Small California Roadtrip - Advice please

[Adenauer]

Hello wonderful community

I'm trying to plan a 10 day trip over there at the beginning of next year, Vegas is a must as we have to visit relatives whilst we're there. It'll just be Mrs Adenauer and myself.

I've tried to put something together that doesn't involve driving 10 hours per day, how does this look, any don't bothers, must sees, etc. please?

Flying into and out of LA.

2 nights LA
Fly into LA and the first two nights there

1 night Bakersfield
Day 3 drive to Bakersfield over Santa Barbara and Santa Maria

1 night Death Valley
Day 4 drive to Death Valley (Furnace Creek)?

2 nights Las Vegas
Day 5 drive to Las Vegas

1 night Grand Canyon
Day 7 drive to Grand Canyon

1 night Phoenix
Day 8 drive to Phoenix

1 night San Diego
Day 9 drive to San Diego

Day 10 drive to Los Angeles, return car, fly home.

Leave January 5th – Return January 15th.

Route link.

https://www.google.de/maps/dir/Los+Angeles,+Kalifo...

[12TS]

That sounds very similar to a route we did 20 odd years ago, so from memory (!)

1. I didn't like Phoenix at all. It was just a hot US city and we ended up driving through places I didn't want to stop. I'd look for an alternative.

2. We did about 200 - 300 miles a day and that felt easy. The day when we had to do 500 (including Death Valley) was HARD work, and you're limited to 75mph max (if you're lucky) so that's 10-12 hours driving.

3. We got a decent big car to do it in - the space and comfort helped ease the distance.

It was easily one of the best and most memorable holidays we've done so far.

[Adenauer]

12TS said:

That sounds very similar to a route we did 20 odd years ago, so from memory (!)

1. I didn't like Phoenix at all. It was just a hot US city and we ended up driving through places I didn't want to stop. I'd look for an alternative.

2. We did about 200 - 300 miles a day and that felt easy. The day when we had to do 500 (including Death Valley) was HARD work, and you're limited to 75mph max (if you're lucky) so that's 10-12 hours driving.

3. We got a decent big car to do it in - the space and comfort helped ease the distance.

It was easily one of the best and most memorable holidays we've done so far.

Okay thanks, ditch Phoenix - done.

ETA. So I need to find a halfway stopping point between the Grand Canyon and San Diego that's worth spending the night in?

Edited by Adenauer on Thursday 18th May 14:10

[SimonTheSailor]

Obviously including the Hoover Dam on way to the Grand Canyon ? (just checking 😉)

[chopper602]

You could take a flight over the Grand Canyon from Vegas and then just do the drive from Vegas to San Diego. Did that last year and it's an easy drive.

On your way from Santa Barbara to Santa Maria, pop into Solvang, it's a lovely little place with a very European flavour and you can get some really good beer and pastries there !

Edited by chopper602 on Thursday 18th May 15:03

[p1stonhead]

Good route in general but yeah skip Phoenix, its way too far especially for one night.

For ten nights though, I would have to take in Big Sur and San Fran. Fly into LA and fly out San Fran with a trip to vegas inbetween? Cant go all the way to California and not do Highway 1 its amazing.

Our rough route from a few years back (albeit 14 nights);

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/37.7875656,-122....

Regarding Phoenix

Edited by p1stonhead on Thursday 18th May 15:31

[Adenauer]

SimonTheSailor said:

Obviously including the Hoover Dam on way to the Grand Canyon ? (just checking ??)

The relatives live in Henderson, so yes.

[K50 DEL]

Don't forget Hearst Castle (I'd actually fly back to the West Coast just to go there again, it's that good)
I enjoyed Phoenix, Popango Park is a nice stroll and there are a couple of good museums there,

[Matt Harper]

Adenauer said:

Okay thanks, ditch Phoenix - done.

ETA. So I need to find a halfway stopping point between the Grand Canyon and San Diego that's worth spending the night in?

Edited by Adenauer on Thursday 18th May 14:10

Not so fast - Phoenix/Scottsdale is a lot more interesting and inspiring than Bakersfield, which is a farm-town filled with undocumented migrant lettuce-pickers.

Have you considered Tucson AZ (more specifically Davis-Monthon AFB bone-yard)?

[Adenauer]

Matt Harper said:

Have you considered Tucson AZ (more specifically Davis-Monthon AFB bone-yard)?

Nope, I really have no idea what they are, Matt, and your suggestions are most welcome.

We just want interesting days based around Las Vegas. The thinking now is to maybe base ourselves in Vegas and just do day tours that are either short enough to return there on the same day, or if it warrants it stopping over for the night at whichever place we visit.

We just don't want to spend all day in the car, so around 300 miles in a day is about the limit I reckon.

[p1stonhead]

Adenauer said:

Matt Harper said:

Have you considered Tucson AZ (more specifically Davis-Monthon AFB bone-yard)?

Nope, I really have no idea what they are, Matt, and your suggestions are most welcome.

We just want interesting days based around Las Vegas. The thinking now is to maybe base ourselves in Vegas and just do day tours that are either short enough to return there on the same day, or if it warrants it stopping over for the night at whichever place we visit.

We just don't want to spend all day in the car, so around 300 miles in a day is about the limit I reckon.

300 miles in the US doesnt feel like 300 miles here. Its nothing. The roads are huge and unless you are in LA or there is a particular problem, we found them nearly all deserted even across California which was surprising! Stick it on cruise and take in the scenery.

