Half Dome - rain

Hello All!

My wife and I are staying at Yosemite this Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights and were planning on doing Half Dome on Tuesday and relax a bit Monday.

I%26#39;m hearing it may rain Tuesday - is it still safe to do Half Dome if it is raining?

Please let me know if anyone has experience with Half Dome in the rain.

Thank you,

Patrick

Half Dome - rain

No, it is not safe to go up Half Dome in the rain. The rock becomes too slippery. Some of the people who tried will not report back on their experience because they did not survive the attempt.

Also, if there are thunder clouds, it is very dangerous. People have been killed by lightning up there.

You could hike as far as the base and decide at that point if it is safe to continue (i.e., it hasn%26#39;t rained, isn%26#39;t going to rain, and no lightning threatens).

Half Dome - rain

Where are you hearing it might rain Tuesday? If it%26#39;s weather.com that site is completely wrong on their Yosemite forecasts. Try www.wunderground.com instead, it says no chance of rain Tuesday, and the temperatures are closer to correct. (example - LA times has 93 high for today, wunderground has 86, weather.com has 75!)

We are driving up there Wednesday and doing Half Dome Thursday.

If you are trapsing about and an unexpected storm hits, please change your plans! The cables aren%26#39;t a good place to be nor is the peak when lighting is flashing about.

Have a SAFE trip!

Thank you all for the helpful info! Looks like we%26#39;ll be fine, but i%26#39;ll know to just let go of the idea if it starts to look like a storm%26#39;s a comin%26#39;.

Patrick

Of course forecasts are an inexact science and are prone to change. Either way, the forecast as of today shows a 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms for Tuesday in Yosemite. The key word here is ';isolated';.

Just don%26#39;t get stuck on that large hunk of granite with lightning on its way.

zits

new toy story ride - is it open?

Next week at this time we will be high in the sky en route to cali for 14 days of bliss. We start in anaheim and are hoping the new toy story ride will be open. Any comments?

new toy story ride - is it open?

I have heard that it is open as of yesterday they were letting people ride it. So you should be fine.

new toy story ride - is it open?

Actually for the next few days, don%26#39;t expect it to be open, there are a lot of special events (Media/VIP) scheduled, so expect to find the entire area closed. It opens to the public around Noon on Tuesday, July 17th.

We were in the park Sunday, Father%26#39;s day, and they were allowing a general ';sneek peek';, which was about a two hour window of opportunity. We got to go, and let me tell ya, it%26#39;s a kick in the pants! You%26#39;ll enjoy it :)

Darkbeer- I think you mean it opens on JUNE 17th 2008.

5 Nights in Los Angeles

My family of 4 (2 adults, 2 girls aged 11 and 9) have five nights in LA in July. We have a car and will spend the first three nights in a vacation rental in Hollywood and our last 2 nights at Casa Malibu on Malibu beach. We don%26#39;t plan on doing Disney or Universal. Could anyone recommend an itinerary that hits the highlights for a first time trip to LA? Thanks.

5 Nights in Los Angeles

Please see our FAQs at the top of the LA Forums where we have sample itineraries for one day, two days, etc.

5 Nights in Los Angeles

You can also look up previous discussions on this topic (which is a popular one) by entering keywords in the SEARCH IN box below and to the right of the narrow green stripe (above) and then clicking GO. Sample keywords are:

THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS

Good luck!

While in Hollywood:

L.A.Zoo

Griffith Observatory

La Brea Tar Pits/Page Museum

Shopping(Farmer%26#39;s Mkt, The Grove, American Girl Store)

Drive around Sunset/ Bev Hills/Bel Air and Getty Museum

Warner Brothers Tour or Paramount Tour

While in Malibu:

Getty Center if you didn%26#39;t get there yet

Santa Monica Pier

Drive up the coast to Santa Barbara?

P.S. Before leaving Hollywood, check the morning news/ keep up-to-date on any fire situations in Malibu. Upon checking into hotel, know all your exits and keep your car half-packed and ready!!!! Not to scare you, probably nothing to fear, but better prepared than sorry!

2 days in San Francisco must dos??

My wife and i are finishing are vacation with 2 days in SF. What are the must sees and dos

I know i want to do the trolley and Alcatraz and fisherman%26#39;s wharf

is there anything else i HAVE to do while there.

We are staying at the Orchard Inn

anybody know anything about this place

Thanks for your help

2 days in San Francisco must dos??

explore any of the neighborhoods of Chinatown, North Beach, Coit Tower/Telegraph Hill, Mission District streets: Dolores and Valencia Streets; sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/

perhaps check out a show either Beach Blanket Babylon www.beachblanketbabylon.com/ or see a live music performance http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i17402-Concert_venues_in_San_Francisco_or.html)

2 days in San Francisco must dos??

I love to go to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill. It gives a view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. One can get a sense for what an amazing find the bay was for the sailing ships looking for a safe harbor. And you can see how narrow the Golden Gate is. The bridge is named after the gap that it spans, not the other way around. It%26#39;s an easy opening to miss if you are not sailing dangerously close to the coast.

Inside Coit Tower are murals painted during the depression that depict California live in the early 20th century. Look closely for the occasional visual jokes.

You can take the 39 bus up, which leaves you free to walk down the steps - they start just across from the bus stop. If you are lucky, you might glimpse the flock of green parrots that gave their name to the documentary ';The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.'; If not, you still have a lovely walk through an area that survived the %26#39;06 quake, a haven of green in a busy city.

The walk ends near the Ferry Building - central to all there is to see on the SF waterfront.

thanks for all your info.

i forgot my wife wants to walk across the bridge too.

TO GG Bridge: you can take the #30 MUNI bus on Kearny -- or from F.Wharf area on North Point heading towards the Marina. At Laguna and Chestnut transfer to #28 MUNI and that%26#39;ll take you to the visitor area of GG Bridge and from there you can walk across. goldengatebridge.org/photos/bridgewalk.php

here%26#39;s GG Bridge info

…about.com/cs/sanfrancisco/a/ggbridge.htm

If you have a car it%26#39;s nice to drive through Golden Gate Park and visit the Japanese Tea Garden. It%26#39;s one of a kind, beautiful, and was used as a backdrop in the movie %26#39;Memoirs of a Geisha%26#39;

If you go to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf be sure to check out the Musee Mechanique as it contains all of the %26#39;games%26#39; people played in the early 1900%26#39;s, and you can play them all yourself, and it%26#39;s free! I%26#39;ve never seen anything else like it.

great info

too bad i only have two days in SF

We went to San Francisco for the first time last year for five days, and absolutely did not have enough time! I%26#39;ve already booked our second trip this coming October to see several places that I felt would be integral to any trip to San Francisco.

Several things that we enjoyed seeing and have not been mentioned so far are: Lombard Street - one of the cable car lines stops here, so you don%26#39;t have to do too much planning. We walked down ';the most crooked street in San Francisco';, and took our pictures then walked back up to catch our cable car down to the Wharf area. Whew, that%26#39;s a walk!

We took a trip to Muir Woods to see the giant redwoods. I felt I couldn%26#39;t come this far and not see something that is found no where else on this earth other than in this section of California. I%26#39;m so glad I did.

We spent about a day and a half exploring Chinatown and had a wonderful time exploring the apothecary shops buying teas and herbal remedies, and we had lunch there, trying dim sum. We went to a small restaurant (sorry, don%26#39;t know the name) and we were seated at a large round table with a Chinese family that spoke only Chinese and ordered the most wonderful looking dishes. I should have told the waitress ';we%26#39;ll have what they%26#39;re having';, but I was intimidated by the language barrier and just pointed at things on the cart as the waitresses came by. It was an experience I won%26#39;t soon forget.

We crossed the bay to the town of Sausalito to have lunch, and were treated to a view of the City by the Bay that was fantastic. It%26#39;s a cute town to shop and explore on your next trip to San Francisco.

If you%26#39;re like my husband and I, you will return to this wonderful city. Two days is definitely NOT enough time to hit the ';highlights';. There are too many.

Sign me,

I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

Musee Mechanique, while there is no entry charge you do need (I think) quarters to play the games.

';We walked down ';the most crooked street in San Francisco';

Or did you?

http://mistersf.com/high/highvermont.htm

ideas for throwing

Parking nearby Le Merigot

Hi, we will stay 5 nights at Le Merigot at 1740 Ocean Avenue.

We will come by rental-car but the parking at Le Merigot ($35 a day) is more expensive that the daily car rental!!

Are there any cheaper parking alternatives nearby?

Many thanks for any advice!

Keith

Parking nearby Le Merigot

All hotels in Santa Monica and LA have high parking charges. There is no overnight lot nearby, nor street parking for overnight. There are many short stay lots and some meters in front, but nothing long term.

Parking nearby Le Merigot

Hmm, too bad.

Thanks Yogachick!

Keith

Road trip in August

Hi

Me and my girlfriend have booked flights to San Francisco in August. Planning to stay there for a few days before heading out on a road trip round northern California for roughly 10 days. The places I%26#39;m thinking we want to go to are Yosemite, Napa valley, Lake Tahoe and Big Sur - we generally like lakes/mountains and the great outdoors.

I was thinking of hiring an RV but I%26#39;m not sure how difficutlt it will be to find availability at camp grounds at this time of the year and how much it would cost? Would we need to book ahead or could we just roll in and find a space?

