Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some last minute help with the road trip I have planned with my girlfriend in a few weeks time and would be really grateful of some advice by people that are familiar with the area and distances involved. There are just so many great places to see I want to make sure we see as much as we can whilst not being unrealistic about the distances we are trying to travel meaning we don’t get any time to relax.

Our restraints to the trip are the following: we start with 4 nights in Vegas, we then have two nights accommodation booked in Yosemite two days later and then 3 nights in San Fran a week later, so 17 nights in total.

The plan was to pick up the car in Vegas and drive to Death Valley for the day and stay overnight in the Lone Pine area. Then to travel to Yosemite, then onto Lake Tahoe for a couple of nights, again onto wine country Napa/Sonoma for a night before driving to the coast and Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur for a couple of nights before heading back to SF for the last 3 nights.

The main concern is is Lake Tahoe worth going to (we will have had the casinos in Vegas so it is about the views, beaches and activities and small towns really), what is the drive from Tahoe to wine country like, what is the drive from wine country to the coast like and is it a problem that we are going past SF and going back on ourselves?

I guess we could miss out Lake Tahoe and spend longer on the coast going further south or just longer in each place? In my mind San Luis Obispo sounds lovely and would probably be the furthest south we would go. Is Santa Barbara worth going to? Which is the best route for this from Yosemite as I don’t want to just drive on boring roads if we are missing out on other areas and the route via Fresno doesn’t look the best on the map.

We basically have 11 nights out of the 17 to play with between Vegas and SF, with Yosemite inbetween.

We are a couple in our early 30s and like the natural scenery on offer, like walking but also like good restaurants and picturesque places to visit and we also want a bit of time to relax in nice resorts/beaches etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as time is ticking!!

I'm a little confused; however, if you go the Death Valley (and I hope you do), stay at Furnace Creek Ranch--a motel-like facility within the park.

In planning your trip you should know that one of the great drives in the world is Highway 1 from Moro Bay to Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Santa Barbara is a beautiful town, but not convenient in your itinerary. San Luis Obispo is o.k. but not as thrilling as its name.

Napa Valley and nearby Sonoma Valley can be visited as a day trip from San Francisco, but it is more fun to spend a night there.

You can see some of California's famous redwood trees at Muir Woods--about 20 miles from San Francisco.

I believe you will have a more satisfying experience in California if you do some of these things rather than go to Lake Tahoe.

HTTY

If you have 11 nights flexibility, I suggest a few nights in the Sonoma wine country, just 2 hours north of SF. We recently stayed one week just west of most of Sonoma, about 6 miles from the coast. It was awesome. You could take a day trip up or down the coast, check out some wineries, Armstrong Woods, funky towns nearby like Sebastopol, Guerneville, Forestville, etc. We stayed here: http://rentals.riverhomes.com/rns/se...hDreamery.aspx

If possible drive Highway 1 from North to South as you will then be along the coast itself with no lane of traffic blocking your view.

If you are doing this trip in a few weeks, do you mean August? If so, you might reconsider Lake Tahoe - it's at its absolute best in August and early September.

You say you are looking for resorts and beaches. Then Tahoe should be on your list. The beaches there will be a lot warmer than the ones on the coast and even the water will be warmer. Add the magnificent scenery and great hiking trails and you could easily find that this was the best part of your vacation.

I'm not trying to deter you from the other places, but at that time of year, Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite places on earth.

As far as Death Valley is concerned, I would just drive through and not spend the night. Until October, the temperature will be well over 100 degrees every day. And I would recommend Bishop over Lone Pine because there is a better selection of motels and restaurants there.

Lake Tahoe this time of year is beautiful so I think it would be worth seeing. I agree with others that you don't really need to drive any further south down the coast than Cambria.

I am a little concerned about you going to Death Valley in August, even driving through it. (And I grew up in the desert). Today is a cool day in Death Valley, only 114. After about Thursday of this week, looks like it will hover right around 118-120 degrees for the next 10 days and probably for the next 2 months. These temperatures are very dangerous if something happens to the car and certainly you won't be out in them but for a few minutes. If you do drive through Death Valley make sure you have extra water with you. Going through Death Valley also adds a couple of hours to the route from Vegas to Yosemite.

If you go to Lake Tahoe, you can go back out Yosemite the way you came in on Hwy 120. After a stay in Tahoe you can head west on Hwy 50/I 80 and go to Sonoma.

Get on mapquest and make up a tentative schedule and then come back and post it. We can help you adjust it if necessary.

diggitty,

Your use of the word "whilst" suggested to me you are from some place other than the U.S.A.

It is for this reason I suggested you spend a night in the desert; it will be an experience you will remember long after you have tried to forget the night you spent in Lone Pine or at the Best Western in Bishop, CA.

If you don't have any lakes where you live, then you might want to make a visit to Lake Tahoe a priority. Otherwise, I believe that you will be delighted to discover for yourself why the drive I suggested on Highway 1 is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the U.S.A.

HTTY

September = crazy hot

Death Valley, NO.....Tahoe, yes YES!

Living in Seattle, I find desert heat exotic and I never regret time I spend at the ocean.

July and August are the hottest months in Death Valley; http://www.weather.com/outlook/event...ocid2=USCA0286

HTTY

happytrailstoyou-The biggest concern about going to Death Valley in the summer besides how dangerous the heat can be, is that there won't be much for them to do there. Death Valley in the winter, spring and fall are great but in 120 degree heat, about all you can do is make it from your car to the air conditioned hotel. Plus I picked up on the fact that the OP is not from the USA. That type of heat could be staggering to them if they are from the UK for example. The time they spend going to Death Valley could be spent at Lake Tahoe or an extra day at the coast.

