My wife and I plus our 6 year old daughter are planning a trip to California this July. The plan is to land in LAX or Orange County, rent a car (though, not a convertible - too expensive) and cruise north from there hugging the coast line: Santa Barbara, San Louis Obispo, then PCH-1 through Big Sur to Monteray then continue to hug the coast up to San Fran. We plan on taking a leisurely drive stopping here and there for some beach time, site seeing, and some good food We've got about 2 weeks to do it. For those of you who know the area - are there special places of interest that are on the way that we should consider visiting even if it means getting off course a bit to see it? We enjoy nature, beautiful scenery and our 6yr old loves water, ocean, and mermaids... Know any Mermaids we can visit?! ... hehe

I should mention that we also plan on visiting Disney Land (of course... before we start heading north.

Also, once in SF there was a small number of things on my list that I wanted to see (from guys point of view): Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, ride the trolley, see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. I think this is the town where Bruce Lee used to live - my idol when I was a teenager.. I wonder if there is anything to see from his life in SF, if anyone knows let me know.

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1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD
1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD
2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K;
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K

In Carmel, I would recommend the famous 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach with a bit of a splurge for lunch at the clubhouse restaurant on the 18th hole. Watching those amatuers finishing up their $500 rounds of golf with that great backdrop is awesome, even if you don't play the game.

Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch resort in Carmel has a great steakhouse restaurant and next door is a pretty lively bar with live music. Get there just before sunset and watch them round up the grazing sheep and enjoy the view of the sunset on the pasture and ocean.

If you're going to go to Disneyland first, I'd fly into Orange County, or even Ontario, first.

It is a helluva commute from LAX to Anaheim.

Ontario is frequently a cheaper alternative to Orange County, and it's only about a 30 minute drive to Disneyland. Ontario is a nice, newly built airport that is easy to get in and out of.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Hearst Castle in San Simeon is a must see along that drive!!
http://www.hearstcastle.org/

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Yes - that's on the list - something my wife really wants to see - I was neutral, but if you guys endorse it then what the heck, i'm game...

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1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD
1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD
2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K;
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K

Its a pretty interesting place. I'm a real fan of turn of the century history, and Hearst was a major player. his news papers were responsible for popular support of the Spanish-American War. He had some of the first film cameras covering the news, his cameras caught the Hindenburg burning. If you're a fan of old Hollywood he was a player in that also hosting lavish parties at the Castle with real Hollywood legends. The architecture is also really interesting.

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If you stop in Pismo near SLO, hit the Splash Cafe. They have clam chowder served in a bread bowl that is amazing.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

Re post from "A tourist in your own home town". ( 6/11/2007 ) in case you missed it.

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San Francisco, seeing it from a native's viewpoint.

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I'm a 2nd gen. San Francisco native, and actually lived there till pretty recently, (over 25 years) so I know and love the place, and some of the secrets, and have given a whirlwind tour, in my car, to visiting friends, so are you ready? Here we go.....

First to the Coit tower and the WPA murals, then into little Italy (North Beach) for expresso & pastries and some amateur opera singing at Tosca's on Upper Grant Ave, a stop inside Alan Ginsberg's City Lights bookstore, then through old Chinatown, and through the Stockton St. tunnel to the Theatre District and Union Square. Up California St. to the top of Nob Hill, and a visit to the Fairmont Hotel and the Top o' the Mark. (Don't try this climb in a 240 Diesel, folks!!) A visit to Huntington Park and a look inside of Grace Cathedral. Over to Russian Hill for a 360 deg. photo op on the Vista Point, then flash down the "Crookedest Street in the World" and back up Russian Hill to plummet down the steepest Hill in the City.

Down Hyde Street to the Buena Vista Cafe, for a drink at the "Home of the Irish Coffee"
(invented 1953) and a trip through the Maritime Museum at Aquatic Park.
Then, a quick lap through Fort Mason, over to Doyle Drive and across the Golden Gate Bridge for more photos, then back into SF, through the Presidio and out to the Cliff House at Ocean Beach, to check out the abandoned Sutro Baths and the Camera Oscura, and the Musee Mechanique!

Then, over to the Haight Ashbury and through Golden Gate Park to see the buffalo, the aquarium, the Hall of Flowers, and the Japanese Tea Garden.

