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Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..

Toronto, Canada
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137 posts
4 reviews
Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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We are two adults and one infant (1.5 Years) travelling to San Fransisco for the first time. We are not into hiking or long walks.

Below is our initial plan A

San Fransisco

Oct 21st night - Arrive in San Fransisco, check into a hotel downtown

Oct 22 - Oct 24 : Explore San Fransisco

Yosemite

Oct 25 - Leave San Fransisco early morning to Yosemite. Booked the Yosemite Lodge

Oct 26 - Explore Yosemite

Oct 27 - Explore Yosemite

Sequoia & Kings

Oct 28 - Leave Yosemite early morning to Sequoia & Kings National Park (SEKI). Booked the Wuksachi Lodge. Explore SEKI

Oct 29 - Explore SEKI

Oct 30 - Leave SEKI early morning to SFO to catch flight at 1:30 pm (Google map shows distance as 266 miles)

Plan B is

Oct 21 - 24 : San Fransisco

Oct 25 - Oct 26 : SEKI

Oct 27 - Oct 28 : Yosemite

Oct 29 : South Lake Tahoe

Oct 30 : Fly back from SFO

Questions

1. Is 3 full days enought in San Fransisco

2. Do we spend 2 night or 3 nights in Yosemite

3. Do we spend 1 night or 2 nights in SEKI

4. Is South Lake Tahoe worth a visit and is 1 night stay enough

5. Is there anything else we can do by skipping South Lake Tahoe or reducing the nights in Yosemite or SEKI

6. I guess the weather towards end of Oct will be cold, but will there be any snow or wintry road conditions?

On the San Fransisco forum the advice we got was not to rent a car during our stay in San Fransisco due to parking issues, expensive parking and good public transportation so I guess will rent a car only for the trip beyond San Fransisco.

Appreciate fine tuning our itinerary and any other ideas. Thanks in advance

Goldfield, Nevada
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30 reviews
51 helpful votes
1. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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I think either plan is great although the one that includes Lake Tahoe will mean extra driving. If you have a keen interest in seeing the giant sequoia trees including the world's largest tree, then SEKI is the best place to see them. If you have a keen interest to see the large, beautiful Lake Tahoe, then Plan B is better. Either plan is fine and mainly a matter of personal taste as to what interests you the most. I probably would not try to do all 4 (SF, Yosemite, SEKI, Lake Tahoe) in one trip unless you had a couple more days than you have.

With either plan, I would be worried, though, about catching the flight out of SFO. For my own trip I would choose to spend the final night close to SFO and not risk driving a long way and trying to catch a flight the same day. From Wuksachi Lodge to SFO will be at least 5 hours of driving without including stops. I would not want the occasional vagaries of driving a substantial distance to possibly affect whether I would make it to the airport on time. I would be likely to subtract a night from the San Francisco time so that I could add a night near SFO before the flight home. However that's being cautious, and in theory, you could carry out your plan A as is, provided you got a very early start that last morning and drove to SFO basically nonstop.

And driving from South Lake Tahoe to catch a flight at SFO the same day seems a little dicey as well. If you were flying home out of Reno it would be much easier. If you were doing this whole trip flying into and out of Fresno it would be easy to get from Wuksachi Lodge to the Fresno airport in maybe 2 hours. But to get to SFO from either of these starting points and catch a plane that leaves at 1:30 seems a little bit chancy to me; I personally wouldn't take the chance myself.

If you do go with Plan B to see Lake Tahoe, then I would probably drop SEKI completely from the trip. You could still see some giant sequoia trees at the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite. SEKI has more of the giant sequoia trees, including the world's largest tree by volume, but if your reason to go to SEKI is simply to see some examples of giant sequoias, that need can be filled at the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite, making SEKI unnecessary, although the SEKI region does have the largest number and greatest concentration of those trees.

The weather in California in October is typically clear, sunny, dry and warm in the daytime. This usually holds until the end of October as well. The first winter-type storm usually doesn't arrive until the end of October or early November. It is possible, especially in a so-called "El Niño" year, that a winter-type storm can come through in October, and on October 17, 2004 a snow storm did hit Yosemite, though it is unusual for one to come that early. Most areas of California see clear, dry, crisp air in October, and if a "Santa Ana" condition is prevailing (where a huge high-pressure air mass sits over the entire southwestern U.S.) it can even be surprisingly warm at that time.

