4 weeks California roadtrip

Hi fellow travellers :)

We (4 adults) are planning a 4 week trip in August 2016.

Main attraction is Yellowstone, so the plan so far is:

SF to LA via Highway 1. 2 days, with stop at Pismo Beach
LA. 2 days
LA to Las Vegas. 1 day
Las Vegas. 2-3 days
Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. 1 day.
Salt Lake City. 1 day
Salt Lake City to Yellowstone. 1 day.
Yellowstone. 3-4 days. Maybe more ?

So about half the vacation spent, and we need to get back too.

Now, I'm stuck at Yellowstone, and could really need an advise what to see/go next ?
Something we would like to see too:

Grand Canyon
Mount Rushmore (probably not doable)
Anything else on the way, time permits

Now, just looking at the map, I just got an idea:
Maybe, if I can get the other in my group to confirm, we could start at SF, and end in Seattle or vice versa ?
So also hints on what to see in Seattle and between Seattle and Yellowstone.


Thanks

Boost

Did you ever do the trip you were planning earlier this year? Or the one you planned back in 08?

If you did either of those trips, then it would seem like you've already spent quite a bit of time in LA, Vegas, San Francisco, and possibly the Grand Canyon, and if that's the case, then that's all the more reason to really take a look at a trip that focuses more on the Northwest.

3-4 days would be a minimum for Yellowstone, especially if that time includes visiting the Tetons.

Mount Rushmore certainly could be worked into a 4 week trip, but if that's something you'd like to do, then perhaps you'd be better focusing all of your time on the Rockies and skip California this time. Instead, fly into Denver of Salt Lake City and really focus on Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado, and Utah. Again, this would take you to places it appears you haven't been before.

Or the Northwest idea you mentioned could be a very good one too. From Yellowstone you could continue up to Glacier, before heading back to Seattle. and the many great features of the Pacific Northwest like Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, and Mount St. Helens. There's also the entire Pacific Coast from Washington down to San Francisco - including Redwoods National Park, and the many inland attractions of Southern Oregon and Northern California, like Crater Lake or Lassen National Parks.

Keep studying those maps, and once you've got a better idea of what sounds good, then we'll be in a better idea of how to help.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Did you ever do the trip you were planning earlier this year? Or the one you planned back in 08?

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Yes, I did both actually :) Very nice trips.
And in 2010, but that was with a bunch of danish geocachers. Very good trip too.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

If you did either of those trips, then it would seem like you've already spent quite a bit of time in LA, Vegas, San Francisco, and possibly the Grand Canyon, and if that's the case, then that's all the more reason to really take a look at a trip that focuses more on the Northwest.

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You are quite right. However this time we will travel with my girlfriend parents.
They expect me to be some kind of tour guide. And they would like to see these places.
I have only made one demand, and that is to spend some days in Yellowstone.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

3-4 days would be a minimum for Yellowstone, especially if that time includes visiting the Tetons.

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I'll make sure I get at least 4 or 5 days, maybe more when I get the plan finished. :)
I didn't know about Tetons, but I'll sure check that out.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Mount Rushmore certainly could be worked into a 4 week trip, but if that's something you'd like to do, then perhaps you'd be better focusing all of your time on the Rockies and skip California this time. Instead, fly into Denver of Salt Lake City and really focus on Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado, and Utah. Again, this would take you to places it appears you haven't been before.

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Yeah, you are right. I think that must be the next trip though.
Canada is on the list too, so this could be combined, next time.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Or the Northwest idea you mentioned could be a very good one too. From Yellowstone you could continue up to Glacier, before heading back to Seattle. and the many great features of the Pacific Northwest like Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, and Mount St. Helens. There's also the entire Pacific Coast from Washington down to San Francisco - including Redwoods National Park, and the many inland attractions of Southern Oregon and Northern California, like Crater Lake or Lassen National Parks.

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Nice! There's something to check out.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Keep studying those maps, and once you've got a better idea of what sounds good, then we'll be in a better idea of how to help.

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Thanks so far :)

I think I will go with start in SF, and home from Seattle.
Then we got the "right way" down Highway 1, and we have more time in Yellowstone/Seatlle (where I have not been), because we save time not backtracking to SF.


One more question:

If they really really want to see Grand Canyon, should I go from LA --> Grand Canyon --> Las Vegas, or LA--> Las Vegas --> Grand Canyon ?
I haven't been at the Skywalk, so don't now if that is worth it. Or we should go to the South intrance, which is a longer drive.

