California trip recommendations

[Celtic Truth]

You guys are always good with travel recommendations so I thought I'd reach out. My brother(23), parents, and I are going to California next week for the 1st time. Here is our rough itinerary of things we are definitely doing and places we are definitely going to.

San Fran: staying downtown, Giants game, Alcatraz. Not going to wine country, and wondering what is the best way to do/see Golden Gate Bridge(We won't have a car). - we will have a car the rest of the trip though

Monterrey: big sur, 17 mile drive, eat at Nepenthe.

Pismo beach: more of a stop off point. This is not in Pismo beach but we plan on seeing the Hearst Castle. 

Los Angeles: staying in Venice. LA is so big and spread out it is tough to plan on how to spend just a couple of days there. We like to do "real" stuff like explore cool neighborhoods and avoid touristy places. However, which of the touristy places are worth seeing and which are overrated?

San Diego: staying downtown, zoo. Planning on seeing Coronado, pacific beach, barrio Logan, La Jolla, old town, gaslight neighborhoods.

I've done a ton of research on restaurants but obviously restaurant recommendations are greatly appreciated. We all like almost any kind of food, no fancy/expensive places tho. We all love Mexican food so we plan on eating a lot of it. We like hitting authentic places and aren't afraid of hole in the wall spots where nobody speaks English.

Thank you in advance for any help.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

My family and I rented bikes in San Fran and rode across the Golden Gate bridge. Best way to see it my opinion. Biked down to a little town on the Oakland side, Sausalito I think, and got some good ice cream there. It was pretty cheap IIRC, San Fran is lousy with bike rental places. There was a restaurant in Chinatown called Empress of China. Best chinese meal I've had possibly ever. Though I was a teenager at the time and I could just be nostalgic.

Only other place that I've been in Cali is LA. And I'm not much help, all I did while I was there was Marquette basketball and theme parks. I enjoy visiting old churches so you could always check out the California mission trail. My family stopped at the mission in San Francisco and enjoyed it.

[Eldon]

Since you'll be in San Diego, you may be tempted to go a little farther down to Tijuana.  Don't do it.  It's dangerous.

And if you do, don't see the donkey show.  It's also dangerous.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Stop by the OC and have some brewskis with chicos and hoopaloop, a'ina?

[real chili 83]

Stop by the OC and have some brewskis with chicos and hoopaloop, a'ina?

Who is this Chicos you speak of?

[Litehouse]

One of my favorite bars in the world is Vesuvio in San Francisco, a must-see if you're into beat writers like Kerouac.  Apple Jack's in La Honda is worth checking out if you're driving south out of SF.  The drive along Big Sur is awesome, but get an update on the massive rock slide yesterday that wiped out a portion of the road.  Carmel is a nice stop, better than Monterrey.  Everything from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara is boring farm country.  In LA, Los Feliz/Silver Lake/Echo Park is replacing Brooklyn as the trendiest spot in the country:
https://qz.com/979716/hippies-are-the-new-hipsters/
The Sunset Strip area can be fun for a night out.  I liked Dodger Stadium way more than I thought I would.
In San Diego you have a pretty good list.  Old Town is great if you want Mexican restaurants.  Ocean Beach has more of a hippy vibe compared to more of a frat-boy scene in Pacific Beach, both are fun, but I'd say Ocean Beach is better during the day and Pacific Beach is better at night with more restaurants.  Gaslamp is fun and a Padres game is great if they're in town.

[GooooMarquette]

On a trip several years back, I found myself waking at about 4:30 am the first couple of days.  I walked around Nob Hill and Russian Hill, through Chinatown, up Telegraph Hill and back to my hotel on Nob Hill.  Peaceful, great views, a group of older Asian people doing tai chi in a park, watching the city wake up.

For food, stay away from the mega-restaurants by Fisherman's Wharf, and look for the smaller neighborhood places (Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, etc).

And +1 on biking across the Golden Gate to Sausalito.  We did it one way, then took a ferry back to SF ('cause we had much wine at a restaurant in Sausalito).

[mikekinsellaMVP]

My family and I rented bikes in San Fran and rode across the Golden Gate bridge. Best way to see it my opinion. Biked down to a little town on the Oakland side, Sausalito I think, and got some good ice cream there. It was pretty cheap IIRC, San Fran is lousy with bike rental places. There was a restaurant in Chinatown called Empress of China. Best chinese meal I've had possibly ever. Though I was a teenager at the time and I could just be nostalgic.

If you're on the Oakland side of the Golden Gate Bridge, that must have been one hell of an earthquake!

For La Jolla, the rooftop at George's at the Cove is an awesome place to take in views during lunch.  You may need to make a reservation (it was pretty busy when I was there in January.)  I also recommend the Beachcomber Cafe in Crystal Cove for brunch if you're driving from LA to San Diego.  No motorized vehicles in the village, so you'll have to park off Hwy 1 and walk a little bit.

