West Coast Road Trip

Hi there,
my name is Fabio, I'm Italian and
I'm planning a road trip in July starting from San Francisco and
then...

Sacramento
Yosemite
Sequoia
Death Valley
Las vegas
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
Joshua Tree
San Diego
Los Angeles
Then a few days along the coast 'till San Francisco

About 2500 miles in 3 weeks (is that too much?)

Any advice about the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles?
Where should I stop in your opinion?

Thanks in advance.

Fabio

Fabio,

Seeing 11 cities in 21 days is possible, but why? I think you will
spend so much time driving that you won't actually have time (or
energy) to see very much nor do very much at each destination.

Obviously you are seeing some of the great National Parks of the
western US, but it might be better to spend a little less time on the
road and more time enjoying your favorite locations. This may be one
of those "once in a lifetime" trips for you (at least to the western
US), but traveling should entail more than checking off the sights
against a list.

But besides visiting National Parks and the three largest cities on
the west coast, what else interests you in Los Angeles, San Diego, or
San Francisco? Dining? Shopping? Museums? Beaches? Sports? Amusement
parks? Hiking? Zoos? Etc.?

Yosemite will be very crowded in July, Sequoia less so. Death Valley
also should be very, very hot. But Yosemite is breathtaking and I
would advise skipping Sequoia and spending the extra time in Yosemite.

I live in San Diego and I'd recommend that you skip Phoenix, Joshua
Tree, and San Diego. And just because you can drive from Las Vegas to
the Grand Canyon doesn't mean you should -- you might just want to
take a bus trip and let someone else drive for a while.

You also might research the National Monuments and State Parks, as
they will be far less crowded. For example, you might visit Muir Woods
which is across the Golden Gate Bridge and not very far from San
Francisco. You won't see the gigantic trees that you would in Sequoia,
but it would be a fine place to relax and picnic, even if it is just a
tiny park.

And just because I could travel from Naples to Pompeii to the Amalfi
Coast to Paestum in a day, that just isn't a good way to experience
and enjoy Italy. The same holds for your itinerary. (I have been to
Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast -- but not
Paestum -- but I took 6 days or so.)

DKM


On 20 Feb 2005 15:30:53 -0800, "Fab" wrote:

Hi there,
my name is Fabio, I'm Italian and
I'm planning a road trip in July starting from San Francisco and
then...

Sacramento
Yosemite
Sequoia
Death Valley
Las vegas
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
Joshua Tree
San Diego
Los Angeles
Then a few days along the coast 'till San Francisco

About 2500 miles in 3 weeks (is that too much?)

Any advice about the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles?
Where should I stop in your opinion?

Thanks in advance.

Fabio


To contact me directly, send EMAIL to (single letters all)
DEE_KAY_EMM AT EarthLink.net. [For example .]

I disagree with you about the amount of driving, etc.....it is
quite.....the 3 times I have been west, we were under huge time
contraints but yet managed 11,000 miles, 20 national parks, countless
state parks and national rec areas, and on top of that 23 phish
shows.....

it was a hell of a trip, and with night time driving and some long
strethes of 2 and 3 hour diversion stops, as long as someone is willing
and able to do the the overnite drive, no reason others cant sleep....

you have to almost toss out the schedule, you get where you are going
when you get there, plan loosely by getting there on X evening or Y
morning, and you will have a blast stopping everywhere along the
way....

make sure to get a hotel every couple of nites and dont pull the all
niters every nite....


Chuck


Chuck

"Fab" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi there,
my name is Fabio, I'm Italian and
I'm planning a road trip in July starting from San Francisco and
then...

Sacramento
Yosemite
Sequoia
Death Valley
Las vegas
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
Joshua Tree
San Diego
Los Angeles
Then a few days along the coast 'till San Francisco

About 2500 miles in 3 weeks (is that too much?)

Any advice about the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles?
Where should I stop in your opinion?

Thanks in advance.

Fabio

This itinerary is certainly a rush job, but that's how some people like to
travel so to each his own.

I do agree with the posters who suggested skipping Sequoia, Phoenix and
Joshua Tree. I would also add Sacramento to that list. Sequoia is
beautiful, but anti-climactic after the splendor of Yosemite. The heat is
oppressive in Phoenix and Joshua Tree that time of year -- not to mention
the fact that there isn't much to do or see any time of year (just my
opinion). If time allows, you might consider continuing north from Grand
Canyon to Zion or Bryce National Park in Utah before heading back to So Cal.

Sample Itinerary:

San Francisco -- 3 days
Drive to Yosemite -- 1 day
Yosemite Valley -- 2 days
Drive to Las Vegas via Death Valley -- 2 days with a stop
Las Vegas -- 2 days
Drive to Zion -- 1 day
Zion -- 1 day
Drive to Grand Canyon (North Rim) -- 1 day
Grand Canyon -- 1 day
Drive to Los Angeles -- 1 long day
Los Angeles (with possible daytrip to San Diego) -- 3 days
Drive to San Francisco via Big Sur -- 3 days w/stops in Santa Barbara, San
Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, etc.

That sounds like an interesting trip, Fabio. What do you want to see
in each location or area?

For LA to SF, I encourage you to take Highway 101 up to San Luis
Obispo and then take Highway 1 for the remainder of the trip. Be sure
to verify that Highway 1 is open be between San Luis Obispo and Carmel
when you arrive. We have had many storms and many land slides.

