23 day round trip

Hey everyone, been looking through the forum a bit, and have seen some great RT's and some amazing advice given out to people asking for help.
It got me thinking, that maybe We (my brother and I) could need a few pointers, as this will be our first road trip ever!

The itinerary is currently looking like this, but is subject to change (we will be going in September 23)

Days
1 - 3 - San Francisco
4 - San simeon/Morro Bay or Pismo Beach
5 - LA (we have no real interest in LA, other then staying the night)
6 - Lake Havasau
7 - Williams
8-9 - Grand Canyon
10 - Monument Valley (perhaps going to Page same day)
11 - Page
12 - 13 - Bryce Canyon
14 - 15 - Zion
16 - 17 Las Vegas
18 - Bishop
19 - Bodie
20 - 21 Yosemite
22 - 23 SF and home

Maybe take one more night on the coast between SF and LA... (instead of two nights in SF in the end)

It is about 2511 miles

We are well aware there is a few long hauls, but were two driving and figured that we properly could do it..
Does this look bonkers or?

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I think that looks like a very reasonable trip outline. If anything, I'd say there are some area's you could cut down. For example, Lake Havasu to the Grand Canyon could easily be done without a stop in Williams. Bishop to Bodie probably doesn't need a full day and could be done as part of the trip into Yosemite.

Speaking of Yosemite, it's worth a reminder that the park is now requiring reservations to enter, although that would be included with your lodge/campground reservation if you are staying overnight within the park.

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Originally Posted by Tehshort

Hey everyone, been looking through the forum a bit, and have seen some great RT's and some amazing advice given out to people asking for help.

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Thanks for spending some time looking around.

In additional to Midwest Michael's suggestions:

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4 - San simeon/Morro Bay or Pismo Beach

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Do you like wine or visiting wineries? You will be driving by one of the preeminent wine growing regions in the world.

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5 - LA (we have no real interest in LA, other then staying the night)

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It is a fascinating city. There are so many amazing places to stay. Do you have an idea where you might be going in LA?

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6 - Lake Havasau

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You will be driving right past Joshua Tree National Park and also one of my favorite hotels in California and I am not a huge fan of Lake Havasu City. Why is that this one of your destinations?

But if you do go that way, I would strongly suggest that you drive over Sitgreaves Pass (Route 66) and take the old road to Williams

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16 - 17 Las Vegas

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RTA is based in Las Vegas. Where are you planning on staying here?

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18 - Bishop
19 - Bodie

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Bodie is pretty amazing -- but you can't stay overnight there.
20 - 21 Yosemite
22 - 23 SF and home

Mark

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I think that looks like a very reasonable trip outline. If anything, I'd say there are some area's you could cut down. For example, Lake Havasu to the Grand Canyon could easily be done without a stop in Williams. Bishop to Bodie probably doesn't need a full day and could be done as part of the trip into Yosemite.

Speaking of Yosemite, it's worth a reminder that the park is now requiring reservations to enter, although that would be included with your lodge/campground reservation if you are staying overnight within the park.

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thanks for the advice, that would very much free up some time to see other things.
We are considering staying inside the park, have not checked up on prices just yet, first thing was to get a general outline of the places and possible stops.

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

Thanks for spending some time looking around.

In additional to Midwest Michael's suggestions:

Do you like wine or visiting wineries? You will be driving by one of the preeminent wine growing regions in the world.

It is a fascinating city. There are so many amazing places to stay. Do you have an idea where you might be going in LA?

You will be driving right past Joshua Tree National Park and also one of my favorite hotels in California and I am not a huge fan of Lake Havasu City. Why is that this one of your destinations?

But if you do go that way, I would strongly suggest that you drive over Sitgreaves Pass (Route 66) and take the old road to Williams
RTA is based in Las Vegas. Where are you planning on staying here?
Bodie is pretty amazing -- but you can't stay overnight there.
20 - 21 Yosemite
22 - 23 SF and home

Mark

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Would be more interesting to visit breweries, that might be something we would look up, I read somewhere there is one interesting one to visit along highway 1.

At the moment we have not figured out where to stay in LA, and ofcourse there is plenty of things to see and stuff do in LA, It is one of the places where we can spend less time, as were more interested in the national parks.
Ofcourse if there is must see things in LA, then we will make time for it.

We actually have Joshua Tree NP in mind, and what is your favorite hotel, would very much be interested in seeing it, as hotel recommendations are very much appreciated.

Lake Havasu was mostly a stopover, could be any other place in that region, only thing I found interesting there is London Bridge.

As with LA, we have not considered where to stay in Las Vegas.

Ment staying over night in Bishop, not Bodie hahaha

Thank you very much for your fast reply's, means alot.

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Originally Posted by Tehshort

Would be more interesting to visit breweries, that might be something we would look up, I read somewhere there is one interesting one to visit along highway 1.

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Just about every place has craft beer breweries now. I am partial to the ones found in Las Vegas -- there is a brewery district where it is possible to visit 4-5 within a block's walk.

