Planning Monterey-Yosemite-Disneyland trip--HELP!

[JessetheCowgirl]

We are planning a summer 2009 trip to CA (our first ever). It will be DH, me, DS10, DS8, and DD5.

Our tentative plans:

Fly from DFW into either SFA or San Jose (whichever airfare is cheaper)

Getting a rental car, then driving to Monterey.

Spend 2 nights in Monterey---would like to see the aquarium, 17 mile drive, and a whale watching tour. ????Hotel???? ??????Meals??????

Get up early day 3, drive to Oakhurst/Fish Camp to stay at the Tenaya Lodge for 3 nights. While there--Summerdale Outdoor Cookout, the Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad, the Moonlight tour, 1 hour horseback ride (DH, DS10, DS8), and rent bikes to check out the valley.

Get up early day 6 to drive to Disneyland. Stay at the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian for 3 nights. See as much of the 2 parks as we can.

Get up early day 9 to head to either LAX or SNA to fly home (again, depending on airfare cost).

************************
Does this look feasible? There is SO much more we would like to do, but we really can't extend the trip any more due to DH's work.

Is there a good stopping point between Yosemite/Tenaya Lodge and Anaheim? I'm sure we can't make it straight thru without some kind of diversion/meal.

Any other recommendations? Do we look over or under scheduled?

Thank you for any input!

 

[KCmike]

We are shooting for June and are driving to Monterey and then to Tenaya/Yosemite.....we are debating the extra drive to D'Land.

I will share all the info I have so far tomorrow as it's getting late here.

 

[KCmike]

yosemitefun.com

yosemitepark.com

tripadvisor.com

youtube.com - look up all of your destinations


http://www.yosemitefun.com/images/yosemite_park.htm

reservations.nps.gov

nps.gov/yosemite

yosemite.org

tenayalodge.com

Check out Unofficial Guide to California with kids at your library!!! Great info!!!

We also checked out several books on Yosemite and Monterey too.

We just decided we are going to fly. We are flying into San Fran and then driving to Yosemite 3-4 days, then on to Monterey for a few days and then driving back up to San Fran to catch a flight back home.

Anyone know how the weather is in San Fran in June? Yosemite? Monterey?

 

[Avery's mom]

KCMike,

The weather in S.F. and Monterey is usually pretty chilly. On the coast, you will get fog for most of the day. Inland, you will get fog for some parts of the day. I rarely wear shorts in Monterey until August, and never wear them in S.F.

 

[ScooterL]

I think your plan looks do-able - you'll be pretty busy, but I think you can do all of that.

I would recommend adding the Mariposa Grove to your itinerary - it's just inside the park entrance that's not far from Fish Camp, and the sequoia trees are pretty incredible. If you go early (or late) you can drive to the parking area instead of having to take the (free) shuttle bus.

There's plenty of places to stop for food between Tenaya Lodge and Disneyland - Highway 99 and Interstate 5 are main thoroughfares! Though I'd recommend stopping for lunch or whatever BEFORE you get into the L.A. area - somewhere before Highway 14, because once you get more into the city it's harder to get on/off the freeway, and depending on which freeway you take you go through some dicey areas.

Other than Magic Mountain there isn't much in the way of "diversions" along the road - you're mostly driving through agricultural areas for the first couple of hours, then you go through the mountains, and then you get down into the suburbs and the city. There's plenty of places to stop for food in Bakersfield, though, or once you get over the mountains there's lots of places in the Santa Clarita/Magic Mountain area. If you haven't made a stop by the time you get to Lyons Avenue, then stop there - that'll be the last good/easy place to get off/on the road for a while. Tons of fast food places there, though it can get pretty busy.

 

[Judy from Boise]

the coast is famous for "June gloom". Summer weather is July through September.