Patty

Most of Big Basin is still closed from the CZU fire https://reimaginingbigbasin.org/2021...ted-reopening/ Henry Cowell is open. There are also parks along the Big Sur drive where you can see redwoods such as Pfeiffer Big Sur and Garrapata. The trails at Limekiln and many of the inland trails at Julia Pfeiffer Burns are also still closed from previous fires. Each state park's website will give you information on which trails are open or closed. Here's a good site on where specifically to find redwoods in each park Redwood Hikes

At Zion it's Zion Canyon where you have to take a shuttle https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvis...-Infosheet.pdf You can drive other parts of Zion. I would get an early start from Page. Your route from Page to the Zion Visitor Center is this https://goo.gl/maps/9ESMcDmAXf8wDxep6 Before you get to the longer tunnel and small toll booth (I'm not sure if this is manned in summer) is the trail head for Canyon Overlook. If you can find parking (very limited) you can do this short hike (about 1.5 mile roundtrip) which takes you to a nice overlook of Zion Canyon. Parts of the trail are narrow with no guard rails but these sections are short.


That's the road you'll continue driving down after the tunnel



Then you can proceed to the visitor center and take the shuttle into Zion Canyon. If you didn't pay the park entrance fee at the toll booth on highway 9, you'll pay it here.

From Zion to Vegas via Valley of Fire your route will look like this https://goo.gl/maps/r9Pi68GdpeTbMm418 I'm not sure you have time to do both. I would prioritize Zion over Valley of Fire. It's going to be very hot by the time you get to Valley of Fire and a few trails are closed from June through September due to heat State Parks

You're free to walk around the casinos. There are a lot of nice restaurants in Vegas. What kind of food do you like and what's your budget? Where are you staying?

What day do you start the drive from LA to SF? Weekends will be harder to find accommodations. I might do something like 1 night Santa Barbara, 1 night Morro Bay or Cambria and 2 nights Monterey Peninsula depending on where you can find availability.

frankchoo4678

Thanks. Think I got some read up to do for zion n valley of fire. I will not be ambitious as its my first time driving alone. I have got some time before driving from LA to SF ( Sunday to Wednesday).

As for food, I am open to try any food. Authentic, local, or any nice food. I'm staying at sin city hostel, South Las Vegas boulevard Road. Thanks.

clarkgriswold

Sin City Hostel is closer to "downtown" Las Vegas than the famous Las Vegas Strip, and it is a long distance from the airport. So hopefully you are picking up the car when you arrive into Las Vegas airport? If not then you'll want to use the Sixt office at the Plaza Hotel (long walk from the hostel) or from Avis at Circus Circus hotel (long walk from the hostel). Nearer the hostel you'll see a number of small rental car locations and just pass them by, the rates that they will quote you is not what you will pay, most of them are very shady. Even with Sixt and Avis, LOOK AT THE CONTRACT YOU ARE SIGNING AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR GRAND TOTAL IS LISTED. If the total is not what you anticipated then get an explanation and get them to correct the contract BEFORE you leave with their car. Anything that is not correct will NOT be corrected when you return the car, no matter what they tell you. I tell you this because it is your first time renting and the car rental business is one of the least honorable in the USA. They can smell a novice a mile away so be aware of what you're signing and don't let them small-talk you into things that you don't need.

If you are returning the rental car to the airport, but then taking a bus to Los Angeles, you have a long trip back to the bus station. Is it the Greyhound bus or the Flix bus? Are you also visiting Los Angeles for awhile? I guess I don't understand returning the car in Las Vegas and then picking up another car in Los Angeles....why not just drive from Las Vegas? Avis is $500 for a full week rental from Las Vegas to San Francisco. I'm sure that's less $$ than 3 days rental in Las Vegas plus a bus ticket then 3 days rental in Los Angeles. And much much less hassle.

The good restaurants near your hostel are D.E. Thai or Ocha Thai, Esther's Kitchen and Soulbelly BBQ. Also Albo pizza and Bajamar seafood tacos.

andyg5056

And that's understandable. You have to make the best within the time you've got. If you were able to get couple of hours in Zion, I'd say take the Shuttle all the way to the last stop (Stop #9 TEMPLE OF SINAWAVA and the Riverside Walk) . You'll have a very scenic ride, and you could take a nice & easy riverside walk to stretch your legs from all that driving. The views are amazing, plus the driver talk about the park and history.

Have a great trip.

J62

I completely missed that you were renting and returning to Las Vegas - sorry about that....
I like the idea proposed above - rent in Las Vegas, and return the car in SF. One longer rental may be a better deal than 2 shorter ones when everything is considered.

andyg5056

Just one more thought. So Monday you're driving from Williams to Page, AZ for Antelope tour at 3pm. It should take aprox. 3 hours or so to drive there. With the stop at the Horseshoe Bend (30-60 minutes stop), and the Antelope tour, not sure if you have any other plans beside staying over night there. If you don't, and going solo, I'd try to talk nicely to the Tour operator and perhaps there could be a chance to get on a bit earlier tour, before 3pm. Sometimes there are no show or late arrivals, or simply because they are very accommodating, if you're nice to them. This would allow you to drive to Zion N.P. the same day, find a place to sleep even going a past Springdale (west of it) to find a more affordable place. I'm sure hotels in Page is quite expensive anyway, and this would give you more time to explore Zion and Valley of the Fire the next day.

oldemalloy

For your second night at Williams, look at staying in Cameron at the Cameron Trading Post. It is where you exit the park if you go out the east exit right at the junction of 64 and 89. Much less cost than staying in the park and probably 2 hours less driving to get to Page.

frankchoo4678

Andy j62 and oldemalley, wow all these are great ideas to shorten the distance everyday. I have to check if I can cancel some accommodation in time and look for other accommodations. My accom at Williams might be too late.

Yah, I did think of that if I could arrive earlier, I will try to contact if I can do the canyon trip earlier. 3pn is to give myself enough time to travel there and its one of the good timing to see the colours of antelope canyon. Other timings currently were taken up that time.

Springdale accommodation may be limited and more expensive than page.

Not sure about car rental from Vegas to LA and to SF. The drop off location are different and may be more expensive. I didn't like to drive in the busy streets of LA. I see how it goes, it kind of too late to change the car reservations.

But I am more excited to see how I can make full use of my time out of Vegas to visit the parks.
Thanks.

andyg5056

Just couple more FYI's...

"Current Time in Page, Arizona
You know what time it is? It is time to know that fact that Page, Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time"

You can confirm the local time here:
https://lakepowelladventure.com/curr...-page-arizona/
Reference to your car clock, the phone may hop between two time zones depending on witch tower it'll lock the signal from. More than once in short period of time too.

Also, this might be in affect for All Antelope Tours, be ready just in case. You have no time to waste