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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
Hi Guys - I really need some help here!
I am arriving in/out of LA from the UK mid April for 14 days and want to see as much of the west coast as possible by car. In my head....!!.... it would be nice to see a bit of LA, SanFran, A National Park, Death Valley, Las Vagas & The Grand Canyon - In that order? Can anyone help me estimate how much time I will need getting to and from the following sights, how long I should stay at each one and where is the best mid priced places are to stay? & accom websites to help? I have heard that at some popular attractions it's best to book now such as the grand canyon. I might be being a little ambitious with my wish list above, please let me know if I am and what I should cut out on a standard see a bit of everything vacation (we have no kids) A lot to ask I know, and I have bought a guide book but it's all just swimming on the pages ..theres so much to see there. It's such a long way to travel, I will probably only do it once and want to get as much out of it as can. Many thanks in advance for any help Richard |
#2
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
Hmmm, I would say:
Two days in LA, drive up the coast to Monterey, spend a night there, explore Monterey/Carmel/17 Mile Drive, then arrive late in SF. Two days in SF and then on to Yosemite NP; you should easily arrive by mid afternoon. Spend that day and the next exploring Yosemite. That takes care of one week. April is too early to go over Tioga Pass to the Death Valley area. Frankly, I would give Death Valley a miss and spend an extra night in LA or SF. You'll see plenty of desert en route to LV and the Grand Canyon. I would leave Yosemite and head south on 99, cross the Sierras on Highway 58 to Mojave, then head out to Vegas. Two nights in Las Vegas would be more than enough for me, then on to the Grand Canyon...you'll get there early in the day, spend two nights there. You could even explore some of the interesting country east of the Canyon, like Monument Valley and some of the prehistoric cliff dwellings. This whole itinerary should take about two weeks, including a day spent traveling back to LA for your flight out (the next day?). Good luck; sounds like fun. Terri Richardjlavender wrote: Hi Guys - I really need some help here! I am arriving in/out of LA from the UK mid April for 14 days and want to see as much of the west coast as possible by car. In my head....!!.... it would be nice to see a bit of LA, SanFran, A National Park, Death Valley, Las Vagas & The Grand Canyon - In that order? Can anyone help me estimate how much time I will need getting to and from the following sights, how long I should stay at each one and where is the best mid priced places are to stay? & accom websites to help? I have heard that at some popular attractions it's best to book now such as the grand canyon. I might be being a little ambitious with my wish list above, please let me know if I am and what I should cut out on a standard see a bit of everything vacation (we have no kids) A lot to ask I know, and I have bought a guide book but it's all just swimming on the pages ..theres so much to see there. It's such a long way to travel, I will probably only do it once and want to get as much out of it as can. Many thanks in advance for any help Richard |
#3
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
"Richardjlavender" wrote in message ... Hi Guys - I really need some help here! I am arriving in/out of LA from the UK mid April for 14 days and want to see as much of the west coast as possible by car. In my head....!!.... it would be nice to see a bit of LA, SanFran, A National Park, Death Valley, Las Vagas & The Grand Canyon - In that order? Can anyone help me estimate how much time I will need getting to and from the following sights, how long I should stay at each one and where is the best mid priced places are to stay? & accom websites to help? I have heard that at some popular attractions it's best to book now such as the grand canyon. I might be being a little ambitious with my wish list above, please let me know if I am and what I should cut out on a standard see a bit of everything vacation (we have no kids) A lot to ask I know, and I have bought a guide book but it's all just swimming on the pages ..theres so much to see there. It's such a long way to travel, I will probably only do it once and want to get as much out of it as can. Many thanks in advance for any help Richard My suggestion would be to drive up the coast to SF, then back down thru Yosemite Park to LA (or the other way around). Then take a flight from LA to Las Vegas, and from Las Vegas take a tour to the Grand Canyon. Flights from LA to Las Vegas are comparatively inexpensive, and it saves you the driving time (4 -5 hours each way). |
#4
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
Don't spend too much time in LA. Just get in and out quickly.
