Southwest USA & The West Coast (California, Arizona etc) - General Thread

northwest1965

blindman wrote: »

I did .Best $5 I've spent

Depending when you go it's incredibly hard to get one, with about 100 applications for the 10 available on-line :eek:

Having said that, I saw no signs of rangers on the route and only one other tourist was displaying the permit on his backpack.

When are you hoping to go and with how many?

Thinking of mid Sept, just the 2 of us. Will post the itinery soon.

northwest1965

Ok, so here's how it's looking so far. Now bear in mind, 2 years ago we did a West Coast adventure. Have done SF/Monterrey and Yosemite .

1 night Vegas
2nights Zion
1night Bryce (is 2 days at Bryce, driving to Kanab the next night)
1night Kanab
1 night Page (hoping to do the Wave, if not Lake Powell)
1 night Kayenta (Monument Valley for the day)
2nights Grand Canyon (mule trip possibly?)
1 night Vegas
2 nights death Valley
1night Vegas

Now this leaves us a day free.

How is it looking?

It leaves us

Disney_Pluto

We have booked our honeymoon.

What do people think:

3 nights The Fairmont San Francisco
2 nights Hyatt Orange County Anahiem
4 nights Palomar San Diego
5 nights Venetian Las Vegas.

We are planning on booking Alcatraz in SF, A day trip to Grand Canyon, San Diego Zoo, Seaworld, and Disney California.

I did a similar trip but going direction of Yosemite when I was 11 so many years ago. I know most people think we are probably crazy for not doing Yosemite but we have booked this as yoesmite just wasn't working.

We are going early September.

Trying to read through this thread as it seems really helpful.

blindman

northwest1965 wrote: »

Ok, so here's how it's looking so far. Now bear in mind, 2 years ago we did a West Coast adventure. Have done SF/Monterrey and Yosemite .

1 night Vegas
2nights Zion
1night Bryce (is 2 days at Bryce, driving to Kanab the next night)
1night Kanab
1 night Page (hoping to do the Wave, if not Lake Powell)
1 night Kayenta (Monument Valley for the day)
2nights Grand Canyon (mule trip possibly?)
1 night Vegas
2 nights death Valley
1night Vegas

Now this leaves us a day free.

How is it looking?

It leaves us

I assume you're flying into\out of Las Vegas?

Looks like a lot of 1 night stops which IMHO waste time packing and moving on.

What are your priorities for this trip? Going to MV means you backtrack and you also backtrack going to DV at the end of the trip.

If you stay at Kanab for the Zion\Bryce\Lake Powell trips you can save some time and have a base from which it's easy to try for the walk in lottery for the Wave for for every day you are there if that's a priority (and you didn't get on on-line in June).

Can't see why you put the DV trip in between a night each at Las Vegas?
Early AM return flight times?

blindman

Disney_Pluto wrote: »

We have booked our honeymoon.

What do people think:

3 nights The Fairmont San Francisco
2 nights Hyatt Orange County Anahiem
4 nights Palomar San Diego
5 nights Venetian Las Vegas.

We are planning on booking Alcatraz in SF, A day trip to Grand Canyon, San Diego Zoo, Seaworld, and Disney California.

I did a similar trip but going direction of Yosemite when I was 11 so many years ago. I know most people think we are probably crazy for not doing Yosemite but we have booked this as yoesmite just wasn't working.

We are going early September.

Trying to read through this thread as it seems really helpful.

Are you set on the Fairmont in SFO? Using priceline (if there are two adults) can save some money-but the hotel name cannot be guaranteed.

Look at the Vegas thread for any Q's re MSaving at that location. LowcostUSA have bargains for Vegas at times.

How are you getting around? No car needed in San Fran (nor in Vegas TBHO-depending on your priorities).

Disney is the only place I wouldn't go-It's the smallest\oldest of the Disney worldwide locations.

Disney_Pluto

blindman wrote: »

Are you set on the Fairmont in SFO? Using priceline (if there are two adults) can save some money-but the hotel name cannot be guaranteed.

Look at the Vegas thread for any Q's re MSaving at that location. LowcostUSA have bargains for Vegas at times.

How are you getting around? No car needed in San Fran (nor in Vegas TBHO-depending on your priorities).

Disney is the only place I wouldn't go-It's the smallest\oldest of the Disney worldwide locations.

It's all booked so these are the hotels we are staying at. We have a hire car from the end of SF until beginning of Vegas.

I'm a big disney fan and I've been to California before so know its not huge. My fiance hasn't been to the one in California and its the only one he hasn't been too so just want to include it. We will only spend one day there.

Are there any good trips to Alcatraz to book before hand? Also any day trips to Grand Canyon? Or maybe we can keep the car an extra day and drive ourselves?

Thanks so far.

Murphy_The_Cat

Disney_Pluto wrote: »

Are there any good trips to Alcatraz to book before hand? Also any day trips to Grand Canyon? Or maybe we can keep the car an extra day and drive ourselves?

Thanks so far.

hello DP

I'd heartily recommend visiting Alcatraz at night, for which prebooking is strongly advised.
& we loved our helicoptor trip into the GC - similar to this one

northwest1965

Disney_Pluto wrote: »

Are there any good trips to Alcatraz to book before hand? Also any day trips to Grand Canyon? Or maybe we can keep the car an extra day and drive ourselves?

Thanks so far.

You will have to book Alcatraz as soon as the dates become available
https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/index.aspx

northwest1965

blindman wrote: »

I assume you're flying into\out of Las Vegas?

Looks like a lot of 1 night stops which IMHO waste time packing and moving on.

What are your priorities for this trip? Going to MV means you backtrack and you also backtrack going to DV at the end of the trip.

If you stay at Kanab for the Zion\Bryce\Lake Powell trips you can save some time and have a base from which it's easy to try for the walk in lottery for the Wave for for every day you are there if that's a priority (and you didn't get on on-line in June).

Can't see why you put the DV trip in between a night each at Las Vegas?
Early AM return flight times?

Flying in & out of Vegas
1 night stops dont bother us, we did a few on the last trip. We dont unpack, we pack minimalist and just open the suitcase and get what we want.

Priorities for this trip are Death Valley (1) Monument Valley, Bryce and GC

We did read your trip report about staying at Kanab but its 90mins to bryce and 60 to Zion from there. the hotels aren't any more expensive staying nearer. Thought with time & petrol, made sense to stay nearer. Presume you would reccommend flying into Vegas and doing Death Valley then? Then straight to Zion?

blindman

Disney_Pluto wrote: »

It's all booked so these are the hotels we are staying at. We have a hire car from the end of SF until beginning of Vegas.

I'm a big disney fan and I've been to California before so know its not huge. My fiance hasn't been to the one in California and its the only one he hasn't been too so just want to include it. We will only spend one day there.

Are there any good trips to Alcatraz to book before hand? Also any day trips to Grand Canyon? Or maybe we can keep the car an extra day and drive ourselves?

Thanks so far.

MTC has answered the Alcatraz Q. it is vitally important to book on-line at least 3-4 weeks before you need it. I went this year in June and the ferries were booked up about 3 weeks before hand.

Drvie to GC from LAS is Lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng-better to stop overnight in (say) Flagstaff to make it a better trip,
Look at the Vegas thread for tours\ideas.