San Fran to LA in 5 days

First of all can I say what am amazing site. Brilliant advice and real sense community.

Secondly I wanted to check this planned road trip with you. If anyone has any thoughts or sugestions please reply!

Arrive in L.A from UK on Wednesday September 27.
Thursday 28th. Sights in LA
Friday 29th Visit Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Sat 30th Drive to Sandiego and see some sights.
Sunday 30st Visit Tijuana
Monday 1st Drive to Vegas (Anything worth seing on the way?)
Tues 2nd and Weds 3rd in Vegas.

Thursday 4th Drive to Yosemite (Any suggestions of the best way to go?)Is it worth going via Death Valley if we've got a standard hire car? will tioga pass be open? is that the best way to go?

Frday and Saturday Yosemite (is this enough time/too long just to se the main sights?

Sunday Drive to San Fran (Again best way to go?)
Monday and tuesday in San Fran

Wednesday and Thursday the Pacific Coast Highway and things on that road. (How long will we need for this, what is good to see)

Friday and saturday in LA.
Fly to back rainy London!

If this is going to be too much we're considering dropping the trip to mexico to get more time everywhere else.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bacons-travels/228652569/


Does sound realistic, we know there's no chance of seing everything on a trip like this but just want to catch the main bit and pieces.

Thanks for any advice in Advance!

Chris.

hi baconbacon, and welcome to the RoadtripAmerica forum..

You've got an interesting trip laid out, but if I may make a few comments?

The first part of your trip is you arrive in the LA area, spend a day sightseeing, them up to Magic Mountain (Valencia area), then to San Diego. You might want to consider where in the LA area you want to stay for this... The LA metropolitan area is rather sizable (in distance), so you can end up spending a goodly time getting from near the airport to Disneyland or from near Disneyland to Magic Mountain. What places did you want to see in the LA area? Depending upon how you travel (light, or fully loaded with tons of gear, etc.) you might want to spend the time in LA in two different places -- one day near your LA sightseeing areas, then that night near Magic Mountain, or similarly.

For visiting San Diego and then into Tijuana, you might want to take the San Diego "Trolly" (light rail) down to the border and walk across. A lot of rental car companies do not allow their cars to cross the border, and you would need (at a minimum) new insurance to drive in Mexico. You also avoid the sometimes long traffic jams at the border.

Depending upon the route you take to Vegas, there are some potentially interesting stops. One option is to go through the San Diego back country via Julian and down the steep back slope of the San Diego mountains to the desert at Anza Borrego, and then north via Palm Springs, Joshua Tree national park, Amboy, and through the Mojave National Preserve. But that's a long day's drive, versus the 7 hours or so on the interstate. That will show you the real Mojave desert via some lesser traveled routes (but all on good quality 2 lane paved roads).

From Las Vegas to Yosemite, its very possible to via Death Valley and Tioga Pass. All the routes are good quality roads, but it would be again a veryyyy long day to go that route. You might want to stay somewhere around Bishop or even Mammouth Lakes, before heading over the Sierras at Tioga Pass. Tioga Pass should be open, unless there is a very unusual early fall snow storm in the Sierras (usually thats a month or so later). That is the most spectacular way to go -- but longer in time than the route south around the end of the Sierras and up through Bakersfield.

You will want to spend at least a full day in Yosemite. You can spend a week if you want to see it all, but at least a full day is needed, particularly if you wish to do one of the spectacular day hikes in the area.

Heading south from SF to LA via Coast Highway is a doable trip in 2 days. You won't be stopping for long at places like Monterey, but its a days drive to somewhere like San Simeon/ Morro Bay/ San Luis Obispo. And then another day down to the LA area. Good places to see along here are: Monterey (cannery row, aquarium), Carmel (17 mile drive), Big Sur (several places), Petros Blancos (Elephant Seals), San Simeon (Hearst Castle), Solvang/ San Ynez (wineries and food -- where the recent movie "Sideways" was set), Santa Barbara (the Mission, other places), and (Malibu (just to say you were there with the stars :P )

I forgot about the trolley and agree its a great way to ride down to the border.

Larrison's comments about insurance are right-on, the rental contract will likely become void if you cross into Mexico, and many companies have GPS tracking devices in their cars. But other reasons to be cautious driving in Mexico are (a) the justice system does not operate under presumed innocence, (b) a traffic accident without having proper insurance is treated as as a criminal offense. There were once worse reasons, but that was many years ago, and (only) perhaps no longer applicable.

All that said, I've done it, but in a POV, and having bought proper special short-term insurance before crossing the border. My last time there I ran over an engine part in the middle of the toll road between TJ and Ensenada, shortly after dark.

Thanks Larison and Taco Monster.

