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we are a family of four. kids aged 18 and 14.
we plan to drive from LA to San francisco and Las Vegas and San Diego.
we need to start in LA and end off in San Dieog
i cant decide which way to go.
i plan to hire a car
i have my own navman and am looking for a memory card for california to use in the navman.
i am "concerned about" about driving on the ''wrong'' side of the road.
any tips
[Trip to be December 2006] Added by Editor
Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie
How long a trip will this be? What kinds of things are you interested in seeing?Quote:
we need to start in LA and end off in San Diegoi cant decide which way to go.
Mark
Mark,
the plan is to have about 3 nights each in san fran, LA and vegas.
i dont mind spending a night on the road if there is a long stretch.
interests are food wine for adults - for kids daugher is an OC fan and son is sports mad.
anything really interesting (unusual) would be good to see
colin
Colin, one night in between Las Vegas and San Francisco should be at the Furnace Creek Inn in Death Valley-- they have a great selection of Single Malts and Wines and the food is excellent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie
Mark
If I may offer some comments?
To Start in LA and end up San Diego, I'm going to suggest clockwise trip from LA through these places.. I live right near the "OC" so this may be a bit heavy on that...
After landing in LAX, head north up US 101. That will take up up through Santa Barbara towards San Francisco. You'll go through the San Ynez/ Solvang wine country (where the recent movie Sideways was set), and through the winery area around Paso Robles. You have the option of swinging west at San Luis Obispo to Hearst Castle and either swinging back to Paso Robles to continue north, or continuing up Coast 1 through the Big Sur to Monterey area. There are excellent restaurants in Monterey. You can take 1 or 2 nights to get to SF, or drive through in a day. There are also reasonable wineries near Monterey/ Santa Cruz before SF.
SF has a number of very good restaurants, although I always like to eat at one of the traditional SF seafood places on Fisherman's wharf. After a couple of days in SF, head slightly north of the bay to Napa or Sonoma -- very good wine, good restaurants, and some nice small hotels. Then swing south down through the central valley of California. You have the option of stopping at a lot of agricultural spots along there (everything from Plums to Cashews to Raisins), and possibly Yosemite.
From Yosemite you can head east over the Sierras at Tioga Pass (it does close in the winter due to snow, so this is a summer/ early fall route), coming into Death Valley from the west. There are excellent hiking trails ranging from easy to VERY challenging day hikes around Yosemite, which will make your son happy -- he'll also be hiking in the Sierras which are definitely different mountains than you have at home. If you don't go to Yosemite, you will swing around the southern end of the Sierras and head NW for Vegas -- which also takes you pretty close to the south end of Death Valley. IF you have to time, a visit (or at least a drive through) of Death Valley shouldn't be missed.
That will take you to Vegas. From Vegas I'd recommend a return south to the OC -- head down the I-15 back to consider staying in the Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, or Laguna Beach areas. These are the center of the "OC", which will make your daughter happy. There is good surfing along the coast starting in Huntington Beach (the "Surf City", including the Surfing Hall of Fame), or he can do snorkling in the coves along the coast where it is rocky starting in Corona del Mar (just south of Newport) and down through Laguna Beach. There's also kite surfing, windsurfing and sailing all along the coast, as well as world-class golf and tennis if you're so inclined. There is also good mountain biking in Crystal Cove, or more inland in the coastal mountains, but you'd have to rent a bike for that. There are excellent restaurants in Huntington Beach (Dukes at the Pier, for eample), Newport Beach (several), and in Laguna Beach -- I'd recommend one specializing in California Sea Food, or one of the better Mexican restaurants to give you a local flair for the food, but there are a number of very good places (including in other local communities like Costa Mesa). You'll also be about 30 minutes from Disneyland or Knotts Berry Farm, as well -- but somewhat farther from Hollywood (about an hour, not including any rush hour traffic).
From LA, head south the 90 minute drive to San Diego. You'll go very near San Diego Wild Animal Park, and in San Diego be near the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Coronado beach is always listed as one of the best in the US, although I'm not that familiar with it. There are wineries in the Temecula area, but you've hit 3 other winery areas in the state.
