California Vacation

quote:

Originally posted by Wolf2:

Another day drive across the Golden Gate and up to Mt Tamalpias and take a walk, even if it's foggy it is spiritual. Then take highway 1 north to Bodega Bay (Hitchcocks the Birds filmed there) .

Yes, just walking along the coast in this area gives one a very clear idea of why it was filmed here..... The quality of the light, the fog and just the feel of the place - Brilliant!

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk through some of Muir woods too, the Redwoods are awesome. Apparently these are by no means the biggest, but a great day out.

Enjoy yourself Barrie.

ahhhhh , run children runnnnnnn

one day I decided to drive up 1 above Jenner beautiful drive I came to a gnereal store, obught some supplies, asked how I get back to the 101. one woman said,"you don't know where you are do you?" I said "no but time doesn't mean much to me." She smiled. Pointed me 15 miles up the road and east thru a logging road over the mountains. On the way I passed some green patures with white fences and passed a gate with an oval wooden sign called OZ, I found out it was a retreat for overworked SF types to calm down, learn to cook organic and meditate.It was fabulous. I found a chrome diner over the mountains I don't know where, had a burger and a BIG piece of berry pie with vanilla Ice cream. It think I got home at 10 Pm. Incredible day.

Going as far north as Eureka is wonderful too, very rural beautiful scenery. Driving back the 101 is a wonderful experience. It aint called the Gold Coast for nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by Wolf2:

Going as far north as Eureka is wonderful too

But if you do get that far north, please don't stop at Eureka ... you'd be only a few miles from Redwood National Park! (see my earlier post)

And if you can, do take the Avenue of the Giants scenic route, either on the way up or the way down.

By the way, Wolf, what town did you live in in 1983?

All best,
Fred

The 29 Palms Inn is a fantastic place to stay on the edge of the Joshua Tree National Park, easily reached from LA.

Thanks for all the ideas and advice, you're brilliant !

It's looking like a day or two in LA ( without car)with a day trip out to the vineyards. Then pick up a rental car and drift ( sightseeing and leisurely driving as Geoff said ) down to SF and spend a 2 or 3 there. I am going to go through all your suggestions and try to come up with an itinerary.

Just a quick question, I am pretty flexible on time as I said I could go anytime from mid July to end September, a couple of you have mentioned September as the best option, therefore would the general agreement be that would I be better going for the last 2 weeks of September ?

Thanks again for all the help

Barrie

quote:

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk through some of Muir woods too, the Redwoods are awesome.

I second this.. Muir Woods are definately worth a trip.. Big Basin to the south is also great - pic attached.

wow that is a big mutha

Fred I lived in Freestone, there was an antique store, a wonderful nursery and a gas station with cafe. Best burgers ever.... the guys that owned my place at that time had horses and ring, the other was a carpenter, he was nicer.
It was 9 months over winter in 82-83 storm after storm came thru like clockwork. I had a 20'x20' cabin made of corrugated metal, baby bear stove and listening to the rain and a wonderful rock station at the time. I had industrial casement windows with old glass that wiggled the scenery across the little valley and horses and deer on the other side with fog clouding up or clearing, Incredibly wonderful.
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OK 2 days in LA with no transportation. Stay in Hollywood on Sunset Bvd, a lot of reasonable motels, busses north south east west. Walk up to Hollywood Blvd you must take in a movie at Mann's Chinese theater, tho old one not the 6plex. go early and revel in 30s Chinese hollywood decoration. FABULOUS. Also, across the street is Disney's restored theater El Capitan. Beautiful interior. Walking down Hollywood Blvd is fun in a cheesy way. Don't take it seriously but it used to be REALLY trashy, at night the neon is wonderful.

Get to the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park and take in the show in the dome and have lunch outside on the deck. Even with haze or smog it's incredible views, the movie just blows your mind with incomprehensible scale. If you can't get to that call me, I'll drive you around.

