West Coast USA - Tour Advice
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Hmmm, yes and no. Yes to the Malibu but for sure (We spent 45 minutes there, not sure what the appeal is) but its hardly much driving. If anything he isn't driving enough and is thus going to miss stuff - see my revised route suggestion for further info.
You'll miss out on so much doing this - remember, you are a cheap internal flight from California yet for many British people this is a once in a lifetime trip - getting a good sample of a selection of what California has to offer is IMHO preferable to binging on just one section.
I do agree that Yosemite isn't a daytrip from San Francisco but depending on your tastes neither is it necessarily something that requires 3-4 days and loads of hiking. You can see a lot from the viewpoints on the park roads and not everyone is into hiking. We don't hike, for example, and yet I've still managed to thoroughly enjoy a quite a lot of US national parks.
The traditional LA > Vegas > SF > LA triangle route is easily covered in 2 weeks and gives you a great taste of what California has to offer. You can then tailor future visits around what you liked best.
I don't know what it is about us always disagreeing
Vegas is tacky, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'Trash' and I would go as far as to say it's unmissable on a trip like this. It's a unique experience quite unlike anything most Brit's ever get to see - I personally hate gambling and it holds no interest at all yet I still enjoyed Vegas - particularly because of the utterly stunning hotels you can stay in for almost no money whatsoever, which is an experience in itself.
Vegas is also an excellent springboard for seeing other sites like Death Valley National Park, the Hoover Dam, etc.
But for most people, a trip to the viewpoints is the most practical - not everyone has the time, energy or the inclination to trek into the canyon and go camping. We flew out to the Canyon, spent a few hours looking over the viewpoints and for us that was sufficient. Sufficient enough that even though our next trip takes us within miles of the canyon (Flagstaff) I've not bothered to stick it on the itinerary. It's a box ticked, which is why most people see it.
Agree that some of those places are exceptional. I still think one of the most under-rated national parks is Glacier in Montana, IMHO it was better than Yosemite.
I generally pay £400-£500 each for return economy flights and £30 a day for Luxury car hire with Alamo (Who, IME, are the best rental firm).
The issue is wasting all the time driving La->Vegas and bd back, and things like the Grand Canyon are still a long way from vegas. in 2 weeks I really wouldn't want to add all that.[TW]Fox;28424615 said:
Whatever you do you are going to mis stuff. With your itinary he will miss Northern California which IMO is the by far the best part, Redwood NP, Medicine lake, volcanic caves NM, mount shasta, Mount Lassen, Lake Tahoe, northern sierras, etc. That is just a sad fact of too much too see and too little vacation.
Now you can drive further and see things further away but that doesn't mean you will see more. I don't know why people always think they need to make a whistle sop tour racing through as many distal places as possible just to tick them off. Staying closer to the bay area but making trips around there will allow visits to:
- Point Reyes SP
- Bodega Bay
- Nappa Valley
- Half Moon bay
- Big Basin State Park
- Santa Cruz
- Monterey/Carmel
- Point Lobos
- Big Sur
- Morrow Bay
- san Luis Obisbo
- Pinnacles national Park
- Kings Canyon NP
- Yosemite
- Bear Lake
- Mammoth, devils postpile
- Bodie Ghost Town
- Mono Lake
- Lake tahoe, emerald bay, fallen leaf lake
- Desolation wilderness
- Lassen NP
And dozens of additional natural sites, state parks, national monuments, etc. on route.
Even if you don't hike and only drive to view points there is a lot to see: Main valley, Glacier point, Mairposa sequoia grove, Tolumne meadows, Hetch Hetch, that is about 3 days worth IMO. And if you don;t hike then you miss all the best parts, the main valley is really not the highlight of Yosemite.
I agree it is not a bad trip but in 2 weeks one could actually just stick to California and save driving time.
I don't know what it is about us always disagreeing
Vegas is tacky, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'Trash' and I would go as far as to say it's unmissable on a trip like this. It's a unique experience quite unlike anything most Brit's ever get to see - I personally hate gambling and it holds no interest at all yet I still enjoyed Vegas - particularly because of the utterly stunning hotels you can stay in for almost no money whatsoever, which is an experience in itself.
Vegas is also an excellent springboard for seeing other sites like Death Valley National Park, the Hoover Dam, etc.
We will have to disagree, Vegas is vile. I have the displeasure of visiting the dump with work every year, its the last place on earth I would want to go to intentionally. and the cheap hotels only work out when the place is quiet, ever time i go we are paying $200 a night for a dump in the old town or miles out in the desert because everything on the strip is sold out our $400 a night
I understand that, my point is I would drive all the way form la to vegas with the hopes that the grand canyon is some magical highlight and worth the trip, especially if you just view the viewpoints form the rim. There hare hundreds of other places in California that are more worthy of time and gas money on an 2 week vacation. Vegas and the GC start to be worth it if you are on say a 6-8 week SW USA tour: leave LA, go through death Valley, stay in vegas a night, go on to the GC for a night before moving onto Zion NP all of TAh and so on.
its around 5 hours driving LA->Vegas, another 4.5hours to grand canyon, 12 hours back to SF the boring way (14-15 if you do it properly via Yosemite or Tahoe), or 7hours to LAX. That is several days gone spent mostly driving through boring desert which on a 2 week trip could be spent watching whales and otters on the coast, looking at the biggest trees in the world, taking a yacht cruise on lake tahoe, climbing into volcanoes, wine tasting in Napa.