Really useful info. On the first day in LA we were going to se holywood and generally take it easy maybe at venice beach and deal with any jet lag.
Really not very bothered about disneyland area so will be giving that a miss. Understand that Hollywood to Valencia is only about 45 miles so we would stay close to Magic Mountain on Thursday evening.

We were certain not to drive in mexico, enough movies have shown that crossing to be a nightmare for us to have already investigated the Trolly!

Useful comments re the drive from Vegas - Yosemite, we really were'nt sure if that was a doable drive in a day.

If we do spen 2 days going from vegas to Yosemite whats worth stopping for in Death Valley?

Also useful re pacific Highway, agai nweren't really sure how long this would take.

Anyway.

Thanks a load, if you're around when we're over I'd be very happy to buy you a beer or 2!

Chris.

You can see it in less than 90 minutes, or take your time for pictures, etc. and double that. Its quiet, peacful, breathtaking at times. The key parts are between San Simeon and Carmel. S.S. has a grand Hearst Castle (reduced touring hours in winter); Just N. of there is California Sea Otter State Game Refuge where you can sometimes get close, but ask a ranger whether they'll be in heat that time of year -- not a good time to get that close; and 10 miles further North is Ragged Point on the Left side. You can stop and walk out to a mini peninsula, and to the N.E. view the ribbon of scenic highway you'll be on later. Sometimes clouds cover Ragged Point, and you can barely see the highway, but from the highway further North barely see Ragged Point. There's an inn there with food and of course a gift shop. :-) And so it goes -- mostly scenery, plenty of places to stop.

Yosemite in the Winter ? The interior is always open, but not all roads into it are. Someone from Vegas can add to this thought. Yosesmite weather notes. If you get into Yosemite, you'll be tempted to stay longer than planned. :-) I personally don't know enough about D.V. to recommend anything, but I imagine passing through it will be a worthwhile memorable experince.

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Originally Posted by The Taco Monster

You can see it in less than 90 minutes, or take your time for pictures, etc. and double that. Its quiet, peacful, breathtaking at times.

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Maybe I lost the thread somewhere -- but did you just suggest that Chris can drive the entire PCH from San Francisco to LA in ninety minutes? Driving at (or above the posted speed limit) it can be done in seven hours. Very, very few people can cover this distance in less than ten hours.

Mark

Hi All, I am new here as well. This is a great forum!

I am planning a similar trip as the OP here, except We're thinking of doing LA-Joshua Tree-Mojave desert-San Francisco in December. We're hoping to do this on the cheap, meaning camping in Joshua Tree and the Mojave, and not spending any time sightseeing in LA (just using it as a departure point). We have friends to stay with in LA and SF so, the bulk of the $$ would be on motels along the PCH

1. Is it worth going to SF (via PCH) in the winter?

2. Is it too far to try to drive from Mojave across the state to the PCH to continue up to SF, or is it better to drive from Mojave to SF inland, and then drive south from SF back to LA (so we could get in some of the PCH)?

Our timeline is Dec 16-Dec 31st (two weeks)

Thanks in advance! This seems like such a good resource considering my husband and I have been having trouble finding opinions on this trip!

Welcome to the RTA Forum, redhead!

For your trip, I think you might find it more efficient to drive from the Mojave (death valley too?) straight to San Francisco through the central valley - possibly with a stop at Yosemite. Then you could drive back down the PCH on your way to LA.

You could head north on the PCH, but going to SF first would cut some of the miles out of your traveling. Either way, you should have plenty of time for this trip.

Thanks for your reply, Michael!

So, if we do that itinerary...

How long would it take to drive from Mojave/Death Valley to SF?

Also, is it worth doing SF and the PCH in December? If it's going to be crappy weather the whole way, is it better to save for another time, when it's sunnier?

Thanks for all the input!

Redhead

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Originally Posted by redhead

Also, is it worth doing SF and the PCH in December? If it's going to be crappy weather the whole way, is it better to save for another time, when it's sunnier?

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The best chance for sun along the PCH and in San Francisco is the month of October. But even with winter storms, December the chances of seeing sunny weather along the PCH and in San Francisco are about much more likely in December than in the traditional summer months. The way the central valley heating cycle works, the hotter it gets inland, the more persistent the fog bank is along the coast -- so with generally cooler temps in the winter, there is better than a 70% chance it will be mostly clear on the coast.

Mark

The weather along the coast can be variable in the October or December time period. The usual weather is to have low clouds and possibly fog in the mornings, which typically burns off in the afternoon. It's not uncommon to have bright blue skies in the afternoons and a nice breeze. But.... if the jet stream shifts and California starts getting a chain of storms then you can have a week of rainy/ cloudy weather. The farther north you go near SF, the more likely the skies will be grey.

