14 days US trip (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco: rent, amusement park, hotel)

[wgoipeng]

Hi, my husband, 4year old son and I are going to the US end of Oct this year to the first week of Nov. Our port of entry is LA and exit wil be from SFO. We intend to go to LA, Sab Diego, Vegas, grand Canyon, maybe Yosimite and SFO. Except for our ports of entry and exit, we are flexible on where to go. Any suggestions? We want themeparks for our 4 year old son and would love to see nature. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[bhcompy]

In the San Diego Area:
-San Diego Wild Animal Park will give you a touch of both nature and amusement.
-San Diego Zoo and Sea World are both world class venues.
-Legoland is a nice, very clean amusement park near San Diego. It can be done in less than a day, but it is very suited for younger kids, especially if they can swim as there is a portion of the park that is setup as a waterpark.

In the LA area:
-Disneyland and California Adventure Park are great for young kids, but also fairly busy. A midweek date would be best to visit.
-Knotts Berry Farm has a nice kids area, is cheaper than Disney, but also smaller.
-Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear may have snow and are great "nature" areas.

In the SFO area:
-Monterey Bay Aquarium is a very nice aquarium.

In the Las Vegas area:
-The Excalibur, New York New York, and Circus Circus casinos have the most robust midways for kids.
-Hoover Dam is one of the most significant feats of engineering in US history and Lake Mead(formed by the dam) offers water recreation.

There's a lot more than I'm posting, but I'd say that covers the most major things. Yosemite and the Grand Canyon are definitely worth it. If you do hit the Grand Canyon, you may want to check out the national and state parks in southern Utah, which I think are some of the best in the US. Zion is the closest and near to St George, Utah. Bryce and Glen Canyon are also closeby. There are hikes, offroad vehicle adventures, camping, water recreation, and even dinosaur and geode activities. Keep in mind if desert/arid landscapes aren't your thing, these areas may not be worth the trip. I would say that Utah has some of the most amazing geologicial features I've ever seen though.

[wgoipeng]

Thanks a lot for the inputs. I was told tho that we can omit Yosimite and go to Utah instead. What do you think? Is our schedule doable? Thanks again.

[kettlepot]

No, I'm sorry your schedule is NOT doable. Even omitting Yosemite does not make it doable. There's is no way you will be able to drag a 4 year old child around on all these sightseeing trips without a series of MAJOR MELTDOWNS. Not to mention that you as adults, who are the parents of a 4 year child who is having a series of Major Meltdowns, will not be able to keep up with this schedule. Your best bet is to cut back.

Given your entry and exit points (LA & SF), personally I would omit Las Vegas, Utah, and the Grand Canyon. They are all beautiful and exciting places to see, but the driving to get there will take too much time. Driving to Las Vegas from Los Angeles is 6 hours. There is no way your 4 year old will be able to really do anything once you get there. Bam! One whole day lost to travel. Then there is a drive out to Hoover Dam, and maybe you get to the parks in southern Utah. Another day. Will you spend any time there? Or just get back into your car and drive to the Grand Canyon, get out of the car, look at it for 15 minutes, and Bam! Back into the car to look for a motel for the night. Where is the time you need to just sit back and recuperate after all of this driving around? Where is the time to spend just looking upon these wonders, either natural or man-made?

I would stick to California. Do the theme parks in LA & SD. Go up to Yosemite or Sequoia for a few days of nature and a few days without driving. You will NEED a few days without driving - believe me on this point. Then head back to SF, spend some time in the city or drive along the coast, such as Marin and Point Reyes park, or down the Peninsula to Santa Cruz and Carmel, and then back up to SF and fly out.

Now, if SF wasn't your already pre-determined exit point, then I might suggest dropping SF and Yosemite and doing Las Vegas, Utah, and the Grand Canyon, but you can not get all of these sights into one 14 day trip.

[Latchkey Kid]

Originally Posted by wgoipeng

Hi, my husband, 4year old son and I are going to the US end of Oct this year to the first week of Nov. Our port of entry is LA and exit wil be from SFO. We intend to go to LA, Sab Diego, Vegas, grand Canyon, maybe Yosimite and SFO. Except for our ports of entry and exit, we are flexible on where to go. Any suggestions? We want themeparks for our 4 year old son and would love to see nature. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If you figure 3 days in LA, 2 in San Diego, 1 in Vegas, 1 in the Grand Canyon, 1 in Yosemite, and 3 in SFO, you're already up to 11 days without any transit time. You didn't say what country you were coming from, but I'm wondering if you think it's a more compact area than it is. I suggest going on to Mapquest and plugging in all your destinations to get an estimate of time and distance.

[Chava61]

I suggest visiting the Hearst Castle on your drive between L.A. & San Francisco. My parents took me and my siblings there when we were children.

[stillkit]

Oh, pshaw! 14 days is plenty of time to see all that, though I think you should omit Southern Utah.

1st day: Rest and recuperate from the flight. A nice hotel near the airport would do fine for that. If you arrive early and aren't too tired, go up to Beverly Hills and do some shopping on Rodeo Dr or go to the beach at Santa Monica. Neither are too far.

