kdemunk

Hello there everyone. I recently started a thread re RV vehicle hire which we are now not doing.
We are a family of 3 from Australia with a 4 yol daughter coming to the States on June 6 arriving about 730pm (LAX) and returning LAX June 22 (1130pm)
Previous advice suggests our itinerary was not really "do-able" so now re thinking including the following places. Disneyland. LA, (and Coastal areas, San Diego, San Francisco, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas with Yosemite now being omitted. I was hoping I may get some help for suggested routes, amount of days to stay etc and suggested places for hotels, dining etc. We will hire a car at some stage so perhaps if you might suggest when to do that would be extremely helpful. We are wanting budget accom (you know star at a 1 star price!! hehe) I really appreciate your help with this.

janisj

You really only have 15.5 days/16 nights. You don't arrive until 7:30 and w/ immigration, car hire (if you get it upon arrival) etc - it will be probably 10PM before you get to a hotel. You are trying to cover a lot of territory in those 2 weeks. I know Aussies are up to long road trips (as are Californians)- but quite a bit of your itinerary is over winding seaside or mountain roads or in congested cities.

So I'd consider a slight tweaking. You are flying into LAX - I'd book a late night flight to Las Vegas that same evening. Fly to LV, stay 2 or at most 3 nights and use one of those days for a trip to the Grand Canyon and then fly from LV to San Francisco. (Southwest is a terrific low cost airline that does both of these routes)

Pick up a car after a couple of days in SF and then head down the coast to LA.

3 nights LV
3 nights SF
3 nights along the coast (Monterey/Carmel for 2 nights and somewhere farther south for one night.
2 nights in Anaheim
2 nights San Diego
3 nights LA - fly home.

This avoids having to do a huge loop drive and takes care of LV/GC by air and 1 day car rental.

janisj

Meant to add - it may seem counter-intuitive to do it this way - but just because one arrives in LA doesn't mean you need to start the holiday there. You need to be in LA just before your flight out so having to do a long distance drive that last day could be a problem. I'd just do the LA bit at the end . . . .

spirobulldog

June 6- spend the 2 nights in Disney Property or somewhere nearby

June 7- Day in Disney Magic Kingdom first, then California
Adventure if time allows. See the fireworks at night

June 8- Drive coast and spend the night in Monterey area

June 9- Drive to San Fran- Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate,
Ride Cablecars, Alcatraz, Chinatown, I suggest 2 nights at Argonaut Hotel

June 10 San Fran(whatever you don't get done on the 1st day)

June 11 Extra day

June 12 Drive to Yosemite-See Yosemite Valley, Mariposa
Grove of trees, rafting, hiking
Stay in a tent 2 nights at Curry Village or Housekeeping Camp
This is camping, but they provide the tent and linens

June 13 Yosemite

June 14 Drive to Vegas
June 15 Vegas

June 16 Grand Canyon 1 night is enough here, sunrise and
sunset is nice. hike a short way into the canyon
helicopter ride is nice
Try for Bright Angel Lodge

June 17 spend all day driving to San Diego(this will be boring)

June 18 San Diego Zoo

June 19 Seaworld

June 20 Wild Animal Kingdom
overnight near airport

June 22 Depart

I would omit Vegas and Grand Canyon before I cut out Yosemite. Yosemite has a lot more things to do and see than the Grand Canyon. Both are equally impressive. You can see Grand Canyon in a couple of hours, unless you hike or raft. Yosemite requires 2-4 days depending on what you want to do.
We took to Grand Canyon when she was 6 and she couldn't believe we had driven that far to see rocks and a cliff-lol. She is now 15 and we did raft it a couple of years ago, and she appreciated it far more then. The trees alone will be enough to impress your daughter at Yosemite.

I really think you need a car for the entire trip. Driving in LA can be a real challenge for anyone. If you do drive to Vegas and Grand Canyon it isn't very scenic along the way.

My suggestions mean a rushed trip. You could omit Grand Canyon and Vegas. This would allow for far less drving and you would probably enjoy the trip more.

spirobulldog

janisj has a good thought about flying on Southwest and saving a lot of time driving.

Jean

I like janisj's itinerary, but I might even omit San Diego and just spend a day at a beach doing nothing.

janisj

I agree - I'd personally do Yosemite National Park over LV and the Grand Canyon. But if LV/GC is what the OP wants to do it is their trip, not mine. If they DO opt for YNP over LV, then I'd still fly out of LAX that night -- only to SFO instead.

