1

Um. This is tomorrow, right?

Is everyone over 21?
Other than photography, what do you want to see? What do you not want to see/do?
Is budget a huge concern regarding activities or meals?

With just one day in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and a late night in Las Vegas, it is rather important to give as much useful information as possible, because you don't have time to make multiple choices.

Where are you staying in Los Angeles? It is especially pertinent, as LA is huge and to maximize your single day, we should probably not give advice about seeing things that are 2 hours drive away.

2

Is this fair dinkum (for real)?

If it is, it's pretty insane ... and there is little point providing detailed advice - you don't have the lead time or the trip time to benefit from anything much; you will be eating on the fly, and not seeing a great deal - do you know about distances and traffic? I was young once, but I don't think I was ever this young!

3

Yes it is for real and we understand it is insane too. But we really like to go to these places and this is our only available period to travel. Your advice and input will be greatly appreciated!!

Edited by: ldwdigi2

4

When discussing budget in this country we use numbers to describe money, not adjectives. No use going if you run out of money half way. You are doing a lot, especially on such a busy time of year. If you weren't so reluctant to give budget we could suggest modifications based on what is most affordable.

5

With just one day plus, I wouldn't include a trip (bike or ferry) to Sausalito - takes too much time. Alcatraz tours require booking. I would keep myself close to the city heart, take the cable car, certainly see Fisherman's Wharf and around to the Golden Gate Bridge, and see The Castro and the Mission. Twin Peaks is a fair hike though - but presumably you will have you car the night before (where will you park?). Partying at clubs the night before might be incompatible with seeing the sunrise over the city, unless you pull an all-nighter.

Culver City is handy to Santa Monica, Venice, and Hollywood stuff - so a good choice there. Again - I would limit myself to a small area, and get more from it. You can see the coastline / beaches from LAX to San Diego as you drive out.

In terms of your budget, you are in Las Vegas on a Friday and Saturday night .. the dearest time ... plus it is Labor Day Weekend, so both Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon might be busy. Good luck with it.

6

If you're on a tight budget, then you can't afford to stay in Monterey or Santa Barbara, so I hope you have something else lined up.

Skip San Diego. That will take away a little bit of the insanity.

Personally, I think some of the places in Culver City do a bit of hourly business and might have long term residents, also adding to the sketchy. I know others who share that opinion. Yes, I know the area very well.

7

With only one day you should just get a day tour through your hotels. You will see a lot more in less time that way. Skip Marin Headlands and maybe Alcatraz, ride a ferry or two for great views. All these California cities have great food available. Many, many choices. I guess for a tourist get a crab or shrimp cocktail at fishermans wharf and chowder in a bread bowl, ride the cable car to the top of Nob Hill and have a drink at the 'Top of the Mark" bar. Have Fun!

8

If you're on a tight budget, then you can't afford to stay in Monterey or Santa Barbara, so I hope you have something else lined up.

There are hostels in both places (and San Luis Obispo), but I would be checking availability before I got there.

9

thanks for all the replies people!

we have decided to drop off san diego so that we will have more time to enjoy this trip properly. budget wise we have approximately $900 per person for the whole trip excluding lodging and flight. We have already booked our lodging at monterey.

