San Francisco International Airport- How much time needed?

I will be flying out of SFO for the first time and was wondering what the average amount of time I should give myself at the airport before my flight departs?

My flight leaves at 2p on a Tuesday, will 2 hours be sufficient or should I give myself more time?

Thank you!

San Francisco International Airport- How much time needed?

Domestic or International, at that time of day, you have plenty of time with 2 hours. If flying domestically, I usually don%26#39;t have any baggage to check so I arrive at the terminal 1 hour before the flight with a printed boarding pass in hand or kiosk check-in. I%26#39;d allow an extra 30 minutes for checking bags. I%26#39;d allow an extra hour if flying international.

San Francisco International Airport- How much time needed?

Great, thanks for your help ObsidianSnow! I will be flying domestic with a bag...so I will make sure to be there 2.5 hours before my flight leaves.

You may have read my ';addition of 30 minutes'; incorrectly. I%26#39;d add 30 minutes to the hour I had already. You really only need 90 minutes to do what you are doing.

be at the airport 90 min before takeoff, meaning an early lunch in the city is ok. If you are driving and returning a rental, look for San Bruno Ave which brings you very close to the rental car center. BART is even easier.

Thanks plainjohn and ObsidianSnow for your help and input! This is such a big help and a definite ease for during my travels. One less thing to worry about during my first trip to San Fran!

We just returned from San Francisco. We turned our rental car in the night before. We stayed at the Hampton Inn - Gateway Blvd because they had a free shuttle to and from the airport. Our flight was at 6:15 a.m. We placed wake-up calls for 3:30 a.m. Neither room received a call. Luckily one member of our group woke up and in 20 minutes all six of us were dressed and checking out in order to catch the 4:20 shuttle. I figured we were getting to the airport way too early at that hour of the day. Well, at 4:30 in the morning, there were long lines. We never sat down at all. After getting through boarding/checking baggage and then the security line, it was time to board the plane.

I would try to get there at least 90 minutes early.

What is the weather like in the beginning of Oct.

Just wondering what the weather is like at Disneyland at the beginning of Oct.

Thanks

What is the weather like in the beginning of Oct.

The days will still be warm to quite warm, but the evenings are beginning to cool off. You shouldn%26#39;t need more than a light sweater for evenings.

Christmas in SF

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I have decided to spend our first Christmas away from family drama and are heading to San Fran and San Diego for the holidays.

We%26#39;re planning to fly into San Fran on Christmas day and leave from San Diego on January 2nd. I just have 2 major questions...

1 - what will the weather be like in both places

2 - how long of a drive is it from San Fran to San Diego? Can it be done in a day? Are there any sights that we MUST see?

Thanks in advance for all your advice and assistance.

Christmas in SF

Weather in SF will be cool and potentially rainy.

SD can be sunny or overcast but definitely mild.

SF-SD will be an 8-10 hour drive depending on your route, how fast you drive, and how many pitstops.

For places to see along the way, search for ';SF to LA'; ... it%26#39;s a common question.

Christmas in SF

for the central CA area just south of San Francisco, you should look at this article recently published in the Sacramento Magazine titled ';Road Trip to Romance: San Francisco to Monterey on Highway 1';: http://tinyurl.com/666poe

San Diego will be warmer than SF but still not beach weather. You will want sweaters and jackets for both places (unless you plan to go out to the desert east of San Diego but even then it%26#39;s cool at night).

I%26#39;ve driven it a number of times as my folks live in San Diego. I usually take Hway 101 all the way to LA and pick up the 405 to the 5. It is always 10 hours and my folks live in the north part of SD county. If you take Hiway 1 along the coast it will take a great deal longer.

Take care to avoid LA at rush hour. Although you%26#39;ll be able to use carpool lanes (where they exist) it%26#39;s still a nail-biter. Even Saturday/Sundays can be crowded.

San Luis Obispo (or a variety of the little towns in the area) make a nice half way stop. Or Santa Barbara. If the weather is nice a stop at Hearst Castle would be glorious. I did it one January and there were no crowds and no need for reservation. During the Christmas holidays it might be a bit busier.

If you take Hiway 101, try to stop at one or two of the California Missions. My favorite -- San Antonio de Padua -- is a bit out of the way but it%26#39;s on an army base and as a result the area around the Mission has not been developed and it%26#39;s a lovely spot. http://www.missiontour.org/sanantonio/

However, there are others in San Luis Opisbo, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Carmel ... well you get the idea.

My trip report 9/5-9/7

First off, I want to say thanks for all the advice and recommendations for my trip before we went! We were in Yosemite this past weekend, 9/5-9/7. Left El Dorado Hills (by Sacramento) at about 9.15am Friday 9/5. Drove down 49 then took 120 into the park. No problems on the drive, no fires, smoke, traffic, etc. Just a lot of foothills and grassland. Got to the park and stopped at the Camp Curry reservation office because I was told I needed to check in there by a ranger over the phone when I called in advance with some questions. We had reservations in the Upper Pines campground by the way(side note....got lucky and kept checking recreation.gov and one site out of the 240 there opened up about 2 weeks before we went, someone must have cancelled). Was told in the camp curry reservation office that we didn%26#39;t need to check in there and we should check in in this little camping registration office in the back corner of the main parking lot for camp curry. When we went there we were told we didn%26#39;t need to check in there we just needed to check in at the kiosk at the upper pines campground. I wasn%26#39;t upset or anything about this errors, just want to let the next people know what to do. Got to the campground around 12.30 and set up camp then at about 1.30 loaded up the backpack and walked to the Vernal Falls, Nevada falls hike. The trail starts about 500 yards from the end of the Upper pines campground which is where our campsite was. Hiked up to Vernal and then Nevada Falls. It was a hot day so we drank a lot of water and ate all the snacks we brought. Tough hike but definitely worth it even though I%26#39;d call the falls a trickle of what they are in the spring. Walked down the John Muir trail instead of back down the mist trail just to see something different. Got back to camp around 7pm and got our stuff for the showers. We showered in Camp curry. They felt great after a day of hot, very dirty hiking. The $5 per person was definitely worth it. Got back to camp and heated up dinner. Should have went to bed earlier but didn%26#39;t. The upper pines campground was packed. Very few of the 240 sites were empty on the days we were there. Also, they are on top of one another. Our neighbor%26#39;s food locker was about 5 ft from our tent. And the doors on those are loud. With so many people so close by sleeping is tough. Some people stay up late and talk and some get up early the next day to hike so it was noisy until about midnight and then started again at about 6am. We didn%26#39;t sleep well overall for the trip. The only reason that didn%26#39;t completely ruin our trip is that we were so tired from the hard hikes during the hot days that our bodies slept through things we wouldn%26#39;t normally have. Next day, saturday the 6th, woke up and cooked breakfast. A lot of yellowjackets showed up and were a pain. Drove to Glacier point, then sentinel dome and tafts point. Sentinel dome was great for the 360 degree view but the walk to taft point was better. Plus taft point has the fissures right before it and the scariest single place in the whole park. I couldn%26#39;t walk to the edge of the rail at taft point. I%26#39;m scared of heights so I just got near the edge. But it was a spectacular view. Was disappointed we didn%26#39;t see a bear the entire time in Yosemite but someone about 5 minutes ahead of us on the trail back to the parking lot from sentinel dome said a bear crossed the trail right in front of them. Drove to Mariposa grove from there to see the big trees. We were very tired by that time, mainly from the first day%26#39;s hike so we only walked a little and didn%26#39;t see all of the grove. Drove back to our campsite that night and then showered again in curry village and this time ate pizza for dinner at the dc in curry village. It was about 10pm and there was a huge line for pizza. Why is there a bar there? Right when we were wondering that we saw policement talking to a group of guys, one was passed out drunk in his own vomit and it seemed like they were all involved in a fight. Again, why is there a bar there? Went back to our campsite and went to sleep. The last day we woke up and cooked breakfast then stayed in the valley. We walked around the ahwahnee hotel and the yosemite lodge and checked prices there so maybe we could stay there next time. The ahwahnee rates(even their dinner menu) were very high. The yosemite lodge seems more practical. We drove around the valley a little then left around 1pm for the drive back home. Again, no problem on the drive. Got home around 5pm and immediately took good, long showers. Wanted to take a nap but didn%26#39;t. Some observations........very hot when we were there. I slept on top of my sleeping bag both nights with just shorts on. Tons of people there. I knew this would be the case but still was amazed by it. It probably made it worse that I was in the largest, most cramped campground...upper pines. Of course with large groups of people there will always be inconsiderate ones that stay up late drinking and making noise that bothers everyone. Lots of foreign tourists especially europeans. More than I%26#39;ve seen before. Doesn%26#39;t matter to me at all just an observation. Maybe the euro doing so good against the dollar is the reason. Good for them. I%26#39;d love it in the reverse case. Overall I had a great time. We could have done a few little things differently to make the trip better but I%26#39;d still rate it an A. I know I%26#39;m forgetting to put a lot of things in my report, if you have any questions about anything just ask. Thanks again to everyone.

Dan

My trip report 9/5-9/7

I%26#39;m glad you had fun in Yosemite, it was fun reading about your trip. :)

My trip report 9/5-9/7

Thanks for posting about your trip. We found many of the same things you did with regard to noise and crowds when we were there in July. Interestingly, the high country was completely different, the two nights we stayed in the tent cabins at Tuolomne Meadows Lodge were the most peaceful of our entire trip, still a lot of people, but everyone was very quiet and seemed to be a lot of hikers/backpackers who were there to experience the beauty of the park. It was our favorite part of the trip.

