Jan

Flying to Phx..Rent car & drive to Sedona, take a van tour from Sedona to Grand Canyon the next day, stay in Sedona 3rd Day and enjoy beauty and have a restful day, leave for Vegas next day..Vegas 2 nights, drive to coast to visit relatives. Four hours driving first day, four hours, second day ( I dread this driving) 2 nights on coast...Drive to Yosemite...staying 3 nights,taking van tour the 2nd day there, rest and relexation 3rd day, drive to Lake Tahoe 4th day (I've been there, but husband hasn't and I think it is a place everyone should see - we also have free lodging there) & stay for 3 nights, with a tour 2nd day & maybe a couple of nearby side trips the 3rd day such as Virginia City...Fly from Reno on the 15th to return home....does this sound acceptable for those who wish to rest awhile in between sightseeing? For the most part on our 2-week trip, we are planning to stay 3 nights in each spot. Our aim is to see some beautiful sights without exhausting ourselves. Hopefully it will be so rewarding that we will want to try again next year to see some different sights...like flying to Denver to begin our trip...

The only surprise so far, as we haven't traveled much, is how expensive it is to pick up a rental car in one location and drop it off at another...

Suzie

Well you're sure seeing a lot from inside a van or car. I read your post twice and find it exhausting but everyone has different ideas of vacation and I respect yours. One question though, with the beauty and splendor of Tahoe why would you visit Virginia City? My parents dragged us there as children and to this day I will not return. If you don't want to stay around the lake then take a trip to Squaw Valley and take the tram up to High Camp and hike around. It's beautiful up there. If that doesn't appeal to you skip Virginia City and drive around the lake and stop in at Sugar Pine Point and take a tour of the mansion there. It's a beautiful spot on the lake. I don't know if you're up to it but there is a hike along the lake around Bliss state park that is lovely too. Spend some time at Meeks Bay. Nice white sandy beach now run by the Wahoe and is open during the off season.

Jan

Thanks Susie for the advice about Virginia City...and the suggestions...I will certainly heed some of them...I guess we will be exhausted but since I have friends who have driven 10,000 miles in a period of 4 weeks to see the West, I guess I think this sounds good...As for the tours, I feel that my husband will get more out of it if he isn't doing the driving and we will probably see more as we won't be having to worry about finding our way, parking, etc...If we do it wrong this time, we will surely do it differently the next time...

Suzie

Since I've lived in CA all my life I am fortunate to be able to see it a much more liesurely pace. I don't blame you for wanting to see as much as you can while you're here. I hope you enjoy your visit, you will be viewing some very beautiful scenery. Will you be going from Yosemite to Tahoe by way of Lee Vining and onto 395 or will you come back out of Yosemite up 99 to 50 or 80? If you go out of Yosemite through Lee Vining and then up to Tahoe on 395 you will see the east side of Yosemite which is so amazing.

What?

Driving 10,000 miles in 4 weeks....for a vacation??!!

That's over 7 HOURS A DAY of driving, EVERY day for a MONTH!!
Who would do such an asinine thing??

If that's what those people do to relax (vacation) I'd like to know what they do when they're REALLY wound up!

Jan

Thanks again from the Bluegrass state for your help....I haven't looked at the big map but by looking at my "Triptik", it appears that we will be leaving Yosemite via of 120 to 395...I will look closer to make sure as you certainly know better than I if you've lived in that area of the country all your life....

Suzie

120 to 395 is a good choice. You'll be seeing some nice scenery and the drive up 395 is superior than the other choices. Now about gas prices.......

Jan

To What? I agree and told our friends that their trip sounded like "torture" to me also...and the wife admitted that although they saw a lot, she would "cut off her head" before she did that again...Of course, all vacations are not rest & relaxation...I know of no way to see some of the country than by being in a car much too long...and the fact that I hate being on the highways makes it even tougher for me....That's why we are flying the biggest part of the way....My husband has never been west of St. Louis and he has a real treat waiting for him even if exhaustion is the price he pays..