Chicago-LA Summer 24

Looking for some thoughts on approximate budget needed for a LA to Chicago R66/Yosemite/Colorado RT during August, and really do acknowledge this is a open ended Q!!

35 nights, four adult family. Budgets for flights, car hire, fuel, hotels/airbnb already worked out. Meals are a social thing for us - Would appreciate an estimate of costs of other spends (food being the primary one). Would hope we would do a decent meal each evening most nights, but want to cover all estimated subsistence spends.

I have $100 per person per day in my head - but picking a place like Big Texan Ranch menu I wonder if I am being a bit short!! I want this budget to include everything from Breakfast (most hotels we use hopefully will do breakfast), lunch, dinner, drinks, etc. Like I said, other budgets already worked out - this is purely for food/drink.

Thanks all!

Matt

When I'm starting to figure out whether a trip is financially feasible, I figure out the following:

Lodging - $100-125/night for a room for 2, as an average

Gasoline - how many miles we'd drive, divided by vehicle's mpg average, and then I start looking at the prices per gallon. I also add in about 25% more mileage as "sightseeing miles".

Rental car - not an expense we usually have, but you can actually go online and see what you can get without actually making a reservation

Food - here's where it's variable, because it's what you want to make of it. My husband and I tend to go out for two meals per day, either breakfast/dinner or lunch/dinner. Sometimes we take advantage of the motel's "free breakfast".

Souvenirs - once again, it's what you make of it.


Donna

Thanks Donna

We are similar you you…… two meals per day.

What would you budget per person per day?

Matt

As Donna noted, your cost per person per meal depends on where/what you plan to eat. If you go to a sit down diner type place, you're probably looking at $15-20 per person or so with tip. If you're happy with a fast food place, you might get by with $8 or $9 per person. If you bring a simple cooler with your own food, you can to do even better.

AZBuck

If you are budgeting $100 per person per day for basically spending money including food I would say you're in good shape. Sure its easy to spend big bucks but generally your in good shape, that's if you see £100per person per day in the UK a good budget as the spending power is comparative. If you're planning on visiting more than 3 National parks buy an annual pass at the first one you visit, it'll save you money.

$100 per person per day for food is a pretty massive budget. You certainly could spend that, if you're eating high dollar items at high dollar restaurants and/or getting lots of alcoholic drinks, but there's no reason you can't eat well for well under that number.

The Big Texan, that you mentioned is a really good example of this. Yes, you can spend $80 their 72oz challenge or on a 3 pound tomahawk steak, but most of their steaks are around $30. If you start throwing in drinks, appetizers, or dessert you could have a $50 per person dinner bill, but that would be a big meal. Even if you were doing that for dinner on a regular basis - presumably you would be doing smaller meals for breakfast or lunch where even a fairly expensive meal should under $20.

At the end of my current road trip report, you'll be able to see our full expenditures.

We travel with a cooler and our own beverages, which saves a lot of $ on convenience store stops.

We also pack a bag of snacks, also saves those convenience store stops.

We usually go for mid-range accommodations, such as Quality Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites, and Best Western. You can save more with Motel 6, Red Roof Inn and Budget Host, but we went away from them for several reasons.

This is the link to my current trip report. As of right now, I haven't finished posting it yet.

Donna

Thanks all. I appreciate the responses.

Hotels….. yeah have clocked the same as you suggest. We don’t intend going till summer 24 (coincide with wife’s 50th and our 10th anniversary) so plenty of planning time left.

Hi All

Have a broad plan coming together for a road trip on Rt66 with a couple of loops/diversions off. Trying to bring it together and just wondered if I am missing anything spectacular - I recognise this is "a lot" - approx 5000 miles in the maximum of five weeks between early July and early September we are allowing for the trip. Definitely in the boat of the journey is the experience - which I am not sure the youngsters quite get just yet - but this is predominantly a bucket list holiday for the Mrs 50th and out 10th wedding anniversary.

The basics: As yet, unsure whether our daughter is committed to doing this - me and the wife definitely are, daughter is 17 and is undecided - also unsure whether her best friend will accompany - so it could be us two, us two + a 17YO, or us two + two 17YOs. If we take the youngster(s) we will need separate rooms/suite or suitable AirBnB/VRBO.

