since I got no replies on what to do on the way,i am figuring that there is nothing worth stoping to see.
what is the most direct route and how long should it take ?
thanks
Messa

Hi Melissa,
Our family does this trip every year, and we haven't found one thing that makes us want to stop along the way, at least not until we get to Oakhurst, a town directly south of Yosemite, that has been growing in leaps and bounds over the years. For us, and we come from West L.A., the most direct route is the 405 to the 5 to the 99 up to Fresno, then taking the 41 directly up to the entrance just outside of Fish Camp, and into the Valley. It takes about 6 hours. I suppose (but I've not done this) you could detour around Goshen or Visalia, and travel east to Sequoia National Park or, alternatively, from the 5 take the 14 to the 395 (our route to Mammoth), stop in Mammoth Lakes before heading over to the Valley.

thanks

Of the 2 routes that Surfergirl mentions, the 395 route is definitely more scenic. However, I'm not sure what time of year that you are going. The Tioga Pass, which connects the 395 with Yosemite, sometimes doesn't open until May.

There are also some interesting stops on the 395 route. There's Bodie, a "ghost town". http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509
There's also Manzanar Interpretive Center, which is the site of a former WWII internment camp. http://www.nps.gov/manz/

There are also a few cute towns you pass through, such as Lone Pine and Bishop, where you can stop for a bite to eat.

I'm not sure what the time difference is between the two routes. Mapquest can probably help you there.

Have a great trip.

we are going in august
thanks

if we go on 395 both stops sound great.
if we stop at both, cawe make the drive in one day?

The drive over Tioga Pass and down 395 is incredibly scenic, but it will be a very long day in the car. You can do it, but you should figure on about 8 hours to stop, sightsee and eat.

Once you leave Yosemite park via Tioga pass and get to a town called Lee Vining, it's a straight, quick drive down highway 395. You will be driving through high desert and seeing the eastern side of the Sierras. At Lone Pine, be sure to stop and look up at Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental U.S. Ask someone which peak to look at. Lone Pine is a very pretty little town, they filmed numerous westerns there in the Alabama Hills, and "Gunga Din" from 1939 with Cary Grant.

Melissa,

I think the key is for you to leave L.A. early enough to avoid the morning commute traffic. We live about 20 min. south of LAX and we try to get on the road no later than 5 a.m. when driving to Mammoth. The bonus is seeing the sunrise over the Mojave Desert.

LA-Independence (site of Manzanar), approximately 4.5 hours.

Independence to Bishop - 1 hour - Stop at Eric Schat's Bakery for some treats.

Bishop-Mammoth Lakes - 1 hour. Possible lunch stop.

Mammoth Lakes - Bodie - 1.5--2 hours

Bodie - Yosemite Valley - 2.5 - 3 hours

If you leave L.A. early enough, you can make both stops plus a lunch stop and be in Yosemite by 6 pm.

If we don't get a early start, where would you spend the night enroute?

Thanks

Melissa

Melissa,

If you don't get an early start, prepare yourself for adding an extra two hours of sitting in traffic just to get out of L.A. County.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but Bishop would probably have the most reasonable lodging. June Lake has low-budget lodging as well. Mammoth has choices in every price range.

can we leave after rush hour traffic?Thanks

My kids, with grandchild, stop at Bishop every year (on the way to join us in Tahoe) They stay at the Holiday Inn Express there, which is very nice. Usually they leave at 9-10 in the morning from LAX area, and once after work on a Friday, but they know they have a nice place to look forward to checking in to.

Ivk...we always stopped at Schat's Bakery, no matter where we were going!
Did the Mammoth drive for years.

If you don't want to drive that far, we have stayed a number of times at the Best Western Frontier Motel in Lone Pine. (hike Mt. Whitney) It is spacious and clean, and they have a cont. breakfast.

Hi MBNancy!

How long does it take them to get to Bishop when they leave the South Bay at 9 am? We once didn't leave until 7 am, and we were in miserable, mind-numbing, teeth-gnashing traffic from LAX-Palmdale for about 3.5 hours. It was a terrible way to start the weekend.

I was disappointed when I heard that the Schat's bakery in Mammoth had closed. I have a hard time getting DH to stop in Bishop. He likes to leave home early and drive straight through, so he can get in a half day of skiing. (Of course that's because he's sleeping most of the way, while yours truly gets the speeding ticket.)

Sorry to hijack your thread, Melissa.

Have a good weekend!

Ivk,
I'd say no more than 5 hours, but they get on the 405 at Rosecrans, after the work traffic has thinned, and probably closer to 10 am by the time they get the car packed and are actually on the freeway.