Biking Golden Gate Bridge

I've just been researching our plan to cycle Golden Gate bridge.
The route is 8 miles.

A few bigger chains (blazing saddles, bay city rental) but http://www.bikerentalsanfrancisco.com/  Bike Rentals San Francisco has much better online reviews and their prices are good.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-bicycle-rentals-san-francisco 
Kids tag-a-long is $18 per day, adults bikes $23.20 - all using the 20% online reservation discount.  Total $82.40 for rentals.  helmet, lock, maps included.

425 Jefferson St

San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 922-4537

I think they are open 8:30-7:30 but would have to double check.

A tip from a reviewer - find a way to "mark" your bike. As in not graffiti, but bring a ribbon or something that you can tie onto the bike so that after the ferry ride back over to the pier, you can IDENTIFY your bike among the stacks of bikes. 

The ride might take about 2 hours.

The ferry back from Sausalito costs $9.75 for Adults, and is free for children 5 and under.  No charge for bikes, but apparently even with 200(!!!) bike parks on the ferry they do fill up.

Schedule is here http://goldengateferry.org/schedules/Sausalito.php

Next to research what we can do in sausalito.  I had thought of going to the National Park visitor centre  at Marin Headlands, but on bike I believe it'll be too far/difficult.

Golden Gate park

As well as the California Academy of Sciences and the Japanese Tea Gardens there are other attractions in Golden Gate Park.

• Bison
• Playground
• Carousel

They have a concrete slide at the playground, which is something I've never heard of before. Apparently you need to use something like a cardboard box to slide on. 

_____________________________________________________

Carousel Hours: The carousel is open on a daily basis from Memorial Day to Labor Day, as well as Friday through Sunday from the day after Labor Day through the day before Memorial Day. Year-round hours for carousel rides are 10 am to 4:30 pm – with the last ride for the day starting at 4:15 pm.

Carousel Ride Cost: Adults, ($2), children ages 6 to 12 years ($1 per ride), and children 5 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Please note that children under 40″ in height must ride with a paying adult.

Free San Francisco Walking tours

http://www.sfcityguides.org

They have heaps of free guided walking tours.
I'm not sure if any would be suitable for the kids though or whether they'd just whine the whole way round.  Will have to research more.

Possibly the Chinatown tour, http://www.sfcityguides.org/desc.html?tour=8, as they offer that to school groups.

Mission churches - Carmel, Solvang

As well as the beautiful big Santa Barbara mission church we will visit, we should also get a chance to visit the mission at Carmel.  The mission at Carmel is where Father Junipero Serra died. He was the founder of all the earliest mission churches.
San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo

	Status	Parish Church
	Address	3080 Rio Road Carmel, CA 93923
	Phone	(831) 624-3600 (Gift Shop / mission) (831) 624-1271 (Rectory)
	Hours	Weekdays: 9:30am-4:30pm (remains open until 7:30 p.m. June 1 to Labor Day) Weekends: 10:30am-4:30pm Closed: Thanksgiving and Christmas.
	Website	http://www.carmelmission.org

Visiting hours at the Carmel Mission are from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday. Admissions for upkeep and restoration are $6.50 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, $2.00 for children ages 7 and up (free for children under 6).
______________________________________________________________
There is another Mission Church at Solvang, Mission Santa Ines

MASSES IN ENGLISH 
Monday thru Saturday 8:00 am 
Saturday (Sunday Vigil) 5:00 pm 
Sunday 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 am 
Sunday 5:00 pm (Youth Mass, open to all) 
Holy Days 8:00 am, 12 noon 
Vigil of Holy Days 7:00 pm

Initial list of rides/attractions we're interested in (& can all do)

Main street
Disneyland Railroad
Silhouette Shop

AdventureLand
Tiki Room
Jungle Cruise

New Orleans Square
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribbean

Critter Country
Winnie the Pooh
Mark Twain Riverboat
Pirates Lair at Tom Sawyer Island
Raft to Tom Sawyer Island
Sailing Ship Columbia

FantasyLand
Casey Jnr Circus Train
It's a small world
Peter Pan's flight.

