Travel advice: San Fran, Northern CA

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m considering Northern California as a travel destination for my kids’ winter vacation, which is the last week of January. However, I’d like to ask the advice of people with first-hand knowledge of the area.

Specifically, what’s the climate likely to be like? I don’t expect it to be hot like Florida or Southern California, but I’ll be satisfied as long as I’m not freezing my ass off. I’ll even be OK with rain.

I’ve heard that Yosemite National Park is not to be missed. Is it good that time of year? What are the special spots in the park? (We’re not into camping/hiking/outdoorsy stuff, but we love seeing natural wonders.) Am I going to have to miss those if I go in late Jan.?

What about the redwoods? Specifically, I know there’s somewhere where I can actually drive a car through a tunnel cut in a tree trunk. Where is that exactly, and is that accessible in late January?

In addition to answering these questions, any additional advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

2

Having lived in the immediate bay area for the past 6 years, and the greater bay area my whole life, I can tell you that the weather in late january might be anything from high 40sF-high 60sF and foggy, cloudy, sunny, or rainy. It rarely freezes here because of the fog.

I believe yosemite at that time of year would be lovely. You wouldn’t be able to see everything, as part of the park will be snowed-in, but hotel rates and tourist density are way down then. I bet you can find some good information about the park in winter at
this site. I don’t know where the drive-through redwood is, but there are some spectacular redwoods in Yosemite and in Sequoia and King’s Canyon National parks, both of which are just south of Yosemite. There are also lovely redwoods in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, and in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, which are a good few hours’ drive north of SF.

I hope some of this information helps. If you have other questions, feel free to email me (I think my email is in my profile!)

Cheers, and have a great trip!

Emily

3

Oh, and while you’re there, don’t call it “San Fran” or “Frisco.” They hate that.

4

Another great post eaten by rodents…

The redwoods are approx. 150 mi north od the gate, just off 101 - watch for a sign reading “Avenue of the Giants” - there are at least 2 drive-thrus - the meadows and river are much more interesting.

In SF,

GG Park - shoot for a sunday - the main drag is closed to traffic, there is music near the haight entrance (find the carosel - it’s a joy)

Have lunch at the Japanese Tea Garden - the arboreum (sp) is interesting, but not great.

Take Geary out to Land’s End - watch for gold-gilt onion domes near 25th Ave (Russian Orthodox Church)

When you get to land’s end:

Park in the first lot you see on the right - if you pass a little red restaurant, you’ve gone too far.

Off that parking lot is a maze of relatively easy trails - as usual, the best lie off the beaten (roped) trail (I’m a bad boy). If you look around, you will find yourselves at the top of a cliff looking down on the rocks and birds - quite isporational, esp. on a blustery day.

Once you get back to the parking lot, proceed down the street - notice the poster in the restaurant’s window (that is the place to eat, btw, not Cliff House).

The poster is of the Sutro Baths - the ruins of which you just hiked around.

Descend the stairs flanking the Cliff House, find the Camera Obscura - don’t look like much, but pay the $1 and go inside. You’ll thank me.

Get back in the car and head down the coast - you’ll see a couple of windmills - they mark the western corners of the GG park.

The zoo is interesting only for the snow leopards (use south entrance - the area is marked as “Feline Conservation” something. The cats are nocturnal, so don’t expect much.

Find Fort Point for the view of the GG Bridge (it is below the bridge, on the SF side). Get a detailed map, and look for a tiny sign marking the sole road down to it (the fort itself is a yawner, but the view is worth the trip)

For 8-15 yo kids - google san francisco exploritorium - a hands-on science exhibit for (mostly) kids - I was there once, years ago - they had on old electron microscope set up.

Other route from Geary:

25th Ave (I think) - leads to a dead-end. Turn right, look for Baker’s beach

33rd Ave - goes by Palace of the Legion of Honor - and a gorgeous drive along the cliff overlooking the Gate.

just a few high spots.

how long you planning to be here?

5

Yosemite is beatiful in winter. Well worth a trip. If you are just thinking of a day trip, then you would want to head to Yosemite Valley which is the most famous part of the park.

