Need suggestions for first California trip!

[Southernswthrt]

Planning a trip to Disneyland for February 2024. Our party consists of 2 adults and DD (12). We want to stay 7-8 nights total, with first and last days being travel days. We plan to do 3 full days at DLR and then the WB tours, but would love to see some other parts of the state. We're from the south and visit WDW regularly. Not really interested in LA, nor do we want to drive through snow as it's not something we're comfortable with. We would also appreciate hotel recommendations outside of DLR. We're looking for unique experiences, ways to relax and recharge, and opportunities to admire the natural beauty of California. Here are some of the other things we are considering:

• Universal Studios
• Death Valley
• Beaches
• Drive up Pacific Coast Highway to SF (is this practical in winter?) & see sea lions, butterflies, etc along the way and visit Alcatraz in SF
• Visit redwood forest

Open to other suggestions as well. TIA

 

[PalmettoPath]

We have a couple of regular trips that we do when we do DLR. Three nights at DLR onsite, then we do one either four nights at the Huntington Beach Hyatt Regency, or we hop on the Pacific Surfliner and head down to San Diego where we do four nights at the Hotel Del Coronado (the inspiration for Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and steeped in history). From either location we explore locally and enjoy the beaches. Lots to see and do.

 

[skellinton]

How many actual days do you have for sightseeing outside of DLR and WB? Am I correct in counting 2 days? SF is about a 6 hour drive, I doubt it would be worth it for the limited time you have. Redwood Forest Park is even further, I think. Death Valley is pretty far out too. If you want some sort of Nature excursion I think Joshua Tree area would fit the bill and is closer.
I don’t think Universal Studios is going to put the bill for either nature or relaxing and recharging.
I am from Oregon and don’t think much of California beaches, but I know most people feel very differently. I don’t have any recommendations on those though. I think beaches would be more relaxing, but I don’t know what the weather is like then.

 

[Rolem]

For 8 nights I think I would ditch the car and the hassle of driving. I would do 3 nights at Disneyland and take the Pacific Surfliner up to Santa Barbara. The station is within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, etc. Maybe add an extra night in Paso Robles (station is also within walking distance of downtown).

 

[mdmost]

I think LA to SF is a bit of a bear as that's a lot of driving. You're looking at least a day of driving. If you flew into LA and out of SF then it's doable. I just think there's so much to do in SF and that area that you'd want to give it more time. The PCH is beautiful and it's always a treat.

I would say maybe do DLR at least 3 days in DLR, a day and a half at Universal, WB tour in the afternoon (we just did this end of last month and it was great). That's at least 5 days there. You could then drive up to a place like Big Sur and stay for a night. I think going north is always dicey though as you are at the mercy of if a part of the PCH is out due to a mudslide or road damage.

A counterpoint, have you thought about going south? Lots of great beach towns like San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Oceanside, and Del Mar. You could go to San Diego and there's sea lions in La Jolla. Our last trip we flew in and out of San Diego with 4 days at Disneyland. It was fantastic.

 

[LKing]

Agree with everyone else in that SF should be a separate trip. Death Valley and Sequoia are both about 5 hrs away.

Is Universal a must see? If not, and you aren't interested in LA, I would skip it and head south to San Diego.

 

[Southernswthrt]

So many choices and not enough time! Thanks for the suggestions! I feel the PCH calling my name but it is probably best for another trip - maybe with Yosemite in the summertime.

Thoughts on visiting Malibu and Reagan Library?

 

[mdmost]

So many choices and not enough time! Thanks for the suggestions! I feel the PCH calling my name but it is probably best for another trip - maybe with Yosemite in the summertime.

Thoughts on visiting Malibu and Reagan Library?

I can't speak to the Reagan Library but yes to Malibu. Also, check out Santa Barbara. I've been as far as Avila Beach. My brother goes up to the Hearst Castle area when he's in LA. My niece goes to school at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and my brother loves that area. Morro Bay has sea otters.

We did a long trip in 2017 to Yosemite. We started out in San Francisco and stayed for about 3 days. We then went to Monterrey which was great. We then drove to Yosemite and spent 4 days there. Flew into and out of SFO. It was a great trip.

 

[LKing]

Reagan Library is pretty cool. Depending on what time you leave Anaheim, you could be sitting in traffic for quite a while.

 

[bennifer]

I'm editing my post because I wasn't thinking about it being Feb. Because we're talking about Feb, my vote is to add on San Diego to your trip

 

[bcla]

A few things. Pacific Coast Highway is a specific section of State Route 1. Certainly in my area we just call it “Highway 1”. There are old growth redwoods all the way from the south of Oregon to Big Sur. If your on State Route 1 you could probably find a decent spot between LA and SF.

 

[foolish_mortals]

Going up PCH, HW1, and even the 5 can be tricky in Feb. It seems like almost every year part of HW1 closes due to a mudslide. Many of the smaller highways have this issue as well. Driving the coast is a full day (10+ hours with no stops). Most people who drive the coast usually make it a 3 day trip.

Feb is not the best month to road trip north to south through CA. The rainy season is usually ending by then but sometimes not. You can plan it, but know and be prepared to take long detours or change your plans if a serious storm is coming through when you plan to go.