Tomorrowland
Autopia
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Monorail

Other
Fantasmic Show
Meet n Greet Merida
Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough

Disney California Adventure
HollywoodLand
Hyperion Theater Show (currently Aladdin musical)
Monsters Inc

Bugsland
Heimlichs chew chew train
Tuck n Rolls Buggies

Paradise Pier
Toy Story Midway Mania

Golden State
Soarin Over California
Redwood Creek Challenge

Other:
World of Colour Show.

China Cove

China Cove is in Point Lobos State Park

reviews here:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/point-lobos-state-reserve-carmel

Point Lobos is a good spot for seeing Sea Otters and Whales.

California Science Center (LA)

This is the Los Angeles museum that will be hosting the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/
Not to be confused with the museum in SF with a similar name!

• Admission to the Science Center’s exhibit halls and over 100 mind stimulating exhibits is FREE*. Plus spend time in beautiful Exposition Park, enjoy the Rose Garden and more.

Silhouette

The Disney Silhouette Studio is located just near Main Street and they charge $9 per person for a silhouette cutting. A must do for me!

parking charges at california state parks

Big Sur Region State Parks Vehicle Day Use Fees

Four state parks in the northern and central Big Sur region allow visitor vehicle access with a single vehicle day use fee payment on the same day. Your vehicle day use fee receipt from Point Lobos State Reserve, Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, or Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is good at all four parks on the same day.

Some San Francisco coupons

http://www.mapwest.com/cgi-bin/couponsearch.cgi?category=1

Santa Barbara, Solvang and San Simeon

Head to Santa Barbara and see the mission church.
They have an 11am mass on the Sunday. Awesome architecture and a huge visitor centre.
Tourist Info http://santabarbaramission.org/. Small fee for tourists.
Church Parish info http://www.saintbarbaraparish.org/

Want to go to San Simeon to visit Hearst Castle
http://www.hearstcastle.org/tours/tour/grand-rooms-tour
Pay for a tour of selected rooms ($25 per adult, $12 for Bevan, Kit free) and then you are free to see the pools and gardens afterwards.  However, it closes at 3pm on Sunday so will have to do it monday morning.
   

Stay at the DAYS INN in san simeon perhaps on Sunday night? Cheap price, includes breakfast and rooms look big.

To fill in the Sunday afternoon after the mission church at Santa Barbara we could go to the town named Solvang which is between the two. Cute Danish town (mm pastries). http://www.solvangusa.com/explore-solvang/what-to-do/
They have the Sunny Fields playground

and this cute shopping area:

More Jnr Ranger programmes

Junior Ranger Fan site here: http://www.juniorranger.info/Junior_Ranger_Program.html . It has lots of information about doing the badges by post, which parks run the programmes etc.  He also links to a fan site for park passport cancellation stamps.  I will try and buy a booklet for them.

There are programmes at the Golden Gate National Recreation area of San Fran eg one for Alcatraz (quite tricky for little kids, Bevan would need help). Other 2 are Muir Woods and Marin Headlands. Can/should download & preprint their booklets free. http://www.nps.gov/goga/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm

Snr Badge

Sequoia and Kings Canyon have a programme too - and "seniors" can join in and get their own badge.  Kids one is called Jay Award. Webshop at http://www.sequoiahistory.org/default.asp?contentID=666
Sequioa is home to the "General Sherman" tree - a HUGE HUGE tree.




San Francisco Maritime Area SAFR http://www.nps.gov/safr/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm#

They have cheap strollers at walmart for as little as $20 USD.  (even cute ones like 101 dalmations).


consider scooters for the walking. Not as cheap though.  Need to store in locker - $10 a day storage.

Shopping in anaheim

If you want a Super Walmart, look at the corner of Harbor and Orangethorpe instead, a new Super Walmart is there, a large Target, Costco, a Sprouts Farmer's Market (Focus on Natural Food) grocery store, plus lots of discount stores, including the Disney Character Warehouse, which is an outlet store for Disney Parks stuff. Also a new Sketchers Outlet Store and much more.