As for driving "on the wrong side of the road", I've done the same in the UK/ Ireland. My suggestion is to take it slow, particularly when turning out or across traffic. Your trained instinct is to look the wrong way first. Just take it easy, and look both ways before proceeding. I found it most easy to drive on the large motorways in the UK, as they were divided highways and you couldn't drift into the wrong lane -- but after a day or so, you didn't think about what you were doing (until your instinct had you look the wrong way first at a turn!) You shouldn't have a problem if you're careful, and in particular if you have another adult navigating for you so you can pay full attention to the road.
Larrison had some great ideas , very throrough. I found the instinct to look the wrong way very strong for me when I visited Australia and GB. I adapt more slowly than some -- but by 3 weeks I had forgotten what it felt like to drive on the same side I did back home. On a shorter visit to Scotland, we rented after being with a tour group the first week, thus getting aclimated safely. Worked for me, I know your situation is different.
One surprise during acclimation week ... looking out the tour bus window, I first thought the drivers of the cars below the bus windows weren't looking where they were turning while the signal was on. Then I realized, I was looking at the passenger !!! yes wrong side of the car.
Who ever is riding in the front passenger seat will have the most "terror". The first days, its like being on a roller coaster -- your brain tells you - you should be in control (because at home you'd have a steering wheel in that position) but your eyes tell you there's nothing you can do. (I had my introduction to that phenomenum about 2 a.m. in deserted streets of Brisbane as my host sped home.) Great fun.
But back to your comment abour the "wrong side" -- adding to all the good info from Larrison ... I'm not a Calif. native, was back for a vist last month. On the controlled access roads, California has large signs placed at all entrances announcing "Wrong Way".
To Larrison, Mark and Taco Monster.
guys thank you so much for your input. this is my first experience with a forum and i am so impressed with how useful it is.
Larrison i omitted to say that our trip is going to take place in December 06 so the mountain drive may not be do'able.
any tips on the use of a USA navman.
thanks again guys.
Colin
December? It'll be cool in California, particularly if you go up into the mountains, and foggy during the mornings on the coast, and possibily windy and cool to cold in SF. (If you want to look at historical weather information, www.weatherunderground has a weather almanac, which allows you to look at historical weather data for different places in the US).
But yes, you should assume the Tioga Pass will be closed. On the other hand, its the perfect time of year to go through Death Valley and the desert.
You have a Navman? They're supposed to be cool devices, but I don't have any real experience with one. (I use a small Garmin Vista Legend GPS unit.)
yes i use a navman but need the memory card with california maps for the trip.
thanks again for your input.
Colin
One thing i do need guidance on is car rental.
i know there will be a multitude of companies and i know there is a very wide selection. i also know that the insurance component is used as the up sell for profit BUT please if anyone can point me to a reputable and budget car rental company with tips on what to ask for i would be most appreciative.
we need a four seater.
i am half thinking of the idea of a convertible but i think its the wrong time of the year (December).
Colin
Colin, I'll bet the current Californians can point out the bargain agencies. I will say each year the contracts' fine print increasingly leans more in favor of the agencies than the consumer. My latest rental club annual agreement states I'm even responsible for damage related to "acts of God." Only point is to be sure you are satisfied with the coverage you get.
But about insurance per se - the categories we use here don't synch with the insurance categories used in Australia. I'm open to anyone else expanding on this ... but our basic minimum break out is expressed as three numbers, such as 20/40/10; or 50/100/25 which express how many thousands of dollars the insurance will pay for a covered accident in the respective categories Max Medical per person/Max Medical per accident/Max property damage (i.e., vehicle). Each state has its own miniumum. California probably has the highest minimum so if you are covered in California the limites should be sufficient for Nevada, too. My guess is some of the local people can tell you what the minimums are and give you advice on other coverages. Some states let you get, or mandate, "no-fault" which is a certain amount that is paid regardless of who is to blame. Otherwise the insurance company of the party that "caused" the accident is ultimately responsible. A good company will pay the expenses up front then collect from the other party's if necessary and appropriate. Getting a police report and witness statements can go a long way to simplifying the claim process, if that should become necessary.
