Ami_K

Hi,
Me and my wife are planning 2 days trip from Las Vegas to San Fransisco including Yosemite park (2 days not including time spent at Las Vegas and San Fransisco).
The first thought is to leave Las Vegas at the morning and drive on the first day to Strawberry Inn at Stanislaus National Park passing through Death Valley, Bishop, Mamoth Lakes, Mono Lake.
On the second day morning to drive to Yosemite valley and to spend till the evening in this area.
On the second day evening to leave Yosemite park and to drive to San Francisco.

Any ideas and suggestions for what to see, where to visit, maybe something to change will be very appreciated.
Thanks

MmePerdu

Your proposed itinerary would indicate entering Yosemite via Tioga Pass. This pass is closed for much of the year because of snow so your route depends on the time of year. What month are we talking about?

Ami_K

The plan is to do the trip on 14th and 15th of August.

nytraveler

You're leaving yourself practically no time in Yosemite.

tomfuller

I understand Strawberry Inn if you can't get a reservation inside Yosemite that night. http://www.strawberryinn.com/
Sounds like some good fishing in the area.

janisj

Not quite sure what the other are talking about. Maybe they don't know where Strawberry is. That itinerary doesn't work. At all. Strawberry is on Hwy 108 and you wouldn't be taking Tioga Pass. LV to Strawberry via Death Valley and Mono Lake is about a 9 hour drive w/o a single stop.

Then strawberry into Yosemite Valley is another 3 hour drive down via Sonora and Hwy 49.

Just not a doable 2 day jaunt. Strawberry Inn is not at all practical for this trip.

MmePerdu

I missed the reference to "Strawberry" thinking it was an Inn I didn't know. Long ago it was called Carter's Strawberry Resort and was owned by my uncle, Dick Carter. We'd go up every winter from the Bay Area to play in the snow.

I think the priority needs to be Strawberry or Yosemite, not both. If it's Yosemite, with stops along the way from Las Vegas, stay overnight probably in Lee Vining before driving over the pass and spending the rest of the day in Yosemite. I think this is a 3 day trip from LV to SF.

janisj

Wow - your uncle owned the place? I actually stayed there once many years ago.

MmePerdu

Actually my great Uncle Dick and his wife, Mary. My grandmother's brother. I stayed there once since he's been gone and it still smelled the same as when I was a child.

elnap29

You may have misread your map. From Lee Vining near Mono Lake, you want to take Hghway 120 (Tioga Pass) to enter Yosemite. Perhaps you'd like to spend the night in Lee Vining before driving into Yosemite.

Otherwise, to drive to Strawberry, you would continue north on Highway 395 past Lee Vining and Mono Lake and past Bridgeport to the turn off for Sonora Pass (Highway 108). The drive over Sonora Pass is one of my favorites, so if you are planning a driving trip to see a lot of country, this would be rewarding. However, for me that means way too many hours in the car. Then driving to Yosemite the next day would take about 2 1/2 hours. When you leave Yosemite that evening, you will have a 4 1/2 hour drive to San Francisco - longer if you hit traffic. Just sayin'.

elnap29

MmePerdu, I also have fond memories of Strawberry. When I was a child my family spent 3 weeks at Pinecrest every summer, stopped in Strawberry for gas, ice cream, milk, bread...and it was a real treat to eat in the cafe. We'd play down by the river and my dad would fish there.

MmePerdu

Elnap, the slope between the hotel and the bridge down to the river is where we'd play in the snow on the occasions I mention. Somewhere I have pictures of my brother and myself there. Fond memories.

janisj

My guess is you saw a small scale map and it looked like Strawberry is close to Yosemite. It sort of is - as the crow flies. But by road it is not close at all.

Ami_K

Thank you very much for the replies. We don't want to spend the two days in the car and therefore we are changing a bit our plans. Unfortunately we can not do this trip in three days, but we certainly can change the route not to include the Strawberry Inn area.

We will leave Las Vegas on 14th August morning and drive on the first day to Travelodge Mammoth Lakes which is near Mono lake passing through Death Valley and Bishop.
On the next day morning we will drive to Yosemite valley through Tioga Pass and will spend till the evening in this area.
At the evening we will leave Yosemite park not before passing at Wawona road to see the Mariposa sequoia Grove and will drive to San Francisco.

What do you think about the revised plan?
Any suggestions will be very appreciated.
Thanks

janisj

The drive from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley takes nearly 3 hours. The spend limits over toga pass and through the park are strictly enforced and are quite low in places. You really can't make it in less than 2.5 hours, but even 3-3.5 hrs isn't that doable because of all the scenery/photo stops along the way.

So you are unlikely to get to Yosemite village much before noon.

mirlawton

Mmeperdu,

Dick and Mary are my great uncle and aunt too. I am look for geneology stuff. Can you email me @ [email protected]