West Coast RV Holiday - Help!

Before I start may I apologise for the length of this question it’s just that this is a big holiday for me and my husband and we want to get it as right as we can. Also we would like to congratulate you on a superb website.

Hi everybody, my husband and I are from England and have a holiday booked for September. We are renting a 28-30ft C class RV and hoping to travel up and down the west coast for 2 weeks. We will be flying into Vegas on the 1st of September and staying with family overnight, the following day we pick up our RV and head off over the horizon. Only problem is that at the moment we are not sure which way to go? We have a list of things we would like to see some of which I have listed below, it’s just that we are not quite sure what is feasible. We are not too bothered by big cities as we will be spending a third week in Vegas and so hope to do the more scenic areas the first two weeks, also I imagine driving a 30ft RV in or around a big city is asking for trouble. We have read a number of threads about this type of trip but with so many ideas and so much information we are still undecided about our route and timescale. The short list seems to be either Vegas through Salt Lake City to the Olympic Peninsular in possibly 2-3 days, then spend the rest of the two weeks seeing the sights on the way back down through Washington, Oregon & California. The other Idea if going as far as The Olympic Peninsular is a bit too much, would be to go up and back through California into Oregon but on different routes?
Below is a list of places in no particular order we have read about and would like to see if possible?

Olympic national Park, Hurricane ridge, Hoh rain forest etc.
Cannon Beach
Tillamook Air Park
Mt Saint Helens
Crater Lake
Yosemite National Park (overnight say if possible)
Redwoods national Park
Columbia River
Death Valley (on the way back to Vegas)
Mt Shasta
PCH 101
Oh and a Bigfoot if possible!!

A couple of other questions I have regarding the trip are:

1) Do we have to book to stay in a national Park ie Yosemite? I ask this because some people say on a road trip not to book anywhere and see where you end up, while others say it’s better to have the security of knowing where you will be staying?

2.)This is our first Motor Home / RV holiday, and whilst we are seasoned campers (in a large tent), we would appreciate any advice / hints / tips that anyone can provide us. Things that we just might not think about, like suggesting we use disposal plates etc to save on washing up, maybe not environmentally friendly, but it would save on water usage.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help us, and we are looking forward to doing a trip report when we get back.

Elaine & Peter

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Originally Posted by Elaineuk

Hi everybody, my husband and I are from England and have a holiday booked for September.

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Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum and thanks for the kudos!

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2.)This is our first Motor Home / RV holiday, and whilst we are seasoned campers (in a large tent), we would appreciate any advice / hints / tips that anyone can provide us.

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We published an article that you should, print and take with you when you pick-up your RV rental.

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Only problem is that at the moment we are not sure which way to go?

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That's the kind of problem we would all like to have. And solving it can be as much as an adventure as you feel comfortable with!

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also I imagine driving a 30ft RV in or around a big city is asking for trouble.

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Not really, city busses are about 45 feet long and trucks are even bigger. I actually love driving big vehicles down tiny streets, but our RV experts, Alice and Jaimie, think I am a little crazy so here is their recommendations for RVing in bigger cities.

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The short list seems to be either Vegas through Salt Lake City to the Olympic Peninsular in possibly 2-3 days,

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The route through Salt Lake is OK, but I would suggest driving north on US-93 and run up to Baker and check out the Great Basin National Park -- the Lehman Cave tour is really great! I have a friend that owns a RV park in Baker, it is pretty rustic... but I would stay there -- Whispering Elms. Zip back over to Ely and grab a steak at the Jail House Inn across from the Hotel Nevada and, if you have time, take a ride on the Silver Ghost railroad then I would proceed on north up US-93. Once you hit I-84, follow that over to Portland up to the Olympic Penisula -- Look for Moderator Judy's posts about this place!

Happy Planning!

Mark

Believe it or not, there is a Bigfoot Museum. It's in
Felton, CA.

Here's an article about the Bigfoot Museum and the Mystery Spot.

Felton in up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, east of Santa Cruz.

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Originally Posted by Elaineuk

[ ... ] The short list seems to be either Vegas through Salt Lake City to the Olympic Peninsular in possibly 2-3 days, then spend the rest of the two weeks seeing the sights on the way back down through Washington, Oregon & California. The other Idea if going as far as The Olympic Peninsular is a bit too much, would be to go up and back through California into Oregon but on different routes?
Below is a list of places in no particular order we have read about and would like to see if possible?