Skywalk is extremely expensive, and they will not let you take any photographs. It is part of the Native American reservation, not part of the National Park. If this were my trip, I'd stick to the National Park.

Also if this were my trip, I'd go from LA to GCNP to LV. From LA to GCNP is a 10 hour drive in good traffic. GCNP is so much more spectacular! Then GCNP to LV is 4-5 hours. Drive to GC one day, see it the next (don't miss either a sunrise or a sunset), and then drive to LV the next day.

Donna

Hi Donna.

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

Skywalk is extremely expensive, and they will not let you take any photographs. It is part of the Native American reservation, not part of the National Park. If this were my trip, I'd stick to the National Park.

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Just what I thought. I'll keep clear of Skywalk.

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

Also if this were my trip, I'd go from LA to GCNP to LV. From LA to GCNP is a 10 hour drive in good traffic. GCNP is so much more spectacular! Then GCNP to LV is 4-5 hours. Drive to GC one day, see it the next (don't miss either a sunrise or a sunset), and then drive to LV the next day.

Donna

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Yeah, sounds reasonable. I have seen a sunset, and didn't wanna miss that.
I'll try to make it a sunrise this time :)

I would certainly do the South Rim over the skywalk, however, for your trip, I'd actually give serious consideration to going to the North Rim.

You'd go LA-Vegas-North Rim-Yellowstone.

Of course, if you did that, you might as well work Zion and Bryce Canyon into your route!

Even if you did the South Rim, I'd still go LA to Vegas to the Canyon, and afterward, continue up through Page and into Utah (again, possibly including Zion/Bryce) on your way to Yellowstone. Doing it that way, could actually mean less driving than just doing the Skywalk.

Donna's advice of going from LA to the Grand Canyon and then back to Vegas is what we usually recommend to people trying to visit those 3 places, but that's because people are typically finishing in Vegas or returning to California. Being that you are continuing north to Yellowstone, going to Vegas first makes more sense for this trip.

My initial thought was the same as Michael suggested, going first to Vegas and then the south rim and then north through Page to other parks of Utah before heading towards the Tetons and Yellowstone.

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I think I will go with start in SF, and home from Seattle.

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You will possibly face a hefty one way drop off fee on your car rental doing this and you might find the air fares to be more expensive as well. I would consider driving back to SF across the Great basin and into Yosemite NP, which is a real gem of a National park, that's if you can fit it in with the rest of your plans.

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Originally Posted by Boost

Yes, I did both actually :) Very nice trips.
And in 2010, but that was with a bunch of danish geocachers. Very good trip too.

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Have you spent time reading threads in the roadtrip firle reports forum where members journal their trips for others to read. It helps a great deal to actually read how others coped doing what you want to do.

And it would be nice to read of your trips as well. You can record this while you are on the road, or after you get back home, and include all of your best pictures. It is nice for us to read and see how members got on with the advice given on this forum.

We would have loved to have followed and read about your previous trips, and hope you'll share this one with us.

Lifey

Here's a suggested routing that can be altered to suit your tastes in viewing. I made a 4-5 day loop trip out of Las Vegas, but you could leave the loop up by Bryce Canyon and head up to Salt Lake City from there to continue up to Yellowstone. So you drive the first day LA to LV and spend your three days there. Then you could follow (loosely) this routing:

Leg 1 - LV to GC The bridge over Hoover Dam is now complete, and there is a nice walkway out onto it from the west side.
Leg 2 - GC to Kanab, Utah (The map with this link shows a detour that has since been removed. You now drive Route 89 all the way to Page.)
Leg 3 - Kanab to Bryce Canyon - This is where you leave my loop trip and stay either in Bryce Canyon, or at one of the towns nearby, Panguitch, Tropic, or even Cedar City.

After you have seen Salt Lake City and environs, route yourself up through Montpelier, UT to Jackson, Wyoming. The scenery along that route is great, and you'll be ready to see both Grand Teton NP and the lower half of Yellowstone the following day.

Harry

Thanks for answers so far.

@Lifemagician:
I didn't know about those threads. Already found one from Yellowstone.
Will have to read it a few times.

@Harry Kline: Thanks for this. I have planned going from Grand Canyon to Page, instead of going all the way to Kanab in one go.