Glad you had a good trip. Too bad a few rude people can make things difficult like that, but glad that you were able to appreciate the beauty of Yosemite despite the noise and crowds. Try winter next time, its nice and quiet.

I%26#39;m finding it harder and harder to camp in a campground where people are quiet at night.(It%26#39;s impossible in upper pines). It doesn%26#39;t matter where. I can be in a campground of 100 spots and only have one other party in the campground and invariably they will be noisy, mostly with music from a car , or a generator. I%26#39;d really like to see campgrounds designate some loops as non generator loops. Coulter Bay in the Tetons does that. A generator is the most obnoxious and unnecessary annoyance around.

Campground hosts should do their job and walk the campgrounds after dinner time and ask people to turn their music down to the point it can%26#39;t be heard in the next campsite. If people want to party at night they should go camp out in the middle of the desert and then they can make all the noise they want. It%26#39;s getting to be the exception to find a quiet campground. I find myself almost every night I%26#39;m camping asking someone to turn their music down, or be quiet after 10pm. I always try to camp as far away from a motorhome as possible because invariably they%26#39;ll run their genrator 4 to 6 hours a day, which is absolutely not needed unless they are watching tv or running a microwave.(You call that camping?).

I make it a point if I%26#39;m kept awake at night by loud people to make sure I awaken them at 6am by ';accidently'; being noisy right near their campsite,(without disturbing others). Asking to borrow a can opener at 6am from people who were up til 2am usually works. Another interesting trick is to walk up to campers who have their music up loud and hand them a cd and ask them to play it. When they give you a dumb look just say ';If I have to listen to music I%26#39;d like to listen to something I like'; They usually take the hint then.

The last time we had noisy neighbors, they were too scary to visit personally when they were still partying at 2 am. But we informed the ranger first thing the next morning, and they were escorted out of the campground.

Many campgrounds have a ';generators allowed only in these hours'; policy and/or quiet hours. Walk-in or bicycling sites tend to be quieter. But National Parks are the busiest and often have inexperienced campers.

Camping or just staying in Yosemite Valley has its trials, but it is certainly lovely!

hand cream

server

Two Bedroom Suites

Okay so I%26#39;ve raved and raved about Residence Inn Garden Grove on here and asked loads of questions about other places but now I%26#39;m at a quandry.

I%26#39;ve stayed at RIGG 2 times and Staybridge Suites 1 time. GG was rated #2 when we went in April. Now it%26#39;s like #44 or something. It%26#39;s got loads and loads of negative comments about their furniture and appliances and what not that are stained and old and falling apart. Now saying that we had a dresser that was falling apart and we never mentioned it. Our coffee pot didn%26#39;t work either but again we didn%26#39;t mention. Our fault I know. First time we stayed the elevator was broken.

I just enjoyed the stays so much that those things never bothered me.

Now stained beds and couches and lousy pillows and blankets I wouldn%26#39;t like. So I guess what I';m saying is, I need help from any of you out there that for sure know of a hotel that has 2 bedroom suites. I can%26#39;t imagine that there isn%26#39;t just the 2 places cause look how many bigger families go. I am just trying to cost compare at this point.

TIA!

Two Bedroom Suites

We stayed in a room with 2-bedroom suite once, a long walking distance from DL (mile and a half?) at a Travelodge, on Harbor I think. Not very nice- they called it Sleepy Bear Suite, my teens called it the Creepy Bear. It was big enough,but some of the teens wouldn%26#39;t even take a shower there because the bathroom was so bad, about all I can say in it%26#39;s favor is it had enough beds and it was cheap. So beware the Sleepy Bear!

Two Bedroom Suites

We usually stay at the Marriott TownePlace Suites. It isn%26#39;t in walking distance of DL but is on the ART route. They have very nice 2 bedroom suites that sleep 6 (2 double bedrooms and a sleeper sofa in the living room), fully equipped kitchens, and they are newly remodeled. I also think they are very reasonable at approx $150/night.

I am still a fan of the Residence Inn Maingate - it does have 2 bedroom suites and it also has townhomes - it is fully equiped in the kitchen - they will even do your grocery shopping - it is very clean and the breakfast is so amazing to me it had every thing for breakfast you can think of we sometimes did%26#39;t eat again till dinner besides snacks. The new Anaheim GardenWalk is right there and the art takes you back and forth with out loosing lots of time it does%26#39;t take long at all. Hope this helps.

Im a huge fan of the Staybride Suites, stayed there several times (most recently last spring.)

However, Im not a fan of the fact that you have to take a 10 minute shuttle from the hotel to get there... but its very clean and comfortable! Plus they have that great complimentry breakfast! And I love the fact that you have the option of cooking your own meals there if thats your desire...

- Carolyn

Thank you for that opinion. I%26#39;m thinking seriously about the Maingate one also.

What about the hilton homewood suites in garden grove? They have suites and include HOT breakfast in the morning, and complimentary dinners with wine and beer mon-thurs. They just are upgraded all their furniture etc right now. suppose to be very friendly atmosphere here too.

Is 2 days in seaworld too much?

Currently Seaworld is promoting an offer of buy 2 days for the price of 1. We were only planning on spending 1 day there. But hey, if there%26#39;s that much to do there... we%26#39;ll go for 2 days. I just don%26#39;t want to see every twice in order to fill the second day. Any thoughts?

Is 2 days in seaworld too much?

I have no idea what you would do for 2 days straight. I day is plenty. Can it be saved for a later visit?

Is 2 days in seaworld too much?

One full day at Seaworld is loads.

We bought our tickets from the website before we left - adult admission for the price of a children%26#39;s, and a second visit - to be used this year - free. Never used the 2nd visit, but it was still a good deal.

One day is more than enough and I%26#39;ll bet most can%26#39;t do a whole day anyway.

I%26#39;m sure they have changed it over the years, but about 10+ years ago pre-internet / I bought a 2 day pass through our Hotel (Hyatt across the Street)

We enjoyed our partial day...and the next morning at Denny%26#39;s we gave the passes to another family of 3 who looked like they might not be able to afford Seaworld. We got big Thanks and lots of :-)

We spent a full day in SeaWorld and saw 4 shows, enjoyed the rides and all of the exhibits. This was on a Mon. in Dec. and there were no crowds. If it%26#39;s very busy, you may want to spend two days there. Have fun! :)

A caveat - multi-day passes require photo ID. No more passing on the passes!

1 day is perfect, 2 days is too much!

If there are crowds and you have little children, there might be too much for the kids for one day. With two days, you could wear them out, let them sleep it off, and then go back to see more the next day.

For adults and with minimal crowds, one day would be very sufficient.

Sea World is a great place to visit.

club quarters hotel

I will coming from NY %26amp; will be staying at C.Q this weekend and want to see what everyone thinks about it. I have read some reviews some various sites, however would like to get more input

Thanks

club quarters hotel

I%26#39;ve stayed at CQ in Boston and Chicago; imagine they%26#39;re all similar. They generally are located in business districts (which is true of the SF location). Rooms are generally quite small (I upgraded to a ';suite'; in both hotels and was glad I did). Service, cleanliness in both were good. Their restaurant ';Elephant %26amp; Castle'; is acceptable if nothing else is around or you%26#39;re really tired.

Financial District in SF will be pretty quiet at night but it%26#39;s a 10 minute walk or so to North Beach and just a few blocks to Chinatown.

club quarters hotel

I%26#39;m guessing you read the hotel review here also (But just in case you missed it)

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60713-d268240-…

There%26#39;s some recent reviews.

see

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60713-i30-k226096…

Also 24 opinions:

yelp.com/biz/club-quarters-san-francisco-2

Pismo or Cambria / Paso Robles Wine Tasting

Hi, We are driving down the coastal highway beginning in SFO in less than 2 weeks! Our final stop will be Pismo Beach to have dinner (a return visit to a favorite from prior trip), will spend the night, and the following day visit some of the Paso wineries.... We stayed at the Kon Tiki before and liked it very much, but would like to try something different this time. Can stay somewhere within an hours%26#39; drive from Pismo, prefer an ocean front/view with a nice beach. I heard Cambria has some good ones. Any suggestions?

Pismo or Cambria / Paso Robles Wine Tasting

Cambria has a lot of charm, the inns on Moonstone Beach are across the street from the ocean. I would suggest either the Sow%26#39;s Ear Cafe or Robin%26#39;s for dinner, the Black Cat Bistro is also a nice upscale choice for dinner with very good food and friendly service. www.centralcoast.com :)

Pismo or Cambria / Paso Robles Wine Tasting

The best located ocean view inns in Cambria include Moonstone Landing, Fog Catcher Inn, Pelican Cove Inn %26amp; Sand Pebbles Inn. The Best Western Fireside Inn is another good choice, but not as close to the water and beach as the others.

Out of curiosity, what restaurant will you be returning to in Pismo?

Seems like a long way to go from Cambria for dinner when Cambria has some of SLO County%26#39;s better eateries.

Thank you both for your replies..Kibblesmom, my husband has to return to Pismo Beach for the ';killer garlic fries'; at Mo%26#39;s BBQ. That is the only reason we are going that far south....But I will check out the hotel suggestions in Cambria. I think Cambria would be nearer to the wine tasting area as well?? Currently I have the Best Western Shelter Cove booked.