Remember though, this is winter in the Sierras. There will most likely be snow. As a N.Y’er I’m sure you are used to it but be forewarned about possibly freezing your ass off.

A couple of questions? Will you be renting a car? How long will you be here? What sorts of things do you and your family like to do? Generally speaking, here are some suggestions. San Francisco (The City, not, as noted by Ethilrist, San Fran or Frisco) is a beautiful amazing town, see as much of it as you can. Santa Cruz (1.5 hours south of SF) is very hip and cool. If you are particularly ambitious, rent wetsuits and surfboards and spend a day at Cowell’s beach! Also, take a drive up to the university, it sits in the mountains just above the town. Napa Valley is great fun for adults but not so much for kids.

Also, if you are interested, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are farther south than Yosemite but have way fewer people. You can even go see the “Nation’s Christmas Tree” in Kings Canyon and some of the largest (if not the largest) living organisms on earth - the giant Sequoias, and maybe even a bear.

6

Thanks, everyone, and keep 'em coming! As for your questions…

Actually, I wouldn’t have even done that here, I just didn’t want the thread title to be too long.

Yes.

5 days max, possibly less depending on when the cheap flights I saw advertised are. My school-age kids (3, 4 and 6) have vacation from Wed - Sun. If I can fly there Tues Night and fly home Sun night, that gives me the maximum amount of time. I’d also consider letting them miss Monday school if it makes a difference flight-wise.

Well, we generally like to treat the kids to a science museum, children’s museum, zoo or aquarium. We enjoy seeing off-beat specialty museums, unique natural wonders, and anything “signature” about a city (e.g., we made a point of seeing Graceland while we were in Memphis even though we’re not particularly Elvis fans, we did the Arch in St. Louis even though we’ve been in taller buildings). We also like thrill-ride type things, e.g., we did the luge at Olympic Park when we were in Calgary. We’re not into art museums.

The one thing that we definitely have on our don’t-miss list is the Winchester Mystery House which is, IIRC, in San Jose.

Also, restaurant suggestions are usually wasted on us (though I appreciate the effort, happyheathen) - unless the place you’re referring to is Kosher, in which case we’d almost certainly make use of the suggestion.

So far, with the encouraging info you guys have given me, whether or not we do this will only be a question of whether or not we can get the cheap flight.

Chaim Mattis Keller

7

If you’re going to be down in the South Bay, you should check out the Rosicrucian Egypt Museum too. It is a pretty cool little museum and it is housed at the former world headquarters of the Rosicrucian Society. All of the buildings are designed to look Egyptian (at least to never-been-to-Egypt eyes).

There is a theme park in Vallejo (Marine World Africa USA) which is northeast of San Francisco. I’ve never been so no opinion on that.

If you have a chance, Point Reyes Nat’l Seashore up in Marin County is awesome. It would be a good daytrip from San Francisco.

Yosemite is probably at least 200 miles from The City. Quite a drive if your kids are anything like mine. There is a great old hotel in Yosemite Village called the Ahwahnee. It is pretty pricey but you might be able to get a decent deal. Another option is the Wawona hotel at the south end of the park. It is an old historic hotel complex and even has a golf course across the street. It is a lot cheaper than the Ahwahnee as you can get rooms without bathrooms (you have to go down the hall). Just don’t stay in the Washburn Cottage there - it’s haunted;).

8

Winchester Mystery House is not exactly in San Jose, but close. It’s off 280 South and Winchester Ave exit - should take you about 45 minutes to an hour from SF.

I’ll second what everyone else said, except that I think Camera Obscura has already Closed down. :frowning:

You will also want to go see the Exploratorium, if you are into cool science museums. It’s near the Palace of Fine Arts.

One final thing I truly recommend - it’s close and free - is the Point Bonita Lighthouse. Cross the GGB and take the first exit. Take a left and follow it all the way to the lighthouse. Great views while driving, and when you get there you’ll have a fun hike through a tiny tunnel, then a fun walk (5 at a time only) across the tiny bridge to the lighthouse.