Thanks in advance

Andy

Road trip in August

YOu are planning to head to some of my favorite places in the state. It sounds like a great trip.

Using an RV will limit your options at campgrounds. August is a busy travel month. I have never used an RV in California, so I can%26#39;t speak from experience. Campsites inside Yosemite Valley are booked for August, except for August 28, the night before the big Labor Day long weekend. I don%26#39;t know if any of those spaces are for RVs or what your exact travel dates are.

Fuel here (called gas here, not petrol, as you probably know) is cheap by your standards but is still $4 a gallon. Distances are huge and RVs get notoriously lousy mileage, so fuel costs could cancel out savings on lodging. Campsites for RV%26#39;s aren%26#39;t particularly cheap either. Do some google searching for California campsites and you should find prices listed for each location. Add to that the inconvenience of getting around in and parking an RV at rest stops and restaurants and such and I%26#39;m not sure it comes out as a win. You%26#39;ll have to crunch the numbers yourselves.

As far as booking in advance, anything near Yosemite in August should be booked ASAP. In general, the days of rolling into a campground and finding a space are long gone, especially in popular places like Tahoe, Big Sur and Yosemite in August. Better to book and be sure. Even hotels/motels might be tight in some places.

Booking in advance cramps flexibility but provides assurance of a place to sleep. Only you can decide where the balance is for you. One way you can check how tight things will be is to look at places in July and see how booked up they are a day or two in advance. July (outside of the July 4th weekend) is roughly comparable to August (outside of the Labor Day weekend Aug 29-Sept 1) so that will give you some idea of where you would likely need to book in advance.

Best of luck and have a great trip.

Road trip in August

Hi and welcome to the travel forums! You will love Ca and are visiting some very popular destinations at a very busy tourist season. I would definitely book ASAP as stated by the previous poster. Have a wonderful trip! :)

Thanks for your help both. We%26#39;re thinking of going for one of the smallest RVs - looking at a 17ft vehicle max I think. Hopefully this should make it more economical ($4 a gallon sounds like a bargain to me we%26#39;re paying £1.16 a litre at the moment - over $10 a gallon if my calcs are correct!!). Only really want it for sleeping in as we%26#39;ll probably eat out in the evenings. If it all works out too expensive I might still take a small tent and maybe pick up and airbed once we%26#39;re there.

Is there any campgrounds you would specifically recommmend or avoid? We like sociable but not too noisy camping. We would need shower facilities.

Thanks again

Andy

Hi. I do know RV%26#39;s, lol!

If you are thinking of a Class B (van) you will have no problem getting around and finding parking spaces. It%26#39;s actually smaller than many of the full-size pickups on the road here. Your gas mileage - if you drive with a light foot - should be decent, around 15 MPG. Our US gallon is smaller than your Imperial gallon, so it works out right now to about $8.50 USD/gallon of your petrol over there. So even as our prices keep rising, ($4.40 here) it%26#39;s still cheaper, as is nearly *everything* else here.

There are two categories of RV lodging. ';RV parks'; are privately owned and have full hookups, plus often a swimming pool and other amenities. ';Campgrounds'; may be owned by the government or privately, and are usually more rustic without hookups in many instances. They will usually have showers, but you may have to pay extra. State Parks are very busy and will all be booked up already. This late, you may have better luck trying to find a privately owned place to camp, and there are many of them. This will help you:

http://www.rv-clubs.us/rv_campgrounds.html

www.rvparkhunter.com/state.asp…

Prices run from about $25 USD for a campground, up to an average of about $35/40 USD for an RV park with lots of amenities. Yosemite has no RV hookups of any kind, and may be completely full.

In a real pinch, you can park overnight at a rest stop or alongside the road - as long as there is not a sign stating that it is not allowed. This is not allowed within a National Park, though.

14 day west coast (From San Fran to LA)

hi all,

ive got a few questions here and need some help in planning our road trip.

Me and my friends (5 of us, 20s and 21s) will be stepping into San fran soil on 19th July noon. we will be leaving for home (singapore) on 2nd Aug midnight(3rd aug 0000hr).

We are planning a driving trip for about 11 days.

San Fran - 19th %26amp; 20th July.

21st morning leave San Fran for San Jose/Santa Cruz.

San jose/Santa Cruz - 21st July

22nd morning leave for Big Sur

Big Sur - 22nd July

23rd morning leave for Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara - 23rd July

24th morning leave for OC

OC - 24th July

25th morning leave for Anaheim(disneyland)

Anaheim(disneyland) - 25th July

26th July leave for Las Vegas

Las Vegas Outlet Mall - 26th July

27th July go to Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon - 27th July

Las Vegas Strip - 27th Night

28th morning leave for LA

LA downtown - 28th %26amp; 29th

LA outlet mall - 30th

Is our schedule feasible? Is there a better plan for us to see the coast yet go to LV %26amp; Grand Canyon? Are our stops for the small towns sufficient? Is the plan too packed, should we space it out further?

Our flight only leave on the 2nd so we in fact have more days off. what do you suggest that we can do? Sightseeing, beaches, towns, shopping, architecture is something we favour. any suggestions on what to do at the small towns as well?

We will have 5 luggages with us throughout the trip and we intend to rent a 7 seater SUV. Is that feasible?

Any advice/suggestion greatly appreciated! thank youuu!!

14 day west coast (From San Fran to LA)

Hi

A full size 5-seater SUV will do but have you thought about restrictions re. your age?

You are underestimating distances. It%26#39;s 5 hours from Las Vegas to GCNP and it%26#39;s 8-9 hours from GCNP to Los Angeles plus your time to see GC.

Maybe try this:

7/19: Arrive SF. You%26#39;ll need several hours for immigration. p/u luggage. p/u rental car (or maybe visit SF without a car). And you%26#39;re jet lagged. Don%26#39;t expect to see much first day.

7/20: San Francisco

7/21: San Francisco. At least 2 days to explore SF. 1 day certainly will be too short imo.

7/22: Drive to Santa Cruz for a visit and drive to Monterey.

7/23: See Monterey Aquarium. see Carmel, Point Lobos SR. Big Sur and drive to Cambria for the night.

7/24: See Hearst Castle and drive to Santa Barbara.

7/25: From Santa Barbara to Las Vegas

7/26: Las Vegas (no gambling under the age of 21)

7/27: Las Vegas-Grand Canyon NP. If you start early you can visit this great NP in the afternoon. But it will be hard to get accomodation. Try www.grandcanyonlodges.com or try lodging in Tusayan just south of the park.

7/28: The very long drive to Los Angeles

7/29-8/2: OC, LA and Anaheim.

You%26#39;ve mentioned only 11 days but is seems more like 14 days.

Tet

14 day west coast (From San Fran to LA)

hey tet! thanks for your suggestions!

we did think of age restructions but what ive known is that we will have a underage surcharge thats all. ive rented a 7 seater SUV from budget without problems :)

for SF, we do not intend to have a car. we intend to start renting the car the day we leave SF.

do you know how long is the drive from SF-Santa Cruz-Montery-Big Sur-Cambria-Santa Barbara-LV?

at Grand Canyon we intend to visit the Sky walk.. how long is the drive from LV to the GC skywalk?

from LA to OC %26amp; Anaheim, is there available public transport or we have to rent a car? We are thinking of renting the car for the entire trip that needed to be visited by driving at one go instead of splitting up the rental into 2 occasions.

Don%26#39;t miss spending some time in Carmel, you may want to inquire about the Tor House tour, it%26#39;s a cool house with a tower where poet Robinson Jeffers lived, I think the tours are about an hour and a half for $7/pp. Looks like a great trip! :)

I suggest that you keep your car for the entire trip. Getting around in LA/OC area on public transport is difficult.

If you have nothing on the agenda in San Jose, then skip San Jose (I live in San Jose)and drive the down coast from San Francisco to Santa Cruz to Monterey to Carmel to Big Sur. One of the most beautiful drives in California. Carmel has a nice shopping area - not outlets. If you have the time, south of Carmel is Point Lobos State Park. Take a couple of hours to hike around and take photos.

But now that you mention shopping - we do have the Great Mall in Milpitas. Outlet shopping including Saks Off Fifth and Last Call Neiman Marcas.

For high scale shopping, there is Santana Row and Westfield%26#39;s Valley Fair. And then from San Jose to Monterey (you%26#39;ll have to skip Santa Cruz), there%26#39;s the Gilroy Premium outlets.

Mmmm...shopping or sightseeing.

Your plans are fine as is. Note: The only thing you might want to cosnider is what you want to do in the Santa Cruz/San Jose area. If you want to do Great America, Wichester Mystery House, Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, oceans, etc. probably ok. If you don%26#39;t have anything specific you want to see in the San Jose area, then I would skip San Jose and just concentrate on Santa Cruz/Monterey area instead.

You need to check the Grand Canyon Forum for comments on the Sky Walk. It is actually at Grand Canyon West, not the National Park, %26amp; is very expensive. You also have to drive in on dirt roads, which you shouldn%26#39;t do with a rental car. How much time have you allowed for the GC?

