Advice needed for (primarily) West Coast USA road trip.

[vetrade]

Had to twist Mrs Vetrade's arm up her back to agree to a road trip around the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico a few months ago but she enjoyed it so much that now she has requested I start preparations for a USA Road trip. I could have only been more surprised if she had asked me to take her fishing!!

Anyway, have hired/driven cars in the US myself for short periods a few times without any problems so I've got that covered but I'd like to tap into the collective wisdom of AFFers regarding a possible route, time of year etc. I'm used to driving long distances too so nothing's too far out of the way but would prefer to keep to good roads & interesting scenery if possible. Anticipated time away is 3 - 4 weeks.

Tentatively I thought we could start in SFO and head inland via Yosemite to the Grand Canyon & Monument Valley before heading north to Yellowstone +/- a detour to Mt Rushmore before heading into Canada to Lake Louise and then home via Vancouver (not sure if we can hire a car in the USA and drop it off in Canada?).

So, over to you, people, where should we go?

 

[quokka77]

Highway 1 runs along the coast between SFO and LAX. The stretch south of Santa Cruz through to Hearst Castle is very pretty and well worth the drive IMO.

We also drove Bellingham-Winthrop-Kelowna-Kamloops-Whistler-Vancouver. The mountain crossing over Stevens Pass was really cool, as is the road through Whistler. Whistler to Vancouver is an excellent wide road but busy. North of Whistler it narrows out, but goes through some amazing parks and passes. Not sure if these sites are too far outside your planned itinerary, but these are the ones I liked best.

Also, there are vehicular ferries to the Orcas Islands / San Juan Islands, as well as another north to Alaska, leaving from Seattle and Vancouver. These are also excellent "motoring" trips, funnily enough.

 

[gracekelly]

Hi - I am from California and just did a big road trip myself in July. For 3-4 weeks, I think the above is probably ambitious. I would either concentrate on one route, or hop a plane for one sector. SFO-Yosemite and then Sequioias-Palm Springs-Las Vegas-Grand Canyon or SFO-Yosemite - our the east side of Yosemite and down to Las Vegas or both great drives. Monument Valley is then 2-3 hours. The hike is then from Monument Valley to South Dakota and/or Yellowstone. Be very tempted to fly.

We went to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse and I really enjoyed it. Was it necessary - maybe not - we were going to North Dakota to see family. It is a bit in the midst of nowhere, and a long drive to anywhere. If I was going again, I would book well in advance, and fly in and out, and just rent a car while I was there. And don't forget booking in advance and round-trip issues in the US - I left too late.

A nice drive we did as a kid was Grand Tetons/Yellowstone/up thru Glacier Park, then Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Vancouver. Very very pretty.

My honeymoon trip was (North Dakota-family) Montana, Yellowstone-Grand Tetons-Utah (Bryce and Zion are wonderful - my Aussie husband liked more than the Grand Canyon)-North Rim of Grand Canyon-Las Vegas-back of California-Yosemite-Napa-San Francisco. you could do this in reverse and cut out Monument Valley and Rushmore, add Banff/Jasper/Vancouver.

Timing - you will need to avoid snow. I love September/October and April/May. The desert areas are obviously hot, so would either go north-south depending on when you left. US schools get out in early June and go back in mid-Aug.

hope that helps!

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

A few years ago we drove from LA via Barstow to Lake Havasu, then a day trip to West Rim of the Canyon, drove back to Lake Havasu for a night or two , then onto Las Vegas, went North from there up through Utah and across to Lake Powell ( hope this is the right order) then drove to Monument Valley amazing) then to South Rim of the Canyon for a few nights, drove down to Palm Springs, onto to San Diego and La Jolla back to LA.

It was an amazing trip, we went in March and there was lots of snow South Rim of the Canyon/Flagstaff and freezing in Monument Valley but bright sunny days, but once we hit Palm Springs it was sunny again all the way -Spent 5 days in La Jolla....All in all took us about 4 weeks.

 

[drron]

I would echo gracekelly's advice.there really is so much to see.Even with a lot of research we often find places or attractions we feel deserve a stop.
We have driven all 50 states-that means we have slept in all 50 states on our drives not just driven through.
Even in North Dakota we enjoyed the badlands and Missouri river,Medora and the Theodore Roosevelt national park.That trip we drove from Seattle to Rapid City and back via North Dakota and the Glacier National Park.
So many itineraries you can do.But it usually will involve several National Parks.So definitely get the Annual Pass.You can get it online but easy to buy it at the first NP you enter-
U.S. National Park ServiceAmerica the Beautiful

 

[vetrade]

Thanks AFF'ers. Agree that I need to prune the itinerary so that the trip doen't turn into a Cannonball Run and we don't get to smell the roses! Always great to get the opinions of those with first hand experience.

 

[kiwitripper64]

Sounds like an amazing trip coming up. The national parks can be VERY busy and you may find accommodation an issue, especially for the grand canyon south rim. Research and book early. Death valley is iconic and we enjoyed 2 days there before driving to Vegas then up to Zion in Utah. We really liked Zion.

 

[vetrade]

Well I've tentatively decided on a split itinerary for our US & Canada road trip and would appreciate any further input AFFers with experience might care to give regarding the route (I'll worry about where we stay etc later)........

Part 1. Fly into Vancouver then drive - Whistler - Kamloops - Jasper - Lake Louise - Banff - Kelowna - Vancouver
Plus a side trip to Vancouver Island

Fly from Vancouver to Vegas
Part 2 Vegas - Hoover Dam - Grand Canyon South Rim - Monument Valley - Bryce Canyon NP - Zion NP - Vegas

Then Vegas - LAX and home

 

[gracekelly]

I think that sounds lovely - two very different landscapes! Re the NParks - we stayed onsite at many and enjoyed - but check the TripAdvisor ratings. Also be aware that in the national parks things close early - like restaurants - the tilt is towards mornings.