I've driven the coast road numerous times in the winter -- and its been usually pretty nice (usually the Xmas-New Years week). I do recall getting rain once, but it was intermittent showery and the blasts of sun between the clouds was quite dramatic lighting along Big Sur.

You can drive from Death Valley to SF in a day, but its a rather long day's drive. As mentioned elsewhere, the Tioga pass over the Sierras most probably will be closed by snow at that point, so your fastest route is around the southern end of the Sierras through the high desert to Bakersfield, and then up the central valley. That does give you the option of stopping at somewhere like Yosemite, or perhaps some of the agriculatural areas through the central valley. There's an amazing variety of crops grown in the central valley -- grapes (wine, eating or raisins), fruits of all types, nuts of all types, cotton, row crops of a large number, vegetables and etc. California Olive Oils are a very rapidly developing commodity and VERY good, as are California Rices. There's a place near Sacramento I've stopped at that had 20 different varieties of rice for sale, all grown in the central valley.

Most folks, including myself will recommend going inland up to SF and then back south towards LA along PCH through Big Sur. However... there is the option of cutting over via California 41 to come out at Paso Robles, and then over to PCH at Cambria. That takes you through the wine country near Paso Robles and gives you the best part of the PCH up through Big Sur. From SF its a day's drive back to LA via I-5 (the fastest route). That is an option, but not a recommended one.

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Thursday 4th Drive to Yosemite (Any suggestions of the best way to go?)Is it worth going via Death Valley if we've got a standard hire car? will tioga pass be open? is that the best way to go?

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The park has a policy to keep the Tioga Road and the Glacier Point Road open until the first major snowfall after November 1. During September and October, there may be temporary closures due to snow. After November 1, both roads will close when predicted weather indicates a series of snowfalls that would necessitate continuous plowing. The 20-year average for closing of the Tioga Road is November 15.

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Frday and Saturday Yosemite (is this enough time/too long just to se the main sights?

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In my (limited) opinion, 2 days will give you time to have a nice leasurely look around the park at a FANTASTIC time of year. It's not enough time to see every single thing, but that just means you'll be gagging to go back!

Thanks for all this amazing info!

If we're traveling back down the PCH after Christmas, do you think it'll be too cold/wet to camp? We have subzero sleeping bags, so I guess the real concern is the weather...is it generally crowded at that time of year...wil we have trouble finding an open hostel/motel if it's too rainy to camp outside?

Thanks again! What a great resource!

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Originally Posted by redhead

Thanks for all this amazing info!

If we're traveling back down the PCH after Christmas, do you think it'll be too cold/wet to camp? We have subzero sleeping bags, so I guess the real concern is the weather...is it generally crowded at that time of year...wil we have trouble finding an open hostel/motel if it's too rainy to camp outside?

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I did a quick look at the almanac data for Monterey and Cambria CA (nothern and southerly ends of the Big Sur section, just about) for the last week in December. Typical temperatures will be a high in the mid 60's F, to a low around mid 40's F. To my mind, that's prefectly acceptable temperatures for camping.. However, the dew pointis around 50 or so, so you will have lots of dew in the mornings on everything, and you do have the possibility of rain that week (average is around 1/5th to 1/4 of an inch -- but a max recorded of a 3/4" of rain). So.. be prepared for damp weather if you're camping. Sweaters and warm bags and waterproof/ windproof jackets and some type of hats IMHO.

Other than the week between Christmas and New Years, you probably won't have any problems with availablity of a camping site -- December is one of the off winter months. But a lot of folks travel the week of Xmas-New Years. If you're concerned, you can reserve a site over the internet for just about every campground that takes reservations. Most of the state and county campgrounds can be reserved at www.reserveamerica.com The costs are typically quite low -- $20 or less for a night, for a tent camping spot

In the past, when there's be a lot of rain in the forecast, I'll give up my reservation (with no expectation of a refund) and find a motel for the night. You've got the campground reservation anyway -- so you know you can stay there. If you're flexible about staying in a location (say within 20 miles of driving or so), you shouldn't have any problems finding a room, if you call for a reservation that afternoon and try a couple of places in the worst case. (I've never had to go to a secondary motel that time of year in California, unless its somewhere very popular like next to Disneyland or in a high demand/ low availability area like Death Valley).

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Originally Posted by Editor

Maybe I lost the thread somewhere -- but did you just suggest that Chris can drive the entire PCH from San Francisco to LA in ninety minutes?

