California ToDo list (please comment)

First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide I manage
to make my plan.

So here it is:
Arriving: June 14th, LAX
Departure June 28th, LAX

Rent Car Company - FOX

Route:
Los Angeles - San Diego - Death Valley - Las Vegas - San Francisco - Big
Sur - Los Angeles

Accommodations:
LA - June 14th, 15th, 16th
San Diego - 17th, 18th, 19th
LV - 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd
SF - 24th, 25th, 26th
LA 1 - 27th

** Los Angeles **
Beaches
- Malibu - Zuma Country Beach
- Santa Monica State Beach

Santa Monica
- Santa Monica route
- TBWA

Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Westwood
- Rodeo Drive
- Beverly Hills Civic Center
- Stars houses

Hollywood
- Sunset Boulevard
- Hollywood boulevard
- Hollywood Entertainment Museum
- Mann's Chinese Theatre
- Walk of fame
- Guinness World of records
- Ripley Believe It or Not
- Wax Museum
- Hollywood and Highland
- Paramount Studios
- Petersen Automotive Museum

Downtown
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- El Pueblo
- Chinatown
- Little Tokyo

Long Beach
- Queen Mary
- Rancho los Alamitos
- Planet Ocean
- Friendship bell

LA district
- Mulholland drive
- Hollywood sign
- Universal Studios
- Dodgers Stadium
- Watts towers
- Exposition park (Natural History Museum, California Science Center, Rose
Garden)

Night life
Whisky A Go-Go
Roxy
Viper Room
Sunset Boulevard

** Orange Country **
- Knott's Berry Farm
- Chrystal Cathedral

** San Diego **
- Gaslamp Quarter
- San Diego Zoo
- See World
- San Diego Wild Animal Park
- Imperial beach
- Chula vista
- Naval base
- La jolla

** South California **
Natural Parks
- Joshua Three
- Death Valley (Furnace Creek, Zabriskie Point, Dante's View, Badwater,
Artist's palette, Stovepipe Wells)
- Mojave Desert

** Las Vegas **
- Grand Canyon
- Hoover dam
- The Strip
- Fremont street

** San Francisco **
- The 49-Mile Scenic Drive
- Downtown
- Transamerica Pyramid
- Chinatown (Chinatown gateway, Grant Avenue)
- Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39, USS Pamporino, Alcatraz Island)
- Lombard Street
- Telegraph hill
- Golden Gate Park (Japanese Tea Garden, Buffalo Paddock, Queen Wilhelmina
Tulip Garden, Holy Virgin Cathedral)
- Fort Point
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Marine Headlands

** Big Sur **

PLEASE COMMENT!

"BlackHat" wrote:
First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide
I manage to make my plan.
So here it is:
Arriving: June 14th, LAX
Departure June 28th, LAX
snip itinerrary
PLEASE COMMENT!
--------------------------
That's a very long list, more than I would try to do in 2 weeks.
I'm concerned that you will run yourself ragged trying to do it
all. However, it is better to have an idea of things that interest
you and then cut out lower priority items, than it is to sit in a
hotel wondering what to do.

So, I'd start by plotting those want-to items on a map, circle
2 - 3 must-do items for each day. That way, items of lower
priority will be there, if you have time & not too tired. You'll
need to take time out to eat, remember.

Lastly, Vegas to SF is a major day long drive, and I'd break
it up with visits to Sequoia or Yosemite Nat'l. Parks, rather
than try to drive it in one day. But I'm into natural landmarks,
more than city or cultural stuff.

Arriving: June 14th, LAX
Departure June 28th, LAX

Looks like you've done a lot of planning, and you've got a lot of nice
places on that list. But you're trying to do too much.

For example, you say you'll be in San Diego on the 19th and Las Vegas
on the 20th, but between them you'll see Joshua Tree, Death Valley,
and the Mojave Desert. This is impossible. Just driving directly from
SD to LV is a 5-hour drive; Death Valley is an additional 4 or so
hours out of your way (round trip), plus you're going to want to spend
time at the parks themselves.

Death Valley (Furnace Creek, Zabriskie Point, Dante's View,
Badwater, Artist's palette, Stovepipe Wells)

On my last visit to Las Vegas we drove to Death Valley and saw almost
all those places. We left Vegas early morning and arrived back at
Vegas in the evening. It was wonderful, but you should allow 1 full
day for this.

James

On May 23, 3:17*am, "BlackHat" wrote:
First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide I manage
to make my plan.