I'd stay 3 nights in SF w/o a car, then pick up a car and drive to YNP, then across to Monterey, down the coast and finish up in SoCal.

IF you do decide to stay in Yosemite or at the Grand Canyon - you need to book rooms ASAP.

kdemunk

wow this is fabulous!! Ok convinced me not to do GC but really want to do Vegas so is Yosemite still achievable??

mpflim

This is an itinery that I worked out with thoughts of saving Disneyland to the last and the highlight for your daughter. Also, I tried to include everything, except LA. I did this with Mapquest, and so with stops, etc., the driving times may be longer.
June 6 - Overnight at LAX
June 7 - LAX - Santa Barbara - Cambria 4 hours, 240 miles
June 8 - Cambria to Monterey - 2/3 hours 120 miles
If foggy, option is to Paso Robles Hwy 101 north
June 9 - Monterey to SF - 2 hours 115 miles
June 10 - SF sightseeing
June 11 - SF - Yosemite Village or El Portal 15 miles west of Yosemite Village. 4 hours, 200 miles. Take Valley tour.
June 12 - Yosemite - Glacier Point, Mariposa Big Trees
June 13 - Yosemite (El Portal) to Lone Pine 4 1/2 hours 200 miles - over Tioga Pass, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes gondola.
June 14 - Lone Pine - Death Valley - Las Vegas 4 hrs 235 miles - add time for a side trip in DV.
June 15 - Las Vegas
June 16 - Las Vegas - Bus tour to South Rim, Grand Canyon Tour Company, a long day, but a break for the driver.
June 17 - Las Vegas - San Diego, 5 hours 335 miles (long)
June 18 - San Diego
June 19 - San Diego - Anaheim 1 1/2 hrs. 100 miles
June 20 - Disneyland
June 21 - Disneyland
June 22 Anaheim - LAX (Skip LA)

spirobulldog

Kdemunk,

If you go ahead with Vegas, you might want to see the South Rim of Grand Canyon. This would allow you to see it from both airplane and helicopter, plus allows a short 1 hour on the rim at the Bright Angel Lodge. They also offer a ground tour that is about $125 less and it spends 2.5 hours and includes a bus ride to a couple of spectacular viewpoints. In my opinion, you don't want to see the Grand Canyon from the West Rim.
http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.c...-heli-tour.htm

You could probably still work a in couple of days in for Yosemite. This would eliminate a rental car for a few days. You wouldn't need one at all in Vegas. I can't see 3 nights on the coast between LA and SF, other than that janis has a nice iten. It just depends on what you want to do along the way. I have been to every place that you mention, except the coast between LA and SF. Each place was pretty much a destination in its own right for 4 -5 days. I have been to GC 4 times and have Yosemite booked for the end of May.

You need to decide on Yosemite Lodging ASAP. Yosemite ranges from $500 per night in the Awahnee Hotel to $100 tents. I would stay "in park". You might want to stay one night at Wawonna Hotel, then another in the valley area. The valley is where the tent camping, Yosemite Lodge, and the Awahnee are. The big trees are near Wawonna Hotel. National Park Lodging is different than other Hotels in the US. Most are "rustic". I absolutely love them, but some people don't. If you decide on the Grand Canyon for an overnight, it is the same way- and you would want to make lodging ASAP. I always book National Parks a year in advance.

Really, any of the places you have listed would be great for 2-5 days. You really can't go wrong. Your daughter would probably like Vegas and San Fran the least, because they are somewhat more for adults. I like Vegas only for a day or two, while San Fran or San Diego I love.

janisj

spirobulldog: " I can't see 3 nights on the coast between LA and SF, other than that janis has a nice iten"

There are practical reasons I suggested 3 days on the coast. One night is not enough in Monterey/Carmel. By the time they arrive there, the day will be partly over. So if at minimum they want to see the Aquarium, Carmel, and Pt Lobos (which IS the absolute minimum in the area) -- they need to stay 2 nights to actually give them about 1 1/2 days free. Plus many places will require a 2 night stay in June.

Then the next day they face the Big Sur drive and on down the coast. So they'd really need at least one night enroute to LA.

= 3 nights . . .

Jean

IMO, the best way to see the Grand Canyon is flying over it in a 747. Second best way IMO is rafting down part of it. Driving to the rim and looking over? Not worth the nearly 12 hour round-trip drive from Las Vegas, again IMO.

