West coast USA - itinerary
 

Hi ! We are planning an exciting trip to the west coast of USA in the month of August 2015.. Have planned an itinerary for the main places we would like to see , it's not a very detailed one. Would really appreciate if people out there can help identify the best places to see specially as we would be doing most places by road. My husband is looking forward to lovely drives along the coastline and I am so looking forward to see the beautiful parks and natural scenery. And of course the beautiful cities of San Frisco and LA
Arrive LAX . 4 nights stay
Depart for SFO enroute 1 night stop
Arrive SFO - 4 nights stay
Depart for Yosemite - 2 nights stay at Yosemite
Depart for LV enroute 1 night stop
Arrive LV - 3 nights stay including 1 night stop at Grand Canyon
Depart for LA - enroute 1 night stop
Arrive LA - drive to San Diego
2 nights San Diego
Drive. LA
Flight back home
Welcome suggestions on places to see and stay enroute ...Also looking for accomodations that are reasonably priced approx 200$ a night or so. Is there any BnB chain that one can recommend ?
Many thanks in advance

I don't consider Los Angeles to be as beautiful as San Francisco - personal preference. SFO is an airport south of San Francisco.
If you do use LAX as starting point I would try going counter clockwise. LA 2 nights- Las Vegas 2 nights- Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon 2 nights- Yosemite via Death Valley and Tioga Pass 2 nights in Yosemite- 2 or 3 nights in San Francisco- down the coast with a night in Monterey/Big Sur and a night in Santa Barbara. If you still want to see something in Los Angeles see it before you fly out.
This route would work if you flew into SFO, OAK or LAS.
Many of your stops will be very hot in August. I hope you are used to heat where you live. Carry water with you and stay well hydrated.

Thanks for your feedback Tom , would like to understand why should we go the other way around... ...Also is it good to include Santiago? Yes by SFO I meant SanFrancisco and not the airport, thanks

WE have done this so many times-it different orders! WE live in San Diego-there is not much to see in L.A.-Getty Museum, Santa Monica beach? But all of that is in San Diego-SO much more to do.
I waould fly into SFO-skip the ugly drive up the 5.
3 nights SFO-2 days in plenty
Drive to Yosemite-you MUST have reservations near Yosemite, or try Oakhurst if you can't get closer to Yosemite-it's only an hour to the valley. This is a hard drive-but just put in a book on tape and go-it's not scenic at all.

3 nights Yosemite
Drive BAck to L.A. and overnight, or skip it and stay in Thousand Oaks or Burbank.
Then Drive to Las Vegas. Grand Canyon is not 'on the way', but past Las Vegas. But worth seeing. Overnight in Grand Canyon

Fly home from Las Vegas

I'm also a Travel AGent and have planned zillions of these trips-

I agree with Tom also

>>Also is it good to include Santiago?<<

Could you by any chance mean San Diego?

I don't think it really makes any difference which direction your loop takes . . . Your main issue is accommodations in Yosemite. Try to book something immediately -- and if successful, use those dates to determine the rest of your itinerary. If you cannot get a room IN Yosemite Valley, book at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. Then keep trying for a cancellation inside the park - if you get one then you can cancel at Yosemite View Lodge.

Do realize that Death Valley and Las Vegas will be very VERY hot. Most people would want more than one night on the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is a long and VERY scenic drive and if you only stop one night you will basically be driving the entire two days.

>>Arrive LV - 3 nights stay including 1 night stop at Grand Canyon
Depart for LA - enroute 1 night stop
Arrive LA - drive to San Diego<<

You do not need a night stop over between LV and LA or San Diego. And if you do want to go to SD, there is no need to go to Los Angeles first. If you want to include SD, drive there from LV. (LV > SD is about a 5 hour drive and LV to LA takes about 4 or 5 hours depending on traffic/time of day/day of week)

Was posting the same time as cruzrmomma. Some of that makes no sense at all (Who said anything about I-5 - that is a long/ugly drive -- it is assumed we are talking about driving up the coast)

Staying in Oakhurst is not a good idea - it isn't an hour . . . it is a 90 minutes drive from Yosemite Village. El Portal on the other hand is right outside the park entrance . . .

Stay in Thousand Oaks or Burbank?? Uh - no.

>>I'm also a Travel AGent and have planned zillions of these trips-<< Okay . . .

It would be really good to get a guidebook for California and start choosing your nights based on what specifically you want to see, because the state is large and diverse and full of people, many of whom are in their cars a lot. Traffic around LA and SF will be a huge factor in how you plan your travel.

As far as city beauty, SF has it, but LA is spread out and not lovely...but it has some nice and interesting beach areas like Newport Beach. LA also has Disneyland and the Getty and other good museums, plus Hollywood sites, and these are all distant from each other. San Diego is a prettier city and more compact at the core than LA.

Santa Barbara is a nice stop between LA and SF, as are the Hearst Castle area and Carmel.

And if you decide to take Highway 1 for portions of the trip, be aware that it is narrow and has a lot of twists and turns (those who tend to carsickness will not be happy),so the going is slow and tiring but dramatic.

For San Francisco, the Union Street Inn is a lovely bed and breakfast in a very good location.

Have a great trip!

Burbank or Thousand Oaks - why?