 

[kiwitripper64]

Sounds like 2 amazing trips. Are you planning summer or winter? Summer in Whistler, mountain bikes down the ski runs and bear spoting. In Kamploops go for a walk up the Hoodoos. You might have to do a bit of research to find the best entrance, but a great walk in very strange geology. On the drive from Kamploops to Jasper we marvelled at the distance we travelled without seeing a house. No phone coverage, dodgy radio but lots of mountains and trees. On the Icefields highway watch for cars stopping. They mainly stop because someone has seen bears and wants a photo. Lake Louise is so stunning but very full of tourists. Banff is very pretty. Go to the Gondola and walk up then at the top buy a ticket for the ride and views down.
Do you really want to drive back to Vancouver? You could carry on to calgary and fly out from there.
Las Vegas. Hotel prices are most expensive Thur, Fri Sat. If you can plan the trip to stay outside these dates you can often get a really good deal.
Book well in advance for Sought rim of the GC.,

 

[gracekelly]

Very good point re Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Another nice option instead of driving back to Vancouver is there is a very pretty train..... You can admire scenery without having to worry about going over a cliff!

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Fly from Vancouver to Vegas
Part 2 Vegas - Hoover Dam - Grand Canyon South Rim - Monument Valley - Bryce Canyon NP - Zion NP - Vegas

Then Vegas - LAX and home

If Mrs vetrade is a shopper there are great shopping opportunities in Vegas, there is an outlet mall at both ends of the strip but the north is better imo
Las Vegas Premium Outlets - North

there is also a good outlet in Primm Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas
you can plan a visit to any of these listed =

Premium Outlets: Everyday Discounts on Designer Brands

Find A Nearby Shopping Mall, Retail Store Or Local Shop | Simon Malls)

also make sure you see a show or two whilst in Vegas.

 

[vetrade]

If Mrs vetrade is a shopper ...........

Ha ha ........is the Pope a Catholic !!?? She's the type who cleans out her wardrobe before each trip and only packs a toothbrush to make sure there's plenty of room for the purchases she intends to make along the way!

One of the main attractions of this trip for me was getting out in the middle of nowhere with only miles of serenity in every direction but your advice has just brought me back to the reality that women can sniff out a shopping opportunity even in a desert, mrs.dr.ron. So I'll put the Vegas North outlet on the list........LOL. Please don't come up with any shopping suggestions for Canada......

Gracekelly, I take on board your comments re the train but this trip is all about driving for me. Like many "baby boomers" I have had a romantic idea of hitting the North American highways in a Mustang since my youth so the driving bit is not negotiable to me....Ha ha.

 

[drron]

Dont worry,even mrsdrron didn't find the shopping in Canada that attractive!

 

[vetrade]

Sounds like 2 amazing trips. Are you planning summer or winter? Summer in Whistler, mountain bikes down the ski runs and bear spoting. In Kamploops go for a walk up the Hoodoos. You might have to do a bit of research to find the best entrance, but a great walk in very strange geology. On the drive from Kamploops to Jasper we marvelled at the distance we travelled without seeing a house. No phone coverage, dodgy radio but lots of mountains and trees. On the Icefields highway watch for cars stopping. They mainly stop because someone has seen bears and wants a photo. Lake Louise is so stunning but very full of tourists. Banff is very pretty. Go to the Gondola and walk up then at the top buy a ticket for the ride and views down.
Do you really want to drive back to Vancouver? You could carry on to calgary and fly out from there.
Las Vegas. Hotel prices are most expensive Thur, Fri Sat. If you can plan the trip to stay outside these dates you can often get a really good deal.
Book well in advance for Sought rim of the GC.,

Your comments have re-enforced the info I got from TA, kiwitripper64. I could sense the smile on your face recounting your own trip!
Now intending to do the Grand C part of the trip first in late April (2015) and get to Vancouver in early May when the weather is supposed to be on the improve. Plus we don't ski any more (can't risk another ACL) so we're not chasing the snow season. More interested in getting driveable roads. And now I have modified the route further - going to head south from Calgary to the Glacier National Park in Montana to drive the "Going-To-The-Sun" Road and then head back to YVR via the I-90 highway and Seattle through Washington State. That way we won't be retracing any of our tyre marks.

 

[vetrade]

Dont worry,even mrsdrron didn't find the shopping in Canada that attractive!

There is still hope for us all drron.

 

[phily]

If you're going anywhere near the Grand Canyon, don't miss out on going to BRYCE CANYON.

Personally, I find the Grand Canyon to be too big. If you're interested in getting down into the canyon it takes half a day and is exhausting. And it's crowded. On the other hand, Bryce Canyon is smaller yet far more spectacular. One can get down into the canyon in 15 mins. It largely consists of red-orange coloured towering rock structures called hoodoos, much like our stalagmites, but they're enormous. I've been there twice before, in summer, and loved it. But in the Visitor Centre they have a variety of photos of the Canyon in winter, when it's half covered in snow, and I knew that I just had to return there one day in winter. I got my chance this year when I attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. After the show I drove the 200 miles NE and stayed in the nearby small town of Bryce (which has several hotels). Just Google Bryce Canyon and look at the photos - I hope you'll be convinced.

 

[kiwitripper64]

You might also look at Zion national park. If the water levels are not too high you can walk up the river to the narrows or you can get a guided canyoneering trip. We did and really enjoyed it. https://www.zionadventures.com/. or you can just walk around or climb to Angels landing