2 week West coast drive itin? Help please!
 

I am planning to realise a life long ambition of a driving holiday to take in some destinations on the West Coast of the US.

Besides the obvious must sees, I am green as to what to see along the way, or in between the main sights I want to see.

To help me plan I have gotten the following itinery from a Travel agent here in Ireland. Could I ask that you guys take a look at it and let me know what you think. From looking at it, while it takes in the main sights I want to see, I think it looks like too much to do in a 2 week period.

Some details -

I am going to go in May '05. (I know planning early!!)
Rent a car in either LA or San Fran.
The main things I want to see are

Both LA and San Fran
Grand Canyon, Death Valley
Las Vegas
Coast drive between LA and San Fran.

Any help would be much appreciated. I think this itinerary looks too busy! I don't want to necessarily drive every day and would like to spend more then one day in each place to appreciate them more.

The following is a direct paste from the Travel Agents web site. Thanks in advance guys!

Best of the West
Day 1 Los Angeles Arrival
Arrive in Los Angeles and transfer via complimentary shuttle to your hotel.

Day 2 Los Angeles ? Palm Springs 147 miles
This morning at 0800 hrs you will be met by a rep then go and pick up your rental car.
Begin your drive with perhaps a visit to the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland and continue to Palm Springs.

Day 3 Palm Springs ? Phoenix/Scottsdale 267 miles
Do a little shopping this morning in the exclusive shops of Palm Springs then drive on to Scottsdale and Phoenix.

Day 4 Phoenix/Scottsdale (Tucson)
A full day at leisure to enjoy the Valley of the Sun, take a trip to the Old Pueblo City of Tucson, which has still retained it?s Spanish charm.

Day 5 Phoenix/Scottsdale ? Sedona ? Flagstaff 150 miles
Visit the ancient cliff dwellings known as Montezuma?s Castle then continue through Sedona to Flagstaff.

Day 6 Flagstaff ? Grand Canyon National Park 90 miles
Start today with a short drive to the Grand Canyon, you have a full day to enjoy this wonder.

Day 7 Grand Canyon National Park ? Las Vegas 276 miles
Drive today to one of the world?s greatest manmade structures the Hoover Dam. Continue to Las Vegas.

Day 8 Las Vegas ? Death Valley National Park 139 miles
After a morning at leisure in Las Vegas drive across the Amargosa Desert to Death Valley.

Day 9 Death Valley National Park ? Yosemite National Park 326 miles
Today drive via Bishop to Yosemite one of the nations most scenic National Parks.

Day 10 Yosemite National Park ? San Francisco 195 miles
Drive across the state of California to San Francisco visit Union Square, Golden Gate Park and Fisherman?s Wharf.

Day 11 San Francisco (Napa Valley)
A full day at leisure or why not discover California?s Wine Country (Napa Valley).

Day 12 San Francisco ? Monterey/ Carmel 124 miles
Take a pleasant drive today to Monterey and then visit the quaint village of Carmel and enjoy the 17 mile drive on the stunning Pacific coast.

Day 13 Monterey/Carmel ? Big Sur ? Santa Barbara ? Ventura 272 miles
Journey to Big Sur on your coastal drive via San Simeon to Santa Barbara.

Day 14 Ventura ? Malibu ? Santa Monica ? Los Angeles 70 miles
This morning continue by Malibu and Santa Monica to Los Angeles. Perhaps drive through Beverly Hills and Hollywood to see the sights or take a visit to Universal Studios.

Day 15 Los Angeles ? Home
Return your car to Los Angeles airport before taking your flight home.

Too much driving. Drive to Death Valley, next morning to Yosemite? What about seeing anything in Death Valley? This is the western US - not only are the destinations far apart, but they're big in of themselves. I wouldn't budget anything less than 3 days for Death Valley or Yosemite, let along less than one. I suspect whoever put that tour guide together was using an atlas rather than personal experience, frankly.

Are you coming directly from Ireland or out of London? If you're flying on BA from LHR, for example, I would seriously consider using BA's nonstop to Phoenix, and rent your car there, planning on a one-way tour culminating in San Francisco. Even if you're connecting someplace like NY, think about beginning inland in the south and working north, not bothering to retrace your steps 1000 miles to the point of beginning. Your "drop costs" for the car (if there are any - shop around and be mindful that at that season the rental companies have more cars in the desert than they can use in the summer, whilst they don't have enough in California) should be weighed against the extra fuel and hassle entailed in the drive back.