LAX-LVA->SFO-LAX is a classic triangle and t can makes sense if done properly with time to explore other places, e.g. go on to Zion and then Bryce etc., so the trip past Vegas gets more meaningful.
Good, I will be there early September
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I think realistically you are going to spend more time driving than you'd like. You should spend more time in Yosemite so you can get up early doors and do a few of the hikes, swim in the waterfalls, have a picnic at the viewpoint of the half dome etc. Incredible place.
I'd also spend more time on PCH or at least plan a night stop-over. A lot of towns along there have some beautiful scenery, beaches, restaurants etc. Monterey/carmel being one of the favourite spots along there.
Trade in some time in malibu/long beach for Santa Barbara. What a great rustic place.. so much culture there. Incredible wine/food from the local area. So many professionals in LA live in SB and commute in.. or retire there.. especially in the music/film biz.. because it's lovely!
For vegas.. fit in a trip to Death Valley.. what a strange yet beautiful place it is. Incredible landscape really earns it's name.
I've done two small plane tours from Vegas to GC. They pick you up from your hotel, get to the airport, fly off in a 12 seater place to GC, show you around, let you wander around and have lunch.. then back you go. Not cheap but a good mix of tour/free time. Only drive there if you want to stay overnight. You'll fly over the hoover dam to see that but if you want a separate visit to that, drive it.
As for hotels in LB/malibu.. get an airbnb. You'll find some great little surfer apartments or even get a boat in the harbour to sleep on.
I've done this trip twice now.. both with different routes.. but i learnt so much the first time round and like Fox says above, it gives you a great idea what to focus on for your next visits..
I'd also spend more time on PCH or at least plan a night stop-over. A lot of towns along there have some beautiful scenery, beaches, restaurants etc. Monterey/carmel being one of the favourite spots along there.
Trade in some time in malibu/long beach for Santa Barbara. What a great rustic place.. so much culture there. Incredible wine/food from the local area. So many professionals in LA live in SB and commute in.. or retire there.. especially in the music/film biz.. because it's lovely!
For vegas.. fit in a trip to Death Valley.. what a strange yet beautiful place it is. Incredible landscape really earns it's name.
I've done two small plane tours from Vegas to GC. They pick you up from your hotel, get to the airport, fly off in a 12 seater place to GC, show you around, let you wander around and have lunch.. then back you go. Not cheap but a good mix of tour/free time. Only drive there if you want to stay overnight. You'll fly over the hoover dam to see that but if you want a separate visit to that, drive it.
As for hotels in LB/malibu.. get an airbnb. You'll find some great little surfer apartments or even get a boat in the harbour to sleep on.
I've done this trip twice now.. both with different routes.. but i learnt so much the first time round and like Fox says above, it gives you a great idea what to focus on for your next visits..
I don't think the drive is a waste of time though, especially not for somebody who is on perhaps a first visit to the area.
Driving from LA to Vegas is only 4-5 hours and the first time you do it, it's fun and interesting. It goes through actual desert - something many of us Brits have never seen before - and it isn't even THAT far. It's cool. I'm looking forward to doing it again and I really enjoyed the drive the last time I did it, too. Whilst it probably sucks really fast if you live there, the first time you pull up at a crap outlet Mall in Barstow, open the door of your air conditioned car and get hit by 47c heat, is quite an experience
Then driving from Vegas to San Fran is even better - do it over several days, day 1 is a drive through Death Valley national park, which is stunning. Day 2 takes you through Yosemite, which as you know, is stunning. No waste in those miles at all.
When we did the triangle route I think we only did about 2000 miles all in, which by our road-trip standards was probably the fewest we've done.
These are essential but ticked off when you drive down from SF to LA along Highway 1. We did an overnight at Morro Bay, for example.
Sunday to Thursday is the time to stay there - the place is, as you know, geared around the weekends and the rates are through the floor if it isnt Friday or Saturday night and there isn't a convention on.
I definitely don't recommend driving to the GC from Las Vegas but you can buy a tour from North Las Vegas Airport that flies you there in 45 minutes, gives you a few hours taking in the view and has you back on the strip mid afternoon.
The only boring desert bit is the LA to Las Vegas part which, as I've explained above, is anything but boring the first time.
I guess its going to depend on what sort of trip you like. For me and many others in these threads, they are road trips - its about the drive through beautiful places as much as it is about anything else. For others, perhaps thats not what they want.
Byrce is waaaay off that route, you can't really fit that into the triangle. Thats best for a different, non Cali focused trip (One I'm doing next
).Good, I will be there early September
You will absolutely love it - but a word of warning, the Going to the Sun Road is closing early this season for construction - last day is 20 September. It's unmissable and you'll have a great time.
