Touring holiday to Nevada, California & Arizona

blindman

Slight update to my post

I've updated the Holiday Inn CC link to the one that gets you 20,000 points per application.

Murphy_The_Cat

jackieblack wrote: »

It looks like we will have 4 nights to spend between leaving Monterey on a Tueday morning and flying home from LAX Saturday afternoon :sad:.
Currently thinking of doing Monterey - SLO/Avila Beach/Pismo Beach area on the Tuesday (have already had a look at Hearst castle website - think we'll give it a miss), leaving us 3 days to 'chill out' a bit.
DD would like to surf, so I need to check out places for that, she's only been once before so very much a beginner but she's really keen to have another go if possible, and DH & DD would like a day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which (on the map) looks easily do-able from Ventura/Oxnard.

So now thinking maybe 1 night (Tues) SLO/Avila Beach/Pismo Beach area and 2 nights (Thurs & Fri) Ventura/Oxnard area, leaving us Wednesday & Thursday to 'do' the bit in between, possibly spending the Wednesday night in/around Santa Barbara.
Then from Ventura/Oxnard along the last bit of coast road south on Saturday morning, arriving at LAX Saturday afternoon.

You'll still enjoy SLO, staying on the Thursday was the cherry on top of the icing, on top of the cake.
While you're in Santa Barbara, whale watching may be an option, plus , it looks like surfing IS available at SB.
If you register with CarFreeSantaBarbara (any email address will do) you will get quite a wedge of discount vouchers (including the whale watching).

Have fun with your planning !

p.s Doctor Burnsteins Ice Cream Lab in Arroyo Grande is fun

jackieblack

Christa1 wrote: »

Jackie: We are doing Yosemite/SF and Monterey on our road trip in July so I will let you know how we find it. We are starting off in Phoenix and flying back 16 days later from LAX going via /Yosemite/Sonorra/SF/Monterey/Morro Bay then LA.

:hello: Christa, thinking you might be back by now? How was it?

Zazie

This is a brilliant thread. I've been lurking for a while and have picked up loads of really useful info. OH and I are going to Las Vegas for 8 days next April. We are having a week in San Francisco first and then have 4 days to drive down to LV. We plan to drive down the coast as far as, say, San Luis Obispo and then head inland. Has anybody out there done this? As the crow flies, it doesn't look too far from the coast to Las vegas. But if there are mountains and stuff it could be a long drive! I'm wondering how long we need to allow from the coast to LV, maybe via Bakersfield. I'd rather spend more time on the coast than on that bit of the journey. But then again, perhaps it'd be more interesting to go via the Sequoia National Park? Any advice much appreciated.

blindman

Zazie wrote: »

We plan to drive down the coast as far as, say, San Luis Obispo and then head inland. Has anybody out there done this? As the crow flies, it doesn't look too far from the coast to Las vegas. But if there are mountains and stuff it could be a long drive! I'm wondering how long we need to allow from the coast to LV, maybe via Bakersfield.

About 6-7 hours and 450 miles.
Avoid the Interstates around LA as at most times it's the worlds biggest car park!

Mostly flat boring (but easy) drive. Big hill at Mountains pass (IIRC) and you pass the strangley named town of ZZyzx
So named as to be the last in the dictionary

torbrex

Zazie wrote: »

This is a brilliant thread. I've been lurking for a while and have picked up loads of really useful info. OH and I are going to Las Vegas for 8 days next April. We are having a week in San Francisco first and then have 4 days to drive down to LV. We plan to drive down the coast as far as, say, San Luis Obispo and then head inland. Has anybody out there done this? As the crow flies, it doesn't look too far from the coast to Las vegas. But if there are mountains and stuff it could be a long drive! I'm wondering how long we need to allow from the coast to LV, maybe via Bakersfield. I'd rather spend more time on the coast than on that bit of the journey. But then again, perhaps it'd be more interesting to go via the Sequoia National Park? Any advice much appreciated.

I loved Sequoia NP both times I have been (20 years apart), last time I went I had driven north from Joshua Tree NP and then Mojave through Calico Ghost Town to Sequoia then from there to Death Valley before heading east, I could not say how far it was or how long it took me other than 4 tanks of gas and just over 5 days.
I was just meandering as always, I didn't go to Vegas, not my scene really, I prefer the open country and the natural sights to see, trouble is some of them are quite far apart.

tiresmokindad

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

I'm currently at the preliminary stages of planning a 3 week holiday to the West Coast of America that could involve touring all three States of Califonia, Nevada & Arizona (or maybe just 2 of them). I've got no problem with booking an open jaw ticket, I've tracked down a car rental firm that doesn't charge a premium for one way rentals within those 3 States, & I'm now trying to pin things down a little bit more.

I'll be travelling with Mrs Cat, a 15 month old and a four year old. For the middle week, I fancy hiring a villa in San Diego for seven days, but other than that, its a blankish piece of paper (I fancy finishing at Phoenix, Arizona).

Has anyone else done a touring trip in that part of the world (not the Big Sur/San Fran -LA part) that could offer me any pointers, or perhaps read any decent guide/reference books that could help me on my way.

As usual, any help would be gratefully received.



p.s. after looking into the insurance cost for a Mexico visit, that'll be a 'no', them

I traveled in Grand Canyon. I suggest that you could tour there. For me it is a good spot to enjoy the holiday. And it is also a good spot to have a camp site.

Murphy_The_Cat

tiresmokindad wrote: »

I traveled in Grand Canyon. I suggest that you could tour there. For me it is a good spot to enjoy the holiday. And it is also a good spot to have a camp site.

Thank you for taking the time to post and I'm sure that it is really good advice.

I'd also like to thank you for resurrecting a really old thread (Sept 2007) and for reminding me of the absolutely wonderful holiday that I had in Spring 2008 :j:beer:

My_Fathers_Daughter

Hi MTC!


Just searched for this thread - I am about to embark on planning a 16 day east coast trip in April/May to take advantage of all the bank holidays and I was wondering if you had any tips for planning for travelling with children in the USA? And more importantly, do you have a wizz of a spreadsheet which will help me to plan?

We have done several road trips around different parts of America but we are usually a 'book the flights and the first and last night and wing it' types. However, this time we will have a 2 year old and an 11 year old with us so we think we need to be a bit more organised.

I am so excited - just about to try to exploit your AA moneysaving tips to see what I can do with our flights to New York :T

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

MFD

nvh

blindman wrote: »

Bought the annual National Parks pass (America the Beautiful) for $80.[Sold it on Ebay for £40 :cool:]
(Cash, as lots of Ranger sites do not accept credit cards) when we entered Yosemite. Total cost for all parks (8 of) we visited would have been $133.

hmmm, interesting - is that quite do-able then? I notice there's room for two signatures on the pass - I assume therefore the secondary signature does not require the primary signature to be there for it to be used?