This is the link to a debate about the Grand Canyon / Skywalk:

…tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k20266…

Hi, we are thinking of doing the same itinerary. May I know how much is the surcharge for dropping off your car in LA? What about the hotels? Appreciate if you could share with me. Thanks a lot!

hey ChristmasSJ,

we have decided to skip san jose and just concentrate on santa cruz and monterey area. thanks for that suggestion. we realised there is nothing we wanna do in san jose. we realy like scenic views and beaches so we gonna do the beach route ;) we are into shopping but the cheaper ones like outlet malls and unique stuffs suit us better than expensive shopping brands. unless that shopping area has a certain kind of feel to it that we should experience we will not go down the upscale shopping route. thanks for you ideas ;)

hey ellenwillow,

our highlight of GC was supposed to be the skywalk. do you suggest anything else we can do for GC? we planned about 3-4hrs in GC itself. suggestions on what to do if we are encouraged to skip the skywalk please. thanks!

regarding parking charges, is it expensive to keep the car for 3 more days in LA for us to drive to OC and Anaheim? also doesnt hotel charge alot for parking cars overnight? please advise us on the car. thanks!

Where are you staying in the LA area? If you%26#39;re going to Disneyland in Anaheim, drive yourselves there. Most hotels/motels there do not charge for parking. Same for most lodging in the LA area.

For the LA area, most lodging around LA international airport have free parking. You will need your car to get around LA. Everything is very spread out. You don%26#39;t want to mess around with public transportation. You%26#39;ll want to go to Hollywood. Or do a studio tour. Colleges? There%26#39;s UCLA and Westwood. Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. Thinking about Universal Studios? Don%26#39;t miss Venice Beach - just to walk around and people watch. There are lots of people biking, roller-blading, and playing volleyball. Lots of street vendors. You can even watch the body builders at work or should I say at play. You can bike or roller blade from Venice Beach all the way down to Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. Or drive, but you guys are in your 20%26#39;s - so you can follow the bike path down along the beaches.

Just suggestions because I%26#39;m not clear about your itinerary and where you%26#39;re dropping off your car or what your rental contract is.

zits

How is business in Benicia

I have a business here in Oregon for 14 years. I have family in Vacaville, CA and on my last visit this September was invited to a gathering of friends in Benicia. It was evening but I saw the bay as I exited the freeway and the little I saw of Benicia was inviting.

I returned the next day and went to the quaint downtown area, did some shopping, visited with a couple of merchants, and was very much taken by the area and friendliness of the few people I spoke to.

I am considering a move and thought Benicia was small enough yet at population of 25000, which is 10000 more than here, possibly large enough to support my business.

I would appreciate any info about how businesses are doing in this area and this economy. Also, how is the living culturally and perhaps the average price of a moderate 2 bedroom home.

Thank you, Ali

How is business in Benicia

You wrote this quite a while ago, but I%26#39;ll take a chance.

Did you end up moving to Benicia? If you how do you like it? My boyfriend and I will be moving there in early July from Seattle and as of now know very little about the area. Any info you have would be usefull. We won%26#39;t be looking to buy a house, but will be looking for decent rental.

Thanks,

How is business in Benicia

most who live in Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville area work in San Francisco. Benicia is about 30 minutes and less on good traffic. The city is very safe and has a 4th of July Parade every year. No crime in Benica. I would look at Benicia, Concord, Martinez, Walnut Creek. Avoid Baypoint and the old part of Vallejo. You will love Benicia.

I moved to Benicia in December, 2005. It is the best thing ever. I moved here on my own and didn%26#39;t know anyone in town. It is small, friendly, and SO safe. There really is no crime here. It is a different story going in any direction from here, but this little enclave is amazing. I love Benicia. The housing prices here are high as in all near the bay California, but not as high as Walnut Creek, San Francisco, the Pennsula, or most of the East Bay.

Hi, I live in Benicia and I love it. I moved here about 3 years ago from Florida and it took me a while to get used to how safe this town is coming from a very high crime city like Miami. I can%26#39;t say enough nice things about Benicia. The schools are some of the best. We have great town events for families and for all ages. Once you visit and walk downtown shops and restaurants to the marina, you will feel a relaxed yet fun atmosphere.

Visit www.CityofBenicia.com and join Benicia%26#39;s new online community to learn more about Benicia, see photos, videos and read news, as well as other fun stuff. CityofBenicia.com is a social network where you will meet other members who are citizens of Benicia and make new friends online who have lived in Benicia many years and are happy to give you more information about this great town.

Maria, see you are new to TA. Must watch the dates on the posts, this one is nearly *four* years old!

from LA to the Grand Canyon

We%26#39;re staying 3 weeks in LA (2 adults, 2 kids aged 12 and 8) and we%26#39;re thinking about taking a trip to the GRAND CANYON, we%26#39;re hesitating : renting a motorhome ? Driving and staying in hotels ? We%26#39;re waiting for your advice.

from LA to the Grand Canyon

I would opt for driving the car since it gives you more flexibility. If this was a second visit to the West then you might want to rent a motorhome. Also, it takes a good deal of planning with the motorhome and alot of prior reservations which book up quickly.

With staying in hotels then the kids have a pool to look forward to every evening after sightseeing.

Did I mention the price of gas?

Enjoy!!

from LA to the Grand Canyon

What time of the year are you planing on visiting. In the summermonths it will be hot as hell there and i am sure kids your age would rather roam the beaches in Southern California then to be out in the heat like this

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim, where I recommend you go, is at 7000 ft. elevation. Summer temperatures there are actually as mild as in LA. nps.gov/grca/鈥P_JUMP_155163 and 鈥bout.com/cs/losangeles/l/bl_la_temp.htm

Depending upon the time of your visit, you may have trouble getting lodging in the park where you should stay if possible. The website is www.grandcanyonlodges.com/ If nothing is available there, try calling Xanterra. Cancellations happen all the time and often don%26#39;t make it to the website.

Tusayan, located just outside the South entrance to GCNP, has several hotels as well.

A car would be the way to go unless you particularly fancy a motor home. None of the campgrounds at the South Rim have hookups. www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm

You could include a visit to Sedona on your way to GC. Northern Arizona has many other attractions which could occupy as many of your days as you wish.

When are you planning on visiting?

There is a pretty nice RV park at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon called Trailer Village which has FULL hookups (water, power and sewer) including cable TV:

grandcanyonlodges.com/Trailer-Village-705.ht鈥?/a>

Traveling in an RV is a different ';lifestyle'; than staying in an hotel. People tend to be friendlier and if you stay in a privately owned RV park, there are often amenities such as swimming pools, playgrounds and other things to interest kids.

Your MPG will be less than in a car, of course, but you%26#39;ll be paying far less for a campground or RVpark than for a hotel. The RV park at GC is about $28 per night. You can also cook all or some of your meals to save money.

http://www.rv-clubs.us/rv_campgrounds.html

young woman driving

La Brea Tar Pits

We will be at the LAX Marriott hotel and intend to catch the local bus to Santa Monica for the day, we want to go to the tar pits,just want to know is it far from the Pier or would we be able to get off the bus on the way to the pier and then get on another bus to the beach

Hope I am on the right forum.

thanks

La Brea Tar Pits

La Brea Tar Pits are not on the way from LAX to Santa Monica, it%26#39;s about a 45 minute detour. After the Pier, you could take a bus down Wilshire, go to mta.net to see the bus line and schedules.

La Brea Tar Pits

From Santa Monica, take the 720 or the 20 bus on Wilshire Blvd all the way down to the Tar Pits, which are near the Fairfax stop. Both bus lines run along Wilshire Blvd, which will take you from Santa Monica, right to where you want to go. If possible, try to catch the 720, as this is a limited stop bus that will get you there faster. The 20 is a local line and makes more frequent stops. Both run the exact same route. However, be aware that the 720 stops running at around 7pm, so you%26#39;ll have to catch the 20 after that.

I have to be honest though. I wouldn%26#39;t recommend doing all this in one day, especially after spending the day in Santa Monica after riding the bus from LAX. It will take quite a while to get from Santa Monica to the tar pits (almost an hour), depending on traffic. They really need to build that subway under Wilshire.

Also, you might be interested to know that if you don%26#39;t want to ride all the way to the tar pits, the 720/20 buses also have a stop right in the middle of downtown Beverly Hills (Rodeo Drive and all that), if that%26#39;s something that interests you. Just get off at Beverly Drive.

Just make sure to take the #720 and NOT the # 20 to Fairfax ave from Santa Monica. The # 720 is a express bus with limited stops so will get you there a lot faster

Thanks guys,

will write this information into my diary for when we get there.

We were thinking of going to the tarpits in the morning for a couple of hours and then going to Santa Monica for the afternoon to have a look around and kids can play on the beach and to have dinner.

My kids love going on buses ect, as I drive them most places over here, will keep in mind about getting off in Beverley Hills.

As we will be doing this on a Sunday do the buses run less often, also what time does it get dark in the evening in Septermber.

Oh, another thing, is Muscle Beach at Santa Monica or Venice beach?

Thanks so much for all your help

Everyone has given you information on how to take the bus to the Tar Pits from Santa Monica. But how will you get from your LAX hotel to Santa Monica?

The buses run infrequently on Sundays. Schedules are at mta.net

This journey from your hotel to the Tar Pits will take over an hour. It will take about 45 minutes to get from the Tar Pits to Santa Monica.

As far as I know we can get a bus outside the LAX Marriott that goes to Santa Monica

Sitting on a bus for several hours (round trip) doesn%26#39;t sound like a good vacation, to me. 30 minutes to SM from your hotel plus 30-45 minutes to the Tar Pits, EACH WAY.

If you have your heart set on seeing the Tar Pits, consider taking a taxi from your hotel to La Brea, then take the bus from the Tar Pits to Santa Monica.

