?

Also, many thanks for the restaurant suggestions for Haight/ColeValley area, dovima and trippinkpj.

Would any of those restaurants be better than the other for a vegetarian? My 17 year old daughter will eat fish, but no meat. I love the name Zazie and I've never been to a French restaurant...so this could be a winner!

Yes, I too have no clue where we will get a rental car in the city. Still must research this point. Depending on the price (and where we end up staying), we may just get one when we first get to the airport in San Francisco and just keep it at the hotel until we need it.

StuDudley

tchoiniere - Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Golden Gate Park are two different places. In fact, GGNRA is about 4 different places - the Presidio, across the GG Bridge & up & up to the west, Fort Mason area, and Ft Funston and the coast. mwessel mentioned the Presidio & Chrissy field, so I don't know what she is referring to as the GGNRA destination. She may indeed mean Golden Gate Park - since she doesn't mention the park anyplace else.

I think the building that houses the Musee Mechaniqe is under renovation. Not sure if the Musee is still open, has moved (again), or is closed.

Comparing Union St & Haight is an apples/oranges thing - completly different experiences.

If you've read my posts in the past, you'll know I hate the Wharf. As long as you're staying there, I would not visit it on the first day. You'll see enough of it just coming & going to see the other stuff. Use it as a filler if you crash early one day - send the 15 YO out by herself some early evening or whenever you feel like resting at the hotel.

I would add in a walk west Union St from Gough, north on Fillmore (past the Bermuda Triangle) to Chestnut, and then west on Chestnut. Lots of shops/cafes, in this area (bet the 15 & 17YO will prefer this over the Wharf).

Stu Dudley

MiamiBeachMomma

Just got back from my very similiar trip (minus Big Sur.) A few comments -
Monterey - we stayed at the Portola Plaza that we book through resort2me.com - we thought it was comfortable and convenient. We bought our Aquarium tickets through the concierge and got 2 days for the price of 1. We did part of the Aquarium one afternoon and then finished the next morning. Then we did 17 mile drive and went to Carmel. The day before Monterey we went to Big Basin - I have never been to Muir Woods - but I REALLY enjoyed this park. There was a small trail we did that highlights a few special trees in the park - my 8 year loved it!!! The drive to Big Basin was great - very scenic.

In San Francisco we stayed at the Hyatt Embarcedro - it was really great. Public transportation was really convenient - we really took all forms - MUNI, light rail, buses, cable cars, you name it!!

We did the night Alcatraz tour and it was great, we ate at Boudin right near the Pier jsut when we got back at 7:30 - perfect for our hungry crew. We went to Haight Street - I really couldn't wait to get out of there. Lots of drug using teens/young 20s in the streets - my kids are too young to know what it was - but yours will surely see and smell it.

Chinatown was lots of fun and there are plenty of touristy stores to make your younger daughter happy. Food was yummy too!

tchoiniere

Stu, good point about it being 2 different places. I took it as the Park. I do think the Park is a must for the first time in the city.

mwessel, Did you mean Golden Gate Park or the sites that Stu mentioned "In fact, GGNRA is about 4 different places - the Presidio, across the GG Bridge & up & up to the west, Fort Mason area, and Ft Funston and the coast".

If you meant the bridge, Fort Mason, etc, I think your itinerary is very doable (may have to skip one of the Forts - I haven't been to either one). Busy but doable. If you meant that park, I don't think it is very realistic at all.

mwessel

tchoiniere and StuDudley
I AM referring to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area with Presidio and Crissy Field, viewpoints of Inspiration Point etc. I had originally hoped to go over the bridge and see Muir Beach and Muir Woods, but seems I'm overambitous and have curtailed that segment now as well since we'll see such great beaches and redwoods later on in Monterey and Big Sur.

I had visited Golden Gate Park (and Japanese Tea GArden) when I was in San Francisco 8 years ago and while it was beautiful, knowing my kids, I'm thinking GGNRA is probably a better bet. Plus...I want to see what I haven't seen yet!!!!

Thanks for the nice walk and shops tip, Stu. I'm thinking that that would be best worked in with the Pacific Heights jaunt? Is there a place to park around there since we'll have the car that day?

I never thought about letting the teenagers venture out on their own at Fisherman's Wharf. Not a bad idea! Gotta wait and see where we end up staying.

Thanks for the heads up MiamiBeachMama...
Not crazy about the idea of the drugs and kids hanging around in the Haight. Was this at night...or is this the case during the day as well?

I will check out the Hyatt Embarcadero too. Thanks for all of your great tips and impressions from your experiences.

MiamiBeachMomma

We ate a late lunch at a Burrito shop on Haight maybe about 2 pm. It was fine, as the afternoon progressed it got worse. By 4:30 it was getting really seedy.

zebec

Mwessel, perhaps you might consider involving your teens in some of this itinerary planning? Seems a good opportunity for them to enhance their organizational-research skills.
BTW, I'm a refugee from the Lonely Planet website. Since LP's sale to the BBC a month ago, its esteemed 'Thorntree' message board has been changed to a oddly-arranged, increasingly-commercial, poor excuse for its former self. Goodbye LP (sniff), hello Fodors. My wife and I will be posting some queries about our Spring SF trip shortly. Greetings to you all.