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

Jimmithecat

Thanks peaceful waters - I hadn't considered San Jose. I've booked BA through avios using up and buying extra avios and then paying cash £845 for flights next summer - flying into San Jose and out of San Francisco - which will suit our plans perfectly as we are doing a loop.
:beer:

Jimmithecat

Hoping someone on this thread will help me fill in some gaps on my planning for this trip. I have booked airbnb for the beginning and end but ideas would be appreciated for the days in between.

There are 4 of us travelling including 2 x 19 year olds

Day 1-2 arrive San Jose - collect hire car & drive to Monterey (1.5 hours)
Day 3-4 big sur (if it is reopen) any ideas? (Carmel on the way and nepenthe)
Day 5-7 Yosemite half dome village
Day 8-11 ? Maybe north of San Francisco to see the redwoods/Sacramento?
Day 13-15 drop hire car and stay in San Francisco - fly out from San Francisco

It's not looking too inspiring at the moment so any suggestions would be appreciated - I assume this will be one of the last family holidays we will have together as the children are getting older and so much busier - so I would like this to be a great trip:beer:

PeacefulWaters

Jimmithecat wrote: »

Hoping someone on this thread will help me fill in some gaps on my planning for this trip. I have booked airbnb for the beginning and end but ideas would be appreciated for the days in between.

There are 4 of us travelling including 2 x 19 year olds

Day 1-2 arrive San Jose - collect hire car & drive to Monterey (1.5 hours)
Day 3-4 big sur (if it is reopen) any ideas? (Carmel on the way and nepenthe)
Day 5-7 Yosemite half dome village
Day 8-11 ? Maybe north of San Francisco to see the redwoods/Sacramento?
Day 13-15 drop hire car and stay in San Francisco - fly out from San Francisco

17 Mile Drive and the Pebble Beach golf course between Monterey and Carmel.

Big Sur includes Pfeifer Beach, the sea lion reserve (or are they seals?) and Morro Bay is a pleasant stop. The drive itself is wonderful though. The inspiration comes from highway and ocean.

What's your month of travel? I'm assuming between June and September.

I'd be tempted to drive on past Malibu Beach, spend an hour on Hollywood Blvd before heading to Vegas, Death Valley (beautiful and baron) and Mammoth Lakes before entering Yosemite on the Tioga Pass from the east.

See if it can fit your schedules.

jackieblack

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Big Sur includes Pfeifer Beach, the sea lion reserve (or are they seals?)

If you mean the colony near San Simeon/Cambria, they're Elephant Seals
http://www.elephantseal.org/view.htm
http://www.elephantseal.org/planyourvisit.htm

PeacefulWaters

jackieblack wrote: »

If you mean the colony near San Simeon/Cambria, they're Elephant Seals
http://www.elephantseal.org/view.htm
http://www.elephantseal.org/planyourvisit.htm

They're the ones! Loved them.

Jimmithecat

Thanks peaceful waters - we drove all the way along the coast to San Diego via San Louis obssispo a few years ago so that's why I was thinking of going north of San Fran this time. Morro bay and pfeifer beach look right up our street though so I will look in to that - also going up through Death Valley could be interesting.
So thank you for this - I'll get my books out again.
Any suggestions of where to stay would be appreciated.
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
We are visiting in August.

jackieblack

Death Valley in August would be my idea of hell _pale_

Muir Woods is a great place to visit (it's where they filmed the Planet of the Apes remakes a few years ago) and there's a place close by where the San Andreas Fault is visible and you can stand with one foot on either side

blindman

Jimmithecat wrote: »

Hoping someone on this thread will help me fill in some gaps on my planning for this trip. I have booked airbnb for the beginning and end but ideas would be appreciated for the days in between.

There are 4 of us travelling including 2 x 19 year olds

Day 1-2 arrive San Jose - collect hire car & drive to Monterey (1.5 hours)
Day 3-4 big sur (if it is reopen) any ideas? (Carmel on the way and nepenthe)
Day 5-7 Yosemite half dome village
Day 8-11 ? Maybe north of San Francisco to see the redwoods/Sacramento?
Day 13-15 drop hire car and stay in San Francisco - fly out from San Francisco

It's not looking too inspiring at the moment so any suggestions would be appreciated - I assume this will be one of the last family holidays we will have together as the children are getting older and so much busier - so I would like this to be a great trip:beer:

Day 8-11
Did that a few years back to kill time for the Tioga pass to open
Trees great-but for me the rest was boring
Went all the way up to Eurkea-t

IMHO you should include Lake Tahoe area for a day or two.
Stunning

I think Death Valley needs an overnight at least.

Look at AirBnb for accommodation.

Jimmithecat

Thanks - interesting that is what you thought about going to
Eureka as that was a worry.
Good idea about Lake Tahoe :beer:
Thanks again for all your suggestions

northwest1965

This is on my husband's bucket list.

Has anyone done this with no experience of horses and riding?

How scary was it?