My itinerary for California and Las Vegas

After much chopping and changing amongst myself and my 2 travelling companions, we have finally come up with an itinerary

Friday 16/11 to Tuesday 20/11

San Francisco - take in the sights, hope to see the 49ers play on Sunday. Pick up hire car on the Monday and go for a drive over Golden Gate bridge (just for the fun of it!!!). Have a few beers.

Tuesday 20/11

Drive along the coast to Monterey, do the 17 mile drive, have a few beers and stay the night.

Wednesday 21/11

Continue along the coast to Santa Barbara, have a few beers and stay the night there.

Thursday 22/11 to Sunday 25/11

Give thanks and then drive to San Diego. A couple of days in SD, go to the zoo and have a few beers.

Sunday 25/11 to Thursday 29/11

Leave San Diego and fly to Las Vegas. Try and win my fortune in Las Vegas. Staying at New York, New York. Also want to go and see the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam and have a few beers.

Thurday 29/11 to Saturday 1/12

Fly back to San Francisco, go and see a NBA game on Thursday, go to Alcatraz on Friday and have a final Friday night in SF where we might have a few beers. Fly home Saturday and possibly have a final beer at the airport (well I wouldn%26#39;t have drank much during the holiday).

So, as you might tell, I do like a beer, so any tips you can give on any good pubs in SF or SD would be appreciated. I particularly enjoy trying different beers so are there any good microbrewery pubs we should look out for.

I%26#39;m really looking forward to this trip as it%26#39;s my first time to California and Las Vegas.

My itinerary for California and Las Vegas

You have a regular theme trip going on here! I think it is going to be great fun for you!

Check on some of these links:

http://www.brewerytoursofsandiego.com

http://www.wunderbeer.com

My itinerary for California and Las Vegas

I notice you%26#39;re skipping LA - and there are great pubs with great beers on tap here.

Thank you for those links, I%26#39;ll have a good look at them later.

Yogachik,

We%26#39;re bypassing LA this time (well driving through it anyway) but I may well make it there the next time I%26#39;m in California. I want there to be a next time as I want to see Yosemite so hope to get back when it is fully open.

Knowing you like photography Mick when you come over the bridge as soon as you come off the bridge hang a left and go up to the Marin Headland. You get some excellent bay/bridge views from up there.

Hope the weather holds for you.

Otherwise enjoy the drive.

Oh and another thing if you need an oasis of calm in vegas (well relative calm) where you can sit and have a drink without the bar machines bleeping at you there%26#39;s an outback/walkabout aussie bar near the flamingo.

food is pretty good too.

I forget whether they had any special beers though so might not come up to scratch on that front.

H Mick ~ Whichever pub or tavern you wander into, ask for a microbrew on tap, and you usually can%26#39;t go wrong. And be sure to try Anchor Steam beer in SF. Of course, for the best ';beer tour';, you need to come to Oregon, as we invented microbrews ....

Have a great holiday. Cheers!

Best deal for microbrews in Vegas is at Ellis Island. They only charge $1 per pint and make their own beer on site. They also have a steak dinner for $4.99. Its not on the menu, you have to ask for it.

Wow, thanks, RB. We%26#39;re going to be in LV this spring (in the RV) so will make sure to keep this info!

Thank you all for those tips.

Cornish,

As one of the friends I%26#39;m travelling with is also a keen photographer and has already said he%26#39;ll like to get some good shots of the Golden gate Bridge, I think we%26#39;ll me stopping off at Marin headland.

Hal-Brit,

Even before you told me that Oregon was the home of the micro-brew, I had Oregon down as somewhere to visit in the future. The Pacific North West is another area I would love to explore but it may be a few years before i can do that.

RBCal,

Thanks for that tip on Ellis island. I%26#39;ll look it up.

Just over a week to go and the excitement is starting to build. I%26#39;ve never driven in the States before so i%26#39;m sure that will be an adventure in itself :).

If the dollar keeps dropping, we%26#39;ll be seeing you before then, Mick.

Have a lovely holiday. Just remember to keep smiling and KEEP RIGHT!

popping blackheads