I think you will likely find clear, sunny, warm days in late October, but the nights will cool down dramatically. We camped in SEKI in mid-October once and it was 70 for the daytime high but 30 for the nighttime low. But as soon as the sun comes up it warms up quickly. If Tioga Road in Yosemite is open when you are there, you should drive it, all the way to Tuolumne Meadows and back, as it is a spectacular drive, the highest public road in California. Services along that road may have already shut down for the year even if the road is still open. So gas up well at the gas station at Crane Flat in Yosemite before making the Tioga Road drive. And, if Glacier Point Road is still open, drive up there too.

Edited: 12 years ago
Washington State
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for Yosemite National Park
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2. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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Hi upkarblr

Glad you're heeding the advice of the folks on the San Francisco forum. I agree that allowing at least 4 nights there is a good idea, since the first day/night is pretty much a wash (jet lag, getting into the City from SFO, traveling with a toddler, etc.)

Then get your car and drive to Lake Tahoe, assuming want to see a lovely lake. Post specific questions for folks on the Lake Tahoe forum. Ask about the timing for yellowing leaves on the Quaking Aspen trees south of Lake Tahoe. Many years ago we timed it just right. Note that the trees of the Sierra Nevada mountains are not like the eastern US; you'll see some reds & oranges, but mostly just yellows.

Then drive south down Hwy 395 along the eastern Sierra. You may want to include Mono Lake in your itinerary. Check out the tufa spires.

Perhaps you can spend a night in tiny Lee Vining, or bypass Lee Vining a few miles and stay at Mammoth Lakes. Then into Yosemite National Park on Hwy 120 along Tioga Road. The amenities will be closed by this time, but the beauty will be magnificent. Stop anywhere that pleases you and walk a bit. Stop at Tenaya Lake and Olmsted Point. Continue on to Yosemite Valley and your reserved lodging.

I agree that being far from SFO on your departure day is a chancy proposition. It's "only" 4 hours from Yosemite Valley to SFO w/o traffic, but .... traveling with a toddler? Possible road, traffic, whatever delays? Need to arrive at SFO in time to drop the rental car? International flight? Perhaps the folks on the SF forum can suggest someplace near the airport without being an airport hotel, or perhaps you can leave Yosemite Valley after dinner on October 29th (toddler sleeps on the way?) and stay someplace en route.

If you want general ideas of someplace to stay along the way, I'd suggest posting that question in the California state forum. Let folks know if you have a particular interest in something and maybe there is a good place to stop. For example, I know a great reptile zoo / serpentarium in Lodi. There may be someplace with a terrific toddler-friendly Halloween experience along the way.

----------------------

Here is a different idea...

SFO - SF - Yosemite - Monterey - SFO

Yosemite to Monterey is 4 hrs, and Monterey to SFO is .... under 2 hours I think (check Google Maps or ask on Monterey forum.) The Monterey Bay Aquarium is very toddler friendly with marine animal dress up area and touch-tanks.

Los Angeles...
Destination Expert
for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
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125 reviews
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3. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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I would never choose Tahoe over Sequoia, but of course, I'm biased. Sequoia is such a child-friendly place, with *so* many short walks and things to do, and the kind of forest that you see only in your dreams (or in Sequoia). In October, things will be hushed and starting to dry, but the meadows will still be green. The sound of the woodpeckers getting ready for winter will be audible if you sit somewhere near a meadow (Round Meadow, Log Meadow, Crescent Meadow) and listen. THe walk to Tharp's Log is easily done with a stroller or child in backpack.

There are golden mantle ground squirrels (which people confuse with chipmunks - and there are also chipmunks) who are so cute to watch as they grab seeds for their winter burrows:

http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/mammals/GMGS.shtml

They are in all the campgrounds, along with the chipmunks, the Douglas gray squirrels and the occasional chickaree (getting rare to see chickarees nowadays though).

Sequoia is just such a great place to get out of your car and hang out - and that's what toddlers love to do.

Toronto, Canada
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137 posts
4 reviews
4. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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Thanks for the wonderful feedback. I was also not sure if the idea of driving from SEKI or Lake Tahoe to catch the noon flight was good. After posting my questions I explored google maps a little more and was thinking the same as "Pacific" of visiting Monterey and skipping Lake Tahoe or SEKI.

Below is the revised plan. Am I being over optimistic or should I drop off Lake Tahoe completely and rather spend that extra day in Yosemite or Monterey.