[Adenauer]

Matt Harper said:

Not so fast - Phoenix/Scottsdale is a lot more interesting and inspiring than Bakersfield, which is a farm-town filled with undocumented migrant lettuce-pickers.

Have you considered Tucson AZ (more specifically Davis-Monthon AFB bone-yard)?

AFB look interesting - for me.

How about this?

LA 2 nights
Hearst Castle 1 night
Lone Pine 1 night
Las Vegas 2 nights (including the hoover dam and saying hello to the relatives in Hendersen.
Grand Canyon 1 night
Phoenix 1 night
LA 1 night
Fly back

https://www.google.de/maps/dir/Los+Angeles,+Kalifo...

[anonymous-user]

If you're not wedded to flying in and out of LA, the trip from San Francisco south through Yosemite and Sequoia is brilliant. We did it years back - flew into San Francisco, spent a couple of days there and then meandered down to LA staying a various places in the mountains. The Ahwahnee has a lot of history and was pretty interesting in a 'Shining' kind of way!

Can't really help with your question about Las Vegas/Death Valley as we finished our trip at Laguna Beach.

[Adenauer]

Roman Rhodes said:

If you're not wedded to flying in and out of LA, the trip from San Francisco south through Yosemite and Sequoia is brilliant. We did it years back - flew into San Francisco, spent a couple of days there and then meandered down to LA staying a various places in the mountains. The Ahwahnee has a lot of history and was pretty interesting in a 'Shining' kind of way!

Can't really help with your question about Las Vegas/Death Valley as we finished our trip at Laguna Beach.

I've been told that it might not be a good idea to go into the Mountains in January?

[p1stonhead]

Adenauer said:

Roman Rhodes said:

If you're not wedded to flying in and out of LA, the trip from San Francisco south through Yosemite and Sequoia is brilliant. We did it years back - flew into San Francisco, spent a couple of days there and then meandered down to LA staying a various places in the mountains. The Ahwahnee has a lot of history and was pretty interesting in a 'Shining' kind of way!

Can't really help with your question about Las Vegas/Death Valley as we finished our trip at Laguna Beach.

I've been told that it might not be a good idea to go into the Mountains in January?

True a lot of the roads will probably be closed. The main road into yosemite would possibly still be open but the mountain passes wont.

[anonymous-user]

p1stonhead said:

Adenauer said:

Roman Rhodes said:

If you're not wedded to flying in and out of LA, the trip from San Francisco south through Yosemite and Sequoia is brilliant. We did it years back - flew into San Francisco, spent a couple of days there and then meandered down to LA staying a various places in the mountains. The Ahwahnee has a lot of history and was pretty interesting in a 'Shining' kind of way!

Can't really help with your question about Las Vegas/Death Valley as we finished our trip at Laguna Beach.

I've been told that it might not be a good idea to go into the Mountains in January?

True a lot of the roads will probably be closed. The main road into yosemite would possibly still be open but the mountain passes wont.

Ah, lazy reading on my part! I think we went after the thaw - the waterfalls were amazing. There was still snow on the ground higher up but the roads were clear.

[p1stonhead]

Roman Rhodes said:

p1stonhead said:

Adenauer said:

Roman Rhodes said:

If you're not wedded to flying in and out of LA, the trip from San Francisco south through Yosemite and Sequoia is brilliant. We did it years back - flew into San Francisco, spent a couple of days there and then meandered down to LA staying a various places in the mountains. The Ahwahnee has a lot of history and was pretty interesting in a 'Shining' kind of way!

Can't really help with your question about Las Vegas/Death Valley as we finished our trip at Laguna Beach.

I've been told that it might not be a good idea to go into the Mountains in January?

True a lot of the roads will probably be closed. The main road into yosemite would possibly still be open but the mountain passes wont.

Ah, lazy reading on my part! I think we went after the thaw - the waterfalls were amazing. There was still snow on the ground higher up but the roads were clear.

The main route we took through yosemite to mammoth (tioga road) isnt actually open until May/June according to this!

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wroads.htm

[Dave Brand]

On the drive from Las Vegas to Flagstaff I'd recommend turning off I-40 onto Historic Route 66 just after the Arizona border & going through Oatman &, if you have time, stay on Route 66 until it rejoins I-40 at Seligman. It will add time & distance to your trip, but it's arguably one of the best-preserved sections of Route 66, with some nice twisties around Oatman (donkeys, too!). I-40 is a boring road, with a lot of heavy truck traffic - most east-west Interstates are boring!

You'll need to check road conditions, though - we saw snow ploughs out in Flagstaff on Hallowe'en.

[Adenauer]

Dave Brand said:

On the drive from Las Vegas to Flagstaff I'd recommend turning off I-40 onto Historic Route 66 just after the Arizona border & going through Oatman &, if you have time, stay on Route 66 until it rejoins I-40 at Seligman. It will add time & distance to your trip, but it's arguably one of the best-preserved sections of Route 66, with some nice twisties around Oatman (donkeys, too!). I-40 is a boring road, with a lot of heavy truck traffic - most east-west Interstates are boring!

You'll need to check road conditions, though - we saw snow ploughs out in Flagstaff on Hallowe'en.

Thanks, that sounds perfect.

[RDMcG]

66 is good no question..I know it well...here is the AZ section of my 66 guide as background.

If on the other hand you decide to go down towards Phoenix then you could take Oak Creek Canyon down to Sedona and see the red rocks...get an offload Jeep tour..amazing countryside.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Also..think about Monument Valley, my favourite scenery in the area...about four hours from GC.



IN LA make sure to catch the Peterson Museum...one of the best car museums on earth