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

blindman

blindman wrote: »

Got mine today after only about a week:cool:

Having said that I'm still receiving stuff from other counties\States. Got a big envelope from UTAH yesterday.

Good stuff

Vikki_74

Slightly off topic, but the Wisconsin tourist board was great at sending stuff last year - I got a big pack with really good road maps and all sorts. Always worth asking for the relevant state / county / city to send you their stuff; although I do feel guilty sometimes at seeing how much they've paid in postage to ship it all over here!

jackieblack

Vikki_74 wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but the Wisconsin tourist board was great at sending stuff last year - I got a big pack with really good road maps and all sorts. Always worth asking for the relevant state / county / city to send you their stuff; although I do feel guilty sometimes at seeing how much they've paid in postage to ship it all over here!

Agreed, however, I've discovered over the last couple of years that fewer states are willing to send stuff overseas. It appears many states will now only ship within USA/Canada. I struggled to get much info sent to me for our last couple of trips.

Murphy_The_Cat

jackieblack wrote: »

Agreed, however, I've discovered over the last couple of years that fewer states are willing to send stuff overseas. It appears many states will now only ship within USA/Canada. I struggled to get much info sent to me for our last couple of trips.

Happily for me, the good people of Utah & California still seem to be very happy to send stuff across

daisiegg

Hi everyone - what a great thread!

I am extremely excited as in less than two months I will be returning to my favourite place on earth...yay! Only going for 11 nights this time which just sounds like nowhere near enough time, but we are using BA reward flights and it is the only way we could get the flights to work

So, we fly to SFO, arriving at 2.30pm. Picking up a hire car and spending night one at a hotel near the airport that we have stayed at before, just for ease.
The next day - driving to Yosemite and spending nights two, three and four at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.
Day five - flying from Fresno international airport to Vegas (never done this before - usually drive to Vegas and did so via Death Valley last time, but being shorter on time this trip it seemed like a good idea and flights were dirt cheap). Staying a couple of days in Vegas and spending nights five, six and seven at the Aria.
Day eight - flying back to Fresno, picking up car and driving to Monterey. Staying in a Marriott there (completely for free using points - yay!) for nights eight, nine and ten and then spending night eleven in central San Francisco because we are going out on the town with some relatives, and didn't want to have to drive back down to Monterey. We then fly home on the evening of day twelve so we might spend a couple of hours doing something in SF that day before heading to the airport in the evening.

So anyway - thanks for indulging me if you did read through all that! I am just very excited! :rotfl:

What I am after from all you experienced people is a couple of things:
- advice on what to do in Yosemite, and
- advice on what to do in and around Monterey/Carmel.

I have been to Yosemite a few times before, but only once as an adult, which was on our last trip and we only had one day there so we just did a bit of sightseeing. When I have been there as a child we have camped and done lots and lots of hiking...my husband and I are happy to do a but of hiking but not three whole days.

I have not been to Monterey/Carmel other than passing through. I know we want to do the Aquariam and also will do wine tasting from there (probably too far to get up to Napa so we will have to find something more local) - what else is good to do? We have stayed in Santa Cruz before and might pop up there for a little while if we get time; would love to go to the boardwalk again. But what else is good to do/see around the area?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

northwest1965

daisiegg wrote: »

Hi everyone - what a great thread!


What I am after from all you experienced people is a couple of things:
- advice on what to do in Yosemite, and
- advice on what to do in and around Monterey/Carmel.

Hi. We won't be long behind you, going in early Sept. We did Yosemite last year, just had a look at my trip report to see what we did:rotfl:.

1st day we just took in the scenery, the stop off point to look down in the valley is a must.
Mariposa Grove to look at the giant Sequoias, amazing! On the way back it was Glacier Point. Lunch up there is fantastic. Great views.
Mirror Lake is lovely. Many walks that you can do.

As for Monterey, can't give many suggestions, we didn't like it:(

Have a great time

daisiegg

northwest1965 wrote: »

Hi. We won't be long behind you, going in early Sept. We did Yosemite last year, just had a look at my trip report to see what we did:rotfl:.

1st day we just took in the scenery, the stop off point to look down in the valley is a must.
Mariposa Grove to look at the giant Sequoias, amazing! On the way back it was Glacier Point. Lunch up there is fantastic. Great views.
Mirror Lake is lovely. Many walks that you can do.

As for Monterey, can't give many suggestions, we didn't like it:(

Have a great time

Thank you! Last time my husband and I were there we did Glacier Point and a walk up to Mirror Lake - great minds!

Oh no...why didn't you like Monterey? We really wanted to stay in Carmel but couldn't not go with the free hotel in Monterey! My cousin lives in San Jose (well, nearby) and he has always recommended Monterey. But do tell me what you didn't like about it please if you don't mind - fore warned is fore armed!

jackieblack

daisiegg wrote: »

I have not been to Monterey/Carmel other than passing through. I know we want to do the Aquariam and also will do wine tasting from there (probably too far to get up to Napa so we will have to find something more local) - what else is good to do? We have stayed in Santa Cruz before and might pop up there for a little while if we get time; would love to go to the boardwalk again. But what else is good to do/see around the area?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

The aquarium is great. You can do whale watching trips from Fisherman's wharf out into Monterey Bay.
I loved Monterey but am a big Steinbeck fan and we did a walking tour around all the locations from in Cannery Row
We went to Carmel and found it very twee, not our cup of tea.

daisiegg

jackieblack wrote: »

The aquarium is great. You can do whale watching trips from Fisherman's wharf out into Monterey Bay.
I loved Monterey but am a big Steinbeck fan and we did a walking tour around all the locations from in Cannery Row
We went to Carmel and found it very twee, not our cup of tea.

Thank you

I teach Of Mice and Men every year so it might be good to take some pictures of some Steinbeck related places to jazz up lessons

We have done whale watching in Boston and loved it so that might be something to consider too.

I am just over the moon as I just discovered that there is a branch of Pizza My Heart half a mile from our hotel in Monterey...the best pizza chain we have ever been to (though not the best pizza we have ever had - that was in a small independent place in Corning, New York) ....this alone makes me think Monterey won't be too bad

blindman

daisiegg wrote: »

What I am after from all you experienced people is a couple of things:
- advice on what to do in Yosemite, and

I have been to Yosemite a few times before, but only once as an adult, which was on our last trip and we only had one day there so we just did a bit of sightseeing. When I have been there as a child we have camped and done lots and lots of hiking...my husband and I are happy to do a but of hiking but not three whole days.


Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Taft Point Me and Bro inlaw

Taft Point Mrs B and Sis in law

Sentinel Dome Mr and Mrs B

Sentinel Dome

Awesome place

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