Travlin: You don%26#39;t have to go all the way down to Pismo Beach to eat at Mo%26#39;s. There%26#39;s a location in San Luis Obispo, which is 20 minutes closer to Cambria, situated in the pleasant downtown area of town. See here: http://www.mosbbq.com/slomap.htm

The SLO location was actually their first location. I love all the different BBQ sauces they have. Also my heart goes out to whole MO%26#39;s family. The owner died 4 days ago while bicycling over in Italy

I wasn%26#39;t even aware Mo%26#39;s had a Pismo Beach location until I read this thread. I guess I just never made it down there often enough when I lived in SLO! :)

Excellent! SLO it is for Mo%26#39;s. Thank you for that tip. It is sad to hear about the owner%26#39;s passing. Now for the next plan, can anyone recommend a hot air balloon flight around the Paso Robles area??

It shouldn%26#39;t be too difficult. After all, it *is* election season! Sorry, I couldn%26#39;t resist. :)

Let%26#39;s Go Ballooning Inc. (805) 458-1530

The balloon ride will be contingent on weather conditions that day. If it%26#39;s too windy or foggy, they won%26#39;t fly.

Any suggestions for restaurants in Cambria that have a decent breakfast and also a grocery store in Cambria? Thank you.

the warfield

so i have decided i may go to a concert on my stay in SF since one of my fave bands are playing there.. the venu is called the warfield..is this far from union square/how would i get to it from there? would it be safe at night? the info from ticketmaster..

Metro Station

The Warfield, San Francisco, CA

Sat, Nov 22, 2008 08:00 PM

the warfield

The Warfield is a great venue. It%26#39;s not far from Union Square, it%26#39;s on Market St. between Mason %26amp; Taylor (982 Market). You can walk there. It%26#39;s on the edge of the Tenderloin, but should be fairly safe at night, since there are a lot of people around in that area.

the warfield

It is about 1/2 mile walk. walk to Market St. turn left one block. It is a bit sketchy later at night. You will be with lots of folks afterward. Just head back the same direction. Don%26#39;t proceed further west. You will be fine. It%26#39;s a nice venue. Here is an article about the recent restoration.

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi…

From Union Square you can walk it and, if you are walking with other concertgoers at the end back towards Union Square, you%26#39;re going to be just fine. Take Market Street to get to it. It is located between Taylor %26amp; Mason. They will allow camera phones, but no cameras. Any objects that could be questionable should not be brought in or they will take it. If you smoke, like all venues, they do not allow smoking indoors. There are no ins and outs at this venue.

thanks for the help

i will be going alone but hopefully there will be others in the same direction

im a photographer so i am going to try get a photo pass to photograph the band so hopefully the camera rule wont apply :]

If you are walking down Powell to Market St, it%26#39;s actually a right turn on Market.

Good save Simbot! I guess I was thinking about the return. a bit of dyslexia. Yes, turn RIGHT at Market.

hair cutting

It's fine

I stayed in the SFO CQ in July 2005, it was very comfortable and clean. I remember them having the most comfortable pillows! It was 4th of July weekend, so the financial district was very quiet (think Wall Steet on the weekends). Overall I liked it.

It's fine

Ok, am I confused(not hard to do). First, what is ';SFO CQ';? Second, you stayed there in July 2005? This is September 2008, why 3 year lag to write your ';review';? Thanks. Chuck...

It's fine

I think that was meant to be in response to a question in another thread about a hotel called ';Club Quarters'; which I%26#39;ve never heard of.

Looks like the OP%26#39;s first forum post.

Thank you! Like I said, easy to confuse. Chuck...

hand cream

Cost of Taxi Ride from SFO to Lombard Street in SF

Does anyone know the approximate cost of a taxi ride to the heart of SF?

What if I need a taxi van, since we will have 4 people and luggage?

Thanks!

Cost of Taxi Ride from SFO to Lombard Street in SF

address to address or airport to address taxi fare info: (any size cab will charge the same on the meter) http://sf.taxiwiz.com/

Cost of Taxi Ride from SFO to Lombard Street in SF

$45-50, including tip.

http://www.worldtaximeter.com/san-francisco/

Thanks everyone! What if I need a minivan due to the fact that we have 4 people and luggage? Should we expect an extra charge?

Thanks again!

As previous poster indicated, fare cost is not based on size of cab. However, you may have a wait a bit longer at SFO to get a van-sized vehicle.

San Fransisco and further

We have booked a 2 and a half week holiday to SF in April. have been pouring over forums for advice and have now booked a few nights in Chanellor hotel. Seeing the sights in this city is something I have always wanted to do and I know I have lots to see. Will visit Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito Fishermans Wharf.

Then decided to hire a car and travel south so have booked 2 nights in Monterey area.[Maybe its a little too near SF but want a fairly relaxed enough holiday]!!

I am now wondering how far should we drive? Am a little apprehensive about it all. Hope to take highay 1 and visit all twists and turns along the coast and am now wondering if a trip to Universal Studios would be worth it. Would it be difficult to get to ? Would we have to drive thru LA or is there an easier route?

Any suggestions re a different route back as flying out of SF so thought of wineries on way back?

Thanks for all advice.

San Fransisco and further

If you want a relaxed holiday you definitely do not want to drive all the way to Los Angeles.

The Monterey/Carmel area you would enjoy, and from there you can take a day trip to Big Sur and back, or if you want to explore a little more, you could stay overnight somewhere in Big Sur. I wouldn%26#39;t try to go further.

There are wineries in Carmel Valley. The experts from that area can advise you on that.

San Fransisco and further

I highly recommend Big Sur; it%26#39;s one of the most scenic places in the US, with 5000 foot mountains ascending directly out of the Pacific. It%26#39;s also very easy to see without getting out of your car, since Highway 1 mostly follows the coast. (Of course, there%26#39;s also great hiking for more athletic or adventurous types.) The northern reaches of Big Sur (around Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park) are about 3.5 hours from SF, taking Highway 280 to 85 to 17 to 1. Taking 1 all the way is somewhat longer, but either route is scenic. This goList might give you more ideas.

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i14592-Big_Sur_鈥?/a>

I%26#39;m with the previous posters (especially Puter) on this one ... a relaxing vacation doesn%26#39;t include a drive to LA! Keep in mind it%26#39;s 400 miles from SF to LA -- further than many people realize.

From what I see of many people asking for help in this forum the biggest problem people have is biting off more than they can chew -- and I recognize myself in my travels in that too!! My best advice is to plan a route that gives you time to enjoy and relax and not always be in a hurry to get to the next destination.

If you drive Hiway 1 from SF to Monterey and into Big Sur there will be lovely spots to stop, enjoy the view, perhaps have a picnic.

If you%26#39;re really big on Universal Studios, fly into Burbank for the day. Frankly, I think the scenery you%26#39;ll see in SF, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur is far more spectacular than anything else! (With the exception of some of the sights I recall when visiting Ireland; what a beautiful place!)

Enjoy your trip!

Is Big Sur not too near Monteray where I have two nights booked? Should I not try to move on a little or perhaps head inland.

I looked up wineries in Carmel area and not finding what I.m looking for. Am I mixing up vineyards for wineries. Is wineries a place for just tasting the wine and nothing else?

I was hoping to find a place that takes all day to tour and with lots of tasting. Can anyone give me ideas on where to go?

Also is Yosemite a possible place to visit on way back to S.F.? Would you need a few days to see all or just pass through?

Thanks for help.

Just found a lovely winery - Chateau Julien and it reads very well. I%26#39;m sure I can find more.

Its early days yet before we head out but am facinated by all the forums and glued to them too,trying to digest every bit of info!

Big Sur is about 30 miles south of Carmel.

Yosemite is not in between Carmel / SF. It%26#39;s about 200 miles to the east of both. Yosemite is awesome, and you should go if you have 2 days to allocate to it. Book your hotel/motel for Yosemite as soon as possible.

We just returned from our California trip. We spent three nights in San Francisco, then two nights in San Rafael to do the wine country and Muir Woods and Pt. Reyes. Then we drove to Monterey where we spent two nights and toured the area (Pt. Lobos and Carmel Mission, Monterey Aquarium). Then we drove down the Big Sur coast to Cambria where we took the evening tour of the Hearst Castle. We spent one night there and then drove back to San Francisco for our trip home the following day. (If you decide to see Hearst Castle, be sure to get your tickets in advance.) We had a great time. We were always on the go but loved what we saw.

That sounds like a comprehensive yet relaxed holiday. I forget how much there is to see in all these places!

I got great advice from Ranblin Sal who suggested we could fly from SJ to Burbank for around $80, I thought this a brill idea if someone was really set on visiting Universal studios and wanted to avoid L.A.

Anyway I am taking all advice on board and have decided to go as far as Monterey and no further south! Maybe, as also advised, a trip to Yosimite before finishing back in San Francisco.

Thanks .

3.5 Days in LA - not sure of our plan...

Hi guys, would really love your help with planning our time in LA. We are arriving after 4 days in Las Vegas, in the first week of October and staying with relatives near Chinatown. Our plan at the moment is:

1. Universal Studios (half to two thirds of a day)

2. Rodeo Drive/shopping

3. Santa Monica beach

4. Disneyland

5. Chinese Theatre

6. Hollywood sign

However, is this achievable in 3.5 days?? How would you recommend us doing this? I%26#39;m not familiar with where everything is placed... Anywhere else we could fit in/we should not miss out?

We have already booked dinner at Koi on our second night.

Thanks!

3.5 Days in LA - not sure of our plan...

Will you have a car?

Disneyland will take a whole day if you drive or rely on public transit.

