California Dreamin'(with a little Nevada+AZ)

Dear roadtrippers,
I'm heading over to your wonderful country in OCT for 3 weeks and was planning on renting a car in LA and doing the following:

LA to Las Vegas(2 nights in Vegas with 1 day trip to Grand Canyon South Rim)

LV thru Death Valley (stay o/night at Lone Pine?)

1 day in Sequoia NP(o/night in Fresno, unless I could keep driving onto San Francisco same day)

3 nights San Francisco

then down the coast(PCH?) for 1 night Monterey or Carmel(any opinions on which )

1 night San Simeon after Big Sur Drive

1 day to see Hearst Castle then onto Santa Barbara.

Then 2 nights in Palm Springs( can I drive around outer LA - rather than thru to make it from Santa Barbara to Palm Springs?)

Then ending with 3 nights back in LA.

Any suggestions/comments/tips on the above would be greatly appreciated( e.g am I crazy to attempt this itinerary in 18 days?)

Please note - I'm from Australia so am not averse to driving long distances(5-8 hrs per day no problem) or at night if there's nothing much to see.

Thanks for your help.

Sammotrip

I don't see any major problems with your plan at first glance (with the possible exception of the Las Vegas to San Francisco leg) -- but I suggest you keep things flexible.

You may have too much time allotted to some portions, and not enough to others (such as the LV to SFO segment). This time of year, you rarely need to plan extensively or secure reservations in advance, so keep things loose and see where you end up each day. I think you'll have plenty of time.

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Originally Posted by sammotrip

I'm heading over to your wonderful country in OCT for 3 weeks and was planning on renting a car in LA

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Welcome to this Forum and to America!

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and doing the following:
LA to Las Vegas(2 nights in Vegas with 1 day trip to Grand Canyon South Rim)

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Well, matey, Grand Canyon is too far as a day trip if you have to be back in Las Vegas that night. It works OK, if you can stay overnight and then you could return by way of Zion and back to LV.

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LV thru Death Valley (stay o/night at Lone Pine?)

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If you are going to Sequoia for the next day -- it is out of your way to stay at Lone Pine. I would stay at either Ridgecrest or Lake Isabella. Alternatively, you if you get an early enough start, you could take the Kennedy Meadows road and stay at Camp Nelson. I dunno, that is a long day. I would stay at Ridgecrest and enjoy the drive over the Sierras.

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1 day in Sequoia NP(o/night in Fresno, unless I could keep driving onto San Francisco same day)

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There is cool stuff to see and do in Fresno, like these Underground Gardens , but I think you might wish to push on north and stay at Los Banos.

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3 nights San Francisco, then down the coast(PCH?) for 1 night Monterey or Carmel(any opinions on which )

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Monterey...

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1 night San Simeon after Big Sur Drive, 1 day to see Hearst Castle then onto Santa Barbara.

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Be sure to stop and see the seal lions!

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Then 2 nights in Palm Springs( can I drive around outer LA - rather than thru to make it from Santa Barbara to Palm Springs?)

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Sure, you can take SR-156 to SR-126 to SR-138 to I-15 to I-215 to I-10 to Palm Springs.

Mark