1 week roadtrip help (San Diego, Fresno, Sacramento: rental car, rental, home)

[ovi8]

Family of 4 from NY with teens never having been to the west coast so the whole purpose would be for them to see the sights. Thinking fly into SF early morning and rent a car to start the roadtrip. Would like to cover SF (hop-on / hop-off bus to cover sites), Yosemite, Big Sur (only 1 day in northern half since road toward south is closed), and LA (city plus DisneyLand) at the very least. SD is an option but may be too tired by then.

Both of us have been to SF/LA/SD and when we went, I think 1-2 days at each was more than enough, but maybe we didn't do enough? Do you think 7 days total (6 since last day is flight home) would be sufficient or would it be too rushed? If I list out the itinerary per day, it seems like almost too much? But maybe we're not doing enough? Any tips and must-see recommendations appreciated.

Day 1 fly into SF early, visit sights, stay in SF
Day 2 head toward Yosemite early, stay in Yosemite
Day 3 head toward Big Sur (northern half only), 1 day sights, stay in Big Sur (?)
Day 4 head toward LA, half day of sights
Day 5 LA DisneyLand
Day 6 LA maybe Universal, maybe beaches/Anaheim
Day 7 fly home from LA

[tstieber]

It's definitely doable if you guys are very high energy. You'll have zero downtime and will constantly be on the go. If you're okay with that, then go for it!
When is this trip though? During the summer, Yosemite can have hours of traffic jams getting into the park, which can frustrate your plans. If you're here in the fall, then you'll have better luck (and less heat).
Overall, it's a lot of driving. It's a few hours from SF to Yosemite, a few hours from Yosemite to Big Sur, and probably five hours from Big Sur to LA. Day 6 sounds s little boring IMO, and I would use that to visit San Diego bc it's much more scenic and beautiful. But I live here and am maybe biased... Or you could spend the day visiting more LA sights, of which there are many. I personally wouldn't bother with Universal Studios or Anaheim. Beaches are okay, but South OC beaches are also far more beautiful. So I'd just tweak Day Six, personally.

[ovi8]

Originally Posted by tstieber

It's definitely doable if you guys are very high energy. You'll have zero downtime and will constantly be on the go. If you're okay with that, then go for it!
When is this trip though? During the summer, Yosemite can have hours of traffic jams getting into the park, which can frustrate your plans. If you're here in the fall, then you'll have better luck (and less heat).
Overall, it's a lot of driving. It's a few hours from SF to Yosemite, a few hours from Yosemite to Big Sur, and probably five hours from Big Sur to LA. Day 6 sounds s little boring IMO, and I would use that to visit San Diego bc it's much more scenic and beautiful. But I live here and am maybe biased... Or you could spend the day visiting more LA sights, of which there are many. I personally wouldn't bother with Universal Studios or Anaheim. Beaches are okay, but South OC beaches are also far more beautiful. So I'd just tweak Day Six, personally.

We're planning August 14th week or so, hopefully some kids are back in school by then so fewer travelers. Would love to know.

South OC beaches, as in all in SD? Laguna not worth it? I was thinking the drive along the coast with various beaches and stops would be nice (maybe a little boring?). Or does it not play out as "scenic" as I'm hoping?

[Winter Coven]

Originally Posted by ovi8

We're planning August 14th week or so, hopefully some kids are back in school by then so fewer travelers. Would love to know.

South OC beaches, as in all in SD? Laguna not worth it? I was thinking the drive along the coast with various beaches and stops would be nice (maybe a little boring?). Or does it not play out as "scenic" as I'm hoping?

Beaches like Huntington, Newport, and Corona del Mar will be crowded, although if you are going to be in that part of OC, I would recommend CdM, or Bolsa Chica.

The kids might enjoy Balboa Island or you can walk along Upper Newport Bay and watch birds.

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/...ture-preserve/

South County beaches are not SD, they are in OC!

Since your time will be limited, try Crystal Cove.

And Anaheim, outside the Mousetrap, not exactly "touristy".

[evening sun]

Have you booked a place to stay in Yosemite, they sell out fast. Housekeeping camp is basic, but fun.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Winter Coven

Beaches like Huntington, Newport, and Corona del Mar will be crowded, although if you are going to be in that part of OC, I would recommend CdM, or Bolsa Chica.

The kids might enjoy Balboa Island or you can walk along Upper Newport Bay and watch birds.

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/...ture-preserve/

South County beaches are not SD, they are in OC!

Since your time will be limited, try Crystal Cove.

And Anaheim, outside the Mousetrap, not exactly "touristy".

This is perfect advice, I second that. You can skip SD if you don't want to drive that far and instead focus on those OC beaches mentioned above. Crystal Cove and Laguna Beach are insanely beautiful

[rokuremote]

Originally Posted by tstieber

This is perfect advice, I second that. You can skip SD if you don't want to drive that far and instead focus on those OC beaches mentioned above. Crystal Cove and Laguna Beach are insanely beautiful

You can't over estimate traffic. If you want to experience a beach in SoCal, pick ONE and don't bother thinking you'd drive around and hit 2 or 3. You'll spend all your time in the car and parking.

Also FYI LAUSD returns to school August 15

[MechAndy]

I would not like to be on that schedule.
That is just to much for that short period of time.
Disney and Yosemite should take about 2 days each plus or minus.
Yeah it’s probably doable but at what cost.
Does it really sound like fun to you?

[davdaven]

I can't imagine trying to fit that all into a week. If you do, I estimate having 4-5 hours per night for sleep. Expect to drive several hours per day, leaving little time for actual sightseeing. Could become a huge problem in a place like Yosemite--assuming you even find lodging--as this summer has been an access nightmare with multi-hour entry times, etc. NPS is considering going back to reservations only to manage the crowds.

If you are insistent on covering such a large part of California, I recommend cutting out either Yosemite or Big Sur. No time to reasonably see both. Otherwise I recommend visiting Northern/Central California or Southern California, not both. A single day in a place like SF or LA is really pushing it, as you need to account for traffic and other logistics. Even San Diego takes a full day to see, and traffic there is not nearly as crazy as it is in LA. Since Highway 1 is closed between Big Sur and San Simeon, maybe save that for another trip?

Consider linking Big Sur with SF as part of a coastal trip some other time. That means you could fly into Sacramento or Fresno and go straight to Yosemite, and then return to NY from LA or San Diego. You could even use one of the LA-area airports as a start and end point to avoid one-way car rental fees.

Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Las Vegas are all within reach of LA, so another option would be to save So Cal for a future spring or fall trip (when the desert weather isn't so overwhelming) and go to those places too. If you focus on Nor Cal, you could see SF, Yosemite, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, and maybe Paso Robles (which has lots of wineries like Napa, but also has the Sensorio exhibit that would be fun for the whole family).

[CalWorth]

Bring or buy camping equipment, drive your rental car north of Eureka & camp at Prairie Creek Redwoods SP and Jedediah Smith Redwoods near Crescent City. When your time is up return rental car on way to airport. You will have seen & experienced the best of CA.