You could easily spend a day at Santa Monica but you could stop at Rodeo Drive easily if you had a car.

Universal %26amp; Hollywood can be done on the same day. Re: the sign, you don%26#39;t actually go TO the sign; you simply view it from various locations in the city. If you won%26#39;t have a car, then you can view it from the rear of the Hollywood %26amp; Highland Center mall in Hollywood which is next to the Chinese Theater and ';on the way to Universal';.

If you have a car, there are other places from which you can view the sign.

3.5 Days in LA - not sure of our plan...

October is a great time to come to visit Los Angeles as the weather is usually perfect(not to hot, not to cold) plus Universal, Disneyland has Halloween events going on)

Your interests are rather limited on the sights you want to see as L.A. has a lot more to offer. You really want to shop on Rodeo Drive? That area is highly expensive, you might want to check on the Beverly Center or Melrose Ave for some more reasonably priced merchendise

Also your local Macy%26#39;s(one is inside the beverly center) always has some sort of sale going on

You can do Universal, Chinese Theater, Hollywood in the same day easily. October usually is not a busy month for Universal, so you probably can do the park in a couple of hours

Look into getting towards the beach for one day. Santa Monica is easily reached from downtown l.a. , even by bus.

Venice Beach is right next to it and definatly worth a visit

We%26#39;re actually debating on hiring a car - staying with relatives, but not going to rely on them to transport us around too much. Also, if we don%26#39;t have enough time, then perhaps we might skip Disneyland and save that for Disney World in Florida next year.

Is it going to be easy to get from Chinatown to these places by bus/train? If we have time, I would definitely like to spend some time in South Bay as well...

Chinatown is close to Union Station, so that should be no problem getting around by bus/subway during the day. At night it%26#39;s a little different but unless your family out here has a driveway, there are not many places you can park in downtow. But you could always take a quick taxiride from Union Station to your families house

And is there plenty of parking all around LA - Hollywood, Mid City, West Hollywood, Beverley Hills?

Here%26#39;s what my itinery is at the moment, without Disneyland:

Day 1 - Chinatown/Downtown, lunch in Mid Town, Grauman%26#39;s Theatre and other Hollywood sites, shopping in West Hollywood, dinner at Koi

Day 2 - Universal Studios, view Hollywood sign, shopping in Beverley Hills

Day 3 - First half Santa Monica beach, second half Manhattan beach

Day 4 - Downtown, depart LA

Does this seem feasible? Would it be best if we hire a car for all 3 days or would bus and train be okay?

L.A.is a carcity, usually you will find parking fairly easy with the exception of downtown l.a.

Thanks! What time is peak hour usually in LA? I want to stay away from that where possible :)

As long as you stay away from the freeways(6-9 am/4-7pm) you will be fine. Surface streets are usually the way to go

Thanks very much Alex! Looking forward to this trip now :)

Ontario Mills Outlet Mall

Could someone please tell me how long it would take us to drive to Ontario Mills Mall from our hotel in Anaheim(Marriott Anaheim)

Thanks

Ontario Mills Outlet Mall

It would take about 40 minutes without traffic, a little longer with traffic.

Ontario Mills Outlet Mall

fotinicanada... it took us one and half hour to get there from our hotel in anaheim! The mall itself is awesome, but if I was to do it all over again (hindsight is 20/20).. I would have opted for the tour offered to Santee Alley (ground zero for designer knock offs), then to Citadel (sp?) Outlet. It is a 10 hour tour I noticed ';after'; we got back from Ontario Mills.

IMHO if you like designer ';stuff'; Santee Alley is a MUST SEE! I would have never known about it until someone mentioned it while waiting for family to go on a ride in Disneyland.

Is this designer place close to anaheim? when you say designer do you mean big brand name clothing at higher end stores? ie macys. coach etc?

Santee Alley is near Hollywood, and is just as the name says, an alley about 6 blocks long packed with vendors with everything from Chanel, Gucci bags to Dolce %26amp; Gabana sunglasses (which I got for $5), oh the list goes on and on... just google Santee Alley and see what other%26#39;s say. It was fun!

My 12 year old daughter brought home a Chanel bag for her friend ($30) and bought 3 Baby Phat t%26#39;s for $15.... It is quite a hike from anaheim, you pretty much have to make a day of it (Hollywood, Walk of Fame, Citadel Outlet Mall)

Note that nearly everything ';designer'; thing you will see in Santee Alley is a counterfeit knockoff.

If you want authentic designer clothes and accessories head to an outlet mall.

Can one get to the Ontario Outlet mall by any public transportation?

I say buy the real thing or if you dont want to spend the money on a real authentic then buy something more in your budget ie nine west. or esprit etc.

I was in bahammas and they have a straw market and they have all the designer bags there that are knock offs. Why pretend you got a high end bag when you dont. Buying a high end bag comes with some warranty on some of the parts zippers etc and you pay more for this.

I say buy the real thing or if you dont want to spend the money on a real authentic then buy something more in your budget ie nine west. or esprit etc.

---------------------

Agreed. I cannot stand fakes and knockoffs.

So did you say there was a tour from Anaheim that took you to both Santee Alley and Citadel???? What tour company and how do you get to it? Thanks.

Oh... don%26#39;t get me wrong, I totally agree in you get what you pay for, but hey for a 10 or 12 year old whatever, if it looks like Chanel and she ';thinks'; it%26#39;s designer, who cares, she%26#39;ll outgrow it or be sick of it soon enough ! Like I said, it%26#39;s all ';fun'; not to be taken seriously!

The tour that offers the LA Shopping Extravaganza is through Southern California Grayline. We found the pamphlet in our hotel lobby. For $32.00 per person you get transportation to Santee Alley%26#39;s open air market then on return to Anaheim you stop at Citadel Outlets.

IMHO, I would take this tour because I didn%26#39;t like the traffic tie ups and even with our GPS, Santee Alley isn%26#39;t the easiest place to find!

java

Reservations needed?

My boyfriend and I will be in Sonoma in a couple of weeks on a Wednesday evening. Do we need to make reservations prior to arriving if we want to eat at one of the popular restaurants, i.e. Girl and the Fig or Della Santini%26#39;s?

We would love to be able to arrive and take a look around before deciding where to have dinner but we don%26#39;t want to be stuck without a reservation.

Let me know your thoughts.

Reservations needed?

It%26#39;s hard to say. I am tempted to say that since it%26#39;s a weeknight you might be all right. However, we are getting into harvest season and during the grape crush the Sonoma and Napa Valleys are packed.

I hope you have lodging reservations already.

Reservations needed?

Yes, we already have lodging reservations. I will make a reservation just in case at one of the restaurants.

Thanks!

Hi, girl and the fig is excellent, you can make reservations on opentable. Enjoy your time in Sonoma! :)

Thanks - I actually made a res at LaSalette since it got good reviews on this site. Have you been?

No, isn%26#39;t it Portugese food? We have friends that have been here and love the place, let us know how you like it! :)

corkage fees

We are thinking of having dinner at Zin or Ralph%26#39;s bistro. do you know what their corkage fees are?

corkage fees

Both restaurants have a corkage fee of $15, but not sure if they give you a break after the 1st bottle. Some places do. It%26#39;s a typical price, usually $10-$20 around Sonoma County.

corkage fees

Dry Creek Kitchen in DT Healdsburg does not have a corkage fee if you bring in a Sonoma County bottle.

We have been to Dry Creek Kitchen and it is really good, go for the tasting menu! :)

hand cream

Never use guideline tours LA

Never use guideline tours!

I booked the tour but tried to cancel it.

They said I can only cancel the order by email.

I emailed them but no reply.

I called them but they kept saying that I need to cancel it by email. Stupid!

How can I cancel the order if they don%26#39;t reply?

They charged it the next day. I asked a refund, but they refused!!!!!

Totally SCAM.

When you visit LA for the first time, rent a car, you can easilly access all the interests in a day. It%26#39;s really easy and simple. They are just ripping you off!!

Never use guideline tours LA

We are not a scam.

Guideline tours has been providing tours in Los Angeles since 1987.

We have a very fair cancellation policy, it is stated on our web site,

Guideline Tours Cancellation Policy:

All tours must be canceled by calling 1-800-604-8433 not less then 48 Hours prior to the tour departure and a cancellation code must be given.

Did you call us last minute to cancel your tour?

What was your cancellation number?

Who did you speak with when you called Guideline tours?

Please call us seven days a week 365 days a year.

Our Tour Service in is not a rip off, anyone who has been to Los Angeles for the first time knows it is not easy to just simply rent a car and access ';all of the interests';

Never use guideline tours LA

You would get a VERY superficial look at LA in one day. I disagree that you can easily access all the interests in a day.

San Pedro Cruise terminal to Costa Mesa

Hi there. I was hoping someone could help me find a easy (and not overly expensive) way to get from the cruise ship terminal in San Pedro to the Marriott in Costa Mesa (500 Anton Blvd).

I was looking at car services and I%26#39;m curious to know which ones are reputable. I also looked at perhaps just taking a shuttle to the OC Airport and then from there taking a cab, or else just a cab directly from the cruise terminal.

I%26#39;ve always rented a car in LA area, so I don%26#39;t know much about transport companies, etc. I also don%26#39;t know what is available at the cruise terminal, are cabs waiting?

Thank you in advance!

