LA/SanFran/SanDiego Vacation advice?

The time of year will have an impact on what you can and can't do (contrary to popular belief, California does get some weather). That said, there will be plenty to do either way, given the amount of time you have. Personally, having lived in all 3 of the cities you mentioned, I would start at the top and work your way down. Fly in to San Francisco (SFO would be the most convenient, but there is also San Jose and Oakland).

SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco has the most "city feel" of all 3 cities, and probably more so than any other western US city does (in my opinion). SF also has fairly good public transportantion (BART, MUNI and CALTRAIN, depending on the distance). Spend at least a few days in the Bay Area, going through the sights in the city (the Wharf, Land's End Trail, Haight & Ashbury, Twin Peak) and also try to explore areas to the North and South...

- Wineries in Napa/Sonoma/Santa Rosa to the North

- Famous Boardwalk and beaches in Santa Cruz, to the West

- Beautiful coastline and towns in Monterey and Carmel, to the South

Also, if you come during July, go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, CA (about an hour south of SF). You will absolutely not be disappointed :-) Drive down either Highway 1 or highway 101 (1 is more scenic, but longer and windier... 101 is less scenic, but much easier and quicker), and stop in Cambria, San Luis Obispo (SLO), and/or Santa Barbara before you get to LA. All of those towns would be a great place to spend a day. Personally I would skip Hearst Castle (in the aforementioned central coast area), as it is really just a big mansion with a lot of land.

LOS ANGELES

Entering LA from Highway 1 is the most beautiful way, passing through Malibu and Santa Monica. LA is very spread out, and unlike SF public transportation is not a feasible option, so get ready to drive and sit in some infamous LA traffic. That aside, here are the places I would recommend in LA...

- Griffith Observatory

- Getty Museum

- Santa Monica Pier

- Little Tokyo

I would avoid downtown LA (it's nothing special, and difficult with a kid), as well as Hollywood's Walk of Stars (totally not worth it, at all!). There are a lot of good eating options in LA, but again, they are spread out. Try an In-N-Out burger if you haven't had one before (multiple locations around California). Take Interstate 5 and/or the 405 south towards San Diego. You can stop for some sights in Orange County, or go to a theme park (again, I think Knott's would be the best, unless you're Disney fans). Orange County also has a lot of cool spots, like...

- Downtown Laguna Beach (cool beaches around South Laguna)

- Mission San Juan Capistrano

- San Clemente State Beach

SAN DIEGO

San Diego is also a very large area, but most of the main attractions are fairly confined near downtown. I lived in the northern end of San Diego county, which besides some outstanding micro-breweries and Legoland, won't have too much tourist stops. If you like science or gambling, you may want to go towards Palomar Mountain, where you'll find the Palomar Observatory and several large Indian Casino-Resorts. The best thing in Northern SD will be the San Diego Zoo's "Safari Park," which is (IMO) better than the 'Famous San Diego Zoo' down south (it's owned by the same group, but this one is more like a safari - much more fun!). Encinitas is also fun, if you want some beach time with the locals.

I would suggest stopping in La Jolla to walk around, as it's a nice small town that's very pretty. A popular place in San Diego is Pacific Beach and Mission Beach... since you have a 3-year old with you I would avoid both, as its just a long boardwalk with limited parking (and after dark it becomes party-central in SD). You would probably like checking out Coronado Island, Point Loma, and the "Gaslamp Quarter" in downtown...

The hands-down best thing to see in San Diego is Balboa Park... it's beautiful... like really, something from Spanish Colonial times, but with museums, parks, restaurants, and activities during the warm months... you'll enjoy it, I promise (very family friendly area too). I would advise against checking out Tijuana, not because it's scary, but unless you want cheap meds, you won't like it (dirty, bad drivers, crowded). Not a good image of what Mexico is. East County San Diego (specifically El Cajon) is not a great place either, but not much you'd be interested in out there anyways.

Well, I hope that was helpful. There is also a lot of great natural beauty down the whole stretch you will be going on (if camping is of interest). Besides that, next time you visit, try going down the other side of California (Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, the Sierra Nevada range, Death Valley, Borego Springs, etc) as it too is a very worthwhile area (and much different from the coastal route you will be taking).

Cheers! :-)

See some of my answers for the LA portion of your itinierary. I answer that part of the question a few times per day.

Traveling with a toddler can be tiring. There are certain places where stopping is fun. Other places won't work so well.

In San Francisco, you'll want to see Pier 39. They have seals on the pier there. There is also a big grassy area a few blocks away at Pier 39, where your toddler can run around on the grass. And get a hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Square.

From SF, drive to Monterey, preferably when the baby is sleeping. We did a lot of night traveling when our kids were little. Find a place near Cannery Row. You cannot miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and you could easily spend all day there. There is also a nice little beach just down the block from the aquarium on Cannery Row, where you can step down onto the sand. There's also a very nice park just to the west of the Aquarium. And you cannot miss Dennis the Menace Playground at Estelli Park. SO fun.

From Monterey, drive down the coastline via highway 1. Once you get to Piedras Blancas, there's a sea lion beach. There's also a nice beach by Hearst Castle, but I don't recommend the tours at all if y ou have a toddler.

Further south, Pismo Beach has a nice pier, wide sandy beaches, and the best clam choser in the world at Splash Cafe. We usually stay in San Luis Obispo at the Quality Suites, or in Pismo at the Oxford Suites. Both have free breakfast, and a nice pool.

On to Santa Barabara! Along the way, stop at Solvang, a cute Danish Village. The pastries here are the best. In SB itself, There are some very fun parks for yor little one. One on Garden Ave near Anapamu, and the other on on the beachfront street that crosses State Street: Cabrillo, I believe. It has a carousel, and lots of fun places for kids to play. And the beach is right there, too.

In LA, Griffith Park has tons to do: An Observatory, playgrounds, a railroad museum, pony rides, miniature train rides, live steamer locomotive rides, and a zoo. And miles of hiking trails. You can even hike to the famous Hollywood sign and get about 30 feet away from the letters themselves.

When we go out, we wind up at Disneyland a lot. Downtown disney is fun just to cruise around and shop. The beach is fun, too.

If you are planning to drive the whole way, I suggest you start in San Francisco. It's a dense city with a lot of things to do. You can then head down towards Monterey, Santa Cruz, etc. Lots of good beaches. Be sure to stop at Hearst Castle for half a day or so. In LA, you have the usual Universal Studios, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Disneyland, or whatever you want, but also check out Santa Monica pier and Venice beach.

Place to stay: try the best western suties hotel, or four points by Sheraton

Restaurants: Hokkaido. It's a Chinese and janenes goregous restaurant!! It's a bit expensive, but really let's you enjoy the seafood taste of LA!

Places to see in LA

Venice beach

Hollywood walk of fame

Hollywood sign

Beverly hills sign

Malibu beach

Venice beach

Places to see in San Diego

Lego land

Beaches

Sanfrasisco

Pier 39

At an t park

Golden gate bridge

Fishermans warf

Be sure to include the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey in your plans. It's just a little bit south of San Francisco.