Nothing to see or do in LA - really? Malibu, Venice, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach, Hermosa Beach, etc. Getty Villa, Getty Museum, LACMA, Norton Simon Museum, Huntington Library & Gardens (my personal favorite). Downtown LA. The drive along Sunset Blvd. to the beach. Beverly Hills, Griffith Park, Hollywood, the LA Zoo. Drive over one of the canyons (Topanga is great if you're headed to the Getty Villa).The Farmer's Market. A TV show taping.

San Diego is a great place to visit, but there's plenty to see and do in LA too.

My reasoning for doing the trip CCW is because I like driving the coastal highway from north to south (personal preference). It's all right turns into viewpoints and right exits put of viewpoints.
Try to enter (or leave) Yosemite over Tioga Pass (east entrance) instead of Oakhurst (South entrance).
I heard that Mariposa Grove is closed this year (bummer).
I've never been to San Diego so I will not comment.
I was in Los Angeles for about an hour the last week of March.
DW and I are going to northern LA County (Stevenson Ranch) to see family in June.
I might be tempted to ride a Pacific Surfliner train from Burbank to San Diego for a day trip. I have no desire to drive through Los Angeles at any time of day

I think you need to skip Las Vegas or San Diego. That way you can spend more time in LA, up the coast to SF, and Yosemite.

>>My reasoning for doing the trip CCW is because I like driving the coastal highway from north to south (<i><blue>personal preference</i></blue>)<<

Yes -- your personal preference. But many prefer driving the other direction <i>precisely</i> to avoid being on the cliff side and being able to look at the views w/o panic.

(me - I also prefer north to south but the difference is negligible and not worth rearranging an itinerary.)

Anyone who would say that LA doesn't have a lot to do in comparison to San Diego-- well, I love San Diego, but that comment is about as off-base as any I've ever read on this Forum.

I'm also a bit sick of the constant bashing of the greater Los Angeles area. Yes it's huge and sprawling and hard to see in an hour, or a day, or a week, or even a month. But it's also a major world city with world-class arts venues and organizations, lots and lots of live theatre, fantastic museums and galleries, a huge variety of nightlife, some of the best affordable dining of any major city in the world, lots and lots of breathtaking natural beauty for those who bother to actually seek it out and a unique, crackling vibe that rewards innovation and spiritual openness. Every day, even when I'm yelling at idiot drivers that are making it damn near impossible to get around the area, I thank my lucky stars that I live here.

And can get away quickly to Arcadian San Francisco or funky, fun San Diego. I'm not a complete masochist!

Now for the OP: Griffith Park is quite lovely, and the Observatory is a must-see historic gem. The beaches of Malibu, the Palos Verde Peninsula and Laguna Beach are favorites of mine, and it's worth making time to enjoy at least one. Try to visit of the coastal missions (maybe up in San Luis Obispo?)-- a peaceful bit of our colonial history. Don't forget a winery! I personally would do the coast drive north-to-south (less harrowing cliffside vistas); but it's not like you'll be speeding, since judging by this Forum every visitor to the U.S. will be driving up CA-1 this summer...!

Try and spend at least two overnights driving Highway 1, it is well worth the time.

Sorry meant San Diego not Santiago...thanks Tom, Janis , voyager61, Michelle and everyone for your inputs...getting a good feel of the trip..hope the holiday jams and hot weather do not play spoilsport...right now the challenge is Yosemite ..not getting a decent booking in the park..trying other options and changing original dates as well...and you re right Janis the rest of the trip hinges on the dates of that booking ...
Going back to try online

If you cannot find lodging in Yosemite, try the Blackberry Inn in Groveland. We stayed there last year and it is very close to the 120 entrance. For a short stay, it was no problem driving each day,

Groveland is nearly 90 minutes from Yosemite Valley. If you can't get in anywhere else -- its OK but certainly not optimal.

I'd <u>definitely</u> book at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal -- that way you can pin down your dates and plan the rest of your itinerary. Then keep trying for a cancellation in the Valley. Because folks book so far ahead there are frequent cancellations so it is possible you can eventually get in. Than you can cancel at Yosemite View. And if you aren't successful getting into the Valley, Yosemite View is very nice. (Yosemite View is only 20 minutes from the center of the Valley)

http://www.stayyosemiteviewlodge.com

If you didn't want to drive into the park from Yosemite View Lodge, you can use the YARTS bus service which has expanded this spring. http://46djso3tss79kf3q2a6y3lez.wpen...0-Signs-24.pdf
Enjoy your trip!

Hey thanks all! have booked both inside and outside yosemite park...will wait closer to the date to confirm the place as its showing all booked inside the park at the moment. Hopefully if there are some cancellations we go in. outside the park there is Mariposa or Groveland . which one is a better location,
please suggest

Your best option if you can't get anything at Yosemite View Lodge is the BUG hostel. http://www.yosemitebug.com/
There is a YARTS bus stop (131) at the foot of their driveway along Rt. 140.
The BUG hostel has a small restaurant if you don't want to use the kitchen.

Outside the park NEITHER Groveland or Mariposa are good. Book at Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal and save yourselves two hours driving (or bus) time every day. If Yosemite View is full (not likely - it is large) the next best option is Cedar Lodge also in El Portal.

(Tom has been paying attention - after several hundred recommendations for Yosemite View Lodge, he is finally on board ;) )