California fly drive advice

old_motters

Miles16v wrote: »

Thats great thanks. Are you talking about bidding through priceline? Are there any bad 4 star hotels in the area? So bids in downtown are likely to be the Omni?

I presume the offers get accepted at lower levels the closer you get towards the stay date? It seems that its much cheaper from the .com site in $, but that doesn't seem to be available to us!

You can use the .com site. Just use a random zip code, I use 90210!

For downtown/gaslamp, it's going to be a decent hotel if you go 4 star or above, take a look at betterbiddingdotcom for the hotels that usually come up in that zone.

Miles16v wrote: »

9. LA? to San Diego 136 miles
10. San Diego - sealife trip?
11. San Diego - mexico trip?
12. San Diego to Vegas 328 miles

I would definitely skip Sea World. It's nice and all, but you can see fish at Petsmart. You might prefer to spend a day at Balboa Park, there's a bunch of good museums, an artists colony, gardens and the Prado and of course, San Diego Zoo.

ferf1223 wrote: »

It may not be what you're after - but we used Priceline for LA - we specified Santa Monica - Marina Del Rey and decided that we would be OK with any of the 3* or higher places...got the Courtyard which was really nice and clean and comfortable...right by a Starbucks and a small shopping centre...loads and loads of (free) parking...very easy to get to (at least from LAX) and very easy access out..it's right on PCH/Highway 1. Bonus was they had a little laundry room which was handy. The pool looked nice (we didn't use it) and they had a little shop behind reception with variety of snack sort of things which were overpriced, but handy.

It wasn't the Ritz or close to it - and it could use some updating, but we were very pleased with it - especially as it was a lot cheaper from the place we originally booked directly which while it had a great location, wasn't as nice of a place...we were only there one night though...so we wouldn't have been stuck for ages if it were crap.

Totally agree that you should book direct for Vegas.

I agree that in some areas 3 star is perfectly acceptable when using priceline. Having seen the reviews for some in San Diego, it's not worth the risk of ending up in some 60's style hotel that hasn't been redecorated for 20 years. Courtyards are perfectly acceptable hotels, I use them for business travel and sometimes leisure travel, it's just not guaranteed in San Diego.

premiertravel wrote: »

I have just done someone a package for vagas and got MGM at such a cheap price and it included all the resort taxes etc I was gobsmacked at the price we got the hotels for and so was the customer.

The MGM is an awesome hotel. Diegos is a mexican restaurant in the hotel and does awesome margaritas.

Zazie

Miles16v wrote: »

Also not sure what to do around LA.

Any thoughts on improving and where to add in the extra day?

.

In LA a stroll along Venice Beach and to Santa Monica with the Baywatch lifeguards is a real experience. The stars in the pavement in front of the theatre in Hollywood are something most people want to see but we thought it was all a bit dull.
You could add an extra beach day in San Diego - one of my favourite places! The further south you are the warmer it will be.

ps unless you've already been, imo DON'T skip SeaWorld.

gfplux

We did a similar trip 2 years ago.

I will just make a couple of comments.

We stayed for a week in Santa Monica as our base for LA. - Wonderful has just the look of the laid back LA life you see on TV and a great base to DO LA

Monterey. Do NOT miss out Carmel but do NOT do the $15 17 mile drive it is a waist of money.

San Fransisco. Stay in the Union Square area. Fisherman's Wharf is tatty. Do rent a bike and ride over the bridge have lunch and come back by ferry (all inclusive in the bike rental, except the lunch) Alcatraz is a great piece of history but it has been neglected and is almost falling down.

Have fun, we did.

kaznelson

We did our own fly drive to California in Oct 2009, over 9 days.

Flew to LA (£350 each), hired a convertable, spent 1 full day & night there. Managed to see all the major highlights & spent a lovely few hours at Santa Monica beach.

Drove up the Pacific Highway, beautiful, to Santa Barbara. Magic moment was watching the sunrise while seals played in the harbour.

Headed inland towards Oakhurst, lovely quaint town on the outskirts of Yeosmite.

Drove through Yeosmite, taking in the amazing views at Glacier Point. Took the Tiago Pass (closed part of the year) to Mammoth Lakes. Then headed south to Death Valley on the 395. Stayed in Death Valley for the night and then headed off to Las Vegas where we spent 3 nights at the Four Seasons before flying home.

We found all our hotels via TripAdvisor, was happy with them all apart from Furness Creek in Death Valley, but as this is the only hotel in DV you don't have much choice! Really you can't go wrong with any of the hotels in USA.

Hope you have a fantastic journey, I am very jealous

Murphy_The_Cat

Miles, by now you'll be getting the very definite impression that everyone that has done a similar trip to you has enjoyed it enormously.:j:j

Can I just add my two pennies worth ?

Please give very serious consideration that you are trying to fit in to much, into to short a period. I love driving and I particularly love driving in America, but your trip is a good example of where less could be (a lot) more). If you get the chance to have a cold hard stare at your itineraray, have a think about where you could 'skip' a destination. For ME, I can't stand LA, so it would be a complete no-brainer for me. LA would be out and I'd spend that time somewhere else. However, for you, it could be that San Diego is a step to far (like most people, I like San Diego).

Whichever option you take, you'll have a great time though.:beer:

Miles16v

Thanks again.

LA is big, famous and located well within my route to get a visit. San Diego adds 300 miles, which means it might have to go, as a couple have now suggested.

So my extra days, whats in Palm Springs/Indian Wells?

Murphy_The_Cat

Miles16v wrote: »

So my extra days, whats in Palm Springs/Indian Wells?

Lots of golf courses, Palm Springs Aeriel Tramway (truly spectacular.. Scorching at the bottom, snow at the top), an absolutely enormous windfarm,
more homosexuals than you would believe !! ( the pink $$ is very powerful), Hadleys Fruit Orchards (home of the date shake, and growers of lots of different dates), spectacular views as you leave Palm Springs on the scenic route to Temecula (reverse this route. Temecula To Palm Desert
As you leave Temecula on highway 79 east you will see the area go from large groups of homes to wide-open spaces. You will want to turn left to highway 371 then right on highway 74. You can also take 74 off of 215 freeway east and drive though Hemet and Idyllwild. Both will get you to Palm Desert the pleasant way. You will see lots of agriculture and small towns. The drive goes from 5,000 feet to 245 feet in Palm Desert. Great mountain views enhance the ride, as the elevation is as high as 8,000 feet at times.) You won't believe how the temerature rises and drops on this route.

& other stuff as well.

IIRC, Palm Desert was a bit easier on the pocket than Palm Springs.

Also, as you drive from LA to Palm Desert/Palm Springs, you pass some truly enormous Outlet Malls. Just be aware that it will be bloody hot whilst you are there

gary1967

Used to do a California/Nevada/Arizona flydrive most years in the late 90s early 00s.Now only Florida I'm afraid due to young children!

May I suggest a few places to stop:-

Carmel instead of Monterey,beautiful white sands,nice little town,Clint Eastwood.
Drive the coastal route,highway 1,for some lovely scenery.
Stop at Ventura around 50 miles north of LA or Laguna Beach just south of LA.
Take the drive over the mountains to Palm Springs via Lake Elsinore.
June will be off season in Palm Springs and accom can be very reasonably priced.Plenty to do such as waterpark,tramway,plane museum,shopping malls and upscale shops.

Up to Vegas either the 'long' way round,I-10,I-15 or the scenic route US62,US247,I-15.
Stay in a mega hotel in Vegas.We stayed in a few different ones on our early trips but now prefer Ballys where we were married as Its easy to navigate the casino/restaurants.

I know its a long drive to South rim Grand canyon from Vegas as I've driven there and back in a day on two occasions but you could stop over in Flagstaff or Williams or in a historic motel on old Route 66.
In my opinion the best way to see the Grand Canyon for the first time is by road.You leave the car in the parking lot and take a short walk through some trees behind the visitor centre.All of a sudden the trees end and there it is,GRAND Canyon.You could hear everyone in our wedding party draw a sharp intake of breath!
Death Valley is worth seeing.
A nice drive up to Yosemite through Lone Pine,Bishop.

Just giving you some ideas!
If you fancy discount motels to 'fill-in' your vacation pick up a copy of 'Roomsaver' coupon book-w w w.roomsaver.c o m.You can get it at 'Denny's' restaurant chain.

Have fun
Gary

jaypr

Miles16v wrote: »

Thanks again.

LA is big, famous and located well within my route to get a visit. San Diego adds 300 miles, which means it might have to go, as a couple have now suggested.

So my extra days, whats in Palm Springs/Indian Wells?

As mentioned Cabazon outlets & Desert Hills outlets are on the way to Palm Springs. Also the windmills are amazing to look at.

In Palm Springs we stayed at the Indian Wells Resort http://www.indianwellsresort.com/ which is in Indian Wells which is just lovely. There are quite a few mixed reviews about it on Trip Advisor, but we loved the hotel. The main beef seems to be that it charges a daily "resort" fee but doesn't really offer "resort" type amenities. That said even with the resort fee added it's still a damn sight cheaper than any other hotel in the area. We stayed in a King Suite which was pretty fancy, actually we stayed there for 1 night in 2008 and 5 nights in 2009 and had a fantastic time on both occasions.

If you're there on a Thursday then the Palm Springs Villagefest is great. It's an evening market type thing where they close off the road and sell lots of art and craft type stuff. There's lots of atmosphere and tasty stuff to eat like oven baked corn on the cob, kettle corn, massive sweet strawberries.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is good fun http://www.pstramway.com/ as is the Living Desert http://www.livingdesert.org/

The Joshua Tree National park is fabulous http://www.nps.gov/jotr and Desert Hills Outlets http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6 is about 40 minutes away

More interesting things to do here http://www.desertrivierahotel.com/pages/beyond_pool.htm

It's a beautiful relaxing place and you'll have great weather. Plenty to do too.

Jason

Miles16v

I've decided to lop off San Diego in exchange for the Palm Springs area.

I booked The Westin Mission Hills Villas in Rancho Mirage, via priceline for the tidy sum of $60 a night.

I'm still undecided (I'm sure by now, your not surprised!) about what to do with my time between San Fran and Palm Springs.

Essentially I'm unsure where to stay in LA, and am unsure whether to spend 1 night in each of Monterey and Pismo Beach with 4 nights around LA, or 2 nights in one of them and 3 nights in LA.