California day trip suggestions?

[Roadfool]

I'm bored out of my skull here in Fresno and I want to maximize the Amtrak winter promotion, so I'm trying to come up with some good in-state day trips to take. So here's everyone's chance to live vicariously through me. Suggest some interesting trips and I'll go spend my money so you guys don't have to.

Here's the trips I do have roughly planned out in my head so far:

- I'm going to the Rail Museum in Sacramento tomorrow since the weather all over Cali sucks right now and I don't feel like walking a long way in the rain.

- Vegas trip in early February. Yeah, I know it's mostly on a bus, but that's still way better than driving there from Fresno. Napping on an Amtrak bus that has its own bathroom doesn't sound so bad compared to stopping on the side of the road 'cause you mis-timed the bathroom break and can't make it to Barstow (I'm a girl, so that's kinda inconvenient :angry: ).

- Another NorCal trip, probably to San Francisco, but that depends on some friends getting their travel plans together, so who knows if it'll happen.

- SoCal trip on the Pacific Surfliner, probably to either San Juan Capistrano or all the way down to San Diego. I have to stop in Santa Ana for a dentist appt during the day, so I'll have a chance to hit a few different cities and probably spend a night somewhere.

- Obviously, living in Fresno I should do a Yosemite trip at some point. I'm a scrawny little wuss about cold weather, so that one is definitely waiting until spring.

 

[gswager]

Your ideas are a good one! Why not taking ACE commuter rail from Stockton to San Jose in the spring when the hills are green? There's a shortest Ambus ride between Amtrak Stockton station and ACE station!

 

[kashed]

- Obviously, living in Fresno I should do a Yosemite trip at some point. I'm a scrawny little wuss about cold weather, so that one is definitely waiting until spring.

Thats the one I was going to suggest Im prob going to do this and not even spend the night, jsut take the few hours Id have and eat a good lunch or do some walking. My hope is that the scenery would be worth all while getting some rail points.

 

[Jeremy]

From Martinez Amtrak has a Thruway bus all the way up to Eureka. The hills will be beautiful in the spring, are green and pretty even now. You can tour the Carson mansion in Eureka and return.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

In April, we have booked at trip from Chico to Monterrey Bay. CS to Salinas, then the bus to the Aquarium stop. Not exactly a "day trip" since we will be staying there for 2 days.

 

[Rumpled]

On the Surfliner, go all the way to San Diego. San Juan Cap is just before you hit the long ocean stretch.

Also, if your PacSurf doesn't come from north of LAX; then do that segment if you can. Oxnard or so to Goleta runs along some beautiful coast.

 

[George Harris]

Get to San Francisco as early as you can, take a Golden Gate Transit bus to Saulsalito, eat a meal there, and take the ferry back to the San Fran ferry building. you might need a night in the SF area to make this practical, but there are transit reachable places to sleep near but not itn SF that will not cost and arm and a leg.

The GGT bus routes and schedules can be found on-line. A few get within reasonable walkinb distance of the Ferry building.

alternately you can take a ferry both ways from the Ferry Building. The view from the ferry is beautiful. The GGT bus gets you a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, again a lovely view.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

I take the San Joaquin to work in Oakland two days a week. Here is the deal. Train 711 arrives in Oakland, or by bus connection, to San Francisco, at about 11am. The last departing SJ train is 718 at 5:50pm.

That basically gives you 6 hours or so to do stuff in the bay area.

 

[Roadfool]

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. Having lived in Fresno most of my life, I've already done the "standard" tourist attractions like Fisherman's Wharf and Disneyland way too many times.

(If I don't quote and respond to you directly, I've still copied down your suggestion into my "future trip ideas" file.)

Thats the one I was going to suggest Im prob going to do this and not even spend the night, jsut take the few hours Id have and eat a good lunch or do some walking. My hope is that the scenery would be worth all while getting some rail points.