Take Route 43 North, that goes up and down Harbor Blvd about every 15 minutes. It is about a 3 mile trip, or 20 minutes on the bus each way.

To get to the Westfield Main Place Mall, that is also easy by bus. Just head to the Main Disneyland Public Bus stop, which is under the Monorail Tracks on Harbor Blvd. Route 83 south and about 20 minutes will get you to the Main Place Mall (also nearby other malls, the Discovery Science Center Museum, and the Bowers Museum and Kidseum. On the way back, ask the driver to take you to HoJo's, which is where they get to take their break. (It is optional, but if you are nice, they normally will do it).

I also recommend you look at this "Top Question" here at TA for other easy to get to Shopping areas...

http://www.tripadvisor.in/Travel-g29092-c168883/Anaheim:California:Shopping.Areas.Via.Public.Transit.html

Brave Merida souvineers

They have crayon rubbings at the Merida meet n greet area.

Rides and areas to check out at Disney

Age appropriate stuff for the boys

• Redwood Creek Challenge.  Has a "brother bear" national park theme with flying foxes, swing bridges and challenge course stuff for kids. In DCA Grizzly park rec area.
• Haunted Mansion Holiday
• It's a small world
• Autopia 
• Monorail
• Disneyland Railroad (the section between Tomorrowland and Main Street goes through the dinosaur tunnel...a big hit for us)
• Jungle Cruise
• Tiki Room 
• Tarzan's Treehouse
• Mark Twain Riverboat
• Dumbo
• Mad Tea Party
• Carousel
• Casey Jr. Circus Train
• Winnie the Pooh
• Peter Pan
• Storybook Land

Redwood challenge at Disney. more info

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Wilderness Explorer Russell and Dug, the friendly dog from Disney·Pixar's Up, want to help you earn Wilderness Explorer badges while navigating forested paths, rock climbing, swinging on rope bridges and zipping down suspended slides.

Junior Wilderness Explorers: Earn Your Wilderness Explorer Badge!

Russell has left hints throughout the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail to help you receive your Wilderness Explorer badge. Collect the clues to get invited to the Senior Wilderness Explorer Ceremony.

Don't Forget Your Map

Even the most intrepid explorer occasionally needs directions. Not to worry! The friendly park rangers will pass out a map of the entire Redwood Creek Challenge Trail near the entrance. Be sure to consult the detailed map — then head off into the wilds to complete your quest for badges in:

• Tracking
• Bravery
• Rock Climbing
• Wolf Howl
• Animal Spirit
• Puzzle Solving

You're completely free to explore the area in any order you wish.

Senior Wilderness Explorer Ceremony

Collect your badges and proceed to Ahwahnee Camp Circle for a special ceremony with Russell. Wilderness Explorer Ceremonies take place several times throughout the day. For show times, please check the Entertainment Schedule or the Entertainment Times Guide when you arrive at the park.

Kids meals at Disney as a budget idea.

I found this excerpt on a blog.  Great advice.  I might just have to get these meals for myself.

Kids’s Menu – a budget option. The kids' meals are an especially good deal because they include a cold beverage The kids' meals are also often healthier than the adult options
a few of the quick service restaurants have more interesting kids' meals:

·         At breakfast, Tomorrowland Terrace (Disneyland) offers two different kids' breakfast platters, each of which includes a cold beverage for $5.99. Adult breakfasts are only 50 cents more, but don't include a beverage and may be more food than you want.

·         At lunch and dinner, French Market (Disneyland) has a kids' citrus chicken breast with rice, seasonal fruit or vegetables and choice of beverage for $6.99.

·         At lunch and dinner, Plaza Inn (Disneyland) offers a kids' baked or fried chicken leg with mashed potatoes, green beans, seasonal fruit and choice of beverage for $6.99. It also has penne pasta topped with marinara or Bolognese sauce, served with fresh seasonal fruit, Italian bread and choice of beverage for $6.49.

·         At lunch and dinner, Rancho del Zocalo (Disneyland) and Cocina Cucamonga (DCA) have a kids' bean and cheese burrito or chicken taco, either one served with rice, fruit cup and choice of beverage for $6.49.

