# Thinking of San Diego & San Francisco for Summer 2012



## matbec (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi. We're thinking of visiting San Diego and San Francisco in 2012, either late July or early August. Based on everything I've been reading, exchanging into a 2BR unit (there will be 5 or 6 of us), through RCI or II, will be almost impossible, especially in these two areas. I'll have to combine deposits before I put in an on-going search (I think?), but don't want to do that if it turns out I can't get the exchange and have to end up renting anyways. Most of my deposits expire in 2014 and combining them now means they'll expire in Jan 2013, and if I don't get the exchanges, then I may not be able to use the combined deposits in time (sadly, not enough vacation time).

My questions ... I've been looking daily for the last 2 weeks and there are very few units available. Should I even bother to try for an exchange or just go directly to finding a rental? Do most people deposit summer SoCal weeks? Or do owners tend to rent their weeks out instead?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks in advance.


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## BevL (Jan 3, 2011)

I think the main problem for the San Francisco part is that there just aren't that many large units there.

For the San Diego part, I'd definitely consider the Lawrence Welk resort - shouldn't be that difficult an exchange in II, it's a beautiful resort and not a bad drive from San Diego.

Just my .02 worth.


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## isisdave (Jan 3, 2011)

While San Diego may be hard, San Francisco 2br's are almost non-existent, as they're almost all converted hotels.

I would call or email Cory Phelps at SFX Exchange and see if they have anything at all in SF in your time range, and then if they do try to build the rest of the trip around that.  Their Gold exchange membership is free, and they do rentals too, although probably not SF 2br's in summer!

If they don't come up with a 2br, you might have to go with a 1br, and then look for another 1br or studio or even hotel room in the same building.  For example, the Donatello has its own timeshare, Shell timeshare, and hotel rooms, so there are several ways to approach this.  More complicated, though.

Cory is at (510) 749-3777 Direct  or  cory@sfx-resorts.com

San Diego is great, but the timeshare scene is not.  Most of the places in SD itself are just so-so, and either in Mission Valley or downtown, neither of which is scenic or resort-y.  They are well-located, though. Nicer places are up the coast in Solana Beach, Del Mar, Carlsbad, and Oceanside, which would be a 15 to 35 mile ride to SD. But there are things to do in North County too, you'd be on or very near the beach, and that much closer to LA if you wanted to see things there.


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## matbec (Jan 3, 2011)

BevL said:


> I think the main problem for the San Francisco part is that there just aren't that many large units there.



Thanks, Bev. That's what I'm thinking too. My initial research hasn't turned up anything (hotel or rental) that can accomodate my group for less than $500-600 a night  Still considering our options there.



BevL said:


> For the San Diego part, I'd definitely consider the Lawrence Welk resort - shouldn't be that difficult an exchange in II, it's a beautiful resort and not a bad drive from San Diego.



I'd heard that too, but nothing's available right now either through RCI or II for the Welk resort. May end up putting in those requests anyways and try to be patient.



isisdave said:


> While San Diego may be hard, San Francisco 2br's are almost non-existent, as they're almost all converted hotels.
> 
> I would call or email Cory Phelps at SFX Exchange and see if they have anything at all in SF in your time range, and then if they do try to build the rest of the trip around that.  Their Gold exchange membership is free, and they do rentals too, although probably not SF 2br's in summer!
> 
> ...



I've been looking at Carlsbad and Oceanside (driving doesn't really bother us), unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's much availability there for anytime in the summer, least of all during my timeframe for travelling.

I was also hoping to not overcomplicate our accomodations so thanks for the tip on contacting Cory. I'll try that.


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## BevL (Jan 4, 2011)

I can't remember the timeframe but I've seen good availability in II at Lawrence Welk for summer using my Foxrun week 16 in the past.  I haven't checked lately because it hasn't been on our vacation radar.  So I guess it depends on what you have to exchange but I'd think an ongoing search this far out would net something.