Down Sunset to east is Amoeba Records and the Cinerama Dome, quite expensive now but big screen. I go to the cheaper places. Amazing movies have gotten so expensive. or another fun movie house is The Vista on Sunset in Los Feliz. I'm 2 miles from there. Old restored theater with Egyptian interior, great sound system, locals go for the vibe, it'll put a smile on your face. Further east down Sunset is a mexican restaurant Conquistador, too much fun when it's cinco de mayo or any night for that matter. Very gay, loads of fun, make sure you try either their special of the night or make sure one of your choices is a Cili relleno. Again, call me I live in Silverlake, you might need to plotz on my couch and listen to vinyl.

I noticed the first suggestions were all movie theaters. If you like art there is LACMA on Wilshire Blvd, easy to get to on the bus, big complex of buildings, easy to spend a day there and the La Brea Tar pits are next door. Also in that area is The Farmers Market. good food stalls there, the Grove is next door is some developers of main street USA with trolley. I don't go there but the food at the farmers market is the gem, go stuff yourselves. LOL

Another museum is the Getty in Westwood on west side of LA, can be reached by bus and a short walk up the hill, it's free to walk ins. Spend half a day in and out of different buildings, sit on the patio and people watch, the garden is a folly that is quite wonderful. A cheaper restaurant is downstairs cafeteria style with good food, have a bottle of wine, get snockered.

If you could get tickets go to the Getty Villa in Malibu, reservations only, get tickets online google them to see both museums. It's incredible even tho they've had to return some amazing pieces. The building and grounds are based on a Roman Villa. Make sure to have a wonderful meal on the outdoor terrace after the noon rush, and a bottle of wine. anyone see a continuous theme here? Sunshine, pacific ocean, food and wine.

No wine country near LA. For that go to Santa Barbara. If you've never seen it, SB is just the most beautiful place on the west coast. Our answer to the French Riviera. Great town, beautiful sights, Pacific and a harbor. That's where the vineyards are. I give incredible driving and walking tours of that too since I used to live there. All I need is an excuse to drive up and stay with friends.

you could also take the train from LA to SB very easily. Then take the train north to SF and enjoy the scenery of the central coast. I could get you names of small hotels walking distance from the train at the beach. You might not want to leave.

Well enough food for thought.

cheesy rose filter but this is the lay of the land lookin south


The mountains are crest about 2000' above the city, it is part of Los Padres Ntl Forest I used to be a landscape architect for them.


Spanish mission architecture This is a working mission with historical libraries of all the missions. I used to live 2 blocks from here.

http://www.santabarbara.com/points_of_interest/

http://www.santabarbaraca.com/



I used to live 2 blocks from here.



This must be taken from the tower downtown looking north to Los Padres National Forest. I was a landscape architect for 3 years there.

Below is the courthouse.



It's way better than Disneyland for adults.

sorry that last one is sooooo big.

quote:

Just a quick question, I am pretty flexible on time as I said I could go anytime from mid July to end September, a couple of you have mentioned September as the best option, therefore would the general agreement be that would I be better going for the last 2 weeks of September ?

I would suggest the first two weeks in September rather than the last two. The school vacation is over but winter hasn't come to the mountains, particularly above Yosemite.

regards
Geoff

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff P:

I would suggest the first two weeks in September rather than the last two. The school vacation is over but winter hasn't come to the mountains, particularly above Yosemite.

I agree with Geoff here. That way, the worst you'd run into is some coastal fog, which has its charms.

All best,
Fred

If you're in LA the Hollywood Bowl is a great evening out. Not expensive and can be reached on bus or walk up. Food and alcohol allowed, lots of people picnic before. Bring a jacket, The cheap seats are a bargain. Classical, jazz, world and some rock acts, this summer John foggerty July 4 with fireworks. Pink Martini 9/19 and too kitchy Sound Of Music Sing Along 9/26, I know it would curl your toes to be in a crowd of 20,000 singing to the film with live orchestra, don't laugh too hard, I saw one evening with movie music and clips and it was great. Finale with fireworks 9/11-13
www.hollywoodbowl.com

SB also has the County Bowl, great acts go thru I'm sure they stay for a nice rest on their tours. Joni recorded her live album Shadows and Light there. Last year Paul Simon went thru, I missed that.

