Touring holiday to Nevada, California & Arizona

MOLLYBRUSH

My itinerary so far:

23 May: Marriott Heathrow via Priceline
24 LHR to LAX staying in LA one night at the Omni.

Then I have quite a gap, wondering what to fill it with. Initially was going to take the train up to San Francisco. Does anyone know if this is scenic?
Alternative is to drive. Is it too far in one go. Can anyone suggest a stop en-route. Also is SF nice weather in May?

Also want to fit in Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.

2 June Vegas but not booked yet.
4-7 June booked into Palazzo via Priceline
7-12 June Annaheim - Hyatt Regency
12 June return.

I thought Annaheim was near to San Diego but see it is quite a distance. How long would it be by car? Is it a must-see? Lots of people really rate it.

malid

MOLLYBRUSH wrote: »

My itinerary so far:

23 May: Marriott Heathrow via Priceline
24 LHR to LAX staying in LA one night at the Omni.

Then I have quite a gap, wondering what to fill it with. Initially was going to take the train up to San Francisco. Does anyone know if this is scenic?
Alternative is to drive. Is it too far in one go. Can anyone suggest a stop en-route. Also is SF nice weather in May?

Also want to fit in Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.

2 June Vegas but not booked yet.
4-7 June booked into Palazzo via Priceline
7-12 June Annaheim - Hyatt Regency
12 June return.

I thought Annaheim was near to San Diego but see it is quite a distance. How long would it be by car? Is it a must-see? Lots of people really rate it.

Hi

Are you looking for something between 25 May and 2nd June in LV? I would definately drive, not train, gorgeous scenery both on coast and other route. You need to decide what you want to do/see. I don't think you can do justice to SF, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite in this time as you will also have a long drive to LV. Check out mileage here mapquest.com

You could do the coast drive from LA to SF, San Simeon ti visit Heart Castle is a good stop half way then travel up through Big Sur and on to Monterey. Alcatraz a is a must in SF. Weather will be average I guess, 60s maybe. I would then skip Lake Tahoe and drive down to LV possibly though Yosemite but you won;t have much time.

Are you committed to 7 - 12 in Annaheim? It's a long time. I wouldn't bother driving to SD for a day although it's only about 100 -120 miles; you really need to stay there. Knotts Berry Farm Buena Park (near Annaheim) is a good option for a second theme park or you could drive out to Universal Studios.

Enjoy!!:cool:

malid

vanilla8 wrote: »

Here is our itinerary so far:

4 Nights SF @ Westin St Francis
2 Nights Yosemite @ Lodge at the Falls
1 Night Death Valley (Not Booked Yet)
4 Nights Las Vegas @ Bellagio
1 Night Gran Canyon @ El Tovar
1 Night Lake Havusu @ Agave Inn
2 Nights Anahiem @ Sheraton Park Inn

Now we are not sure what order to do the following before flying home from LAX:
1. Santa Monica/Hollywood to spend 2 nights visiting Universal and seeing hollywood
2.San Diego for 4 nights.

We are tempted to leave San Diego to last as we will be by the beach for some relaxation?

Any tips grateful!

If you are doing Disneyland in Annaheim, I would look at moving on to San Diego for some relaxation then to Universal otherwise you will be packing in consequetive theme park days - hectic. You also have quite long distances in your itinerary and short stop offs. You'll have had such a fab time I wouldn't be too worried about the order of things though!

In San Diego, I would recommend Humphreys Half Moon Inn and Suites. We stayed there in 2006 and had a great time. Checkout their website to see if there any concernts on at the time you want to go; that mmay help you decide.

Hope you have a fab time - I know you will :rotfl: :cool:

Murphy_The_Cat

malid wrote: »

Hi

Are you looking for something between 25 May and 2nd June in LV? I would definately drive, not train, gorgeous scenery both on coast and other route. You need to decide what you want to do/see. I don't think you can do justice to SF, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite in this time as you will also have a long drive to LV. Check out mileage here mapquest.com

You could do the coast drive from LA to SF, San Simeon ti visit Heart Castle is a good stop half way then travel up through Big Sur and on to Monterey. Alcatraz a is a must in SF. Weather will be average I guess, 60s maybe. I would then skip Lake Tahoe and drive down to LV possibly though Yosemite but you won;t have much time.

Enjoy!!:cool:

Hi Malid

just my tuppence worth. The train trip from LA to SF is one of the best train journeys in America (apparently !) and anyone who took it wouldn't be disappointed. However, if they did, they would miss out on so many nice things on the drive !!!!!!
Personally if I was wanting to spend some time in SF, I would consider taking the train from LA to SF (book via Amtrak, its ridiculously cheap) and give myself extra time in SF. But if I wasn't to bothered about spending the the time in SF (& the place left me completely cold) I'd drive it, spend sometime in the places on the way up, soak up the scenary and have a great time.

MOLLYBRUSH Whichever option you take, you'll have a great time, PLUS, you'll have an alternative trip to take another year. Just one small thing to consider, SF isn't very car friendly at all. Parking spaces are charged by the 15 mins, hotel parking is expensive and parking in general is fairly difficult to find. Don't let it put you off taking a car there, just be aware.
& as Malid says, it will feel quite cool at times.