I just re-watched the Ken Burns National Parks series and I can't imagine that Yosemite's scenery wouldn't be worth at least a lunch trip. It sure looks spectacular on the HDTV. (I know I went a couple times as a kid, but I don't really remember much.)

Your post also reminded me that I want to see Sequoia National Park at some point. Looks like there's a park tour bus that picks up from the Visalia Amtrak station for only $15, so that wouldn't be too bad.

On the Surfliner, go all the way to San Diego. San Juan Cap is just before you hit the long ocean stretch.

Yeah, I'm thinking I'll probably head down to San Diego and spend the night at one of the hostels or Indian casinos down there, depending on my budget. I do want to stop in SJC for at least a little bit because I used to work down there and there are some cool restaurants by the train station where I used to go on my lunch hour.

I probably should have expanded my criteria in the OP and asked for one- or two-day trips. There's some hostels I do want to check out, especially the ones in SF and San Diego, so I don't mind an overnight trip every now and then. I'm really just trying to find ways to entertain myself without going too overboard on the travel budget. I have some bigger trips planned for later in the year, the California stuff is just the appetizer.

(Posted from the 701 as I head north to Sacto and earn my first AGR points of the year. )

 

[ceblack]

Other places to look at for potential two-day trips are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, both involve more time on buses than trains... and neither involves the scenic train segment between those two cities.

For a longer trip, you can take the Amtrak train/bus combo to Willits and then ride the Skunk Train to Ft. Bragg, spend a day, then ride back. I think they (Skunk Train) only offer the through trips in the summer, though.

 

[gswager]

To reach San Luis Obispo by train, you can take San Joaquin to Sacramento or or Oakland and then hop on Coast Starlight to San Luis Obispo, if the schedule allows it. Stay in a hostel which I've stayed which is about 3-4 blocks from the station. On the next day, grab one of Pacific Surfliner to LAX and then Ambus to Bakersfield and then San Joaquin to Fresno. Use the multi-stops reservation to book those.

 

[gswager]

To reach San Luis Obispo by train, you can take San Joaquin to Sacramento or or Oakland and then hop on Coast Starlight to San Luis Obispo, if the schedule allows it. Stay in a hostel which I've stayed which is about 3-4 blocks from the station. On the next day, grab one of Pacific Surfliner to LAX and then Ambus to Bakersfield and then San Joaquin to Fresno. Use the multi-stops reservation to book those.

 

[Rumpled]

The San Diego Indian casinos are not near transit-wise to San Diego.

Unless you get some bus deal or something.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

From Martinez Amtrak has a Thruway bus all the way up to Eureka. The hills will be beautiful in the spring, are green and pretty even now. You can tour the Carson mansion in Eureka and return.

Well, you can look at this beautiful mansion from the outside, but it is a private club and offers NO tours. However, you can see it online here http://www.ingomar.org/index.html

Still, Eureka is one of my favorite areas!

 

[leemell]

Other places to look at for potential two-day trips are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, both involve more time on buses than trains... and neither involves the scenic train segment between those two cities.
[snip]

There are two Pacific Surfliners a day is each direction between SLO and SB plus the CS that travel the coast for about half the distance including Vandenburg AFB launch facilites.

 

[fatkoala]

I live in Fresno too.

Here are some trips I have done or are in planning stages.

RT San Francisco over night or for the day. They have opened The Walt Disney Museum in SF.

Reno, did this one and did the Rib Fest on same trip.

Go to Hanford for lunch and a hot fudge, some dumb but train with AAA discount is about $10, makes a great day(doing it again next month).

Day trip to Sacramento and the rail Museum, did not need for bus here can do it rail both ways in a day(even more fun on national train day).

Bakersfield RT nothing to see in town but train both ways, makes a fun day trip(take food and a friend even better).

Vegas did it by car last year, with an ACG book made money on trip , could even do it with a local tour co(sorry no train).(Bus or car long drive)

Napa can be done too.