Start in Phoenix, go up to the Grand Canyon, over to LV, play Death Valley by ear, because by late May/June it can be so hot on the valley floor that most touring activities really need to be curtailed in the daytime. Then head over to the coast, maybe to San Diego, and work your way north gradually. Combine a "spur" from San Francisco to Yosemite with a short tour of the Gold Ruch country on the western Sierra slopes.

Note that the deserts can be ideal or blazing in this time frame - not the hottest period of the year by a long ways, but uncommonly hot to many visitors from cooler climes. Also note that the Pacific coastline is subject to the famous "June Gloom" - overcast days - that detract from many visions of top-down road trips along the ocean. None of this happens like clockwork, mind, and who knows what the weather gods have in mind nowadays. But statistically that's the picture.

Note you could also do a similar route in reverse, but the later you wait the hotter it gets in the SW.

Gardyloo -

Thanks for taking the time to post. I wa planning on taking a non-stop flight from Dublin to LA. But your idea of starting in Phoenix makes much more sense. I'm going to look into the possibility of that idea.

One of main problems is getting my head around the geography of the area and driving distances and times. But I have a good bit of time to plan.

Do you recommend any book planners?

Thanks again for your help

Fortunately, you have time to plan. As stated, there is so much to see, other than shopping and theme parks. You may want to check out this website which give driving tour directions.

www.usatourist.com

Hi, pnestor!

Gardyloo has given you excellent advice! The stretch between LA and Phoenix is almost all desert. It's really not worth wasting time and energy over.

Use the "search the forum" box at the top and just type in some search words, like "Arizona" "Grand Canyon", etc. There have been innumerable threads written on the entire Western US. You don't need to spend a lot of money on guidebooks at this stage. Wait for the 2005 editions to come out.

Flying into Phoenix is an excellent idea. For possible places to visit, check out besides Grand Canyon and Montezuma's Castle - National Monument and Antelope Canyon. I'd suggest not whizzing by Sedona, spend a night there.

Plan your trip through Death Valley in the morning. I, for one, am not much for driving through the torrid desert in the afternoon. If you need to get out of the car and check out a local sight, like the sand dunes, earlier in the day is better than later.

Oh yes, there's also Zion and Bryce National Parks. Fantastic areas.

After Death Valley, I'd suggest going up Highway 395 to Yosemite. Spend the night in Yosemite.

Then on to SF, then along the coast to LA. There's a whole heap of information on this forum for this stretch of your journey.

Happy reading! And come back for more info, Fodorites are incredibly helpful people! :)

Your original post mentions "west coast". Just to clarify, some of the places you list are a LONG way from the coast ;-)

Your paragraph of LA, San Fran, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, starts out good. DON'T go by the travel agent's itinerary. As others have said, you'll find lots of info here and in the Fodors books. Also agree about Phoenix flight.

Reminder you'll need to book reservations anywhere around Grand Canyon & other national parks before Christmas, or lodging will all be full.

I agree, if you can somehow work it in to also see ZION and BRYCE CANYON national parks.

Depending how many national parks you'll be seeing, buy the PARKS PASS at the first park entrance. It will get you entry into all other parks and national monuments that you head to this trip.

Was in Ireland / N. Ireland for first time myself in March!!! Happy travels!

Happy reading! And come back for more info, Fodorites are incredibly helpful people!

This is soooooo true :)

Thank you all for taking the time to post, I look forward to planning the trip with all fodorites help (those that have gone before!!!!)

Another point to consider, which I don't think that others have mentioned - the route from Death Valley to Yosemite will take you up the eastern side of the Sierras and over Tioga Pass in Yosemite. Tioga Pass probably wont be open in May. This is a mountain pass that gets a lot of snow, and it closes each fall with the first heavy snowfall and doesn't open until the spring thaw. This year, the pass opened during the 3rd week of May, and that was early. We had a really warm spring that started the thaw early.

I agree with the others that your itinerary is too full and that you should consider trimming it down. Otherwise you will spend your entire trip in the car.