So here it is:
Arriving: June 14th, LAX
Departure June 28th, LAX

Rent Car Company - FOX

Route:
Los Angeles - San Diego - Death Valley - Las Vegas - San Francisco - Big
Sur - Los Angeles

Accommodations:
LA - June 14th, 15th, 16th
San Diego - 17th, 18th, 19th
LV - 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd
SF - 24th, 25th, 26th
LA 1 - 27th


Santa Monica
- Santa Monica route
- TBWA


Huh?

Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Westwood
- Rodeo Drive
- Beverly Hills Civic Center
- Stars houses


BH civic center? I'd skip the stars houses.



** South California **
Natural Parks
- Joshua Three
- Death Valley (Furnace Creek, Zabriskie Point, Dante's View, Badwater,
Artist's palette, Stovepipe Wells)
- Mojave Desert



That alone will take 3 days.

** Las Vegas **
- Grand Canyon
- Hoover dam
- The Strip
- Fremont street

** San Francisco **

- Transamerica Pyramid

It's just an office building.

On Fri, 23 May 2008 08:40:42 -0700 (PDT), PeterL
wrote:

On May 23, 3:17*am, "BlackHat" wrote:
First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide I manage
to make my plan.

[...]

- Transamerica Pyramid

It's just an office building.

Is the 28th floor still open to the public as an observation
area? If not, all he can do is look at it from the outside.

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

LV - 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd ...
** Las Vegas **
- Grand Canyon
- Hoover dam
- The Strip
- Fremont street

To follow up on my previous post, I think you're doing way too much,
but here's what I'd suggest for your 4 nights in Vegas:

20th -- This is a travel day and you'll be arriving in Vegas in the
evening. You could drive down the Strip if you have the time; it's
lit up all night because the casinos never close. But with your travel
schedule I think you'll probably be going straight to bed.

21st -- See the hotel/casinos on The Strip. The Strip is several miles
long and time is short, so you won't have time to walk around casually
and visit each casino (and it'll probably be extremely hot anyway).
You'll you'll want to pick which casinos interest you the most and use
public transit to get around quickly. Some of the most popular ones to
visit are the Bellagio, Venetian, Luxor, and Caesar's Palace, to name
a few, but there are many more and each person has their own
favorites, so you'll want to do a little research before going. If
time permits you could visit Freemont Street (the old casinos) in the
evening, but I'll bet you won't have time.

22nd -- You had planned to visit Death Valley on your way to Vegas,
but I don't think you'll have time, so you could do it today. Leave
early morning and drive to Death Valley (roughly 2.5 hours each way);
return early evening. If you've got any energy left you could visit
the Strip for a few more hours before bed.

23rd -- Leave early morning (like 6 am) and drive to the south rim of
the Grand Canyon. Arrive around lunchtime and spend the afternoon
there. Go to the visitor's center, stop at several overlooks, and walk
a short distance down into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. Leave
around 6:00 and get back to your Vegas hotel around midnight. NOTE:
I've done this before and am telling you that this will be an
exhausting day, and it's a shame to only visit for a few hours (you
should ideally spend at least 2 days at the Canyon), but it's better
than nothing.


My schedule leaves out Hoover Dam, which is a shame because I highly
recommend visiting it, but I just don't think it'll fit into your
schedule unless you skip either the Grand Canyon or Death Valley.

I also don't think you'll have time for Freemont Street, but I don't
regard that as a big deal. Freemont Street is interesting but most
tourists in Vegas concentrate on The Strip.

James

interesting, hatunen

"Hatunen" a écrit dans le message de
...
On Fri, 23 May 2008 08:40:42 -0700 (PDT), PeterL
wrote:

On May 23, 3:17 am, "BlackHat" wrote:
First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide I
manage
to make my plan.

[...]

- Transamerica Pyramid

It's just an office building.

Is the 28th floor still open to the public as an observation
area? If not, all he can do is look at it from the outside.

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

- Transamerica Pyramid

Is the 28th floor still open to the public as an observation
area? If not, all he can do is look at it from the outside.

Not anymore, unless you know somebody. Since 2001 (presumably after
9/11) they've limited access to the building in general, beyond the
first-floor lobby, to "tenants and their approved guests":
http://www.thepyramidcenter.com/tourism/faq.htm
(But the view from below, amid the support legs, is memorable in its
own way. ("And that concludes the Transamerica Pyramid module of
Statics 101. Next year, in Dynamics...")

He can look down on it and other things over dinner or just drinks
from the Carnelian Room, the rather spendy restaurant in the BoA
Building (shorter building but higher on a hill):
http://carnelianroom.com/
....and of course there's the Banker's Heart sculpture down near
sidewalk level.

