sf7307

I would guess that someone who is choosing where to shop based on whether there is a sales tax or not isn't spend a lot of time (or money) at Fred Leighton (or other Rodeo Drive shops) LOL.

elizzie4000

rstephenp - What do you mean by this?

>

Are you talking about traffic? In many places getting on the road at 7 am is the worst time of day. So, it depends on where you are and where you are going. Also, some places have traffic that is heavier going in one direction than another. Between 3 - 6 pm can also be a terrible time for traffic depending on where you are.

rstephenp

Yes, you guessed it right elizzie. Starting the trip @ 7am in the morning. I guess 6am would be the ideal time then.

Based on the suggestions, I am also planning to fly to Sydney out of LAX which is a 15 hours Direct flight. Most likely my leaving date from LAX is 11 Oct. I dont need to fly to Hawaii twice (One from Syd to Hawaii and Hawaii to Sydney). I have got an additional 3 days. So here are the minor changes based on the above feedback

Hawaii - 2 (2nd day night flight to Vancouver)
Vancouver 2
Seattle 2 day (Early morning train to Seattle)
Portland 3
Bend 1 (to see Bend and Todd Lake)
Mt Shasta 1 (to see Castle Crags, Avenue of the Giants)
Garberville 1
San Francisco 1
Yosemite 1 (Drive from San Fran to Yosemite and stay the night @ Yosemite)
San Francisco 3
Cambria 1 (Drive through Monterey and Big Sur when driving from San Fran to Cambria)
Santa Barbara 1
Las Vegas 1
Grand Canyon 1 (Drive from Vegas to Grand Canyon and Stay @ Canyon)
Sedona 1
Las Vegas 1 (Drive from Sedona to Vegas and Stay @ Vegas)
Los Angeles 4 (2 days Theme park and 2 day sight seeing)
San Diego 2
Spare ( 2 days)
Fly from LA to Sydney 10 Oct ( night Flight)

Can you please recommend where I should be using my spare days and are the stop over places the best place to stay.

emalloy

I don't understand why you would go from Garbervill to SanFrancisco then to Yosemite. Why not just to to wards Yosemite from Garberville and avoid the SanFrancisco traffic in the morning even if you stop for the night along the way closer to Yosemite you will have more time to explore the park.

Do your numbers show the nights you plan to stay in the cities? For some of the places, your whole day will be spent driving to the area with no time to actually visit the place you stop for the night at.

I totally agree that flying directly to Vancouver and putting the stop at Hawaii at the end of the trip makes for a nicer flow.

Patty

I don't understand the split stay in SF either. You could also do Garberville, San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey, Cambria. The back and forth to SF just seems to add more driving time.

tomfuller

I don't see why you would pass up Crater Lake NP to see Todd lake along the Cascade Lakes Highway. The best lakes with lodging along the Cascades lake Highway are Elk lake and Cultus.
Don't go back to San Francisco from Yosemite. If the Tioga Pass is still open (should be) just go to Las Vegas by way of Death Valley.
Between Las Vegas and Sedona take the time to see Hoover Dam.

marvelousmouse

I'd add another day to San Diego or Hawaii if that's the case. I too would skip that first night in SF; no point in driving in that traffic twice.

Patty

If the Tioga Pass is still open (should be) just go to Las Vegas by way of Death Valley.

That's another possibility but you'd miss the central coast of CA. It depends on whether you want coastal or mountains/desert. Late September will still be very hot in Death Valley though. Not to confuse things further but if you decide on the latter, I might break up the drive with a night in Mammoth or elsewhere in the Eastern Sierras. Late September can be beautiful there but keep in mind late September is also the best time weather wise on the central coast but not so much in Death Valley IMO.

I also noticed it was mentioned upthread that SF to Cambria is 4 hours and just wanted to clarify that this is if you take 101. If you take Hwy 1 through Big Sur it's more like 5 hours without stops.

MichelleY

Too many one nighters. You will be exhausted.

rstephenp

My apologies, it should be

Bend 1 ( to see Bend, Todd Lake and Crater Lake NP).

Thanks for the tip to skip SF from Gaberville. Where should I stop for a night from Gaberville to instead of SF to See Yosemite NP the next day. Looks like Stockton. There is nothing much on Trip advisor in terms of activities to do. Is there any other place closer to Yosemite NP. I would prefer having the long drive to Yosemite NP and staying two nights in the park. But Google maps says without traffic from Gaberville to Yosemite is 7 hours and 2 minutes.

We prefer the coast than the mountain/desert. We did (with wife and kids) the western Australia desert drive. It was a bit intimidating (No reception for nearly 4 hours) and boring drive. The other fear was hitting the animals on the road while driving - Kangaroo etc on the road.

