lacyjo

Hi, first time here. I was reading a lot of the posts about California and now I have no idea how to find them back ! I am looking for lots of information. We are taking a 14 day trip to CA. We are flying into LA, going to San Diego for 5 days..planning on doing Sea World, Whale Watching, Universal Studios and tourist sights like Hollywood and Vine, Rodeo Dr. etc. Then we are heading to find some Redwoods. Don't have time to go all the way to the Oregon border, question 1.. which ones are the best to see ? What are the Muir Woods by SF like ? worth the trip there, or not that impressive ? If they are impressive, would it be worth while to drive farther north since the time limit is short ? if so, how far ? Would like to spend 2 nights in SF and head to Vegas. question 2.. is that trip do-able in 1 day ? Someone said that it was an exhausting drive, but they didn't elaborate.. is it because the road it bad, snowy, winding ? Or just because it is a long way ? Any info that anyone can give me is very much appreciated.

utahtea

It's a 570 mile trip from SF to Las Vegas. Depending on the day and time, you could run into some commute traffic in the SF Bay Area which could delay you. Other wise most of the trip is on Interstates. Roads are good, but the scenery is pretty BORING driving down I-5. If you drive 75 on the Interstates it will take about 9 hours of just driving time.

BTW, Yes it can be done in one day... We've done it a few times.

Utahtea

rkkwan

I-5 along the Central Valley is fast and boring. Then you need to take CA58 (or other routes) over to Bakersville, and that means traffic lights, shopping centers, etc...

CA58 from Bakersville over Tehachapi Pass is fun and interesting, but then from Mojave to Barstow has stretches of 2-lanes. So you need to pass slower trucks in the oncoming lane. Depending on time of day I-15 up to Vegas can be pretty fast and easy, or bumper-to-bumper if it's Friday evening.

In general, it's a pretty exhausting drive, mostly because of traffic. You won't find any snow on this route.

martavis

Thanks so much to all of you. Yosemite it is!

easytraveler

You didn't say what time of year you will be taking your trip.

If you go to Yosemite, you cannot cross over to Interstate 395 until at least late May. Tioga Pass is closed until we, the rest of the state, are already into the summer season.

It is well worth driving Interstate 395 and then splitting off on Highway 190 to go to Las Vegas. Some of the attractions along the way are the Mammoth Lakes area, Mt Whitney area, and, of course, Death Valley.

On the other hand, if you cannot cross the breadth of Yosemite because Tioga Pass is closed, then you will have to come down to the Central Valley via Highway 41 to Highway 99 and retrace some of the route that the others have outlined for you. This is a less interesting drive along Interstate 15.

Getting to Las Vegas is a grueling drive through the desert no matter which way you go. However, if you take the Death Valley drive, you are rewarded with some pretty spectacular vistas in some areas vs mile after mile of truly boring mesquite-ladden scenery on Interstate 15. This stretch of road is best down before noon.

Hope this helps!

viamar

Big Basin State park is a great place to see redwoods but a little out of your way. Second choice would be Muir Woods which is an easy day trip from San Francisco. I think you'd be happy with Muir Woods so I don't think you'd need to drive further north.
It's a long drive to Las Vegas and it's boring. I-5 is boring so is I-15 but it's doable in a day. Why not fly into Vegas then drive to LA then up the coast to SF?

Franklinn

I agree with the previous poster's recommendation for Big Basin Redwoods Park. The trees thee are much nicer than Muir Woods. Big Basin is on the way to SF from up the coast. I think that going all the way up to SF and then driving back to Las Vegas will make for a very LONG and boring drive to Las Vegas. While you could do the drive in a day (takes about 8-9 hrs.) it will be exhausting, especially after all the other driving you'll be doing.

My recommendation is to do the following:

San Diego (5 days) Seaworld, Old Town, Whale watching, etc.

Los Angeles (3 days) Rodeo Drive, Universal Studios, Getty Center(a must see), Santa Monica Pier, etc. From LA drive up the coast on Highway 1.

Santa Barbara (1 day) From there continue up the coast to Cambria.

Cambria (1 day) The next morning take a tour of Hearst Castle(make reservations for tickets). In the afternoon dirve up to Big Sur. There are also redwoods along Big Sur at Julia Pfeiffer Park. The link below is to an interactive map of Highway 1 with recommended stops along the way.

http://www.pelicannetwork.net/big.sur.coast.htm

Continue up to the Monterey Bay area,

Monterey/Carmel (1 day) Point Lobos, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf.

Drive up Highway 1 north from Monterey to Highway 17 north to Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains (www.bigbasin.org) After Big Basin drive to San Jose.

San Jose (1 day) Tech Museum, Winchester Mystery House, Santana Row Shopping Center just down the street from the Winchester House. Santana Row is has a European village atmosphere. The next day leave for Las Vegas.

Las Vegas (2 days) Then fly home from there.

Have an excellent trip.

lacyjo

Sounds like I should have found this place first, before I made all of the reservations.
Will probably have to make a second trip to CA, doesn't sound like I am going to fit it all in.
Thanks for all of the info.

ramblinrose

Hi, If you read this message - let us know who is going. Kids? 30-somethings etc and interests. Thx. 2-wks Ca and no LAS is my vote. If you want redwoods, absolutely Muir Woods is best, most accessible. Easy afternoon trip from sfo. LA, Santa Barbara, Cambria/San Simeon/Hearst Castle, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Napa Valley. Please do Las Vegas as seperate trip by itself with some cheap package deal. Have a great time.

Robinsen

For the absolutely best place to see the redwoods, Big Basin is your best bet. Muir Woods doesn't even compare. Given the amount of time you have, I would just save SF for another trip. Anyhow, Muir Woods is also more out of the way since it's north of SF. I have been to Big Basin and Muir Woods and didn't feel that Big Basin was any less accessible than Muir Woods.

sparky67

Muir Woods is fantastic. I recommend them over Big Basin, especially since they are closer to SF and many other wonderful places. Muir Woods and/or Pt. Reyes make a great day trip from the city.

If you head up past SF on 101 toward Garberville you can also check out the Avenue of the Giants, which is a beautiful place to visit the redwoods. It's about a 4 hour drive, but you can arrange your itinerary to visit the wine country if you like.

Big Basin is nice, but out of the way and not convenient to the other sights you describe wanting to see.

I have driven between SF and Vegas several times. It's not difficult, just long. Bakersfield is a good halfway point. If you're short on time, I recommend flying Southwest in and out of Oakland.

Have a great trip!