Fly drive to California

[yorkshiregirl]

I have posted a similar thread on the UK board but wanted some advice about a visit to California. we had had 2 wonderful visits to WDW and want to explore some more of the USA.
Needless to say we just happen to be starting off at Disneyland for 3 days. The HO/JO and the Candy Cane seem to be favourites.
Main concern at present is do we book independently or go with a travel agent?
We are hoping to visit D/L, Carmel/Monterey, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Palm Springs, Scootsdale/Phoenix over 3 weeks in July. D/L, San Fran. & L.V. will be 3 nights the rest 1's or 2's.
Can anyone recommend any hotels in these areas or if there is anywhere we should see on-route which I have missed out. We don't want to be in the car all day.
TIA
Yorkshiregirl

 

[pammypooh]

I am sorry that I can't help you plan - I am actually looking for information myself, but just wanted to wish you well and I am certain a West Coast Diser can help you!

I am looking forward to our West coast adventure and am certain you will have a tremendous time!

Happy Planning!

Pam

 

[daannzzz]

I can only help a little. If, while you are driving around the southwest you have time to visit Monument Valley, I actually found it more beautiful than the Grand Canyon. Book early but this is the only motel at Monument Valley and all rooms have a view. We loved it. http://www.gouldings.com/english/index.htm
At the Grand Canyon there are the lodges in the park. We stayed in the village of Tusayan which is a couple miles south of the park border and a 15 minute drive into the park. We stayed at the Grand Hotel and found it to be a good place to stay.
http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dl...t=1&locn=Grand+Canyon&ploc=Grand+Canyon&loid=

 

[mobetsy]

One thing to keep in mind in your planning on part of your route is that the Grand Canyon has two rims, North and South, which are very different from each other, and a fair drive apart. The North Rim is higher, and if I recall correctly, it's closed sometimes in the winter because of snow. There are more pine trees, and it is cooler; it also is way less crowded. Personally, I like the North Rim better. From Zion, it is a fairly easy drive. The South Rim is lower, more crowded in tourist seasons, more developed...very lovely in a different way. You can go from there to Phoenix in an easy day; Phoenix to Palm Springs will not be hard either. Just wanted to remind you about the drive between the two rims, because people often don't realize that there's no quick connection. Have a great trip!

 

[bev r.]

All I would say, is don't underestimate the distances between your destinations. How much time are you going to be in a vehicle versus siteseeing?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

What kind of route are you planning?

For your Disneyland portion of your trip, I would say try both a travel agent & booking on your own - quotes are free. If you are interested, you might want to click on the link in my signature for Dreams Unlimited Travel - there's no obligation.

Are you planning on Lake Tahoe then Yosemite, or Yosemite then Lake Tahoe? Or are you planning on visiting one, travelling some, then visiting the other?

I have a link in my signature for our Yosemite trip.

How much do you want to spend when visiting Yosemite? I've camped there, stayed in the tent cabins, regular cabins, Housekeeping in the valley, and rented a cabin in Wawona, driving to the valley to visit. I can recommend any of those, and give you info, if you'd like. Since this is such a popular place to visit, you really need to make reservations waaaayyyy in advance, or you won't have an opportunity to stay there.

Lake Tahoe - are you planning on staying on the south shore or the north shore? The south shore has more casinos (gambling in Nevada), and the north shore is a bit more rugged. I've stayed in regular motels there, getting them through the Internet. If you have time, visit the Ponderosa Ranch - you take a hay ride up the mountain, and eat breakfast out in the open, overlooking the lake - it's really really gorgeous. You then stroll down a path down the mountain, and you end up on the set where they used to film Bonanza - a popular western here in the US during the 60's & early 70's. Another place to visit is Virginia City, which has tours through real silver mines. Mark Twain stayed there, too. It gives you an idea how the west was - way back when. You can also visit the famous site of the Donner Party (a pioneer group who was stuck in the snow back in the 1800's). Out of 80+, over 40 perished that winter. There are also sites to visit at Lake Tahoe, of course, Heavenly Valley (take the ski lift up the mountain & hike while up there - beautiful).

