KXTodd

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Nov 25, 2000
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In March I'll be going on a Baja ride with a couple guys :aj:

Afterwards My wife and kids will be coming to meet up with me and we'll have 3 or 4 days to see some sights before I have to be in San Luis Obispo for a seminar.
One place I definately want to see is www.bonfantegardens.com in Gilroy just south of San Fran. besides that I definately want to see the Redwoods and Sequioas, kind of a tree freak ;) Anyone know the best place to go see them?
After that???Suggestions?????
 

a454elk

Mexicutioner
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Jun 5, 2001
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Northern or southern cal?? If you are in the middle, go to Monterey bay aquarium, Madonna Inn near San Luis Obispo, Hearst Castle rocks. If you are headed farther South, then it's fairly endless from LA south to San Diego.;)
 

dirt bike dave

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May 3, 2000
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How old are the kids?  With a family, Disneyland is pretty hard to beat.  Stay at one of the hotels at the resort. 

Three or four days - that's barely enough time for Disneyland and Yosemite. 

For coastal redwoods, the further north the better, though you can see some at Big Sur.  The Avenue of the Giants up near Garberville is very impressive, but that's far north (off of Hwy 101); You can really only scratch the surface of CA in 3 or 4 days. 

Santa Barbara is great. 

If you want great scenery, Hwy 1 on the coast is awesome.
 

GETMETOCA

Can't Wait For Tuesdays
Mar 17, 2002
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You can get to Sequoia Park off HWY 198 headed East off the 99 (North/South artery).  In the Central Coast Area near San Luis Obispo all the places Elk mentioned are great.  San Luis Obispo is an awesome town, I would like to get back there myself one of these days.

Other Picks, mainly Nor Cal:

Napa or Sonoma wine country, Culinary Institute of America visit and do a cooking demo (Napa)

South Lake Tahoe - Snowboard, ski, gamble, lake cruise

Drive HWY 1 and make sure you fit in Big Sur

San Francisco (Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, Japanese Tea Gardens, Planetarium, Zoo.)

Have a good time!

 

 
 

bsmith

Wise master of the mistic
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I'd check out Neverland Ranch while your there :laugh:

I'll be at Disneyland for 4 days and Heading to Sea world for 1 during March :thumb:
 

KXTodd

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Nov 25, 2000
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Thanks for the suggestions, the kids are 9 and 10. We can do Disney in Fla. as my dad lives right near Orlando that will be for another time.
I guess it is a little much to try and get to No.Ca., although the Redwood park looks good, will prob. stick to So.Ca. between Los Angeles and San Diego for this trip. Might have to skip Bonfante gardens :(
Sequioa Park looks great and the Hearst Castle since we'll be right there. I don't have the patience to try out Yosemite, have heard it's crazy trying to get in that area. Also almost mandatory to check out LA huh? How about ghost towns ? I like the out of the ordinary type stuff ;)
 

GETMETOCA

Can't Wait For Tuesdays
Mar 17, 2002
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Well, in So Cal, there's Hollyweird, the Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, etc. there's lots more, but I"m sure some of our SoCal friends have more ideas. :)
 

Tony Eeds

Godspeed Tony.
N. Texas SP
Jun 9, 2002
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The Mount Polamar (sp) Observatory is nice and just east of kinda halfway between San Diego and LaLaLand. The drive up from SD was also nice, but I think that area got hit by the fires last fall.

I agree on HWY 1 :thumb: Drive all of it you can.
 

nemoskid

Member
Jul 15, 2002
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Be sure to spend some time in Santa Barbara. It can be expensive but is truly a paradise. If you are into architecture at all don't miss the courthouse and mission. Also plenty of day hikes in the area also. Don't forget to give us a report after your trip
 

dirt bike dave

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May 3, 2000
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If you are in Santa Barbara and looking for a 1/2 day activity to do with the kids, the zoo is pretty nice. It has a stunning setting close to the beach.
 

NVR FNSH

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Oct 31, 2000
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What about the San Diego Zoo & the Wild Animal Park? Hearst Castle is great & the IMAX theater is really cool - just make sure you get tickets ahead of time. I almost got divorced over that one.... What's the psuedo ghost town east of Barstow - Calico? If your in San Luis Obispo on a weekend make sure and hit Farmer's Market - Thursday night in downtown, and the Pozo Saloon on Hwy 58 east of Santa Margarita.

Brian
 

Ol'89r

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Jan 27, 2000
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Originally posted by KXTodd
How about ghost towns ? I like the out of the ordinary type stuff ;)

Yes it is Calico NVR FNSH. They had a fire there about a year ago but, is should be back up and running again by now. Neat little ghost town. The kids will love it.