I%26#39;d ride a bus 45 minutes to see the tarpits. I%26#39;ve done it before and I%26#39;d do it again. They are like nothing else. The fact that they%26#39;re right in the middle of a city somehow makes them all the more wonderful - the county art museum is right next door. It%26#39;s like having millions of years of history of the place all collapsed into a moment.

I have just looked at the mta.net and the bus schedule looks very good.Buses seem to be quite freqent.

I have done a lot of travelling and like to do things which enables me to mingle with the people of the country I am visiting, not just get on tourist buses with a whole lot of other Australians.

I managed to catch public buses in Crete (Greece) and other parts of Europe ok, so I am sure L.A. won%26#39;t be too hard. At least we speak the same language.

Also we then have 10 days in Anaheim and will have some spare time to relax then before our road trip to Arizona.

Sir Frances Drake

Does anyone know how big the rooms are with just 1 queen bed? they are out of rooms with 2 doubles as I procrastinated and didn%26#39;t book in time...the have a good rate and the cable car right out front really is a plus to me and it looks really nice ..I usually always get a room with 2 double beds for myself and my daughter because it is just more comfortable but it would even cost less for the room with 1 queen but still set on a hotel with 2 doubles.

We are traveling to san francisco july 18th to july 23 for my daughters graduation present and want to make it special..

We are coming from all the way from Ohio so don%26#39;t want to travel all that way and be dissappointed..

any advise would help..

thanks!

Sir Frances Drake

Expedia%26#39;s got the Prescott Hotel with 2 doubles in your price range. The hotel is also in Union Square and is owned by the same people that own the Sir Francis Drake.

It%26#39;s also rated a lot higher than the SFD, here on Trip Advisor.

Link and scroll down for reviews.

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60713-d8121鈥?/a>

Don%26#39;t wait!

Beach within an hour?

Are there any beaches within an hour or so drive of SF where it%26#39;s warm enough to swim and sun? We%26#39;d like to spend one day lazing on a pretty beach somewhere, even if we have to drive a ways to get there.

I thought I read somewhere that Santa Cruz would be a good bet---agree, disagree? Any other recommendations?

Beach within an hour?

…marin.ca.us/depts/…pdparadisebch.cfm

http://www.ebparks.org/parks/crown_beach

…ca.gov/bayarea/…CoyotePt.htm

Beach within an hour?

Santa Cruz would be your best bet for sun near the surf, but the water is still chilly. It%26#39;s actually about 1 1/2 hr away.

californiatraveldreams.com/beaches-SantaCruz…

or the Boardwalk (Ride the Giant Dipper)

http://www.beachboardwalk.com/

Another bayside beach with a good bet to have decent weather and a swimming pool is McNears in San Rafael.

co.marin.ca.us/depts/PK/Main/pos/pdmnbch.cfm

If the fog is not too thick, Stinson Beach can fit the bill nicely, but again cooold water.

http://www.nps.gov/goga/stbe.htm

Hi

I think you picked the wrong end of California. The water is cold here, maybe not as cold as Minn., but not nearly the water of Southern California. The closest place even a bit warmer is Santa Cruz, and as mentioned its about 1.5-2 hrs away depending on traffic. If you really want warm sea, head down to Mailbu or San Diego.

When it%26#39;s hot in the Bay Area, lots of people go to Linda Mar Beach on Highway 1 at the south end of Pacifica. The water is cold, like everywhere else though. Lots of surfers, but they all wear wetsuits.

A famous Taco Bell is on the beach...in fact, I was watching something on the Travel Channel about the top 10 fast food places in the world, and the Linda Mar Taco Bell was one of the top 10.

It%26#39;s about 20 minutes from downtown SF.

If it is foggy in San Francisco and Pacifica, you may need to head further south. If it hasn%26#39;t been too hot inland, Santa Cruz and the rest of Monterey Bay usually are sunnier than the coast farther up the Peninsula.

Muir Beach, near Muir Woods, north of SF is a very pretty cove with a beach for sitting and looking at the ocean. It doesn%26#39;t offer the panoramic view of the Pacific that you would get at Pacifica or Santa Cruz though.

You don%26#39;t mention swimming, but in case someeone who reads this is considering it, bear in mind that the water here is cold. The ocean temperature is pretty consistently around 55 degrees F, give or take a few. It%26#39;s generally about 10 degrees colder than the ocean near LA. My kids grew up here and they generally wear shorty wetsuits if they%26#39;ll be in the waves for any length of time.

Mostly we just want to lay around on the beach, get some sun, and relax and take in some beautiful beachside scenery. Swimming is not that important to us--I figured the water would be too cold for that anyhow. Thank you for all of the recommendations!

Again go down to Monterey/Carmel or Santa Cruz. SF is not a beach town, nor is the Marin Coast unless it is extremely hot. The farther down the coast the warmer the water- plus Monterey adn Carmel are very scenic. Whenever I have firends or relatives visiting I head in this direction, and I%26#39;m 4th Gen Native.

* ';Mostly we just want to lay around on the beach, get some sun, and relax and take in some beautiful beachside scenery.'; *

Actually, since you%26#39;re from Minnesota, maybe a beach with temps in the 60s will seem warm to you!

Seriously, Santa Cruz is about the only one I can think of. S.F.%26#39;s Ocean Beach is not particularly scenic for laying out. It%26#39;s scenic to see from Land%26#39;s End or the Cliff House, but when you actually get out on the beach, it%26#39;s pretty ordinary. And as everyone said--brrrr. Plus it has a treacherous undertow that takes several lives each year. Other than a few restaurants, you won%26#39;t find the beach resort amenities you may be mentally associating with California.

For those, you need to go to Santa Cruz, which has warmer weather, miles of beaches, the boardwalk (not a thrill ride theme park, but an old-fashioned Coney Island kind of place), a wharf with shops, restaurants, and sea lions, and a surfing museum.

I%26#39;m a native San Franciscan of more years than I want to publicize, and I can recall actually going into the ocean farther than knee-high one time in my life. It was in Santa Cruz, and I was a little kid.

Simba says: ';A famous Taco Bell is on the beach...in fact, I was watching something on the Travel Channel about the top 10 fast food places in the world, and the Linda Mar Taco Bell was one of the top 10.';

Sometimes the parking lot at that Taco Bell looks like the county fairgrounds. :D . I go to Pacifica a lot, but seldom to Linda Mar. If I want to go to the beach, it%26#39;s usually Sharp Park or Rockaway. Don%26#39;t ask me why--maybe because Linda Mar is often busier.

If our visitor wants to see high tides, Sharp Park pier is the place. It%26#39;s a quarter mile long and people fish from it, and you can walk right out over the ocean. Rockaway Beach has a cove where people surf, but I rarely see anyone swimming or not wearing a wetsuit. It also has much of Pacifica%26#39;s tourist industry: restaurants, pseudo-Carmel shops (the antique co-op is the best of them), and several hotels.

Pacifica is often colder than S.F. When it%26#39;s hot in the City, folks often take refuge on Pacifica%26#39;s beaches. So anyone looking to get tan rather than blue should keep on going south.

Recent article in the SF Chronicle:

Beaches

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi…

Swimming

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi…

sf to sd - Advice Please!!

we have 10 days, never been to california, no kids

couple in our 30%26#39;s

we would like to shop (anywhere but malls), take some hop-on-hop-off tours, see beaches, and cheesy touristy stuff

sf to sd - Advice Please!!

First, do a search here with the key words ';hwy 1'; or ';SF to LA'; or ';Coastal Route';, and you%26#39;ll see many threads on where to stop.

Then, read the FAQs in the Los Angeles Forums, top of the page, for tips on LA.

Then, get a book on California, with information on all the towns/cities.

Tell us your budget per night, when this trip is planned, type of hotel you enjoy (boutique, no frills, luxury?).

In order for us to help you with specifics, you need to give us some specifics.

sf to sd - Advice Please!!

trip is planned for august 1-10 (will this be safe with the fires that are occurring now?)

budget is $200 a night...what kind of hotel does that get us in California?

hope these details help in generating some advice

The only persons who are at risk due to fires are the firefighters and the property owners in those areas. Occasionally, there are traffic issues.

For $200 per night, you%26#39;ll be in a modest accommodation in the large cities. You%26#39;ll do a little better in the smaller towns. In L.A., the most expensive areas are closest to the ocean plus the city of Beverly Hills.

Here%26#39;s the link to the hop on, hop off tour in L.A.:

starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-1H1.asp

You can look up previous discussions by entering KEYWORDS in the SEARCH IN box below and to the right of the NARROW green stripe (above) and click GO.

Try KEYWORDS like:

DRIVE TO LOS ANGELES

for example

Good luck!

It%26#39;s fun to spend a couple hours in Solvang, CA. Super cheesy and touristy place just off Highway 101 between SF and LA.

http://www.solvangca.com/

You should make a stop in Monterey. Monterey Beach Resort is right on the beach--not upscale but nice, and in your price range. You can%26#39;t walk to attractions, though. Or, if you prefer, Pacific Grove has a few B%26amp;Bs that would work for you: Gosby House Inn, Old St. Angela Inn. You can walk from Pacific Grove to Cannery Row, the aquarium and other touristy things.

Carmel is wall-to-wall shopping, so you can spend time there browsing the shops and galleries.