10

Hello! Welcome to the West Coast!
If you and your friends are only staying for such a short time period, I recommend spending more time walking around each new city and destination instead of focusing on finding an inexpensive gourmet meal. You should be spontaneous and enjoy unexpected adventures. For instance, while you're in San Francisco, just grab something while watching artists paint, or while pointing out the Golden Gate Bridge; it won't matter if you waltzed into a cheap supermarket and bought simple deli sandwiches or burritos; the view and the atmosphere of the place will make you more excited about the memory, rather than if you scrambled madly about in search of the perfect suggestion of a fine meal. Make it your own, and brag about it when you return to your native land or shore. While in 'Cisco, roam around Chinatown, and just choose based on the vibe. I also recommend buying a cheap cassette tape of Chinese/Mandarin/Japanese music, and laughing together when you listen to it later, attempting to sing along. The best trips have impulsive and zany twists that individualizes the experience. Sometimes Americans are glorified for their rudeness (expect on the roads of L.A. and in the shopping centers) , but in actuality, most Americans are very friendly and willing to help you. (Especially on the open-minded West Coast.) If you notice someone who intrigues or captures you, go ahead and brave the unknown by asking him/her/them what their favorite eatery is, or what experience is the most unique to their city's style.
If you travel through Lompoc for some reason, be sure to stop and buy some strawberries from a cheap roadside stand. You can buy cartons with ease on your wallet, and the strawberries are wonderful, and about the size of your fist. Lompoc is about sixty miles north of Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is very beautiful; lush, green mountains and the calm blue waters of the Pacific cradle an expensive Spanish-style built city. Santa Barbara is exclusively for the rich, and you'll be hard-pressed to find good deals. But seeing and experiencing the city is enough to satisfy any visitor. You can visit the Santa Barbara Mission for free, and the architecture and art is stunning. If you climb to the top, you'll get your beautiful pictures. The view is amazing and captures the city, the mountains and the ocean. You can't go to Santa Barbara without strolling up and down the brick-paved State Street, SB's main drag. Excellent window shopping, and the rumors are true: the wine is rich and the women are beautiful. Also, there are some wonderful Sand artists by the Santa Barbara Pier, which is nearly a perfect stroll, except you will see ugly oil rigs in the distance; in the past, you could see the faint outlines of the Catalina islands.
Four miles away from Santa Barbara towards Malibu, I think that stopping to have a quick look at Carpinteria is worthwhile; it's a smaller version of Santa Barbara, in a vague way, and has much more activity because of its compact size. Here, I do recommend the Burger Spot, a simplistic, outdoor eatery close to the ocean on the Carpinteria's main drag, Linden. This little place is always packed, and the people-watching should be interesting while you wait in the long line. It's directly across an open, grassy field where families picnic, play and relax, and beyond that, there is a state campground that looks like a tent city when it's packed. I recommend walking through it. Showers cost a quarter for every two minutes of water used. Carpinteria is extremely safe. The water can be beautiful, but I only recommend swimming in it for the novel fun of it; Californian waters are always cold. For excellent beaches, Miami, the Florida Keys (Key West!) and South Padre Island should be on the schedule of your next trip.
You may want to consider taking a thirty-mile detour to see a little mountain city called Ojai. It can get quite hot, but the mountains and fields of tangerines, nectarines and oranges is beautiful. This small place, too, is for the rich - there's not even a single fast-food chain in Ojai, and I recommend shopping at a still over-priced Vons, but still, it's worth it, especially if you love to see the stars. If you're into camping, I recommend staying at Dennison Park - it does get hot, and no, there are no showers or electricity - but the view is amazing, and the camp host, Milo, is a great guy.
Malibu is worth visiting, too, but personally, I like Santa Barbara and Carpinteria much better. Hiking in the Malibu and Santa Monica Mountains can't be beat, however.
I'll be honest about L.A. - the city is ugly, the people self-absorbed and rude. But you have to love it. I recommend riding the bus along Ventura Boulevard, and stopping to see Sherman Oaks, Encino and Tarzana. These are strictly urban valley subcities, but I love them. You MUST visit Venice Beach to really grasp the hippie, cultural vibe of old school So Cal, and you should visit Santa Monica, too - catch the pier at nighttime. Of course, take into consideration what your Lonely Planet Guidebook says, too. Hollywood is not to be missed, and yes - it's required that you walk along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard. Don't walk around with your head bent down, studying stars and what not; look around you. Buy some fruit from a Mexican flea market; at a Mexican supermarket, buy bolillos, very yummy bread rolls that will fill you up for cheap - you can get four for only a dollar. Don't forget the iconic sign! For a spectacular view, drive alone Topanga Canyon - you'll see an astounding view of the valley, the mountains and eventually, the sea.
San Diego is the only Californian city I've never been to. Have fun, though! I heard the zoo is very extensive and cool. I'll let someone else guide you through Las Vegas - personally, I like Reno and Lake Tahoe a lot more. But you'll still have loads of sinful American fun in Vegas, and you should find great deals on some of the buffets.
Just one day for Arizona? This trip is much too short to really enjoy all of the extensive city hopping, but I'll throw in a suggestion; see Flagstaff and Sedona, close to the Grand Canyon, if you like. Also, buy some Navajo tribal art and jewelry. The Grand Canyon will speak for itself, though I do recommend buying food in a larger city before hitting America's most famous feature. It's fairly remote, and prices will skyrocket the closer you are to the Grand Canyon. There are generic gift shops and restaurants nearby, but I'd avoid them like the plague in favor of a more authentic adventure. Expect lots of red rocks, and more beautiful pictures.
I believe that European currency is of higher value in America, though America does overcharge too often, but you should have some good fun and some awesome, frenetic memories. Have fun, and absorb it all!
Hope we make a good impression. :)
Cheers!