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From Vegas it is only about 2 hours to Zion, have a couple of days there, Bryce is then only 90 minutes form Zion, Kodachrome basin is 40 minutes from Bryce, Capitorl reefer is 2:30 form Kodachrome, Arches is about 2 hours form Capitol reef, and canyon lands is next to arches. Plus there are more cool parks like goblin valley on the way betwene some of these.
I have done that loop twice and would do it again in a heart beat. very little driving to do to connect all of that lot up, and if you are coming from LAX with a cheap flight then you will pass through las Vegas, which is what I then suggest you can stay a night. that is what I was meaning about vegas and GC is OK as part of a longer trip going out to Utah. The short driving means you cn leave at a normal time in the morining and still get most of the day at the next park, or do a wlak in the cool morning, drive 2 hours in the heat of the day, and arrive for a late afternoon hikie and watch the sunset
From arches you can make a great loop going onto Page, AZ and then GC., then back to vegas and as you say, through Death Valley, Yosemite SF and down highway 1.
If only I lived in Europe and got 6 weeks vacation.
I have done that loop twice and would do it again in a heart beat. very little driving to do to connect all of that lot up, and if you are coming from LAX with a cheap flight then you will pass through las Vegas, which is what I then suggest you can stay a night. that is what I was meaning about vegas and GC is OK as part of a longer trip going out to Utah. The short driving means you cn leave at a normal time in the morining and still get most of the day at the next park, or do a wlak in the cool morning, drive 2 hours in the heat of the day, and arrive for a late afternoon hikie and watch the sunset
From arches you can make a great loop going onto Page, AZ and then GC., then back to vegas and as you say, through Death Valley, Yosemite SF and down highway 1.
If only I lived in Europe and got 6 weeks vacation.
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I was hoping to do something like this in October but was a bit too late to sort it out in the end.
Just wondering if they is any tips for someone who is unable to drive on being able to get around?
Just wondering if they is any tips for someone who is unable to drive on being able to get around?
I am currently having a good look at everyone's info - so again, thank you.
I do agree that we are trying to fit too much in, this might not be a problem if it was just the fiancee and I, but since we are a group of 6 all the travelling may begin to tax. I think we will look to simplify it a little, and we can always go back in years to come to fill in the gaps.
I do agree that we are trying to fit too much in, this might not be a problem if it was just the fiancee and I, but since we are a group of 6 all the travelling may begin to tax. I think we will look to simplify it a little, and we can always go back in years to come to fill in the gaps.
What's this then? I am aiming to drive to Yosemite on the 22nd, will it be broken?
No, Going To The Sun Road crosses Glacier National Park in Montana. It's a long way from Yosemite
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Thank god I'm not the only one that felt that way - I just couldn't pin down the lack of awe I thought I should have been feeling - I came away weirdly disappointed with it...and then disappointed with myself for feeling that way
See my post above. I was exactly the same. I was expecting to be awestruck, have my breath taken away, as I have had on many occasions in the US (Yosemite, crater lake, point Reyes,Yellowstone, Bryce, grand Tetons). But the Grand Canyon was really dispiriting, a low light of an epic 6 week trip I did. I was also dispai ted with myself but I really didn't see the fuss and bother.
As fender bass says though, I think there is an inherent psychological problem in understand the place. Your brain just simoly cannot comprehend the scale. You have no way to Jude how deep it is because you never really see such things. Mountains you tend to see a lot of, and hiking up even 500m is tiring and makes you appreciate what 1500m is, let alone 3000m, or 6000m etc. Such a deep cut I. The earth is hard to put in context
Some years later I started finding out other people had the exact same experience, the Grand Canyon was a massive disappointment a pnd they would never go back. I then found out that it is quite common occurrence, and to understand and canyon you have to get away from the viewpoints,. The quick easy solution is a helicopter tour inside it, which I imagine is fantastic but still leaves you confused. The reccomend solution is as I said above, hike down into it. Then you really start to understand how far down, down, down you must go, and satill have several hours Before hitting the bottom.
Still, I was so side pinged the first time I am in no hurry to. Are a hiking trip there.
What's this then? I am aiming to drive to Yosemite on the 22nd, will it be broken?
Here is some Yosemite advice:
Waterfalls will be give, forget about them, even in a normal year they are dry by September and after the worst draught in a 1000 years there just won't be anything.
When going to glacier point, As everyone does, for good reason, just before you get there, there is a short hike up sentinel dome. You get incredible views of el capitan. There is an outstanding circular walk of about 5 miles if you have the time, mostly flat except the still of sentinel dome.
Go to Mariposa grove. Many foreign tourists skip the big trees, but they are break taking. There are several,other groves, if Mariposa moves you there are worth seeing
If you are athletic there are loads of world class hikes, PM me if you are interested.
Tunnel view is probably the best view in the park.
It's fun to climb up to the base of el capitan, because even the short climb of the bottom screen is a little effort. Gives a good sense to scale, and if you are lucky you can see some climbers starting out.
Tolu,me meadows is break taking, lots of easy hikes.
If you have time drop down to mono lake and see the tuft as, also Bodie ghost town is nearby and is a great experience.
Hetch Hetchy is the secret twin of Yosemite valley and has many of the same features, escort they made it into a reservoir. The advantage is you likely won't see a soul.
