Honestly, this is a waste of your time doing it inside one day. Just fly, this distance is quite big and not worth driving unless you take a slow scenic drive over a couple of days
Road Tripping in the USA!
- Thread starter [TW]Fox
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Soldato
I didn't say i wanted to do it, I was just wondering about it.
Bishop does look like a good stop over, lots of shabby motels, cheers fox this thread is very helpful. Any suggestions for nice/ish places to stay on PCH?
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Mammoth Lakes is better. It's only 45 minutes further but is stunning. We actually wish we'd had more than 1 night there.
FWIW we took 3 nights to go from LV to SF:
1x Mammoth Lakes
2x Yosemite
If I was doing the trip again I'd probably keep it the same. It works out as a fairly long (but fun) drive from LV to Mammoth Lakes via Death Valley, then lots of time in and around ML and Yosemite before a semi long but boring (5 hours) drive from Yosemite to SF.
If I had to do it all in 1 day I'd 100% fly, there would be no point trying to drive from LV to SF.
FWIW we took 3 nights to go from LV to SF:
1x Mammoth Lakes
2x Yosemite
If I was doing the trip again I'd probably keep it the same. It works out as a fairly long (but fun) drive from LV to Mammoth Lakes via Death Valley, then lots of time in and around ML and Yosemite before a semi long but boring (5 hours) drive from Yosemite to SF.
If I had to do it all in 1 day I'd 100% fly, there would be no point trying to drive from LV to SF.
@Johno please? When are you going?
Tioga might not actually be open when you go, it's closed for half the year. The snow has been pretty bad 2 of the last 3 years and it's not opened until well into June. The alternative route is south via Bakersfield and Fresno. I ended up having to go that way because of how late it opened in 2017, its a long drive once you get out of DV but well worth it for Yosemite.
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/seasonal.htm
Soldato
Sept, so itll be open.
Ok cheers will look into it.
Edit: wow it does look awesome.
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As part of our US road trip we drove from Yosemite to Furnace Creek in a day - with stops at Mono Lake, Devil's Postpiles, and Bishop (The burger barn there was excellent, by the way)
It was amazing, but finishing the drive to Furnace Creek from Bishop at 9pm in the dark around twisty canyon roads was not a relaxing end to the day - The 2 pints of cold beer I sank at the bar on arrival, however, were.
We're planning another roadtrip via a different route, but we'll definitely be doing at least a night at Mammoth Lakes and 3 or 4 nights in Yosemite as we absolutely loved it.
Furnace Creek won't be appearing on the itinerary. It was a pitstop on the way to Vegas and I wouldn't recommend it as anything other than a single night stay maximum. We also happened to be there the night of the mass shooting from the Mandalay Bay...
Vegas was OK, but the main strip wasn't really mine or the missus' collective cup of tea, but we loved Fremont Street
It was amazing, but finishing the drive to Furnace Creek from Bishop at 9pm in the dark around twisty canyon roads was not a relaxing end to the day - The 2 pints of cold beer I sank at the bar on arrival, however, were.
We're planning another roadtrip via a different route, but we'll definitely be doing at least a night at Mammoth Lakes and 3 or 4 nights in Yosemite as we absolutely loved it.
Furnace Creek won't be appearing on the itinerary. It was a pitstop on the way to Vegas and I wouldn't recommend it as anything other than a single night stay maximum. We also happened to be there the night of the mass shooting from the Mandalay Bay...
Vegas was OK, but the main strip wasn't really mine or the missus' collective cup of tea, but we loved Fremont Street
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Soldato
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^^ We did Furnace Creek to Yosemite in a day as well, stopping in Bishop also... it is quite a long way to go and I definitely appreciated spending a fair while in Bishop before heading on again
I'd like to go back just to Yosemite, we only had 3 days there but I could happily have spent 3 weeks... been looking at some of the aribnb places you can rent actually in the park - they seem basic but that's all you need really
I'd like to go back just to Yosemite, we only had 3 days there but I could happily have spent 3 weeks... been looking at some of the aribnb places you can rent actually in the park - they seem basic but that's all you need really
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We feel the same. Spent 2 nights at The Evergreen Lodge in Yosemite and it was probably our favourite part of the trip
Unless you have a severe aversion to nature (or flying) I couldn't imagine wanting to drive direct from Vegas to San Fran and not taking the time to see things like Red Rock Canyon, Mono Lake and Yosemite
Starting to feel very doubtful over our trip this year. Due to fly on the 2nd of September, but would usually hope to have everything booked and organised by now, but given the uncertainty I've been reluctant to book anything. I'm thinking that if BA give us the option to cancel the flights I might push everything back a year, as at the moment we don't know how open the US is going to be, and the 2 week quarantine on return will be very difficult for the other half who is unable to work from home. All you guys that have a trip this year, what are your plans?
Personally I’d be looking at cancelling. For September it’s probably too early to call at this point but I would be really reluctant to book anything further. It’s pretty bad here but parts of the US have it even worse.
Social distancing will make attending any attractions impractical or take far longer than they otherwise would if they are even open or you can even get in. It’s bad enough just going to Tesco here, let alone a tourist attraction.
Social distancing will make attending any attractions impractical or take far longer than they otherwise would if they are even open or you can even get in. It’s bad enough just going to Tesco here, let alone a tourist attraction.
have cancelled our Florida trip in august. Luckily booked a hire car with our BA flight tickets, which without realising qualifies it as a holiday, otherwise the flights would be non-refundable (unless they cancelled them), as its a holiday we got the full cost of flight and car back minus £300. We have decided that even if we are physically able to go it's not worth it for the fact that what will be open? how possible will it be to do stuff even if it is open? etc. etc. yet still paying full price for the holiday. Airbnb was fully refundable, the hotels I had booked otherwise aren't. So that's lost money unless travel insurance will pay anything, which at the moment is unlikely, but if we get to the travel date and there are travel restrictions or cancelled flights then there might be a chance.
Soldato
Why do people from the UK always come to Florida in August??? it baffles me.. I guess summer holiday mentality... its the absolute worst time to come. Hot like REALLY hot, humid, rains every single day in the afternoon. You are so much better off coming in season, which is between Oct - May. Nov - April being the best. Where you'll get glorious sunshine, agreeable temps, low humidity. Unlikely to have the rides shut down sporadically if you're into that and unlikely to be stuck indoors cos everything is closed cos of some tropical storm / depression / or if you're real unlucky a hurricane.
Soldato
Because that's when many people have the time off work and school required
Then use Easter or Christmas and actually enjoy your time there. Besides which that's assuming they have kids. A lot don't and still come in the worst possible month.
Soldato
Got to agree, may - september is pretty ridiculous. It was 97 on Saturday, and UV index of what feels like 1 million.
Permabanned
We did Florida over Christmas, low to mid 20's all the time, was great.
Hoping to do something stateside next year, possible California fly drive, almost temped to do an RV tour. Depends if they destroy themselves or not/a competent POTUS arrives.
Hoping to do something stateside next year, possible California fly drive, almost temped to do an RV tour. Depends if they destroy themselves or not/a competent POTUS arrives.