Not enough time, i guess..
Jul 19th, 2017, 10:59 AM
#1
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Not enough time, i guess..
Hi,
My boyfriend and I are going on a holiday to the USA this November.
We have a huge wishlist with all the things we want to see in three weeks. The issue we have is that we can not find the right route through these national parks (GC, Zion, Bryce, Page).
Now our wishlist looks like this. Please give your recommendations about how many days/night to stay and the route as well.
Day 1 Santa Monica/LA
Day 2 Visit LA
Day 3 Visit Universal
Day 4 Driving from LA to / trough Joshua Tree (2 hrs drive) - Visit Joshua Tree - Drive to Kingman ? (we just need a place to stay instead of a whole day driving) 3,5 hrs drive - Sleep at Kingman
Day 5 Drive from Kingman? to Grand Canyon Skywalk (1,5 hrs drive) - Visit GC Skywalk - Drive from GC to GC South Rim (2,5 hrs drive) OR Tuba City (3,5 hrs drive) - Sleep at one of those places
Day 6 Drive from GC South Rim to Page Horseshoe Bend (2,5 hrs drive) - Visit Page - Drive to Bryce 3 hrs drive - Sleep at Bryce
Day 7 Visit Bryce and Drive to Zion 1,5 hr drive
Day 9 Visit to Zion - Sleep near Zion
Day 10 Drive from Zion to Las Vegas in afternoon (2,5 hrs drive)
Day 11 Visit Las Vegas and Hooverdam - Sleep in Las Vegas
Day 12 Drive trough Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes (5 hrs drive) - Sleep at Mammoth Lakes
Day 13 Drive from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley 3 hrs drive (we want to visit Glacier Point, Tunnel View, Mirror Lake) Sleep in Yosemite??
Day 14 Visit Yosemite morning, afternoon drive to SF (4,5 hrs drive)
Day 15 Visit SF / sleep SF
Day 16 Visit SF and Drive to Exeter 4 hrs drive / sleep Exeter
Day 17 Stay with family, afternoon drive to Santa Monica (4 hrs drive)
Day 18 Leaving day
Thanks in advance!
My boyfriend and I are going on a holiday to the USA this November.
We have a huge wishlist with all the things we want to see in three weeks. The issue we have is that we can not find the right route through these national parks (GC, Zion, Bryce, Page).
Now our wishlist looks like this. Please give your recommendations about how many days/night to stay and the route as well.
Day 1 Santa Monica/LA
Day 2 Visit LA
Day 3 Visit Universal
Day 4 Driving from LA to / trough Joshua Tree (2 hrs drive) - Visit Joshua Tree - Drive to Kingman ? (we just need a place to stay instead of a whole day driving) 3,5 hrs drive - Sleep at Kingman
Day 5 Drive from Kingman? to Grand Canyon Skywalk (1,5 hrs drive) - Visit GC Skywalk - Drive from GC to GC South Rim (2,5 hrs drive) OR Tuba City (3,5 hrs drive) - Sleep at one of those places
Day 6 Drive from GC South Rim to Page Horseshoe Bend (2,5 hrs drive) - Visit Page - Drive to Bryce 3 hrs drive - Sleep at Bryce
Day 7 Visit Bryce and Drive to Zion 1,5 hr drive
Day 9 Visit to Zion - Sleep near Zion
Day 10 Drive from Zion to Las Vegas in afternoon (2,5 hrs drive)
Day 11 Visit Las Vegas and Hooverdam - Sleep in Las Vegas
Day 12 Drive trough Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes (5 hrs drive) - Sleep at Mammoth Lakes
Day 13 Drive from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley 3 hrs drive (we want to visit Glacier Point, Tunnel View, Mirror Lake) Sleep in Yosemite??
Day 14 Visit Yosemite morning, afternoon drive to SF (4,5 hrs drive)
Day 15 Visit SF / sleep SF
Day 16 Visit SF and Drive to Exeter 4 hrs drive / sleep Exeter
Day 17 Stay with family, afternoon drive to Santa Monica (4 hrs drive)
Day 18 Leaving day
Thanks in advance!