Olympic national Park, Hurricane ridge, Hoh rain forest etc.
Cannon Beach
Tillamook Air Park
Mt Saint Helens
Crater Lake
Yosemite National Park (overnight say if possible)
Redwoods national Park
Columbia River
Death Valley (on the way back to Vegas)
Mt Shasta
PCH 101
Oh and a Bigfoot if possible!!

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Judy will probably have some excellent suggestions on what you might see and how you might go. I've done a couple of similar trips to yours (but starting in SoCal) over the last couple of years. Doing this in 2 weeks will have you on the road a fair amount, so you might consider picking some areas you really want to stay a couple of nights at and just unwinding.

Weather might be a consideration -- early-mid september may be warm in the deserts still, and late september may bring you fog and mist along the coasts. or rain in the high mountains.

For a real ROM schedule? starting in Las Vegas...

West from Vegas, across to Bakersfield and to San Louis Obispo area. Stay in Cambra or San Simeon on the California Coast. (longish day, but good roads).

Visit Hearst castle, and then you have the option of going north along PCH through Big Sur to Monterey, or back to Paso RObles and through the wine country there (one of several wine countries along this route) before going up 101 to Monterey.

Next day -- up through Santa Cruz through San Jose and over SF Bay at the Golden Gate. Continue up the California coast via 101, turning over to PCH where you might find it interesting. Last time I did this, I went to the old Russian fort along the California coast and then up to the Redwoods area, where we camped the night.

Hence through the redwoods -- there are some very nice areas, but for at least one (gold beach) I would be concerned about taking a RV down to it, if you are uncomfortable driving it. (I've seen larger RVs there, but its a bumpy dirt road). SPend the night in a campground near Crescent City.

From there you can continue up the coast, or cut inland to I-5 at Grants Pass, perhaps stopping at Oregon caves. Either continue up the coast along PCH/ Coast 1, or if you've come inland through Eugene to Portland area. (That may save a day or two of driving.). If you're inland, I'd hit the Oregon wineres south of Portland, on the west of I-5.

If you're on I-6 at Portland, Definitely go back to the coast at Portland and continue north across the bridge at Astoria. You should come into the coast about Tilamook, or if you've continued north along the coast, you'll go right near it.

Continue up the Washington Coast, through the Olympic National Park, with stops at the Hoh Rain forest, Crescent Lake, and Port Angeles. Hurricane Ridge is reached from near Port Angeles. Depending upon your schedule, you might even duck over to Victoria BC on the ferry from Port Angeles.

Then continue on around the Olympic Pennisula, and then head south from Seattle/ Tacoma area. You'll go right near Mt St Helens and that's an easy side trip. Consider spending the night in the national forests there, and you might see Big Foot....

Then I'd head East along the Columbia RIver from Portland, turning south either to go through the Mt Bachelor area, or down 99 through Bend heading for Crater Lake.

Depending upon your schedule and tastes you can can continue south, tending west to come back to I-5 at Shasta or a bit farther south at Red Bluff/ Redding via Mt Lassen Volcanic Park (one of my favorite detours). From there you can head south roughly through Sacramento, towards Yosemite. Then across the Sierra at Tioga Pass (near Yosemite), and then south on 395 to come into the West side of Death Valley and through it back to Vegas.

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Originally Posted by Elaineuk

A couple of other questions I have regarding the trip are:

1) Do we have to book to stay in a national Park ie Yosemite? I ask this because some people say on a road trip not to book anywhere and see where you end up, while others say it’s better to have the security of knowing where you will be staying?

2.)This is our first Motor Home / RV holiday, and whilst we are seasoned campers (in a large tent), we would appreciate any advice / hints / tips that anyone can provide us. Things that we just might not think about, like suggesting we use disposal plates etc to save on washing up, maybe not environmentally friendly, but it would save on water usage.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help us, and we are looking forward to doing a trip report when we get back.

Elaine & Peter

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I'd consider getting reservations if its a very busy area -- such as Yosemite. You might consider calling ahead a couple of days and seeing if you can get a reservation. Mid september and later is definitely out of the tourist season, so availability will be easier to find. Other than that, and if you're closer to the end of September, you might just try what's available. Get a good book of campgrounds and don't be afraid to call ahead a few hours before you show.

One thing I find I use an amazing amount of time when camping is a set of inexpensive camp chairs (mine cost $4.99 each at a local sporting goods store). Even with an RV, you might want to sit outside in the evening, have a glass of wine, and relax and watch the sunset. The other thing is some large, heavy duty trash bags. Yeah I know everyone plans on trash bags, but they are the one thing everyone forgets and the big ones ("drum liners") will double as storage bags, ponchos in the rain, and even ground cloths for camping...

Hi There... Don't know abt reservations & all but do have few suggestions... 1) Keep in mind the Western USA is LARGE! Distances will deceive you. Depending on which direction you go, you may not cross an entire state in one day... 2) Being from the NW, can tell you with good certainty, it's two full days from Las Vegas to Olympic Peninsula... Be around 1300-1500 miles I'd guess... Two choices really - Up US95 to US395 and over to US97 at Klamath Falls and then up on the East side of the Cascades, or due west frm Vegas via I-15 to I-5, then straight north (downside to this is you go through LA). Since you're pressed for time, suggest the I-5 route...3) No promises on the weather in Washington that time of year, but likely to be hot... Hope you have a good trip, you're talking abt covering an awful lot of ground, likely pushing 3000-5000 miles up & back (Have driven the Seattle-San Diego-Seattle route many times, ~1300 Miles one way) But good luck, drive safe, and have lots of fun... Grampa425

I guess I'm the PNW guru here as I live there but Larrison has already given you wonderful suggestions. I would just add that one of the funnest things to do in Washington is to travel the ferries on Puget Sound. If you do the Olympic Peninsula you can either enjoy driving the beautiful loop and staying ion dry land the whole way. Or, if you want to get to the Seattle area, you can take one of several ferries. Of course, with a motorhome this will get a bit pricey but it's beautiful. Check out routes and prices here. If you want to try the ferry but are confused at which route to take, let me know. I would be happy to help you figure it out.

I think Mt. St. Helens is the biggest must-see in Washington. The damage from the volcano and nature's renewal are quite impressive and it changes each year. If you can only do one thing while in Washington, this is it, imho.

The Olympic Peninsula is a close second. Other stops that Larrison didn't mention that are worth it here are the Kalaloch/Ruby Beach areas (between Lake Quinault and Forks on the western side of the peninsula), and the Makah Indian Reservation out on the farthest NW corner of the state. They have an amazing museum, the beaches and sights along the way there are beautiful, and the hike to Cape Flattery (fartest NW corner of the United States) is awesome.

I live on the Olympic Peninsula and I really prefer 3 days to drive to Vegas. I've done it in 2. It's do-able but you're talking long 12 hour driving days with few stops. And this is in a little, sporty car with a turbo. I can't imagine you could make the same time in an RV. Plan for 3 days. There are lots of routes, not just 2. You could also drive to Reno and then head over to meet up with I-5 at Mt. Shasta, CA, by driving through the beautiful Shasta forest. That's just one of many other routes you could choose.

Hi Judy,

I am planning a 10 day trip to Vegas at the end of the year as well...in an RV. Can you give me a few more details on the route you mentioned here? I know it's safest to stay on 1-5 but I really wanted to enjoy some scenery and activities along the way.

Which route do you want more specific information about? Let me know, and I'll be glad to help.

And why is it safer to stay on I-5? Just curious.

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Originally Posted by momthedriver

I am planning a 10 day trip to Vegas at the end of the year as well...in an RV. Can you give me a few more details on the route you mentioned here? I know it's safest to stay on 1-5 but I really wanted to enjoy some scenery and activities along the way.

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Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! I am not sure I understand that statement about I-5 -- it may help to remember that any place a city bus or delivery truck can go, so can a RV. You might find our expert commetary about the RV lifestyle interesting here.

Mark

I thought that when the road conditions are bad, it is best to stay on the roads that are most driven. I am planning this trip in December. I have heard of some passes being closed and what not. I just don't really know what the best routes are in December/January; I'd like to plan some sights in between.

I think you would be best to plan your trip with several different routes in mind just in case there are road closures. When I last drove from I-5 to Reno through the Shasta forest, Susanville, etc. (too lazy to look up the route numbers right now), there were several inches of snow on the ground. Yet, there was no ice. The driving was easy. In fact, you rarely noticed the snow at all. It simply made the views from the windows more magical.

On the way home from that same trip, the snow was still there on the way home. Same thing. No problems. Then we hit I-5 and drove north. While there was no snow on I-5, there was ice through the Siskiyou Pass. A lot of foolish drivers who are too dumb to use common-sense driving in icey conditions were slipping and sliding around. And, unfortunately, we thought a few were gonna hit us but they didn't, thank goodness.

So, really, you can't assume that the interstates are always going to be the best way to go.

Now, which route did you want more info on again?

The one you mentioned above, 1-5 to Reno and through Shasta forest. I want to spend about three day driving to Vegas, stay in Vegas for 3 nights, and then drive back in another 3 days or so. Can you suggest some "must see" stops along the way?

On I-5, roughly half-way between the towns of Mount Shasta and Dunsmuir, go east on 89. This will take you through the Shasta National Forest. Beautiful forests.

There are some great views of Mt. Shasta. I couldn't tell you where they are exactly. Just watch for 'em. I recall that one of the best ones is from a small parking lot off to the right of the road (if heading east). So, when you see that, stop, stretch your legs, and enjoy the view for a few moments.

There are quite a few different scenic viewpoints with interpretive story-boards of the geology, evidence of eruptions, etc. along the way. Watch for 'em, they're well marked.

At Old Station, continue east on Hwy 44. I'm pretty sure the sign says to Susanville and/or Reno on it so don't worry about taking a wrong turn.

At the merge with Hwy 36, follow that east to Susanville. Go through Susanville and stay on the main road going out of town to the east. The name of the road changes to 395. Follow 395 all the way into Reno. There are other interesting viewpoints along this route to watch for. I got a kick out of Honey Lake. (Lake? Maybe in the winter?)

Anyway, that's about it. It's about 220 miles and we did it in about 4-5 hours (really can't remember exactly how long it took). I think the last trip it was closer to 5 hours because of the snow but I believe I've made it in 4 hours during the summer months with clear roads. Hard to remember for sure.

Even though there was snow on the ground, we still made good time because there was no ice and the snow was very compacted. It is rather twisty-turney. I love driving the twisty-bits like this but you will need to go slower in an RV than we were moving. Also, this road is at a fairly high elevation. With my turbo, I don't notice it but cars of friends without a turbo do experience a loss of power making their vehicle's response sluggish and them unable to keep up with us. So, really, if that effects your RV, you wouldn't be able to drive this route too fast for the curves anyway. Just be considerate to other drivers who are traveling faster than you are and let them pass you, OK?

Of course, I can't guarantee that you will have the same type of snow to drive in during the month of December. We were there in April with the snow, and other trips have always been in the summer (no show). Anyway, there was only a few inches of snow and, while fresh snow had fallen during the night, there was no snow falling during the day. And we had blue skies. Anyway, visibility was good. It's very likely you will hit deeper snow and snow flurries in December. Or, it's also possible that it will be closed.

I really don't know if I would recommend that route during that time of year or not. You might watch the weather reports and check with CA-DOT shortly before getting there to see what they recommend. Of course, they might also require chains at that time of year.

A possible alternate route to Reno would be I-80 from Sacramento to Reno. Since it's an interstate, it might have enough traffic to keep it clearer and be plowed more regularly. I'm not sure if there are any better suggestions. I last drove this route about 22-24 years ago so I don't recall much about it. It was pretty but not as pretty as the route through Shasta/Lassan/Susanville, imho.

Hope that helps!

Edited to add: I think you'll want every bit of 3 days to get all the way to Vegas. I've done Washington state to Reno in 1 day, then Reno to Vegas in another 1 day shot. But that's a LOT of driving. I don't think you could make that kind of time in an RV. Places to explore along the way might include:
* Veering off-route to Carson City and Virginia City. Especially Virginia City, a true old west town with lots of fun things to explore. Carson City is the state capital and, as such, there is a bit of history there, too. Of course, you might really want to take some time to visit Lake Tahoe, too, if you have time. Beautiful/awesome/spectacular Lake Tahoe!

* You're basically taking 95 all the way to Vegas and, to be honest, it's pretty desolate. If you're a UFO buff, you might enjoy Area 51 and the Little A'Le'Inn but I can't really think of anything else specific to explore along that route. Maybe somebody else can jump in with some ideas. If you want to check this out, you'll go east from Tonopah on Hwy 6, then south on 375 a/k/a The Extra-Terrestrial Highway. You'll then pick up 93 then I-15 into Vegas. This alternate route is about 500 miles, Reno to Vegas, which is about 40 miles farther than the direct route on 95. Not much difference, especially if you're dividing this into 2 days. I'm not sure where to recommend stopping for the night through here though since I've never done that. Sorry.

Thank you so much for all this information! My only concern now is the weather...which I won't know till it gets closer to our trip. Also, would you have any suggestions for any back-up routes in case of road closers and such? Again, thank you Judy for all the details you've included for me. I really appreciate it!