Various thoughts:

If you don't need tire chains you can stay inside Yosemite NP. But if you do need tire chains you'll need to stay outside of Yosemite and take YARTS Yosemite Area Rapid Transit) to the park. Unfortunately, there's no way to know ahead of time if you'll need chains.

Info on YARTS: http://www.yarts.com/schedules.html

And info about winter in Yosemite: http://www.yosemitehikes.com/yosemit...-in-winter.htm



If you think you'll be returning here, save Las Vegas/Grand Canyon for another trip. You really don't have that much time during this trip for both areas.

It gets a lot drier the further south you drive in California. At the northeastern end, Crescent City gets about 11 inches of rain in January but southern California won't be remotely as wet. If you aren't able to visit Redwood National Park and its' associated state parks, there are other redwood state parks further south - e.g. Humboldt and Henry Cowell. Here's a link to the website for California State Parks: http://www.parks.ca.gov/

NorthwestMale and the other kind contributors, THANK YOU. You are telling me all the things I was wanting to find out. I am in the process of acquiring a proper, spread-out-on-the-car-bonnet/hood map that will help me to really see where the places are that you are all talking about. When I booked my accom in Leavenworth (actually, about 3 miles outside of the town) with VRBO, the man that i dealt with assured me that as the road that passes his property (my cabin) is on the ski road to Stevens Pass, it is always kept plowed, and he also was very re-assuring that the road from Seattle to Leavenworth is a main highway and kept driveable. I hope he conveyed this correctly, and I will email him and just double-check. Of course, blizzards, snow-storms and the highly unpredictable may well happen, and I guess we will just have to play it by ear and hope for the best, but plan for a back-up. Maybe we will end up in Seattle for Christmas.... not the end of the world. I was a bit dismayed to really be made aware of how wet it is likely to be. But, if that happens, we will just high-tail it down the coast and spend more time in the southern climes. However, you are all giving me great information. It seems that I should re-think our flight to the GC, as we do have time to drive it, and it sounds like that is what you would all recommend.
So, you think there is no real concern about pre-booking accomm along the way and that being Winter, we should be able to pretty much decide at the time, where we will stay for each night?
Once again, all very appreciated.
Kym

Hi, yes, you mostly WANT the flexibility of being able to improvise based on the weather. And with so many spots built to handle summer crowds, the lodging options in many areas will be more than happy to have you as a guest during the off season.

Now <b>IF</b>, for example, you had your heart set on having <I>the one room</i> at the <b>one</b> hotel in the <b>one</b> town on the Oregon coast, then it is quite possible <b>they</b> wouldn't have that <b>one</b> room for you.

But as <I>supply and demand</i> numbers are going to be on your side at that time, it should definitely be a <b>buyer's market</b>.

You are safe in improvising, and leaving yourself lots of flexibility.

<b>BY the way</b>, the "rain" that is so constant in the western Oregon/Washington area is usually the sort of <b>light rain</b> that we counter with a mere <i>hood</i> on our clothing. It is just light and often steady - and not the <b>monsoon-like</b> baths you might see in <I>severe weather highlights</i>.

Given <b>your <I>relay OF</i></b> what the man from Leavenworth said, I am fairly confident and comfortable about your reaching his location within a couple of days <b>at the very worst</b>.

And while <I>highway #2</i> (Stevens Pass) <b>is</b> a main highway, it also crosses the mountains at relatively high altitude, and is probably subject to worse winter weather than is the Interstate 90 counterpart.

Again, I think your <b>flexibility</b> is the very best thing you have going for you when planning this trip.

(and yes, more concisely this time, I agree that there <b>is no <I>real</i> concern</b> about pre-booking, and that you will be able to find accommodations on the fly - with the mentioned exceptions of your Leavenworth gig, and of <I>New Year's Eve</i> (depending upon just where you'll want to BE at that point))

And I don't know when or where, but I am <I>guessing</i> that on at least one day of your actual <b>travel</b> in the Washington/Oregon area, you'll see rough weather with which you don't want to deal with at that point, and you will <b>improvise on the spot</b> and alter your plans... <I>which is a freedom you will have for not having cemented too many commitments in advance</i>.

PS - re driving to the Grand Canyon... ONE of the mini-highlights of so doing involves returning toward Vegas and coming up over a hill, from complete darkness, and suddenly seeing the vastly-overdone <B>bright LIGHTS</b> of the Las Vegas strip down in the valley.

The safest way to get to central Oregon (Bend) from Portland in a winter storm is to go east on I-84 to The Dalles and then south on US 197 to tie in with US 97 going through Madras.
The Mt. Hood Pass (US 26) or the Santiam Pass (Rt 22 & US 20) can require chains.

