spencer_uk

My husband & I are from the UK and would like to spend 2 weeks in California/Nevada in September with the idea of flying into SF and out of LV.

We’d like a few nights in SF, Yosemite & LV but would also like a few nights around Big Sur / San Simeon/Hearst Castle. We don’t mind a fair bit of driving but does this seem doable and would anyone be kind enough to suggest the best route to fit this all in?

J_Correa

September is a good time to go because it is still summertime and Tioga Pass will be open - meaning you can drive through the Yosemite high country to cross the Sierras.

I think you can definitely see all you want to see in 2 weeks, although you might make LA and LV you beginning and ending points and make more of a loop.

Flying into LA, you could do something like this:

2-3 days driving from LA to SF
3 days in SF
2-3 days in Yosemite
2 days between Yosemite and LV
2 days in LV

If you fly into SF, you could do something like this:

3 days SF
2-3 days driving from SF to around San Luis Obispo
2-3 days in Yosemite
2 days driving to LV
2 days in LV

happytrailstoyou

This is very doable. The most efficient routing would be to start in LA. Drive from Santa Monica to San Francisco via Highway 1.

Los Angeles, 1-2
Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur, 2-3
San Francisco, 2-3
Yosemite, 1-2
Death Valley, 1
Las Vegas, 2-3

From Las Vegas, you might want to visit the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park.

spencer_uk

Thanks for the very helpful replies. I'm all excited now you think our plans are doable.

I've got an adversion (sorry!) to LA so whilst I don't mind flying there I'd prefer to just hit the road. In this case does flying to LA still make it worthwhile or should I stick to the SF/LV plan?

If we took J_Correa's recommended San Luis Obispo to Yosemite route which roads should we take?

Lauricelli

I'm wondering what you want to do in Las Vegas? Do you want to see things outside the city? Having a car in Las Vegas isn't that necessary if you're just going to do the casino/shows things. It's very crowded trying to drive anywhere right in the city and can be frustrating. You might want to catch a flight from LA or Burbank to Las Vegas. You can usually get packages from LAX or BUR with flight and hotel. I don't know if you were planning on driving that far south to LA and then cutting across to LV
There is so much to see in SF and going down the 1, plus Yosemite. It is spectacular scenery and you might want to have a few days leeway.
Do you have 14 days here? I know the flight can take a lot out of you and it's good to have a decompression day.

enzian

How about this one: fly into SF, spend a few days there, drive down Highway 1 and spend a few days along the way (Big Sur, ending at Morro Bay for Hearst Castle); then back up highway 101 to Gilroy where you will cross over the hills and head east to Yosemite. Spend a few days in the valley and then drive the Tioga Pass road east (spend a day or two in Tuolumne Meadows if you can); then down highway 395 and the road to Las Vegas. This way you will avoid both LA and crossing the Mohave desert, which can still be brutal in September.

I suggest you make your Yosemite reservations as soon as possible---lodging inside the park, particularly the Valley, books up well in advance. It is well worth staying IN the park, as opposed to near the park, if you can. Mid-week reservations at the Yosemite Lodge or even the beautiful Ahwahnee may still be possible in September.

spencer_uk

RE Car Hire - we were thinking of hiring a car when we finish in SF and then returning it either when we arrive in LV or keep it until the end. We'd like to see more outside and around LV than in it e.g grand canyon, hoover dam - just not sure if these are better done with our own transport or to return the car and join a tour when we are there.

Whilst I'd prefer September this might slip to early Oct - will we notice much cooler temperatures going a couple of weeks later?

Michael

From San Luis Obispo, take hwy 41 all the way to Yosemite. From Yosemite, go over Tioga Pass, visit Bodie State Historical Park (a ghost town), and then drive north to Lake Tahoe. You should drive the western shore at least to Emerald Bay or to Sugar Pines State Park where you can visit one of the old by U.S. standars mansions by the lake.

To get a taste of deep Nevada, visit the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, with a fabulous collection of in situ fossils. You can reach Death Valley by driving south from Tonopah and taking hwy 374 at Beatty.

enzian

Hi Spencer_UK---if you want to see Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon, you should keep the car for the whole trip; that way you can go on your own schedule.

