west coast road trip

Old Mar 5th, 2016, 02:24 PM
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west coast road trip

My husband and I are taking a trip for our 40th birthdays this year. We're planning on 16 days or so in late May, and have talked about flying into Vegas both for price and to make a quick (?) trip to the grand canyon before cutting over to CA and driving up the coast to Seattle.

A few things we'd like to do along the way: a few days in San Francisco, Napa, see the redwoods, and otherwise we're prertty open. We love the beach, cute smaller towns, and while we like to be outdoors, we won't be doing any camping.

So many questions!
--Do Vegas and the grand canyon make sense for this trip?
--Recommendations for stops along the coast?
--We'll likely be driving long days from Seattle to Vegas at the end of the trip. But ideas on route or a stop?
KStagler is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2016, 02:50 PM
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I was with you until I read that you plan to drive from Seattle to Las Vegas at the end of your trip. That is not a good idea.

A better itinerary might include Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, San Francisco, the Napa Valley, and Highway 1 from Monterey to Malibu.

Have you been to Los Angeles, Orange County, or San Diego?

You could also see highlights of California, Oregon and Washington on a 14-day road trip.

HTtY
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Old Mar 5th, 2016, 03:42 PM
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Thanks for the reality check! I'm thinking we'd rather do the California, Oregon, Washington coasts. I have been to L.A. and San Diego and wouldn't mind skipping or not spending much time around those spots.

And Vegas was simply to have a single spot to fly in/out and to get a rental car. Trying to figure out that piece too. We live in Minneapolis and will be flying out of MSP.
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Old Mar 5th, 2016, 03:59 PM
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Yes see Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon South Rim and maybe 1 or 2 of the southern Utah National Parks and then return the car to Las Vegas. In the LV area you may also want to see the Red Rocks and Valley of Fire.
Using Allegiant Airlines fly from Las Vegas to Oakland and rent a car from there after you see San Francisco. (use BART)
If you have days left after San Francisco, you can take the train overnight arriving in Eugene Oregon about 12:30PM the next day. Rent a car from Eugene and go see the beautiful Oregon coast.
Allegiant also flies from Las Vegas to Eugene returning the plane to Las Vegas several times a week.
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Old Mar 5th, 2016, 04:02 PM
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We usually fly into LAX and rent a car from Thrifty or Dollar.

July and August are the summer season in Oregon and Washington. The weather in May and June can be nice, but it is unpredictable.

Newport is our favorite place to stay on the Oregon coast. We book a big room with balcony overlooking the ocean and have dinner at Local Oceans Seafood.

Plan to include the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Rainier in your itinerary.

When your travel plans are nailed down you can expect to receive very specific suggestions from this forum.

HTtY
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Old Mar 6th, 2016, 07:36 AM
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You are not going to see many redwoods in or around Napa. Head up US-101 toward the Oregon border and you will see the Avenue of the Gods and the Newton P. Drury Scenic Bypass, both lined with redwoods.
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