HTtY, I was using your suggested itinerary and looking up the places you mentioned. I like the sound of the trip from Leavenworth to Portland, via Maryhill and the Multnomah Falls. Can you tell me whether this leg of the trip is one where we should (given usual conditions) be able to travel, or is it a part of the trip that will require the roads to have had little snow, or is subject to regular closure? Just trying to work out whether we need back-up plan here.
Thank you again,
Kym

Hi, well, the most direct trip from Leavenworth to Maryhill would need to cross over <I><b>Blewett Pass</b></i> and <I><b>Satus Pass</b></i>... <b>BUT</b>, unlike with many planned courses, <I>the detours</i> you'd likely make, for bad weather, are NOT extremely out-of-the-way.

Winter weather <I><b>could</b></i> be anything, and <i>could</i> find any of those places socked-in for a day or two.

But you could so easily alter your path to include Leavenworth-Wenatchee-Quincy-George-Ellensburg-Yakima-Sunnyside-Prosser-Umatilla... and then west along the <I>Columbia River</i> on I-84, which is uuuuuuuuuusually the least-susceptible-to-delays route between Leavenworth and Portland.

Indeed that last one adds a decent amount of distance, but it isn't a horrible amount, compared with <B>SOME winter detours mandated by weather</b> around here.

I think you <b>should be able to travel</b> that path (one way <b>or</b> the other {with the other not being THAT significant in terms of added time and distance}) without really being too fearful or concerned in advance about <b>which way</b> you'll go upon arrival.

Another question if I may?
We would like to catch one of your famous basketball or ice hockey games. Where do you buy tickets for these events, is it the right season for them (ice hockey - clearly, yes), and what teams would we be looking at? We would probably need to do it when it San Francisco or LA.
Cheers

(choke) Well just how great/advanced do you want the team to <b>be</b>??

Seattle has the <I>Thunderbirds</i>

Portland has the <I>Winterhawks</i>

(there are even teams in <b>Everett, Washington</b> and <I><b>Tri-Cities</b></i>, Washington (which entail Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland))

...each playing minor league hockey.

Portland has the <b>Trailblazers</b>, playing NBA Basketball.

(Both hockey and basketball would be happening when you are on your trip)

I <b>can't decide</b> as to what would intrigue me most, if from Australia... <b>would I really</b> want to watch <I>Ice Hockey</i> in a <b>California</b> climate not unlike my own?

On January 25 of this year they played an <b>outdoor</b> hockey game in <i>Los Angeles</i> in front of 54,000 people. The temperature at game time was 16C/62F.

I just don't know whether you'd feel the <I>full effect</i> more so if seeing a game <b>indoors</b>, but in a climate where <I>hockey</i> is more natural.

At any rate, first await next season's schedules to be established, and then match possible games to your other itinerary.

NWM, I had to smile at your reply. We are passionate suppporters of Aussie Rules footy (bears no resemblence whatsoever to your footy games) so I too would choke if asked what team to go and see. Our team, the Hawks, are 2013 premiers so it would be an easy answer. I think an indoors hockey game was more in line with what I was thinking. Also, my husband is 6ft6in, and has played basketball, so he would LOVE to catch a game, maybe in LA. When are the schedules released? And, it is usually difficult to get tickets. I know here, it can be hard to get tickets if they are the bigname teams playing. Might be worth trying to see the ice hockey in Portland, indoors.

When it comes to Aussie Rules Footy, America cares most about the (much ballyhooed) <b>"Man in White"</b> (who got <b>far</b> more than his due in U.S. advertisements for same)!

Luckily for you, L.A. has two basketball teams... one which has stunk for a long time, and the other was a headliner team for decades... <b>until this (ongoing) season</b>, <I>when their roles reversed themselves</i>.

Schedules for the "NBA" are typically released near August 1st.

Something else to consider... the <b>crowd</b> which would assemble for a game in L.A. might be a whole lot more rowdy and intimidating than that which would gather in Portland, for the same <I>National Basketball Association</i>, which could have some impact on your experience.

As for tickets, I think that with your sensing your target dates so far in advance, and with <i>your motives</i> being considerably different from most, you could surely order well in advance once you project your travel path, and easily land tickets. I am simply unaware of availability of tickets to those merely walking-up on the day of the games.


*** clarity: <b>outdoor hockey games</b> are <i>extremely rare</i> (at the "NHL"/professional level) but these were experiments, done in <I>football stadiums</i>. I was merely contemplating whether you might prefer <I>hockey ambiance</i> (including northern USA cold climate) to enhance your would-be hockey experience. (since hockey got its start in chilly Canada)

To those who replied to my OP, a huge Thank you. In case you wonder whether I followed up on all the great advice I was given (well.., a lot of it, not all!), I am putting my itinerary in my final post for this thread. It took a lot of researching, but I think I am very happy with how it looks. Of course, you are most welcome to tell me if something looks glaringly wrong, or is not going to work. The original part of our holiday is going to be highly dependent on what weather we encounter in and around Seattle and the northern areas above California. Here goes...

Day 1. Fly to Seattle

Day 2. spend the day there

Day 3 - 5 Drive out to Leavenworth, probably on the I-90 but over Stevens Pass if we are feeling brave and it's open! and spend 4 days there, hopefully in the snow, having a memorable Christmas experience with our 2 boys.