Incidentally, when I hired a car in Britain a few years ago, they arranged for max coverage under Britain's rules (actually, I was told there was only one level in Britain). On top of that I used an umbrella policy here, that stated it would cover any costs over the British coverage up to the level of my umbrella coverage. I confirmed this with my insurance agent before I left.
Cars? Hmm.. a convertible would work most probably. The weather isn't that bad in California -- and unless you're in the Sierras I'll lay money you'll never see anything more than a bit of rain or mist. If you're concerned, and with over 3 weeks in the car you might go for a somewhat larger car -- enough to put a small cooler with snacks and soft drinks inside, or stash that special case of wine in the trunk (boot) with your luggage so you can open a bottle in the evenings after the drive is over.
We've had lots of discussions on here about what would be the best car, and it all comes down to personal perference. I tend to go for a slightly larger car -- more room so people can stretch out a bit more on a longish day's drive, and so your gear isn't crammed into every free inch of speace. Some folks swear by minivans (plenty of room!) or SUVs (what I use) or smaller cars with much better mileage. It's all up to your taste in what you'd like or feel comfortable in -- with your gear and your family for 3 weeks on the road. You shouldn't need a RV, which would be a specialty rental.
Rental cars & Insurance. I've used a bunch of the large national chains and they all seem to be pretty good -- lots of locations (Just about anywhere there's an airport), and some even offer the option of picking the car you like on the spot from a number of those available. Check the price and other terms and see what options you like.
All of the major car rental companies have web sites which should give you an indication of types of vehicles they offer and costs to rent them. You should be able to reserve a specific type of vehicle for a day and location to pick it up, but I've run into situations where the rental agency was very busy and they did not have the specific type of vehicle available I wanted. I'd do a quick check on prices and options -- and there have been a couple of other companies folks from Europe have recommended in the US, that specialize in rentals to non-US residents, which I'm not familar with at all.
But for insurance, you might want to give your local auto insurance company or agent a call. You are required to have a certain minimum level of insurance to drive in California, and this is one thing the rental agencies check before releasing a car for you do drive. You might find you home company can provide coverage in the US through either a partnership agreement with a US firm, of direct coverage. For example, my auto insurance company claims they provide some level of coverage no matter what car I'm in -- including rental cars and foreign driving (different levels of course, but they offer some options to give me expanded coverage for driving in Europe, for example). You might find that you can get much cheaper insurance through your local agent, than the expensive insurance offered through a rental agency. You will need to have something to show proof of insurance to rent the car, and also if you get stopped for a traffic violation in California. (Piece of paper giving who your insurance company is, the policy number, the dates your coverage is good for, and some contact info, like a telephone number).
Similarly, if you belong to the Australian Automobile Association, they are the sister of the American Automotive Association, which offers insurance, roadside assistance, and other services including travel arrangements, discounts and maps through local clubs in the US (such as the Automobile Club of Southern Californi) . You should check them out to see if they have some options to make like easier for you. A quick look at their web site shows they offer "International Driving Permits" which may getting a rental car (and showing you have a valid drivers permit), and they may be able to offer some type of international drivers insurance or point you at some company which offers this. Some of the clubs have reciprocal agreements for roadside assistance, use of their offices for maps and the like, but without checking I don't know what arrangemetns the AAA might have with the AAA in the US -- If you're a member, check out what they might have to offer.
Colin, Larrison and I have differing opinions about weather & climate in the southwest (as you can see if you have read many of our posts) but I think you need to plan on rain and wind for some of your time here in December. I am one of those "odd folks" who has never liked a convertible -- but you would probably be fine in one in December -- (but Larrison's "mist" is likely to look very much like a heavy rain/snowstorm to the rest of us).Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie
Mark
*laughing* Mark and I do have differing opinions on the weather for a trip around California in December. Just for some data, I went to www.weatherunderground.com and looked up the almanac weather data for a few locations for the month of December.. ..
