US west coast driving trip

dubgirl15

Hi,

Planning a trip in September which will hopefully take in , Los Angeles San Francisco, Yosemite , Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Has anyone done this trip that could recommend an itinerary or places to stay/see etc.

thanks,

seamus

How many days are you planning? General advice I can give is not to bother driving in any of the big cities. By all means drive there. Then stick you car in the hotel's garage and then leave it there. Highway 1 is a great drive all down or up the coast. It was also recommended to us not to bother driving to Vegas. While it seems like the quintessential road trip, apparently it's just a whole day of boring desert driving. You can fly it in about an hour from anywhere in California.

But I guess the main question is how many days you're planning as this affects the routes you can take.

dubgirl15

Hi thanks for that, going for 17 nights in total

faceman

I go to California alot and have done this trip. Here's my 2c

Unless you have a burning desire to do the LA thing, you can happily skip it. But as you have 17 days a day there wont kill you.

Definitely drive Highway 1/Pacific Coast Highway. And If you can do it from SF to LA as you will be driving on the side of the road closest the edge the whole way. Note that while the drive is great there is only one large section of it that is breathtaking. You will know it when you get there.

Give yourself plenty of time on Highway 1. Its filled with tourist drivers so you things move a bit slower than you would expect for a highway.

Things to do along or close to Highway 1.

• Visit the Madonna Inn. Dont Google it in advance, just bung it in your GPS. Its a mental place. Worth staying a night just for the experience. The hardest part will be picking which room to stay in! EVERYTHING is pink.
• Big Sur. this is part of the coastal drive. Its quite impressive. Just watch out for any restaurants you stop in here. Many of them are poor.
• Hearst Castle. Another mental place to visit.
• Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. Watch a ball roll uphill!

Some cities/towns to visit along the way.

• Monterey. Great town with a famous aquarium. (Its where they filmed Star Trek 4) If you have the budget stay in the top hotel. Clint Eastwood lives in nearby Carmel, if you're lucky you might see him in town.
• Santa Barbara. Great town on the coast. Really liked it here.
• Cambria. This one doesnt often gets skipped by the tourists unknowingly. I visit it every year as there is an improv retreat here. Its a quaint American town. The local bar is a saloon. (Mossis). Worth stopping in town for lunch. And definitely get your hands on some of Linn's Olallieberry pie!

Yosemite is one of my favourite places in the world. If you havent booked already, then you probably wont get accommodation in the park as its books up sometimes years in advance. However you can stay in towns just outside the park. Lee Vining in a town on the east side of the park. Its also close to Mono Lake too. Yosemite is well worth spending a few days in. Its beautiful. You will experience all 4 seasons in the one park. Snow in some parts, sorching heat in others. Bring a good camera! The biggest regret the first time I was there was not spending enough time there.

I've driven from SF to Vegas and I went via Lake Tahoe. South Lake Tahoe is nice albeit quite touristy. It borders Nevada so you can literally cross the street, be in Nevada and enter a casino that opens all night. If you visit Lake Tahoe, do hire a boat and explore the lake.

I enjoyed the drive to Vegas. I took the desert route and found it fascinating. Its a landscape we just are not used to Europe. yes some will find it boring but its so crazy to go from city to desert to city. You can also drive through Death Valley and experience the area below sea level where temperatures are crazy high.

Vegas is overrated and seedy but I guess something to do once. If you are there at a weekend, be ready for rowdy bunches, hookers and partiers everywhere. Its not as bad on weeknights. Do yourself a favour and get away from the strip and visit the old town for a night out. Get yourself the 24 hour buffet pass to save a fortune too. You can get them in any of the Caesar's hotels. https://www.caesars.com/las-vegas/buffet-of-buffets.

When in Vegas its only a short drive (about 40 minutes) to the Hoover Dam and about 90 minutes to the Grand Canyon

Ok Grand Canyon. My recommendation is visit the south rim as the west rim, although closer to Vegas, is a bigger tourist trap. Grand Canyon while more famous, is not as spectacular as Yosemite IMO. The West entrance has the glass walkway but you can't take your own photos on it. Plus is crazily overpriced.

I recommend doing a the guided tour sunset bike ride on the south rim. And to really make the most of visiting the canyon, do a trek to the bottom. I cant understand why people dont bother with that part!