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At the moment we have not figured out where to stay in LA, and of course there is plenty of things to see and stuff do in LA,

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Venice Beach is pretty fun -- We've stayed a couple of times at the Venice Hotel --
--> Be sure to scroll down that page (link ) it shows the live web cam from the hotel. It's fund to "visit" muscle beach from time to time. (The camera operator has fun looking at some of the local talent!)

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We actually have Joshua Tree NP in mind, and what is your favorite hotel, would very much be interested in seeing it, as hotel recommendations are very much appreciated.

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I just stayed overnight at the 29 Palms Inn --

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Lake Havasu was mostly a stopover, could be any other place in that region, only thing I found interesting there is London Bridge.

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There are plenty of motels there -- but you might get a kick out of staying at the hotel in Oatman!

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As with LA, we have not considered where to stay in Las Vegas

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Lots of great places for every budget. How much do you want to spend?

Mark

There are a few "brewery drive" websites that are useful in planning.
- https://www.brewerydb.com/map?option=brewery-routes I used this one a lot in the past. It is in "reboot" process aka beta but might still be usable now (there are a few clunks and missing parts as of today)
- Update August 2024 (RTA): The second one the original poster used is also now closed
- well, the third one I have used is now closed
- Google Maps, search for breweries or brew pub

On your coastal south drive I would highly recommend the Firestone Walker in Paso Robles and Buellton. They also have a decent tap house in Venice but the area was kind of seedy.

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Just about every place has craft beer breweries now. I am partial to the ones found in Las Vegas -- there is a brewery district where it is possible to visit 4-5 within a block's walk.

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Sounds great about Las Vegas, will look into that, thanks

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Venice Beach is pretty fun -- We've stayed a couple of times at the Venice Hotel --

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Ahh yah, also a place I heard about.

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I just stayed overnight at the 29 Palms Inn --

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Cool, thanks for sharing, will absolutely check this one out as well.

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There are plenty of motels there -- but you might get a kick out of staying at the hotel in Oatman!

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Never thought about Oatman, could be a great possibility, another thought we had, was Williams, that just means a little longer drive from LA, and could manage that.

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Lots of great places for every budget. How much do you want to spend?

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After the flight and transport are paid, we would have about $300 a day, for everything else.

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Originally Posted by Tehshort

Never thought about Oatman, could be a great possibility,

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I thought they had reopened the rooms, but a quick check shows that I was wrong. Here are the hotels in Lake Havasu city you can book through RTA.

A lot of people like staying downtown Las Vegas --

I have enjoyed the El Cortez due to the location.

But I always recommend the South Pointe -- not walking distance from the Strip, but good value. I have stayed at the Wynn and the Sahara and Caesars -- all fun Strip properties

Wynn always has free parking -- which is a nice thing.

The Speakeasy at the Mob Museum is a pretty cool thing.

Mark

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Originally Posted by landmariner

There are a few "brewery drive" websites that are useful in planning.
- https://www.brewerydb.com/map?option=brewery-routes I used this one a lot in the past. It is in "reboot" process aka beta but might still be usable now (there are a few clunks and missing parts as of today)
- https://beermapping.com/beerroutes/
- well, the third one I have used is now closed
- Google Maps, search for breweries or brew pub

On your coastal south drive I would highly recommend the Firestone Walker in Paso Robles and Buellton. They also have a decent tap house in Venice but the area was kind of seedy.

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Thank you very much, this helps alot with the planning

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

I thought they had reopened the rooms, but a quick check shows that I was wrong. Here are the hotels in Lake Havasu city you can book through RTA.

A lot of people like staying downtown Las Vegas --

I have enjoyed the El Cortez due to the location.

But I always recommend the South Pointe -- not walking distance from the Strip, but good value. I have stayed at the Wynn and the Sahara and Caesars -- all fun Strip properties

Wynn always has free parking -- which is a nice thing.

The Speakeasy at the Mob Museum is a pretty cool thing.

Mark

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to bad about Oatman, might try Williams instead, there several night/evening photography opportunity there as well.

Thank you for your reccomendations, will look them up

You have a wonderful adventure to look forward to !!

Here are my thoughts on a couple of things that are worth considering.

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1 - 3 - San Francisco

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You could depart in the afternoon of 3 and stop over around Carmel giving you a little extra time for all the scenic stops down the coast.

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5 - LA (we have no real interest in LA, other then staying the night)

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LA has much to offer but with your itinerary you will likely arrive later in the afternoon and have to leave at reasonably early time next morning. I'm not sure it's worth using that time when you will spend a lot of it in traffic. You could stop over in Morro bay/Pismo beach and go through Santa Barbara and Ventura and go across the top of the city to Joshua tree NP.

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Lake Havasu was mostly a stopover, could be any other place in that region, only thing I found interesting there is London Bridge.

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Heading to Lake Havasu from Joshua tree means you could stop to see the bridge and continue to Williams same day.

