On Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:25:06 +0100, Graham Harrison wrote:

"Panawe" wrote in message
m...
Hi,

Advice please. I am planning a road trip (fly-drive from UK and stay in
hotels/motels) to the western US next year and I have a number of
questions.

I would like to go whale-watching and see Yosemite and Yellowstone
Nat'l parks (and others if feasible).

I don't like cities.

I am planning on 14 days, is this long enough?

Should I buy a package holiday or just book fly-drive and stay wherever
I end up?

If I book a package could someone recommend a good tour operator?

What's the best time to do this? I was thinking of October 2012.

Are there any hotels that I should not miss?

Are there any events I shouldn't miss?

Can someone recommend a book?

Any possibility of an astronomy event, star-watching party?

Thanks in advance, I realise I've asked a lot of questions.

--
Panawe

Yellowstone and Yosemite are probably 2 days drive apart and if the road
over Touolmne in Yosemite has closed by then possibly 3 days so 14 days
is doable but you're going to need to keep moving if you're going to do
anything more than spend a night in each of them (which would be silly).

I went to Yellowstone in September this year and previously in October a
few years ago. Weather on both occasions was lovely but the week
before we arrived in October we were told it had snowed and it has been
known to snow in July (but unusual).

Accommodation in and around ANY National Park is at a premium; book
early and BOOK. You're also going to be in some of the least populated
parts of the US where towns with motels I'd stay in can be 80/90 miles
apart. Staying in the parks is an experience - expensive and sometimes
surprisingly basic but I do it because it saves the hassle of driving in
and out every day. In Yosemite THE hotel is the Awanhee. In
Yellowstone there are 3 Old Faithful, Mammoth and Lake and I wouldn't
like to pick one over the other. That's not to say I recommend any of
those 4 - never stayed in any of them but visiting each is worthwhile.

I like the Moon series of guidebooks but Lonely Planet or Rough Guide
also work. A Rand McNally road atlas can be useful - Amazon sell them
in the UK. Make sure you understand the scales - each page/state is
different.

I would investigate flying to San Francisco and back from Denver - both
routes are operated non-stop. The fare will simply be half of each
round trip. However, that means paying a one way fee for your car.
I'd book a couple of nights in San Francisco to get over jet lag. I'm
not a fan of cities but San Francisco is one that I like. Parking in
San Francisco is like any city - bad and expensive. Book the car for
the day you want to start driving not the day you arrive - even though
you'll be a pedestrian it will also give you time to acclimatise to
traffic on the wrong side. Public transport is pretty good. Make sure
you visit Alactraz - book in advance. Have a read of their highway
code http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/driver_handbook_toc.htm - there are
some things we don't have.

Go south to Monterrey (use highway 1 through Half Moon Bay) and see the
aquarium and whales. Now head for Yosemite; you could go via
Pinnacles. Next north to pick I-80 east as far as Well, Nevada. Go
north to Twin Falls and on towards Sun Valley to turn right and make a
stop at http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm then on to Yellowstone. From
Yellowstone I think I'd head south through Grand Teton and Jackson to
I80 at Rock Springs, Rawlins then south to come over the Rocky Mountain
NP for a last night in Boulder CO before flying home from Denver. You
need a minimum of 2 nights in Yosemite and 3 in Yellowstone and that's
an absolute minimum. In Yellowstone you need to get up early (like
before dawn) to get into the prime wildlife spots when the animals are
actually about and then go on to have breakfast.

(That said THE way in/out of Yellowstone for me is the North East
entrance through Cooke City and up to Billings).

(Boulder is a small university city with a pedestrianised downtown.
The path along Boulder Creek leads directly to the edge of the
Flatirons. We stayed in the Quality Inn on Arapahoe which is within
easy reach of both on foot. Visit the Chautauqua there if you have
time).

Many, many thanks. I've printed it off. Give me a day or two to digest it
and I might come back with a supplementary question or three.

--
Panawe