If you are driving to or from southern California to Vegas, the drive is pretty boring. There are a few stops along the way. (its definitely better to do it from northern California/Yosemite. One place i do highly recommend visiting is Oatman. Its about 25-30 miles off the main freeway but well worth it. Wild burrows roam the streets and they occasionally do cowboy gunfights in town. It has a saloon and hotel. The drive there is interesting too and you see landscapes that belong in Westerns.
http://www.desertusa.com/oatman/du_oatman.html

There are plenty of guides for San Francisco so I wont add to that unless you want any specific. (I go there alot so do know some local secrets) Do visit Alcatraz and do the night tour. Book now though, it books out fast. Take cable car from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf.

Parking is very expensive in San Francisco and LA as there are no under ground car parks. If you havent driven in the US do familiarise yourself with local driving rules. Particularly parking rules. (Dont park within so many meters of a fire hydrant etc as the fine is large) In SF you have to turn your wheels a certain way when parked on a hill. Dont park against the flow of traffic.

No doubt you will want to visit wine country. I personally prefer Sonoma over Napa (as do many of the locals) but either way you wont go wrong. If you are going to Sonoma make a stop off in Petaluma town. Take time out out a winery where you can sit outdoors.

Hope this is of help. If there anything else I can help with let me know. You will have a great time!

jme2010

Wow faceman, great advice. I'll try to add a tiny bit as I've done L.A to Vegas to Grand Canyon and beyond.

faceman wrote: »

Unless you have a burning desire to do the LA thing, you can happily skip it.

I'd say Santa Monica Pier and the boardwalks/beach is a must in L.A but I agree with the rest. Hollywood was a bit boring.


I enjoyed the drive to Vegas. I took the desert route and found it fascinating.

Still my absolute best memory in my life is driving in the deserts of America close to the North Rim and Tuba city. Red dusty rocks, driving on Mars basically.

Vegas is overrated and seedy but I guess something to do once. Do yourself a favour and get away from the strip and visit the old town for a night out.

Freemont Street i.e Old Vegas by far the coolest thing to do there.

When in Vegas its only a short drive (about 40 minutes) to the Hoover Dam

Another great drive and stop off in Boulder City for breakfast/lunch


One place i do highly recommend visiting is Oatman.

Nail on the head again. Oatman is a must if you like anything wild west. We drove from Kingman through Oatman climbling through the mountains was a breath taking drive.

Great info, hope the O.P does it all

tricky D

^^Super post, face

A few years ago I did SF > San Simeon (Hearst Castle) > LA (2days) > LV (3 days) > Lee Vinning > Mariposa > SF (7 days) so in addition to and repeating some of the above, here's a few notes.

• PCH/HWY1 is spectacular between Monterrey and San Simeon. Obey the speed limits especially on the windy bits, Travel only during the day for safety and scenery, get a SatNav as some turns are not well signposted. Also allow at least an extra 30 mins on your journey due to roadworks with long wait contraflows.
• LA is not that impressive and I'd look at staying in the triangle bounded by Venice Beach, Century City/Beverley Hills and Santa Monica. Consider taking a bus tour if you're not staying too long.
• A helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon is about $250 and is spectacular. Most people I 've recommended it too say it was expensive but good value. Hotel pickup by bus, then to Boulder Airport and back so it does take a good 6/7 hours.
• Vegas is Vegas and it depends what takes your fancy. I was mainly there for poker a not into that much else. Bellagio Fountains shows are worth checking out. Freemont Street might also be worth a look.
• Speed limit enforcement was quite noticeable in Nevada. Also beware that Nevada's laws are a good bit stricter than California. What might get you a ticking off in CA could get you orange-suited and deported in NV.
• Some find desert driving boring, some don't - I love it. Going through Death Valley make sure you have loads of water and fuel. Stovepipe Wells has a gas station mid route.
• Warning on Lee Vinning and other places around Yosemite can go in to winter mode in September (usually) late. When I stayed in Lee Vinning, everywhere shut early, really early. Bar at 9pm, store at 9.30 and a few other establishments had totally closed. The gas station did open later 12 iirc.
• Bodie Ghost Town is a few miles outside of Lee Vinning and there's also Mono, Mammoth, June and Grant Lakes which are nice.
• It can quite cold at night around the desert and High Sierra.
• Lee Vinning to Yosemite Village is a long enough drive, so not ideal for stationing if there's no where to stay in the park. Mariposa would be a bit closer. The climb to Tioga Pass is cool.
• I only travelled through Yosemite as I hadn't booked far enough ahead. However there was a Federal Shutdown when I arrived which undid that big mistake as I could only drive through Yosemite without stopping for more than a few minutes.
  