San Francisco -- (monthly averages)
Average Highs, 58F/ 14c
Average Lows, 48F/ 8 C
Average Rain 0.35 in/ 0.8 cm (that's not a lot for the month)
Newport Beach/ Santa Ana --
Average High 68 F/ 20 C
Average Low 50 F/ 9 C
Average Rain 0.03 in/ 0.1 cm (virtually no rain that month on average)
San Diego --
Average High, 65 F/ 18 C
Average Low, 51 F/ 10 C
Average Rain 0.03 in/ 0.1 cm
Yosemite (reported from Merced)
Average High 56 F/ 13 C
Average Low 42 F/ 5 C
Average Rain, 0.04 in/ 0.1 cm
Las Vegas, NV
Average High 59 F/ 14 C
Average Low 41 F/ 4 C
Average Rain 0,00 in/ 0.0 cm
Now these are monthly averages, and you can always get a year which doesn't follow the averages, but its a reasonable indication of what to expect. Not a lot of rain -- but certainly a chance of seeing some in December. But definitely, bring a sweater and a windbreaker for the evenings/ nights if you're going to be outside.
In a different thread, Mark highlighed another, dealing with insurance ... worth looking at. TTM
A site regarding Yosemite has driving suggestions for their area for summer and winter, plus a graph of average highs and lows. December's 51 to 26 (F) aka's to 10 to -3 (C).
any tips would be great
Colin,
I'm assuming you want to touch LA on the way down to SD. There are other options, but Larrison's itinerary has lots of good ideas. I'd consider using I-15 to Calif-91 (near Corona) to Calif-55 where you'll head South to the Huntington / Newport beach areas. If you leave early from L.V., you should be able reach L.A. before evening "rush hour" and still have time for pictures, etc. I-15 heads through a Mt. pass shortly after getting into Califonia.
In San Diego (I lived there a long time ago), scenic places are Point Loma (I-8 West to Calif 209 South), Balboa Park (eg I-15). Walking areas, downtown San Diego near Horton Plaza/Gaslamp Quarter, you can leave the area, heading S. to Harbor Drive, then Left to Calif-75 to pick up the bridge to Coronado Island (bridge access on the North, Calif-75, and penninsula access on the South). This restful town has shops on the N. end & beaches to the S. The island boasts the 5-star Hotel Del Coronado or you may still find inexpensive motels if you look hard enough. Calif-75 will take you back to I-5 where you can head back to S.D., or head S. to view the Mexican border. I assume you don't intend to enter Mexico, but if you do, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THERE.
BTW, San Diego has two properties owned by the zoo. Both impressive. The animals have outdoor displays at both locations. The one in Balboa Park has many animals displayed outdoors, a huge flight cage, arial rides across all of it, etc. The other North I-15, East of Escondido is an outdoor "Wild animal park" with many in free-range conditions -- monorail takes you through it.
Driving around San Diego, you may see a Scenic Drive sign that will loop you through these and other places. Best to get a paper map first where the drive is highlighted and you can stay on track. Most signs will be adequate, but it only takes one prankster, and zoom off you go to a new adventure. In San Diego, often that's a good thing, though. Possibly it will be on your mapping device.
Southern Calif has a Spanish Heritage, ask about touring some buildings going back to the 1600's if that interests you.
TTM
Hmm.. lots of things you can do with this.. as Taco pointed out, I'm assuming you'll go to San Diego via LA area?Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie
But what are you interested in the LA area?
You can drive from Las Vegas to San Diego in a day, so stops and overnight stays will be at places you're interested in visiting, and not due to running out of daylight or stamina on the road.
Places you might consider and a rough path would be
Path: Las Vegas to LA area, via I-15 (very good quality superhighway), then west to the 605 Freeway south, and then south along the coast via PCH, back to I-5 south, and down to San Diego.
