Just checking to make sure we've allowed enough time- any tips appreciated.

Oct. 15th- flight arrives Las Vegas 7:55 pm. Check in @ Mirage.

Oct. 16th- all day/night in Vegas- gamble, see sights, lounge by pool.

Oct. 17th- pick up rental car @ 8:00 am, drive to Grand Canyon (south rim). Afternoon spent seeing some of the upper views and visitor center. Check in Thunderbird Lodge.

Oct. 18th- up to see sunrise over canyon. Drive to Phoenix w/brief (unfortunately) drive through Sedona. Need to be in Phoenix by dinner time to see DH's grandparents.

Oct. 19th- Phoenix w/grandparents- may be able to work in some sights but are really there to see them so haven't planned anything.

Oct. 20th- leave Phoenix by 10:00 am and drive to LA passing thru Palm Springs on way (prob. stop for late lunch/early dinner). Check in Hyatt West Hollywood.

Oct. 21st- "Touristy" LA- Breakfast @ Farmer's market, Peterson Car Museum, Tar Pits, Walk of Fame & Chinese Theatre. Night open)

Oct. 22nd- After early breakfast drive Sunset Blvd. out to ocean- see Venice & Santa Monica briefly (4-5 hrs). Drive Mulholland drive back to Griffith Park, hike some of the shorter trails.

Oct. 23rd- Morning walk somewhere (choosing from many great options suggested to me on an earlier post). Getty Center @ 10:00 when first open. (Allowing 3 hrs.- I know this is not nearly enough but I would rather see a little of it than none at all) Quick lunch on drive to Pasadena to Huntington Gardens-try to arrive by 2:30 since it closes @ 4:30. (only planning on seeing gardens, not museum/library @ Huntington)

Oct. 24th- leave LA by 6:30 am, drive up Hwy. 1 to Hearst Castle. Reservations for 3:00 "experience" tour & movie. Dinner & check in @ Sea Otter Inn in Cambria.

Oct. 25th- walk the beach in Cambria- hopefully see some seals/tidepools. Leave by 12:00 noon to drive back to Las Vegas to catch midnight flight back home.

Your actual timings are pretty good. The only change I would personally do is drop the drives Phoenix > LA and LA > LV.

Both of these drives are long, boring and very tiring. You could fly from Phoenix to LA and LA to LV for really low fares. and you would have more time in the places you are visiting.

Good suggestion, Janis.

Would Cambria be closer to LAX or San Jose for their flight back to Vegas?

Cambria's almost an hour closer to San José than LA-- if they choose to fly back to Las Vegas that afternoon, SJC is a better choice (especially given traffic in the LA metro area).

Great suggestion, Janis! Southwest Airlines would be ideal for the short flights.

I suspected that San Jose might be a better choice.

as you say, San Jose would be good too - depends on which airports have the current best Southwest fare to LV. There are frequent "sales".

Make sure you have parking reserved at the Getty so you can get to your car quicker. Making it to Pasadena to see the Hunnington Gardens may be a bit rushed but it is lovely there.

Enjoy!

Just a couple of comments on your LA portion:

True LA breakfast experience is at the Original Pantry on Figueroa. It used to be owned by former LA Mayor Richard Riordan and it's open 365 days/year. The only day it ever closed was a few years ago when they didn't meet health standards. But, the food is awesome! You order and your breakfast (HUGE) is delivered in less than 120 seconds. I'm not kidding you! These old guys who take your order never carry a pad of paper, they remember everything! They're such a part of the history of that restaurant. MMMmmmm. The ham & eggs are to die for!

Next: yes, do get reservations for parking at the Getty. They're required for weekday visits, but not on the weekend. And, honestly - I don't think the Getty has anywhere near the kind of art that's available elsewhere in LA. Just do the Getty for the "touristy" obligation and that's it. You'll spend about 2 hours max there, just taking in the bland architecture and you'll be done.

If you're already doing the Petersen Automotive museum - check out LACMA across the street. That museum is chock-full of amazing exhibits! Their permanent collection is quite extensive. I go there about half a dozen times a year, and I still haven't seen all there is to see.

You'll love the Petersen. They've got a great Rolls-Royce exhibit now through 2004. It's wonderful!

You're right, you won't have much time at the Huntington Library. But, take a few pictures in the gardens and you're done.

Have a good trip!

Good news!

I just got my "This Month at the Getty" September issue, and it says:

NO MORE PARKING RESERVATIONS!

You do NOT need to make parking reservations any more. You still need to make event reservations.

If you drive to the Getty and can park there, it's $5. Otherwise, you can go to the lot at the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Constitution Avenue where both parking and shuttle are free.

If you do get to an evening event, the ride down on the minirail gives you an awesome view of Los Angeles at night!

Enjoy!