If you're looking for actual coast north of San Diego, RCI would be your better bet, but those will be in the 50 to 60 TPU range I'm thinking.  Expensive depending on what you have to do to get anything.  But I'd guess that one of the, is it GP resorts in Carlsbad, maybe the Grand Pacific Palisades, would be a good bet for a summer exchange.  I believe they bulk bank - you might try looking at the old info in the sightings section to see what historically they've done.

But San Francisco will definitely be your big challenge.


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## DaveNV (Jan 4, 2011)

Coronado Beach Resort on Coronado Island in San Diego Bay has studio, one and two bedroom timeshare units.  They exchange through RCI, and they have a rental program as well.  The resort is across the street from the Hotel Del Coronado, (famous from the movie Some Like It Hot), and San Diego proper is about ten minutes away by car across the Coronado Bay Bridge.  It's a GREAT place to stay, and close to everything San Diego is known for.

Dave


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## Icc5 (Jan 4, 2011)

*It is a drive*

I don't think Welk will be a problem for your timeframe.  You have lots of time so don't be in such a hurry.  I think it will come through for you.

You might think about something like Windsor (Worldmark) for S.F. and just make the drive a few times.  As everyone has said two bedrooms are few and far between in S.F.  Another choice might be the Monterey area and driving to S.F.
Bart


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## John Cummings (Jan 4, 2011)

What are you looking for in San Diego? There are 2 timeshares in downtown San Diego in the Gaslamp area. They are the Gaslamp Plaza Suites where I own and a Worldmark. They are well located in a great area. Downtown San Diego is very nice and safe. You can walk to many attractions. The Gaslamp Plaza Suites has 2 BR units and is affiliated with both RCI and II. I use SFX for all my exchanges. The Gaslamp area has many great restaurants and clubs, San Diego Padres ball park, and is easy walking to the Coronado ferry and many other attractions.

We lived in San Diego for many years and now live just an hour away. We actually use our Gaslamp timeshare frequently to play tourist in San Diego. We use bonus time and will be spending the whole July 4th week there this year. San Diego is a great place to visit. We also lived in the San Francisco Bay area for several years and love that area as well. I can't tell you much about San Francisco timeshares as we have only stayed at the Nob Hill timeshare there and it was a 1 BR.

If you don't want to be downtown then Coronado is a great choice. The public beach in front of the Hotel Del Coronado was voted the number 1 beach in California by the Travel Channel.

Lawrence Welk is a good resort. Bear in mind that it will be a lot hotter than downtown San Diego or along the coast. The only attraction in that area is the Wild Animal Park and it is a few miles away. You will have to drive even to go to a restaurant.


There are other choices as well. I think you are too early to see any availability.


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## siesta (Jan 4, 2011)

there is also a Wyndham on 5th Ave. and Gaslamp


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## matbec (Jan 4, 2011)

Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone. I think I need to do a little more reading/research on which areas we'd be interested in. Any recommendations for a good travel book for this trip?

While we don't mind driving, we're also happier not wasting time on it if we can stay closer to the main attractions. For San Diego, Gaslamp 2BR units sound like they'll be perfect. For San Francisco, I've looked at the Nob Hill timeshare and it sounds like there isn't usually a whole lot of availability there, given that there are only 2 2BR units in the whole place. But I'm also keeping an eye on Redweek and VRBO rentals, just in case. We can only take 2 weeks for this trip, so I'll need to be mindful of the drive times between San Francisco and San Diego. I was thinking that we'll probably need to spend a night somewhere along the way (depending on how the timing plays out), so any suggestions for a good mid-way stop would be great!

As a few have pointed out, it's probably too early, but for the first time in a long time, I find myself not having any firm plans 18months out! This is definitely a new thing for me  

Thanks again. And keep those suggestions coming! I really appreciate them.


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## John Cummings (Jan 5, 2011)

siesta said:


> there is also a Wyndham on 5th Ave. and Gaslamp



I believe that is the Worldmark.


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## John Cummings (Jan 5, 2011)

I would definitely take the time to drive up the coastal route to San Francisco. You drive up 101 to San Luis Obispo and then cut over to Hwy 1. It is doable with an overnight stay but personally I would spend 2 nights. The first night, I would stay in Morro Bay and the second night in Carmel or Monterrey.