Possible stops:
- Death Valley (about 2 hours off the main path, but a very interesting visit -- can easily spend a full day there, or stay in Furnace Creek)
- Mojave National Preserve
- Zzyzx (heck, even if its just to get your picture next to the road sign...)
- Planes of Fame Musuem in Chino (if you're into airplanes, this is one not to miss... lots of unique airplanes)
- Mount Baldy (you mentioned one son I believe who is a sports fanatic). This stop would be to take a side trip up to the chair lift at Mt Baldy, then up to the lodge area (no snow until winter). Mt Baldy is one of the higher peaks in the area (over 10,000' high) and even from the area near the lodge you can see into 3 states. Its a long day hike to the top and back (and you'll need to be prepared with water, etc), but it might be an interesting side trip -- and something different from what you'd expect.
- Surfing areas of Seal Beach (end of the 605 freeway), Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach. The "wedge" aat Newport is world class body surfing, but it can get big enough and the break is abrupt enough it can be quite dangerous.
- Disneyland (in Anaheim, about 1/2 hour north of Huntington Beach)
- Knotts Berry Farm (in Buena Park), also just north of Huntington Beach
- Snorkling in Corona Del Mar and Laguna areas
- Artists community of Laguna Beach
- This takes you right through the OC, which I believe you said your daughter was interested in. Newport/ Laguna is pretty much the center of that.
- Disney
- San Onofre Beach (another good beach, but somewhat harder to get to)
- Taco mentioned the San Diego Wild Animal Park in Escondido, as well as the San Diego Zoo in San Diego.
- Temecula wineries (not a huge number, but some not bad...)
- Sea World in San Diego
- Cornando, beach town and hotel near San Diego
- Gaslamp section of San Diego (funky old town part of the city)
- The museums in Balboa Park in San Diego (near the Zoo)
- La Jolla/ Del Mar (very nice upscale beach town)
There's a bunch of other things, but this is pretty much a single path south. As you can see, you can take a week to do this, if you hit all the stops. And we've left out all the LA/ Hollywood type stops, and places like Palomar, any of the Spanish Missions (such as the one near Ocean Side, or San Juan Capistrano), shopping areas, fine dining, etc,
As usual, I'm always amazed at the well organized highlights Larrison can pack in a single note.
Thought I'd add a few differences between here and "home" ...
No road-trains in any part of the country, refering to what I hear happens on the way to The Alice.
Brush your self up on Spanish pronounciation for spanish type words. La Jolla and El Cajon (towns near San Diego), tortillia (a staple of Mexican food) will draw inward chuckles from locals if you use "english." We also use the French pronounciation for buffet.
Roadwise, where there are stoplights or stop signs: Right-Turn-on-Red (after stop, and giving way) via the extreme right-hand lanes. Also from a one-way street to another, via the extreme left-hand lanes, Left-Turn-on-Red, same conditions.
No measures in metric here: affects weather, distance, weight, liquid (eg fuel), etc. Our quarts and pints are 20% smaller than the old British version, in fact a quart is remarkably close to a litre. Your car's speedometer is likely to show kph in smaller numbers along with the mph.
Foodwise: there'll be no vegemite or equivalent to be found unless you find a British specialty, or a well-stocked international food store.
A few word differences
kurb becomes curb
tyre, tire
footpath, sidewalk
trousers, pants (although the former term is understood)
pants, panties
servettes, napkins
entree or entre, apetizer
main course, entree or entre
jelly, jello
and of course: petrol, gas.
Have Fun ! - TTM
thats great. i had planned to go straight from vegas to san diego and not back thru LA - is that a crazy idea.
the plan was to follow your advice and go clockwise LA - SAN FRAN - VEGAS- SAN DIEGO?
Will that work?
whats the best bet for an overnight stopover between LA and San Fran and then again between Vegas and San Diego. I plan to break both those trips into two.
colin.
Vegas to San Diego via I-15 should take you less than 6 hours. Its a pretty easy drive to do in one day. If you feel you need to break it up for some reason, I'd say Barstow, San Bernardino/Riverside, or Temecula would be your best bets.
