Need help with trip planning

[disneymom23]

Hi, I need some help planning an upcoming trip.

We live in the Bay Area. We are going to be in San Diego from Aug. 1- Aug. 8, which are both Mondays. On our way home we want to stop in Hollywood and also visit Hearst Castle. We would like to be home on Thursday. If necessary, we could leave SD on Sunday.

We want to see the major sites of Hollywood- sign, walk of fame, Chinese theater. Is a tour the best way to do this? Also, possibly a studio tour. Our kids are 13, 11, and 9.

How far is it from LA to Hearst Castle?

Any hotel recommendations?

If we leave SD on Monday morning (after traffic), what can we plan on doing for a partial day? Then maybe spend Tuesday doing the LA sites. Then drive to hearst castle on wednesday. Could we do the castle tour on wednesday or would it be better to do it on Thursday? How long a drive back to the bay area?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Shananana]

I've done this, with the exception of the Hearst Castle. My hubby's from Monterey, and we just usually go straight there. Here's how I'd plan it:
Leave on Monday 9am from SD. Get to LA by noon. This is quite do-able. (Grandpa lives in Hollywood.) I'd have lunch at In-N-Out or oh! Go to Pink's. It's a hot dog stand. You'll have to wait in line for about an hour, but after a 3 hour drive, it will be nice to stand. After lunch you can go down the street and see the walk of fame and the Chinese theater. Oh, and check out the El Capitan Theater, too. It's owned by disney and there's a soda shop right next too it. That will fill up your afternoon/evening. We usually stay with Grandpa, so I have no hotel recommendations for you. Then, see the Hollywood sign on the way out on Tuesday morning. You can stay longer to see other sights (Santa Monica? Universal Studios? Griffith Observatory?) but if you are set on "Hollywood" it's really just a day trip.
From there, (again, LEAVE AT 9) it's about 4 hours to Hearst Castle. Stop by Solvang (danish town) for lunch. So cute! I think there's a really nice best western there, but it's been quite a while since I've been there. I don't know how long it would be to tour the Castle, maybe you can do it this day and Wednesday, maybe you would want to wait.
Anyway, I would then leave on Wednesday and be home by nightfall.

Enjoy your trip! And let me know how the Castle is, I always want to go up there before visiting my in-laws, and then I'm always too tired on the way down.

 

[GrandBob]

And as soon as you figure out the date and time you'll be in San Simeon, go online to reserve your Hearst Castle tickets. They can sell out.

http://www.hearstcastle.org/

-Bob