If you only can stay one night then I would still stay at Morro Bay and skip stopping the second night. If you don't want to do the Hwy 1 route then you can continue on up 101. In that case, I would stay in San Luis Obispo. I highly recommend the Hwy 1 route as it is pretty spectacular through the Big Sur. The shortest route is I-5 but I don't recommend it as it is very boring.

I have driven every possible route between San Diego and San Francisco several times. We usually take 101 and stay the night in Solvang.  We have taken as long as 5 days driving between them stopping in Santa Barbara, Solvang, Morro Bay, and Carmel.


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## siesta (Jan 5, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> I believe that is the Worldmark.


 there is a worldmark, and there is a wyndham, two different locations.  the wyndham is a newer addition to the group, and was once a boutique hotel.

Wyndham Harbour Lights
911 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-564-3500

WorldMark San Diego
1110 A Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Ph (619)795-4000
Fax (619)795-4001


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## chriskre (Jan 5, 2011)

You could rent from a Wyndham owner.  
There are a few here on TUG who do this reasonably priced.  

I was trying to do the same thing in San Francisco and book a 2 bedroom.
I did find availability in a Presidential suite in Wyndham.  
You can rent  a reservation from a Wyndham owner who has alot of points. 
It's costly points wise but not $500 a night.  
When I looked it was roughly $350 a night for the 2 bedroom units but that was for September.   


SFX also might help if you could deposit something they would work with.
They seem to have lots of SF inventory which makes sense since they call themselves SF Xchange.  
It would be worth finding out if they'll take any of your units for exchange.  

You've got time if you haven't already deposited your 2012 weeks to RCI.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jan 5, 2011)

Are there kids in this group so you need to be in one unit? Fisherman's Wharf (a Shell property) has some 2 bedrooms and I would call SFX to see if they could get you one. We stayed there and it was large and had 2 baths also. Close to public transportation and the water.
Liz


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jan 5, 2011)

Just remembered something - you will need to pack totally different clothes for each location. Southern California should be hot, San Francisco rarely is.
Liz


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## BevL (Jan 5, 2011)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> Just remembered something - you will need to pack totally different clothes for each location. Southern California should be hot, San Francisco rarely is.
> Liz




Which is why the tourist places down by Fishermen's Wharf have jackets for sale all year round - we have two each - always seem to forget to bring a heavier jacket for a few day stay there on our way through to SoCal and end up buying one!!


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## John Cummings (Jan 5, 2011)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> Just remembered something - you will need to pack totally different clothes for each location. Southern California should be hot, San Francisco rarely is.
> Liz



Downtown San Diego and along the coast won't be hot. Inland can get pretty hot like at LW. However San Francisco can get downright cold in the summer. One of the coldest outings I have spent was at a SF Giants night game at AT&T Park in downtown SF on July 31st. I had a jacket and scarf but it was very cold. We only go to day games at AT&T park.


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## Luanne (Jan 5, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> We only go to day games at AT&T park.


And you can freeze at those as well.


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## matbec (Jan 5, 2011)

We're definitely planning on driving Hwy 1 so we can see as much of the coast as we can. Hopefully we'll be able to swing 2nights for the drive between SF and SD, but this is largely dependent on what we can get as exchanges. DH loves the idea of taking in a couple of ball games, so hopefully the Giants are in town when we do go. He also has hopes (delusions? :ignore: ) of playing Pebble Beach !

Yes, we'll have "kids" with us - DS will be 18 and DD 15 by the time this trip rolls around - so we'll need (okay, prefer) to have a 2BR unit. 

I'm taking advantage of the SFX introductory offer (free 90-day platinum trial membership) and have signed up. Just received my membership info today. And happily, I do have a couple of 2012 weeks that they'll take, so this will be a good test of SFX.

Thanks, everyone!


