California - California country for a non-driver

Calling the expertise of the BA board please for the customary grace period before it is moved somewhere else on FT...

I am currently in LA on a business trip and whilst I am not that impressed by the city the surrounding country looks beautiful.

I would love to go into the country for several days on end here. The only problem is that I do not drive.

Can anybody recommend a hotel in the hills somewhere that has good restaurants and facilities, and from where I can more or less walk out of the hotel's door onto country trails and hike across the hills and through the forests.

Many thanks in advance.

:)

You shouldn't wait for the expertise of the BA board. Get this moved to the CA forum where you have much better odds of finding a local that can help you out.

Good luck! ^

You shouldn't wait for the expertise of the BA board. Get this moved to the CA forum where you have much better odds of finding a local that can help you out.

Good luck! ^

I do not know about that... I have sought and found much better CA advice here than on the local forum.

How far out of LA are you looking to go? North or East i am guessing if your looking to get into the countryside and away from the coast.

Santa Barbara and the Central Coast have great rail links. Even within Los Angeles itself there are nice areas where you would think you were in the middle of the countryside and not dirty old LA.

If you want to make a bit of an effort try and get to Big Sur. No idea if it easy to get there without a car but it is a great place to be if you don't have one. You have it all: dramatic coastline and great hikes.

Edit: There is bus running from Monterrey to Big sur, operated by Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST), #22 bus.

Here are some more ideas. The one I like is Catalina Island. Very beautiful.

http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/calagetaways/Weekend_Getaways_in_Los_Angeles.htm

If you like Napa Valley, go to Yountville (http://www.yountville.com/). Plenty of upmarket accommodation there.

Amtrack is your friend.

For example, the 799 Pacific Surfliner leaves Union Station and would have you in San Luis Obispo 5 hours later. The area around Bishop Peak is stunning. Valencia trail is also very scenic.

Coach fare $40 (one way), $18 more for business. Train has wifi.

Lots of lodgings in SLO across a range of budgets.

But if 5 hours is too far, get the Amtrack schedule for the Surfliner and pick somewhere closer. Anywhere along the coast will be better than downtown LA.

Or hop up to San Francisco. A proper city with proper public transport.

Jump on the Amtrak from Union Station in Downtown LA to either Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo. The train is super slow but very scenic at times.

You could always jump on a flight from LAX to Monterey Peninsula or a flight to SFO and get the shuttle bus down to Monterey.

Can anybody recommend a hotel in the hills somewhere that has good restaurants and facilities, and from where I can more or less walk out of the hotel's door onto country trails and hike across the hills and through the forests.

Staying within LA County...

I used to live in Topanga. It is one of the most special places in So Cal. http://www.topangacanyoninn.com/

Also, any of the Santa Monica beach hotels are perfect for people who don't drive. There is lots to do within walking distance. Or you can bike up and down the beach to Venice, Pacific Palisades, etc. Downtown Long Beach is perfect for for non-drivers too.

I used to live in Topanga. It is one of the most special places in So Cal. http://www.topangacanyoninn.com/

^

Nice!

Take the metro link to Union station, then the train to Santa Barbara. And stay at the San Yasidro ranch. Santa barabara is just wonderful and great and you can visit nearby winneries.

San Yasidro is where the kennedies honeymooned.

In order to give the missus a rest from driving I've been looking at the options available to get out and see the countryside from either LAX or SFO. There are plenty of short tours available from either city although they might not be what you had in mind.

We would like to see Yosemite and Sequoia national parks...not sure which city is best to see them from.

San Luis Obispo is a great base for walking on the Central Coast. Flights from LAX and SFO and a railroad station. More details on the hiking options here:
http://tinyurl.com/28hbyk3

We would like to see Yosemite and Sequoia national parks...not sure which city is best to see them from.

Reno is actually nearest to Yosemite, but if you are driving then SFO rather than LA. I have just (today) driven back from round there to San Francisco. Beware that Yosemite is closed in winter (it gets snow bound being up in the mountains). It was closed when I passed yesterday.

Reno is actually nearest to Yosemite, but if you are driving then SFO rather than LA. I have just (today) driven back from round there to San Francisco. Beware that Yosemite is closed in winter (it gets snow bound being up in the mountains). It was closed when I passed yesterday.

Thanks....I'd prefer SFO to LAX anyway. How long is the drive?

SF was a place I didn't like :( sorry! I don't have much experience but loved Monterey, and would recommend Santa Barbara also :)

As a former resident of both SLO and SB I would take either one. Sant Barbara is certainly more upscale but SLO has a very charming small town feel. Both are mission towns with universities to give character. If you are free on a Thursday evening the SLO Farmers Market is a treat to walk through.

And both have have excellent wine regions with plenty of tours.

SF was a place I didn't like :( sorry!

Nothing to be sorry about. SF is overrated in my eyes. Been there many times, don't quite get it. Sure there are a few nice places and hotels but overall...

Beware that Yosemite is closed in winter (it gets snow bound being up in the mountains). It was closed when I passed yesterday.

Yosemite stays open all year round and is amazing in winter, very few people around and some great things to do (e.g. snowshoeing and winter camping).

You must carry snow chains in your car although there's a good chance you won't need to use them, they do an amazing job ploughing after storms.

Several roads in the area close each year due to snow (variable but roughly between November and May/June) , notably Tioga pass, which makes for a long journey if you are coming from the East.