Then, up to the top of Twin Peaks for the best view there is in every direction, and then after that, through the premiere neighborhoods like Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, St. Francis Woods, and the Russian Hill nieghborhoods and the secret Presidio Terrace, home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Israel)
the family/liberal/ labrador/Volvo/baby stroller neighborhood of Noe Valley, the Union Street Yuppieville and over to the Great Irish Way (Geary blvd) for a drink at Pat's Mad Hatter ("We cheat tourists & drunks") and then a visit to Japantown by Fillmore and Post, and through the gay ghetto at 18th & Castro...

And then, maybe it's time for dinner. Oh boy, pick your restaurant: Cambodian, French, Vietnamese, Peruvian, Polish, Swiss, Nicaraguan, Thai,
Salvadorean, Basque, German, Moroccan, Hawaiian, Burmese, Indian, Ethiopian, Hunan, Afghani, North Italian,House of Prime Rib, Max's Jewish, just about anything you'd please.

This driver WILL NOT go to Fisherman's Wharf the Disney Store, or ride on the Cable Cars. Not EVER!!! "First Dead" as they sometimes say in Peru

That $hit is for the typical tourists, I wouldn't EVER do it. You want that, you are on your own.

Ahh, I miss it. Come for a visit!!!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

If you do make it to Pebble Beach and want to golf on a budget, Peter Hay Golf Course; check it out on the internet. While in Monterey, go to Fishermans Wharf, Cannery Row, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lots of things to see within walking distance of the wharf. And plenty of restaurants too. You can get full on free sample of clam chowder while walking on the wharf and Cannery Row. And I do recommend the sampling as some tast way better than others. The water/beach is a little cold but lots of fun just the same. I dont think kids have a cold-meter installed until around age 12-13.

Have fun in my old stopming grounds.

That's going to be a nice trip, you're going to pass some of the most beautiful scenery in the nation.

But consider flying in to Burbank; you're pretty much in the city and it's by far the most pleasant airport we have. LAX is a nightmare to start your vacation or end it.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Thanks for the tips guys: yeah, either Burbank, Ontario or Orange - whatever the schedule works out to be. Didn't even know Burbank had an airport, though I know it's hosting the famous Tonight Show - yes, I'm a fan...

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1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD
1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD
2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K;
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K

Hearst Castle is interesting place to see, I second it. But if you like wine and since your in San Simeon, you should visit the wineries in Paso Robles. Around 30 miles away, there are some great wineries over there. Some of my favorites are Castoro Cellars, Dark Star Cellars, Pear Valley Vinyard, J Lohr Vineyards, Tobin James Cellars, Peachy Canyon Winery, and others (over 200 wineries in the area).

If you are staying in the area, you could get a wine tour in which they will take you around.
http://www.thewinewrangler.com/
http://www.gogrape.com/paso_robles/

Have fun with your trip!


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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

Some interesting places in San Francisco-
deYoung museum and California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate park but I would look them up on line to see if you need to get tickets in advance. The Academy of Sciences has an indoor rain forest and other neat stuff a 6 year old might like. Try going to Union Square area, lots of shopping and stuff and it's at the end of China Town. A good place to park near there is the garage on the corner of Sutter and Stocton streets so you can walk to a lot of places.
If you get north of the Golden Gate Bridge try driving over Mount Tamalpais to Muir Woods and on to Tomales Bay for oysters, lots of restaurants.
A little farther north and you can go to Bodega Bay where they filmed The Birds back in the sixties. Lots of restaurants and near beaches but be careful of the currents. I was born and raised in San Francisco then lived in Marin county for years and now in Sonoma county so many years of prowling around the area.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

Were I were going to spend that kind of big money for a family of three;

I'd do a First Class, 10-day or so Amtrak rail excursion, RT from Denver.

Or, spend a week in Europe for what you're going to spend for a family of three.

Kids don't remember commercial stuff like Disneyland, any more than adults do.

Growing up, our family spent two weeks every Summer, camping, fishing, back-country canoe portaging, boating/water skiing along the N. Minnesota - Canada boundary waters. I have distinct, positive memories of the years of Minnesota vacations.

When I was 22 yrs. old, and on a sales assignment in Florida for two-months, I went to the then new Disney World in Orlando, FL.

What a joke is what I thought of that wasted one day spent there, spending way too much money in the sweltering heat of July there.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Pageant of the Masters


Use the photo tool bar on the bottom to see pitures.


MUST SEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I guarantee that this will be something you will not forget. Make a day of it. There are several art festivals going on. he weather is usually great. You can have dinner or lunch at a hotel at the beach.

My wife and I have gone every year (except this year due to school). Hard to explain and the pictures do not do it justice. Not sure if you can buy tickets in advance now due to it sells out months in advance but there are always people selling tickets in front that they do not need.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

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