RedRock

If you have to stop more than a couple of times and go to the loo your itinerary will be off. Exhausting to say the least..........

Barbara_in_FL

Just a few random thoughts. I would definitely spend a few days in New York. It's lots of fun at Christmas and you will not be driving around while you're there (although serious snow in December would be fairly unusual). If you are flying to Quebec and not driving around the countryside I don't see any reason to be afraid of snow there either (except for the possibility of flight delays). I have not made that trip but it is high on my list. I also vote for skipping Niagara and Chicago, though, for the reasons others have mentioned. We have flown or driven to Chicago for many family Christmas-es and it is usually cold, cold, cold. Bone-numbingly cold. Cold enough that the winter clothes you were comfortable in on the east coast are simply not enough. It's a great city -- come back in some other season some day and spend three or four days there, at least, but if you just pass through at Christmas you are likely to spend most of your time running frantically from one indoor destination to another. Use those days to slow down while you're driving around out West.

Michael

Chicago has some great museums (all indoors) that make the city worth a visit.

eigasuki

<<I do not see the appeal of the beaches in in the LA area for Australians.>>

I can't speak for the Op of course but I would say the attraction is not the actual beach per se and swimming, sunbathing etc. We have all seen and heard of these beaches many times in movies and TV shows aand I guess many Aussies would be interested in seeing these beaches for themselves, if only to see how they compare. It prbably only requires a drive past, especially in winter! Less than a day.

I'm planning a four week trip myself in September and am doing something similar on the West side - only New York and New England on the other side, and I don't think I'm overdoing it. That's the way I like to travel. I'm not one for sitting by pools and at coffee shops on an OS trip. I could go to Bali if I just wanted to laze around, at a fraction of the cost.

Just the travelling takes up a large chunk of the time, checking out getting to and from airports with a generous allowance for time, waiting at the airport etc, the best part of a day is gone. If I were the OP I'd be dropping Chicago and Hawaii, though I realise the Chicago leg is really just a stopover.

It's a bit like those who hope to see all of Australia in one visit. It's such a long and expensive trip just to get there, there's a temptation to see all the Highlights. And it's frequently done on packaged tours. Not sure I'd take my mother along, though!

jenskar

Quebec City is really amazingly special. Part of it is really more like an old European City (especially the oldest part of town at the bottom of the cliff) and they love their winters up there. Also, as it's the French part of Canada you're going to get food you won't get anywhere else (even good french NY restaurants can't compare). The cheeses are unforgetable, we even ate caribou one night with a chef and his wife we met.
I for one want to hear all about the dog sledding.
And definitely see NY at Christmas time - corny as it sounds to NYers, Rockefeller Center is really something with the huge tree and ice skaters and all the special window displays at the big department stores.
I would skip Niagra Falls and Chicago, going in and out of Chicago for one day isn't going to make much sense.
It can snow in NY in December -- just depends on the weather pattern that year.
As to some of the other parts of your trip -- I'm sure someone has pointed out you can helicopter to the Grand Canyon from LV for one day. It's going to be cold that time of year and seeing it this quickly may make more sense than driving and staying over. If you do want to drive to see the scenery, you might just want to add a loop to the east to see the Hopi villages -- that time of year you could sync up with some of the winter festivals with dances, etc., and that is really unique.
I'd never tell someone not to see Vegas. It's Disneyland on a grand, grand scale for adults. The wattage alone could light a small country for a year.
Hope this helps !!

rtccass

Thanks for the constructive suggestions.
Redrock your comment is funny but not terribly helpful.
Jenskar, I think you understand us. We are coming a long way and want to see as much as possible.
Thank you for your positive comments about Quebec city for Xmas.

Our friends went to Las Vegas and said the same thing as you... Disneyland for adults.

I am really surprised that people are suggesting to leave off Niagra Falls.
We hear so much about it..... almost like a natural wonder of the world. I must be wrong.

It maybe the only chance we get to come to the US, so we want to see as much as we can.

I must say my mother is a very fit and active 70 yr old.

Barbara you are right, we will not be driving on the east coast. Yes I hope NY will be lovely in Dec.

Eigasuki, how long are you spending on the west coast? Are you from Oz?
Thanks everone for your help, still working on a new itinerary. Will cut out Yosemite and spend the extra time in San Fran and probably fly to Las Vegas. Will also look into helicoptering into Grand Canyon. I guess one of the advantages of staying there is watching the sunrise or sunset that I have read people talking about.
Can not cut out Hawaii as it is a special request of daughter.

eigasuki

Yes I'm from Aus - the west coast so there's another huge chunk of time just getting across to Sydney and back to start the journey. So far I've only booked air tickets; will fly into San francisco and have ten days until I fly to LV so it will probably be four nights in SF, driving to LA and stopping off at Monterey and somewhere further south like Cambria, then another four nights in La - then four nights in LV which includes an overnight at Grand Canyon ( have a friend in LV and she's arranging that part of things!)

I tried to find a way to fit Niagara in but as i'm there in fall, chose to concentrate on foliage viewing instead But I may yet change my mind - I still have six months before I leave.

rm_mn

Niagara Falls is indeed a great natural wonder. It is also somewhat isolated from other wonders so it takes more of your precious time to get there and back.

