Hello - my family and I are going on holiday to the US, and we will be driving along the coast between San Francisco and LA (our arrival and departure points).

With the limitations of flying to take into account, I'm trying to work out what to take as regards preparedness, does anyone that knows this area have any guidance on typical weather in July and anything else that you only find out once you get there?

My current list/thoughts are:

Buy water once we get there.
Take space blankets and FAK in luggage (not carry on)
Find fire starting means once we arrive (some matches in luggage, depends on what the regs are at the time)
Not sure on clothes -how hot/rainy/windy etc it'll be...

Any advice/ sources of info will be greatly recieved

Oh, additional info is that there are 6 of us altogether, youngest is 16, oldest late 50's.

Thanks!

I remember taking a train from LA to SF. Aside from the survival equipment I wish I had taken some binoculars. I remember seeing a school of whales going along the coast.
A magnificent sight, which would have been better with some binoculars.
The scenery along that coastline I think is fantastic.
Martin

Sounds like a great trip. I'm in central Ca. There is wind and fog at the coast,the temps should be in the 70's and 80's, no rain. Fleece and something light to break the wind would be good. We only have earthquakes and wildland fires, so keeping the car gastank full of gasoline would be good. Some snacks and water in the car. PM me with your address and I'll be happy to send you the local tourist info. If you have any specific places you want to see, let me know.

We only have earthquakes and wildland fires, so keeping the car gastank full of gasoline would be good.


Hmmm... planning on starting a wildfire? A full tank of gas seems like overkill....

<img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Better setup a national database now, gather the amount of gallons pumped per credit card number and cross against the credit card holders information and vehicle type and investigate anyone who buys an abnormal amount of gas <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hopefully OLDBALDGUY will respond. I can't think of anyone better than a retired California Highway Patrolman to ask. I used to make this run both ways in a 1960 MGA with my peacoat and dress hat substituting for a missing softtop. I once stopped at a flooded stretch, prompting the on scene CHiP to offer me jurisdiction <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. I second the binnoculars. I would add a torch and some current roadmaps. If you are renting the car, these may be provided. You aren't coming over to compete in a road rally, so don't be to shocked at the lack of road courtesy. DRIVE DEFENSIVELY.

Conditions on the coast can often get cold, foggy and windy - temperatures in the 50s are not uncommon at night (ever hear the Mark Twain quote about the coldest winter he ever spent being summer in San Francisco?) So bring a warm sweater or fleece jacket in addition to a windbreaker. Inland that time of year, temperatures can get into the 90s, so if you're heading inland, you'll want light clothing as well.

That said, it's a stunningly beautiful trip. Drive all the way down Highway 1 if you can, and stop by Carmel, Big Sur, Morro Bay and Hearst Castle (among many other places worth seeing). If you're into wilderness, check out the Ventana Wildernesss near Big Sur.

- Steve

Wow! thanks for all the replies. Will definitely take some binoculars.

We're currently in the process of working out where to stop... speaking for myself, I keep forgetting how BIG the US is land-wise.

Our main problem at the moment is that every time we lay out the map on the floor, the dog decides its a great game to try and sit on it! <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

If you plan to tour San Fran at all you may want to consider travelling as much as possible on foot. I have been there twice and the traffic was a bear both times. Also, if the six of you are going to need to travel by taxi they will make you use two cars due to the size of your party. During rush hour it may be cheaper to hire a stretch limo since they charge a flat rate that you can sometimes negotiate. I was there on business three years ago and the hotel staff tipped us off about that trick. It ended up saving us a bit of cash and the driver was more professional than the cabbies. Finally, be prepared to see LOTS of homeless people and beggars in the city.

On the upside, there are a lot of fine restaurants all over the city. I think they have every cuisine you can think of. They have a good mass transit sytem downtown and the streets are in a grid pattern form the most part so navigation is easy. Also, people are generally very friendly ( as compared to the eastern US at least).

Have fun!

Chris

I will second (or third) the recommendation for warm clothes and a wind breaker especially along the coast near San Fran. I made the mistake of taking a trip to the pier in a T-shirt and shorts. It was hot and sunny about 40minutes inland but when we got to the bay, it was cloudy, windy and VERY cold. Me and the rest of my tourist friends had to warm up at a local grocery store before heading back. If you paln on doing the coastal areas and more inland in a day, layering would be a good idea - warmer for the coast and cooler as you drive eastward.

This is just a big thankyou for the advice given. I've just come back from the trip and we had a great time (except for the traffic in LA - <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />).

The binoculars were a great suggestion, we saw so much wildlife! We decided in the end to make a detour to Yosemite National Park as well, and thanks to this forum, I had packed water treatment stuff, which we needed because we underestimated the amount of water we would need for a hike (we took 10 litres for 5 people and treated another 3 litres).