Questions on California Trip in July/August

trojantiger88 on 17/04/2018 - 21:47

Hi all

Thinking of doing a California trip (first time to US) in July/Augustfor 2 weeks and I have a few questions. I am mainly looking to travel there to visit Yosemite and do good hikes, try out nice restaurants and perhaps visit a few games. Also some geeky stuff like computer museum and possibly a couple of tech headquarters. So questions:

  • Has anyone travelled to Yosemite around that time? Will it be too hot for hikes?
  • With the baseball and basketball games, how far in advance do I need to book tickets? Any recommended tips?
  • Is there anything else interesting that happens around that time that I should try and accommodate?
  • Anything else that you would recommend I plan/book early for?

Cheers!

Travel

Comments

  • Donaldhump on 17/04/2018 - 21:55
    +1

    FYI, the nba will be off season then.

    • Donaldhump on 17/04/2018 - 22:21
      +1

      That’s cool, down vote an applicable fact.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2018 - 21:58
    +1

    A great time To visit Yosemite, but yes it will be very hot. Sports tickets for basketball and baseball are pretty easy to get, just go to stubhub - some games you’ll get tickets up until the game starts and others (depending on the teams playing) you’d need to book long in advance. NFL preseason kicks off in August too so you could factor that in, tickets are very cheap. Personally, I love San Diego but other than that everything good is in Northern California! Have an awesome time.

  • Gandalf the Thrifty on 17/04/2018 - 22:01
    +1

    Fyi Baseball is pretty boring. My relatives took me to a game (not in California) and we left about halfway through.
    Best part was a Marines week thing on, so had flyover of Super Stallions and M1 Abrams and other tanks parked out front.

    July 4 goes off with a bang and around then is their major summer holidays so busier and probably more expensive.

  • Randxyz123 on 17/04/2018 - 22:14
    +1

    It'll be hot. Not unbearable probably but hot. You'll need proper hiking stuff e.g. hydration pack(s) for water etc.

    Given what you want to do a car will be essential. I'd look at booking that soon.

    Basketball will be over but baseball won't be.

    You might even be able to get to a preseason football game.

  • thetrain on 17/04/2018 - 23:03
    +1

    I traveled to Yosemite in July last year. Highly recommend it, fantastic scenery but very busy due to summer holidays etc. It is hot but not overly hot. (we did the Mist Trail where there is a waterfall over part of the hike). If you're planning on camping in Yosemite book ASAP as they fill up very quickly.

    If you're in USA for 4th of July, lots of fireworks etc. you can let off which would be illegal back here in Aus.

    California Science Centre in LA has some cool exhibits (Space Shuttle etc.) for your inner geek

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2018 - 23:05
    +1

    Lake Tahoe is very nice. See how the rich kids live it up. Clearest water on the planet and it'll cool you down, no question :p

  • ms_caz on 18/04/2018 - 19:04
    +1

    tripadvisor forums are the place to ask all your questions in detail.They are usually a very helpful bunch - just like OzB but focused on travel and such.

  • try2bhelpful on 19/04/2018 - 00:31
    +1

    Yosemite is well worth the visit - I haven't been at that time of year but it is high season so it will be very busy. I prefer to visit America in September/October as it is more off season.

    You might want to look at the Exploritorium, it is more aimed at kids but it is fun.
    https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxYH-mI…

    Monterey Bay aquarium is worth going to. In particular the sea otters are wonderful and you see them quite close up.
    http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit

    San Franciso is a great place to just walk around.

    We usually drop by the Cost Plus place near Fisherman's wharf to get nibbles and drinks.

  • dane45 on 19/04/2018 - 15:52
    +1

    When I visited California, most of the tech headquarters didn't offer much for tourists.

    San Jose Museum of Science and Technology was fun, and I believe that Intel has some sort of technology museum too. If you're in the area, you may also enjoy the Winchester Mystery House.

    If you want to visit Alcatraz, book as far in advance as you can (by which I mean, book now!)

    If you enjoy live music, you may want to look at the dates of the Vans Warped Tour and see if any of those fit in with your itinerary.

  • trojantiger88 on 19/04/2018 - 21:01

    Thank you everyone for your responses! :)

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