USA Trip of a Lifetime - helpful hints?

Emmey

My boyfriend & I will be visiting the USA from 31 Aug - 22 Sep. Our itinerary is:

31 Aug: Fly London Heathrow to Los Angeles
31 Aug - 3 Sep: Los Angeles (Hollywood Travelodge)
3 - 4 Sep: Santa Barbara (Avania Inn)
4 - 5 Sep: Pismo Beach (Motel 6)
5 - 8 Sep: Santa Cruz (Staying with Family for Family Wedding)
8 - 10 Sep: San Francisco (San Remo Hotel)
10 - 12 Sep: South Lake Tahoe (America's Best Value Inn)
12 - 13 Sep: Bishop (Ramada)
13 - 15 Sep: Las Vegas (Alexis Park Resort)
15 - 16 Sep: Hurricane (Comfort Inn Zion National Park)
16-18 Sep: Lake Powell (Lake Powell Resort)
18 - 20 Sep: Grand Canyon (Holiday Inn Express Grand Canyon)
20 - 21 Sep: Phoenix (Holiday Inn)
21 - 22 Sep: Palm Springs (Palm Mountain Resort)

We've hired our car, saved our money, flights booked etc and ready to rock and roll. Just wondering if anyone had any road trip tips in general, or any 'must-sees' for the areas we're going to?

Thanks in advance!

Gloomendoom

Peruse this long running thread...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3248860

It's full of hints and tips.

[Deleted User]

Have you pre-booked your hotels? My friends and I did an unplanned roadtrip of the USA, booking hotels as we got to them.

We often found you could haggle the price down a little, and also, gas stations have vouchers for hotel discounts. Found an ace place in New Orleans that way.

Emmey

Thanks Gloomendoom - gosh that's a whole pile of useful info! We will both get reading.

Ringo - yes, all hotels are pre-booked but can be cancelled up to 2 days beforehand if we find better deals. Apart from things like the Las Vegas one which we got on a Groupon. Useful to know re the gas/petrol stations!

neilbond007

Replace Bishop with Yosemite, and stay there 2 nights.

Try to stay in Vegas on a non weekend night. Friday / Saturday nights are double the price of weekday nights. (Unless there's a big convention in town)

Gloomendoom

If you can hire a convertible, it will add something to your trip. Driving through Death Valley with the top down is an experience.

Murphy_The_Cat

Santa Barbara go Whale Watching with Condor Cruises. Register with Car Free Santa Barbara first and get 20% off.

Pismo Beach - DocBurnsteins IceCream Lab at nearby Arrayo Grande.
We loved Avila Beach
Visit Avila Valley Farm
Kolob Canyon, scenic drive just north of Hurricane
Cedar Breaks National Monument NE of Hurricane
Palm Springs Aeriel Tramway (currently closed, but check nearer the time)

travellerboy

After Zion travel highway 9 - awesome. You must find the time to see Bryce Canyon, better than Zion IMHO.
When at Lake Powell you are only 90 miles from Monument Valley, an absolute must see.
Enjoy the trip, take plenty of sun cream, it will be hot !

Murphy_The_Cat

travellerboy wrote: »

After Zion travel highway 9 - awesome. You must find the time to see Bryce Canyon, better than Zion IMHO.
!

& mine :beer:

Eponym

A few miles away from Pismo Beach you can hire quad bikes and drive them all over the dunes and the beach. I didn't do it myself but I wish I had as my friends loved it!

In Santa Barbara we went on a 1.5 hr 'trail ride' at a ranch in the mountains behind the city. That was fun - it's a route which takes you up into the hills with views back over to the sea.

I definitely concur with Yosemite. Absolutely stunning place.

In San Francisco you can get great views of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point (on the eastern side of the city end) and Baker Beach (on the western side).

We went to a shooting range in Vegas which was an experience, albeit pricey!

ferf1223

neilbond007 wrote: »

Try to stay in Vegas on a non weekend night. Friday / Saturday nights are double the price of weekday nights. (Unless there's a big convention in town)

agree with this but seems like the OP's nights may be fixed and booked via Groupon.

OP - did you look at any other hotels in Vegas? Not sure how the deal you got compares to other things on offer, but as you do appear to be staying over a weekend prices will be higher. It may be worth looking around to see what other options there are and how they compare. Not suggesting that there's anything wrong with the hotel you have chosen but would be worth double checking if there might be something you like better...there are a lot of links to places you can look for hotel deals on the Vegas sticky.