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8-9 - Grand Canyon
10 - Monument Valley (perhaps going to Page same day)

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Tough choice, as you could head out through Monument valley to Moab to see Arches NP and then head to Bryce canyon via UT24 and scenic 12 through Escalante. You would need to spend a full day or 2nights but if you skip LA and drive through Lake Havasu you have freed some time. US191/UT24/12 is a fantastic drive ! (Either way you could consider staying just outside the east entrance of the Grand canyon for your 2nd night at Cameron Trading post.

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18 - Bishop
19 - Bodie

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From Vegas you really want to drive through Death valley and make a few stops. With that in mind you could stop at Lone Pine, maybe check out the Alabama hills and Mobus arch. Great views of Mt Whitney ! Then stop in Lee vining before heading across Tioga pass into Yosemite valley, take your time, it's spectacular up there !

As mentioned in the title, your trip looks great and these are only considerations I suggest you look at. I would get your NP park lodgings sorted asap, or those close by as they are very popular. September is a brilliant time to be travelling this area !

With regards to ther National parks, purchase an annual pass at the first one you visit as it will be cheaper than buying individually. Secondly, if you wish to go to Alcatraz (recommended) I would book tickets in advance using the official ticket office.

Keep coming back if you have more questions, if not please return and share your trip story with us.

Dave

Thank you so much for the great input Dave.
Actually a great idea, and go through the top of LA..

You got some great points and we will look into them..
We/I sure will come back if we have more questions, and very much so, when the trip is over, and share it with you all..

All the help so far, from everyone is much appreciated.

Once again I kindly ask for feedback to the route and if it is doable in 2 weeks' time.

We originally planned a 3 weeks trip, but due to vacation time available, it will be shortened to 2 weeks.
This is the plan, what do you guys think?

Day
1 - 3 - San Francisco
3 - 4 - Yosemite
4 - 5 - Yosemite - Bodie - Las Vegas (through death valley)
5 - 6 - Las Vegas
6 - 7 - Las Vegas - Zion
7 - 8 - Zion - Bryce Canyon
8 - 9 - Bryce Canyon - Monument valley
9 - 10 - Monument Valley - Grand Canyon
10 - 11 - Grand Canyon - Kingman/Lake Havasu
12 - 13 - Kingman/Lake Havasu - LA
13 - 14 LA
14 - Fly out

It is about 3538km / 2198 miles

Would it be to tight a trip? Is there somewhere worth going to on that route, and/or something you need should be changed?

Merged threads as it's essentially same trip and some previous advice valid.

Your revised plan is doable and if you are happy to keep on the move will be enjoyable. What you need to consider is your travel times and if that leaves you enough time at each destination to keep you satisfied. For example Yosemite, one of the greatest spots on earth ! If I am reading your plan correctly you really won't have time to do it justice as you basically have a day there at best. To stay a night on the east side of Yosemite (Lee vining) would give you a long day to visit Bodie and Death valley and get to Las Vegas, but the highlights of Yosemite are on the west side of the mountains. So the individual decisions we have to make are do we take it steady and skip certain things or hurry through to see more ? Personally I would re-think Bodie, Monument valley and Kingman/Lake Havasu (or at least visiting all of them) and spending more time in the National parks. At the end of the day it's your trip and only you can decide what works best, but this is what mine might look like.

Night 1-2 San Francisco
3/4 > Yosemite (West side. Explore valley and Glacier point)
5>Lee vining/Bishop. (Explore Tioga pass. Bodie?)
6/7 > Las Vegas
8-9 >Zion NP
10>Bryce canyon
11> Grand canyon village.
12> Kingman (after exploring more of Grand canyon through the day)
13/14? LA

Thanks for merging the two threads, didnt think about adding new questions in existing thread.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and your absolutely right, that we would also want to take in the places we see, and not rush through it all, so we will be cutting more, then just the coast route.
Thanks

Got a question, and was unsure where it belongs..
Me and my brother will be going on a road trip this September, and we will start out in San Francisco, and head north over Golden Gate, to get a viewpoint just west of the bridge, not the question is, since we will be going to Yosemite after that, and I know that there is a toll going south on Golden Gate, is there a toll on Richmond Bridge?

I don't think there is a toll across Richmond eastbound but there is if you use 1-580 express lanes. You can find Toll details for the Bay area here.

There can be lovely views looking down to the GG, SF and Alcatraz from the Marin headlands on Conzelman road but check the weather, if there is fog (which can be a lottery) you won't see anything. If you use CA120 into Yosemite you will get some great views along the Priests grade.

(I have moved your post to the original thread as we try to keep a 'One thread, one trip policy'. It's easier for you to find all the info, us to follow what has and hasn't been covered and for anyone using the search function who is doing a similar trip and looking for answers, they can see all relevant info in one place)

Dave

Thank you so much again Southwest Dave.

Yah I know it can be a bit of a lottery with the fog, but we will take the chance and see, other then that the plan is a day or 2 in SF.

Just confirming what Dave said, tolls on the Richmond bridge are only collected for West bound traffic.

The rule of thumb is that for bay area bridges, you're charged heading towards San Francisco - so westbound, except for the golden gate which charges southbound.

Thank you Michael, I looked at google maps as well, and can see toll booths on roads towards San Francisco.