Julie "Peter L" wrote in message ... "Richardjlavender" wrote in message ... Hi Guys - I really need some help here! I am arriving in/out of LA from the UK mid April for 14 days and want to see as much of the west coast as possible by car. In my head....!!.... it would be nice to see a bit of LA, SanFran, A National Park, Death Valley, Las Vagas & The Grand Canyon - In that order? Can anyone help me estimate how much time I will need getting to and from the following sights, how long I should stay at each one and where is the best mid priced places are to stay? & accom websites to help? I have heard that at some popular attractions it's best to book now such as the grand canyon. I might be being a little ambitious with my wish list above, please let me know if I am and what I should cut out on a standard see a bit of everything vacation (we have no kids) A lot to ask I know, and I have bought a guide book but it's all just swimming on the pages ..theres so much to see there. It's such a long way to travel, I will probably only do it once and want to get as much out of it as can. Many thanks in advance for any help Richard My suggestion would be to drive up the coast to SF, then back down thru Yosemite Park to LA (or the other way around). Then take a flight from LA to Las Vegas, and from Las Vegas take a tour to the Grand Canyon. Flights from LA to Las Vegas are comparatively inexpensive, and it saves you the driving time (4 -5 hours each way). |
#5
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
You need to know that the city and county of Los Angeles are very
large, densely populated, and often jammed with traffic. Getting from place to place can take a lot of time and stress you out. What do you plan to do in LA? If you are seeing friends, they can help you plan those two days. But you need to determine what you want to see in LA. Disneyland? That's in Orange County and a 1-2 hour drive, depending on your starting point and the time of day. Do you want to see Universal Studios? Hollywood? Beaches? Zoos? Art Museums? Science Museums? Sports? Gardens? Shop? People Watch? Fine dining? Hiking? Or just relax? You can do most of these things in both SF and LA. You might decide that Muir Woods, north of SF and across the Golden Gate bridge has enough redwoods for you. Who knows? You won't find redwoods in LA. I grew up in LA and now live in San Diego. But I and others can give you suggestions and pointers, but it's hard to guide you when we don't know where you're going. DKM PS: I don't know Arizona very well, but if you go to the Grand Canyon, you might find the Painted Desert, Monument Valley, Sedona, and other sites will make up for skipping Death Valley? Surely other readers can help here. On 16 Jan 2004 20:41:15 GMT, (Richardjlavender) wrote: Hi Guys - I really need some help here! I am arriving in/out of LA from the UK mid April for 14 days and want to see as much of the west coast as possible by car. In my head....!!.... it would be nice to see a bit of LA, SanFran, A National Park, Death Valley, Las Vagas & The Grand Canyon - In that order? Can anyone help me estimate how much time I will need getting to and from the following sights, how long I should stay at each one and where is the best mid priced places are to stay? & accom websites to help? I have heard that at some popular attractions it's best to book now such as the grand canyon. I might be being a little ambitious with my wish list above, please let me know if I am and what I should cut out on a standard see a bit of everything vacation (we have no kids) A lot to ask I know, and I have bought a guide book but it's all just swimming on the pages ..theres so much to see there. It's such a long way to travel, I will probably only do it once and want to get as much out of it as can. Many thanks in advance for any help Richard To contact me directly, send EMAIL to (single letters all) DEE KAY EMM AT CEE TEE ESS D0T CEE OH EMM |
#6
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
Thanks Doug
I don't unfortunately have any friends in LA - a complete stranger in town! To be honest, I guess for a short stay of a couple of days I just want to see the sights which LA it is internationally famous for. Hollywood Beverly Hills, get a snap of the Hollywood sign etc. Bit of clothes shopping bit of walking around, Not Disney or theme parks. More time in years to come on another trip should show me other things to visit in LA. The ideal of ideals would be to stay in a mid range hotel near the beach which is not too hard find from the Airport after an 11 hour flight… that journey between car hire desk and hotel reception stresses me out more than anything else in the first few days…including bad traffic! I have already decided to skip Death Valley and stay a minimum of one night in Las Vegas. So many thanks for you help Richard |
#7
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
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#9
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
Richard,
I would think you would enjoy the beaches and sunsets (and the drive) between Malibu and Santa Monica (or Venice as someone else has mentioned). Santa Monica isn't far from Beverly Hills. You would probably enjoy driving Sunset Blvd between the coast and Beverly Hills. There are beautiful homes in this area, though you probably should turn off the main street (which is a moderately high-traffic non-freeway street) where you can drive more slowly without annoying the other drivers. Wilshire Blvd will also take you into Beverly Hills, but it is more commercial. Go Sunset toward Beverly Hills and return via Wilshire (or vice versa)? The Hollywood sign is farther east, not far from the Hollywood Bowl. To my surprise I see that it has its own website: http://www.hollywoodsign.org/ For (window?) shopping in Beverly Hills, go to Rodeo Drive. Here's another website: http://www.seeing-stars.com/ImagePages/SaksPhoto.shtml This page shows where Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting, but follow some of the other links for Rodeo Drive and other shopping sites. Melrose might be more to your budget and more modern/hip. Maybe other readers can point you in the right direction. The LA Times and LA Weekly and LA Reader (is it still in business?) will have lots of listings for events, culture, restaurant reviews, movies, etc. For a visitor, the Thursday and Sunday LA Times would be best. The other two are free weekly newspapers, published Thursday? For an offbeat site to see, visit Watts Towers. Read the guidebooks to see if it would interest you. It's not too far from Santa Monica/Beverly Hills, but a bit off-track also. http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildi...ts_Towers.html DKM On 17 Jan 2004 10:44:34 GMT, (Richardjlavender) wrote: snip To be honest, I guess for a short stay of a couple of days I just want to see the sights which LA it is internationally famous for. Hollywood Beverly Hills, get a snap of the Hollywood sign etc. Bit of clothes shopping bit of walking around, Not Disney or theme parks. More time in years to come on another trip should show me other things to visit in LA. The ideal of ideals would be to stay in a mid range hotel near the beach which is not too hard find from the Airport after an 11 hour flight… that journey between car hire desk and hotel reception stresses me out more than anything else in the first few days…including bad traffic! I have already decided to skip Death Valley and stay a minimum of one night in Las Vegas. So many thanks for you help Richard To contact me directly, send EMAIL to (single letters all) DEE KAY EMM AT CEE TEE ESS D0T CEE OH EMM |
#10
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Help Req Please Planning West Coast Trip
In article ,
Doug McClure wrote: For (window?) shopping in Beverly Hills, go to Rodeo Drive. Speaking of Beverly Hills, I went there recently to watch a film at the Museum of Television and Radio. They have a bunch of carrels where you can sit and view any of their thousands of tapes. Unfortunately, their catalog isn't available online, but if there's something particular you're interested in, I'm sure you could call and find out whether they have it. Their website, btw, is www.mtr.org. Patty |
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