San Pedro Cruise terminal to Costa Mesa

The EASIEST way is to rent a car. Enterprise rent a car (enterprise.com) has an office by the port. You can drive to the nearest enterprise office by your hotel and they will drop you off at your hotel at no charge. Add $50 to the cost of a 1-dat rental (that%26#39;s the ;drop charge%26#39; for picking it up at one location and dropping it at the other. Their website doesn%26#39;t allow you to set up a rental with two different pickup and dropoff points so just reserrve a car to be picked up and dropped off at the San Pedro office and then call that office and tell them that you want to drop it elsewhere. By booking first online you get their best rate versus calling them to arrange the whole thing from the start.

Yes, there are taxis at the port. There won%26#39;t be much of a difference in price between a car rental and a taxi but the car rental will give you more flexibility since you can use the car for the day to pick up groceries, eat out, see some sites (go to a nearby beach), etc.

Prime Time Shuttle (redvans.com) offers %26#39;shared van%26#39; rides from the port to your hotel. They also offer PRIVATE van rides (no one shares with you) as well as sedan cars (car service). To use their website, go to rhttp://primetimeshuttle.hudsonltd.net/res, select ';Arriving at an AIRport';, click on the drop-down menu (in the center of the next screen) that says ';select you AIRport'; and you will find an item called ';LA Cruise Ship Terminal'; on the menu. Select it (that is the san pedro cruise port). Complete the rest of the screen and you%26#39;ll be presented with the various transit options they offer.

Their sedan service is about $72 including tip. This is a good alternative to a taxi, Shared van fares are $40 for the first passenger and $10 for each additional passenger in your party.

San Pedro Cruise terminal to Costa Mesa

Execucar is also a reputable car service. They are owned by supershuttle.

www.execucar.com

Left handed stores

Hi. I am going to be in San Francisco for a few days and I was told that there are loads of left handed novelty stores in San Fran. I have been looking up the net trying to find these stores and cant find any address for any one. So the question is are there left handed novelty stores in San Fran and where excatly are they..

Thanking you

Left handed stores

The only one I saw was on Pier 39 at Fishermans Wharf.

Left handed stores

We may be on the ';left coast'; and tend to lean to the left politically, but the only store that I know of, in SF, is the aforementioned ';Lefty%26#39;s'; at Pier 39.

http://www.pier39.com/Shopping/storedir.htm

--A fellow lefty

Oh Cool.... Thanks for all your help I am hoping to pick up loads of lefty stuff like the backwards facing clocks and pens...woo

microsoft

Seven Gables Inn -- Jewell Cottage or Sea View Cottage?

Hi -- we are thinking about staying at the Seven Gables Inn in Pacific Grove for two days -- we have 4 people in our party and are considering reserving either the Jewell or Sea View Cottage -- it%26#39;s pricey, but may be the best choice in the area, given that we can reserve either cottage for our party.

Does anyone recommend one over the other? The key for us is view, quality and comfort of the room, and the ';wow'; of the bathrooms. Also, if the bedrooms are on the 2nd floor, that is preferrable.

Any thoughts/insights/recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Seven Gables Inn -- Jewell Cottage or Sea View Cottage?

Have you looked at the website. It describes all of the facilities at Seven Gables. It looks as if Jewell has more ocean views (???)

http://www.pginns.com/7gables/rooms.html

The location is excellent. There is a nice bayfront path across the street where you can walk for a long time.

Seven Gables Inn -- Jewell Cottage or Sea View Cottage?

yzc, did I read on another thread that your fellow travellers are older? Did you know that Seven Gables offers a special reduction off regular rates on all rooms and luxury suites for senior customers of 60 years of age or older? The Special Senior Value Rate is 20% reduction in rates Sunday through Thursday nights only. My husband and I were glad for the savings when we booked the second floor room of the Arbor/Garden Cottage.

Napa Sangiovese

We will be celebrating by spouse%26#39;s 50th birthday by spending next week in Napa. Although my expertise if more Boston Lager and the NFL, her palate is Chianti. I%26#39;ve been led to believe that good California Sangiovese wines are hard to find, so I could use some advice or suggestions for winetastings/vineyards of a similar type of wine. She is convinced I won%26#39;t find anything close to the wines she experienced in Tuscany, and I%26#39;d love to prove her wrong. Syrah and Merlot come in a close second if need be.

Napa Sangiovese

Check out Cosentino in Yountville, their 2005 Sangiovese has won some double gold medals, it is right next to Mustard%26#39;s Grill. Enjoy your wine tasting! :)

Napa Sangiovese

You might check out Rutherford Grove, located on Rt. 29 in Rutherford. Their Sangiovese is very nice, with a good, substantial mouthfeel and is lightly spicy. I can%26#39;t say how it compares to those from Tuscany but I come back to it time %26amp; again! I also like Cosentino%26#39;s Sangiovese - though I find it fruitier and ';lighter'; than RG%26#39;s.

Perhaps zinfandel might also make a good second - try Elyse, way way north in Napa, almost in Yountville. Comparatively tiny place with gorgeous Zins. Free tasting too.

Wow, it%26#39;s good you%26#39;re going to be here for a whole week!

Would you like to taste Sangiovese and super Tuscans the entire time you%26#39;re here?

Just a few (in Napa Valley):

-Benessere

-Altamura

-Phoenix

-Luna Vineyards

-Showket (2: Sangiovese %26amp; Oakville Asante Sana)

-Bacio Divino (2: Il Decimo Bacio %26amp; Pazzo)

-Turnbull Old Bull Red (yummy!)

-Pope Valley Winery (2: Eagle Ranch %26amp; Bella Rosa Sangiovese)

-Atlas Peak Winery Sangiovese

-Dalla Valle Pietre Rosse

-Cosentino Sangiovese CE2V

-Silverado Vineyards

-Castello di Amorosa

V Sattui also has wines from Monastero di Coriano (a monastery in Chianti)-- that are only available from the winery, and no where else.

These are just a few-- there are many, many more in Napa and nearby Sonoma.

BTW, your wife is right-- Napa and Tuscany are different. The people, the wine, the food, the landscape-- each place is different, with its own special charm.

Both places are very special, and worth discovering!

We hope you have a wonderful time in the wine country. :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

Thanks so much syrahgirl and missus v, we will definitely try Cosentino and Rutherford Grove.

To the Innkeepers... I was suprised to see such a lengthy list, and I%26#39;ve visited the various websites to map a strategy to visit many of them. If it isn%26#39;t too much trouble, could you list any Sonoma wineries that are within a decent drive(from Napa)that fall into the same category?

Thanks again everyone for your help.

Sohappy,

You%26#39;re looking for even more Sangiovese? Yikes!

Most folks don%26#39;t do more than 4 wineries a day (3-5 seems to be the average). We didn%26#39;t even mention Syrah and Merlot in the Napa Valley (there are probably close to 100 different Napa releases).

There are a few spots in Sonoma that we know of with wonderful Sangiovese vineyards--but they%26#39;re in the Alexander and Russian River Valleys-- both of which are a fair drive (1.5 hrs+) each way from Napa Valley.

The new Jacuzzi family Winery%26#39;s has a Sangiovese, as well as Valley of the Moon-- but we have not tried either yet.

Ferari-Carano makes a splendid blend called Siena:

ferrari-carano.com/wines/classic/siena.aspx

And Iron Horse makes a Rose%26#39; of Sangiovese that%26#39;s yummy!

Problem is, Iron Horse is in Sebastopol (quite a drive), and Ferari Carano is even *farther*-- up in the Alexander Valley.

That said, you could *easily* spend a whole week doing either the Russian River or Alexander Valleys-- both regions produce incredible wines.

But if you%26#39;re trying to jump from Napa, to Sonoma, to Russian River Valley, to Alexander Valley, you%26#39;re looking at a LOT of driving.

Hope this helps. :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

Sohappy,

I just returned from Napa with my husband. We had a great time. We had some great Sangiovese at Del Dotto. You will try it right out of the barrel.

Happy tasting....

scraigobrien-

Thanks for catching that-- we had completely forgotten about Del Dotto!

Did you try the Sangiovese alone, or as their Super Tuscan (Giovannis Tuscan Reserve}?

We haven%26#39;t tried the latest release, so we%26#39;re curious what you thought! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

You%26#39;re welcome, I hope you report back on your favorites after your trip! :)

I had Del Dotto Sangiovese sent as Chritmas gifts last year, to two friends who love his type of wine and both raved about the taste.

Thanks also to scraigobrien and tripNebraska for their replies. We actually have Del Dotto on our list for Tuesday as we were impressed with their cave tour reviews.

We visited the street fair and farmer%26#39;s market in Napa Saturday, so had a bit of a late start for our wine tastings. Traffic not as bad on Hwy 29 as we had ecpected. Purchased the %26#39;05 Sagiovese and a pinot grigio(for a friend) at Cosentinos, and then stopped at Turnbull. We thought the tasting was quite a value here, and purchased the Old Bull Red and a Barbera. Rutherford Grove closed before we arrived (4:30), so we headed to V. Sattui. The place was packed, so we decided to forego the tasting until midweek, but purchased several cheeses and dips (although we are partial to our Wisconsin cheese!).

We don%26#39;t plan to do many wine tours(as we did much of that in Italy last year), but will concentrate more on tastings and relaxing. I spent the morning watching football, so had a minute to check my email while my wife basks in the poolside sun. Will travel to San Fran tomorrow morning to visit some sights that we missed the first trip there, and will do the Alcatraz night tour before returning.