·         At lunch and dinner, Redd Rockett's Pizza Port (Disneyland) has kids' spaghetti and meatballs with seasonal fruit, baby carrots and choice of beverage for $6.49.

·         At lunch and dinner, Riverbelle Terrace (Disneyland) offers a smaller kids' version of its carved turkey or roast beef sandwich with red flame grapes, sliced apples and choice of beverage for $6.99.

·         At lunch and dinner, Baker's Field Bakery (DCA) and Pacific Wharf (DCA) offer a kids' turkey wrap with a healthy side and choice of beverage for $5.99.

·         At lunch and dinner, Lucky Fortune Cookery (DCA) offers kids' teriyaki chicken and rice with a fruit cup and choice of beverage for $6.49. (Note that you can also order this with spicy tofu, though it's not listed on the menu. I have tried this meal myself and found it pretty good.)

Disney at Halloween

We will be at DisneyLand on October 31st.  If we can we would like to buy the extra tickets to get entry to the Halloween trick or treating party.  In NZ Halloween isn't really a part of the culture, and it's recent intrusion is seen as rampant commercialism and a gimmee gimmee attitude (and a bit of paganism thrown in too).  It isn't a young kids thing.

BUT..my kids have seen so much about it on TV that they keep asking when it is going to happen.  The answer this year is that it is happening on our holiday at Disneyland. Yay!

Our plan is to let the kids wear costumes that day. We will shop for these at the big mall that isn't too far away.

Disneyland makes some special efforts for decorating at Halloween too.

Halloween season is on at Disneyland from September 14 through October 31, 2012.

Differences are:

• Step into Haunted Mansion Holiday brought to you by Jack Skellington.
• Drop in for ghostly encounters on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
• Witness the terrifying transformation as Space Mountain becomes Ghost Galaxy.
• Trick-or-treat at Mickey's Halloween Party on select nights. Separate admission required. (approx $60 each, not on every night)

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/Events/Halloween.htm

 (a commemorative mug that is free with the dessert approc $7- a bit cheaper than buying the mug at a gift shoppe too). MUST GET THE ONE FROM THIS YEAR!!

Yosemite.

Updated flyers every few months available online at http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm

Entrance Fees

Reservations are NOT required to enter Yosemite. The park is open year-round, 24 hours/day.

Vehicle permit $20 Valid for 7 days

Map here of the whole park area.  I need to figure out the scale and where the loding and visitor centres fit into the larger area.

This is the lodging I would like to stay in while there:

Curry Village

Cabin - Two Double Beds
These cabins, constructed circa 1919, are located in the western part of the camp. Outfitted with two double beds, dresser, mirror, closet, nightstands, chair, and private bathroom, they are decorated to give them the feel of "grandma's cabin in the woods." In addition, expansive front porches provide the opportunity for socializing with friends and family, or enjoying a favorite book.

Total: USD 370.30 (2 nights, inc breakfast & tax)

Souvenirs I know I'm going to want to collect

My parents were avid stamp collectors as I grew up, and my father has made a life-long career out of it.
I've inherited the love of  the acquisitiveness of collection making but I for me the thrill is in the chase.
If the items are too easy to collect then it isn't interesting. If it is purely a matter of spending money to collect the set then that isn't my style.

Going on this holiday I have realised that I might want some souvenirs. And a quick google search has shown that there are some beautiful and challenging and not too pricey things I would enjoy finding.

• Disney Pins (badges)
• Squashed Pennies
• Letterboxing stamp impressions
• National Park and State quarters.

Clearly I could just get on trademe or ebay and buy buy buy and make the set, but that wouldn't really be fun. I want to find these things in the wild.

I have ordered a random selection of less desirable disney pins from ebay to get me started on the pin trading "craze".  Apparently I can go and swap any authentic disney pin with cast members at disney for one that they are displaying on a lanyard. I would love to build up a collection of pins that are commemorative of our trip there - 2012, halloween theme or something like that. And cute ones too of course. I don't have a favourite character though so not sure if my collection should have a theme. Pin Trading info http://disneypintrade.com/. Lots of google images and websites out there. Think this is the sort of thing that gets a bit obsessive.

