Travel West Coast
 

I am an Australian travelling to the West Coast for 4 weeks. I am accompanied with my wife and 2 kids below 12yrs and parents. I plan to travel next year some time in the month of March 2015 to April 2015. I need to book car, hotel and flights.

Other than Disney Land, I want to do a lot of sight seeing. Places intended to travel rather than relaxing activities

1) Hawaii (Optional)
2) San Diego (optional)
3) anaheim (Disney land)
4) Los Angeles
5) Grand Canyon
6) Las Vegas
7) San Fransico
8) San Jose (Optional)
9) Portland (Optional - more for shopping due no sales tax)
10) Seattle
11) Vancouver (optional)
10) Please suggest any other to see

I have not planned the activities but dont intend to visit the beaches as we have plenty of them in Sydney.

I have seen some forums saying that returning a car for a rental company is a good option.
Accomodation - Since we will driving alot - any recommendation of joining a club for discounts/ hotel chain/ short term rental places.

I have lived in the US (Virginia) before so I have travelled the east a bit.

Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Steve

Stopping for a stay in Hawaii might break up the long flight from Australia.

And while Australia is big - so is the West.

Recommend you check the various mileages. Now - I have no problem covering a lot of ground in a day - but with a family you might have to plan it out better?

And I think you could rent a car in say Los Angeles - or San Diego - and get over to the GC and LV - and then back to California and up the Coast - to San Francisco ultimately.

From there - heading north - there are a lot of options - in Oregon and also Washington state. (BTW - in researching renting a car - ask about drop off programs/charges).

Have you checked out threads on Oregon and Wash?

With six you're going to need a large vehicle, probably a minivan. While sometimes these are available for one-way hires, they're not plentiful and never inexpensive. You should also research weather conditions in the various regions you'll be visiting, and talk to your party about priorities. In March/April the Pacific Northwest (northern California, Oregon, Washington and BC) will be rainy (and snowy in the mountains) but springlike. In the southwest, the Grand Canyon may still have freezing temperatures (due to its high altitude) while other parts of the "red rocks" areas can have nice spring weather.

For these reasons (expensive rentals, climate differences) you might consider turning the trip into a couple of "loops" rather than a long one-way "linear" itinerary. That way you could return the vehicle to its rental point, avoiding one-way hire charges, then fly or take a train, whatever, to the next start/end point. I could see a big "California" loop including LA, SF, Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and maybe the Gold Rush country along the west slope of the Sierra Nevada foothills - glorious in the spring, historic, affordable, scenic...

Then maybe you could do a "northwest" loop including Portland, Seattle, BC, and some of the coastal areas which, while wet, can be amazing in the spring. You could also visit the Columbia River Gorge near Portland (one of the scenic highlights of the west) and maybe the daffodil and tulip fields north of Seattle. Or maybe head to Whistler and hit the skis. Again, tons of options.

You have plenty of time to plan.

Beaches are not an option in that season anyway, but the coast (Big Sur) or north of San Francisco might be different from yours.

You left out Yosemite--the valley is generally accessible without chains even in March, although one year we got caught in a monster storm there the first week of March. You'll want to see the Giant Sequoias (Yosemite) and the coastal rewoods (from the north end of Big Sur to the Oregon coast).

You are apparently driving? If so get a map of the western States, I know that AAA has some, and with a guidebook try to figure out what you want to see between the main points you listed and see what is the most efficient way of doing it. Keep in mind that the roads over the southern Sierra will be closed (US50 and I80 are open).

Does you family like to camp? There are many spectacular national parks, national forests, national monuments to see in the west.

March is still winter in the western mountains, but nice in the southwestern deserts, so I'd concentrate on those areas. The further north you go in March, the colder and rainier it will get - Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are pretty rainy in March.

<i>Does you family like to camp?</i>

Not recommended in March.

Rent a car from rentalcars.com (used to be traveljigsaw and carhire3000 but they changed their name. They will provide all insurance you need and often waive dropoff fees on common routes such as LA-SF, etc.
Drop San Jose - nothing to see there other than the cheezy Winchester Mystery House.
Drive San Diego (or LA) to SF via Highway One stopping for overnights in Pismo Beach and Monterey en route. You can do it with one overnight but 2-3 is better.

Thanks all

Does your family like to camp? Yes for a few days. I think we will camp in Grand Canyon and Yosemite. My trip plan looks like this

Location Duration
Sydney to Hawaii 3 Incl Flying
San Diego 1
Los Angeles 2
Anaheim 2
Las Vegas 2
Grand Canyon 2 Incl Driving
Yosemite NatPark 1
San Fransico 3 Incl Driving
Sacremento 1
Portland 2 One Day shopping. Take tra
Seattle 2 Take train Vancouver
Vancouver 2
23

I think have 4 to 5 days spare. Can you please suggest what other places I can visit or my trip is to short in the above places. I have read online taking the train is an easy option to go from San Fran to Vancouver. Plus I am on a Australian Passport

My objective is to do more site seeing except Disneyland and Universal Studio.

Thanks in advance
Steve

Just missed on asking ..what are your thoughts of moving my trip by 6 months from Mar to Oct either this year or the next in terms of Weather, cheaper accomodation, rental etc.

Currently we are 6 people incl my 2 kids. I think in Sister law and her Hubby and 1 yr child might tag along. Which site can I find accomodation for bigger numbers. Worst case we can book 2 rooms in a hotel.

Thanks
Steve

If you like the idea of taking the train, remember that the northbound Amtrak Coast Starlight leaves Sacramento around midnight every night. Can you leave the rental car in Sacramento instead of driving it all the way to Portland?
One of the things to see in the "Old Sacramento" section is the California Train Museum. The grounds of the State Capitol is also an attraction.

I'd drop Sacramento and use it toward a night between Grand Canyon and Yosemite (get your permits for Yosemite a year in advance, they sell out), maybe stay in Bishop or Lone Pine.

<i>maybe stay in Bishop or Lone Pine.</i>

for what purpose?

October is a better time, especially early October. The weather is still warm, so that camping is an option (although I do not see just camping a few days in Yosemite and a couple of day at the Grand Canyon--where would you get the equipment and would you haul it for the entire trip?). The mountain passes will still be open which might make route planning easier--it would shorten the route between Las Vegas and Yosemite.

Any inter-state drop off will probably incur a stiff one-way charge. On the other hand, hopping between cities by air or train might turn out to be just as expensive for a party of six as driving.

Michael I suggested staying somewhere along Highway 395 to break up the long drive between Grand Canyon and Yosemite, the OP has his children and parents along and they are liable to get tired on a long drive like that.

In that case, I would push to Mammoth Lakes, and that is feasible only if the OP has decided to move the trip to October.

Is it better to stay at Yosemite park camp or stay in the suburbs outside closer to the park say 20 to 30 min drive?

>>Is it better to stay at Yosemite park camp or stay in the suburbs outside closer to the park say 20 to 30 min drive?<<

There are no 'suburbs'. Yosemite isn't an 'urb' :)

Camping in the park is great - IF you are camping-types. But at that time of year count on it being cool to VERY cold. It will definitely be below freezing at night/early mornings. And it could snow.

If you aren't cold weather campers , then either stay at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, or the cabins at Curry Village (Housekeeping Camp doesn't generally open til mid to late April). If you can't get into those then the next best is Yosemite Lodge - a large motel at El Portal just outside the park gates.

Curry Village will be full of seventh grade school groups in March. My daughter's class went then and she said it was all different schools and then a couple of very frustrated looking families. Just so you know.