I love the drive from Lake Tahoe, down 395, then through the Tioga Pass into Yosemite.

Are you driving up the California coast, or coming down the California Coast?

Phoenix and Death Valley in July ---- be sure to drink LOTS of water. I had family visit from Spain, and one day we visited a town and it was 105 degrees F (about 40.5ºC) ... they could barely stand it.

 

[yorkshiregirl]

Thank you for all the replies I will try to answer them all
Mary Jo, I think we will be coming up the coast from Anaheim to San Francisco aiming to stop overnight onroute along the coast.
Lake Tahoe would be next and the north sounds more our thing.
The main plan is to drive for part of a day, stopping off at places of interest and then finding the hotel and spending the night and a day if more to see and then moving on after 1 full day.
Yosemite would be next and our budget is 3* upwards. It seems silly to spend lots on hotel facilities when we will spend so little time in the hotel facilities or even the room. The atmosphere and of course cleanliness are most important. The 3 places where some luxury would be appreciated are the stops in D/L, San Francisco and Las Vegas where we are staying 3 nights.
We survived 2 July vacations in Florida where the humidity drained us at first but will make sure we have plenty of fluids and it's another reason not to be in a car all day. Thanks for that Bev r
Both rims of the Grand canyon sound unmissable, are they possible driving from one to another over say 2 days Mobetsy?
Checked the link for Monument Valley and I do definately wish to see that. It brings back memories of all the Westerns my dad used to watch. Thank you daannzz.
I have bought some maps and guide books and will this weekend look more closely at the areas so I hope I haven't sounded too ill-informed so far.
Shirley

 

[mobetsy]

The drive from one rim to the other is about 4.5 hours, w/o stops. Not horrendously long, but longer than most people expect! Check this out for help with planning:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/

I missed in your first post that you are going in July. That being the case, it is an absolute must to make reservations at the South Rim, and definitely adviseable for the North Rim. The Grand Canyon is spectacular, and well worth a visit to both rims if you have time!

Personally, in July I would take Death Valley off your list. DV is regularly the hottest place in the U.S. throughout the summer, with temps consistently over 105 degrees and often higher. It is extremely hard on a car, and if you get out, you will not want to be out for more than a few minutes, so you have to wonder if it is really worth the trip. There is nothing in the vicinity; it is simply the lowest spot in the U.S. If you do go, don't just think "a little extra water," think gallons of water for you and your car, as well as a cell phone and oil for the car.

 

[yorkshiregirl]

Mobetsy
Thanks for your further advice I will seriously consider leaving out Death Valley. That is exactly the type of advice I need right now. It will save possible fraught moments on a hot July day when DH says "Is that it? Have we come all the way in this heat for that!"
Can you or anyone else recommend hotels at the Grand Canyon? I checked out the link you put on but it is out of service today?
Thanks again
Yorkshiregirl

 

[mobetsy]

At the Grand Canyon, I believe all the hotels are concessions leased out by the National Park service. Aside from the occasional glitch that can happen during any stay, I've never heard anything bad about any of them; your choice would be based more on $$$ and amenities. Make those reservations soon, especially South Rim, as they will fill up fast. Try this link (it is for SR, but you might find a link in there for NR): http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/dynamic/frameset.htm?page=1.htm

You also would want to book at Zion soon, as it too is very popular. In addition, as you do your planning, notice that at the South Rim and in Zion (Yosemite, too, I think), private automobile travel is quite limited; you take a shuttle bus. The service is fine, but it can be crowded and take a bit longer than you expect, so don't plan for maximum efficiency. Water bottles, hats, sunscreen, and cool clothing are essential. At the end of a long hot day, there is nothing like sitting with a cool drink on a Grand Canyon overlook and watching the sun set; I promise you will never forget it Also, whenever you stay at a National Park, try to take advantage of the ranger talks, offered throughout the day and evening. As a general rule, they are very interesting and you'll learn things you never would've found out on your own!

