Presenting several proven to be enjoyable itineraries-for-driving vacations in California.    And what a

place to visit!  It is little wonder there is so much information.  Probably nowhere else in America can one find sea shore, deserts, and snow capped mountains within three or four driving hours.  And the world's tallest (Redwoods), largest (Sequoias), and oldest (Bristlecomb pines) living things are able to be seen in one trip.  The largest Chinese population outside of China, ghost towns from goldrush times, a variety of National Parks - all can be visited is several days.  And that is just by touring the central and northern parts of California!  And even that is barely part of the story.

Library and bookstore shelves are filled with California travel information.  Whether you are a first time or frequent visitor to the Golden State, you will page through many of those volumes.  What we will present here are three itineraries we have followed over the last five years; we hope they assist in focusing the research for your next vacation trip.  Our two boys were 7 & 8 when we took our first trip in 1995.  So, the prespective we present is from parents and children, trying to get the

best value, seeing and learning something new at every turn in the road - all done economically.  We are a family of four from Cincinnati, Ohio; so we are visitors, not residents.  We come from far away, hope to be rewarded by finally experiencing what we have planned and anticipated - AND HAVE NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED!

Please let us know if you have discovered us and/or if you find this information helpful.  Also, feel free to offer your suggestions and experiences which we may incorporate into our ongoing editing of this project.

The Ruzicks
ruzickfam@fuse.net

CaliforniaDrive Number One

Here is a two-week itinerary through central California which will offer a wide variety of wonderful experiences.  You'll absorb some of the Gold Rush fever which was the foundation of this great state, see mountains, lakes, the State Capital, museums, a magnificent National Park, explore the ocean depths, maybe ride a roller coaster, and (believe it or not!) - have a few other surprises.  You'll stay at each stop two or three nights, so you won't feel you are on the go every morning.  We start in San Francisco.

Day 1:  If you arrive at San Francisco International airport late morning or early afternoon, this will allow you to enjoy the afternoon and evening in the City By the Bay. Search for deals on a rental car for two weeks, and do it plenty early.  There are Internet promotions worth looking into.  (For some additional advice on cars, hotels, etc., feel free to e-mail us).  Stay in downtown SF, not on the outskirts.  And be sure to purchase a three-day Muni pass, good for cable cars, buses, trams, etc.  This is a great saving in several ways.  Find a hotel with free parking, and plan not to use your car for the next several days.  If you arrive too early for check-in at your hotel, drive to the visitors' center at the Golden Gate Bridge, and walk to the center; also, drive down the section of Lombard Street known as the "most crooked street in the world."

Days 2 & 3: Explore San Francisco!  Expect the cable cars to be crowded, but hang on the outside for unforgettable experiences.  There is more than enough to occupy three days in the city itself.  But one thing to be sure to do is visit the Wells Fargo History Museum at 420 Montgomery St.  This is in the heart of the financial center, and seeing the exhibits there will pay great dividends several days from now (Days six and eight, especially).

Day 4:  Time to really begin your "CaliforniaDrives".  Basically, you are heading for Sacramento, but with a few detours.  Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and have breakfast in Sausalito, then continue north (Route 1) to Muir Woods.  Even though this redwood grove is much visited, you will definitely experience a sense of awe and peace, a wonderful contrast to the bustle of San Francisco.  Continue along coastal Route 1 towards Stintson Beach; along the way, stop for a few minutes at one or more of the fantastic Pacific Ocean overlooks.  There are a number of WWII pillboxes still in place in these overlooks, a chance to meditate on a part of our country's history.  Get a sandwich for lunch near Stinson Beach, and walk out to dip your toes in the water. (If you have kids, they'll love this short break!)  If you wish, continue north along Route 1 to Point Reys National Seashore.  This is a vast area, but time may only allow a walk through the Bear Valley Visitor's center near the entrance (Olima), and perhaps a short walk from the visitor's center to stand on the San Andrea Fault.  If you do all of the above, it will now be about 2:00pm, and time to head to Sacramento.  Three or four hours of driving are ahead.  Suggestion is that you stay near Old Town Sacramento.  There are several places to stay just north of Old Town.  Before and after supper, explore this piece of history.

Day 5:  You are in Sacramento all day.  Drive downtown, perhaps take a tour of the State Capitol building.  Their tours are very interesting.  Then be sure to visit the Railroad Museum in Old Town, one of the finest such facilities you will ever see.

Day 6: Head east on route 50 towards South Lake Tahoe.  Along the way,  your previous visit to the Well Fargo Museum back in San Francisco will start to pay off.  Turn north on Route 49 and plan to spend an hour or two in Coloma, the location of Sutter's Mill, where John Marshall found that first gold nugget.  Afterwards, retrace your tracks back to Route 50 and continue east to South Lake Tahoe.  There are a wide variety of motels and hotels to select from.  Whether or not you wish to wager a few bucks, take the short trip over the boarder to Stateline, NV.  This will only be a mile or several hundred yards, depending where you stay on the California side.  Food is cheap, too!