In just doing a brief itinerary, how about something like this? Depends whether most of your interest is in scenic beauty, or the big cities.

Day 1 - arrive Phoenix, drive to Sedona, AZ (2-1/2 hrs drive, make it 4-5 hrs by the time you get luggage and rental car & figure out driving on the RIGHT!)
Overnight Sedona.

Day 2 - There is much scenic beauty to see all around Sedona very close by. Red Rock / Oak Creek Canyon.
Overnight Sedona.

Day 3 - to Grand Canyon National Park (Grand Canyon Village - South Rim, AZ). About 3 hrs or less drive.

Overnight Grand Canyon.

Day 4 - Grand Canyon.
Overnight here again.

Day 5 - to Las Vegas, NV
Stop at HOOVER DAM enroute for a view.
(about 5 hr drive to Vegas, plus the stop at Hoover Dam)

Overnight Las Vegas

Day 6 - Here's where you can revise itinerary and skip this day, if not interested in gambling. This will give you more time at the end in either San Francisco or Las Angeles.
Day 6 - Las Vegas OR drive onward (see day 7)

Day 7 - to & through Death Valley, CA
(3-1/2 - 4 hr drive just to get there, so leave nice & early to drive through & stop at lookouts. It will be extremely hot mid-day)

Overnight somewhere (not sure of town names) enroute to or AT Sequoia National Park. (a couple hours drive)

Day 8 - Sequoia National Park & Kings Canyon (if roads are open in May). These 2 nat'l parks are joined together as you'll see at www.nps.gov/parks.html

Sequoia drive-through the park is narrow & winding. You should feel right at home!!!

Day 9 - to Yosemite National Park, CA
(not far - hour or two)

Day 10 at Yosemite

(suggest leave by mid-afternoon & drive on to San Francisco if you want to spend more time in the city & overnight there)

Day 11 - San Francisco (about 5 hrs from Yosemite)
Overnight San Francisco

Day 12 - along the coast #101 and #1, to Los Angeles

Day 13 & 14 - Los Angeles.



This is "just" a suggestion, but gives you somewhere to start. My personal preference is to spend more time in the scenic beauty, and less time in the big cities.

You'll want to consider taking a city tour on a bus or something. Perhaps there is a hop-on, hop-off all-day type like in London England?? (other fodorites will know)
Driving in L.A. & on the "other" side of the road -- will NOT be a relaxing way to end your trip.

Also agree with above post(s) re: the weather. Depending on dates of your trip, please consider that some of these areas (Yosemite / Kings Canyon - roads between / around) will be closed due to YES ;) SNOW in MAY!!!

Also - much of this driving is desert. Be sure to keep your fuel tank filled at every opportunity. There will be some long stretches between towns & filling stations.

Actually, I would say you spending most of your time seeing all desert and hardly any of it on the West Coast. You have 4 days to do San Francisco, Napa, Monterey,Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. You are not going to see anything -- you will be driving the whole time.

First of all, how wonderful to realise a life-long ambition!! So glad that you are able to do it.
Obviously we all agree that the original itinery is gives you too much time driving to sights and not enough time seeing them. I would recommend reviewing info about each of the sights and ranking them in priority or something like that. Some people are satisfied with stopping at Hoover Dam for 5 minutes to have a look and snap a picture, some of us take the "hardhat" tour and then spend hours in the museum and gift shop. Personally, I was shocked by the idea of "perhaps a visit to the Magic Kingdom and then continue to Palms Springs", as if one could just pop by Disneyland for a few minutes. First of all, it costs too much to not spend most of the day. And here again your personal feelings enter in -- I used to go to Disneyland at least once a year, getting there when it opened, and was always the last one out of the park. (Okay, so kill me, I'm a Disneyland junkie)
Anyway, if you can maybe prioritize those things you've heard about and always wanted to see, then we can all help you figure the best way to get to those with enough time to enjoy them.

Thank you Syv for the suggested Itinerary. Helpful to get a feel for distance and geography. Thank you to everyone else for taking the time.

I am going to plan this out with your suggestions and come back to you in the near future with an itinerary. Maybe you could take a look and give me your suggestions.

Thank you

P