2nd day: Move your base of operation to Anaheim or Santa Ana and do Disneyland. You've GOT to do Disneyland or you haven't seen it all. Forget Knotts Berry Farm as it's become just another amusement park and forget the California Experience. It's just an ersatz California anyhow and why bother when you're actually in the REAL California?

3rd day: Take a leisurely drive down the coast. I'd recommend PCH/CA-1 as far as San Clemente, where it rejoins I-5. Take a day on the beach in Laguna Beach or Dana Point. Spend the night in San Diego.

4th day: Do the zoo and/or visit the Navy base and/or Coronado, if you have the time.

5th day: Leave San Diego going east on I-8 through the mountains. If you feel like a little gambling, take in the indian casino at the top of the grade, but don't stay long. Go down the hill into the Imperial Valley and see what real desert looks like. Stop to let your child play in the sand dunes. It's a lot of fun for old and young alike. Spend the night in Yuma, AZ. If you have the time, visit the old Territorial Prison. It's right next to downtown and any local can point it out to you.

6th day: Leave Yuma and continue east on I-8 to Gila Bend, then north on AZ-85 to I-10. East to Phoenix and north on I-17 to Flagstaff. Then, take US-180 north to the Grand Canyon. Make reservations at the Grand Canyon Lodge and spend the night. Along the way, you can enjoy the scenery or stop and explore the lava flows. In any case, the whole distance is less than 400 miles, so you won't have to rush.

7th day: Spend the whole day at the Grand Canyon, but be careful not to let your child stray off the paths. It's easier to fall into the canyon than most people think. He/she might enjoy the helicopter tour of the canyon and you will too.

8th day: Leave the canyon and go down to Williams, AZ (US-180/AZ 86), then go west on I-40 to Kingman. Go north on US-93 and take all the time you want at Hoover Dam. Your child may not be impressed, but you will. Then, on to Las Vegas.

9th day: Explore Vegas. There's plenty to do for the whole family. If you or your child like roller coasters, I'd recommend the one at the top of the tower. It will scare the hell out of you all.

10th day: Leave Vegas and go south on I-15 to Barstow, then west on CA-58 to Bakersfield, then north on CA-99 to Fresno. The whole distance isn't more than 400 miles and, with a 70 mph speed limit, time won't be a factor. Visit the Ghost Town of Calico at Barstow if you want. Enjoy the cool and green of Tehachapi Pass on the way down to Bakersfield. By now, you'll all be sick of desert. Spend the night in Fresno or somewhere nearby.

11th day: Take a side trip to the Giant Sequoiah National Park if you like. It's only about 40 miles away. Then, back to Fresno and up CA-41 to Yosemite. There should be lodgings available in the West Portal area if you make reservations in advance.

12 day: See Yosemite.

13th day: Wind your way from there to SFO. The distance to travel is suprisingly short, not much more than 200 miles. If you still have any energy by then, cross the Golden Gate Bridge as a day trip or take your child to a local attraction which might interest him/her. I'm not totally up to speed on the Bay Area, but I think there's an aquarium of some kind near the airport and all little kids love fishes.

14th day: Go home. I guarantee you'll sleep soundly during the flight.

Total distance traveled during 14 days? Less than 1500 miles, which may sound like a lot, but it really isn't. And, you'll have seen all the premier attractions the western United States has to offer and it will be the experience of a liftetime.

Have fun!

[Latchkey Kid]

Originally Posted by stillkit

1st day: Rest and recuperate from the flight. A nice hotel near the airport would do fine for that. If you arrive early and aren't too tired, go up to Beverly Hills and do some shopping on Rodeo Dr or go to the beach at Santa Monica. Neither are too far.

13th day: Wind your way from there to SFO. The distance to travel is suprisingly short, not much more than 200 miles. If you still have any energy by then, cross the Golden Gate Bridge as a day trip or take your child to a local attraction which might interest him/her. I'm not totally up to speed on the Bay Area, but I think there's an aquarium of some kind near the airport and all little kids love fishes.

So you've left less than half a day each to see Los Angeles and San Francisco, provided they aren't too tired? The only things to see in LA are Rodeo Dr. or the beach? And there's just a bridge and some fishes in San Franciso? Huh?

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by Latchkey Kid

So you've left less than half a day each to see Los Angeles and San Francisco, provided they aren't too tired? The only things to see in LA are Rodeo Dr. or the beach? And there's just a bridge and some fishes in San Franciso? Huh?

LA and SF are just big cities, which I'm sure the OP has in her own country.

Sure, there are plenty of things to do in both places, but this is the trip of a lifetime for them and there's much more to see and do than just another city. Where else on earth can they see the Grand Canyon or Yosemite or Las Vegas? They want to see the real western America, things quintessentially and uniquely American, not just another mindless series of urban tourist traps.

[wgoipeng]

Thanks a lot for all the inputs. Really appreciate your suggestions. We are coming from the Philippines. Any suggestion on where or how we can rent a car for our roadtrip?