So far the trip looks like this:

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Start 6. august 2016.
SF: Take cab from airport to SF. Stay in SF 2-3 days. Go back to airport. Pick-up car.
SF to Pismo Beach: 1 day. 6 hour drive.

Pismo Beach to LA via Solvang: 1 day. 4 hour drive.

LA: 2 days.

LA to Las Vegas. 1 day. 5 hour drive.

Las Vegas: 2-3 days

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon: 1 day. 5 hour drive.
Go to Page, same day. Another 3 hour drive.

Page: 1 day. Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend

Page to Salt Lake City via Bryce Canyon: 1 day. 8 hour drive.

Salt Lake City. 1 day. What to see ?

Salt Lake City til Yellowstone: 1 day. 6 hour drive.

Yellowstone: 4-5 days. How to get around. Where to sleep ?

Yellowstone til Seattle: 4 days. What to see. Where to stop ?

Seattle: 2-3 days


Total: 28 days.

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Drive times is taken from Google Maps. I know I have to add a couple of hours to it.

I'm in very much doubt about Yellowstone. And have some questions:
1. As we don't have a "locked" itinerary, we will not know the precise dates we will be at Yellowstone.
Will it still be possible to get a place to sleep ?

2. What will be the best route be from Yellowstone to Seattle ? We have 4 days, is that enough ?


Thanks.

Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to Page all in the same day? What are you going to do, just drive through the park without stopping? You won't have time to see anything and it will be a waste of your $30.

Same with Page to Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City same day - you won't have time to even stop the car in Bryce.

1. Inside the park? Very unlikely. You should be able to find a hotel room somewhere in West Yellowstone, but it won't be cheap.

2. US-191 to I-90, this can be done in a day in a half.

I think you need to take some days off some things and add them to the Grand Canyon and Bryce.

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Originally Posted by glc

Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to Page all in the same day? What are you going to do, just drive through the park without stopping? You won't have time to see anything and it will be a waste of your $30.

Same with Page to Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City same day - you won't have time to even stop the car in Bryce.

1. Inside the park? Very unlikely. You should be able to find a hotel room somewhere in West Yellowstone, but it won't be cheap.

2. US-191 to I-90, this can be done in a day in a half.

I think you need to take some days off some things and add them to the Grand Canyon and Bryce.

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You're right. It's gonna be long days in the car.

I changed it, so we go from Las Vegas to somewhere south of Grand Canyon.
Then we can hopefully see the sunrise in Grand Canyon the next day, and go to Page later that same day.

Is there a good place to make a stop from Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City ?
Maybe a good alternative route instead of the highway.

About the route from Yellowstone to Seattle, I was thinking of going to Glacier and Mount Rainer on the way and maybe some nice places in between.
Have to look more on that part of the route.

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Is there a good place to make a stop from Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City ?
Maybe a good alternative route instead of the highway.

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You can stay at Ruby's, which is right outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon. Considering you will be starting the day in Page and it takes about half a day just to drive down to the end of Bryce and stop at each viewpoint on the way back out - and see the short movie in the visitor's center - that may make the most sense. There are also some motels in Panguitch and Tropic. The quickest way from there to SLC is US-89 to UT-20 to I-15.

However, if you leave the Bryce area first thing in the morning, you could take UT-12 to Torrey, then UT-24 to Sigurd, I-70 to Salina, then either US-50 or US-89 to I-15. UT-12 is one of the greatest scenic drives in the country. In fact, at Torrey you could take UT-24, take a quick run through Capitol Reef, go through Hanksville and to I-70, jog over to Green River, and take US-191 and US-6 to Spanish Fork to pick up I-15.

Hi there

We are 4 adults, going to rent a Ford Explorer (or similar) at Budget.
We will start with 3 days in SF without a car and then either take a taxi to the airport or rent in downtown SF.
Preferably at Budget in Union Square as our hotel is within walking range.

Question is, would it be better to go to the airport and get the car there?

My thought is, that the airport would have more cars available than in downtown.
And does anyone know what kind of cars Budget uses ? Is it older models ?
Normally I rent at Alamo's but they only have a RAV4, which I cannot sit in. (Have tried)

Suggestions for other cars is welcome too.
I have looked at a Jeep Grand Cherokee at National, but price difference is not that big for a Ford Explorer, which I think is a better car.

Some info about us and the trip:

We are 2 males at 200cm which is around 6 feet 7 inches.
We would both be sitting at either the front or the back, so legroom is important.
We would also have 4 suitcases and a cooler box in the luggage room.

