Expert: Jason Curodeau - 7/15/2009

Question
 My mother and sister in law are staying for 2 weeks, and my husband and I are taking most of this time off to be with them.
 We are tired of going to the same places every time a relative comes to visit. It feels like a waste of money... I know for sure that we have to go to Disney, which I'm looking forward to. We r thinking maybe staying for 2 days there and do something at the beach (?) which one (?)...

 And we r thinking of going to Vegas, so I was wondering if you have been to the Grand Canyon and u would recommend with a 2-year-old in the Summer...
 Maybe Yosemite, since we never been there... How far is it? Would that be for virgin tourists, looking for the American tourism?
 Maybe another idea that we had was to travel by train to Santa Barbara, but I know even know where to look into that... My son is crazy about choo-choos, so he might enjoy it... Please advices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 BTW... We are totally in a tight budget...
thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer
Ana, first of all I must apologize for the late response. I am away from my home on a motorcycle trip through... you guessed it, California.
There are quite a few ways to see all the places you want to see. I need to know if you are campers or if you prefer hotels. It really does make a difference especially when you get around National Parks.
Most of the beaches in Southern California are crowded at this time of year, so I would definately suggest heading up north a bit. A nice drive up highway 1 towards Santa Barbara is always nice and if you have just spent a few days at Disneyland it will be nice to ride along the coast where it will definately be cooler. We are experiencing some pretty hot weather this summer.
If you decide to go to the Grand Canyon the ride will be a fairly long hot one. If the baby and your family are travellers I would suggest leaving the coast from Morrow Bay and taking Highway 41 to Yosemite. Be sure to google some hotels around the area because I just came through there and on weekends most of the campgrounds are full. Also the entrance fees to the Parks are a little high these days. Check online to see the FREE entrance schedule for this summer. In an attempt to encourage tourists in these economic times the National Park system is offering free entrance to all parks on certain weekends.  
From 41 in Yosemite you can take 120 to 395 and head down towards Big Pine, at Big pine you can take 168 toward Oasis and pick up 266 which will dump right into Highway 95. Highway 95 south goes to Vegas. Remember most of this journey will be a hot one.
If you want to visit the Grand Canyon you can get there on I-40 which will take you to the South Rim. I believe there is still a train in or around Winslow Arizona that goes into the Grand Canyon. You can Google that too and find out prices and schedules.
There are so many ways to do any trip and the best way is your way!
If you like to stop and smell all the flowers than you may need to decide which places you would like to visit most. Also if you buy an atlas you can look for the highways that run through the green or mountainous areas, those are generally cooler and offer a more scenic drive. I HATE major highways. They are filled with people who are in a rush and that causes some stress. The state highways and interconnecting routes allow a more relaxing drive and help me escape fast food chains and strip malls.
I hope this has been helpful, if you have any other questions please ask.
I am currently in Auburn California "Gold Country". I am with relatives for a few days taking day trips around Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas so I will be here for a few more days until heading out towards the coast. So after Wednsday I will not have access to the internet until next Sunday.
The biggest tip I can offer is not to try and cram too much into the two weeks. A vacation that you need a vacation from is never as satisfying as a relaxing memorable one.
Thank you for your inquiry and have safe and happy travels.
Jason Curodeau