When you talk about a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon, be aware that helicopters are not allowed down into the canyon at Grand Canyon National Park but instead land at what is called the west rim within the Indian Reservation that is controlled by the Hualapi tribe. I haven't been there but I've been told that it is magnificent in its own right, but on nowhere near the scale as the national park.

Some of the posters have suggested flying from San Francisco to Las Vegas to avoid the 5 hour drive. It's an idea to be considered. However, when you take into account the time to get to the airport, the lines through security, the possibility of a flight delay, collecting your luggage at Las Vegas and getting another rental vehicle, I'm not sure you really save any time and you miss the scenery between the two cities. Having just flown into Las Vegas and out again, if my drive was less than 8 hours, I'd probably drive instead.

rtccass

Eigasuki: I would love to hear how your trip goes... will you post a trip report?
rm_mn: interesting thought re time driving vs flying

How long is the drive from San Fran to Las Vegas if we don't go to Yosemite?

Thanks for everyone's imput

rm_mn

Oops, my mistake. It's a long drive from San Francisco because the roads don't go straight. Because of the mountains between San Francisco and Las Vegas, the route takes you nearly back to Los Angles before heading toward Las Vegas. From Las Angeles to Las Vegas is about 270 miles on the interstate highway, or about 5 hours. From San Francisco to Las Vegas it's about 570 miles and not all interstate so it's more like 8.5 to 9 hours of driving. Right on the edge of my cutoff for flying instead of driving.

BarbaraS

Here's a suggested west coast itinerary similar to your original, but eliminating Yosemite and flying to Las Vegas from San Francisco:

LA 4 days(includes Disneyland, Universal Studio, Hollywood, beaches)
2 days driving Pacific coast to San Fran
2 days San Fran - Fly to Las Vegas early on the 3 morning, hop in your rental car and drive to the Grand Canyon
2 days Grand Canyon
2 days Las Vegas
Fly to New York

While flying from San Francisco and driving to the Grand Canyon on the same day makes for a long day, I think it is much better than staying in Las Vegas first and driving back from the Grand Canyon and taking the long flight to NY on the same day.

janisj

rtcass: RedRocks's post about a loo break may have seemed sarcastic - but he speaks truth . . . .

You itinerary is VERY hectic and any little hiccup will blow it out of the water. You (and eigasuki as well) assume by going farther, faster, to more places, you will see "more". I know the urge - I travel to Europe frequently from CA and there is the sense "I am going that far, I better darn well see a LOT of "stuff".

But in reality, that often means you see much less. W/ just 4 weeks you are spending about 40 % of your days just in transit between places and across the country and back.

If you re-think this and plan 3 weeks in CA/LV and the Grand canyon and 1 week in Hawaii it would still be very rushed but you could at least "see" more things instead of just passing by . . . .

enzian

The goal is to have a white Christmas, so I can see why they wish to head north and east rather than spend the whole time in California and Arizona. The itinerary suggested by BarbaraS makes good sense. And it is actually not too hectic to fly to Las Vegas and drive to the Grand Canyon the same day---we do that from Seattle, which is a much longer flight, and still have time to enjoy the day, and the Canyon when we get there.

janisj

The best white christmas I've ever had was in Yosemite - the second best was at Lake Tahoe. There is no reason to traipse all across the country for snow. CA isn't all beaches and sunshine and wineries.

moneygirl

janisj...

I agree but they seem pretty set on this schedule... too bad because I think they will miss a lot.

One day in Chicago... one day? Makes no sense.

I don't think they want suggestions...just general information and affirmation.

janisj

moneygirl: You're probably right. I have friends from OZ who absolutely insisted "the more the better" is the only way a trip to the States made sense. That is until they got here realized how much there is to see/do w/i one or two states Now they come back every 2 years or so and have never been east of Zion - except one trip where the flew directly to NYC and spent 3 weeks in NY and New England.

BarbaraS

I disagree - while they do not want to completely eliminate the east coast part of the trip, I think they are considering all advice and have already made some good changes in just one day!

moneygirl

I did the same thing when we went to Australia! I insisted on driving the Bruce Highway from Brisbane all the way to Port Douglas. No one told me that it was not especially scenic or that it was a two lane road for the most part, that towns are an hour a part and we spent HOURS drving and could have taken a quick flight!

jenskar

rtccass
I think people are suggesting skipping Niagra Falls given the time of year more than anything. The falls are rather awesome but one huge component to experiencing that power is the Maid of Mists boat trip right into the center of the horseshoe below the falls. I checked the website and it doesn't run after October. I stopped at Niagra on the way to Toronto one April and it was ridiculously cold even then.
Maybe if you add those days to Yosemite the west coast contingent will be pacified, allow you to enjoy the 12 days you have planned out east and stop talking about you in the third person when you're here reading in the virtual first

celfan

I'd completely skip the Toronto-Niagara Falls-Chicago part of your trip. They are all worth seeing but they don't fit in your trip.

Airfares out of Quebec City are expensive so check out Montreal for a Hawaii flight. If thats too expensive consider flying from Quebec City to New York and catching a Hawaii flight there.