California here we come

[Lex]

We leave Tuesday for our California trip. First to Yosemite, then to Big Sur/Carmel, finally to San Francisco. It should be a really good trip. We're doing the final bits of planning, then we get to see how much of the plan we actually want to stick with.

Any thoughts or ideas that anyone wants to throw into the planning mix will be appreciated and considered. Vonnegut wrote: "Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."

And we'll be in Yosemite for the full moon.

[Eric in NJ]

When we went to San Fran we took a bus trip up to the Muir Redwoods and it was great. On the way back the bus dropped us in Sausalito were we had luch and grabbed a ferry back to SF

[California Girl]

In San Francisco, check out the Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel and Grace Cathedral one block away.

Grace Cathedral


More San Francisco pix here:
http://www.pbase.com/thegripps/the_city

The Tonga Room

[Terry]

Lex,
Will you be touring any of the wine country? Will you be driving down the coast and if so, from where to where?

Will you be staying in San Fran? If so, I have some great top chef restaurants I can share with you.

Enjoy and hope to have a trip report.

[promoguy]

Here's a couple of ideas when you get to the Carmel/Monterey area. This time of year kind of keeps the overcast out.

1. The aquarium in Monterey is excellent.
2. Drive out to Pacific Grove a peninsula of Monterey.
3. For decent eats in a grand old looking restaurant try the Sardine Factory
4. For eats in Carmel try the Hog's Breath Inn. Not sure if Clint Eastwood still owns the place, but if he's around the area he might be there. Try the outside area if it isn't too chilly.
5. Mission Carmel well preserved

and if you've got time to drive down the coast to Big Sur, stop and have a lunch or a mid day bite at Nepenthe. take a rail seat and check out the magnificent coastline of California. If you're lucky you'll run into some old hippie chicks and burnt out old guys too.

[Lex]

Thanks.

I appreciate these sort of ideas. Some are things we've had in mind ourselves, but others are places we never would have given a thought to. For example, we never think about churches except when in Italy, but the cathedral looks spectacular.

No space for wine country. From Yosemite we head for Carmel for a few days. We'll get down to Big Sur, up to Monterey. Finally we'll be in San Francisco for a few day, staying at a B&B in the city. My wife's in change of the San Francisco leg of the trip. I know we have reservations at Chez Panisse. She's still working on the rest.

I'd appreciate any other thoughts anyone might have.

[jmq]

And we'll be in Yosemite for the full moon.

Sweet. They still doing those full moon tours and will you be doing it or something on your own? Any which way, hope you have mostly clear skies that night. Seeing those famous walls glowing in the moonlight is very cool, something you will not forget.

PS just googled it - looks like the organized tour runs for 4 nights up to the FM on the 23rd.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/activities_ ... ttour.aspx

[Gromit]

One of my fondest memories is the drive hubby and I took down highway 1 from San Jose to LA. The northern end of that trek was AMAZING. Every turn is like a postcard.

Hmmmm..... that has me thinking that maybe we should take a trip back there sometime in the near future