California and the South West - November 2012

Hi everyone,

In November my wife and I are planning a 29 day road trip and we are thinking of the following itinerary:

Los Angeles
Santa Barbara
Carmel
San Francisco
Sonoma/Napa Valley
Yosemite NP
Kings Canyon NP
Death Valley NP
Las Vegas
Zion NP
Bryce Canyon NP
Lake Powell
Monument Valley NP
Grand Canyon NP
Lake Havasu City
Los Angeles

Our questions are:
Is this a sensible route and do we have enough time to do it all without rushing? Have we left anything out?
If the Tioga pass in Yosemite is closed (we think it will be) will we have to dramatically change our itinerary? If so, what would you recommend?
We want to drive a convertible the entire way - is this a stupid thing to do at this time of year given we'll be going into Winter?

We also have 8 nights in Hawai'i after that, haven't thought that far ahead just yet but would appreciate any tips/advice!

Cheers
Doug & Hannah

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

With 29 days, you have a nice amount of time to complete this loop trip without feeling too rushed.

If Tioga pass is closed it will not affect your route at all, as you are planning to visit Kings canyon/Sequoia NP which is on the west side of the Sierra Nevada, and by going over the mountains on Tioga would mean you will not be able to access Kings canyon from the east. If Tioga were open, it is worth taking the time to drive up there during your stay in the park though. A popular idea is to reverse your trip direction so that you will head south down the coast, putting the Ocean on your side of the road making the Ocean pull outs easier to access.

The weather is totally unpredictable and you will need to pack layered clothing for all occasions. You could still see temps anywhere between 70-90f in Death Valley, Zion and Monument valley, and at elevation such as Bryce canyon you could see night time temps well below freezing. A convertible will have less room and be more expensive than a mid size sedan, but if it's something you really want to do .........

You seem to have a good handle on things and you will stumble across many wonderful things as you travel but you might want to take a look at the links in this thread which are full of good ideas. As you continue with your planning keep asking question as and when needed.

Thanks for your reply, all very helpful.

A convertible would be a great addition to the trip but we don't want to do it if it isn't practical. Driving with the top down down while wearing ski jackets and gloves takes some of the romance out of it! Of course we could put the top up in the colder sections but would we have it up more often than we have it down? That's the risk I guess.

All the best.