Like others have suggested, do hwy 1. When your in SLO you will be just about in the middle of some of the best scenery California has to offer. Go to the coast and flip a coin. Go either North or South on hwy 1. Can't miss either way.

Have fun. :thumb:
 

placelast

Member
Apr 11, 2001
1,298
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You didn’t say where your wife and kids would be landing (SF/San Jose or LA/Orange County/SD). If SD, then the SD Zoo is one of the finest, second to none. And how about some Mexican food recommendations from you all who live that way?

SF Bay area If you are a tree guy you can get a reasonable dose of the coastal redwoods at Big Basin (not far from the Monterey Bay aquarium) without the drive to the far north of SF; save the latter for when they are older as the drive is a bit lengthy, nonetheless well worth it someday in the future. I can still remember walking in/driving through their mists (Avenue of the Giants) coupled with jumping on the rocks of the untamed rivers (The Eel and what’s that other one that always floods?); anyone see the great flood of 1969 high water markers? Going thru there left me a lifetime of memories. That’s some country you won’t find elsewhere.

The Intel Museum in Santa Clara is a good one for the kids. There is a 49-mile self-guided drive tour of SF – a must do, including Coit tower and a short ride on the trolley car if you still have time. And then there’s the WWII submarine, USS Pampanillo (sp?) at one of the piers – my boy’s eyes were wide open throughout the self-guided tour. And while you are at the piers the seafood and sourdough bread will fill up those empty tummies - Scott’s and Scoma’s comes to mind – or just buy a steamed crab/shrimp combo with a loaf of sourdough and butter.

The Steinhart (sp?) Aquarium, Museum, etc., used to be one of the finest with it’s variety and fine gem collection but the last time we were there the we encountered too many school-bus loads, filling the place and distracting our otherwise previous calm visits. Stick with Monterey.

Sequoia/Yosemite Another good tree place is the loop through Sequoia National Forest on the other side of Fresno; Yosemite is well worth the drive, and can be driven through in one hour, gate-to-gate, and see most things from a distance - rock formations you wouldn’t believe - although I would recommend stopping at one or two of the falls and doing the short hike to take in even more spectacular angles.

Others It’s too far of a drive but Chico has Bidwell park; plenty of oak trees – Erol Flynn starred in the early Robin Hood series with the park as a backdrop. And parts of Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid were filmed in the upper Chico Creek drainage, the part where they took a jump.

When you are in SLO definitely do the Thursday night farmer’s market. 6-9pm. The McClintock BBQ has the best dead cow/chicken/p-o-k-e of the bunch. Mo’s for a sit-down, and a fine BBQ/smoke house and my favorite is their pulled beef plate. The Mexican restaurants are fair and the bike shops? Let’s not go there.

A trip to the SW is incomplete without Death Valley; it’s outrageously panoramic and can be seen in one day (all of the good spots); my family still talks about that place. If you’re there at the right time in March the floral displays are second to none (Anza-Borrego near SD is another but I cannot vouch for it). We’ve seen a few more Europeans there than any of the aforementioned (they don’t do Yosemite for some reason). On the way out a must-see are the Trona Pinnacles. I believe the drive to and fro DV is too far out of your way but with no-limit rental car mileage, why not? Hotels are very reasonable in Ridgecrest.

Send me e-mail in the spring and I’ll try to come up with some more ideas by then. millenniumdsj@hotmail.com.
 

nephron

Dr. Feel Good
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Jun 15, 2001
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Motoworld of El Cajon, ECC and Crower (South Chula Vista) :thumb:
 

a454elk

Mexicutioner
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There's also Salvang south of SLO, that place is cool.
 

KXTodd

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Nov 25, 2000
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Thanks all, looks my itinerary is going to be full! :)
I'll check back when it gets closer!

I know what you mean Pvt., I've lived just outside Wash. DC for almost 30 years and I'm sure theres a ton I haven't seen.
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
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I highly recommend Santa Barbara for anyone that likes the hoity toityness of no Wal Marts in a 30 mile radius! Why would I bother to leave the confines of my front yard for that? I hear it's a wonderful place to visit. (yeah, right)
 

NVR FNSH

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Oct 31, 2000
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Originally posted by gospeedracer

It's Solvang Dillweed. And it's in Santa Ynez. :moon:

Imagine how somebody who actually lives in CA might reply :p

Santa Barbara is a neat place to spend a weekend - great downtown, quite a bit of history etc but I wouldn't want to live there. Everybody from SB is stuck up and full up themselves.......

Brian
 

TwinSpar

AssClown WannaBe
N. Texas SP
Aug 18, 1999
6,886
115
Originally posted by NVR FNSH

Everybody from SB is stuck up and full up themselves....... 

That explains A LOT!  :p
 

a454elk

Mexicutioner
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Jun 5, 2001
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DILLWEED!? Bite me bread chick!:moon:
 
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