Lake Tahoe to Yosemite to Las Vegas
 

Me and my fiancé will be getting married in Tahoe in August and plan on doing a two day road trip through Yosemite to Las Vegas. Will be leaving Tahoe Tuesday morning and want to be in Vegas Thursday night. We would love some information on the best route for a two day trip to see as much as we can in that time period without going to far off course. Also any suggestions where to stay, eat, visit..... Any information is appreciated greatly and thanks in advance!

Moved to US board

Welcome to Fodor's Coach! Are you planning on getting married in Nevada or California? I think the license is easier to get in Nevada. By August the Tioga Pass should be open so that you can leave Yosemite via the east exit. You can also drive through Death Valley NP to get to Las Vegas. Where do you want to go from Las Vegas?
Of course you could reverse the trip and get married in Las Vegas, visit Death Valley and Yosemite and then hit Lake Tahoe before heading for home from Reno or Sacramento.

Congratulations . . .

Now the problems - First off all you need to wait to see when Yosemite re-opens to the public.

Assuming it is open by August -- your second issue is you haven't really allowed enough time for that jaunt. You'd want to drive from Tahoe SW either down Hwy 49 or all the way to Sacramento and then south to enter the park from the west side and leave YNP east via Tioga Pass. Tahoe to Yosemite Valley is a 5 to 6 hour drive. So staying one night means you'll have next to no time in the Valley. Then Yosemite Valley to Vegas over Tioga Pass take 8+hours without any stops. It is more than 6 hours just to Death Valley.

sooooo - you could stay 2 nights in YNP and then press on and slog all the way to Vegas in one go on Thursday - . . . OR skip Yosemite and just head down 395

As mentioned, you could skip Yosemite and instead drive down the eastern side of the Sierra, visit the Bodie State Historical Park:

https://flic.kr/p/8p4D45
and then visit the bristlecone forest off CA 168 which would be cooler than crossing Death Valley.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien...ne_Pine_Forest

We finally visited Bodie a couple of summers ago. It is a really well-preserved ghost town. A must-see if you're into that kind of thing. Thank you Fodorites!

Thanks
 

I would skip Las Vegas in August. Too dang hot.

In August I would skip LV (and Death Valley) and anywhere below about 4500 / 5000 foot altitude. The good - they give rooms away in Vegas in August (except Fri/Sat nights). The bad -- everything else.

Now, If one flew from RNO or SMF to LAS, took a taxi to the hotel, and never left the hotel/air conditioning one could maybe manage in LV in August.

Not that you asked but the California coast would be a much better combo with Tahoe than is Las Vegas.