Has anyone done a road trip around California inc. Yosemite, Death Valley etc..

cambsno

cambsno

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Simon
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Planning a trip for Oct so if anyone has any tips or notes please feel free to reply. Not yet certain on itinerary - poss start with a couple of days in SF, then head down to Vegas and Grand Canyon. Either fly back via Phoenix or LA
 
Can't comment on Death Valley but when I went to Yosemite in September many years ago the watercourses were fairly dry so no waterfalls or anything like that.

At Las Vegas suggest you check out the Neon Museum
 
We did this trip about 20 years ago but it was one of the most amazing holidays we've been on. The scenery was just spectacular and a photographers dream. We did it the other way round to what you are proposing and took 2 weeks.

Phoenix - literally stayed the night and left first thing in the morning
Grand Canyon - just amazing. I could have spent days there just staring at it. It is something else and the colours change depending on the angle of the sun.
Monument Valley - a last minute decision to do this as it was out of our way but so glad we did. It was incredible. Such an amazing landscapes. They used to do jeep safaris round it and it's well worth the money they charge, you get to see bits you can't get to on your own.
Zion Canyon - pretty impressive great colours again.
Bryce Canyon - spectacular scenery again. We preferred it to Zion. A word of warning it's very high over 10,000 feet mostly and you notice the thin air.
Lake Meade and Hoover Damn - ok it's on the way to Vegas. Some nice views.
Las Vegas - Vegas is Vegas we just stayed a night and a day.
Death valley - a little disappointing. Not very interesting in my view and not that hot when we were there in late September.
Sequoia National Park - amazing place. You cannot believe how big trees can get.
Mono lake - an interesting place worth a visit.
Yosemite - spectacular again but, as the poster above says it was pretty dry in September so no waterfalls.
San Fransisco - we liked it Thought it was a nice city. Got some sights - Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, steep streets, street cars.

That's it. If you want any more info I will try my best to remember.
 
Can't help except to say that this is my lottery winning celebration trip despite my wife not wanting to come.
Have a brilliant time!
 
MikeDavies said:
We did this trip about 20 years ago but it was one of the most amazing holidays we've been on. The scenery was just spectacular and a photographers dream. We did it the other way round to what you are proposing and took 2 weeks.

Phoenix - literally stayed the night and left first thing in the morning
Grand Canyon - just amazing. I could have spent days there just staring at it. It is something else and the colours change depending on the angle of the sun.
Monument Valley - a last minute decision to do this as it was out of our way but so glad we did. It was incredible. Such an amazing landscapes. They used to do jeep safaris round it and it's well worth the money they charge, you get to see bits you can't get to on your own.
Zion Canyon - pretty impressive great colours again.
Bryce Canyon - spectacular scenery again. We preferred it to Zion. A word of warning it's very high over 10,000 feet mostly and you notice the thin air.
Lake Meade and Hoover Damn - ok it's on the way to Vegas. Some nice views.
Las Vegas - Vegas is Vegas we just stayed a night and a day.
Death valley - a little disappointing. Not very interesting in my view and not that hot when we were there in late September.
Sequoia National Park - amazing place. You cannot believe how big trees can get.
Mono lake - an interesting place worth a visit.
Yosemite - spectacular again but, as the poster above says it was pretty dry in September so no waterfalls.
San Fransisco - we liked it Thought it was a nice city. Got some sights - Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, steep streets, street cars.

That's it. If you want any more info I will try my best to remember.
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Thanks - with two teens there is a limit to the parks. I have ruled out Monument as a bit too far (probably doing 11-14 nights). Phoenix I have been to a few times, nice but not sure I am fussed about going back. Grand Canyon the same for me but kids not been so feel as we are closeish, its a shame not to.
 
Lake Powell is worth a mention, as well as the Painted desert. We did Route 66 from Oklahoma to Santa Monica so some of the excursions to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon took us off the road for a few days, as did 2 nights in Joshua Tree (well worth visiting).

Like Michael - did San Fran a few years ago, I think we went in 2009. I think the city has changed significantly for the worse since then. Very unsafe depending on who you talk to (homelessness has increased there).
 
Did it a long time ago. Drove from LA to San Francisco via Las Vegas as part of a self driven tour. We were advised to take the coast road from Las Vegas to San Francisco but l was having non of it and went via Death Valley. The brand new hire car broke down in blistering heat a few miles past Stovepipe Wells. A passing car reported our breakdown at the next town and the police came and arranged a rescue truck and we spent that night at Lone Pine. I loved every minute of it.
 
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