Talo

Hey TFPers,

I don't know if this is the right section - but I didn't see travel posts anywhere.

I plan on taking a week off of work (leave June 15 or 16, back in the office on June 22nd) and decided I want to go and visit California. I work in NYC and have spent the past few years here, so I want to see the other side of the U.S.

I have family that lives in San Jose - and I can stay with them & visit San Fransisco during the day.

My question is: Is there enough in San Fransisco to keep me entertained and occupied during the entire week, or would it be more fulfilling if I spent a day or two in the beginning of the week in LA.

Any recommendations on if LA is worth it for a day or 2, or if there really isn't much there would be appreciated. Also - any recommendations on things to do / see in both LA and San Fran would be great.

I am going to be travelling by myself, but as I mentioned, will have some company once I get to San Jose.

Thanks for the help!

snowy

I haven't been to L.A., but I have been to the Bay Area, and I would say I could spend a week there finding stuff to do, easy. I'd probably spend a day or two in Santa Cruz if I were staying in San Jose and I had a car. The road from San Jose to Santa Cruz is a bit scary, though, so I would avoid it if you aren't comfortable on a winding freeway with heavy traffic (depending on time of day, of course). I'd probably take a day and go to Great America and ride all the rides I was too chicken to ride the first time I went.

There is a lot to explore in San Francisco itself. I like Golden Gate Park a lot, and the beach nearby attracts its fair share of surfers and kiteboarders. Fisherman's Wharf is always a must visit for me despite the touristy nature of it mostly due to sentimental reasons, and while I'm there I always visit Ghiradelli Square and have a hot fudge sundae (it's a family tradition). If you like books, you HAVE to visit City Lights Books in North Beach: City Lights Books Vesuvio, a little nook nearby, is a good place to grab a beer. A place I haven't been but I'm dying to go to is the farmer's market in the Ferry Building: Ferry Building Marketplace Chinatown is also worthy of a lengthy exploration. San Francisco is really a city to be enjoyed on foot with no specific destination in mind sometimes; it's best to take it easy. Walking is not always the best, though--there are a lot of steep hills, and so the cable car is not just a tourist attraction, but a great way to get up the hills. There are a lot of colorful, interesting neighborhoods that one could easily spend a whole day exploring, so yes, you could spend a whole week in SF itself, but there are other things to be done in the wider Bay Area.

Another day can be spent exploring Berkeley (funky, fun, and interesting; also home to one of the coolest cheese shops I've ever been into, and a great bookstore I don't remember the name of--I'm sure genuinegirly knows), and yet another poking around Sausalito (accessible by ferry from San Francisco). One of my favorite things to do in Sausalito is to have a tasty beverage somewhere with a view of the marina, and just watch the boats.

And if you do have a car, you could always go out to Pacifica, eat at the Taco Bell on the beach, and watch the surfers.

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Poppinjay

I lived in San Jose, and re-visited in the late 90's. I love it, for the seafood, the piers, and the atmosphere. San Francisco is wonderful. I recommend hitting the piers at Fort Mason, going to Crissey Field, and touring the Presidio.

Those are all touristy things. But fun.

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BogeyDope

San Diego is the best city in California. Hands down.

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Or you could just call me and I'll take you surfing. It sure beats the hell out of watching.

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Willravel

It's too bad you missed the Sharks, that would have been a lot of fun.
Yes there is. When are you coming, and what, generally, are you interested in? There's far too much going on in San Jose alone to list in this thread, let alone San Francisco and Los Angeles.

genuinegirly

Knowing your interests will help us pick out fun things for you to do!
Knowing your general budget will also help us pick out fun things that aren't too pricey or cheap.

I grew up in the LA area, but spent 2 years in the SF Bay Area.
Without knowing more about you, I'll tell you about the places that I enjoy visiting in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.

SF Bay Area:
Muir Woods is a gorgeous redwood forest that has mild to medium trails for average joe and avid hikers alike.
Golden Gate Park. Several acres of park downtown, akin to New York's Central Park. Their Atrium has a beautiful collection of orchids and bromeliads.
The city of Sonoma has a lovely little downtown to go along with its wineries - wine tasting is fun even if you don't know anything about wine.
Chez penisse in Berkeley offers a unique fine-dining experience.


Los Angeles:
Pantages theatre is a beautiful old theatre that usually has musicals. Looks like they'll be showing Dirty Dancing and Fiddler on the Roof while you're around.
Getty Villa, Classical Greek and Roman Art, free reservation required, parking ~$10
Getty Museum, archetecture, photography, and impressionist-era art, free, parking ~$10
Bergamot Station, Santa Monica - incredible grouping of modern art galleries in an old bus depot. Free parking and admission.


Remember, you're talking about two major metropolitan regions of California. These are densely-packed cities with hundreds of thousands to a million residents each. There is going to be more than enough to keep you occupied at any one place for more than a month. The key is knowing your interests and finding the places you'll enjoy when you visit. Anyplace can seem boring if you don't do your homework before showing up.

Snowy - which bookstore? Ooo there are a lot of great bookstores in Berkeley. I loved "Shakespeare & Co." and "Another Change in Hobbit."

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ASU2003

You can check out Hollywood in LA and see a few TV shows getting made. And the beaches in southern California are some of the best around. Even driving up the pacific coast highway on a nice day would be a great thing to do.

I always recommend renting a convertible when visiting California. It is worth it. And bring a GPS unit with you (and don't be afraid to take the backroads instead of the highway at rush hour). For example, instead of taking the 405 to 10 to get to Santa Monica Beach, take Sunset Blvd all the way. That is a great road to drive down anyways.

I would go to In-n-Out burger, Fatburger and some other California restaurants. Stop by the Playboy mansion, it's a guaranteed good time (if you get in). Citywalk is a default thing you can do at nighttime.

There is plenty of stuff to do in LA if you look for it, but there are also plenty of people.

I haven't been to San Fran (only the airport), but I think I would like it.

Charlatan

If you are in LA, head to the beaches. Venice Beach and Santa Monica are a lot of fun. Great restaurants and night clubs.

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n0nsensical

Oh ya, there is plenty of stuff to be done in and around SF. I still haven't even done half of it and I've lived here for four years. But if you have a full week, I would recommend seeing more of the state, yeah even LA. As for what to do, that kind of depends on what you like to do. (So many people leave out this vital information)

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ametc

A couple or so hours drive down south on the Pacific coast highway brings you to my FAVORITE place in the world: Big Sur.

Lindy

Of course, you are coming from "The greatest city in the world!" (as they say in the intro to David Letterman's show,) but...
this would be like a Californian saying "Is there enough in NYC to keep me entertained and occupied during the entire week, or would it be more fulfilling if I spent a day or two in Boston?"

Lindy

Willravel

Well done, madam!

Talo

Thanks for the tips so far everyone.

I just confirmed my tickets: Doing LA Monday June 15th - June 17th, and San Fran June 17th - 21st.

As for my interests: I am a big partier. I like to do / see risky things and go and see whatever is possible. This is the first time off I am having in about 2 years, so I want to try and maximize my enjoyment.

Going to some clubs and such seems like the thing to do. Also - I am interested by the whole hippie movement, so in San Fran I'll go check out that scene.

Any recommendations on Hotels / Restaraunts / Cool activities are great. The Big Sur looks great too - so I'll try to stop by there.

Also - any tips on the Playboy mansion and how to get in? I always thought it was a private thing