These towns are all within minutes of each other on the Monterey Peninsula.

zits

4th of July Sant Monica

Hello,

My boyfriend and I arrive on the 3rd of July in Santa Monica. We stay here for 2 days. Is it possible to take taxi%26#39;s on the 4th of July or is it better to rent a car on this day? Are the shops open or is every thing closed? Does anyone have suggestions what to do on this day?

Thank you very much in advance.

Sylvia and Marco from The Netherlands

4th of July Sant Monica

You won%26#39;t need to go anywhere at all, the rest of the city comes to Santa Monica! Don%26#39;t leave the area!

On the night of the 3rd, there will be fireworks at about 9PM off the SM Pier. The 4th, shops on the Promenade will be open, as will bars and restaurants. If you go anywhere else in LA, you%26#39;ll find everything mostly closed.

4th of July Sant Monica

I know Marina Del Rey has some Fireworks if that is what you are looking for. Santa Monica has none

smgov.net/news/鈥om06102008.htm

Or of course you can head down to the Queen Mary in Long Beach which will host a HUGE party on the boat with the biggest fireworks show in southern california.

Thanks for you information. We actualy wanted to see something of LA, like Beverly Hills or Hollywood but when mostly everything is closed it is beter to stay in Santa Monica.

Actually SM does have fireworks on the 4th, all the private beach clubs have them, easily seen from any beach, or from the cliffs.

The 4th itself is not a day to go into town -- stay at the beach.

Thanks, we are looking forward to stay is SM.

After you%26#39;ve shopped the Third Street Promenade and the little shops on 2nd Street and strolled the Pier, head for Main Street. More shops, good beer and dining al fresco.

You will have a good time!

Thanks again for the information!!!

Sylvia,

If you and Marco are into seeing live music (rock, metal) there is a party at a local club on 14th street. It starts around 9 pm. You%26#39;ll get a good feel for ';local flavor'; instead of the tourist experience.

The information is http://www.myspace.com/theboombash.

You can also ';rsvp'; via email or phone to get 1/2 price admission via the website.

Of course if this is not your scene, I understand. : )

Enjoy your stay.

migrating existing portal

Midnight Suin Inn- Healdsburg, CA???

Comments? Anyone ever stayed there?

Midnight Suin Inn- Healdsburg, CA???

by the way-

not owned by midnight sun on hburg ave.

Midnight Suin Inn- Healdsburg, CA???

Yes we made that mistake once! Don%26#39;t bother.

Our Honeymoon

Ladies and Gentlemen can you help?

Me and my better half will be spending the final leg of our honeymoon in LA, but cannot decide on the location ie Bevely Hill, or Hollywood etc or hotel. Budget is between $2-300 a night for 3 nights. She would like to star spot and shop.

loads of the hotels seem really bad and the good ones in the wrong locations. Can anyone help

Cheers in Advance

Our Honeymoon

Will you have a car?

Within that budget, look in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica (look into the Georgian, a great honeymoon hotel).

Our Honeymoon

Also, you don%26#39;t say when. Rates reduce drastically in late September, giving you better choice of hotels.

Also look into the London on Sunset in West Hollywood and the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

I think the London wins my business!!! Website makes it look amazing

Thanks very much

London is very cool and in a nice area you can walk around to some great bars and restaurants, plus there rooftop pool is amazing

Resturants

We are taking a trip to Napa Valley in August. Any suggestions on good resturants in town?

Resturants

Terra and Cindy%26#39;s Backstreet Kitchen, they are right next door to each other! Enjoy the wine country! :)

Resturants

Market (www.marketsthelena.com) in St. Helena is excellent. They offer fresh bistro-style food perfectly created and it%26#39;s an easy-going, casual atmosphere. Service is friendly and attentive. If you have 2 in your party, it%26#39;s nice to sit at the window (the table is small, but the location enjoyable).

Tra Vigne Restaurant, Press %26amp; V Sattui are my votes!

Martini House is the best here in St. Helena - Great service, amazing food and very romantic.

Auberge du Soleil has the most amazing views. And again great food and serice.

I would suggest making reservations sooner rather than later.

Cindys has good food but she is not known for her service.

Terra is great but a little to pretencious for me.

Have fun, where are you staying?

I agree with Auberge du Soleil, it is in Rutherford. In Yountville there is REDD, Ad Hoc and Bistro Jeanty where we have enjoyed excellent meals. I also loved our meal at Tra Vigne but that was awhile ago. :)

Getting from downtown LA hotel

LA experts on this site are great! I think I%26#39;ve determined that staying in downtown LA will give me the most bang for my hotel buck--provided I can get a room there end of July beginning of August. If I do that, how hard is it to use mass transpo to get to Hollywood sights and to Santa Monica? We will have rented a car to get from San Francisco to LA and was wondering if we should keep it for the 3 days we plan to be in L.A. or rely on public transportation.

Getting from downtown LA hotel

If you already have a car you might aswell want to keep it for the additional days, it can not really be to more expensive. That said, you can easily take the subway from downtown l.a. to hollywood which is probably faster then taking the 101 fwy. There is also a expressbus provided by the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus that get%26#39;s you to Santa Monica via the # 10 fwy or you can take the Wilshire # 720 Metro Rapid Express which runs every couple of minutes and also stops in Beverly Hills

Getting from downtown LA hotel

Thanks! Is parking difficult in LA and as expensive at hotels as it is here on the east coast?

Yeah, parking will be expensive at any downtown hotel as there is not that much streetparking available and they will take full advantage of that

Hotel rates are cheaper though, so it kinda evens out.

Rest of L.A. is a carcity, so you will find plentyfull parking at all the major touristy sights and attractions

You should not have any problem finding a room downtown. Public transit to Hollywood and Santa Monica is a snap. The Red Line will take you to Hollywood. The #10 Big Blue Bus will take you to Santa Monica and is probably your best bet.

As Alex suggests, you might want to hang onto your car for at least a day or two. It is a good idea. Some parts of the city are best experienced via a car.

I%26#39;d also point out there is a lot for you to see and do in downtown, which you are probably unaware of. It might be worth your while to do a little research on this point. If you have questions, I%26#39;d be happy to help. I live downtown.

HTH

Example, I think parking at the Bonaventure hotel is close to $40 a day.

Hitch, bring on the Downtown tips--particularly the cheapeats and foodie must tips.

You can%26#39;t miss Philipe%26#39;s in downtown l.a. by Olivera street. It is a L.A.Institution and the birthplace of the french dip sandwich. Plus 10 cents coffee!!!

http://www.philippes.com/

Accomodations?

Looking for places to stay. I am looking for great pool, lively not a stuffy hotel, on or very close to beach. I have a 15 year old son with us.

Accomodations?

What is your budget? On the high end, the Montage and Surf and Sand Resort are oceanfront and gorgeous properties. If your budget is moderate, there are a couple of Best Westerns that are right across the street from each of these high end resorts.

There are also several oceanfront hotel such as the Hotel Laguna, Inn @ Laguna and the Casa Camino Hotel. :)

Accomodations?

Have a look at these hotels: Montage,Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel(Dana Point),ST Regis Monarch Beach(DAna Point),Inn at Laguna,Marriott Laguna CliffsDAna Point), Laguna Riviera,VAcation Village,Surf and Sand. These are all listed on these forums either in Laguna Beach or DAna Point forums. Dana Point is next to Laguna Beach. These are all located on the beach.

Remember everything in this area of California has a casual beach atomosphere whether expensive or inexpensive. It would be difficult to find a stuffy hotel here.

Good Luck!!

Check out the lagunabeachdotcom website for good rates, we have booked our stays at the Montage and the Casa Laguna Inn through this site. :)

zits

Cats

Looking to move or visit Benicia?

Benicia is a great little town with a lot of charm. It was voted one of the top 100 places to live by money magazine! You will love it here.

Visit www.CityofBenicia.com to get more information about Benicia and meet other citizens of Benicia. At CityofBenicia.com you can read news, see photos, videos, discussions and interact with other members to learn more about Benicia and what it has to offer. See you there!

Looking to move or visit Benicia?

I agree that the historic town of Benicia, loc%26#39;d at the far southwestern end of Solano County, is very charming and often overlooked since visitors tend to gravitate towards the more glitzy and well-known Napa Valley to the north. Benicia is a great, relaxed destination for spending a day visiting the boutique stores and antique shops along First St. A number of artists and craftspeople also have their studios and workshops in town. There%26#39;s an ongoing Farmers Market (April-Oct.) and an annual fireworks display and special 4th of July event in the park. Downtown and the residential neighborhoods still have beautiful old buildings and homes, and walking around I have the feeling of being in an ideallic ';small town, USA';! The town is situated on the water between San Pablo Bay and Suisan Bay and the waterfront location just adds to Benicia%26#39;s attractiveness. It%26#39;s a very nice, picturesque little town--and people are quite friendly there, too. Thanks, Maria, for spotlighting it!

Time to get through LAX immigration to make another flight?

Hi all,

I will be travelling to Los Angeles from Sydney, Australia on Monday 26th January 2009. The flight is with China Airlines and arrives from a stopover in Taipei at 6:50pm.

We then want to continue onto New York that same night and there are two options:

AirTran leaving at 9:57pm and arriving at LaGuardia

US Airways leaving at 10:30pm arriing at Newark

Ideally, we would like to do the Airtan flight due to it being cheaper and the fact we are staying closer to La Guardia.