To the Innkeepers:

We hadn%26#39;t planned on visiting every winery on your original Napa list, although we wish we could! We had entertained the thought of driving north to visit the casino with a stop in downtown Sonoma, but are reconsidering taking the time for a gambling trip. Actually appears as though travelling that far would be better served after making our daytrip to Calistoga anyway(we want to try the Wappo Bar and Grill). I recalled passing Jacuzzi on the way to Napa and will make a trip there. Atlas Peak, Luna, and Silverado are in our plans also.

Time to grill some steaks, so need to run. Thanks again everyone for the advice.

Pt Sur light house

Has anyone done the Pt Sur LightHouse walking tour?

This looks like a very cool hike.I%26#39;d love to hear from people who have done it.The moonlit tour must be phenomenal.

Pt Sur light house

I have to look into this....we will be in Big Sur in 10 days or so. Sounds so cool!

Pt Sur light house

Here%26#39;s the website. If you go, please report back! Our trip is not til next summer.

http://www.pointsur.org/

Just checked it out....beat you to it...LOL

Bummed to see we can not do the moonlit one due to the dates offered....wish I had looked into this when I planned it awhile ago. We may do the Saturday morning one.

We do plan on hiking so will report back upon my return so look for my post. Feel free to contact me via TA about our trip....after October. We are doing the coast from San Diego to Sausalito and then Napa. Can%26#39;t wait.

Just be sure to have your jackets available. A recent traveler sent me a message through TA about how cold their Point Sur Lighthouse tour was without a jacket. The wind will probably be pretty stiff on the top of that hill, but I think it would be interesting to do.

Have a great trip,sunlover. I am anxious to here how you like the lighthouse tour if you go on it.

Yes, definately a jacket!

hand cream

Where to stop drive to San Francisco - Yosemite - Santa Cruz

Driving RV from San Francisco to Yosemite and then after 4 nights in Yosemite want to drive to Santa Cruz but thought to break up drive with over night stops along the way. Any suggestions as where is worth stopping along the way, RV sites too? Have 2 young children and never driven RV before so want to take it easy.

Thanks...

Where to stop drive to San Francisco - Yosemite - Santa Cruz

芦San Francisco to Yosemite禄

Driving Directions with links to relevant maps and URLs of places passed through: San Francisco to Pacifica-Half Moon Bay-Santa Cruz-Monterey/Carmel, Big Sur, San Lu铆s Obispo, and Yosemite geocities.com/touringsfo/鈥riveDir.html

Four nights in Yosemite but how many en route?

If one, after riding the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz, dine at Monterey%26#39;s Fish House and stay in Monterey to visit the aquarium. Next day to Yosemite.

If two, the second night in Morro Bay or San Lu铆s Obispo.

Where to stop drive to San Francisco - Yosemite - Santa Cruz

Please don%26#39;t be confused by the link to swingcha%26#39;s map. You do not have to drive through Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, etc., to get to Yosemite!

The drive to the coastal area (Monterey, Santa Cruz, etc.) from Yosemite will only take you about 4 hours or a little more depending upon your final destination. There really isn%26#39;t much worth seeing in between, unless you want to spend some time in the gold country (but that%26#39;s only about an hour from Yosemite.) So I would say just head straight to Santa Cruz from Yosemite, or maybe Monterey and then Santa Cruz, as Monterey is easier to reach from Yosemite.

If you DID want to see the gold country, I%26#39;d actually recommend seeing it before you go to Yosemite, taking 120 then diverting over to 49 and Columbia State Historic Park. I%26#39;m sure there is some kind of RV park around there. Then continue up 120 into Yosemite. Take 140 to 152 to get to the Monterey area on your way back from Yosemite.

macjack said 芦Please don%26#39;t be confused by the link to swingcha%26#39;s map.禄

What map?

芦You do not have to drive through Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, etc., to get to Yosemite!禄

True, but jukes WANTS ';to drive to Santa Cruz';!!!

芦I would say just head straight to Santa Cruz from Yosemite, or maybe Monterey and then Santa Cruz, as Monterey is easier to reach from Yosemite.禄

My suggestion was to go the other way for the same reason I%26#39;ve oft-stated in this forum.

It%26#39;s apparent you%26#39;ve not visited the page of Driving Directions with links to relevant maps and URLs of places passed through: San Francisco to Pacifica-Half Moon Bay-Santa Cruz-Monterey/Carmel, Big Sur, San Lu铆s Obispo, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Diego geocities.com/touringsfo/鈥riveDir.html and, therefore, have no basis for commenting upon it.

Thanks for info, just to clarify and elaborate we want to go from San Francisco to Yosemite but thought to stop on way as we%26#39;d have just collected the RV and didn%26#39;t fancy a 4 hour drive without a stop, just to give us time to get used to the RV and the roads (we are from uk). Therefore wanted suggstions as to which area along way to stop for a night to break up journey, as no where stood out as best in my Stienstra RV park book guide!

after Yosemite want to go to Santa Cruz for 2 nights and perhaps by then will be happy to drive it in one go, but just incase wondered where to stop on way. After Santa Cruz we are heading down to LA via monterey, big sur, santa barbara etc, all over about 10 days so we can enjoy it slowly!

There really isn%26#39;t anywhere between SF and Yosemite worth spending a night. It%26#39;s only a 4.5 hour drive from SF to Yosemite so just do it in one day. If you get tired of driving, pull over somewhere and take a break but there is no reason to spend the night somewhere boring in the central valley

A brief diversion here, Jukes-

I was going to respond with a pm to swingcha, but I do want to clarify something that I think is confusing for our readers.

I have most definitely read your link about ';relevant MAPS and URLS of places passed through...etc.'; If you carefully read your own wording below, you can clearly see that it is worded in such a way as to sound as though the list of ';places passed through'; are part of a trip from San Francisco to Yosemite:

芦San Francisco to Yosemite禄

Driving Directions with links to relevant maps and URLs of places passed through: San Francisco to Pacifica-Half Moon Bay-Santa Cruz-Monterey/Carmel, Big Sur, San Lu铆s Obispo, and Yosemite geocities.com/touringsfo/鈥riveDir.html

Since we are often asked about places to see on the way to Yosemite from SF, this could certainly be misleading (and has been.) One could visit any number of places in CA while visiting SF and Yosemite, but none of these particular locations is directly along the way. However, there is useful info there for Jukes (in this case) after his trip to Yosemite when he wants to visit the Santa Cruz area.

I will say that I heartily disagree with your recommended route to or from SF to Santa Cruz going over Hwy 9. While this is certainly a scenic route, it is not an easy or direct one, especially for someone used to driving on the other side of the road or in an RV. Clearly the most direct route from SF is 280 S. to 17, although drivers would be advised to avoid it during commute hours.

Sorry for the highjacking, Jukes.

Thanks for a bit of clarity Macjack, we will consider driving direct to Yosemite or possibly staying somewhere near lake tulloch or don pedro resevoir as they appear to be along the way near route 120 between san francisco and yosemite? Although as you say don%26#39;t know whether it%26#39;s really worth stopping overnight, although we won%26#39;t be leaving from near San Francisco until about 4pm due to having to collect the RV in the afternoon from Hayward..

I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll have a few more postings over the next few months as I slowly work through our rough itinery as it%26#39;s so useful to get local info!

macjack said 芦I have most definitely read your link about ';relevant MAPS and URLS of places passed through...etc.'; If you carefully read your own wording below, you can clearly see that it is worded in such a way as to sound as though the list of ';places passed through'; are part of a trip from San Francisco to Yosemite:禄

I see your point and the possible problem: The separator is commas. Would it be more clear with a dif%26#39;rent separator? If not, what wording do you suggest to briefly describe the page?

芦Since we are often asked about places to see on the way to Yosemite from SF, this could certainly be misleading禄

The description of the page could be but the information on the page itself is not likely to be.

芦(and has been.)禄

Please support that allegation. I know of no complaint directly related to the information on that page nor any other page at http://geocities.com/touringsfo/

芦I will say that I heartily disagree with your recommended route to or from SF to Santa Cruz going over Hwy 9.禄

On the page, it is clearly NOT the recommended route; it%26#39;s presented as an alternate route, one that I often take %26#39;cause I so enjoy it.

芦While this is certainly a scenic route, it is not an easy or direct one禄

That%26#39;s why it%26#39;s an alternate route!

芦Clearly the most direct route from SF is 280 S. to 17禄

Sure it is. Although lovely, it%26#39;s not as scenic as taking the Cabrillo Highway or, even, Skyline Boulevard and not one that I would recommend for tourists wanting a scenic trip.

These are the routes to which macjack refers:

PACIFICA-HALF MOON BAY-DAVENPORT-SANTA CRUZ (Giant Dipper) 鈮?61 miles, 1.6 hours

DAVENPORT-SANTA CRUZ via Felton 鈮?23 miles, 0.7 hours

Hi jukes,

';Although as you say don%26#39;t know whether it%26#39;s really worth stopping overnight, although we won%26#39;t be leaving from near San Francisco until about 4pm due to having to collect the RV in the afternoon from Hayward..';

Since you will be picking up your RV in Hayward after 4pm, assuming this will be on a weekday, traffic needs to be considered in your planning. As you have been told, Santa Cruz is not on the way to Yosemite. I%26#39;ll cast another vote for going directly to Yosemite.

If you head towards Santa Cruz from Hayward you will be forced to travel through very significant amount of traffic for almost the entire drive. You will be much better off going directly east to Yosemite. You will hit traffic for sure, but not as many miles of it.

Lake Don Pedro is a good stopping point, fairly scenic and directly on the way to Yosemite. But Don Pedro is pretty close to Yosemite,if it were me I would just drive all the way there. The hiways between Hayward and Lake DP are mostly wide and straight. You will have some curves to deal with when you get within 10 miles or so of the lake.