• Worth repeating: Never park where the kerb is painted red as that's for fire services and will probably get you towed with a large fine. Park pointing in the same direction as the traffic flow on your side of the road and make sure to hill park properly in San Francisco with the wheels turned in the right direction towards the path.
  
• Don't rush your itinerary and book stuff well in advance esp Yosemite and Grand Canyon accommodation.
• Take a look at getting a National Parks card if it works out cheaper.
• I went for max insurance on car rental to kill any worrying on that front and it still was only $30/day.
• Paying for petrol is a bit weird. The pumps process US credits cards using the ZIP code as a PIN which is no good for non-US card, so you overpay up front at the counter and then get your change after filling.

There are already loads of threads on this kind of trip here and in the main Travel forum. Use the search to check them out.

hth
Enjoy.

(Note to self, start a plan for next year)

Ficheall

OP, can I come with?

I'm waiting in SFO for my flight home at the moment, and I don't want to wait a year to come back again...

dubgirl15

Thanks so much for all the information , I really appreciate you taking the time. I have got some way through an itinerary now which I will post to get your views on it and any other suggestions

Day 1-2 LA

3-4 Santa Barbara

5 - Cambria

6- Monterey

7-9 - San Fran

10- Yosemite (camping half some village)

11- Yosemite (maybe lee vinning)

12-mammoth lakes

13 Death Valley (stovepipe wells booked)

14-15 - LV ( MGM)

16 Grand Canyon south rim ( yavapai booked)

17 - ( maybe oatman)

18- Las Vegas

19- fly home from Vegas

As you can see some accommodation is booked and some like Yosemite and Grand Canyon I've only managed to get accommodation for one night so hoping a cancellation will come up between now and then for the 2nd nights. It's too late for the Alcatraz night tour, all booked out but I have booked the day tour.

For Grand Canyon south rim, do you know who you booked the sunset bike tour with and also did you do the hike to the bottom and back up in one day?

faceman

dubgirl15 wrote: »

Thanks so much for all the information , I really appreciate you taking the time. I have got some way through an itinerary now which I will post to get your views on it and any other suggestions

Day 1-2 LA

3-4 Santa Barbara

5 - Cambria

6- Monterey

7-9 - San Fran

10- Yosemite (camping half some village)

11- Yosemite (maybe lee vinning)

12-mammoth lakes

13 Death Valley (stovepipe wells booked)

14-15 - LV ( MGM)

16 Grand Canyon south rim ( yavapai booked)

17 - ( maybe oatman)

18- Las Vegas

19- fly home from Vegas

As you can see some accommodation is booked and some like Yosemite and Grand Canyon I've only managed to get accommodation for one night so hoping a cancellation will come up between now and then for the 2nd nights. It's too late for the Alcatraz night tour, all booked out but I have booked the day tour.

For Grand Canyon south rim, do you know who you booked the sunset bike tour with and also did you do the hike to the bottom and back up in one day?

That's a good itinerary.

Don't stress about Grand Canyon. Tusayan is a town at the south rim entrance. I've stayed in the Best Western there.
https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotels-g31393-Tusayan_Arizona-Hotels.html

Here's who i used for the bike tour of the Canyon rim. Do check out the night tour as your pics will be great.
http://bikegrandcanyon.com/

Re the tour to the bottom you will need an overnight there. Check it out below for tours or if you are an experienced hiker you can plan to do it on foot.
http://grandcanyon.com/planning/grand-canyon-mule-rides/

dubgirl15

Thanks again @faceman can you recommend somewhere to stay in or near Yosemite? Also is mammoth lakes a good call before Death Valley or is there somewhere else you could recommend

faceman

dubgirl15 wrote: »

Thanks again @faceman can you recommend somewhere to stay in or near Yosemite? Also is mammoth lakes a good call before Death Valley or is there somewhere else you could recommend

I stayed in the Lake View Lodge in Lee Vining on the outskirts of the east side of Yosemite. Lee Vining is a very small town with many motels. There are a few restaurants in town and a bar but everything shuts down at 10pm

I haven't stayed by Mammoth Lake unfortunately.

tricky D

+1 for the Lake View Lodge. I'd a chalet which was fine but basic with shared bath/shower room. Grabbed a few beers in the gas station and chilled outside 'til the wee hours with some folks I met in the bar. Wifi only works around the reception.