We start in SF and after 4 weeks end up in Seattle.
SF --> LA (via Highway 1) --> Las Vegas --> Grand Canyon --> Page --> Bryce Canyon --> Salt Lake City --> Yellowstone --> Seattle.

From august 5th to august 31, with the car pickup at monday, august 8th.


Thanks

Moderator Note: Please keep all questions about the same trip in the same thread

Boost

There are a few different things to think about here.

First of all, you're talking a lot about specific models, and when you rent a car, you are almost never reserving a specific model - the words "or similar" are part of the reservation for all basic car rentals from every company.

That means while Alamo might list a RAV4 as their example vehicle, it's entirely possible that you'd get a Ford Escape, a Jeep Compass, or anything else in their "intermediate SUV" category. If you want something bigger, than you should be looking at their "standard SUV" category, which could include a Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Ford Explorer.

I'll also note that Alamo and National are part of the same company - and even share cars in some locations.

Budget is another major brand and nearly all of their cars are going to be less than 2 years old, just like Alamo. While I don't know what their fleet looks like, I can tell you, you'll have the same kinds of issues with Budget as you do with Alamo (or anyone else) - it's all about picking the right class of car, and not making your choice based on a specific model that you may or may not get.

Now as far as the location, if having a choice of cars is your biggest concern, then renting from the airport is going to be your best choice, as they are going to have far more cars to pick from. Many of the major companies on the airport will have some feature where you can even pick your specific car (Alamo usually does pick any car in the row, I'm not sure about Budget), at a downtown location, they are likely to only have one or two models from any class - and if talking about an SUV in downtown San Francisco, the one they've got for you may be the only one they have available at all.

The downside, however, is that renting at the airport is usually quite a bit more expensive. There are usually a long list of "facility fees" and "airport access taxes" that go along with renting from an airport location that can add quite a lot of money to the cost of a rental, plus, renting from the airport is just easier for most people, and companies can and do charge a premium for it. My last time in San Francisco I rented from the Hertz in South San Francisco, about 2 miles from the SFO terminal, and my cost was a couple hundred dollars less than if I'd rented from the airport location.

As Michael said, 'or similar ' is the normal and the only thing that is guaranteed is that if they cant supply a car in that class, you will be upgraded. So you basically have to pick a class of car where the most compact of them is going to be adequate for your needs. I would also suggest [if you are not planning to] is that you book your car in advance with a European consolidator to secure the best deals. I have found rentalcars.com to be very good and competitive, but it always pays to shop around. You can also compare prices at different locations for the same vehicle.

Thanks :)

Yes, as of now the best deal is with rentalcars, and it is actually a few bucks cheaper to rent from the airport than from downtown.

I think we will rent from the airport, as we will have a better chance to pick/get a good SUV.

Hi there.

9 days till we go on vacation. Looking real forward to get started :)
However I still have an issue with the route from Yellowstone to Seattle.

I have a couple of different routes, and I have two-minds on which way to go.

We have a hotel in West Yellowstone, so routes will start from there.
We will only be doing short walks on stops.

Question is if the routes are doable.
We have 3,5 days to do it in.

1.
West Yellowstone --> Saint Mary --> Going to the sun road --> then follow US2 to Newport and then on Hwy20 to Rockport and then to Seattle.

2.
West Yellowstone --> Saint Mary --> Going to the sun road --> then follow US2 to Spokane and further on to Seattle with a side trip to Coulee Dam.

3.
West Yellowstone to Seattle on I-90

4.
West Yellowstone to Coeur d'Alene on I-90 then from Spokane follow US2 to Seattle

5.
Some sort of combination of 1-4 or a completely different route?


Does one use a whole day going the "Going to the sun road" ?
I would prefer "Going to the sun road", but don't know if it is possible in the timeframe we have.

Which of US2 or Hwy 20 is most scenic ?

I read somewhere that a lot of car accidents happens on US2 in the Wenatchee NF?


Thanks again.

I was just on Goint to the Sun Rd, about two weeks ago. If you can, be on that road at St Mary by 7 am. I say that, because many of the scenic pull outs will be jammed between 10 am and 3 pm. If you can't get on it that early, you may face traffic jams and full lots, making driving a pain and you won't get to do any of the easier walks and trails. The other alternative is to leave St. Mary at 3. You do face the sun being in your face at times, especially later in the season, when you are headed west in the afternoon. But you should be able to get into those pullouts and Logan Pass Visitor Center.