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## John Cummings (Jan 5, 2011)

matbec said:


> We're definitely planning on driving Hwy 1 so we can see as much of the coast as we can. Hopefully we'll be able to swing 2nights for the drive between SF and SD, but this is largely dependent on what we can get as exchanges. DH loves the idea of taking in a couple of ball games, so hopefully the Giants are in town when we do go. He also has hopes (delusions? :ignore: ) of playing Pebble Beach !
> 
> Yes, we'll have "kids" with us - DS will be 18 and DD 15 by the time this trip rolls around - so we'll need (okay, prefer) to have a 2BR unit.
> 
> ...



If your DH likes baseball you should go to a SD Padres game at Petco Park in San Diego if they are in town. It is a new ballpark in the Gaslamp area just a short walk from the Gaslamp Plaza Suites. If I could only choose one place then I would definitely go to a SF Giants game in AT&T park but not a night game. In San Diego either a night game or day game is good.


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## John Cummings (Jan 5, 2011)

Luanne said:


> And you can freeze at those as well.



Fortunately I have never had that problem.


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## matbec (Jan 5, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> If your DH likes baseball you should go to a SD Padres game at Petco Park in San Diego if they are in town. It is a new ballpark in the Gaslamp area just a short walk from the Gaslamp Plaza Suites. If I could only choose one place then I would definitely go to a SF Giants game in AT&T park but not a night game. In San Diego either a night game or day game is good.



Funny you should mention that! He loves baseball (and golf and hockey and football and ...) and was just flipping through a book he received at Christmas: An Illustrated Tour of Baseball Parks Past and Present. And there it was - Petco Park! Adding this and AT&T park (the book called it SBC park) to our list. Thanks, John.


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## stang99_tls (Jan 6, 2011)

matbec said:


> Funny you should mention that! He loves baseball (and golf and hockey and football and ...) and was just flipping through a book he received at Christmas: An Illustrated Tour of Baseball Parks Past and Present. And there it was - Petco Park! Adding this and AT&T park (the book called it SBC park) to our list. Thanks, John.



The park was originally Pac Bell park, then SBC, then AT&T. You have to love all the baby bells merging back together


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## John Cummings (Jan 6, 2011)

matbec said:


> Funny you should mention that! He loves baseball (and golf and hockey and football and ...) and was just flipping through a book he received at Christmas: An Illustrated Tour of Baseball Parks Past and Present. And there it was - Petco Park! Adding this and AT&T park (the book called it SBC park) to our list. Thanks, John.




You are welcome.

AT&T park was originally PAC Bell then SBC and now AT&T. Actually they are all the same company. It is a rarity in that it was built with private funding without a dime to the taxpayers money. "When it opened on March 31, 2000, the ballpark was the first Major League ballpark built without public funds since the completion of Dodger Stadium in 1962".

Here is the story of it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T_Park


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## Aussiedog (Jan 8, 2011)

*A second Worldmark*

There is a second Worldmark resort, located in Mission Valley close to the stadium, park, mission, etc.

It does not get much attention and is not as highly rated as perhaps the locations on the beach but it is clean, convenient and has 2 bedroom units.

Ann


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## learnalot (Jan 8, 2011)

matbec said:


> We're definitely planning on driving Hwy 1 so we can see as much of the coast as we can. Hopefully we'll be able to swing 2nights for the drive between SF and SD, but this is largely dependent on what we can get as exchanges. DH loves the idea of taking in a couple of ball games, so hopefully the Giants are in town when we do go. He also has hopes (delusions? :ignore: ) of playing Pebble Beach !



If the Pebble Beach prices are too much sticker shock, he might look at playing Torrey Pines in La Jolla, just north of San Diego instead.  They have also hosted the US Open and it's a fabulous course that comes at 1/3 to 1/2 the price of Pebble Beach.  Just FYI


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## John Cummings (Jan 8, 2011)

learnalot said:


> If the Pebble Beach prices are too much sticker shock, he might look at playing Torrey Pines in La Jolla, just north of San Diego instead.  They have also hosted the US Open and it's a fabulous course that comes at 1/3 to 1/2 the price of Pebble Beach.  Just FYI



We were at the US Open at Torrey Pines in 2008 when Tiger won it. We were guests of Harrah's.