Thnx

tomfuller

The road up off the Cascade Lakes Highway FR 370 to Todd Lake is a rough dirt road. http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5BKT4_kissys-kache
If you load the geocache in your handheld GPS, You can find your way there.
Sparks Lake is right near the paved highway and is much nicer IMO. Did you want to kayak?
The most direct route from Bend to Crater Lake is south on US 97 to Rt. 138 (south of Beaver marsh) then 15 miles to the north entrance (90 miles total). Even though the snow has melted off the road, the north entrance will remain closed until sometime in June.

MichelleY

Do not stay in Stockton. You will probably be murdered. Sacramento would be better, depending on the area.

BarbAnn

MichelleY is correct. Do not stay in Stockton. It is one of the most crime ridden cities in central California. If you want to be closer to Yosemite than Sacramento, you could stay in Jackson. It is in the Gold Country of the Sierra Foothills along Hwy 49. There is a decent Best Western and Holiday Inn Express in Jackson.

http://historichwy49.com/jack/Jack.html

Don't forget to visit the drive thru redwood tree just south of Leggett, CA.

http://www.drivethrutree.com/home.html

MichelleY

If not Sacramento, a little further south on I-5 is Elk Grove. Holiday In Express at I-5 and Elk Grove Blvd.

Patty

I think the Sierra Foothills is a nice, underrated area that many people miss.

marvelousmouse

I agree with MichelleY over the one nighters. Unless there is something you really really want to see along the way, I'd power through and stay an extra night at yosemite. That gives you a whole day to recuperate, hike, do laundry, whatever. I suspect you'll need the break if you want to get the most out of SF. Besides, driving approximately 4 hours a day, three days in a row does not sound like a vacation to me.

But I'm exhausted just by looking at the Grand Canyon portion...you must love driving a lot more than I do! (Your kids must also be model car riders. My family would stage a bloody coup by Garberville if subjected to that itinerary lol)

Are you planning to hike or shop or what in all of the one night places? I feel like you'll spend the majority of the time when not driving packing and unpacking the car...or in restaurants waiting for food.

rstephenp

What about driving from Gaberville to San fran..staying for 3 nights and then going to Yosemite. From Yosemite drive to monterey and stay one night?
Mt shasta 1
Garberville 1
San Francisco 3
Yosemite 1 (Drive from San Fran to Yosemite and stay the night @ Yosemite)
Monterey 1 (Drive through Big Sur when driving to Cambria)
Cambria 1

I agree with most comments that 1 day staying with driving we wont be able to do alot of sight seeing. However, the one day staying location we just want to spend an hour or so at each spot so max 3 to 4 hours tourist attraction.

I will run it past the family in terms long drive (more days @ a place) against short drives 1 day stay. In the above example stop over @ San Fran from Mount Shasta but skip Gaberville since we just need to see the avenue of the giants and Castle Crags. However, google maps says it will be 7.15 hours without stops. Even if leave @ 8am with stops we can be @ San Fran by 5pm.

janisj

Yosemite 1 nt, Monterey 1 nt, leaves one essentially no time in either of them.

It takes 4+ hours SF to Yosemite (or as much as 5+ hours on a weekday morning) and you'd be leaving first thing in the AM. So at most half a day in YNP, half a day in Monterey/Carmel. Why bother?

BarbAnn

Ok, maybe I am crazy, but I'm not sure why Mt. Shasta and Castle Crags rates higher than visiting Ave. of the Giants and Richardson Grove. Yes, Mt. Shasta is pretty and so is Castle Crags (I drive by them about every 6 weeks when I drive from Sacramento area to Sunriver, OR). But to me, the majestic redwoods (you do not have them in natural groves in Australia) are soooo much more interesting than driving by Mt. Shasta (I've visited the city of Mt. Shasta many times)and Castle Crags.

And a stop in Bend to see Lake Todd! I've had a vacation home near there for 9 years and have not visited Lake Todd. The walk around Sparks Lake is beautiful and very easy.

I can tell you that once you pass Redding,CA on I5, it gets really boring until you get to Sacramento. I try to sleep while my husband drives that portion of the journey.

You will see fantastic views on Yosemite Valley. If you have time, the drive up Tioga Road to Tenaya Lake is beautiful. The views are awe inspiring.

Just saying...IMHO

rstephenp

Sorry BarbAnn, I meant we can do a long drive but drive through the Ave of the Giants but skip stopping at Gaberville. And as you mentioned, I will cover Richardson Grove which was not mentioned to me before.