Places to stop include:
(1) Santa Barbara - stop at the beach; shop and eat in the down town
area.
(2) San Luis Obispo - visit the mission, walk along the creek
(3) Hearst Castle - get tour tickets in advance
(4) various places along the coast are wonderful
(5) Point Lobos - beautiful coastal park
(6) Carmel - quaint shopping; take the 17-mile drive through the
Pebble Beach golf course
(7) Monterey - visit the aquarium
(8) Santa Cruz - nice beaches; the boardwalk is fun; redwood forests
in area are beautiful; clubs with music most nights
(9) more beautiful coast up to SF

I encourage you to drive through Oak Creek Canyon and stop in Sedona
when traveling from Flagstaff to Phoenix rather than the interstate.
You should visit Montezuma's Castle (Indian Pueble on side of cliff).
If you are interested in architecture, consider visiting Arcoscanti in
the same general area. It's a city of the future being built by Paolo
Solari, an Italian architect who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright.
You can see Wright's work in the Phoenix area by visiting the Biltmore
Hotel and Taliesin West (his studio). The Heard Museum is a don't
miss in Phoenix.

Enjoy your trip.

Jerry

On 20 Feb 2005 15:30:53 -0800, "Fab" wrote:

Hi there,
my name is Fabio, I'm Italian and
I'm planning a road trip in July starting from San Francisco and
then...

Sacramento
Yosemite
Sequoia
Death Valley
Las vegas
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
Joshua Tree
San Diego
Los Angeles
Then a few days along the coast 'till San Francisco

About 2500 miles in 3 weeks (is that too much?)

Any advice about the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles?
Where should I stop in your opinion?

Thanks in advance.

Fabio

Thanks everybody!
Chuck, I'm going to drive all the time because my girlfriend doesn't
feel very confident with driving.
So I would avoid night driving.

Henry, to be honest, I included Phoenix because it is not so far away
from the path from Las Vegas to San Diego. I don't really know how it
is, the only thing I know about Phoenix are Stoudmare, QRich and Steve
Nash - Phoenix Suns :-)


Doug, first of all let me say that I can't absolutely disagree with
somebody that has been in Naples and Pompei :-) I was born in Rome and
now I live in Florence, but I have to say that I really loved those
places.

My girlfriend thank you for telling me to skip some places :-)
She likes "on the road" trips but she like relax as well, so I think
I'll follow your advices.


What interests me?
Well, I have 3 goals for this trip:
- Natural Wonders
- Some Beach Life
- "Breathe" american life in the cities (so a bit of shopping or simply
walking around or giving a look to basket playgrounds ecc)

Last year I was in NYC and the thing that I liked to do most was
walking around, just hearing people talking and things like that.

So what would you do?

How would you modify my itinerary?

Thanks.


Fabio

Thanks everybody!
Chuck, I'm going to drive all the time because my girlfriend doesn't
feel very confident with driving.
So I would avoid night driving.

Henry, to be honest, I included Phoenix because it is not so far away
from the path from Las Vegas to San Diego. I don't really know how it
is, the only thing I know about Phoenix are Stoudmare, QRich and Steve
Nash - Phoenix Suns :-)


Doug, first of all let me say that I can't absolutely disagree with
somebody that has been in Naples and Pompei :-) I was born in Rome and
now I live in Florence, but I have to say that I really loved those
places.

My girlfriend thank you for telling me to skip some places :-)
She likes "on the road" trips but she like relax as well, so I think
I'll follow your advices.


What interests me?
Well, I have 3 goals for this trip:
- Natural Wonders
- Some Beach Life
- "Breathe" american life in the cities (so a bit of shopping or simply
walking around or giving a look to basket playgrounds ecc)

Last year I was in NYC and the thing that I liked to do most was
walking around, just hearing people talking and things like that.

So what would you do?

How would you modify my itinerary?

Thanks.


Fabio

i should have mentioned....we did that 11k in just a little under a
month.....left massachusetts just before midnite on the 20th....on july
23rd we were at a show in atlanta, on aug. 3rd we were just outside
seattle washington......with 6 shows done....


Chuck

On 21 Feb 2005 02:08:32 -0800, "Fab" wrote:

SNIP
What interests me?
Well, I have 3 goals for this trip:
- Natural Wonders
- Some Beach Life
- "Breathe" american life in the cities (so a bit of shopping or simply
walking around or giving a look to basket playgrounds ecc)

Hi Fabio

Speaking as a Brit who often visits the US for "Road Trips", if you
want to "Breathe" American life, then forget the cities.

Stay in a small town, find a local bar and spend an evening drinking
with the locals. I still remember waking up with a hangover many
years ago after a wildly enjoyable evening in the "Sourdough Saloon",
Beatty, Nevada.

Then there was the time my wife and I inadvertently walked into a bar
where two local "Hells Angels" chapters were having a deadly serious
pool match - and where the fishtank above the bar contained the
bar-owners pet conger eel!!! Actually, once they found out we were
British tourists, they turned out to be quite decent people, we had a
few drinks and a good chat in there.

Regards
KGB

"Fab" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi there,
my name is Fabio, I'm Italian and
I'm planning a road trip in July starting from San Francisco and
then...

Sacramento
Yosemite
Sequoia
Death Valley
Las vegas
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
Joshua Tree
San Diego
Los Angeles
Then a few days along the coast 'till San Francisco


I would skip Sacramento and Phoenix.

About 2500 miles in 3 weeks (is that too much?)


Could be, but if you are full of energy not so much. Get plenty of rest,
don't drive late at night.

Any advice about the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles?
Where should I stop in your opinion?


I would suggest Santa Barbara and Cambria (Hearst Castle) and Carmel.

Thanks in advance.

Fabio