The squashed pennies bring back a memory of me at age 9 getting one made at Brisbane expo 1988.  And I've seen the machines around locally.  There are heaps of these machines in Disneyland and also in lots of other tourist sites we will be visiting.  I'm going to need a lot of quarters and pennies to make all the designs at the machines we track down.

Disneyland machines http://www.disneynow.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x5910a44b and California in general http://www.pennycollector.com/Locations.aspx?area=45

Letterboxing is a dormant hobby of mine. It involves following instructions from a website to locate a hidden box with rubber stamp and log book.  You take a stamp impression of the stamp to show you've been there. There is often a hike involved and a folk-art hand carved stamp of something relevant to the location.

In NZ there are few letterboxes and not many people in the hobby.  In the US it is big. I took a peek at the listings for California and there are heaps of letterboxes.  Not many Yosemite way which surprised me, but a lot at places like Big Sure, Carmel, and Monterey.  I shall have to get a notebook and two contrasting colour small ink pads.  Lots of letterboxes listed at http://www.Atlasquest.com and I am pleased to see that an android app has been developed, so that should save some trees.

The last thing is special design coinage. I already am the proud owner of 3 state quarters which I found in geocaches in Europe while on my honeymoon. I would love to add to this with a California coin and whatever other state quarters fall into my hands as change.  There is another series now of National Parks and I will certainly be wanting to get the Yosemite coin seeing as we are visiting there. 

Yosemite. Programme for the kids

I might be more keen on this than the kids.  Wonder if I'm too old to sign up to the junior ranger programme and earn my pin badge?

______

http://www.nps.gov/yose/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm

Be a Little Cub (ages 3-6)!
Yosemite has a program for YOU! Little Cubs is a self-guided booklet that encourages our young visitors and their families to discover Yosemite ’s wonders and to earn a Little Cubs button.This booklet (published by the Yosemite Conservancy) is sold for $3 plus tax in the Nature Center at Happy Isles,Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Centers, and the Big Oak Flat Information Station.


This is an activity guide for children ages 3 to 6 years designed to be completed cooperatively with parents or other adults in the park. Upon completion of a number of different activities in five different areas, youngsters become 'Little Cubs Activities in the handbook include learning about various park features, attending a ranger program, matching animals with their homes, taking a hike, learning about bears, an introductin to the Native Americans, and more. It's a great way for kids to learn about Yosemite, and a perfect guide to discovering the park for the whole family.

Join a Junior Ranger walk and learn about Yosemite wildlife and plants.

Drop by a Visitor Center or head straight to the Nature Center at Happy Isles for this great program. Kids age three and up can earn the official Junior Ranger badge by completing an activity book ($3.50 plus tax), joining a one-hour Junior Ranger Walk with a National Park Service ranger, and other educational activities.

Junior Ranger walks are held daily during the summer. Junior Ranger programs are for kids ages 7-13. Little Cubs Programs are for ages 3-6

They also are hopefully running the "wee wild ones" programme while we are there.

Wee Wild Ones is an interactive program for kids 6 and younger who are wild about animals.  Featuring fun stories, songs, games, crafts and activities, this exciting Yosemite program for kids brings the Park's famous inhabitants to life.

In the summer and fall, Wee Wild Ones occurs before evening programs held at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Amphitheater or the Curry Village Amphitheater. In winter and spring, this learning program for kids is held during the day in front of the great fireplace in The Ahwahnee®.

Parents are encouraged to participate.

The Details, Cost: Free; Start Time: Varies by season;

Basic Outline of trip

The purpose of this blog is to collect my thoughts and planning for our family trip to California in Oct/Nov 2012.
It is a mostly private blog an won't be written to be witty or even possibly entertaining. Sometimes it'll just be a dumping spot for things I've cut and paste from the internet that I think will be interesting or useful.

Our trip starts on 27 October 2012 and runs through to the 15th of November.
The solid bookings we have are for Anaheim and San Francisco.
We're planning on fitting in some coastal towns (San Simeon, Carmel, Monterey) on the way north, and a side trip to Yosemite National Park.