Hubby and I left St Mary at 9:30 am or so, so I speak from experience here!


Donna

You could include a short side trip to the 1959 Earthquake area in MT.

US-191 north out of West Yellowstone to US-287. Pick up the brochure for the self guided car tour from the visitor centre in West Yellowstone - total 26 miles. Lots of short walks to the actual affected area.

Lifey

Hi Donna

How long did you use on the going to the sun road?
Would it take all day to get to Kalispell?

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Originally Posted by Boost

How long did you use on the going to the sun road?

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That so much depends on which places you stop and what activities you choose to partake of. It is possible to drive it with minimal stops one way, in less than half a day. Weekends may be busier,

Lifey

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but Lifey's correct. It really depends on how many stops you make (or are able to make), if you plan to do any hiking or even a long walk, and how bad the traffic is.

We were there on a weekday in July. We left St Mary at 9:30 am (too late!) and pulled into Apgar on the other side at 12:45 pm. As I said, we had been able to get into very few pullouts. We left Apgar just before 3 going the other way, stopped at Trail of the Cedars and hiked that, stopped at Logan Pass Visitor Center, and at many scenic viewpoints, and pulled past St Mary well after their 7 pm closing time for the visitor center.


Donna

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner

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No worries, I still have time :)

Seems I have to forget the Going to the sun route. It will take one day to get to Saint Mary, then 1 day to drive the sun road.
I then have 1,5 day to get to Seattle, which seems a little too little.

You can easily make your way from St Mary to Kalispell via the GTTSR in a day and have time to enjoy some of the park. As mentioned, an earlier start would be an advantage. From Kalispell you can easily get to Seattle in a day and a half, it's actually a solid days drive. This is a golden opportunity to take one of the top mountain drives, don't pass it up.

Kalispell to Seattle can actually be driven in 1 full day, so a day and a half should be fine.

Fastest way is US-93 to Elmo, MT-28 to MT-200 EAST to MT-135 to I-90.

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Originally Posted by Lifemagician

You could include a short side trip to the 1959 Earthquake area in MT.

US-191 north out of West Yellowstone to US-287. Pick up the brochure for the self guided car tour from the visitor centre in West Yellowstone - total 26 miles. Lots of short walks to the actual affected area.

Lifey

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Good idea. Just looked it up and we are driving right past it and it's only 30 minutes from the hotel.
So we will stop there on the way to St Mary, well actually Browning as it seems all hotels is sold out in St Mary.

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

This is a golden opportunity to take one of the top mountain drives, don't pass it up.

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I'm right with you on this. Hope I can persuade the others in the group.

So far I have this route from Yellowstone.

West Yellowstone -> St Mary (Browning) - 1 day
St Mary (Browning) -> Kalispell - 1 day
Kalispell - Winthrop via Grand Coulee Dam - 1 day
Winthrop - Seattle - 0,5 day


I think it is doable with time to make stops too, and make it to the hotels before the sun sets.

The thing to consider is that the GTTSR is a big part of exploring Glacier NP and as such will not feel the same as the drive from Yellowstone, or to Seattle, it's just part of being in the park and having fun in the same way you will drive around Yellowstone.
[Extra thought]. Many Glacier is a lovely part of the park as well and does have lodgings, but may not be budget friendly and it will be difficult to visit with the time you have unless you stayed there or left from a location north of Yellowstone rather than west.

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Originally Posted by Boost

So we will stop there on the way to St Mary, well actually Browning ...

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Be aware that although the route is just 20 miles or so, it will take some time, even just to read the information at each stop. At the end is Earthquake Lake and the visitor centre which sits atop the huge volume of earth which came down from the mountain. They have a 15 or 20 min film of the event. And behind the visitor centre is a large boulder which came from the top of the mountain on the other side of the lake the event formed. This boulder has the names of all those who perished that dreadful night. You can even drive the road which vanished into Lake Hebgden, see the cabins which floated into that lake, and stand atop Refuge Point whence the folk were rescued by air.

Be sure to at least alot an hour or two for the whole trip. I took several hours on my own, to visit all these places and reflect what it may have been like. After visiting the area you will never look at mountains the same way again, and forever wonder how some of the big boulders one sees, got there.

Lifey