Williams,AZ and do the train to the Canyon.

Have fun.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

Bakersfield RT nothing to see in town ...

A visitor to Bakersfield shouldn't miss the Museum of Rusty Oil Derricks. :lol:

 

[Roadfool]

Oh wow, looks like I'll have plenty of trips to keep me busy this spring. Thanks again for all the ideas!

Other places to look at for potential two-day trips are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, both involve more time on buses than trains... and neither involves the scenic train segment between those two cities.

I actually don't mind the bus segments that much since I'm also trying to accumulate as many AGR points as possible. And really, living in Fresno you just kinda get used to it being a pain in the ass to travel if you're not driving your own car.

To reach San Luis Obispo by train, you can take San Joaquin to Sacramento or or Oakland and then hop on Coast Starlight to San Luis Obispo, if the schedule allows it. Stay in a hostel which I've stayed which is about 3-4 blocks from the station.

How is that hostel? I figure that's going to be my overnight spot whenever I need to get to SoCal during the day. I had a blast at the HI Hostels in Baltimore and Harpers Ferry last year, so I want to check out some of the others to see what they're like.

The San Diego Indian casinos are not near transit-wise to San Diego.Unless you get some bus deal or something.

Oh, nevermind that then. I'll have to save those for when I drive down there. As much as I love riding trains, there's no way I can give up that awesome drive over the Grapevine.

Go to Hanford for lunch and a hot fudge, some dumb but train with AAA discount is about $10, makes a great day(doing it again next month).

Oh yeah, I've already figured that Hanford is going to be my key to getting Select+ this year. I plan to have lunch there at least once a week to sneak in an extra 200 points. And it's not even $10 RT right now - $9 regular price, $6.76 after using the V611 discount code! That's almost as cheap as the Buy Points rate.

A visitor to Bakersfield shouldn't miss the Museum of Rusty Oil Derricks.

:lol:

Seriously...that's about all there is in Bakersfield. No offense to anyone who lives there, but I've stopped there enough times on drives between here and SoCal. I think I'll pass on that exciting day trip.

 

[leemell]

Oh wow, looks like I'll have plenty of trips to keep me busy this spring. Thanks again for all the ideas!

Other places to look at for potential two-day trips are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, both involve more time on buses than trains... and neither involves the scenic train segment between those two cities.

I actually don't mind the bus segments that much since I'm also trying to accumulate as many AGR points as possible. And really, living in Fresno you just kinda get used to it being a pain in the ass to travel if you're not driving your own car.

As I said above:

"There are two Pacific Surfliners a day is each direction between SLO and SB plus the CS that travel the coast for about half the distance including Vandenburg AFB launch facilites."

 

[gswager]

The hostel in San Luis Obispo is very friendly. However, you cannot go inside during daytime, I think from 10 am or so to 3 or 4 pm. It's a really small one and most of employees are students at Cal Poly. If you're staying on Thursday night, go to downtown SLO which is within walkable distance for Farmers' Market.

 

[Roadfool]

As I said above:"There are two Pacific Surfliners a day is each direction between SLO and SB plus the CS that travel the coast for about half the distance including Vandenburg AFB launch facilites."

Oops...didn't mean to skip your post there. I'll have to ride a bus from Hanford to SLO, so there's still going to be some bus segments no matter what I do. I will definitely be taking the Surfliner once I get out of the wasteland of the Central Valley, though.

The hostel in San Luis Obispo is very friendly. However, you cannot go inside during daytime, I think from 10 am or so to 3 or 4 pm. It's a really small one and most of employees are students at Cal Poly. If you're staying on Thursday night, go to downtown SLO which is within walkable distance for Farmers' Market.

Yeah, that's how the one in Harpers Ferry was too. I should be out exploring the town during those hours anyway, so that should be fine. It'll at least make me drag my lazy butt out of bed at a reasonable hour each morning.