LA - San Fran: Oct 2012

[jokeenan6]

Hi there

My finance and i plan on going out to North America this October for 2 weeks with the intention of flying into Las Vegas and getting married, just the two of us, at the Grand Canyon through an organised trip. We plan to be in Vegas for 4 nights then fly across to LA and for the remaining 10 nights travelling up the Pacific coast to San Fran.

I would love some advice, neither of us have been to America and quite frankly nor have we done much travelling, in fact I've not ventured further than Europe (we live in the UK).

Firstly we wondered which was the best way; travelling up from LA or down to LA?

Then we wondered what the best route would be? We would like to see lots of sites while stopping in some beautiful places/beaches to stroll across in the evenings and enjoy nice food. We are both pretty active so any activities along the way would also be great fun...plus ive heard there are a few good vineyards round there?

Finally we would love to squeeze Yosemite into our trip, do you think that this is asking too much? We would be extremely grateful of any advice!

Thanks in advance!

[DonnaR57]

Welcome to RTA, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

With 10 days, you most certainly would have time to see Yosemite. While we don't do "best routes" here (everyone has a different idea of a best route), you could certainly make a loop trip from LA, over to Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park, over to San Francisco, and then south on the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) to LA. Ten days would be nice and relaxed.

Vineyards are a-plenty in California, both in the Central Valley (as you come down out of Yosemite) and just north of San Francisco in both Sonoma and Napa Valley.



Donna

[glc]

A "loop" trip as Donna describes will save you money on both the car rental and airfare.

[jokeenan6]

Thanks ever so much for you quick reply Donna, i have been looking at CA-1 and it looks amazing, would you recommend any stops that are a must down to LA?
Also is October a good time of year to visit Yosemite?

[Southwest Dave]

We plan to be in Vegas for 4 nights then fly across to LA and for the remaining 10 nights travelling up the Pacific coast to San Fran.

You could complete the loop as mentioned above, but sometimes one way drop fees are waived between SF, LA and LV, although the airfare might work out cheaper in and out of the same City. I wouldn't bother with flying to LA, instead just start your road trip from Vegas. October is a splendid time to visit these parts, my favourite in fact !

What I would look to do is drive from Vegas across Death Valley and up 395 through Bishop and Mammoth lakes etc and then take the spectacular Tioga Pass [CA120] into Yosemite. There is one caveat though, you will have to check the Tioga pass status, as it can close any time from October with the first of the heavy snowfall arriving. Although it's quite rare for it to close permanently in the first half of October [last year was an exception and it didn't close untill January] it can close temporarily after a snow storm/ice. You should be OK, but check first and then you would have to head south around the mountains from Death Valley. From Yosemite head across to SF, perhaps detouring to Napa valley area and the vineyards and then south down the coast to LA, putting the Ocean on your side of the road. You can end your journey in LA or return to Vegas for your flight home.

Note that the Tioga Pass is at high elevation, hence the risk of snow and cold temps, but when you arrive in the valley [wonderful place] the temps can be as warm as we would expect to see in the summer here ! [No guarantees mind !]

[jokeenan6]

Southwest Dave, thank you soooo much! I have been researching all afternoon and now that you have mentioned in detail the trip to Yosemite i think it is a must! It really is so great to get some sound advice - those considerations about the weather just would have been impossible to know so thanks again

[Southwest Dave]

You are welcome.

Yosemite is one of my favourite places and great for 'Romancing' ! ;-) Congratulations by the way on your upcoming wedding.

Heres a snap shot of what to expect, taken on our trip.

Tenaya Lake on the Tioga Pass.



The Valley.



And don't miss the views from Glacier point !





Mind you the Grand canyon is not so bad !!



Do you know if you are heading to the Grand canyon NP [South rim] ? A lot of tours go to the West rim that is not part of the National park system. It would still be a wonderful experience, but a night at the South rim would be the 'icing on the cake'.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[jokeenan6]

Ah thank you and wow those pics are just stunning!! Thanks for sharing them...we now cant wait until October, we want to go now!!

Thanks again for all the tips, we look forward to repaying the advice and sharing our experiences to others when we are back in the Autumn.

[jokeenan6]

Hey

I wondered if anyone can reccomend a luxury but affordable hotel in Vegas? There are so many to choose from, it would be good to get some views...


Thanks