Other stuff about this overstuffed itinerary:

He'll see Dodger Stadium empty, as the team is on a long road trip,
and the Padres will be a near miss:
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sched...=sd&m=6&y=2008

but the Anaheim Angels are in town during one of the LA periods:
http://mlb.mlb.com/schedule/index.js...ana&m=6&y=2008

and although he'll also miss the San Francisco Giants, a quick BART
ride gets him to an Oakland A's game:
http://mlb.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=oak


Death Valley (the national monument, not the Giants' place in the
standings in this lamentable season) and the other low-desert locales
mentioned... umm... pretty much all rental cars are air conditioned,
but if the need arises to save some of this itinerary for the next
trip, I'd save that for a future trip -- preferably late winter when,
aside from coolness, there's some chance of catching wildflower
season after the rains come. A drive up the Coast Highway, or back
from Vegas via the east side of the Sierra, would be cooler scenic
alternatives. Just a thought.

--Joe

Impossible to do in two weeks.

Don

"BlackHat" wrote in message
...
First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide I manage
to make my plan.

So here it is:
Arriving: June 14th, LAX
Departure June 28th, LAX

Rent Car Company - FOX

Route:
Los Angeles - San Diego - Death Valley - Las Vegas - San Francisco - Big
Sur - Los Angeles

Accommodations:
LA - June 14th, 15th, 16th
San Diego - 17th, 18th, 19th
LV - 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd
SF - 24th, 25th, 26th
LA 1 - 27th

** Los Angeles **
Beaches
- Malibu - Zuma Country Beach
- Santa Monica State Beach

Santa Monica
- Santa Monica route
- TBWA

Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Westwood
- Rodeo Drive
- Beverly Hills Civic Center
- Stars houses

Hollywood
- Sunset Boulevard
- Hollywood boulevard
- Hollywood Entertainment Museum
- Mann's Chinese Theatre
- Walk of fame
- Guinness World of records
- Ripley Believe It or Not
- Wax Museum
- Hollywood and Highland
- Paramount Studios
- Petersen Automotive Museum

Downtown
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- El Pueblo
- Chinatown
- Little Tokyo

Long Beach
- Queen Mary
- Rancho los Alamitos
- Planet Ocean
- Friendship bell

LA district
- Mulholland drive
- Hollywood sign
- Universal Studios
- Dodgers Stadium
- Watts towers
- Exposition park (Natural History Museum, California Science Center, Rose
Garden)

Night life
Whisky A Go-Go
Roxy
Viper Room
Sunset Boulevard

** Orange Country **
- Knott's Berry Farm
- Chrystal Cathedral

** San Diego **
- Gaslamp Quarter
- San Diego Zoo
- See World
- San Diego Wild Animal Park
- Imperial beach
- Chula vista
- Naval base
- La jolla

** South California **
Natural Parks
- Joshua Three
- Death Valley (Furnace Creek, Zabriskie Point, Dante's View, Badwater,
Artist's palette, Stovepipe Wells)
- Mojave Desert

** Las Vegas **
- Grand Canyon
- Hoover dam
- The Strip
- Fremont street

** San Francisco **
- The 49-Mile Scenic Drive
- Downtown
- Transamerica Pyramid
- Chinatown (Chinatown gateway, Grant Avenue)
- Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39, USS Pamporino, Alcatraz Island)
- Lombard Street
- Telegraph hill
- Golden Gate Park (Japanese Tea Garden, Buffalo Paddock, Queen Wilhelmina
Tulip Garden, Holy Virgin Cathedral)
- Fort Point
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Marine Headlands

** Big Sur **

PLEASE COMMENT!

"Shawn Hirn" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"BlackHat" wrote:

First, I would like to thanks all for your suggestions and help.
After reviewing them all and with help of Eyewitness travel guide I
manage
to make my plan.

Its your vacation, of course, but your itinerary sounds like a marathon
more than a vacation. Did you include any time to sleep, eat, breath,
and drive from one place to the next? Also, if I were you, I would fly
between San Fran and Las Vegas; the drive is dreadfully boring and long.

Well, as per the drive between San Francisco and Las Vegas being "dreadfully
boring and long" - it depends. If one is simply to drive as quickly and as
directly as possible, yes. But if one takes the time to kind of saunder
here and there, mosey along with overnight stops hither and yon, the trip
can be rather interesting. A quick, short (but no means complete) list of
things to see and places to visit between these two cities - Castle Air
Museum, California State Mining and Mineral Museum, Yosemite, Mono Lake,
Bodie, Hot Creek, Devil's Postpile, Rainbow Falls, Bristlecone pines,
Alabama Hills, Pinnacles National Natural Landmark, Eureka Dunes, Darwin
Falls, Alabama Hills, Manzanar, Fossil Falls.