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Thanks for keeping me honest, Mark. 7 hrs sounds about right if one hugs the coast all the way down. I let my personal experience with PCH get in the way .., i,e, coming from the S., I didn't try getting on it until near San Louis Obispo, and felt I'd arrived when I hit Carmel. Even that's 110 miles, so I had other filters on my memory that I wasn't aware of. But for sure, I encourage poking along while on this wonderful route. Last time, I believe we took four hours or so between Carmel & S.S. and had a terrific time, with lots of memorable shots.

Mark, if you are saying that there's much beauty to see S. of Santa Barbara on the PCH, I'll put 'er on my list next time I'm in the area. For people who have the time, the highway also has much beauty N. of S.F, (my wife and I tried some of it while visiting Santa Rosa), ... its a bit more crowded, not a problem if you are ther for the scenery, but based on our brief experince (Memorial Day weekend) slow is the only kind of speed you'll get.

Worth noting, when I went through from the N. again, in June, a portion of the PCH was closed between S.F. and Monterrey, due to slides from the unseasonable rains last Spring. Can any one provide the current status on that?

If you are talking about the landslide and closure between Montara and Pacifica, its open now. They are still working on it, but it is open(at least one lane). Its been a month since they opened hwy 1 there.

yup thats gotta be it - we'd been warned by several people in Late May to avoid it. Really enjoyed the part we could be on, though. -ttm

Hi all,
My husband and I are going to CA for 2 weeks and want to spend about 4-5 days driving Highway 1 from San Francisco to LA. We are leaving SF on Monday and are hoping to be in LA by Friday.

So far we are thinking of leaving SF Monday morning and stopping in Monterey (sleeping over Monday night), the Big Sur (sleeping over Tuesday night), San Simeon (Wed night), and then I guess we have one night that's not planned yet.

Does this sound too rushed? Should we space out the stops more? Is the drive from San Simeon to LA do-able in a day?

I'm not sure of the driving times between any of the places I've listed so if anyone has any input or advice I'd love to hear it!
Thanks!

Hello redhead and welcome to the board!

You've got plenty of time to do the trip -- 4 or 5 days gives you lots of time to stop and visit places and sightsee. The drive from San Simeon to LA is very doable in one day -- its around 4 hours drive time without stopping somewhere. However, depending upon what you're interesting in visiting or viewing, you can also plan a stop in the Solvang/ Santa Barbara area.

San Francisco to Monterey is from 2 to 4 hours drive time, depending upon traffic and the route you take. But you'll need to add in any time you spend sightseeing around the Bay area, or in Monterey (the aquarium, Cannery Row, etc.)

Monterey to Big Sur is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending upon where in Big Sur you're heading.

Big Sur to San Simeon is about 90 minutes to an hour, depending upon where you start in the Big Sur area. Plus of course, any stops or sightseeing along the way. For example, at the Elephant Seal colony at Pedro Blancos or at Hearst Castle.

To be honest, if I had to pull out a night, I'll pull out the one in Big Sur, and just plan on Monterey to San Simeon area in a day -- its very drivable in a day, with lots of stops for sightseeing. Then I'd add in a stop somewhere around Solvang to Santa Barbara area to visit the wineries, Santa Barbara to visit the mission and perhaps shopping in the El Paseo area in SB. From SB to LA is about 2-3 hours (depending upon traffic and where in LA you want to go).

Thanks for the advice. I think we will probably stay overnight in Big Sur because we'll want to do some hiking and stuff and since we have a whole week to get down the coast we won't want to feel rushed.

We'll probably end up spending the Thursday night in Santa Barbara, so thanks for the recommendation.

So, on the earlier part of our trip, we'll be traveling from Joshua Tree to Death Valley and then to SF. Any advice on the shortest route from Death Valley to SF at that time of year (December)?

Thanks again!

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Originally Posted by redhead

[ ... ] So, on the earlier part of our trip, we'll be traveling from Joshua Tree to Death Valley and then to SF. Any advice on the shortest route from Death Valley to SF at that time of year (December)?

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If you're traveling in December the most direct route (over Tioga Pass near Yosemite) is going to be closed by snow -- its closed all winter for that. So your only two routes are north to Reno/ Tahoe and west over Donner to Sacramento and beyond, or south around the Sierras and west to Bakersfield and then up through the Central Valley. Both are 2 day trips, although the southerly route is slightly faster.

For scenery, the Tahoe/ Reno route is much more scenic -- you'll go up the eastern side of the Sierras and pass by the major ski resort of Mammoth Lakes (lots of snow-capped mountains, and perhaps some along the road), and Tahoe is gorgeous in the winter. The other route will take through the high desert to the Central Valley of california, which is a huge agricultural area with numerous orchards, fields and towns. Some nice places to stop for agricultural products, wine tasting and the like -- but not as scenic.