I checked the Yosemite accomodations and at this point you can get a room mid-week in September at any of the Valley lodges, from a tent cabin in Curry Village for $44 a night to a room at the Ahwahnee for $393 (yes, per night). Be sure to check the options carefully when you view the website---they offer various packages (romance, adventure, B & B, etc.)that are priced very high. Make sure you find the price for just a room.
http://www.yosemitepark.com/lodges2c...D=22&PageID=36

J_Correa

Yep - Hwy 41 from San Luis Obispo to Yosemite Valley would be the way I'd go too.

You could take Hwy 101 to about Gilroy and cut over from there, but I believe that is a longer drive - sort of like driving along the sides of a rectangle versus cutting through the center.

If the trip slips to early October, you will probably be ok. The only issue is early snow in the Sierra. Tioga Pass closes as soon as it begins to snow - they don't plow it again until spring.

enzian

I forgot to mention that I would agree on the Highway 41 route to Yosemite, instead of going up to Gilroy on 101.

happytrailstoyou

The secret to enjoying LA is to stay off the freeways. It's really a great city, which I only started to appreciate and investigate when I heard Salman Rushdie, who lives there, comment on what a cosmopolitan place it is.

In any event, if you go to www.maps.goodle.com or www.maps.yahoo.com and get "directions" using a good map, you will find that starting in LA is the best way to go.

If you try to find distances on a map site using "Los Angeles" and "Cambria" it won't send you via Highway 1. You have to go "Santa Monica" "Malibu, "Malibus" "Oxnard" and so on up the coast to stay on route.

Have a fabulous time.

enzian

Happytrails---I don't think they mentioned LA, so that is probably not their interest. I stand by the recommendation to fly into SF; drive down Highway 1 past the beautiful coastal scenery to Hearst Castle and Morro Bay; then Highway 41 from San Luis Obispo to Yosemite, over the Tioga Pass road and down the "backside" of the Sierras to Nevada and Las Vegas.

Spencer_UK---if you want to include the Grand Canyon, it is well worth spending the night there to see it in the changing light of sunrise and sunset. You can stay right on the south rim at El Tovar (a classic National Parks inn) or the Bright Angel lodge. For reservations, look here: http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/

mjs

Agree with enzian.

enzian

Spencer_UK---the drive from LV to the Grand Canyon, South Rim, is about 4 hours, just so you know. As for the difference between September and October, the only place you will find a major difference is in the high country of Yosemite, where it can snow anytime. If your trip "slides" into October, that should not be a problem; most places it will just mean less traffic and fewer people. It "could" mean that the Tioga Pass road will be closed, but that is not likely---just a possibility.

happytrailstoyou

I hope Spencer will study a map, do the math, and make up his own mind.

spencer_uk

"I hope Spencer will study a map, do
the math, and make up his own mind."

Don't worry she will!

Thanks for all the help folks. I like the idea of a night or 2 actally staying at the Grand Canyon, ideally I'd prefer to head directly here from Yosemite rather than via Las Vegas - but from looking at the maps this doesn't seem possible. Am I right?

Also any recommendations for the best stopping point on the Yosemite via Death Valley to Las Vegas route?

Finally, and I hope this isn't controversial, which of these potential options for an overnight stay gets the most votes;

Carmel or Monterey
San Simeon or Cambria

happytrailstoyou

Cambria--six miles from San Simeon. Stay on Moon Stone Beach Drive. You won't be sorry.

enzian

I would give Carmel a slight edge over Monterey, but if you stay near the aquarium/Cannnery Row area Monterey is nice too.

In September you could stay at the Grand Canyon north rim----much more peaceful than the south rim, and the lodge there is quite nice. I'll have to consult a map myself to see if there is a good route from Yosemite.

J_Correa

I would choose Cambria over San Simeon because there is more in Cambria - restaurants, shops, etc. Plus Moonstone beach is really pretty. San Simeon is more remote without really much of a town.

On the Carmel vs Monterey question, I would choose Monterey, or even better Pacific Grove, which is between Monterey and Carmel. Pacific grove is beautiful with nice coastline and a great paved path along the water. It also has a small town feel to with with a terrific downtown strip and beautiful homes. Monterey has some nice areas too. I find Carmel to be overly pretentious, so I don't care for it as much.