So is the 3 hours and 7mins enough time to get through customs, collect baggage and then check-in for the flight to New York?

Any assistance/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark

Time to get through LAX immigration to make another flight?

You%26#39;re fine with the 9:57 flight, it should be enough time.

Time to get through LAX immigration to make another flight?

Keep in mind that the onward flight is a domestic one so you need to be at Air Tran only about an hour before departure -- 8:57. That will give you about 2 hours to get through immigration and customs which is plenty of time. You will have to change terminals, through. This should help:

http://www.lawa.org/lax/terminalmap.cfm

thanks for you help...in addition:

what are peoples opinions about going Airtran over US Airways? Is the saving on the flight worth it? Or are they more likely to have delays...i have read some negative reviews of both and can%26#39;t decide.

thanks again,

mark

Since these are overnight flights, there is probably not much difference in service between the two airlines. (I used to be an elite flyer on US Airways, and I can tell you that their level of service is now consistent with any budget airline.)

I am not sure that these are non-stops for these routes and airlines. Given the length of your trip, you may want to make sure that these are non-stops (not the same thing as ';direct%26#39; which may include a stopover). You may get a better selection of non-stops by checking out flights to JFK, which is linked to Manhattan by subway lines and a bus to Grand Central.

You said that you will be staying close to La Guardia. If that means that you will be staying in one of the eastern parts of NYC (e.g., Queens, Brooklyn), then by all means fly to La Guardia. If you will stay in Manhattan, it won%26#39;t make that much difference whether you fly to Newark, La Guardia or JFK. All airports have affordable transportation options into Manhattan.

Looking for a tour. Travelling alone

Hi Folks,

I have a big problem. I am from Spain and I was going to travel to California in September with a friend. Today, she has told me that she%26#39;s not coming because of money. I really want to go but I wouldn%26#39;t like to travel on my own.

Do you know any company which organises tours? One of my friends has told me about kontiki. Do you recommend it to me? I am 33 years old

Billion tks for your help.

Looking for a tour. Travelling alone

Specifically, what cities are you interested in visiting in California? What attractions would you like to see?

Looking for a tour. Travelling alone

I would like to see Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Alcatraz, Grand Canyon...I am planning to be there about 10-12 days.

British travel agencies put together several tours such as you describe and people from the UK are using them all the time.

Perhaps if you go to the UK forum someone there can put you onto a good one. Those of us who live in California don%26#39;t really know much about these kinds of tours.

http://tinyurl.com/4rz2gh

I did a tour similar to this Trek America tour http://www.trekamerica.com/tours/w1l.html a few years ago, %26amp; loved it. I enjoy camping %26amp; I liked the smaller group atmosphere. I was 32 when I did the tour %26amp; travelling by myself.

Contiki tours can attract a lot of younger travellers who like to party.

If you do a 7 day tour, you will have a few days before %26amp; after in LA %26amp; San Francisco. When travelling by myself, I like to stay in Hostels as I get to meet people. I prefer Hostelling International hostels as they are a bit quieter. http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/index.shtml

pues chica, a mi me paso lo mismo... o sea quieres venir conmigo????

Thaks a lot for your help. I already found some people and I am finally travelling to California in October :)

did u find a group or some of your friends are travelling with you? me i didnt find anyone, and i am going on my own... i am flying in the middle of september...

good luck

Hi Sara!

I found a group of 4 people. Enjoy your trip! For sure, you will meet a lot of people.

Our first day plans, any suggestions or alterations?

We will arrive at LAX around 12noon. We will be getting a rental car. Does this take long?

We were going to drive up to Santa Monica Pier and have a late lunch and walk or bike or take the tram to Venice Beach. Is this a long walk, about how long?

After the beaches we will be checking into our hotel ,The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Then we wanted to drive up to Malibu and have dinner and watch the sunset. We have two children 11 and 14, do you have any suggestions on dining options with teens where we would be able to watch the sunset while we eat? Do you need reservations? We would prefer something casual, mid price or less, but nice.

I read that Zuma beach was beautiful, should we check it out?

Does this seem reasonable for one day?

How long will it take to drive up to Malibu from Our hotel (Hyatt Regency Century Plaza).

What time is sunset?

Thank you for any advice

Our first day plans, any suggestions or alterations?

If you arrive at Lax by noon, considering there will be no delays, picking up your bags, your car and driving to Santa Monica, by the time you will be at the pier it will be easily 2.30/3pm. Taking in some late lunch by the pier is a great idea. You can take easily just drive to Venice(walking might be a little much for kids your age) and enjoy the scenery there.

By the time you reach your hotel it will be 6/7 pm, so i would take in Malibu another day. You can have lunch at Gladstones for fish which is perfect with kids your age, drive along the coast and spent a nice day at Zuma Beach

Our first day plans, any suggestions or alterations?

That%26#39;s a lot of zigzagging. How about checking into your hotel when you arrive, then set out to Santa Monica? You can then go to Malibu for dinner, I would suggest Duke%26#39;s so you can be on the beach, or even Charthouse (which isn%26#39;t as far north, and just minutes from The Pier). These aren%26#39;t necessarily mid-price, nothing on the beach is, but they have burgers and things, too. Reservations are not required but expect about an hour wait for a table (I don%26#39;t think they take reservations). Sunset is about 8PM, depending on when you%26#39;re here...

If you want to drive further north, toward Zuma, there%26#39;s a great restaurant with the best view called The Sunset, in Paradise Cove. Reservations are required. The drive will be lovely.

Walking from Santa Monica to Venice takes about 30 minutes. A bike is fun, the tram is not recommended. If you walk, stay off the bike path, stay on the pedestrian path (clearly marked). My pet peeve is the tourists who walk on the bike path, 4 across, it%26#39;s extremely dangerous for all.

Driving from Century Plaza to the Pier is about 20 minutes. Malibu is about 20 minutes north of the Pier, more if there%26#39;s traffic (can take an hour).

With your original idea I think you could easily be in Santa Monica by 1:30. It takes only 15 mins to catch a shuttle, pick up your car and be on your way. Also 15 mins at baggage claim, and 20 minutes for the drive, 10 mins for parking etc. Make sure all your luggage fits in the trunk, don%26#39;t park with an SUV full of luggage-in-view.

How many days do you have in total? Because it seems you should take one full day for Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Malibu.

LA traffic can be pretty bad, especially during the weekdays, so you should allot extra time.

My rec for Malibu is Malibu Seafood, right off of Pacific Coast Hwy. It is a seafood shack right across from the beach. You order at the window and then sit at a picnic table with a very nice view of the ocean. It%26#39;s pretty cheap, and you can get out of there under $20 per person.

The other rec is Paradise Cove, if you have teenagers. The food is so-so, but the beach is very nice. You can sit outside and order drinks while the kids get into the water.

I agree with yogachik%26#39;s suggestion. It will take 30 mins or so to get out of the airport with your bags. Maybe more. Then you have to take a shuttle to the car rental place, so 10 mins. Then it takes about 15 mins to get your car. So say you%26#39;re ready to go around 1:30pm. It will take you 20-30 mins to get to Santa Monica and park. I would recommend to head to Main Street part of Santa Monica first and have lunch at Rose Cafe. Then walk around Main St for a bit. So it%26#39;ll be around 4pm when you%26#39;re done. Head to the Promenade and Pier for a couple hrs. Then drive to dinner in Malibu at Duke%26#39;s around 7pm after traffic dies down. Malibu is only 20-30 mins from Santa Monica. From your hotel, it will take over an hour, so take advantage of being in SM and have dinner in Malibu that first night and head to your hotel after dinner.

I would still suggest to do Malibu another day. Zuma Beach is 50+ Miles from Santa Monica. Make a great beachday out of it. It sure will not dissapoint

50 miles???? I think you%26#39;ve gotten hold of a bad map! 50 miles puts you up into Ventura, almost to Carpinteria!

Google puts Zuma Beach roughly 20.4 miles from Santa Monica, and a 34 minute drive along PCH (traffic favorable, lol).

Guess i was wrong, still think i would keep Malibu and Zuma Beach for another day and make it a great excursion day away from the city

4th July LA/Santa Monica/Venice

HI

What is the best thing to do on 4th July in the LA/Santa Monica/Venice area?

We are in town at the time and want to find somewhere fun to celebrate!

4th July LA/Santa Monica/Venice

If you want a wild and crazy party, I would recommend Hermosa Beach. It%26#39;s south of Santa Monica %26amp; Venice, but it%26#39;s wild. It%26#39;s all day festivities there ... but beware Parking is a huge pain in the butt! You usually have to park in a lot far away and they have shuttles that will drop you off on Pier Avenue.

They have tons of house parties and everyone is really friendly and you will probably get invited to a ton of them (especially if you are a girl) Lots of volleyball going on the beach ect ... just a big party all day and all night. Be warned that at nighttime the lines will all start forming at the local bars around town.

It%26#39;s fun %26amp; chaos if that%26#39;s what you are looking for. You can also see fireworks over on the Redondo Beach Pier(1 mile away)

Also they shoot fireworks in Marina del Rey that you may be able to see from Venice Beach ...

Be safe, and don%26#39;t drink %26amp; drive. It%26#39;s not worth it!

4th July LA/Santa Monica/Venice

Thanks bebe.

We don%26#39;t have a car at the moment and Hermosa is a bit far for us to ride to on our bikes. Could probably manage public transport there but what are taxi%26#39;s like on 4th july to get home? If they are like trying to catch one in London on NewYears eve in the rain then perhaps i%26#39;ll give it a miss!