 

[dcfromva]

yorkshiregirl,
I think you have a pretty ambitious plan.
We have a National Parks Passport in which we collect stamps from the parks that we have visited. (We have collected over 400 stamps over the years). What we discovered over the years is that most of the National Parks take more time than you might think. First, just the time it takes to get there and secondly, they usually have activities. One of the most memorable things we did was participate in a ranger talk at the Grand Canyon at night. The ranger set up a slide show (outdoors) and talked about the park history. Another night, they had amateuer star gazers who set up their fancy telescopes and invited folks to observe the stars/planets. I don't know if you would have plans to go down to the floor of the canyon (we didn't do that--we didn't have enough time).

Link to the Grand Canyon

Death Valley is very interesting. It is often the hottest place in the US. We visited one June. We took a drive near the lowest spot. We didn't walk over to it as the ranger cautioned against such a hike in the heat. Summer high temperatures commonly run above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
>Scotty's Castle is worth a visit if you decide to go there)

Link to Death Valley



I can't imagine just staying 1 night at Yosemite. It is not really close to anything and the roads don't allow you to go really fast. Once you get there, there are lots of things to look at. We spent a weekend one time and thought it was too short of a visit.

link to driving distances to Yosemite

Link to Yahoo Maps use zip code 95389 for Yosemite (You can use this link for getting a rough idea as to how long it will take you to drive to/from various places).

Link to the Ahwahnee Hotel If you stay elsewhere, at least visit the Ahwahnee Hotel. They have a lovely dining room and the food there is excellant.

link to California National Parks

Link to US National Parks.

-DC

 

[azlaura]

One good thing about Phoenix and Scottsdale in July is that you can stay at a great resort for 1/2 the price. There are so many beautiful resorts here just get on line and start looking. You can treat yourself to a nice massage or facial and soak up our sun playing in the great pools these resorts have!
Do not miss the Grand Canyon, it is beautiful and if you have kids with you there are programs your family can do that are wonderful.
Can't help too much with anywhere else but while you are at Disneyland try to stay on site at the Grand Californian id you want Luxury.
Good luck planning.

 

[dcfromva]

If you are planning to visit several National parks, it may be worthwhile for you to purchase a National Parks pass (they usually can be purchased at the Entrances to the parks. )
Link to National Parks pass

They cost $50.00 and are good for a year.

Without the National Parks pass,
Yosemite has a $20.00 vehicle pass (good for 7 days at Yosemite)
Grand Canyon has a $20.00 vehcile pass (good for 7 days at the Grand Canyon)
Sequoia National park has a $10.00 vehicle pass...

If you only went to these 3 parks, you would break even.

Near San Franscio, there is Muir Woods This is a relatively easy to access National Park, but it is a wonderful small park. I think it is really worth a visit.

-DC

 

[SMD]

When we went to Yosemite in early July, we had to book a year in advance to stay in the Lodge. The Ahwahnee was completely sold out. Are you renting your car in Arizona? If so, you might consider driving to Disneyland and giving up the car. You really don't need one in Anaheim if you don't plan to do much else besides go to the parks. Also, unless you're dead set on seeing the whole California coast, think about flying. You can get a flight on Southwest fairly cheap between LAX or Orange County to San Jose. You can then rent a car for 1-2 more days and take a nice drive up the Norther Calif coast and hit Monterey and Carmel. Again, you don't need a car in San Fran. In fact, parking, even in a hotel is close to the cost of a daily car rental. I'm not sure what kind of rate you get on a car for 3 weeks, so maybe it's not worth it to fly. It is sort of a detour from Disneyland, but what about San Diego? It's only 6 hours from Phoenix whereas L.A. is 8. You'd be sacrificing Palm Springs (as the route passes farther south than the one through L.A.), but at that time of year there is horse racing in Del Mar (I think), so if you're interested in that it might be worth it. The beaches down there are great. Also, there are great shuttle to Tijuana, which makes a nice day trip. Another option would be to do Palm Springs, drive through L.A. to Disneyland, and then go to San Diego and fly to San Jose that way. But I agree with what was said before. Think about how much time you want to spend in a car versus actually siteseeing. These places are spread out, and not always as accessible by freeways as it seems. Plus, you're going to be traveling during peak travel time and this is California, so traffic is a major factor. Sometimes it's just nice to be out doing an activity rather than idling on a freeway in 100 degree heat.