[Benny B]

Take a leisurely drive on PCH north of SLO.

[warriorchick]

I recommend the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.  Even if you aren't a fan of the guy, it is on top of a hill in a stunningly beautiful area. Plus, they have his old Air Force One 747 there, completely under roof, and you are allowed to tour it.

[muwarrior69]

While in San Francisco go visit the Muir Woods. You won't be disappointed. It is only 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

[Tortuga94]

In San Diego, besides old town which has some decent Mexican options, I would check out Tacos El Gordo.
http://tacoselgordobc.com/

Also, in SD go to the original Hodad's in Ocean Beach. About a 15 minute drive from downtown SD. Great burgers!
http://hodadies.com/

I grew up in LA, I moved to Milwaukee when I was 16. For Mexican food we would always go to Ramona's for burritos. You order at the counter and take with you, kind of like Qdoba or Chipotle, not a place to sit. We used to go to the one in Gardena. The red chile or the beef and potato are the bomb.
http://www.ramonas.com/restaurants/

If you like Mexican and seafood I highly recommend El 7 Mares.
http://www.el7mares.com/#home

[rocket surgeon]

Palm Springs-I realize this may be a bit off your path, but if you do, try to plan a Thursday night.  They close the immediate downtown, arts crafts, music, food food and did I say food?  Anything from restaurants to snacks, homemade jerkies, etc...mrs rocket and I do this every October-ish.  We stay and play 2 nights 2 days, golf, r & r, gamble, they have a nice little casino downtown.  Beautiful area Coachella, Indio, palm desert, springs

[WarriorFan]

Best place to view the GG brige in my opinion is from Battery Spencer on the marin side.  Must go mid-day or you can't see much due to the fog.  You're above the bridge from this vantage point with the best view back to San Francisco and of the entire bay.  Warning - it's cold up there! 

After that it's 10 minutes drive down to Sausalito which has lots of great dining options.  Not sure about Mexican, but one of the best Indian places I've been to outside of India is Sartaj India Cafe on caledonia street.

[dgies9156]

My family and I rented bikes in San Fran and rode across the Golden Gate bridge. Best way to see it my opinion. Biked down to a little town on the Oakland side, Sausalito I think, and got some good ice cream there. It was pretty cheap IIRC, San Fran is lousy with bike rental places. There was a restaurant in Chinatown called Empress of China. Best chinese meal I've had possibly ever. Though I was a teenager at the time and I could just be nostalgic.

Only other place that I've been in Cali is LA. And I'm not much help, all I did while I was there was Marquette basketball and theme parks. I enjoy visiting old churches so you could always check out the California mission trail. My family stopped at the mission in San Francisco and enjoyed it.

I have spent a great deal of time on business in both cities. Best advice for SFO is if you've been there before, get out of the business district and tourist centers. Take a bus/trolley out to the neighborhoods. I've found the most interesting way to get around is to head in a direction and walk. For the most part, San Francisco is safe. I like GG Park, the Presidio and the restaurants on Union Street NW of downtown. The coast west of the GG Bridge is nice and TAMU is right, rent a bike or walk across the bridge. Actually, the Castro for all its talk is a fascinating place. Haight Ashbury has gone upscale. The grunge is gone.

Not to be picky TAMU, but Sausalito is in Marin County. It's straight north of San Francisco over the GG Bridge on 101. Really pretty New England-style community on the Bay surrounded by Mountains. Not sure where you went to in the East Bay, but kinda sounds like Walnut Creek (a bedroom suburb).

Oh, in case you have not read, the PCH south of Monterey has been washed out by a landslide and the stretch between Monterey and Big Sur will be closed for a year. There is NO way around it.

LA is a nightmare. Unless you drive at 2:00 a.m., count on traffic problems. If you have never been there, you are in for a rude awakening. The 405 is a cluster and the 5 is only marginally better. It's a four hour drive from Ventura/Oxnard to LA on the 101 and most of the other freeways in the city are a disaster. Environmentalists notwithstanding, there is no mass transit in LA.

Here I would tell you that if you want to see something, like homes of the Stars, get a tour. I normally hate tours, but LA is so spread out and finding things can be so difficult, it's better to be with someone you know. Orange County is a waste of time-- DuPage County of the West. Only thing worth seeing is the old Crystal Cathedral, which was purchased by the Diocese of Orange County and is now a Catholic Cathedral.

Santa Monica has some very nice restaurants near downtown. Rick Bayless has a really good one and there's a restaurant row worth checking out. Haven't been to Dodger Stadium yet but want to go there. Oh, and for a multi-cultural experience, head west from downtown on Wilshire Blvd. It's Hispanic, Korean, Jewish and rich, all within about seven miles. Koreatown is really rather cool. If you go east on the 10 or on the 60, you'll feel like you just entered Beijing.