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## John Cummings (Jan 8, 2011)

Aussiedog said:


> There is a second Worldmark resort, located in Mission Valley close to the stadium, park, mission, etc.
> 
> It does not get much attention and is not as highly rated as perhaps the locations on the beach but it is clean, convenient and has 2 bedroom units.
> 
> Ann



That is not a great area for a timeshare. It doesn't compare to downtown San Diego nor the beach areas.


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## Aussiedog (Jan 8, 2011)

*Agree completely*



John Cummings said:


> That is not a great area for a timeshare. It doesn't compare to downtown San Diego nor the beach areas.



But in a pinch it is not bad at all, especially if you need a 2 bedroom.  You can walk to two restaurants and I noticed a lot of golfers when I was there last month.  It is not a destination resort, more like a nice condo complex.

Ann


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## matbec (Jan 9, 2011)

learnalot said:


> If the Pebble Beach prices are too much sticker shock, he might look at playing Torrey Pines in La Jolla, just north of San Diego instead.  They have also hosted the US Open and it's a fabulous course that comes at 1/3 to 1/2 the price of Pebble Beach.  Just FYI



DH thanks you for the idea . Torrey Pines is now on the ever-lenghthening list of places to go, things to do for summer 2012!


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## John Cummings (Jan 9, 2011)

matbec said:


> DH thanks you for the idea . Torrey Pines is now on the ever-lenghthening list of places to go, things to do for summer 2012!



I can think of enough things to do that will take over a month. You should state what sort of things you like to do.

I do recommend Sea World which is one of our favorites. We have been there several times. You need to allow a full day for Sea World. I also recommend the famous San Diego Zoo. The list goes on and on.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jan 9, 2011)

We like Sea World also, with or without kids, it's interesting and fun and doesn't have mega lines like other parks. Also, the Wild Animal Park by Escondido, the Zoo, the Ruben Fleet Space Museum in Balboa Park, Balboa Park.
Liz


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## Mary W (Jan 9, 2011)

*Wyndham Canterbury (San Francisco) Info*

Here is some information about the number of two and three bedroom units at the Wyndham Canterbury in San Francisco:

It has 1 two bedroom deluxe unit (without a full kitchen.)

There are 6 two bedroom presidential units (with full kitchens.)

There are 5 three bedroom presidential units (with full kitchens.)


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## matbec (Jan 11, 2011)

Thank you, everyone, for all the ideas. 



John Cummings said:


> I can think of enough things to do that will take over a month. You should state what sort of things you like to do.



We like to explore/see as much of the sights as possible, so we'd love to hear more of the must-see things in San Francisco, San Diego, and the places along the way. The only things we don't really do are extreme sports . Going to Sea World and the San Diego Zoo are definitely on our list.


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## John Cummings (Jan 11, 2011)

One of our favorite things to do is take the Coronado Ferry from downtown San Diego to Coronado. You can take it from either the foot of Broadway next to the Broadway Pier or by the Convention center. It lands at the Coronado Ferry landing. I recommend taking it from the Broadway Pier location. You can return to the other location if you like.

http://coronadoferrylandingshops.com/san-diego-bay-ferry.htm

It is an easy walk from the downtown timeshares to the ferry. You get a great view of the San Diego Harbor and the city skyline from the ferry.

From the Coronado Ferry Landing, you walk down Orange Avenue in Coronado to the famous historic Hotel Del Coronado which is definitely worth seeing. The public beach in front of the hotel is rated the number 1 beach in California by the Travel Channel. It is about a mile walk. You can take a cab if you want. The hotel is a tourist attraction so there are lots of folks wandering around it. Coronado is quite unique.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_del_Coronado

Across the street from the Hotel Del Coronado is a Mexican Restaurant Miguel's Cocina that I highly recommend for lunch or dinner. It has good ambiance and good food at reasonable prices. It is in a courtyard so you can't see it from the street.

This is an inexpensive way to see a lot and have a good meal.

Downtown San Diego is a good city for walking. There is lots to see and it is a safe city.


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