SwanBot

dubgirl15 wrote: »

Hi,

Planning a trip in September which will hopefully take in , Los Angeles San Francisco, Yosemite , Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Has anyone done this trip that could recommend an itinerary or places to stay/see etc.

thanks,

Do Route 1 in Cal betwixt LA and San Fran. Pacific views, winding road, trees hundreds feet in sky, breathtaking bridges, low traffic.

InTheTrees

dubgirl15 wrote: »

3-4 Santa Barbara

5 - Cambria

6- Monterey

7-9 - San Fran

You could easily pick up a night by skipping Cambria, you can make it from SB up to Monterey in one day.
Spend that extra day in Monterey, there's the Aquarium to visit, 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach, and the village of Carmel.

SwanBot

InTheTrees wrote: »

You could easily pick up a night by skipping Cambria, you can make it from SB up to Monterey in one day.
Spend that extra day in Monterey, there's the Aquarium to visit, 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach, and the village of Carmel.

Stay at romantic B&B in Cambria, dine Sow's Ear, visit Soldier Gallery, shop arts and antiques, plus 2 mi north Cambria is Hearst Castle on hilltop.

dubgirl15

thanks a million for all your replies. Will definitely check out lee vinning. Can anyone comment on mammoth lakes and whether it is worth a stop off for a couple of nights, also oatman or kingsman?

faceman

dubgirl15 wrote: »

thanks a million for all your replies. Will definitely check out lee vinning. Can anyone comment on mammoth lakes and whether it is worth a stop off for a couple of nights, also oatman or kingsman?

Kingman is a popular stop as its a main town along Route 66 but I found it an incredibly boring town. You might prefer to stay there if you're doing Oatman. Personally I'd stay in Oatman though for the experience. One way or another, visit Oatman. You won't regret it.

Shint0

dubgirl15 wrote: »

thanks a million for all your replies. Will definitely check out lee vinning. Can anyone comment on mammoth lakes and whether it is worth a stop off for a couple of nights, also oatman or kingsman?

We included Mammoth Lakes in our trip with a one night stop. It is beautiful area and I have some stunning photos of sunset from some of the lakes around there.

dubgirl15

do you remember where you stayed in Mammoth lakes? where else did you visit?

Shint0

dubgirl15 wrote: »

do you remember where you stayed in Mammoth lakes? where else did you visit?

We stayed in the centre of Mammoth Lakes. We pretty much booked accommodation on the fly as it was after Labor Day so it was easy to do that. We took in Lee Vining, Mono Lake and some of the lakes around Mammoth Lakes in the one day. Lake Mary is the biggest.

We did almost everything mentioned in the thread except we started from San Diego. Not sure if any of the ghost towns have been mentioned but we stopped off in Rhyolite after coming through Death Valley. It was twilight and nobody else was around so it made it even more eerie.

faceman

Shint0 wrote: »

We stayed in the centre of Mammoth Lakes. We pretty much booked accommodation on the fly as it was after Labor Day so it was easy to do that. We took in Lee Vining, Mono Lake and some of the lakes around Mammoth Lakes in the one day. Lake Mary is the biggest.

We did almost everything mentioned in the thread except we started from San Diego. Not sure if any of the ghost towns have been mentioned but we stopped off in Rhyolite after coming through Death Valley. It was twilight and nobody else was around so it made it even more eerie.

+1 to visiting Rhyolite. Had forgotten about that place. Well worth a visit.

SwanBot

SwanBot wrote: »

Stay at romantic B&B in Cambria, dine Sow's Ear, visit Soldier Gallery, shop arts and antiques, plus 2 mi north Cambria is Hearst Castle on hilltop.

Clarification: It's the (toy) Soldier Gallery that took over the Toy Soldier Factory in Cambria on Main street. Also Cambria is in coastal mid-state Cal, approximately 240 mi from LA and 240 mi from San Fran on scenic Pacific coastal Route 1. You could travel faster between LA and San Fran, but I-5 goes through the center of the state inland with nothing hundreds of miles of farms to view.