Yosemite, Yosemite, Yosemite!

(Early September is pretty warm in Yosemite by my recall, last two weeks would be ideal I'd have though).

duncan

Am planning a weeks holiday in mid april around SF for my other half and two friends. Going to do napa, yosemite, and hopefully down to monterey, to give them a good tasting of SF

Am in LA in march too -- might have to drop into Wolf armed with some airplugs for superline <muhahahahaha> ;-)

yeah I'd like that jon, I've been having such a good time lately.

My latest buzz is there's a new FM rock station that really plays incredible stuff. Every decade and not just the top 10 songs of each group. It was so great I was driving home from my parent's in the south got into a bit off traffic in LA as usual. No problem I was rocking out listened on at home and finally stumbled to bed it was 1 AM.

NANA is moving, I want to get the connection for a hicap I have in storage to power my Superline. Whatever extras you have bring em on.

Thanks for all the help guys,

I will be doing some research this weekend on your recommendations, finding hotels etc and I am also looking for car rental about which I have a couple of questions
1 - should I bother with using a car in LA (only going to be there a couple of days) or just get one for the the journey between LA and S/F ?
2 - I fancy renting a convertable, is this a clever idea ( safety, crime, heat etc)
3 - I am leaning towards Hertz ( pick-up LA drop off at S/F) - any comments

I will be back to ask on hotel advice next

Thanks again

Barrie

you can't get anywhere in LA without a car.

- You need a car in LA, especially after dark. It is dangerous walking the streets.
- A convertible is not a good idea IMO for the reasons given particularly since you will be surrounded by 4 x 4's the size of army tanks most of the time.
- Rent at least a 'Full Size' for your long drives, more comfortable and really not much more, often offered for a few dollars as an upgrade on an 'intermediate' size car.
- Unless you are specific you may get one of the new environmental cars with electric motors aswell as engines. They just don't seem to have the traditional 'zoom' of the polluters.
- Hertz is expensive. Go for Alamo or Enterprise or maybe Budget. The cars are the same but cost less. Do a web search on 'cheap car rentals in California'. At the end of the day they are all the same lumps of metal.
- Check what is included in the quoted rental price. Liability insurance & Loss damage Waiver insurance are expensive BUT necessary. See how they add to the rental cost.

regards
Geoff

lol, well we do have shuttle busses from LAX. The Red line Metro stops near LAX, there is an express bus to downtown LA and the train station, but really, most convenient to rent at the airport. Depends on where you want to get a hotel, lots of them west side in Santa Monica to West Hollywood. That whole area along Sunset and Santa Monica blvds up to Griffith Park is where most of the sights and attractions are.

Tho heading north 101 is scenic from west San Fernando Valley north thru Santa Barbara. The mountains are the only East/West mtn range in the US, called the Transverse range in geology and created by our wonderful San Adreas Fault. it ends east of Palm Springs.

I don't care for all the noise of a convertable. It is our warm season, it my be 80 degrees it may be 100. No way of knowing, but if you like the openness go for it, no better place to have that option. I shy away from the sun having skin cancer, my Drs go ballistic when I show up without a hat on.

look up my email in my description if you want further info. Like I said before, stop in Santa Barbara, it is wonderful. I love driving up 101. Stop also in Los Robles and Gilmore for the garlic festival, you can smell it in the air.

I googled the Beverly Hills Hotel to see about rates, they don't offer that information. I guess if you have to ask you can't afford it. Iconic place tho, saved by Merv Griffin, restored and then he sold it for maga bucks. No pics of the outside.



I camp out at cheaper places. My cousins were in town and stayed at motels along the Sunset Blvd. they liked being in the middle of it all. I'm sure you'll find a good place, but make reservations now.

Wolf,

don't you mean Gilroy? and maybe Paso Robles?

quote:

Originally posted by Wolf2:
I googled the Beverly Hills Hotel to see about rates, they don't offer that information.

If you dig deep enough here here you'll see that 2 weeks for 2 in July (room only) will cost between about 7 and 17 thousand dollars. Certainly keeps out the riffraff!

riff-raff, yep,that's me