-Dooku, Haight resident

9

You are going to busy - from SF, the redwoods are at least a day
(my sis & her brrod left early am, got back at 2am)

Yosemite is a 2-day, min

Winchester is another day - take 280 south - much prettier (you might see a tule deer, but don’t count on it). It is on the VERY south side of SJ - the exit is clearly marked.

(the Ahwahnee is, IIRC, booked years in advance - and, last I heard, req’d dress for meals - the kids probably would not enjoy)

Alcatraz - the blue & gold fleet is the only group allowed to land on the island - definately book ahead for weekends, I’d recommend it for your case as well

I don’t think either the carosel in the park or the one at the zoo

http://www.sfzoo.org/

will be operating in January.

Especially, check with the zoo about programs - the “Meet the Keeper” program is summer only - I think the kid’s zoo is year-round.

Check the site to see if they will be displaying the bald & golden eagles up-close-and-personal

Pt. Reyes is spectacular, but will be cold, wet, windy in Jan.

If you had more time, I’d advise the Monterey Aquarium, but that is an all-day drive one-way.

In GG park - there is a Natural History/Planetarium/Aquarium - not world-class, but kids might enjoy,

and, sorry, but Louis’ (out be Land’s End is not kosher)

and, I get to call it San Fran - but only amongst locals :slight_smile:

10

If you’re going all the way to San Jose, I second the suggestion for the Rosicrucian museum. It is cooler than the Winchester house, IMHO. (I used to live down the street from the W. house; it is neat, but overrated–I don’t know why they push the spooky thing so hard.)

11

I’ll be posting random sites for awhile

http://www.cablecarmuseum.com/
http://www.cablecarmuseum.com/info.htm

http://www.maritime.org/ (near pier 39, which is where the blue & gold fleet docks, which is close to Palace of Fine Arts)
and you must see:

http://www.gocitykids.com/browse/subcat.jsp?area=199&category=5122

follow the links.

12

I wrote a whole interesting post and then went back and found out that your kids are 3, 4, and 6. I’ll try to recoup.

The Winchester Mystery House…it’ll only take you about two hours to do the guided tour and the self-guided tour of the grounds and gun museum. If your kids are at least 12, you can add the basement/behind the scenes tour. Your 3 and 4 year olds (possibly the 6 yo too) will hate this. The tour requires them to be quiet and walk with a group of people in what looks like a giant funhouse for an hour. Good luck.

Since you want to come down here anyway, I’d add the previously mentioned Rosacrucian Museum or The Tech Museum of Innovation. You won’t be sorry with either one. Rosacrucian…your discretion, you know your kids and museums best. The Tech…they should all enjoy it. Add in the The Children’s Discovery Museum and it’ll be worth the trip.

You also might want to continue down the coast to Monterey for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Perfect for all your kids.

The Exploritorium in SF is a don’t miss. Really. Don’t miss it. Great for the 6 year old. A bit too advanced for the 3 and 4yos but they’ll still enjoy it.

Other people have covered the other areas better than I can so I’ll just comment on the weather. Most of the Bay area, even in the dead of winter, will be comfortable in pants and thick shirt or light sweater during the day, add a fall coat for nighttime. Think layers. It’ll be cold at Fisherman’s Wharf and 70 degrees in San Jose. It’s not unusual for daytime and nighttime temps (in SJ at least) to have a 30 degree swing. When the sun goes down, it gets cold, and fast. BRING A RAINCOAT AND UMBRELLA!!! I’m serious. My jacuzzi overflows and my flagstone gets moldy every winter. When it rains, it rains for days on end. No lightening, just rain, rain, rain.

PS Think about Alcatraz! That’ll freak out the kids! :smiley: Don’t bother. Go to the zoo instead. See the sea lions at Fisherman’s Wharf. Go to the Jelly Belly Factory near Sacramento. Go to the Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown.

Oh, and call me! My daughter will be 4 in January!

I’ll keep an eye out for cool stuff. Meanwhile check here: http://www.parenthood.com/ or here.

13

I suggest going the opposite direction Sue recommends…Head NORTH up the coast towards the redwoods, and use Mendocino as an overnight base. Gorgeous little town in a beautiful location.