Jul 19th, 2017, 11:40 AM
#3
It appears to me that you have 16 days for touring, not 3 weeks. Given the season and unpredictability of the weather these days, I'd advise you to plan a trip that keeps you on the western side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, much as I love the other side. For instance, the shorter route from Mammoth to Yosemite, via Lee Vining, could be closed due to snow.
There's more than enough to keep you entertained in California. Los Angeles to Yosemite through small Gold Rush towns to San Francisco. Then coastal towns back to LA will make a wonderful visit at a pace that makes sense and takes possible inclement weather into account.
There's more than enough to keep you entertained in California. Los Angeles to Yosemite through small Gold Rush towns to San Francisco. Then coastal towns back to LA will make a wonderful visit at a pace that makes sense and takes possible inclement weather into account.
Jul 19th, 2017, 12:55 PM
#4
To piggy back on MmePerdu's post. With that short a trip and the time of year -- you sort of have a choice of two different trips: 1) LA/Yosemite/SF and the coast back down to LA. Or 2) LA/Grand Canyon/Zion/Bryce/Las Vegas/LA
You don't have nearly enough time for both.
You don't have nearly enough time for both.
Jul 19th, 2017, 01:06 PM
#5
Agreeing with the posts above.
You basically have planned two separate trips that each could be done in "three weeks" (although it appears you have only 17 days not 21).
I don't think you can pull off the itinerary as outlined above. Too short a time, too great a distance.
You basically have planned two separate trips that each could be done in "three weeks" (although it appears you have only 17 days not 21).
I don't think you can pull off the itinerary as outlined above. Too short a time, too great a distance.
Jul 19th, 2017, 01:36 PM
#6
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Day 5 - do not visit Skywalk. huge waste of time.
Visit North Rim Grand Canyon (same hole in the ground) to save time.
Day 6 - Look up Horseshoe Bend on the Internet. IT looks the same. That will allow you to drive from North Rim to Zion - more time saved.
Above changes will go from LA to Las Vegas
Day 1. Santa Monica "is fine but it ain't mine" (Neal Diamond song), BUT go go to Venice beach instead. Rent a bike and pedal the beach. http://venicebeach.com/
Neal Diamond song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf1S9U2ghrI
Day 2 Drive on Mullholland drive so 'see LA '
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulholland_Drive
My favorite hamburger (Hickory Burger) with apple pie restaurant is Apple Pan - superb. Limited seating. Custom is: Walk in and look who is ahead of you in line, then just follow that person.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apple_Pan
Day 4 Joshua. You will see these 'trees' while driving to L.V. More time saved. Again, they look the same on the Internet.
Got to go now.
Vaga
Visit North Rim Grand Canyon (same hole in the ground) to save time.
Day 6 - Look up Horseshoe Bend on the Internet. IT looks the same. That will allow you to drive from North Rim to Zion - more time saved.
Above changes will go from LA to Las Vegas
Day 1. Santa Monica "is fine but it ain't mine" (Neal Diamond song), BUT go go to Venice beach instead. Rent a bike and pedal the beach. http://venicebeach.com/
Neal Diamond song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf1S9U2ghrI
Day 2 Drive on Mullholland drive so 'see LA '
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulholland_Drive
My favorite hamburger (Hickory Burger) with apple pie restaurant is Apple Pan - superb. Limited seating. Custom is: Walk in and look who is ahead of you in line, then just follow that person.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apple_Pan
Day 4 Joshua. You will see these 'trees' while driving to L.V. More time saved. Again, they look the same on the Internet.
Got to go now.
Vaga
Jul 19th, 2017, 06:49 PM
#7
Skip Joshua Tree and the Skywalk. Perhaps fly to LV and start your car trip there and do a loop: GC, Page, Bryce, Zion. Drop the car in LV and fly to SF. Get a car once you plan to leave SF. Work Yosemite in when you see family in Exeter.
Jul 20th, 2017, 04:35 AM
#8
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A reference was made to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Note that, at the Grand Canyon North Rim, visitor services (including the lodge and restaurants) are closed in November. The road itself is closed after the first major snow.