I noticed they had a sign on SM pier saying no fireworks this year? Does anyone know the reason for that?

citychick,

There have not been fireworks in Sant aMonica for a while. Ther eason they post signs is that every year, groves of people, mostly out of towners, line up along Ocean Avenue expecting fireworks. If Hermosa is too far, Marina Del Rey is your best bet.

Thanks guys x

Happy 4th July

cc x x

Venice is having their 100th year Anniversary of muscle beach and there is a muscle builders contest on the beach today.

If you like to rock, we%26#39;re having a jamming party at 14 Below in the evening in S.M. the info is here:

http://www.myspace.com/theboombash

If you call 310-203-1527 or email from the site (above) you can rsvp and get 1/2 price admission ($5). It%26#39;s going to be a pretty fun and silly night. That is if you like hard rocking music and the club scene.

The Hollywood Bowl always has a fun 4th of July Fireworks show and concert and you can easily reach it by public transportation

www.hollywoodbowl.com

Venice Pier does fireworks. And there%26#39;s bars all around to hang out afterward.

cool computer mouse

Help planning our visit

My husband and I will be visiting in late July and would love some help with our planning. We are arriving on Saturday and leaving on Wednesday.

We want to do Napa or Sonoma one day. We really aren%26#39;t sure the which one as we don%26#39;t really know the difference and we also aren%26#39;t sure if we should book a tour or do it ourselves (we are renting a car). If a tour, which one there are so many?

We are staying a Pacifica this is already set so we can%26#39;t change that. We are definitely willing to do public transportation into the city but are a little overhelmed with by the best ways to do so with so many options (BART, cable cars, buses etc).

We would love to do a nice dinner with a beautiful view one night as we will be celebrating my birthday and a five year anniversary. We were thinking maybe Cliff House or Beach Chalet for this? Do we need to drive to this area or is a public transportation a option for out here? Or is there some where else we should be considering?

Some of our highlights we are interested in doing are Tibourn/Sausalito area, Boulevard Restaurant, Rogue Restaurant, Chinatown, Union Square, Ferry Building on Saturday maybe?

Also, we would love some info on nightlife, what do, what are safe areas? We not really into ';clubbing'; but love great places with good drinks and music. What about public transportation at night?

Sorry I know that%26#39;s a lot of questions any info you can provide would be great!

Help planning our visit

For your anniversary dinner, the Cliff House would be the better choice. Beach Chalet is a nice place for a casual lunch or dinner, but doesn%26#39;t have the same ambience as the Cliff House. There are a couple of parking lots available near Cliff House so you shouldn%26#39;t have issues finding a space.

As far as transportation from Pacifica, there are a couple of options depending on how you plan to spend the day.

An option is to drive and park your car at the Daly City BART station %26amp; then, take the train into San Francisco (approximately, 15-20 min ride into Powell Station in San Francisco). Union Square is just a few blocks away. From there, it is a quick walk to Chinatown or you can hop back on the train and get off at the Embarcadero Station to visit the Ferry Building.

If you plan to spend a few hours at the Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf/Pier 39, I would drive and park the car in the lot. Also, street parking is available at Golden Gate Park.

Help planning our visit

it might be nice for the anniversary and birthday meal to take a trip to wine country and have a nice dinner at one of the vinyards. Here is some information on that:

On the San Francisco Sightseeing/Gray Line Wine Country Tour, discover Napa Valley, Sonoma and all that the Northern California wine country has to offer. This full-day winery tour departs from San Francisco. From the beautiful scenery to the famous wineries of California’s wine region, Sonoma and Napa counties’ Mediterranean climate makes them the premium wine-grape growing provinces of North America. You will experience Napa and Sonoma to the fullest with this tour. Visit both large scale/high tech and small boutique wineries as you learn about wine production and techniques and enjoy wine tasting and winery tours. Lunch opportunities abound at either Sonoma’s historic Town Square or Yountville’s rustic Vintage 1870- a collection of 30 specialty shops and galleries.

www.graylinesanfrancisco.com

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

It sounds like a wonderfui trip. If you like tours, then by all means take a tour of the wine country. If you enjoy driving and taking your time, you can easily drive to the wine country from Pacifica with your rental car. You don%26#39;t need to see everything - choose a few wineries that you would like to check out, make a lunch reservation, and you will have a relaxing, beautiful day.

One of my ';visitor favorites'; in Napa Valley includes Niebaum Coppola Winery (owned by Francis Ford Coppola). There are several other very large wineries on that road that are easy to check out. There are many great restaurants - I like Bistro Jeanty (casual French), Bouchon by Thomas Keller, Tre Vigne, and many others.

The Sonoma Valley is also beautiful. It is closer and perhaps less straight forward for a visitor. Healdsburg is a popular town, and the wine country close to it - Alexander Valley - but it may be a little less visitor oriented than the Napa Valley. The town of Sonoma is charming, but not on the same route as Healdsburg. My favorite restaurant there is Della Santina%26#39;s in Sonoma.

Since you are staying in Pacifica - I would also spend one day in Marin County with your car. You will cross the Golden Gate Bridge where you can park on the far side of the bridge and take photos. Then check out Muir Woods (ancient redwood grove), and the towns of Mill Valley, Tiburon and Sausalito. There are lots of places to eat on the water in Tiburon and Sausalito and Mill Valley also has great restaurants.

In the summer, there is a tremendous amount of fog that comes and goes in Pacifica. If you wake up one morning and you are socked in - that%26#39;s the day to head to the wine country or Marin County and get out of the fog.

Have a great trip.

Don%26#39;t bother with either the Cliff House or Beach Chalet for a memorable night. Go over to Sausalito or Tiburon- take the Ferry and relax. Or do Boulevard, and walk along the Embarcadero. My personal favorite restaurant for a special night is Foreign Cinema, they have great food and play old black %26amp; white movies on the walls, like Casablanca.

The only problem is you%26#39;re staying in Pacifica, and you%26#39;ll need either a cab or a bus to BART, and then back again. BART closes at midnight so it might be a damper on your night, so an expensive cab ride might entail.

Why did you pick Pacifica? Its out of the general area with nothing of interest close!

If you like staying right by the beach, Pacifica is a great place to stay. It%26#39;s mostly a quiet bedroom community for SF, but all the hotels are either directly on the beach, or within a few blocks of the beach. Pacifica is only a 15-20 minute drive from downtown SF, so it won%26#39;t add much extra driving time if you start your trips from here.

At the end of July, it can be a bit foggy in the mornings and evenings, though.

The closest BART station is Colma, although the Daly City BART station is only a few minutes drive past Colma on I-280 heading into SF. Service is a little more frequent at Daly City, so you might want to use that station rather than Colma. Bus service from Pacifica into SF stinks, and I%26#39;m afraid cable cars are non-existent here.

You also might want to consider driving down to Half Moon Bay, which is a 20 minute drive south of Pacifica on Hwy 1. It%26#39;s a quaint little town with lots of little stores and shops along Main Street.

In Pacifica, the best restaurant is probably Nona%26#39;s Kitchen in the Pedro Point Shopping Center at the south end of Pacifica. It%26#39;s small and loud, but the food is great. And of course, we have our famous Taco Bell on the Beach - one of the top 10 fast food joints in the world, according to the Travel Channel.

(That loser town SF didn%26#39;t have any top 10 fast food joints.)

I reread your questions and I thought I would give you a few more suggestions. Since you are married five years and celebrating your anniversary, you are probably not retirement age. Therefore, I would skip the bus wine country tours and drive to the Napa Valley in my rental car.

In the Napa Valley, definitely check out Niebaum Coppola. The other ';visitor'; oriented wineries include Sterling Vineyards which is at the far end of the Napa Valley that has an aerial tram that takes you across their vineyard. (you can skip it if you don%26#39;t have time to go all the way up) Also, Beringer is a classic old time large winery. Domaine Chandon is a beautiful location for Champagne production. If you are really interested in wine production, then take a winery tour when you are there. If not, don%26#39;t worry about it.

There are a couple of great little markets that everyone likes to check out when they are in the Napa Valley. The first is Oakville Grocery which has sandwiches and wines and is a Napa Valley classic. The second is the modern New York market, Dean and Deluca. I like them both - worthwhile if you need a sandwich or something to drink.

As you plan your Napa trip, keep in mind that the main road through the valley is busy and hard to cut across. So plan to stop at the places you want to explore (in order) on the East side of the road on your way up, and the West side on your way down. That will save a lot of aggravation.

For your ';view'; anniversary dinner - take a look at the websites of Caprice in Tiburon, Scoma%26#39;s in Sausalito, and maybe Spinnaker in Sausalito. All have spectacular views. If you go to Scoma%26#39;s - call (Roland the owner) in advance, and tell them that it is your anniversary and you are coming from Kansas City and that you would like to see if there is a spot in the front waterview room. If not, choose one of the other restaurants. The Spinnaker is very large, so again call (Nelson the manager) and see if you can get a table by the window for your anniversary. Caprice is very small, so all the tables have a view. I am not sure how expensive Caprice is - it could be too much - check the website. Happy anniversary.

zits

Artesa

Is it best to do this one first thing in the morning or make it the last stop of the day?

Artesa

Cougwife,

Artesa has a wonderful view, which is often obscurred by summertime fog in the early morning hours.