Death Valley is out of the way unless you’re going to Las Vegas or Yosemite. Consider Joshua Tree and Palm Springs (the aerial tram is very cool). I also second considering San Diego.

Also Disneyland has Sweethearts Nites in Feb that close the park earlier to non ticketed guests. Those nights are usually the first two weeks of Feb on Tues/Thur/Sun and Valentines Day.

 

[bcla]

Death Valley is out of the way unless you’re going to Las Vegas or Yosemite. Consider Joshua Tree and Palm Springs (the aerial tram is very cool). I also second considering San Diego.

I've traveled from Death Valley to Yosemite. But it was in the middle of summer (and yes it was hot) and when I planned the trip I wasn't even sure Tioga Road was going to be open (it had just opened a few days earlier by the time we got there). It will be closed in February. That's a given. I recall US-395 was closed a few months ago due to excessive snow and maybe rockfall?

I do remember one year when it was still cold but there was so little snow that Tioga Road wasn't closed until mid January. There were people driving there in order to skate on one of the lakes that was frozen.

A lot of the suggestions might be challenging in February. Yosemite will most definitely have snow or at least the possibility of snow and chain conditions. So will Sequoia-Kings Canyon. The Sierra Nevada range is the part of California and Nevada that sees real winter conditions.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/seasonal.htm

 

[sjmac42]

To me the obvious choices with only 2-3 nights would be Santa Barbara or San Diego. I too think SF is too far away although if you fly there from LAX or SNA (the airport closest to Disneyland) it may work for 2-3n if you fly home from SFO. Death Valley is also a possibility if you spent 2n there then headed to Las Vegas to fly home and don’t mind the 5-6 hour drive to Furnace Creek. It’s a very unique area and Vegas is a bit over 2 hrs away. Forget Hwy 1 as it really need more time than a couple of nights to fully appreciate it and the mountains will have road closures and probably snow.
Santa Barbara and San Diego would be the easy options and they are lovely cities with plenty to do. If a long drive is OK and you are happy with more expensive accommodation in a beautiful setting, then Death Valley would be something quite different.

 

[foolish_mortals]

I've traveled from Death Valley to Yosemite. But it was in the middle of summer (and yes it was hot) and when I planned the trip I wasn't even sure Tioga Road was going to be open (it had just opened a few days earlier by the time we got there). It will be closed in February. That's a given. I recall US-395 was closed a few months ago due to excessive snow and maybe rockfall?

I do remember one year when it was still cold but there was so little snow that Tioga Road wasn't closed until mid January. There were people driving there in order to skate on one of the lakes that was frozen.

A lot of the suggestions might be challenging in February. Yosemite will most definitely have snow or at least the possibility of snow and chain conditions. So will Sequoia-Kings Canyon. The Sierra Nevada range is the part of California and Nevada that sees real winter conditions.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/seasonal.htm

For sure! I definitely don’t think OP should go to Yosemite in Feb!

You pretty much nailed it on February in CA. Yea when it comes down to it, Feb in CA nature is difficult to plan. Some winters are mild and some are like this year with serious storms. Plenty of easy trails closed due to flooding or cliff instability. City based activities are a better bet if you want to have rock solid plans.

OP, I forgot to mention that swimming/wading at beaches might also be difficult if it rained in the last 48hrs. Rain runoff increases bacteria in the water, increasing the risk of infections, including staph.

 

[bcla]

For sure! I definitely don’t think OP should go to Yosemite in Feb!

You pretty much nailed it on February in CA. Yea when it comes down to it, Feb in CA nature is difficult to plan. Some winters are mild and some are like this year with serious storms. Plenty of easy trails closed due to flooding or cliff instability. City based activities are a better bet if you want to have rock solid plans.

OP, I forgot to mention that swimming/wading at beaches might also be difficult if it rained in the last 48hrs. Rain runoff increases bacteria in the water, increasing the risk of infections, including staph.

Well - California is a pretty large state with lots of different geography, elevations, etc.

I've been to Yosemite in winter several times and had a great time, although the conditions can vary. It was great at the two-sided fireplace at the Ahwahnee Hotel.

Winter was actually quite fun but it's for people who really want to do that sort of thing. They've got winter hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country/downhill skiing and snowboarding. It's a very different experience than during spring or summer. I think a lot of people like Yosemite for its waterfalls, which aren't really all that full in the winter, although there's typically some water since snow still melts a little bit in the winter.

Here's a photo I found of Yosemite Falls during the winter, with a patch of snow at the top of the cascades. You can see the bathtub ring that shows the maximum water conditions. But in winter it's going to look like a mist sometimes. I've been there to the top where there was lots of snow and I was too scared to get too close to the edge.

 

[LKing]

nor do we want to drive through snow as it's not something we're comfortable with

@bcla, did you catch ^^ statement from OP?

 

[bcla]

@bcla, did you catch ^^ statement from OP?

Saw someone else mention Yosemite and ran with it.

 

[Southernswthrt]

Thanks for the great suggestions! I must now plan a second trip in the summer to explore the other areas!

 

[sjmac42]

Sounds like a plan. Be aware that accommodation in the national parks, particularly Yosemite, start booking a year in advance and can fill up quickly.