If you'd like more local advice, feel free to ask. :)

11

31 Friday
1.20pm: arrival and pick up car
where would be a good place for lunch?
the castro & the mission? Night party?

1 Saturday
8am: Fisherman wharf, golden gate bridge, sausalito - we have a car so we can probably drive across?

2 Sunday
Twin Peaks sunrise - what is the best time to catch the sun rise?
12pm: Depart San Francisco to Santa Cruz - any recommendations on what places to go?
3pm: Santa Cruz to Monterey and have dinner - any recommendations on what places to go?
Stay the night at Monterey

3 Monday
Monterey to Santa Barbara
Stop for some sight seeing before continuing to Los Angeles. Should reach at night.

4 Tuesday
Full day at LA. Some places we love to go are: beverly hills, venice beach, santa monica pier, hollywood.

5 Wednesday
another day at LA. Not too sure what we can do today

6 Thursday
Depart LA to LV. Any recommended pitstops along the way?

7 Friday
grand canyon

8 Saturday
LV

9 Sunday
LV

Not too sure if we should spend so many days at LV since we won't really be gambling. Perhaps we can make a day trip to mojave desert?

12

Hi! I didn't realize you were from Singapore; when you used the expression, "Cheers!", I assumed you were Londoners. My apologies, and I hope that you found my advice helpful.

13

If you can, avoid picking up a car until you are ready to leave San Francisco. Parking can be hard to find and can be expensive. Only one hostel in SF has free parking--the HI Fisherman's Wharf. SF is surprisingly walkable, has good public transit, and there are lots of taxis.

If you arrive at the airport at 1:20, you will be lucky to get into SF before 3:00 PM. You will probably want to check into your hotel first, to get rid of your luggage, take a shower, etc. It might be closer to dinner time before you are ready to go out. You might prefer to go to a bar with a good light snack menu, instead of a full lunch.

Where will you be staying in SF? For the first night, you might prefer restaurants & clubs within walking distance. What kind of clubs are you looking for? Gay? Dancing? A live band? A place to meet other people?


Not how I would spend my time, but I am not you. You are in SF for only one day--why visit another city?

You will still be jetlagged and probably not get going until late in the day. With one day in SF, I'd skip Sausalito and the bridge and go to Fisherman's Wharf (because that seems ot be important to you) and Golden Gate Park for the Museums and general ambience. But maybe that's not your interests.

Don't bother. It's nothing spectacular. If it is foggy, there will be nothing to see.

What do you want to see? Wineries? Nature? Go hiking? Historical sites?

That is a long drive. If you take the scenic route through Big Sur (which you absolutely should do) it will be 6-8 hours of just driving, with no stops.

14

I forgot--you are packing a sweater for SF and the drive down the coast, aren't you? The high temperature in SF on September 1 is predicted to be around 18. That is normal.