If you decide to stay at Lake DP, I would suggest getting dinner in the east bay somewhere, let the traffic die down a little. The traffic on 580 between Hayward and Livermore is one of the worst streches in the bay area. Dublin is a good spot to stop, lots of restaurants right off the hiway. I can give some suggestions if you like.

Hi jukes ~ as you can see by my address, I am not in California, and I am not familiar with the most direct, safest route from Hayward to Yosemite. However, I do know a great deal about driving RV%26#39;s!

Since you are not leaving Hayward until about 4:00 p.m., I would strongly suggest that you try to plan only for about a couple of hours on your first driving day. You are used to the ';other side'; of the road, and not used to a large motorhome. (Large for you, smallish for here, as you will see gigantic motorhomes here!) Driving a motorhome is quite different from driving a small car. Also, you will need to stop at a grocery store and provision it.

If macjack or someone else can state a good route for you, I can look up some RV parks in several books that I have here and give you websites and/or phone numbers %26amp; locations of some parks that would be along your way.

What time of year are you coming? In summer, in popular tourist areas, RV parks do fill up and you may need to book ahead for space. Do you have reservations inside Yosemite park at a campground?

San Diego Trip Notes 9/11 - 9/14

Just wanted to say thank you to the board for all the great information and give some trip notes in case it helps anyone who is looking to take a trip to San Diego.

HOTEL: The U.S. Grant

Price: $180 per night thru priceline

Location: was perfect for us (north end of gas lamp district and right across from the mall, easy access to freeway)

Service: can%26#39;t say enough, everyone we came in contact with was great (one of the best experiences we have had at a hotel)

Room: was definitely small, but loved the way it was decorated and had a very comfortable bed, and a great shower (no tub).

Negatives: Only thing I can complain about is the $$ ($30 per day for valet, hotel bar is expensive, internet was $12 per day in the room)

Summary: Would definitely recommend, as long as you don%26#39;t mind a small room with a bathroom that has not tub (only walk-in shower).

NEIGHBORHOODS

We were in town for a wedding and had limited time to do sightseeing, so we took a lot of short trips.

Some of the areas we went to were: Balboa Park, Old Town, Mission Bay, Coronado and of course the Gas Lamp District. We did drive through La Jolla Sunday morning when the shops were closed, so we really didn%26#39;t get to experience much of it.

I think our favorite area was Coronado first and then the Gas Lamp District 2nd.

RESTAURANTS

We ate at a lot of different places, but our favorite meal was at Miguel%26#39;s in Corondao. The food is excellent. And the best part is they have this white cheese, jalapeno sauce that they serve with the tortilla chips that is out of this world.

Other notable places: Fred%26#39;s in Old Town was really good, they had freshly made tortilla%26#39;s that were excellent. One night we went to Little Italy for dinner. We ate at Zagarella%26#39;s for the rehearsal dinner, so it was a prepared menu. Food was really good, and enjoyed sitting in their outdoor patio. Inside of this place was nothing special, so if you can I would recommend sitting outside. I also had my first In and Out burger (animal style). Was really good.

BARS

Our favorite place in the Gas Lamp was La Puerta. Is a small place, so can be hard to get a seat. It was a fun atmosphere with good drinks and friendly service. We actually ate there one night for a late night snack and they had very good tacos. Kind of a ';hidden gem'; place was at Paradise Point. A little outdoor bar called Barefoot Bar %26amp; Grill. We hung out there before the reception. Is a nice place to sit outside and have some drinks by the bay. There is a small bar with one TV, but if you can get a spot, is a good place to watch a game (some people where there watching the USC - Ohio St game).

TRAVEL NOTES

We rented a car and I think it is a must when visiting San Diego. Getting around is very easy, and never had any trouble with parking or traffic. San Diego airport is very convenient. Is very small and easy to get through security, easy to get you baggage, and quick drive to everywhere.

SUMMARY

San Diego is a beautiful city, and a great place to visit. I can only imagine is a great place to live. Is very laid back and pleasant. I know I was there during an ';off-peak'; season, but I never found crowds or traffic an issue. Other things I wish we were able to do: San Diego Zoo, USS Midway tour, Padres game. I would also love to go to Del Mar Race Track when they have racing going on.

I know this was brief, but anyone has specific questions I will be happy to answer. Again, thanks to the board.

San Diego Trip Notes 9/11 - 9/14

Sounds like you had a good time...thanks for the report.

San Diego Trip Notes 9/11 - 9/14

Glad to hear Barefoot Bar and Grill still exists. I had read somewhere that it closed down. It looks like a fun place.

Rat toys

cambria or santa barbara

Hi unfortunately we will not have enough time to visit all the places so need advise, should we stop over at Cambria or Santa Barbara. which is the best area.

cambria or santa barbara

Cambria is a pleasant little village with restaurants, B %26amp; Bs etc. fairly close to Hearst Castle which is a major attraction, see www.hearstcastle.com for info and reservations.

Santa Barbara, also pleasant, is a much larger town with a number of attractions including the old mission, court house, museum etc.

Personally, I would stay overnight in Cambria, assuming I had time to take at least one tour of Hearst Castle. Then I would at least drive by and stop in front of the old mission in Santa Barbara as well as stopping for a meal in Santa Barbara.

cambria or santa barbara

Both places are beautiful! What are your interests? There is the Mission, Stearn%26#39;s Wharf, the zoo, etc. in Santa Barbara. Cambria has Moonstone Beach, some nice shops and great restaurants. www.centralcoast.com :)

Spend some daylight hours around Cambria, seeing the village etc, but head down to Santa Barbara which will have plenty to do into the evening hours, open-late dining options etc.

I want to emphasize that Cambria, while pleasant enough is not really a significant attraction itself, but it is near Hearst Castle which is a major and unique attraction.

Should I visit Death Valley NP/Joshua Tree over Christmas?

Hi!

I%26#39;m thinking of heading on a road trip and was thinking of spending some time in Death Valley and Joshua Tree NP over Christmas. What will the weather be like? Would it be safe as a single traveler?

The tentative itinerary has me fly into San Diego or Vegas, go to the two parks, stay in Yuma later, and check out Organ Pipe Cactus and Tucson, leaving from there.

ACG

Should I visit Death Valley NP/Joshua Tree over Christmas?

The weather in these areas will be cool to moderate in December. It won%26#39;t often be below freezing, except at higher elevations in Death Valley National Park, where the highest point is over 11,000%26#39; above sea level and you need the same stuff for climbing that you would for Mt. Whitney.

Safety in the parks can mean a couple of things. Safety from crime is usually a matter of common sense and prudence, like in Boston or San Francisco. More remote national parks often tend to have less urban type crime than places like Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Lake Mead, Santa Monica Mountains, or Rock Creek simply because those parks are near metro areas and the people who go there often bring their urban ethics, habits, attitudes, and issues with them.

Your safety as a hiker or explorer is another matter. The usual advice is ';don%26#39;t hike alone,'; but if we followed that to the letter, some of us would never get to go anywhere. Solo hiking means being aware that if you get hurt, you%26#39;re on your own, be sure to have water and food so you don%26#39;t get sick, and other common sense things. With more than one hiker, someone can carry the binoculars, another the camera, and another the cooking or eating utensils if you take those; with one hiker, you are your own pack mule. Most of my DV exploring has been solo, and there%26#39;s something special about enjoying a wonderful natural retreat with just the birds or the sun for company. :)

Should I visit Death Valley NP/Joshua Tree over Christmas?

Just to follow up FRR. As I am retired %26amp; my DW still works I often camp/hike/fish alone. I always let someone know my schedule so if I have a problem i know someone will respond eventually. I do carry my cell phone but often I am out of range.

Nights at both places will be cold....but realize we are from California...so that means in the high 20%26#39;s and 30%26#39;s. Palm Springs/Joshua Trees area is delightful in December. Days are warm...dressing in layers is best...

Do plan for an early start to your day as it gets dark by 5:00 (and these areas do get dark.).

I would feel fine as a single traveler to go to these areas. (Note: I am not sure where you are staying but if motels, etc. fine. If plan to camp out (which can be downright miserable if its raining and it can be), then I%26#39;d be a little bit concerned if single.

Tucson area is fine. Its about an hour drive to Organ Pipe Area (and is different than the other desert areas.).

This would be a fun way to see the desert area.

Going to the show~!

I need help with some questions.... First we are flying into LA to see ellen then after the show flying to Las Vegas. How much time will it take to get from LAX to burbank and what could we do with our luggage? Will we make our 8pm flight to LV? Aslo if Im going to a thursday taping when will my episode air? This is the m,ost exciting thing that has ever happend to me! I LOVE ELLEN but Im a ';planner'; type of person so Im really stressed...Can anyone help me or give me some advice on what to expect? Sincerely alison gamel

Going to the show~!

Hi, Alison

Why not fly into Bob Hope Airport in Burbank (airport code ';BUR';) rather than LAX, BUR is 10 minutes from Ellen and it%26#39;s a tiny airport (1/10th the size of LAX) so you can pass through it quickly.

There is no luggage storage at BUR (or LAX). I would simply rent a car, put your bags in the trunk and make the short drive to WB.

BUR is also a cool place from which to fly to Las Vegas since Southwest (southwest.com) loads from the front and rear of their planes simultaneously at that airport -- cutting the loading and unloading time in half

Weather at the moment!

Hi ya im heading off to Vegas, San Diego and LA next sun but am just wondering really what sort of things to pack?