Day 7: All day in the Lake Tahoe area.  Drive around the lake, which is gorgeous; swim in your hotel pool or the crisp, cool lake; perhaps supper in Nevada again.

Day 8: Today's drive will be the longest of the trip; you are headed for Mariposa and Yosemite National Park.  We strongly suggest going south out of Lake Tahoe and picking up Route 88 west, to again cross the Sierra Nevada range.  This is a tremendous scenic route through the Kit Carson Pass.  (We stopped at the Kirkwood Ski area on our trip, and promptly saw an elephant at the bottoms of a chair lift in July!  They were filming a Bill Murray movie in the vacinity.)  On the western edge of the mountains, turn south on Route 49.  If you have done some homework, the towns of San Andreas, Angels Camp (of Jumping Frog Fame), Jamestown (many railroad scenes of moves filmed in the area), Chinese Camp, etc., will be of interest.  Mariposa is a nice place to stay, clean town with its own history (southern end of the chain of gold towns), several good places to eat, etc.  Although some 40 miles from the entrance to Yosemite, the drive to and from the park is good.

Days 9 & 10: Explore Yosemite National Park.

Day 11: Head west on Route 140. Stop at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum as you leave Mariposa for some interesting exhibits and to complete your California Gold discoveries.  Your destination is Monterey.  There are, of course, many hotels and motels in Monterey, but we have found Watsonville, CA, to be a convenient place to stay.  Our family enjoys the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, an old, nostalgic amusement park quite different from the major Theme Parks of our present era.  Your kids willl love it, too.  And there is a large beach there, too.  If the boardwalk gets on your schedule, staying in Watsonville makes sense.

Days 12 & 13: Enjoy the area.  Must visits, of course, are the Monterey Aquarium (the absolute BEST) and the Seventeen Mile Drive, Carmel-By-The -Sea, etc.

Day 14:  Wend your way back to San Francisco.  Since flights to the mid-west and east coast usually depart very early in the morning (6 to 7am), plan to stay near the airport on this last night of your California vacation.  We have a recommendation, if you e-mail us.  You'll need some extra time to turn in your rental car before checking in for your flight in the morning.

Day 15: Fly home - with memories to last a lifetime!

(You will see that we do not give specific names of motels, hotels, etc., at least in this edition of CaliforniaDrives.com.  However, please e-mail us at  ruzickfam@fuse.net  if you want comments on the places that we have stayed.)
 

CaliforniaDrive Number Two

This particular drive actually took place in 1998 and involved elements of Drive Number One, as outlined above.

Days 1, 2 & 3:  Visit the city of San Francisco

Day 4:  Drive north along the coast, even using a similar route as on day 4, above, but continue north to Ft. Bragg, CA.  The major attraction here is the famous Skunk Train!  Our suggestion is that you arrange for the "All Day" Skunk Train adventure, making reservations in advance for your Day 5.  There are a couple of lodging locations in Ft. Bragg that offer packages of two nights room, Skunk Train tickets, breakfast and supper in one of the area's nicest restaurants.  Check out those deals.

Day 5:  All day Skunk Train ride.  Be sure to spend as much time as possible on the open air car(s).  The experience is fantastic.  Evening in Ft. Bragg.

Day 6:  Drive north, then east, to Reading, CA.  You will want to spend at least three nights in Reading, allowing ample opportunity to visit Lassen Volcano National Park and the Three Shastas (Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, and Mt. Shasta).

Days 7 & 8:  Exploring the many interesting sites around Reading. (more detail to come)

Days 9 to 14:  During our 1998 trip, we made a long drive (all day) from Reading back to the Monteray area.  Additions had been made to the Monteray Aquarium since our previous visit.  The long "repositioning drive" was worth it.  We also chose to spend a full day at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz.  Also on this same trip, we wanted to spend a little time relazing around the pool at a motel in Belmont, CA we have grown to like very much.  (Feel free to e-mail us for specifics, if you wish.)

However, you might want to consider staying in Reading longer, taking a couple of days to travel north into Oregon or other parts of northern California, etc.  (We would love to include your recommendations in future revision!)

KEEP WATCHING!  THE ABOVE WILL BE EXPANDED AND ANOTHER ITINERARY IS IN PREPARATION AND WILL BE HERE SOON!

The next revision will detail Trip Two, and include a much different vacation back and forth over the Sierra Mountains.

The Ruzicks
ruzickfam@fuse.net