Texas to Redwoods

Good morning all. New member here and looking for some advice. My family and I are planning a road trip from San Antonio, TX to California to visit the Redwoods.

First, Any recommendations on a Redwoods park that is faster to get to? I'm assuming we will be taking 10 and not looking to go north of San Francisco to visit the Redwoods. Reason being, we will be traveling with our 2 year old and we are trying to minimize our driving time as much as possible. If we need to travel further north, we will.

Is an RV recommended? There will be 4 adults, 2 preteens and a toddler. The more I think about traveling with all those people in a smaller vehicle, the more claustrophobic I get. However, none of us have driven an RV before so I'm not sure if it's a more comfortable drive.

What are some family friendly spots to visit along the way? And is taking 10 really faster/better than taking 40? Any and all advice is appreciated!

Welcome. I cannot help you with RV advice, as I have never driven or ridden in one.

Redwoods. The southern Redwood Parks are ok. The National Redwood is absolutely awesome.

I am one that prefers 40 over 10. My opinion is that it has more to offer in towns. It will just depend on your own preference.

Have fun. Plan frequent stops so the toddler and preteens will be able to keep interested. Remember to stop at the National Parks Visitor Centers. They give free Jr Ranger books. they are great in keeping attention to the site.

Thank you, justmemedia. In what town/cities in California are the southern parks located close to? Doing some of my own research, I see a few smaller parks around the Santa Cruz area.

I think what you may be looking for are the Sequoias. Those you will find in Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP's. The "redwoods" are all well north of SF and are a type of sequoia.

From San Antonio, I-40 is out of your way, but you could take US-285 from Fort Stockton to get to it. This would actually keep you out of the Phoenix and LA traffic messes. It would also take you by Carsbad Caverns and Roswell.

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Any recommendations on a Redwoods park that is faster to get to? I'm assuming we will be taking 10 and not looking to go north of San Francisco to visit the Redwoods. Reason being, we will be traveling with our 2 year old and we are trying to minimize our driving time as much as possible

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I think you might be looking at this the wrong way round. The toddler will be far happier travelling at a slower pace and having time out of the vehicle to run around, it won't matter to them whether it's in a National park or a city park. Basically, don't try to drive too far on any given day that it makes it tiresome and miserable for everyone.

Exactly how much time do you have for the trip ?

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Is an RV recommended? There will be 4 adults, 2 preteens and a toddler. The more I think about traveling with all those people in a smaller vehicle, the more claustrophobic I get. However, none of us have driven an RV before so I'm not sure if it's a more comfortable drive. -

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This is one of the occasions an RV could make good financial sense, although first and foremost it should be decided upon as a 'Lifestyle' choice. These large vehicles are not associated with the word 'fast' though, so again it will come down to how much time you have for the trip and whether or not you want to camp along the way while seeing some other sights. Remember when pricing the cost, you will have campground fees, mileage charges and high fuel consumption in the 9-10mpg range for a 30ft class 'C'. They are comfortable enough to drive but passengers must be buckled up in the back when moving and this will mean sitting on the dinnette benches and sofa. This is OK for the passenger, but probably not as comfortable as being in a proper car seat. You would have to check the vehicle has 6 belts plus it has restraints for the toddlers seat, it's possible it may have to be placed in the front passenger seat.

As Dave pointed out, car seats are likely to be a lot more comfortable for the children than in an RV. The other thing which will probably make it more enjoyable for children is that a car has windows all around. They would be able to see more. As well as that, if the roadworks are not finished in Sequoia NP, an RV could be challenging, especially for someone who has never driven one. (Heck! it was hair raising enough in a van.)

You might get claustrophobic thinking about the car, but the others may feel more claustrophobic sitting in the back while you have full vision driving the vehicle. This is especially so if the toddler needs the passenger seat, and not everyone can get a turn sitting up front. The windows to see out while travelling in an RV are quite limited.

While pricing your car vs RV, have you thought to also compare the cost of using two cars? The benefit in that would be that especially the preteens, could swap and change as to in which car they travel. Adds a little more variety to the trip.

The most important part is, as Dave mentions.... how much time do you have?

Lifey