If you can talk the wife and kids into it, do spend a little time in the City Lights Bookstore at Columbus and Broadway. I usually like to stroll from there up Telegraph Hill through the old Beatnik neighborhoods, poking around the shops and cafes. Let them ride the elevator up Coit Tower for the view while you stay at the base and dig the nifty WPA murals.

Oh yeah…definitely do not call it San Fran or Frisco. The proper term is “Dis Cute Little Toy City Ya Got Here, Ya Could Fit Th’ Whole Thing Inta Just ONE A Da Boroughs of Noo Yawk An Lose It.” San Franciscans love it when we come out there and point out their deficiencies; they’ll probably buy you a drink.

14

minor historical trivia note, of possible interest to the kids: this is where they filmed the aquarium scenes in Star Trek IV: There Be Whales Here.

15

Woo Hoo! We got the tickets! Northern California, here we come!

16

Um…

Ike -

I would advise against Columbus & Broadway for small kids (I still miss Carol’s figure)

Those playing at home:
This area features many strip joints, and, if you look carefully, a brass plaque commemorating the first topless and bottomless performances (at least I hope the new owners left it)

17

Re: Redwoods - You do not have to drive as far as 150 miles ( though the very best Redwood forests are up by the Oregon border ).

65 miles south of San Francisco is Big Basin Redwoods State Park ( which readers of juvenalia might remember as the park where the ranger who adopted Frosty: A Raccon to Remember worked :slight_smile: ) : Big Basin Redwoods SP

Maybe 35-40 miles north of San Francisco is Samuel P. Taylor State Park: Samuel P. Taylor SP

Even closer to the north is Muir Woods National Monument, which I don’t normally recommend because it gets so choked with tourists ( like a million a year ). But since you’ll be here in winter, that is less of a concern. Muir Woods: http://www.nps.gov/muwo/

  • Tamerlane
18

Just be sure to bring an extra layer if you’re going out to Alcatraz or on a bay cruise (a good way to see the Golden Gate Bridge). It’s a lot colder in the middle of the bay than it is on land.

19

Ah! You are talking here about…Yosemite? Hmmm…

I have visited Yosemite most times of the year, but I confess, I have not visited it in January (yet…). I believe you will want to consider having chains on your car if you go during Jan., since there may be ice and snow on the roads. (Yeah, no brainer!) I don’t believe you will be allowed to travel past a certain point on some of these roads if you don’t have chains on your car (if they decide chains are required, which they often do that time of year).

If you know you want to go to Yosemite, make lodging reservations soon. Granted, it will not be too crowded in January, and you might be able to find a room with only a few days/week’s notice, but better be safe than sorry and make plans as soon as your plans are cemented.

Awhahnee (sp?) is a fabulous hotel, but mind-numbingly expensive. ($300+, I believe, and I’ve never heard of any special deals to cut the price.) I recommend Yosemite Lodge, which is right in Yosemite Valley. Prices are about $100 and more - still not cheap, but definitely a little cheaper! You can hear Yosemite Falls roar from your room in the Lodge. (I believe there will be water in the Falls in January, but I don’t know for sure. The Falls were completely dried up when I visited last month, which is not unusual for late September.) Near the Lodge are several shops and restaurants (I like the Cafeteria, or Garden Terrace) so there’s plenty to do in the Valley. And of course, there is all the scenery! Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Cook’s Meadow, blah blah blah. You’ll love it. There’s also a shuttle in the Valley that will take you to the Visitor’s Center and the General Store and so forth. Since it’s in January, some of the shops in the Valley be closed, but I don’t know which ones. Enough places will be open, anyway.

The Wawona Hotel is also fabulous (that’s where I stayed during this last visit) but it is about a 45 min. (somewhat twisty) ride from the Wawona up to the Valley. (The Wawona is located near the South Entrance, on Highway 41.) You’d enjoy your stay there too since it’s a lovely historic hotel, but if you plan to commute up to the Valley each day, you might find the daily drive to and fro to be a hassle.

I have some photos of Yosemite on my web site (listed in my profile) and here’s another site that has some good Winter photos.