Bennifred

Hello all! I've been really enjoying reading this thread, even though I've never been to the west US you've made it sound fantastic! I'm planning a (probably the last, sob!) long family hol to Australia (I spent childhood there, haven't been since) for 2010 and am wondering whether to do it as a "round the world" via west coast USA, maybe spending a week or so? I think the boys (late teens/early twenties by then:eek: ) would love it - especially San Diego - so would DH and I! I'm also thinking it would break up the horrendously long journey.......Has anyone done anything like that?

Sorry, MTC - probably a bit OT:o

Murphy_The_Cat

Bennifred wrote: »

Hello all! I've been really enjoying reading this thread, even though I've never been to the west US you've made it sound fantastic! I'm planning a (probably the last, sob!) long family hol to Australia (I spent childhood there, haven't been since) for 2010 and am wondering whether to do it as a "round the world" via west coast USA, maybe spending a week or so? I think the boys (late teens/early twenties by then:eek: ) would love it - especially San Diego - so would DH and I! I'm also thinking it would break up the horrendously long journey.......Has anyone done anything like that?

Sorry, MTC - probably a bit OT:o

Don't apologise, nothing to say sorry for. If my thread has encouraged a love of travelling in others, then thats great !
I think that its a great idea

Plus, I think Air New Zealand flies 'the wrong way around' and goes from London - LAX-NZ.
If you fancied USA, NZ & Aus - Far East - Home it could possibly be a good alternative.

If your sons are into Naval stuff they'll get a double bonus, as San Diego the largest US Naval base on the West Coast so theees plenty of shiops to see, plus an aircraft carrier to wander around (plus all the other good stuff, of course).

Bennifred

It's probably all the other good stuff they'll be interested in - all three DSs are guitarists, in bands etc - but I love harbours (and men in uniform, lol!) so thanks for that link.
I do fancy going the wrong way round, partly because I think jet-lag is reduced going west (at least, I've always been fine whilst in US but suffer horribly once back) and also you "lose" less time during the travelling. And I really want to visit the west coast now (I blame this thread, obviously!)

Murphy_The_Cat

I'm not a happy camper. After cutting my transfer time in Chicago down to a sphincter tightening 1 hr 40 minutes on the way IN to America. The f[strike]ornicating babboons[/strike] fine people at AA have cancelled my 10.00 flight from SJC and now want me to take the 06.45 flight instead (OH, joy of joys, getting my little'uns up at 03.30 in the morning), or I can make a 50 mile drive and take the 09.45 flight from SFO instead (balls, I've just realised that the car hire company charge foe any changes :mad::mad:) so its going to be getting up at dawns crack afterall. Ho Hum, at least we'll be able to use the childrens play area in ORD after all :cool::cool::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Bennifred wrote: »

Sooo annoying when you have everything perfectly worked out and then something like that happens - why can't they stick to what they originally offer?!:mad: So how long will you have at ORD on the way back now?

a delightful and inspiring four and a half hours :rolleyes:. But its the thought of getting up at 3-4 in the morning that pees me off :mad:
So now I've got to run the routine of will the Marriott let me cancel/amend my booking, will AA let me change my flight, will the car hire let me (I'm sure they will) amend my drop off point and at what charge etc, etc.



p.s. plus the biggie - telling Mrs Cat

p.p.s every cloud has a silver lining - if I fly back from SFO, I'll get an extra 30 AA miles :j

blindman wrote: »

Isn't there some clause at AA that says if they alter your flights by XX hours you can re-book (that bit) for free?

Too drunk to look it up :beer:

There probably is, but I've got more chance of a 'discretionary' change if there isn't/or is only a small price change - so I'll ask the question tomorrow (after I've given Mrs Cat the 'good news' :eek:

Madmel

The children's play area in ORD in nice - we spent 2 hours there on the way out. We originally had a 1hr 40 min stopover and decided to extend it as Chicago was our US entry and we were worried about clearing customs & immigration and missing the SFO connection. It was unbelievably boring waiting, and the United Airlines muppets had sent our luggage on ahead anyway!

To everyone joining this thread, PLEASE make sure you book adequate health insurance. If you haven't trawled back through the thread, my DH's appendix ruptured whilst we wre in the wilds of Arizona last year. He's ok now, but it was a nightmare - thankfully we were insured. But a medical evacuation by helicopter cost $38k... and then there was the hospital, 4 operations, a week in ICU (at $2300 per day for the bed & nurse) and a further week on a ward.

MOLLYBRUSH

malid wrote: »

Hi


You could do the coast drive from LA to SF, San Simeon ti visit Heart Castle is a good stop half way then travel up through Big Sur and on to Monterey. Alcatraz a is a must in SF. Weather will be average I guess, 60s maybe. I would then skip Lake Tahoe and drive down to LV possibly though Yosemite but you won;t have much time.

Are you committed to 7 - 12 in Annaheim? It's a long time. I wouldn't bother driving to SD for a day although it's only about 100 -120 miles; you really need to stay there. Knotts Berry Farm Buena Park (near Annaheim) is a good option for a second theme park or you could drive out to Universal Studios.

Enjoy!!:cool:

Thanks for your advice and help. Am beginning to think I am being a bit ambitious as usual. I think I will have to leave SD. Am committed to Annaheim (they are dates though not number of days) so it's only 4 nights and the hotel has quite a good pool. Got a bit carried away after I booked the flights and booked some accommodation before completing my research, due to the excitement:o