Pat's Restaurant in West LA is Kosher (yes, the food aint that good) but every writer and producer in LA dines there for lunch. The Holocaust Museum  is supposed to be good, but again, I go there on business and I have missed it.

If I was staying in LA, I would stay in Santa Monica along the waterfront. The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is really nice.

In San Diego, La Jolla gets the name recognition but I like Del Mar better. The restaurants are better. The arrogant rich less prevalent and the mood more relaxed. The drive down along the ocean is nice too. Try the Wild Animal Park there for fun -- it's up in the mountains NE of the city but worth the drive.

Skip Tijuana. It is crap unless you're dying for fake Mexican, cheap drugs or good ceramic.

[dgies9156]

[

[#UnleashSean]

wondering what is the best way to do/see Golden Gate Bridge

I'd advice looking towards it.

[real chili 83]

Tadich Grill. Longest operating restaurant in San Francisco.

Cioppino.

[dgies9156]

Tadich Grill. Longest operating restaurant in San Francisco.

Cioppino.

Disappointing and expensive. Atmosphere of a Woolworth's lunch counter.

Food is OK but there are better.

[drewm88]

My favorite thing in SF was doing an all-day electric bike tour through a company called Streets of San Francisco. We hit a ton of areas that are great for passing through with a guide giving you a rundown, but would have been impossible to do on our own. Electric bikes means you don't have to worry about hills or getting tired. Highly recommend. Also gets you plenty of views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fisherman's Wharf may be touristy, but it's not as bad as Navy Pier, and they still have great chowder at a lot of places. Grab some at a stand and find a bench or picnic table.

Maybe the best burrito of my life at La Taqueria in the Mission District. Be sure to get it grilled.

[wadesworld]

I'm guessing you have your trip planned out too much already to completely change it up, but if it was me I'd drive the opposite direction from SF and head north along coast.  Nothing better than the Oregon coast, in my opinion.

In SF you should stop by Ghirardelli.  If you like baseball AT&T Park is cool but gets windy and cold at night.

There are some good hiking trails in Malibu to get a great view of the ocean.  I can't even remember the name of the park we went to but we went early morning and then went to Moonshadows for lunch.

[real chili 83]

Disappointing and expensive. Atmosphere of a Woolworth's lunch counter.

Food is OK but there are better.

Respect your opinion, but they must be doing something right to be the last man standing.  I liked the food.  Worth it in my opinion.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Lived in Cal. For 30 years. SAN Luis Obispo is a great area to visit. Thursday night the town is a farmer's market with bands on every block. Cute town to walk. If you cut across 154 to Santa Barbara, go to Panini in Los Olivia for a sandwich. Venice Beach and Santa Monica pier are a good pick.
Lived in Del Mar and La Jolla both great places to visit. DEL Mar can get busy but try to park @22nd street and go to the beach.
Don't like old townie San Diego its too touristy. Make a reservation at 3rd Corner in Ocean Beach. Great chef,reasonable prices and they only charge $5 to uncork a wine from their wine store which has great bargains. LaJolla is a great place to walk around and beach is just below downtown.
Park at south end of Prospect and you are right at the beach. Have fun

[WellsstreetWanderer]

and Lived in Cal. For 30 years. SAN Luis Obispo is a great area to visit. Thursday night the town is a farmer's market with bands on every block. Cute town to walk. If you cut across 154 to Santa Barbara, go to Panini in Los Olivia for a sandwich. Venice Beach and Santa Monica pier are a good pick.
Lived in Del Mar and La Jolla both great places to visit. DEL Mar can get busy but try to park @22nd street and go to the beach.
Don't like old townie San Diego its too touristy. Make a reservation at 3rd Corner in Ocean Beach. Great chef,reasonable prices and they only charge $5 to uncork a wine from their wine store which has great bargains. LaJolla is a great place to walk around and beach is just below downtown.
Park at south end of Prospect and you are right at the beach. Have fun

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Lived in Cal. For 30 years. SAN Luis Obispo is a great area to visit. Thursday night the town is a farmer's market with bands on every block. Cute town to walk. If you cut across 154 to Santa Barbara, go to Panini in Los Olivias for a sandwich. Venice Beach and Santa Monica pier are a good pick.
Lived in Del Mar and La Jolla both great places to visit. DEL Mar can get busy but try to park @22nd street and go to the beach.
Don't like old townie San Diego its too touristy. Make a reservation at 3rd Corner in Ocean Beach. Great chef,reasonable prices and they only charge $5 to uncork a wine from their wine store which has great bargains. LaJolla is a great place to walk around and beach is just below downtown.
Park at south end of Prospect and you are right at the beach. Have fun