The fastest route is using I-15 between Las Vegas and San Diego as Midwest Michael wrote above. However, it is going to look like you are driving through LA, because I-15 routes through the greater LA metroplex. If you were wanting to avoid any semblance of LA, you would drive down US-95 and then either take CA-78 (which is a pretty drive in the mountains) or one of the other north/south routes to I-8 and over to San Diego. These routes will add about five hours to the journey.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie
Once you determine which route you are going to drive, we can give a better idea of fun places to stop and explore on the way.Quote:
then again between Vegas and San Diego. I plan to break both those trips into two.
Mark
Colin,Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Nervous Ozzie
There's many options for overnights between LA and SF. But if you want to limit your driving then Solvang is an interesting town to stay in, paying tribute to Hans Christen Anderson of children's stories. WIneries there, per the website.
For the second day, I really enjoy the drive up Calif-1, very scenic, two-lane road. Plenty of places to stop and take pictures. I'd do it on the second day, allowing two or more hours if you'd enjoy poking along and taking it all in. Just remember to keep the steering wheel towards the middle of the road, and you'll not be alarmed by those drivers coming down the left-hand side in the opposite direction :-) San Simeon is also home to Hearst Castle. If you stop there, allow at least two hours for one tour. Ususally its best to book in advance, but you may be ok to just walk-in, in December. Between San Simeon and Carmel, there are few commercial establishments to distract from the view. Wineries just N. of that past / around Monterrey, or you may want to continue on to SF.
On the other hand, the next day, you may be more ready for speed, such as US-101 from Solvang, to give you more time to settle in in SF. Tis up to you.
TTM
Hmm. your original route sounds good, *laughing* (at myself) we're all just trying to add options for you to stop at I think..
Interesting place to stay between Las Vegas and San Diego?
As has been pointed out, its a reasonable day's drive from LV to SD -- and there are in my opinion, more interesting things to do near SD than the middle of the Mojave. (More interesting things by number.. not that there aren't interesting things to do in the Mojave... ) So its you're choice on how you want to do the route.
But 3 places come to mind --
First, there's Death Valley. Its a bit out of the way (a couple of hours), but you can make it from Death Valley to San Diego in a day. And going Las Vegas to Death Valley to San Diego over 2 days of driving is very doable.
Secondly, you can cut due south from Vegas along the Colorado down to Blythe and then go south via Amboy, 29 Palms, Joshua Tree National Park, and spend the night in the Palm Springs area. From there it's about a 3-4 hour drive to San Diego, particularly if you go south to Anza Borrego, and then up over the mountains to Julian (old mining town in the mountains, known for its Apple Pies) and then to San Diego. The State-22 route up the mountains from Anza Borrego/ Borrego Springs is quite incredible.
Lastly, on more of a direct route I'd recommend staying at the Mission Inn in Riverside California. That's slightly east of the direct route south on I-15, but is only a few minutes out of your way. The Mission Inn is a historic old hotel dating from the late 1800's and has been recently restored. It's a very funky hotel, and a wonderful example of Mission architecture, and stuffed with art and antiques from all over the world. I mean, there's Napoleanic cannon in the gardens, world class California landscapes on the walls, a 20' long reclining gold buddha behind one of the bars, Medieval stained glass in the hallways, etc. There's even catcombs under the building -- and a very good restaurant (several actually..). It's one of those funky places you'll only find in California.. www.MissionInn.com
Places between LA and San Francisco.
Hmm.. my usual stopping place heading up on a 2 day trip is around San Luis Obispo/ San Simeon/ Cambria. There are lots of places to stay near here. I pick this area because its very convenient to Hearst Castle (at San Simeon, which is about 30 minutes drive from San Luis Obispo), or the wineries at Paso Robles, and the last real set of towns before you start up Coast 1 to the Big Sur area. I've stayed at a number of places in the area, some good, some average. The most memorable was in San Simeon where the hotel backed up onto the beach, and was about a 10 minute drive from the Hearst Castle visitors center, where the tours leave from.
