Our California Fly Drive

stphnstevey

Walter_Sobchak wrote: »

If you are taking a helicopter from Vegas you will be visiting the West Rim. The 'West Rim' is not even on the grand canyon it's kind of like going to San Fransisco and saying you visited Alcatraz but really you visited Bird Island. It is also owned by a complete bunch of scammers who's only saving grace is they are not Nigerian so at least it is a refreshing change.

Helicopter trips from Vegas only go to the west rim. You can get a plane from Vegas to the South Rim but have read that the flight from veags is brutal, due to the thermals from the canyon.

I do agree in part with that.

The West Rim is still the Grand Canyon (as it is many hundreds of miles long). I realise that it is not quite as spectacular as the South Rim, but I Google Earthed it and compared the pictures of the two and there not the same but they are far from being completely different.

The main benefit, which for us outways the South Rim vs West Rim experience is the extra 1.5 days (on a already very tight schudule) and the helicopter experience (which will be a first for us). We also have a bit more time to see Las Vegas and to recover from our jet lag.

The plane to the South Rim is about the same price as the West Rim helicopter tour. I think the helicopter is going to be more of an expereicne for us. the plane doesn't get good reviews and a bit bumpy. Don't want to do a coach.

We wanted to goto Six Flags Magic Mountain as near LA, but it closes for the season in Sept and then only open wkds. If we stayed over at the GC, then we wouldn't have reached it by then. Which is another incentive to us.

PS - Anyone had expereince of the theme parks in California?

Magic mountain looks a good price $35 dollars and one of the best for rollercoasters (18).

Universal and the like are much more expensive and seem to be more movie theme based attractions

jackieblack

stphnstevey wrote: »

We wanted to goto Six Flags Magic Mountain as near LA, but it closes for the season in Sept and then only open wkds. If we stayed over at the GC, then we wouldn't have reached it by then. Which is another incentive to us.

PS - Anyone had expereince of the theme parks in California?

Magic mountain looks a good price $35 dollars and one of the best for rollercoasters (18).

Universal and the like are much more expensive and seem to be more theme based attractions

We went to Six Flags Magic Mountain last year, stayed in Ventura for 2 nights (we were travelling down the coast) and did Six Flags on the day between, it was about an hours drive straight along SR 126, an easy journey with very little traffic.

DD & DH LOVE rollercoaters and they loved ALL the rides at Six Flags, I don't do rollercoaters at all and it was the dullest day I've ever had on any holiday ever (but I knew this before I went, this was a day purely for DD & DH)
The park is a little tired in places and there appears to be an attempt at a Warner Brothers theme, but they don't really pull it off. The most grating thing was being told to "Have a Six Flags day!" by every employee we met (what does that even mean!)

We got a discount voucher for $20 off entrance price from here, http://www.visitcalifornia.com/media/pages/funspots/2011/Six%20Flags%20Magic%20Mountain.jpg

photome

stphnstevey wrote: »

I do agree in part with that.

The West Rim is still the Grand Canyon (as it is many hundreds of miles long). I realise that it is not quite as spectacular as the South Rim, but I Google Earthed it and compared the pictures of the two and there not the same but they are far from being completely different.

The main benefit, which for us outways the South Rim vs West Rim experience is the extra 1.5 days (on a already very tight schudule) and the helicopter experience (which will be a first for us). We also have a bit more time to see Las Vegas and to recover from our jet lag.

The plane to the South Rim is about the same price as the West Rim helicopter tour. I think the helicopter is going to be more of an expereicne for us. the plane doesn't get good reviews and a bit bumpy. Don't want to do a coach.

We wanted to goto Six Flags Magic Mountain as near LA, but it closes for the season in Sept and then only open wkds. If we stayed over at the GC, then we wouldn't have reached it by then. Which is another incentive to us.

PS - Anyone had expereince of the theme parks in California?

Magic mountain looks a good price $35 dollars and one of the best for rollercoasters (18).

Universal and the like are much more expensive and seem to be more movie theme based attractions

Six flags is fantastic def recomend it, took me about 40 minutes to get there from pasadena which is morth east LA so it could take longer if you are staying more central.

As for GC it is def worth making the effort to go to the south rim, but as I posted previuosly you dont have a lot of time between any of your planned trips

sianf_2

Just a few tips, as I did very similar trip 2 years ago...

I know you have already decided this, but the route 1 highway is a must!!

Death Valley was one of my fave parts of the trip, but to enjoy properly I think you need to spend the night so you can get up for the sunrise and have a quick explore before it gets unbearably hot. We arrived at stovepipe wells http://www.escapetodeathvalley.com/ at around 9pm (so we spent most of the day in vegas) and it was still 40c (in May) so we jumped straight in the pool (bliss!). Then got up for the sunrise and drove to the sandunes and artists palette, before going on to Loan Pine after lunch.

I hope you have a fantastic trip!

stphnstevey

Decided to go for Six Flags Magic Mountain - so thats one Theme Park decided

Looking at the LA/San Diego end today and the following attractions:

* San Diego Zoo
* San Diego Safari Park
* Sea World
* Universal Studios

We have about 4.5 days split between LA and San Diego and want to spend at least one of these seeing the sights, so only really 3 days to do any of the above

Where very much into our animals and the Zoo and Seaworld are on top of our list

We can do the following combinations, prices and days:

• 2x SD Zoo + 2x SD Safari = $152 – 2 days
• 2x Seaworld+Universal = $240 – 2 days
• 2xSea World, San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park = $258 – 3 days
• 2x SD Zoo + 2x Seaworld+Universal = $316 - 3 days

Any feedback on any of the above parks or which combination might be best?

jackieblack

stphnstevey wrote: »

Decided to go for Six Flags Magic Mountain - so thats one Theme Park decided

Looking at the LA/San Diego end today and the following attractions:

* San Diego Zoo
* San Diego Safari Park
* Sea World
* Universal Studios

We have about 4.5 days split between LA and San Diego and want to spend at least one of these seeing the sights, so only really 3 days to do any of the above

Where very much into our animals and the Zoo and Seaworld are on top of our list



We can do the following combinations, prices and days:

• 2x SD Zoo + 2x SD Safari = $152 – 2 days
• 2x Seaworld+Universal = $240 – 2 days
• 2xSea World, San Diego Zoo and San Diego Safari Park = $258 – 3 days
• 2x SD Zoo + 2x Seaworld+Universal = $316 - 3 days

Any feedback on any of the above parks or which combination might be best?

We loved San Diego and loved SeaWorld, it is not as big as the Orlando park so much easier to get around and so can be done in a day.

Hate LA, loathe it, would spend extra days in San Diego over LA without wasting a nano-second's thought over it.

Murphy_The_Cat

jackieblack wrote: »

We loved San Diego and loved SeaWorld, it is not as big as the Orlando park so much easier to get around and so can be done in a day.

Hate LA, loathe it, would spend extra days in San Diego over LA without wasting a nano-second's thought over it.

San Diego - lovely place
LA- Dump.

The best redeeming feature of LA is the raod that leds you out of there (any road ).

OP, further to you request about theme parks further up the thread, Legoland California is the best place in the world (according to my son )

stphnstevey

We've found an extra day and not sure wether to use it in Yosemite or San Franscisco - any opinions?

ferf1223

Not sure if it would be your sort of thing, but our favorite thing from LA was the studio tour at Warner Brothers.

http://vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com/

Not a theme park, and can't tell if you're not interested in movie themed stuff...but we thought it was great - even if the sorting hat from Harry Potter put me in Slytherin.

Gloomendoom

stphnstevey wrote: »

We've found an extra day and not sure wether to use it in Yosemite or San Franscisco - any opinions?

San Francisco is nice if you like trams. Yosemite if you like bears.

I'd probably choose Yosemite... but it would be close.