Contribute to our Honeymoon Itinerary!

[Orca]

We are off on our honeymoon, to the USA, in a few months time and I thought I'd throw my proposed itinerary out to the experienced AFF'ers to see if anyone has a few must-do's/hints/tips etc. We will be flying out on QFA11 on Mon 25/8 (in J - upgrade for F is pending.. wink wink, nudge nudge RedRoo!) and then connecting to LAS for a few days in Vegas, staying at the Bellagio. Plan on doing a Cirque du Soleil show and a Grand Canyon helicopter tour.
From there we go to Miami and on Sunday 31/8 we board Allure of the Seas for a 7 night eastern caribbean cruise.
New York is next and I have got tickets for us to see the men's singles final at the US Open (go Rafa!). We are staying at Hilton Midtown. Been to NYC before so will just see a few things we haven't in the past, catch a Broadway show and fill a spare suitcase with shopping. There for about 4 or 5 days.
Next stop will likely be San Fran - haven't been before and haven't booked anything. Planning on doing an Alcatraz tour (a friend recommended a night tour - anyone done this?), walking or maybe riding a bike across the Golden Gate bridge. Any other must-do's? We plan on staying in the Fishermans Wharf area.
To round off the trip we are driving back down to LA over 5 days. Last day we will do Universal Studios until we fly back home to BNE on QFA16.

Any tips greatly appreciated!

 

[Cat207]

I did a night tour of Alcatraz last year. Eerie experience, and better than daytime in my opinion.

Also went to the opera in San Fran, which was wonderful, but may not be your thing.

 

[Orca]

Can you recall the cost of the night tour (rough estimate is fine). I just found one on Viator and they're asking about $280 pp

 

[robd]

Can you recall the cost of the night tour (rough estimate is fine). I just found one on Viator and they're asking about $280 pp

I did the night tour. Pretty sure this site is the official one - Alcatraz price and schedule chart

You need to book the night tour in advance as it sells out quickly.

 

[Demon_fan]

I did the night tour. Pretty sure this site is the official one - Alcatraz price and schedule chart

You need to book the night tour in advance as it sells out quickly.

Yep, i found this out last week.

Tickets go on sale 60 days out. When I looked, we were 30 days out and it was sold out

 

[Orca]

Yep, i found this out last week.

Tickets go on sale 60 days out. When I looked, we were 30 days out and it was sold out

Thanks for the heads-up. I've set myself a reminder to get on there 60 days out from our preferred date so we don't miss out.

 

[Quickstatus]

Get married again in Vegas

 

[Orca]

Get married again in Vegas

Haha if only we could skip the first wedding and elope in Vegas. I'd be so (financially speaking) happy with such an outcome !

 

[JohnM]

Keep riding to Sausalito, buy a sandwich at the Italian deli there (can't recall its name, but it's right on the foreshore a little way along in the GG Bridge direction from the main shopping centre), walk over the road and sit on a bench or the rocks looking back at SFO across the bay. Simple but fits nicely with the bike-ride theme IMO.

You can always take the ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf with your bikes if you're not up to the return ride.

As you are staying in the wharf area, and if you want a really sensational dinner try to get into Gary Danko: Welcome to Restaurant Gary Danko. Bookings open 3 months ahead IIRC and are essential. It's schmick for both food and service; PartnerJohnM and her daughter still talk about it 3 years later.

 

[Orca]

As you are staying in the wharf area, and if you want a really sensational dinner try to get into Gary Danko: Welcome to Restaurant Gary Danko. Bookings open 3 months ahead IIRC and are essential. It's schmick for both food and service; PartnerJohnM and her daughter still talk about it 3 years later.

Just checked out the menu online and my mouth is watering - thanks for the tip, it's definitely on our 'must-do' list now!

 

[JohnM]

Seeing you're driving SFO-LAX, and I assume that you are going along Highway 1, I think these places are worth a visist on the way:

Places in Silicon Valley: Stanford University, the GooglePlex, the Mothership (apple HQ)

Monterey (there's a great little French Restaurant about 3 blocks directly back from Cannery Row). Not expensive but good food and a good wine list. It's small but you can't miss it if you zig-zag the first few streets parallel to Cannery Row, kind of toward the museum (S) end.

Drive around the coast just S of Monteray to Pacific Grove and Carmel past Pebble Beach Golf Club. Beautiful coastline. Have a coffee in Carmel.

Make sure to visit Hearst Castle (Cambria, just to the S has some reasonable accommodation options).

Taste some sensational Zinfandel (only California does really good Zin) at Turley, not far from Cambria near San Luis Obispo.