Another place you always hear about is the Madronna Inn near San Luis Obispo. Very unique architecture.... particularly if you get one of their "theme" rooms.
I want to buy a good driving map so that I can sit and study it now so I can try and plan my stops and hotel / motel bookings in advance.
Can you recommend a map source that would post a map to me and which map should I go for. I want something that really just covers my planned trip which is LA – SAN FRAN- LAS VEGAS – LA/SAN DIEGO. I understand Larrisons point by the way that driving from LAS VEGAS to San Diego the quickest way will look as though you are coming back to LA – that’s ok.
I want to chose stop over points that will have some interest to them. Hearst castle looks interesting but a little touristy if you ask me.
In truth the reality is that I don’t know what I am looking for in stop over venues really because I don’t know whats out there so feel free to suggest anything that you think may be of interest.
I am not mad about the idea of making long detours (more than one hour) of the intended routing.
Once again thanks to everyone who has responded to my thread - the helpfulness of this forum impresses me so much.
colin
RTA has a whole section dedicated to Map Recommendations. Personally, I use a regular US atlas and it would probably work just fine for you, but there are also several more detailed options that only cover California and Nevada.
Don't nix Hearst Castle because you think it appears "touristy", imho. Really. I have gone to Europe twice, Asia once, and am fairly well-traveled in the US, Canada, and Mexico. And while I have seen some amazing things on these trips, Hearst Castle remains one of my favorites. Granted, the tours they do today aren't as cool as the first visit I made there when you could do a tour or just opt to walk around the grounds at will. Now THAT was an amazing day. But it's still very worth a stop. When you look at the architectural and historic things brought to one place, mixed together in a visual orgy that is quite stunning, and realize that this was all done by the hubris of one man....well, it's awe-inspiring. If you have any appreciation of art and architecture, you will definitely enjoy a visit there.
As for maps, I don't recall when you're visiting the US. If you have a bit of time, maybe 2 months or so, I would encourage you to visit the California tourism website. You can request free maps and travel brochures. And you can see a lot of maps and other helpful information over the web. If you goodle "name-of-state tourism", it will take you to the tourism websites of other states. These are usual treasure troves of info and they will all send you free maps, books, and other things to help you plan your trip.
If you don't have time to wait for their freebies, and they usually do take several week, at least, to arrive, then check out the information here at RTA. At the top of the page are some yellow tabs. Go to the one that says "RoadTrip Books" and "Maps" for some helpful information and recommendations.
i am still a little undecided on a couple of things and seem to get more confused as i research the other threads. i am all sorted (in my mind) for the LA - SF leg.
its from there that it gets hazy
i know the tioga pass will be closed when we drive from SF to Las vegas as we leave SF on 19 Dec.
i would like to see yosemite but dont really want to start a hiking/camping side trip so please suggest a good over night place which will at least give us the yosemite flavour and also specify the roads/highways to use to get there from san fran.
next please guide me from that place in yosemite to las vegas possibly with another one night stop over again recommending roads and highways to vegas.
thanks
colin nervous ozzie
I was in Australia and New Zealand in 2004 and the British Isles and Ireland this past summer. I was on a bus so didn't have to worry about which side of the road I was on. I did not want to deal with it, especially around the traffic circles in the Isles. It wouldn't have been a pretty sight.
A word of caution though. Going from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on I-15 be prepared to drive VERY fast. The speed limit is 75 and you need to go much faster than that if you don't want to get run over. This stretch is like a community onto itself with its own radio stations.
I was clipping along at 8o and being passed regularly. It is a whole lot of fun when sub 75 (70 and under, even some foolhardy folks at 65) vehicles are encountered and you have to drop from 80 to 45 in a few seconds. Now I know how the NASCAR drivers feel, but I sure don't get a rush from it.
I should mention, however, we were on it on a Friday right before a three day weekend, so it most likely was a bit busier than usual.
Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog