LA to Albuquerque in 17 days

Hi everybody,

Me and my wife (33) are planning a road trip from LA (starting on July 15th) to Albuquerque (getting there on July 31th).

I know I'll have to skip some places, due to the amount of time, but I would like to visit the following:

- Los Angeles (STARTING THE TRIP HERE on July 15th)
- San Francisco
- Yosemite
- Sequoia
- Death Valley
- Las Vegas
- Zion
- Bryce Canyon
- Grand Canyon
- Monument Valley
- Canyon de Chelly
- Santa Fe
- Albuquerque (GETTING THERE on July 31th)

Anything between LA and Albuquerque can be changed in my itinerary.

Does it make sense? Is it too much for 17 days? I don't want to rush a lot.

I would like to know if anybody could help me with advices on topics such as:

- which places to pick;

- how long to stay in each place;

- which hotels to stay - US$100-150;

- other places not cited above;

- turist traps to be avoided etc.;

Considering the fact that I am not american, any information, even the obvious ones, would useful for me.

Thank you!

You can certainly visit all those places in 17 days, but time management is going to be critical. You won't be able to spend a full day in many of those places.

I would definitely recommend you take at least 2 days to get from LA to SF and go up the CA-1 coast highway.

Hello and welcometo the RTA forums !

I think your trip is quite realistic as long as you don't mind keeping on the move you will have a great time. The one place I would perhaps leave out is Sequoia, not because it isn't wonderful but it will free up valuable time between Yosemite and Death valley by using the Tioga pass [120] over the Sierra's. Of course it is up to you how much time you wish to stay in each place and I am unsure if you arrive in LA on the 15th or that's your actual leaving day, but with your timeline I would suggest something like this, LA > SF 2 days > SF for a day and a half and then drive to the Western approach of Yosemite [Groveland/Wawona?] DAY 5 and 6 explore Yosemite and leave over the Tioga pass at lunchtime [ish] and stop around the Bishop area]. Day 7 drive through DV to Vegas, day 8 in Vegas[so 2 nights]. Day 9 leave as early as poss for Zion, explore and stay in Springdale. Day 10 More walking in the canyon and head to Bryce in the afternoon, walk along the rim in the main canyon area and witness a sunset and stay the night. [Ruby's Inn ?] DAY 11, Drive to the far end of the canyon and stop at all the viewpoints on the way back up which are a few steps from the car. [By going to the far end first all the viewpoints are on your side of the road so you don't have to continuously pull across the traffic.] In the afternoon head for Kanab or Page. Day 12 and 13 visit the Grand canyon South rim [of course you could opt for the quieter North rim ] entering along Desert view drive [64]. Check out the Cameron trading post on the 89, cool shop and food and a possible lodging option if you leave for MV on the eve of day 13. Day 14, drive through Monument valley, explore and head for Canyon De Chelley.
Days 15,16,17 head to Albu [and Santa Fe if you have the energy Lol !]

That will give you an indication as to how your travel times will unfold with places you wish to see so have a look at your possibility's and when you have decided what will work for you let us know with any new questions that might arise.

You may struggle to get accomodations in or around the parks already so that is something that will need looking at asap.
Enjoy the planning !

Thank you very much GLC and SOUTHWEST DAVE,

Your hints have helped me a lot on being more specific about planning the trip.

As I have 17 days (from LA to Albuquerque) and I don't want to be driving all that period long, I decided to give up on Bryce Canyon and Zion (I know they're wonderful, but let's leave them to another trip...). I also put aside Sequoia.

So, based on your tips, that's how the schedule is organized, so far:

DAY 1 (July 15th - Wed) - travel from LA to Monterey, via Pacific Coast Highway - 280 miles - visit Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Carmel, 17 mile road - sleep in Monterey

DAY 2 (July 16th - Thu) - travel from Monterey to San Francisco, via Pacific Coast Highway -120 miles - visit San Francisco - sleep in San Francisco

DAY 3 (July 17th - Fri) - visit San Francisco - sleep in San Francisco

DAY 4 (July 18th - Sat) - visit San Francisco - sleep in San Francisco

DAY 5 (July 19th - Sun) - travel from San Francisco - Yosemite (Wawona or Groveland) - 210 miles visit Yosemite - sleep at Yosemite

DAY 6 (July 20th - Mon) - visit Yosemite - sleep at Yosemite

DAY 7 (July 21th - Tue) - visit Yosemite (morning) - travel from Yosemite to Death Valley (via Tioga Pass) - 200 miles - sleep around Bishop

DAY 8 (July 22th - Wed) - travel from Bishop area to Death Valley - 130 miles - visit Death Valley

DAY 9 (July 23th - Thu) - visit Death Valley - sleep at Death Valley

DAY 10 (July 24th - Fri) - travel from Death Valley to Las Vegas (early in the morning) - 140 miles - visit Las Vegas - sleep in Las Vegas

DAY 11 (July 25th - Sat) - visit Las Vegas - sleep in Las Vegas

DAY 12 (July 26th - Sun) - travel from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon (via Hoover Dam and Route 66) - 280 miles - visit Sky Walk (West Rim) and South Rim - Sleep in Grand Canyon

DAY 13 (July 27th - Mon) - visit Grand Canyon - sleep in Grand Canyon

DAY 14 (July 28th - Tue) - visit Grand Canyon - sleep in Grand Canyon

DAY 15 (July 29th - Wed) - travel from Grand Canyon to Monument Valley (via Cameron Trading Post) - 175 miles - visit Monument Valley and Navajo Park - sleep in the Monument Valley area

DAY 16 (July 30th - Thu) - travel from Monument Valley to Canyon de Chelly - 130 miles - visit Canyon de Chelly - travel from Canyon de Chelly to Acoma Pueblo area - 160 miles - sleep around Acoma Pueblo

DAY 17 (July 31th - Fri) - visit Acoma Pueblo - travel from Acoma Pueblo do Albuquerque - 65 miles - get there at noon - END

Somethings still worry me:
- How is the best way to research hotels and motels?
- Any specific suggestions?
- Is the division of time and the mileage distances right?
- What's the average speed on the roads I'll be passing through (so I can calculate the time spent on the road)?

Day 1: Check the time when you finish with Hearst Castle - you may want to spend the night in San Simeon. You may not have adequate time left to make it to Monterey and still see the sights.

Day 12: I would recommend you forego the West Rim - the only way in there is dirt roads, which you will not be allowed to use as per your rental car contract. You wouldn't have time either - when you get done with the delays for security to cross the dam, you are looking at a fairly full day just to go directly to the South Rim. The only thing really worthwhile at the West Rim is the Skywalk - which is quite expensive to enter and to me, not worth the hassle to get there.

The best way to calculate speeds is use a mapping program and add 20%.

Hotels.com is a good site to research hotels, but they don't list all chains, especially budget chains. Use that in conjunction with motel6.com and super8.com if your preference is toward budget hotels.

When I've poked around for hotels, I can sometimes get a better rate at the Hotels.com but Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz are also good to check out. And CheapHotels (even if price isn't a factor they have nice hotels as well with some good price options.

A standard used here to help figure out travel time is to divide the number of miles by 57. During an average travel day, with short stops for food/fuel/bio breaks, maybe some slowdowns due to construction or congestion, and a few very quick breaks to look at something scenic, our experience is that you'll roughly average 57mph during the course of a day like that. Of course, this doesn't count any time for stopping for more in-depth touring.

I have not been to the Skybridge on the West side but I can say that reviews appear to be mixed. I think the Grand Canyon itself is so amazing that you don't need a gimmick to enjoy it. So I think your time would be better used by getting to the South Rim, staying there longer, and enjoying the many different viewpoints along Desert View Drive and maybe even doing a few short hikes down just a bit into the canyon. Just my opinion.

The 57mph "rule" only applies to Interstate highways. This will be less on other roads, hence my suggestion. For example, going up CA-1 is very likely to be about half that.

I neglected to look that closely at the itinerary/routing. Glad you caught that!

Your itinerary is looking good and I agree with the previous comments as well.
A couple of points I will add is 1] If you decide not to visit West rim you could still take a small detour onto old route 66 from Kingman through Seligman and back to I-40 to Williams. There are some great little '66 memorabilia stores and diners along the route which make it fun.
2] When you have checked out the Hotel search options [which you can get more info/reviews from Tripadvisor] and found one that suits your needs, use your search engine again to see if that hotel has it's own website. More often than not [or so I have found for me] that will be the cheapest option by going direct to the source. Even if they appear dearer you might find they have special deals or a "price promise" that they will match any better offer you find.

If you want to stay inside the National parks [as I said it might already be to late] then check out nps.gov for park info and lodging. [the site appears to be down at the moment].

Hi,everybody,

Thank you again. Following your advices, I gave up on West Rim, as well as I included a detour on Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman. Besides that, after visiting Hearst Castle I will try do stay overnight in San Simeon. Information on average speed and on booking hotels was also important.

Can anyone advise me on renting cars (if there is a specific topic on the RTA website, please let me know)?

See you

What advice are you looking for regarding rental cars?

As deals are constantly changing you just need to search for good deals and compare for the best quote making sure it includes everything such as the one way drop of fee, just the sdame as the hotels. A lot of the rental companies offer info on the different class of rental and how it will suit your needs.

My friends,

About CAR RENTALS, my doubts are related to which of the companies offer the best costs-benefits rate (Avis, Hertz, Alamo, other), which ones are reliable, as well as which ones give us a good assistance service, in case of engine problems or something like that.

Now that the itinerary is more or less steady (thanks to you who helped me a lot), a have to worry about the HOTELS.

I'll spend nights in the following places. One more time I would be glad to get suggestions from the experts! Something around US$100-150 (I'll try Motel 6 and other similar chains, which are cheaper - around US$60-70, I guess, but maybe there are some specific hotels in specific places which are worthwhile, and besides, I don't know if these chain hotels are all over.

- LA (somebody told me Santa Monica and Marina del Rey areas are good ones)

- San Simeon, CA

- San Francisco

- Yosemite

- Bishop (or someplace close to it)

- Death Valley

- Las Vegas

- Grand Canyon

- Monument Valley area

- Somewhere between Canyon de Chelly and Albuquerque

The thing about chains is that they are all going to be roughly the same, and in the end you usually get what you pay for. With rental cars in particular prices can vary dramatically, and while some companies like Enterprise and Budget forcus more on price, while Avis or Hertz focus a bit more on service, I've never found a big difference between any of the companies. You really just need to shop around for the deal that works best for your trip.

The same is true with hotels, where you'll get what you pay for and your amenities will usually be comparable with the price range of place that you are looking for. The other variable is going to be location, where you'll pay more to be in a specific spot, for example, you'll pay a lot more to stay at one of the places right on the rim of the Grand Canyon, a little less in the village right outside the park, or a lot less way out in Williams or Flagstaff. The same is true with Vegas, where your location on the strip, off the strip, or downtown plays a big roll in what you'll pay for your room. Having said that, you might try looking at a site like tripadvisor or one of the large booking sites (hotels.com, expedia, etc) which have a scale big enough to have reviews of the hundreds/thousands of motel options you'd have. This is a realtively small community, and there just isn't enough traffic to have first hand experience of more than a handful of motels.

San Simeon has a Motel 6, and it's about 70 bucks a night.

With Motel 6, I've found locations for $29.99-39.99 along the freeway outside of metro or touristy areas. Nearer small cities, the prices seem to more more in the $39.99-$54.99 range. But then I found one in San Francisco for $119.99. Just like buying a house, it's all about location, location, location.

San Francisco is notoriously high-priced for hotels. You would have to get someplace significantly outside of the downtown area to start getting price breaks. You might find that the time it takes to travel into the city is more of a hassle than the cost-savings is worth. So you might rather pay more when visiting SF and offset that cost with the savings you'll find along the road. When you check hotel prices in SF, ask if there are parking fees. This is common in SF and other more congested cities but you'll get free parking at most locations and in cities not as congested. So always ask so you don't get hit with a surprise.

I'm a fool for Disney so, when I'm in LA, I usually stay in Anaheim right by Disneyland. There are many reasonably priced hotels there for around $60/night, give or take a bit.

We found this motel to be clean and comfortable and good value during our stay in SF, and it has free parking. Situated on Lombard street and not far from the Mariner and Piers where you can pick up the trolley services. I have not stayed here but it is well placed for Yosemite and looked nice as we passed through. The town of Oakhurst would be worth checking for lodgings. In Death valley you are more restricted for lodgings, Panamint springs, Stovepipe Wells and Furnace creek are your main options.
Outside of Grand canyon on the way to MV there is the Cameron trading post and closer to MV you could check out the town of Kayenta and Gouldings lodge.
These are not recommendations as such, but popular choices for you to check out for yourself.

Hi people,

With your big help, now I think I have a feasible itinerary.

Some other doubts:

- LA to San Francisco (Pacific Coast Highway) - I'll leave LA on the afternoon of July 14th and intend to arrive in San Francisco about noon of the July 16th. So I have two nights. The second one will be spent at San Simeon. Where do you think it would be a nice place to spend the first night? Besides Hearst Castle and Big Sur, what can't be missed on PCH, considering the time I have to complete this part of the trip? Carmel? Solvang? Other place?

- National Parks (Yosemite, Death Valley and Grand Canyon): as you've warned me, I had to struggle to find accomodation... I wonder if it is also necessary to book in advance the entrance fees... What do you think? Can I just get there with the car and pay the entrance, or is it too risky?

- Hoover Dam: is it a detour from LV to G. Canyon or it's in the way to G. Canyon? Somebody cited something about security procedures which delay significantly the trip. Is it worthy the effort visiting the Dam (I guess so, but I would like to hear from you guys)? From LV to G. Canyon it's a 5 hour trip with or without visiting the Dam?

- I am worried about the logistics concerning the part of the trip that goes from the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley, and then to Canyon de Chelly. I am planning to leave the G. Canyon (South rim) on July 28th, visit Cameron Trading Post, head to M. Valley, visit there AND arrive at Canyon de Chelly ON THE SAME DAY (just to sleep, and visit the canyon in the following day). Is it possible, without rushing too much, considering the road and traffic conditions? If it is possible, at what time should I leave the G. Canyon?

Thanks again!

Rodrigo

1. How many hours do you want to drive that day? Exactly where in LA will you be leaving from, and approximately what time? Solvang may be a good place to spend the night - as would Santa Barbara. If you want to drive farther, there's Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, or Morro Bay.

2. No need to book entrance to parks, in fact, you can't. They let everyone in as they arrive.

3. The dam is right on the direct route from LV to GC. You have to drive over it - unless you want to take the truck detour which is about 30 miles longer and doesn't go anywhere near the dam. LV to the South Rim entrance is 5 hours plus dam delays.

4. You are looking at about a 300 mile drive, which would take you 6 to 7 hours not counting your stops. There should not be any significant road or traffic delays, the speed limit for the majority of that route is 65 mph. You might want to consider spending the night in Kayenta instead if you feel too rushed, from there to CDC is about 2 hours.

1] Well as San Simeon is on your second night and then you will continue up to Monterey I guess your first night would be between Santa Barbara and Morro bay, depending on what time you get out of LA. Check out the State parks for the latest info on Julia Pfieffer, Lime kiln parks and others.

2] National parks. You can pay your fee at the entrance kiosk. Check the cost of your entrance fees to the parks you are visiting on the NPS website. If the total cost is more than $80 you can buy an annual pass from the first gate for that sum which then allows you entrance to all parks for a year [admission only].

3] Hoover dam is on the way to GC south rim. If it is busy there can be some delays, allow 5-6 hours to get into the GC plus any time at the Hoover dam looking around.

4] You could get to Canyon De Chelley the same day but it might feel a bit rushed, especially if you haven't already explored the viewpoints from Desert view drive. [The [64] on the way out to Cameron]. If you are not worried about an early start and late evening finish you could make it work in a fairly relaxed manner.

OK,

Thanks Southwest Dave and GLC. What about that?

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY:

July 14th - LA - SANTA BARBARA (100 miles?) - Wander around some points of interest in LA, from 9AM to 2/3PM - Leave LA (probably from Santa Monica) heading to Santa Barbara - See something interesting in Santa Barbara, as the pier and the historical buindings, for example

July 15th - SANTA BARBARA - CARMEL (240 miles?) - Morning - leave Santa Barbara around 10AM - Follow the PCH until get to the Hearst Castle (book the visit for around 3PM) - then Big Sur - Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park - Carmel - Sleep in Carmel - THE QUESTION HERE IS: When I drive through Julia Pfeiffer and Big Sur (which are said to be some of the most beautiful spots in PCH), around, let's say, 6PM/7PM, would there be day light, or we will be talking about night already? Too busy day?

July 16th - CARMEL - SAN FRANCISCO (190 miles?) - Leave Carmel - 17 Mile Road - Monterrey - San Francisco (I would like to try to get there by 1PM)

What do you think?

NATIONAL PARKS ENTRANCES

I got that!

HOOVER DAM

Thank you!

GRAND CANYON - M. VALLEY - CANYON DE CHELLY

I'll try to leave G. Canyon early in the morning (by that time, I will have spent 2 and a half days in the G. Canyon), to avoid having to run a lot on visiting the M. Valley. I can't sleep in Kayenta, because in the other day I'll have to visit the Canyon de Chelly AND go to Albuquerque (no problem if I get there late in the evening), so the 2 hour drive between Kayenta and C. de Chelly I guess I'd rather face it on the day before.

Santa Barbara to Carmel in one day with the visits you want to make is pushing it too far. I'd really try to stick more time in there between LA and SF.

Last time I went up that way, I left Westlake Village (on 101 between Hollywood and Oxnard) in the morning, and didn't get to Hearst Castle till about 3pm. I didn't get out of there till almost 6, so I spent the night in San Simeon. Next day, I went through Big Sur, had lunch in Carmel, and did the 17 Mile drive. I didn't get to Alameda till 5pm.

Quote:

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Thanks Southwest Dave and GLC. What about that?

---

Yeah, it was like an echo ! But glc has got faster fingers Lol!

I'm a bit confused with the coastal idea, I thought you was staying in San Simeon, you have changed that ? If that is the case you might be better heading on to the Morro bay area and make your next day a little more comfy.

With 2 1/2 days at the Grand canyon you would of had time to take the shuttle bus to Hermits rest and hop on and off at the various viewpoints and see the views from Mather point etc nearer the village and you could possibly take a drive a little way along Desert view drive to at least Grandview point which will leave you less to do when leaving, but make sure you stop at the Old watchtower when leaving.

Edit I told you had quicker fingers Lol !]

Guys,

You are really quick!

Well, there are too many things to see and do and there's little time...

Sometimes we get deceived by the maps information (you see the distance and think you can do that...), that's why the advices you are posting here are so valuable.

Maybe I could do like this:

Day 1 - 100 miles: LA (leave at 2PM) - Santa Barbara

Day 2 - 130 miles: Santa Barbara (leaving early) - San Luis Obispo - Hearst Castle - San Simeon

Day 3 - 230 miles: San Simeon (leaving at dawn) - Big Sur - Julia Pfeiffer - 17 mile - San Francisco (I know, I'll get there tired and late in the evening, but I have to be there on this day).

One more time, thank you!

That sounds a LOT better.

Hello,

Do I have to have an INTERNATIONAL driver's license to drive in the USA, or is it sufficient a NATIONAL one (I am brazilian)?

I have been told both that an INTERNATIONAL one is mandatory and that it is enough a brazilian one, so now I have this doubt.

I will be glad if someone could inform be about that.

Thank you.

You should get one, just to be safe. If your Brazilian license is not in English, you will have to get one. All an international license is - is your home license translated into several languages, no tests involved, just payment of a small fee.

Hi, it's me again.

Thank you for the driver's license information. I'll try to get one.

Well, I'll visit Monument Valley during the day of July 29th.

On the night of July 30th I'll sleep in Las Vegas (New Mexico). From there I'll go to Santa Fe and then to Albuquerque.

At first, the plans were: 2 hours drive from M. Valley to Chinle (Canyon de Chelly) - sleep in Chinle - visit Canyon de Chelly in the following day and head to Las Vegas (New Mexico), to visit friends, in the afternoon - long trip - 10 hours drive (get there late in the evening)

I was wondering... in terms of optimizing time and distances, is it better to visit Mesa Verde (CO), instead of going to Canyon de Chelly? Maybe it would too rushed the visit either do Canyon de Chelly or to Mesa Verde, and, in that case, would it be better to go straight from Monument Valley to Las Vegas (NM), passing quickly through Four Corners (what to do there?) and Ship Rock?

Thank you once more!

Four Corners can be completely "enjoyed" in 30 minutes. All that's there is a place to stand in 4 states at once and a bunch of booths selling Native American jewelry and trinkets and fast food. It costs $3 to drive in.

Chinle to Las Vegas NM is about 350 miles - figure at least 7 hours. Mesa Verde to Las Vegas NM is 325 miles, also about 7 hours. Shiprock is somewhat out of the way of both these routings.