Manitoba to San Francisco

[Kenny kustom]

Planning a 2 month trip this summer to the west coast. North dakota to San Fran.
32' MH with toad.
2 boys under 6.

Looking for some " must see " attractions. We like outdoor exploring and hiking.

Only hard date is Aug 15, have to be in WY for jeep Jamboree.

Thinking... Yellowstone, Big red trees in Cali, Alcatraz, fisherman's wharf.

What else must i not miss ???

[bikendan]

Making reservations!

And did you mean Yosemite, not Yellowstone?
Yellowstone is nowhere near the SF Bay Area.

[hhl]

Devils tower
Pipestone
Badlands
Custer nat. park
Katanka buffalo museum in deathwood
Cody, buffalo bill museum
Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Craters of the moon
Columbia river gorge
Craters lake
Lava beds nat. monument
Lassen volcanic
Highway 1, is curvy
Wine country
Santa Cruz,
Felton, roaring railroad
Felton, henry Cowell redwood
Back east route.
Gold country
Lake Tahoe
Highway 50 to 70
Great basin nv
Canyon lands north + south entrance, news paper rock
Arches
Rocky mountains nat. park

[ADOR]

If you want to tour the Alcatraz Island, you have to buy the ticket in advance. If you don't, you can go to the Pier really early (around 6AM) and get in line. They do have some tickets available for sale early in the morning. But very limited number. Parking is very expensive. If you are handicap with Disable Placard, they have about 4 parking spots right at the gate for Handicap Plate holders. Otherwise, be prepared to pay between $35-40 for parking. You can finish the Alcatraz tour in about 3 -4 hrs. Fisherman's Wharf is a good place to eat. Visit Golden Gate bridge, Crooked Street on Lombard and take the Cable Car ride to downtown and back.


When we went to San Francisco last summer, we stayed at a campground in Pacifica (I forgot the name). Pricey at $95/night. But everything in San Francisco is expensive. They have nice backyard (Pacific Ocean). You may even see whales in the morning.


Make sure your towed car is full of gas as there is no gas station within the San Francisco downtown area.


Yellow Stone is nice. Only full hook-up CG is Fishing Bridge.


I suggest you start making reservations now as they fill up quick.

[HikerBob]

As a hiker and avid outdoorsman who has traveled most of your route, I would definitely insert Yosemite on the return trip east from the Bay Area. Once over the Sierra Nevada , and along Hwy 50, don't miss Lehman Cave in Great Basin NP and do try to pick up more than Arches in Utah if you can, including Zion, Bryce Canyon and Coral Reef as each offer very different geological wonders. Grand Canyon is a ways off the track, so make another trip there and pick up Arizona and New Mexico another year. What a wonderful trip for those boys. Safe travels, and if we can help you in the Lake Tahoe area, drop me a note.

[149252]

We went last summer but did not plan ahead, so we will get to Alcatraz next trip. We parked our car at Vallejo $6.00 and took the ferry across to Pier 41. Alcatraz is Pier 33 short walk ,lots to see and do.

[mdstudey]

I don't know about private RV parks in California, but if you plan to stay anyplace like Redwoods National Forest or Yosemite get your campfire permit. You have to have it just to fire up your gas grill. No joke. I was doing research online for places to stay for our upcoming Grand Adventure and found out about it. Good thing is the permit is free and you can get it online. There was a pretty comprehensive list above that seemed pretty good.

[gectisme]

I agree with all the places everyone has stated - didn't see Monterrey Bay Aquarium and the Exploratorium in SF, both are great for young kids. A couple years ago on a whim we were down at the Wharf and thought hey lets go check out Alcatraz and ran into what everyone is saying, get the tickets the day before or earlier. We actually have found that at most major attractions we went to across the USA, if you can purchase tickets ahead of time it's prudent to do so...

And as I always suggest, if you visit Bodega Bay, CA, make a point of stopping at the Spud Point Crab Company, it's a little hole in the wall restaurant that has the best Clam Chowder I have tasted.

[HikerBob]

When I travel to the Bay Area, I park in the Eastbay and take BART into The City. I would think the same practice would be good for visitors with an RV. The farther out from San Francisco the less expensive the RV parks are, and the train ride isn't that much longer or expensive. Driving any vehicle in San Francisco is not fun, and parking is $$$$$$.

[bikendan]

There's a Six Flags in Vallejo.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must.
Muir Woods is a great place to see redwoods and is very close to SF.
Fisherman's Wharf is worth a trip.

Petaluma KOA is a great family campground and a good place for exploration to the North.

Having grown up in the Bay Area and lived there for 25 years, I can tell you that driving THROUGH SF is not that bad..
But NOT for parking a MH or truck/trailer combo.

[Kenny kustom]

Wow! That’s some great ideas!
Thanks everyone!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Kenny kustom

Wow! That’s some great ideas!
Thanks everyone!

Kenny, did you mean Yosemite, when you said Yellowstone?

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Kenny, did you mean Yosemite, when you said Yellowstone?

I think i meant yellowstone.. its on the way i think ?

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by gectisme

And as I always suggest, if you visit Bodega Bay, CA, make a point of stopping at the Spud Point Crab Company, it's a little hole in the wall restaurant that has the best Clam Chowder I have tasted.

I love hearing things like this..

Try this little place and order this !!!