 

[dcfromva]

That is a very good point that SMD makes about reservations at the National parks --the sooner made, the better. (you will definately want to have a reservation for lodging before you leave for all the Natl parks--and some cases also recommend you get advance ressies for dining as well--especially for a July visit)
When we visited the Grand Canyon, we didn't have but a few months lead time (my work doesn't bid vacation time until January) and we were locked out of staying at the El Tovar Hotel . In general, the accomodations at the National Parks are adequate, but not as luxurious as one might expect for the price. Since there is only 1 vendor and no competition, you just don't see any discounts during peak season.
Grand Canyon lodging
Ironically, we stayed at the The Westin St. Francis in downtown San Francisco (we found a great discount) for less than what it cost at the Ahwahnee when we made our visit...

Junior Ranger Program for kids
For you kids, almost all National Parks have a Junior Ranger Program (click here)
We like this program because it helps kids (and parents, too )learn about the park and at the end of the program kids get a patch or a badge. Our son has been doing junior ranger programs for a quite a while and has accumulated over 50 badges (DH has them in a display case--and I think they make a great souvenir ) When we went to Yosemite, they awarded DS with a lovely patch. The Grand Canyon was a badge. (They even have a program in San Francisco for the San Francisco Maritime...) I bet your kids could accumulate several badges with your plans as most parks have this program.
Link to listing of lots of junior ranger programs in Calif.

-DC

 

[Sonya in Boise]

I lived in Vegas for 25 years, so if you have any questions about Vegas feel free to ask.

Vegas hotels are on two areas; down town and the 'strip'. Down town is the older part of Vegas and even living there for so many years, I never really felt 'safe' in that part of town. The Golden Nugget is a nice casino down there and that would be the only one I could recommend to you in that area. Since it's the older part of town, I feel it's dirty with more bums noticable. The court house and the jail is close to that area, so the class of people are less desirable.

The Strip is where the majority of the hotels are and there are some great one and bad ones. I was never fond of Circus Circus. I felt the rooms were dates and the casion less than desirable. Just off the strip (about a block or two) is the Hilton (not the Flamingo Hilton which is ON the strip) I loved this hotel and even though I lived in Vegas, I stayed there many times. It was always fun to be a 'tourist' in my own city.

The Hilton often times has inexpensive rooms during the week Room rates in Vegas are cheaper Sunday-Thursday. I will be going to Vegas in March and I can pick up some magazines and info for you if you want. I will be there March 25 or so and it should get to you in plenty of time. If you are interested you can email me at madydea@aol.com

Sonya

 

[yorkshiregirl]

Thank you all for your excellent replies.
I have printed them out and have begun looking at flying into one city and out of another. Must sees are DL, Coastal route between L.A. and San Fran. and the city itself, Yosemite, L.V. Bryce and Grand Canyons, Zion Nat. Park and flying home from either L. V. or Phoenix. My original idea of doing one big loop from L.A. to L.A. may involve too many driving hours for comfort.
Shirley

 

[mobetsy]

Sounds like you have your direction set, but one little note: on the coastal route between SF and LA (Highway 1), you get a slightly better view going south rather than north. It is gorgeous both ways, but heading south you are on the ocean side of the road (of course, if you don't like cliffs, forget this!). Pismo Beach is a great halfway point, on the coast, small town. San Luis Obispo is also very nice if you don't care about being right on the coast.