We%26#39;d suggest a visit anytime after the fog burns off (each day it%26#39;s different).

Good question! :)

-The Innkeepers

Napa Old World Inn

Artesa

We visited in the late afternoon and the views were gorgeous from the top of the steps. This is a beautiful winery with lots of fountains, art work, etc. Lots more to do and see than just wine tasting here! Enjoy your time in the wine country! :)

Sheraton Park (Anaheim) to Newport Beach

Hi looking for help!

My wife and I are visiting California in Oct this year staying at the Sheraton Park, Anaheim.

We have 1 spare day and wondering how realistic it would be to travel from our hotel to Newport beach by taxi or other some other mode of transport that still gives us the flexibility to come and go as we please. We are not hiring a car for this trip and don鈥檛 want to for just 1 day!

Q1 - According to the Sheraton website the hotel is 29km/18m from Newport but we are not sure how much this journey would cost or how long it would take by taxi?

Q2 鈥?Are taxis safe?

Q3 鈥?Can anyone suggest another way of making this journey (public transport? a Newport equivalent to the Anaheim ART Trolley which only goes as far as Garden Grove Boulevard?

Thanks everyone in advance for your reply鈥檚!

S

Sheraton Park (Anaheim) to Newport Beach

Newport Beach is a large area to visit after you arrive without a car. If you wanted to visit say the area around Balboa Pier which is popular then you could use:

1. taxi, yellow cab fare=$2.49/1/4 mile then 0.65/mile thereafter duration around 30minutes

2. bus: www.octa.net use trip planner It would take you around 1.5hrs.

If you do visit BAlboa Pier area then there is the Pavilon and the fun zone in this area with alot of shops and reataurants. There is a ferry there which will take you to Balboa Island which is another nice place to walkaround.

The beaches around the pier are excellent swimming beaches.

Hope that this helps get you started.

Enjoy!!

Sheraton Park (Anaheim) to Newport Beach

By taxi, it will cost:

1. $2.49 for the first 1/4 mile +

2. .65 cents/mile x 18 miles = $11.70 +

3. waiting time (50 cents per minute for each minute that the taxi is stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic.Part of the tripp is via motorway (freeway) but part of it is on regular roads with traffic lights. Adding 5 minutes of waiting time x 50 cents per minute = $2.50

4. Plus tip (15 percent) = $3

Total ONE WAY fare: about $20

For the $40 you%26#39;ll spend (return), you could hire a car for the day and be able to explore a variety of beach communities. The drive is really easy -- just 2 roads! It takes about 30 minutes. Here%26#39;s a map:

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/5-p42BjsoA

By bus, it will take 90 minutes, each way (that%26#39;s 3 hours on buses for the day).

Hire car OR Taxi ??

Going to Los Angeles in November for my 3Oth and staying in Anahiem for 3 days. Was just wondering what is the best idea for me.

Wanting to spend 1 day at disney, 1 day at universal and 1 day Hollywood, redo drive etc. Possibally one eveing seeing a spors event

Whats the best paln for me,

1) To hire a car for the full 3 days i`m there from the airport

2) Taxi/ Shuttle to hotel (whats the cost ?)

and whats the driving like in LA. 10ys licence in the UK will that stand me in good sted?

Hire car OR Taxi ??

Have a look at www.mapquest.com to understand the LA Metro area. Disney is located in Anaheim which is in Orange County. This is about 1 hour drive(more with traffic) from the LA Airport.

Both Universal and Hollywood are together and about 1 hour(more with traffic) from Anaheim.

Since you want to spend more time in Hollywood then it might be better to stay in the Hollywood area then communte to Disneyland on the day of visit.

If it doesn%26#39;t bother you driving on the opposite side of the road then definitely rent a car. It will give you more flexibility in sightseeing. Driving is not bad in LA as long as you drive during the non commute hours.(10am-2pm)

Shuttle website: www.supershuttle.com

Cheers!!

Hire car OR Taxi ??

You%26#39;ll have to hire a car, a taxi won%26#39;t take you those distances - or, if they do, it will cost about 5 times the price of a car for that day.

Universal and Hollywood can be seen the same day. Please read our FAQs at the top of the LA Forums for more detailed answers to your question.

Do look at our FAQs section (the link is at the top of the TOPIC LIST). There, you will find an ';overview map'; of the greater L.A. metro area which will show you how far apart Anaheim is from L.A. (and how spread out L.A is)

It%26#39;s not practical to stay near DL for your entire holiday if you don%26#39;t plan to go to the park more than one day. Anaheim exists solely as a resort area for (largely) families visiting DL. Unless you LOVE kids and want to see their multitudes running through your hotel lobby and jumping up and down on their seats in the restaurants, you%26#39;re better off staying elsewhere for your holiday.

In addition, nightlife in Anaheim is, largely, %26#39;family oriented%26#39;. If you stay in Hollywood or along the Sunset Strip, there will be dozens of places that you can visit if you want to grab a drink and talk to some fellow adults.

It%26#39;s important to decide which areas of L.A. you will be visiting. The city is EXTREMELY spread out (not unlike London) but we don%26#39;t have a public transit system like London -- only about 1/3 of the city is served by metro rail.

If you only plan to explore Hollywood, Universal %26amp; Disneyland, you can do it by rail and metro rail (pretty easily). Look at our FAQs section, under AMUSEMENT PARKS and you%26#39;ll see transfer directions from Hollywood via red line metro rail and then, above ground train, and then a short taxi ride. The transfer takes about the same time as driving (especially, when you add in the %26#39;wait time%26#39; going into the DL car park and the transfer time from your parking space to the entrance gates to the park). The public transit option will drop you close to the park%26#39;s entrance.

If, however, you are looking to explore some other areas like Santa Monica (on the sea) or one of the Getty hilltop Museums, than having a car comes in handy.

So,, study hard, decide what you will be visiting, pick a neighborhood you%26#39;d like to stay in (see NEIGHBORHOODS in the FAQs section) and then post a new question.

Best bars and restaurants on Pacific Avenue and vicinity

We are three girls in our early 30ties going on a road trip down the coast. We%26#39;ll stay two nights in Santa Cruz on July 7 and 8 within walking distance of Pacific Avenue, that I have heard boasts the best night life in the city. What places should we go to for dancing and dining? Think more Marvin Gaye, Manu Chao than Metallica..

Also, on completely different note, what is the Mystery Spot really like? We have a tight schedule and I was just wondering if it is worth spending time on?

Best bars and restaurants on Pacific Avenue and vicinity

We don%26#39;t really have dance clubs here. Check out the schedule for the Catalyst, they have live bands and dance nights too. For dining I enjoy Rosie McCann%26#39;s, it%26#39;s a Irish pub on Pacific Ave, up a long flight of stairs, 2nd floor. Also the El Palomar, which serves really good Mexican and makes the best margaritas on the rocks.

The Mystery Spot is this small cabin up a very steep hill in the woods. Gravity is supposed to change there, like balls rolling up hill, and the perspective of things is weird as a 6%26#39; person looking the same height as a 5%26#39; person. It takes an hour. I%26#39;ve been there twice, it%26#39;s OK and fun, but I%26#39;ve left feeling a little nausea from the experience.

server

Weather and hotel in October

Hi%26#39;

I%26#39;m visiting San Diego in October (the airshow at Miramar).

But what weather (approx. degrees) to expect, and do you know of any good hotels central to the base. And is the area around the base safe ?

Best regards

Tomales

Weather and hotel in October

The weather during October is usually our best of the year (September is the only month that typically has better weather) - mid 70%26#39;s, and the majority of visitors are gone so it will be less crowded.

The area of the base is safe, but it%26#39;s not a particularly central area in which to stay, and it%26#39;s not one of the prettier areas of San Diego. You will need a rental car if you are planning to visit the Miramar Air Show, as the public transportation in the area is very minimal.

If you want to stay nearby, I would recommend the area around UTC (University Town Center), as it%26#39;s a nice area with lots of restaurants, a nice mall, and several hotels, including a Marriott, Embassy Suites, and several others relatively close. You could also stay in Mission Valley/Hotel Circle, as that%26#39;s not too far away from Miramar (as long as you have a car), but more centrally located. Again, not a pretty area, and quite congested with traffic, but many hotels in all price ranges from which to choose.

What is your price range and desired amenities, how many people - and will you have a car? That will allow us to help you further with accomodations.

Weather and hotel in October

Here are some further details:

We are 2 persons travelling together and will rent a car at the airport so a little distance doesn%26#39;t matter.

';Normal'; price limit is USD 150. Prefer some shopping options nearby.

Thank you for answers.

Why not stay at a Vagabond Inn? The one in Hotel Circle is not far from the airport, near Old Town, and LOTS of shopping is nearby. You can be in Hillcrest is up the hill within a couple minutes for more shopping and good dining, and Balboa Park is just a minute or so past Hillcrest.

You%26#39;d be next to an interstate freeway for east-west travel and the I-5 is less than a minute away for north-south trips (going south to downtown or north to La Jolla, Laguna Beach, etc).

I used to live in a condo on Hotel Circle South, and the location is great!

Best of all, the rates for October are under $100.00/night (as low as the high 60%26#39;s!).

When visiting S.D. every year now, I always stay at the Vagabond Inn in Point Loma or at the Dolphin Motel (also in Point Loma), so I know Vagabond Inns are nice, clean, and a great value.

http://www.vagabondinn.com/