It can indeed happen all the way into May...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/26260_385391352545_592452545_4031521_661315_n.jpg

This caused me a 6 hr detour because I missed one stupid sign 50 very winding miles back. :)

..over to California for more input.

Swanhunter
Moderator, BAEC

... Beware that Yosemite is closed in winter (it gets snow bound being up in the mountains). It was closed when I passed yesterday.

NONSENSE! Yosemite Valley is open year 'round. The Tioga Pass road from the EAST is closed after the first major snowfall, however you can get into much of Yosemite from the West side during the winter. The highways in may be subject to BRIEF closure during storms...and subject to chain requirements until the roads are fully cleared.

You can get to Yosemite Valley from either the Bay Area or Los Angeles by taking Amtrak & their connecting bus service to Merced, then taking YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Service) into the Park. There are also 1 day bus tours from San Francisco to Yosemite. Or of course driving.

Take the metro link to Union station, then the train to Santa Barbara. And stay at the San Yasidro ranch. Santa barabara is just wonderful and great and you can visit nearby winneries.

Well, except that Metrolink (one word) does not get all the way to Santa Barbara....their Ventura Line train terminates in VENTURA...about 30 miles short of Santa Barbara. He'd need to hop Amtrak's "Pacific Surfliner" to get to Santa Barbara.

San Yasidro [sic] is where the kennedies honeymooned.

San Ysidro Ranch (http://www.sanysidroranch.com/) is on the outskirts of Santa Barbara.
(the town of San Ysidro is down near San Diego and the Mexican border)

And frankly, there are not a lot of obvious "trails and forests" in the neighborhood.

Well, except that Metrolink (one word) does not get all the way to Santa Barbara....their Ventura Line train terminates in VENTURA...about 30 miles short of Santa Barbara. He'd need to hop Amtrak's "Pacific Surfliner" to get to Santa Barbara.



San Ysidro Ranch (http://www.sanysidroranch.com/) is on the outskirts of Santa Barbara.
(the town of San Ysidro is down near San Diego and the Mexican border)

And frankly, there are not a lot of obvious "trails and forests" in the neighborhood.

I believe he ment to say, take the Metrolink TO Union Station, then take the TRAIN ( Amtrack) up to Santa Barbara.

I could be wrong of course.:)

HP

Fly to Mammoth (MMH) direct flights from LAX. Here's info:
http://www.visitmammoth.com/airport/
Spectacular high sierra scenery; short drives in cabs if you don't have a car.

Coutnry means a lot of things- coastline? Agriculture? Mountains and pine trees? desert? All are accessible from LA but need more info first.

NONSENSE! Yosemite Valley is open year 'round. The Tioga Pass road from the EAST is closed after the first major snowfall, however you can get into much of Yosemite from the West side during the winter. The highways in may be subject to BRIEF closure during storms...and subject to chain requirements until the roads are fully cleared.

You can get to Yosemite Valley from either the Bay Area or Los Angeles by taking Amtrak & their connecting bus service to Merced, then taking YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Service) into the Park. There are also 1 day bus tours from San Francisco to Yosemite. Or of course driving.


The roads into Yosemite can be closed during a big storm, usually just briefly. The only time I can recall that Yosemite was actually officially closed was during the government shutdown back in the 1990s (and we MAY face another one soon). YARTS is not part of Amtrak, but you can book both the Amtrak train and YARTS bus through the Amtrak Web site. You can get there this way from either L.A. or S.F., but it's a lot easier from the latter. One could also take Greyhound to Merced and YARTS from there, but I'd prefer the train.

One other idea, closer to L.A.: Metrolink or Amtrak to Oxnard or Ventura, then a boat out to one of the islands in Channel Islands National Park. Island Packers is the concessionaire for the boat trips. Some of the trips leave from Oxnard, some from Ventura (would need to take a cab from the trains taiton to the port in either case). Some of the day trips allow time for some hiking. I've been to Anacapa (closest) and Santa Barbara (furthest) islands. Santa Cruz Island seems to have the most extensive trail system. There are lots of hotels in Oxnard and Ventura in case you want to make it an overnight trip. Only overnighting on the islands is camping (and you need to take your own water). Cloest of all to L.A. would be places like Griffith Park.

Close to SF are a number of towns along the coast, but tough to reach without driving. There are, of course, day trips (tours and maybe even public transportation) to places like Muir Woods, where one could hike. I loved Pt. Reyes but not sure how OP would get there.

From a practical standpoint if you are interested in going to the Channel Islands just take the train to Ventura. It's not terribly scenic, but it's much better than the 'nard. The 2 harbors are ~6 miles of rather desolate beach road apart, it doesn't really matter which one, it's only 10 minutes or so of driving between them and a cab won't be that horrendously expensive.

As a London resident who spends a lot of time in California, I would advise that cabs are a better option than you would expect, as are cars with drivers. Both are much cheaper than back home. Buses and trains, however, are the opposite. They can be wildly expensive, and they tend to run inconvenient and slow routes at infrequent intervals - obviously generalisations but I am comparing it here to the UK before everyone on FT goes mad.

If I were you I'd go for a boutique style hotel which is big enough either to have a car and driver or to have an arrangement with a local firm. Get one in the centre of a town which is big enough to have a centre with restaurants in it. Then you can enjoy the local town but also do side trips. I really think you'll be struggling if you rely on buses and trains - California simply is not designed to be enjoyable for non-car users.