Days 6 - Drive to Portland, probably taking in Multnomah Falls and the old highway along the river there. WE will stay in Portland just the one night. Sorry!

Days 7 - 9 make our way down the coast to San Francisco. This depends again on the weather and how far we decide to travel each day. If it is totally miserable, we'll get to SF faster, if not, we'll take our time. Like the idea of stopping in Yachats and Eureka for the nights.

Days 10 - 13 in SF, staying about 4 streets back from Fishermans Wharf, on Columbus Ave. We arrive here on New Year's Eve, so figure there should be someting to see down in that area that evening.

Days 14 - 15 Yosemite. Entering via the Arch Rock entrance and staying about 15m from the valley, at Tenaya Lodge.

Days 16 - 18 Making our way to San luis Obispo where we hope to see the Monarch butterflies. We will stop along the way at places I haven't worked on yet.

Day 19 Make our way across to Death Valley. Not sure if we will stay at the Ranch place out there, seems dear as poison!

Day 20 Drive to Vegas.

Days 21 - 24 Explore this area, including trip out to Grand Canyon.

Day 25 - drive to LA

Day 28 make our way to Anaheim.

Day 32. Fly home.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. I hope I have done your advice justice.

Kym xxx

Seems like a good plan - and as always - some parts may be dependent on weather - but where you are heading - I think they generally keep the roads fairly clear - unless a big storm hits.

My Q - why Eureka? It's ok but don't know what special attraction it has?

No real reason why Eureka, it just seemed a good distance between Yachats and San Francisco. Have you a good recommendation for me?

Eureka doesn't have much to offer except the magnificent Carson Mansion at the north end of town: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Mansion

When we find Eureka a convenient stop, we stay at Best Western Bayshore Inn in a room with garden view (because they are the quietest), and we have dinner at Pho Thein Long. If we are up to a longer drive, we prefer to stay in the little town of Garberville at the Best Western Humboldt House Inn and to have dinner at Cecils'.

Just south of the "Trees of Mystery" is the little town of Klamath. DW and I have stayed at the Ravenwood Motel. The restaurant/bar across the road is not very good but the motel is OK. The "Trees of Mystery" is worth a stop if you haven't already seen enough Coast Redwoods by the time you get there.
Make sure to make a stop in the north end of Tillamook Oregon at the Tillamook cheese factory for good ice cream and cheese.

My sons will love that last post about the ice-cream, thank you tomfuller.
I will look into Garberville too. Not knowing that area, I just picked it by distance, not knowledge, so I am open to any other ideas.
Appreciate the hotel recommendations.

<i>No real reason why Eureka, it just seemed a good distance between Yachats and San Francisco. Have you a good recommendation for me?</i>

Two recommendations, one north the other south (but neither very far.)

<b>Trinidad</b> is about 20 miles north of Eureka, and has little coves, rocky beaches, nice landscape, plus an Indian casino.

<b>Ferndale</b> is around 20 miles <i>south</i> of Eureka, and is an extremely picturesque little town with some remarkable Victorian-era architecture. Ferndale is also a jumping-off point for the "Lost Coast," the last remaining wilderness and roadless stretch of coastline in California. Don't know if his shows play in Oz, but Ferndale is home to a TV chef personality, Guy Fieri ("Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.")

Both have the advantage of being off the US 101 freeway, but with convenient access.

Regardless, if you find yourselves around Eureka at mealtime, don't miss the Samoa Cookhouse, in Samoa across the bay from downtown Eureka. It's a former lumber mill cookhouse, where you're served hearty family-style food by your grannie. With attitude. http://www.samoacookhouse.net/

Trinidad and Samoa. What do you suppose the old-timers were thinking about?

Yeah, I think I'd go <b>Ferndale</b> too.

<I>(reminds self to try to figure out <b>"dear as poison"</b>)</i>

As for Death Valley, in early January, nothing especially extreme will likely initiate you to Death Valley. Do make the stop at the <I>lowest spot in the western hemisphere</i> (look up at the valley wall and see a sign denoting <i>Sea Level</i>), and <b>the hottest place on earth</b> (during northern summers) (at least on <i>July 10 <b>1913</b></i>)... but I don't even know that you have to <b>stay</b> the night down there. Press on to Vegas more quickly - (and you don't even CARE if you arrive LATE at night - they'll be up and waiting for you... and if you stick to the main tourist strip, <I>zillions of people</i> will be walking all around, and just about everyplace will be open)

i will definitely look into Ferndale then by the look of it.

How far is it from San Luis Obispo? I thought we might not make it all the way through to Vegas in one go, but if we can, then i would probably prefer to do that. The idea of coming upon Vegas at night appeals to me too.

'as dear as poison' - very expensive!

I haven't heard of Guy Fieri.

7 or 8 hours to SLO, at least. All day drive.

Guy Fieri is a TV chef on the Food Network. I am not a big fan.