I'd choose Yosemite and a comfortable drive down the coast over Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon IN A HEARTBEAT.

spirobulldog

Rafting or serious hiking in the Grand Canyon is an entire other category than just peering over the rim or a casual stroll down into it. Comparing that to driving down the coast isn't even in the same league. Jean, if you have rafted it and don't rate that one high on your list, you would be one of the few that I know tht doesn't.

Jean

spirobulldog, in this instance I would choose Yosemite and the coast over Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon for many reasons, including logistics and the amount of time this family has.

I've rafted the Colorado twice in different places, once by motor and once by oar. It's not an activity for a 4-year-old, it's fairly expensive, and I prefer August/September over early June. Some people think it's an experience of a lifetime. Others don't.

If you haven't driven the coast between LA and SF, you don't know what you're missing.

Jean

One thought that did come to mind... Driving the coast in June does present the possibility of morning fog. I'd still pick Yosemite and the coast over Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, but the possibility of fog would be all the more reason to spend two or three nights making the drive. Use early morning hours to explore a town and do the majority of traveling in the afternoon. FYI, sunset in mid-June will be at 8:30 pm.

elnap29

kdemunk, I'd keep the plans for Las Vegas and Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon is a marvelous sight! Although I can't stand Las Vegas, my Aussie rellies have found it fascinating, especially since there is nothing like it in Australia. There is a wonderful float trip that is appropriate for families with a 4-year-old that can be arranged through the Grand Canyon concessionaire, but it does take an entire day.
I like janisj's suggestion, although you might consider dropping San Diego and adding those 2 nights elsewhere, perhaps spend 2-3 nights at Grand Canyon and 1 or 2 in Las Vegas or even adding time to SF. Yosemite is beautiful but it seems you might have to choose Grand Canyon over Yosemite.

janisj

" . . . . although you might consider dropping San Diego and adding those 2 nights elsewhere . . . "

I'd also consider dropping San Diego (not because it isn't nice, but more because of the short time available)

But w/ a young child, there is a lot to recommend SD too - Legoland, Wild Animal park, the Zoo, etc.

But I'd still consider dropping it if you want to keep Vegas and the GC.

kdemunk

thank you to so many of you who have given me invaluable suggestions for our trip!! It is still getting fine tunes but janisj yours appears to be the winner with a few alterations so see what you think!! We will fly straight out to Vegas that same night as you suggested (hmm it will be a very very long day once we are through customs but I like your idea!)for 3 nights in Vegas (somewhere on the Strip..Tropicana?? Sahara?? Stratosphere??) Fly to San Fran for 2 nights (Nob Hill Hotel or Hampstead Inn Daly City or King George???)the hire a car to Yosemite for 2 nights at Curry Village tent cabin. Then I guess is it back to San fran to go south along the coast?? A couple of nights somewhere??? (this has been the hard to find bit) Then 2 nights Anahaeim at Ho Jo's, San Diego for a couple followed by 3 nights in apartment on miracle mile in LA. I don't have the itinerary right at the computer but that is how I recall it. I really really appreciate your help everyone especially Janisj!! Any thoughts then on this almost final draft especially re accom??? Should we keep our car once we get to Anaheim to use in LA later??? Many thanks! Kerrie

sf7307

kdemunk, regarding hotel locations....in Las Vegas, I highly recommend staying mid-strip. Can't recommend anything specific, although we liked the Venetian (huge rooms - every room has an "area" for the bed and a living "area" (they're not two separate rooms though). In San Francisco, I'm not sure what or where the Hampstead Inn is, but I would absolutely not recommend staying in Daly City - too difficult to get around from there.

janisj

That will make a great trip. But then you could hardly have a bad trip through most of those places

IMO, not Daly city for sure. The King George is the best located of those three (a seemingly odd choice ranging from Daly City to around the corner from union Square. Did you find these on some website -- because we might be able to recommend other choices)

As for Yosemite to the Coast - no, you don't need to go back to SF. There is essentially a direct driving route due west from YNP to Monterey. Hwy 140 out of the park, across to I-5 then hwy 152 all the way to the coast and hwy 1 down to Monterey. There are other variations of this route we can help you w/ once you decide where you are staying. (You'd still take 152 but jog over on hwy to hwy 1 or 101)

I'd definitely keep the car for the whole time you're in southern California. Just makes everything easier.