Need Help in Our First and maybe Last Trip to CA

[usavisitor]

Hi Everyone,

I would love to get everyone opinions and suggestions on my next road trip to California. Here are some facts which will help you to understand my situation and what could be the best for me:

1) This is will be our first trip to California and might be the only one :-) because we are temporary visitors.
2) My wife and 5 years old son will join me in my trip
3) This trip will be in between two weeks of business assignments
4) We will be arriving to Anaheim, CA on 09/26. So I have 09/26 and 09/27 off.
5) The first assignment will start on 09/28 and I will be busy until 4:00 PM each day for 5 days.
6) from around 5:00 PM on 10/02 I will be free until 10/12 which I have to go back to LA in order to prepare for the second assignment on 10/13 for 4 days until 10/16.
7) then I'm free again from 5:00 PM on 10/16 until late night on 10/17
8) on 10/18 we will fly back to Austin TX from Orange County Airport.
9) During my stay in CA, we want to see LA, San Diego, San Francisco and Las Vegas and we would like to discover the best places in the west coast.
10) I have a rental car during my entire stay.
11) We have been to Disney World before so we are not interested to visit Disneyland
12) Also we would like to visit Universal Studios and Lego Land

I know this sounds crazy to do in short period of time but this is will be our only chance to see CA and Las Vegas.

Now I will summarize the free days during my stay to help us plan our next trip.
1) 2 days 09/26 and 09/27
2) 10 days from 5:00 PM on 10/02 until end of 10/12
3) 1.5 days from 5:00 PM on 10/16 until end of 10/17

We would love to get your help in planning our next trip to discover these cities in addition to any good places, attractions, sightseeing on our way. We love to drive by the beach and make some stops on the way if possible.

Please help us to make the best use of our trip as it might be the only trip to CA.

Thank you.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Who says you shouldn't mix business with pleasure, it sounds like a "to good to miss" opportunity !
I think that by taking a look at these links and searching the forums for more you will come up with plenty of ideas.
I guess your wife and child will get to see a lot of the city while you are attending your assignments and a 10 day road trip from LA to Vegas, through Death valley to Yosemite, San Fran and back down the very scenic coastal route 1 [PCH] through Monterey, Big Sur and Carmel is one of the most popular discussed items on the forums. A trip to the South rim of the Grand canyon from LA and then to Vegas is also a good option, it depends on the kind of pace you want to set.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Despite the seeming complexity of your schedule, what it really comes down to is that you'll have the 10 days between the 3rd and 12th of October (inclusive) to be with your family. Otherwise you'll be at work and it will be up to your wife to entertain your son in Los Angeles. So, what can you do with 10 days? I'd recommend two things. Take a few days and go down to San Diego, visit Legoland, take a harbor cruise, but most of all spend some time at the zoo and excellent museums of Balboa Park. This is where I take my own grandsons every couple of years and they love it. Then take a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) for a few days, hike in the forests on the inland side and stop at the elephant seal rookeries scattered along the coast side, visit the aquarium in Monterey, maybe end up at the Exploratorium in San Francisco before turning around and hitting those places you missed on the way back. While in the Los Angeles, your wife can take your sun to the Fun Zone across the channel from Balboa Island (take the ferry!), stroll the Santa Monica Pier, visit the La Brea Tar Pits, explore the Griffith Observatory and a host of other activities.

AZBuck