Know this may be silly question to ask but iv looked at the weather you guys are having at the moment and seems reasonably hot at the moment but am just wondering if i pack things such as shorts and shirts, and some summer dresses if I wont be too cold or anything? Will i need warmer clothes for the evening? Thanks for the help

Weather at the moment!

You should bring a couple of light jackets or cardigans/sweaters for nighttime, especially in San Diego and Vegas. I find that the casinos are freezing b/c they crank the air conditioning up so high.

Weather at the moment!

thanks for that il def bear that in mind!! I suppose if i bring the sort of clothes at least i know there will be plenty of shops to buy stuff in!!

Layers is always a good idea. Currently it is very hot during the day but cools off(not cold) at night. So you can wear shorts/t shirts but have a light jacket or sweather in the car with you that you could put on after the sun sets

Friends of ours flew first to Las Vegas, then LA last spring. Did nothing but shop for almost a week in Vegas. So save room in your suitcase for your new purchases. You are right, it you don%26#39;t have something, you can buy it there.

hand cream

Trout Fishing

HI, we are going to be up in the Truckee/No. Shore area this fall and want to do some lake/stream/reservoir fishing for trout. Could anyone recommend some good spots. Please let us know if they are catch and release spots or not. Thanks.

connecting database

49ers Games

I am planning on visiting San Francisco this Sunday (Sept 21) and am wondering how busy the downtown area gets for 49er games. Will BART traffic into the city be bad?

49ers Games

BART won%26#39;t be bad. It%26#39;s not a great link to 49ers games, so as a consequence it%26#39;s not crowded. But your word usage, ';BART traffic'; leads me to think that we may not be talking about the same things. BART runs on its own dedicated rail, so it doesn%26#39;t have ';traffic'; to contend with. If you mean to ask will it be crowded aboard BART, the answer is ';no,'; which is what I mean by saying BART won%26#39;t be bad.

49ers Games

Your post is a little confusing. Are you going to the game and need directions for getting to Candlestick?

The stadium is nowhere near downtown so the 49er games have no impact. As the previous poster indicated, BART is not an option for getting to Candlestick.

If we haven%26#39;t answered your question, give us more detail.

No, you guys answered it for me. I am not going to the game, but am visiting the downtown area at the same time as the game. I wanted to make sure it downtown wasn%26#39;t affected by the game. Thanks.

Legoland, Universal, Shopping: Where to stay? No Car

Hello Everyone,

Will be going to LA but we won%26#39;t be renting a car. Will travel by taxi or subway.

Please recommend a hotel next to a shopping mall with a Nordstroms and/or Neiman Marcus within walking distance of the hotel.

Is Legoland possible to go to while staying in LA hotel?

Thanks!!!

Legoland, Universal, Shopping: Where to stay? No Car

Legoland would involve a train trip and a cab ride, and would take about 2.5 hours each way. Even by car it is about 1.5 hours.

Any of the hotels near the Beverly Center and The Grove would be good for shopping....The Sofitel, The Elan, The Farmer%26#39;s Daughter, The London.

Legoland, Universal, Shopping: Where to stay? No Car

There are very few Nordstrom%26#39;s or Nieman Marcus%26#39; in central L.A. (convenient to Universal, etc without a car). Here are your options:

Neiman Marcus:

Beverly Hills on Wilshire Bl (the store is free-standing, not part of a mall). The closest malls would be the aforementioned Beverly Center or the Westfield Mall in Century City. Both are easily accessible by bus (10-15 minutes). You could stay in Beverly Hills or near either mall. Hotels near the Century City mall are pricey (4-star) however, the Tower Beverly Hills and the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills are a little more reasonable and are between the Century City mall and the Nieman Marcus.

Nordstrom:

Westside Pavilion Mall in West L.A. The only hotel within walking distance of this mall is the Sky Hotel ($$$) however, there are a number of options in neighboring Westwood (10 minutes by bus, e.g. the Royal Palace ($), the Hilgard House ($$), the Hotel Palomar ($$$), and the W Los Angeles ($$$$).

or

there%26#39;s a Nordstrom at The Grove Shopping Center. You can stay in any of the hotels adjacent to the Beverly Center (as mentioned above) since it%26#39;s about a mile away from the Beverly Center -- easily accessible by bus or on foot. The closest hotels to the Grove are:

The Farmers Daughter -- across the street ($$$) and the Park Plaza Lodge ($$) -- a 5-minute walk.

Good luck!

to rent a car or not...

I%26#39;m really debating whether I should rent a car. From reading alot of previous threads, it appears I could do most things without, but it would be nice to have one. However, I%26#39;m afraid that by the time I rent a car, pay parking fees everywhere, pay for gas, it is going to be really expensive. My main concern is the parking fees, since it seems you have to pay to park everywhere in San Diego:) Any guestimates on what I can expect to spend on parking fees over 7 days? We%26#39;ll be doing all the touristy stuff (zoo, sea world, etc.). I assume we%26#39;d also have to pay to park at the hotel.

to rent a car or not...

Mostly you%26#39;ll have to pay to park a t your hotel.

Where are you staying and who all is in your group?

There is no parking fee at the zoo or anywhere in Balboa Park.There is no parking fee at Old Town State Park either. Sea World charges for parking and so does the Wild Animal Park but there is free street parking at beaches and in malls so it really depends on where you go and what you do while you are here.

to rent a car or not...

most if not all hotels in SD charge for parking and it will vary...downtown is probably the most expensive...but you can also park on the street or in a public lot for less...a lot less !!!

I couldn%26#39;t imagine staying in SD w/out a car, but it is possible and I%26#39;m sure many from the UK don%26#39;t want to deal with the right side or the road same as I don%26#39;t want to fool with the left side when in the UK.

why don%26#39;t you contact your hotel first and ask?

I could give you a few tips about how to save on your rental if you tell me the number of days you are interested in

I haven%26#39;t chosen a hotel yet. If I don%26#39;t rent a car, I want to be downtown so I%26#39;ll be close to the public transportation. If I do rent a car, I guess I have more options for a hotel. If I do rent a car, I need a cheaper hotel to offset the extra expense. We are going October 4-11. I usually do my hotels on Priceline, but that isn%26#39;t set in stone at this point. Basically, I have no idea what I%26#39;m doing at this point, %26amp; I%26#39;m pretty overwhelmed:) Also, I%26#39;ve never rented a car before, so that is a little scary to me, too.

You really have to decide on a hotel .

I don%26#39;t remember if we have discussed your price range but if you are using Priceline then when you actually get your hotel we can discuss if it%26#39;s one where we think you%26#39;ll be better off with a car. I tend to use Priceline for car rentals too.

so you don%26#39;t think the renting a car/parking fees will be as expensive as I think? Like I said, I%26#39;ve never rented a car before, so I have no idea. I really can%26#39;t pick a hotel until I decide this issue, as that will determine where I%26#39;m willing to stay. I%26#39;m really not trying to be difficult, I promise:)

As mentioned hotel parking charges will be the biggest cost and previous poster told you what it will cost to park at major attractions. The latter is 1 fee per car vs fee per person for public transport which isn%26#39;t so great. You need to look at some hotels, find out what their parking fees are, and do the math. I don%26#39;t think we can zero in on it anymore than that.

go to www.betterbidding.com

and see what you might be likely to get through Priceline...then call the hotels and ask what it costs to park.

I can not imagine a big difference between the downtown...Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt.

Same goes for the non-downtown ones.

I once had a room via Priceline at the Del Mar Hilton by the racetrack...was 3 or so years ago and I think I paid something like $35 for the room and $11 to park the car....my good luck was that you can easily walk to Denny%26#39;s for breakfast vs. eating at the Hilton

agee, Perhaps instead of talking about the car we should talk about your budget.

See if you can come up with an amount per day that you%26#39;d be comfortable spending on your hotel +car and we will tell you if it%26#39;s possible.

For example, IF your budget is at about $150 per day then we%26#39;d help you find a hotel room that%26#39;s lower and we could factor in car costs and even find you a place where you don%26#39;t have to pay for parking.

I have gotten rental rates as low as $12 per day with Priceline but lets say $15 for an estimate.

Ok, I booked my hotels, %26amp; I know I%26#39;ll rent a car at least part of the trip, but now I need to decide if I%26#39;ll need the car the whole trip, or just part.

We%26#39;re staying at Sheraton San Diego Mission Valley Oct 4-8 (Priceline $86/night), %26amp; Marriott San Diego Gaslamp Quarter (Priceline $102/night) Oct 8-11. I know we%26#39;ll rent a car while staying at the Sheraton, since it%26#39;s not really in town. Here%26#39;s my tentative itinerary:

Sunday: Seaworld

Monday: LaJolla (kayak the caves, Children%26#39;s beach)

Tuesday: drive to Disneyland!!

Wednesday: beach, shopping

Thursday: Zoo

Friday: museums

If we stick pretty close to that schedule, will we really need a car once we move to the Marriott on Wednesday? It seems that most of the driving activities will be at the first part of the week. Or since we%26#39;ll already have the car, would it just be better to keep it the whole week?

Also, any tips for renting a car on Priceline?

thanks!!

www.hotwire.com

You can get a compact car for these dates at Hotwire

for 11.95 a day.

Total for the week incl fees and taxes is $107.44

The Marriott will cost you / parking wise ...but I stayed right across the street from it and needed to park one night on the street. I found a spot easily on J Street. There are outside lots close by with prices lower than at a garage (Marriott)