Thanks again; we like your idea of driving LA to SF and to Yosemite and will plan our trip around that. We are also thinking we might come via Hawaii for 3 nights.
As to when.....thats the hard one! We were thinking of coming a couple of days before our school holidays next April so our kids don't have to miss too much school but unfortunately I have just found out our holidays start on 14th April and I'd rather not be there during the school holidays over there. The other option is in our holidays that start at the end of September which seems, and is, ages away!
Nose to nose with the Californian grey whale might be just a little too close for me unless there is glass in between! See you.