I understand, Paula, but I've been in Death Valley in the summer on three occasions. I enjoyed the heat and the starry heavens at night. Perhaps giggittty will, too.

We sleep well with the air-conditioning at Furnace Creek Ranch, and we stock the refrigerator in our room with breakfast makings.

There were inevitably many others there enjoying the same experiences.

In any event, I hope we can all agree that if the OP spends a night in Death Valley it will be an experience he and his girlfriend will not soon forget.

HTTY

I do agree it will be an experience. Just curious what activities you can do during that heat. Not asking to be rude but truly curious. I have been in 120 heat quite a few times. Once working in Palm Springs where I had vapor lock in my car after doing some stop and go driving. Waiting for AAA in that heat was crazy. Also a few times at Lake Havasu but there you can just sit in the water all day. And growing up in Arizona, it was often 118 or above.

Death Valley is actually on my list but definitely not in the summer. I am sure the stars are amazing.

I hope the OP will be intrigued by the differences in our experiences and preferences.

In the heat I like to take scenic drives, loll around, read, sip iced beverages, and enjoy the heliotherapeutic benefits of my environment.

HTTY

Thanks a lot for the tips, some really useful info there. You're right about our location, we're from the UK so the desert will feel hot! Our intention was to take the day driving from Vegas to Lone Pine, or Bishop if that is recommended, stopping off at the main sights en-route in Death Valley but not walking around too much! Then, set off early the next morning to get as much time in Yosemite as possible so the location where the nights accommodation is is not so critical.

 

There seems to be split decision on Tahoe, which is making the decision even harder! I am travelling on the 25th August so looking at the temps you've provided it does seem to be a bit warmer there than on the coast. I guess the main issue for me again is going past San Fran from Lake Tahoe-Sonoma-Monterey down to Cambria and back again, albeit I've heard that is one of the best drives in the world along Hwy 1.

 

The alternative is to cut across from Yosemite to the coast but do we start at the south or north? I've heard there are wineries in Mariposa so not sure if these are worth substituting for Napa/Sonoma if they are good? I have always wanted to go to the wine region and Austin's description sounds good. If I did this I could carry on up the coast past San Fran and across to sonoma/napa possibly, or have an extra night there instead. Looking at the map I'm a little concerned the roads across the San joaquin valley won't be a great drive?   

Directions could be#160;

Vegas to DV – Hwy 95 and then the 374 or Hwy 95 then 373 and 160?

DV to Lone Pine – 190 and 160

Lone Pine to Yosemite – 395 and 120

Yosemite to Lake Tahoe – 120, 395, 89


LT to sonoma - 89, 80, 12, 121

Sonoma to Monterey - 12, 121, 29, 80, 680, 101, 1 

Monterey to cambria - 101

Cambria to San Fran - 101
 

Or

Yosemite to the coast? 140, 41, 46, 1

Or Yosemite to Sonoma?

Forgive my ignorance on the highways/interstate labelling but hopefully the numbers suffice!

Were I in Yosemite and wanted to take friends to drive Highway 1, I would drive to the most southern town on Highway 1 where I intend to visit--probably Moro Bay or Cambria. (I like Moro Bay because it is an unpretentious town which has many options for booking a room with a deck and ocean view.)

A major attraction in this part of the coast is the so-called Hearst Castle in San Simeon, which is about six miles north of Cambria. San Simeon is the hilltop mansion of a newspaper tycoon said to be the inspiration for Orson Well's "Citizen Kane."

The drive from Cambria to San Francisco can easily be done in one day, but points of interest in Big Sur, Carmel, and Monterey may slow you down.

From San Francisco, you can visit the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and, if you wish, the redwoods at Muir Woods or at Big Basis Redwoods State Park (70 miles south of SF) as a detour on your drive north to San Francisco.

Fodor's publishes an excellent guide to California. There is also reliable information for visitors to California at this site: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/california/

diggitty-I think your itinerary looks pretty good. Just make sure when you go through Death Valley that you have plenty of water and I mean plenty-not just a few little water bottles. Also have either a hat or an umbrella to help shade.

The biggest thing depends on how many days you have for the trip. Go back through your itinerary and list it by days, putting in overnights and driving time. This will give you a good idea as to whether you can go to Lake Tahoe. The only thing I would change on your highways is going from LT to Sonoma, you can also do the 50 to the 80. Going this way as opposed to the 89 depends on where you are staying (north or south).

The other thing and it's the most important is that from Monterey to Cambria you will be on Highway 1 (not 101). Highway 1 is the road that goes through Big Sur. I know most people here on Fodors suggest you drive Highway 1 from north to south as you will be on the ocean side. Better views and easy to pull into viewing areas. Then from Cambria/Morro Bay cut back over to 101 and drive back to SF which takes around 4 hours. Of course you can drive it south to north if you skip Lake Tahoe and cut over from Yosemite.

Unless you have determined to spend a night in Lone Pine, you might like to know that the Best Western Creeekside Inn, in Bishop, is the best place to stay in the general vicinity and that Bodie State Park--a very interesting ghost town--is a detour worth taking before crossing Tioga Pass: http://www.bodie.com

HTTY