Where to start on trip- please help!

Hi all, Happy New Year!

We%26#39;ve decided that next December (probably over Xmas) we%26#39;d like to take 2 weeks in California.

We have friends that live in Grass Valley and plan to meet them at some point.

We were thinking of flying into San Fransisco then hire a car and head off to go skiing for 1 week. Our friends recommended Lake Tahoe.

I%26#39;m just wondering how long it may take to drive from SF to LT?

From there we wanted to see our friends for a day or two then not sure where to go afterwards.

Would love to see some sights like Hollywood but not sure how far things are.

I%26#39;m terrible with geography and was hoping to ask people that either there in California or who have done a similar trip.

All suggestions greatly received.

Where to start on trip- please help!

you can check driving directions and times on http://maps.google.com

Where to start on trip- please help!

Lake Tahoe is the closest skiing from San Francisco. It takes about 4 hours to get there without bad weather. However, if a snowstorm is going through it can take 8-10. Be sure to have chains with you. Rental car companies will rent them so be sure to inquire about then when you make the arrangements.

Driving from SF-%26gt;LA is 7-8 hours or 2-3 days depending upon how much sightseeing you%26#39;d like to do and how much time (400 miles). It%26#39;s a lovely area (much nicer than spending time in LA IMO).

It would be a good idea to find a good California guide book to get an overview of all the things to see and do. Then you can start planning an itinerary.

Have fun!

Lake Tahoe is a gorgeous winter destination. We enjoyed a very nice 3 night stay at the Marriott Timber Lodge. It is adjacent to the Heavenly ski resort, you can walk right out of your hotel to the slopes and gondola. South Lake Tahoe has several nice casonos such as Harrah%26#39;s, Harvey%26#39;s and Mont Bleu. For some good eats in SLT check out Cafe Fiore, Harvey%26#39;s 19 Kitchen, Evan%26#39;s Gourmet Cafe and the Red Hut Waffle Shop for a casual breakfast, great banana pancakes here.

Happy travel planning and Happy New Year! :)

Grass Valley is on Highway 80 side of Lake Tahoe route. It is about midway between Sacramento and Reno.

http://www.aboutgrassvalley.com/map/

Highway 80 is a major trucking route, so they try to keep the road open. This past holiday there was a lot of snow so it was subject to periodic closing for a few hours and chain control. Once the weather got better, roads were in good shape.

There is both South Lake Tahoe (casino, ski runs) etc. and also skiing in North Lake Tahoe at places like Squaw Valley, etc.

http://www.squaw.com/

It is best to book your place in advance (a few months if Squaw Valley.). There is more lodging in South Lake Tahoe area.

The other weather conditions to deal with in December is fog. As such, it is best to plan for travel during the day (10 - 6 or so usually is good). If the fog gets dense, its fairly dangerous driving. (Note: We once stopped really close to our hotel in the night and said where is the hotel...we had some clear nights and super foggy nights this past holiday period.).

If you pick North Lake Tahoe you could easily drive and see your friends at Grass Valley on thew way there or back and then drive to Los Angeles for a few days. If you want an interim place to stay (Highway 5 is generally the fastest if no accidents and if the Grape Vine area just North of LA is open - it can close due to snow), Harris Ranch is a nice place to split up the drive from Tahoe to Los Angeles.

http://harrisranch.com/stay.php

I%26#39;m a fan of multitasking. It might be fun for you to have your friends visit you while you%26#39;re in Tahoe. Two weeks in CA and spending 9 of them in the Tahoe area might be a bit much with so much to see. Unless you%26#39;re a HUGE fan of skiing and cold weather 3-4 days in Tahoe will be plenty.

Do you want to take a day or two and drive down the coast? See Monterey, Big Sur, Cambria, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara? Or head straight to L.A. Hollywood and Santa Monica? Do you want to see San Diego?

Have you considered flying into Los Angeles, renting a car, and taking a circular driving tour? You could make a counterclockwise loop: Drive up US 395 to Lake Tahoe and/or Mammoth to ski, then take I-80 west to Grass Valley to visit friends, then continue west on I-80 to San Francisco. From there, take State Route (SR) 1 south along the coast past Santa Cruz, Monterey/Carmel, Big Sur, Hearst Castle/Cambria, and Santa Barbara before returning to Los Angeles. Makes for a great 2-week trip!

nars

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