Some more california questions....

amother

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 3:04 am

1. Driving along the coast from San Francisco to LA, what are some of the nicest places to stop?

2. What would you highly recommend to do in the following areas:

SF and the whole bay area (besides for Alcatraz)
LA
the coast
San Diego (besides for the SD zoo and Sea World)
Yosemite National park
Lake Tahoe
Sacramento and the Delta region
Palm Springs/Joshua Tree/ Death Valley/ the deserts

3. In all the above areas, are there any good things to do that are not so known about, like not in the tourist guides etc.?

Thank you soo much.

su7kids

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 3:34 am

San Diego has a lot of fun things to do, especially things that don't cost money. The beaches are beautiful, the walks along the beach front. Visiting Seaport Village, the Wild Animal Park.

Will you have kids with you?

amother

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 3:35 am

No kids, just me and dh

su7kids

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 3:38 am

S. Diego has Balboa Park which has lots of museums and gardens you can walk in.

Right now we have the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit which is here until December. I believe its excellent (expensive, but excellent).

What kinds of things do you like to do?

cip

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 1:18 pm

along the coast about 4 hr. north of la is a castle called hearst castle. it's a guided tour.

amother

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 1:24 pm

Yosemite is beautiful!!!! hiking trails up the mountains, waterfalls....

Palm springs is VERY hot in the summer and is much more east.

loveit

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 1:36 pm

Hearsts Castle is near San Louis Obispo and it's really fun (althoug I haven't been there since I was young) It's on the 101 about 1-2 hours north of Santa Barara.

As you make your way up, or down, the coast, in the town of Oxnard (in Ventura, the county just north of LA on the 101) there is the fancy restaurant at the baron herzog winery. I haven't been there, but my friends all say it is really good. One of my firneds and her husband went to Santa Barbara for the day (just north of oxnard, maybe 30 minutes) walked around (it's a cute town, AND they have coffee bean so you can get lunch and snacks) then went to the winery restaurant in Oxnard and stayed the night in Oxnard bc it was much cheaper than Santa Barbara.

There is the Long BEach aquarium, about 30-45 minutes south of LA and it's a lot of fun (if you can handle all the kids)

In LA there are a lot of things to do, it just depends on what you are interested in. Beautiful rose gardens near USC, The Huntington Library in Pasadena also has amazong gardens (it was really neat) mini golf in sherman oaks in the valley, natural history musuem also by USC.

Oh and if you go up to oxnard, the beaches off the 101 in ventura (literally just park on the south side of the freeway and hope over the shoulder down some rocks to the beach) are great because no one hardly goes since they are small and there aren't any lifegurads. So if you wanted to go walking on teh beach you wouldn't have to be concerned about people in swim sutis, laying out, etc. People usually go tot these beaches for a picnic, to play with their dogs, etc, no one really goes in the water.

Hope this helps somewhat!

amother

Thu, Jul 19 2007, 7:08 pm

On your way down from SF, stop in Monterey- it is gorgeous!!! Don't miss the montery bay aquarium, explore the town...
In oxnard you can rent bicycles for two people- you sit next to the other person in a car type of thing with two sets of pedals- you can rent them at one of the hotels on the beach. I give a third vote for Hearst Castle.
In LA, the Getty is stunning- it is an art museum, but even if you don't look at the art is amazing- it is on top of the hills, you can see the entire LA, the beach, the gardens are beautiful...