San Jose to Kings Canyon/Sequoia

Hi,
For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
final destination. We will have two toddlers (4 years old and 18
months) with us so hiking probably is not an option (any
recomendation/advice?). Here is my plan:
--Leaving SJ at 9:00AM.
-- From Google map, it takes ~ 3:20 min to get to the Kings Canyon
entrance.
-- Spend ~ 3 hours driving thru the Park and make few quick stop for
photograph, lunch.
-- Stay overnight outside the park on the way to LA (Visalia/
Tulare..)
-- Drive to LA on the next day. We dont have to leave early for LA
but would like to avoid LA traffic during the rush hours. What is the
best time to leave for LA?

I have never drive thru this part before so I wonder what is the
driving condition (snow chain required?) and any stop recommendation
while we are at the Park?
Thanks,

Patrick.

In article om,
wrote:
I have never drive thru this part before so I wonder what is the
driving condition (snow chain required?) and any stop recommendation
while we are at the Park?

In April, you might have clear sunny weather, or you might have snow.
You might need chains.

Your children will enjoy the big trees. The walking paths around
the General Grant and General Sherman areas are not very long, and
are paved.

On Mar 26, 3:49 pm, wrote:
Hi,
For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
final destination. We will have two toddlers (4 years old and 18
months) with us so hiking probably is not an option (any
recomendation/advice?). Here is my plan:
--Leaving SJ at 9:00AM.
-- From Google map, it takes ~ 3:20 min to get to the Kings Canyon
entrance.

I think that's optimistic.


-- Spend ~ 3 hours driving thru the Park and make few quick stop for
photograph, lunch.
-- Stay overnight outside the park on the way to LA (Visalia/
Tulare..)
-- Drive to LA on the next day. We dont have to leave early for LA
but would like to avoid LA traffic during the rush hours. What is the
best time to leave for LA?

If you are going on the weekend, there shouldn't be much of a traffic
problem.



I have never drive thru this part before so I wonder what is the
driving condition (snow chain required?) and any stop recommendation
while we are at the Park?
Thanks,

Patrick.

It seems to me I heard somewhere that wrote in
article om:

For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
final destination. We will have two toddlers (4 years old and 18
months) with us so hiking probably is not an option (any
recomendation/advice?). Here is my plan:
--Leaving SJ at 9:00AM.
-- From Google map, it takes ~ 3:20 min to get to the Kings Canyon
entrance.

I agree with Peter that this may be optimistic on a weekend.

-- Spend ~ 3 hours driving thru the Park and make few quick stop for
photograph, lunch.

I also think three hours more or less is very optimistic to go through
the park, maybe even if you don't stop for necessaries or for some
sightseeing. I've only ever done the trip in summer, and April may be
even slower with possible snow or bad weather, but the road down into
Kings Canyon is a pretty winding ~15 mile drive from Wilsonia, near the
park entry, to the end of Hwy. 180 near Cedar Grove. Either entering
the park or returning from the bottom of the canyon you'd probably want
to see the General Grant tree ("the nation's Christmas tree," used to be
decorated for Christmas, maybe still is) near the entrance, and then
you'd have a level but longer drive on Hwy. 198 from the Wilsonia area
to the Giant Forest area where you'd probably want to see at least the
Gen. Sherman tree and Crystal Cave, if not the 1200' Tokopah Falls, and
walk through the sequoia groves.

From Giant Forest to Visalia via Hwy 198 is still an hour or more of
downhill driving, partly on fairly winding highway. And toward the end
of the day you might be catching traffic since others will also be on
their way out to the valley.

One visitor's impressions and experiences are at
http://www.fabuloustravel.com/usa/sequoia/sequoia.html.

-- Stay overnight outside the park on the way to LA (Visalia/
Tulare..)
-- Drive to LA on the next day. We dont have to leave early for LA
but would like to avoid LA traffic during the rush hours. What is the
best time to leave for LA?

If I understand your timing, you'd go through the park on Saturday and
to LA on Sunday? As I said, that seems very optimistic to me, but if
you do come into LA on Sunday traffic could get heavy, but probably
nothing comparable to weekday rush hours, toward evening (Visalia to
downtown LA is roughly 180 miles, so figure on three hours, more if
traffic is building).
--
Don Kirkman

On Mar 26, 3:49 pm, wrote:
Hi,
For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
final destination.

Sounds like you only have one day to drive to and visit the parks. I'd
skip
King's Canyon except for Grant's grove, as the road to Cedar Grove is
likely to be closed and is a slooow drive even if it's clear.
Drive to Lodgepole, then to the main groves. The roads to both Crystal
Cave and Morro Rock will be closed. You can spend the night in
Three Rivers, then drive to LA the next day.

Zeyd

On 27 Mar 2007 18:07:48 -0700, "zbenhalim"
wrote:

On Mar 26, 3:49 pm, wrote:
Hi,
For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
final destination.

Sounds like you only have one day to drive to and visit the parks. I'd
skip
King's Canyon except for Grant's grove, * * *

Grant Grove is in Sequoia NP, not Kings Canyon NP.


--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

wrote:
Hi,
For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
final destination. We will have two toddlers (4 years old and 18
months) with us so hiking probably is not an option (any
recomendation/advice?). Here is my plan:
--Leaving SJ at 9:00AM.
-- From Google map, it takes ~ 3:20 min to get to the Kings Canyon
entrance.

MS Streets & Trips gives this 4:17, 152 to 33 to to 180.
That's with no stops.

Check http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi for winter closures.
180 is open to the General Grant Visitor Center and through the park to
Hume Lake Rd.

Hatunen wrote:
On 27 Mar 2007 18:07:48 -0700, "zbenhalim"
wrote:

Sounds like you only have one day to drive to and visit the parks. I'd
skip King's Canyon except for Grant's grove, * * *

Grant Grove is in Sequoia NP, not Kings Canyon NP.

Actually, it's not. Grant Grove is part of KCNP even though it's
adjacent
to SNP and separate from the rest of KCNP.

See the map at http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisi.../parkRoads.pdf

Zeyd

On 30 Mar 2007 16:25:52 -0700, "zbenhalim"
wrote:

Hatunen wrote:
On 27 Mar 2007 18:07:48 -0700, "zbenhalim"
wrote:

Sounds like you only have one day to drive to and visit the parks. I'd
skip King's Canyon except for Grant's grove, * * *

Grant Grove is in Sequoia NP, not Kings Canyon NP.

Actually, it's not. Grant Grove is part of KCNP even though it's
adjacent
to SNP and separate from the rest of KCNP.

See the map at http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisi.../parkRoads.pdf

I'll be damned.

Never mind.


--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Mar 31, 4:31 pm, Hatunen wrote:
On 30 Mar 2007 16:25:52 -0700, "zbenhalim"
wrote:

Hatunen wrote:
On 27 Mar 2007 18:07:48 -0700, "zbenhalim"
wrote:

Sounds like you only have one day to drive to and visit the parks. I'd
skip King's Canyon except for Grant's grove, * * *

Grant Grove is in Sequoia NP, not Kings Canyon NP.

Actually, it's not. Grant Grove is part of KCNP even though it's
adjacent
to SNP and separate from the rest of KCNP.

See the map athttp://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/upload/parkRoads.pdf

I'll be damned.

Never mind.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Thanks All for your advice.
I changed my mind and took the coastal highway 1 from Monterey down
to San Luis Obispo. It is a long drive but worth it. The scenery is
breathtaking. We also stopped by Hearst Castle for a tour .
I'll probably wait for a couple more year until my kids are ready for
a short hiking route then we definitely will make plan to visit Yosem
and Sequoia NPs.
Patrick.