Go to the Nordic town of Solvang in the Santa Barbara wine region. If you saw the movie 'Sideways', they shot it in this area. You can get a map of the 'Sideways Wine Trail', if they still do it (it's been a few years since the movie but I think it still has cult value for the famous saying about merlot) and follow it. It's complete with scene notes and it's really nice to step into the locations - but see the movie first for it to have relevance and best impact.

Santa Barbara is quite nice. Then just push on through to LAX.

 

[JohnM]

Just checked out the menu online and my mouth is watering - thanks for the tip, it's definitely on our 'must-do' list now!

You may find that they say all online bookings must be confirmed by phone. Don't be put off. I just put in a note saying that I was in Australia so it was a bit awkward. The concierge phoned me one Saturday morning! That's the level of service! Just get a booking!

 

[Hvr]

You may be interested in the Statue of Liberty Tour where you can access the Crown. Look here for tickets, note that it books out way in advance.

https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/

 

[Alanslegal]

Next stop will likely be San Fran - haven't been before and haven't booked anything. Planning on doing an Alcatraz tour (a friend recommended a night tour - anyone done this?), walking or maybe riding a bike across the Golden Gate bridge. Any other must-do's? We plan on staying in the Fishermans Wharf area.

Just nitpicking your post really, hire a bicycle at Fisherman's Wharf, ride north across the GG to Sausilito. Have lunch there. Catch the ferry back - its bicycle friendly and lots of people do it. I personally wouldn't stay at Fisherman's Wharf though as I like to be smack back on Union Square and I usually stay at the Westin St Francis.

 

[KitKat]

Just nitpicking your post really, hire a bicycle at Fisherman's Wharf, ride north across the GG to Sausilito. Have lunch there. Catch the ferry back - its bicycle friendly and lots of people do it. I personally wouldn't stay at Fisherman's Wharf though as I like to be smack back on Union Square and I usually stay at the Westin St Francis.

agree, if staying at Westin St Francis, get a room in the new wing - high tower block, dated but still better than the plaza
get a MUNI pass as well, the you can take as many tram rides during the pass duration, go early to get the tram over to Fisherman's Wharf (spend the rest of day there - bike ride, farmer's market, Alcatraz etc) from Union Square - real busy later in the morning for the rest of the day at tram stop at Union Square

 

[amaroo]

If you're not already a member - sign up with your state AAA club. I signed up with RACQ for $42 and got a 10% ($220) discount for our Grand Canyon helicopter tour....also gets you discounts at many hotels.

Maverick Helicopter for your GC tour
"0" Cirque du Soleil
Miami - do a 2hr "Airboat Ride" in the everglades.....45min drive from SOBE. This company is very good About us | Best Airboat Rides,Tours in the Everglades South Florida ? Airboatineverglades.com
Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and eat at "The River Cafe" The River Café | Home
The Getty Centre LA

 

[Quickstatus]

When driving SFO-LAX drive a Mustang Convertible!

 

[PointyEnd]

IF Jazz is your thing, you have to try out Smoke at 2751 Broadway... (I'd book otherwise they may seat you at the bar)
On the way back south stop at Tom's (the Seinfeld diner) for a coffee. 2880 Broadway
Have a great honeymoon!!

 

[bigpete]

Some suggestions relating to accommodation.

In Vegas, there are many newer hotel options so I trust you have considered these before selecting Bellagio. I always find newer is better.

In New York, as an alternative to Midtown have you considered staying in the 'burbs, i.e. the Upper East or Upper West side? I've stayed in Midtown before but last trip stayed in the Upper West Side, where there are considerably more restaurants, cafes, diners, fast food options, drug stores, supermarkets etc, especially after hours. We got a much better feel for what it would be like to live in New York City.

I've visited San Francisco three times and was grateful for advice from a travel agent (back in 1995) to stay in the Union Square area. You are likely to visit Fishermans Wharf as a tourist but that doesn't mean you need to stay there! My top tips for San Francisco are (1) rent a car and do the 49-Mile Scenic Drive; (2) do the Cheescake Factory on the Sky Terrace Level of Macy's; and (3) google the names of the steepest streets and check them out by car or on-foot.

Safe travels!
Peter

 

[Orca]

Thanks to everyone who has given me ideas thus far... We have locked in a few of the aforementioned suggestions thanks to the recommendations from AFFers. Has anybody got any must-do restaurant/dining suggestions for the following cities? San Diego - NYC - Vegas - San Fran (Gary Danko is on the list, thanks JohnM!)