Plan C

San Fransisco

Oct 21st night - Arrive in San Fransisco, check into a hotel downtown

Oct 22 - Oct 24 : Explore San Fransisco

South Lake Tahoe

Oct 25 : Leave San Fransisco early morning to South Lake Tahoe

Yosemite

Oct 26 - Leave South Lake Tahoe to Yosemite. Booked the Yosemite Lodge

Oct 27 - Explore Yosemite

Oct 28 - Explore Yosemite

Monterey

Oct 29 - Leave Yosemite early morning to Monterey

Oct 30 - Leave Monterey early morning to SFO to catch flight at 1:30 pm

Question :

1. Is there anything else in SEKI other than the gaint sequoia trees?

2. I can also see accomodation availability in Yosemite in Curry Village in a Cabin for $159 compared to a Lodge Room in Yosemite for $210. Which one would be a better choice?

Goldfield, Nevada
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30 reviews
51 helpful votes
5. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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A cabin vs. a lodge room is not a big difference, so I would be inclined to go for the cheaper cabin. If it was a tent cabin that was being offered, I would definitely choose the lodge room, but since it is an enclosed cabin, I think you will be fine with that. Curry Village has fun stuff for kids so your kid may enjoy being there. There is a "Wee Wild Ones" program offered at certain times, I'm not sure about October but you can check the park newspaper that they will hand you when you enter the park.

The advantage of staying at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls is that it is almost right in front of Yosemite Falls. However in October that waterfall may be just a trickle or even totally dry. It depends on the weather. If you get lucky and there is a rainstorm right before your visit, Yosemite Falls will have some flow. But if there have been no recent storms, in October Yosemite Falls may be just a dry wall. So that would erase the main advantage of staying there. I think you will be fine with a hard-sided cabin in Curry Village. But either place will work. If price is a big factor, switch to Curry.

In Monterey you can visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or drive along Ocean View Boulevard and look at the rocky coast and wildlife (possibly sea lions, certainly birds) and you may consider visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, just south of Carmel, not far from Monterey. There are trails to walk around but it is basically level, no big hills to go up or down, so your child should have no difficulty with it, and may have a ball looking at various wildlife such as sea lions, otters, deer, rabbits and birds.

Yes there is plenty to see and do in SEKI besides see the trees. There are 2 caves that you can take tours of, although they have per-person fees and I don't know if they are still open in October. There are lakes, streams and meadows all around, views of the mountains and canyons, and so forth. Bear sightings are pretty common in SEKI so if you were to go there you might get lucky and see a bear walking down the road or near the road. But all of these are also in Yosemite (except for the caves) and I think you will still enjoy it a lot if you just go to Yosemite and not to SEKI.

Here is one of the best-organized travel-with-kids web sites: http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/California/california.htm

Toronto, Canada
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6. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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Thanks for all the advice. Decided to skip Lake Tahoe and SEKI. Spent 4 nights in San Fransisco, then head to Yosemite and spend 3 nights and then head to Monterey and spend 2 nights and back to SFO to catch the flight.

Regarding 3 nights in Yosemite, I currently have booking at Yosemite lodge. Should I spend 3 nights there or spend one night in Mammoth Lakes and the remaining 2 nights in Yosemite? Able to get a decent price in Westin Monache Mammoth Lake (cheaper than Yosemite), i it worth spending a night there?

Proabably head from San Fransisco directly to Mammoth Lake for a night and then head to Yosemite for 2 nights and then to Monterey

or

From San Fransisco head to Yosemite for 2 nights and then to Mammoth Lake for a night and then to Monterey

or

stick with the original plan and spend 3 nights in Yosemite Lodge.

Goldfield, Nevada
Level Contributor
11,646 posts
30 reviews
51 helpful votes
7. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..
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You will have to go through Yosemite National Park to get to Mammoth Lakes. What is your reason for staying in Mammoth Lakes? Did you want to see Devil's Postpile National Monument or some of the other sights in that area? Or just see the fall colors on the eastern side of the Sierras? If you just want to see the aspen trees in color, the June Lake Loop would suffice for that. It's a bit of a drive to go all the way to Mammoth Lakes and then back to Yosemite, unless you had a specific reason for going all the way to Mammoth Lakes.

Edited: 12 years ago
8. Re: Itinerary help October end - San Fransisco, Yosemite, SEKI..

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