The route and timings are basically as follows:

Day 1 - Leave Heathrow, Arrive Chicago, Downtown hotel.Deep Dish Pizza!
Day 2 - Willis Tower, other city sights.
Day 3 - Start Rt66 and head to Springfield Il. Overnight.
Day 4 - Head to St Louis on Rt66. Gateway Arch. Overnight.
Day 5 - Head to Springfield Mo on Rt66. Overnight.
Day 6 - Head to Oklahoma City on Rt66. Visit National Memorial. Overnight.
Day 7 - Head to Amarillo on Rt66 - Big Texan Steak Challenge (maybe!). Overnight.
Day 8 - Head to Albuquerque on Rt 66 - Follow Breaking Bad locations.
Day 9 - Albuquerque. Rest Day!
Day 10 - Head up to Canon City - visit Las Vegas NM (Longmire locations). Overnight.
Day 11 - Day at Royal Gorge (bridge/train etc). Head to Colorado Springs. Overnight.
Day 12 - Pikes Peak. Overnight @ Colorado Springs.
Day 13 - Independence Pass to Aspen (afternoon wander and dinner, , then probably onto Snowmass (cheaper accommodation). Overnight.
Day 14 - Head to Durango via Million Dollar Highway. Overnight.
Day 15 - Head to San Juan - visit 4 Corner Monument, Forrest Gump Point. Sunset @ Monument Valley. Overnight.
Day 16 - Monument Valley (possibly sunrise), self drive loop tour. Head to Gallup (back on Rt66) or Holbrook for Wigwam Motel. Overnight.
Day 17 - Head to Grand Canyon South via R66. Helicopter Tour on arrival at Grand Canyon Junction/Tusayan. Overnight.
Day 18 - Grand Canyon - head west on shuttle rides. Driving rest day. Overnight.
Day 19 - Grand Canyon East self drive - heading to Navajo Bridge and on to Bryce Canyon. Overnight.
Day 20 - Head to Vegas (arrive dusk) via Zion NP & scenic routes. Overnight.
Day 21 - Vegas. Driving rest day. Overnight.
Day 22 - Head to Barstow via Hoover Dam. Back on Rt66. Overnight.
Day 23 - Head to Death Valley via Rt66 as far as possible before heading north. Sunset @ Death Valley. Overnight.
Day 24 - Death Valley - Driving rest day (ish) - sunrise. Overnight.
Day 25 - Head to Alamo via Tonopah and Extra Terrestrial Highway. Overnight. (Concern here as seems very barren and little places to stay/eat).
Day 26 - Head north to Ely or Eureka (to make Day 27 drive shorter) via scenic route. Overnight
Day 27 - Head to Reno via Loneliest Road. Overnight.
Day 28 - Head down to Yosemite via Lake Tahoe, Moon Crater Lake, Tioga Pass. Overnight.
Day 29 - Yosemite. Minimal driving. Overnight.
Day 30 - Yosemite. Minimal driving. Overnight.
Day 31 - Head to San Francisco. Overnight.
Day 32 - San Francisco. Driving rest day. Alcatraz. Overnight.
Day 33 - Head to San Simeon via PCH and Big Sur. Overnight.
Day 34 - Head to LA via PCH. Stay near Hollywood sign! Overnight.
Day 35 - LA - Universal Studios. Driving rest day. Overnight.
Day 36 - Head to Santa Monica Pier via Hollywood Blvd, Rodeo drive. Then to LAX, return car, fly home overnight to Heathrow.

Some chunks of Rt66 missed out but it does tick the boxes of things/places we want to see. Youngsters not really expressed too much insight except for Royal Gorge zip wire and Universal Studios!

If it's just me & the Mrs - Mustang/Camaro is the vehicle of choice. If we bring the youngsters - SUV purely for the space!

so...........Thoughts?

Thanks as always.

Matt

Moderator Note: To ensure everyone has a complete picture of your entire trip, please keep all questions about this trip together in the same thread.

Your driving times are just fine -- nothing too far. In some places (like St Louis to Springfield MO), you've got only a little mileage to cover and not a whole lot of sightseeing. There are a few things to do in Springfield. Venture down to the town of Ozark and eat at Lambert's Cafe II -- home of the "throwed rolls".

Bear in mind that "Route 66" is no longer signed in that fashion. You are going to drive Interstates 55 (in Illinois), 44 (in Missouri & part of Oklahoma), and 40 (once at Oklahoma City). There are some parts of old 66 that the interstate did not take over, and those generally are marked as "state route 66", such as AZ-66 up to Peach Springs and through Oatman.


Donna

My first impression of your plan is you are doing an incredible amount of zig-zagging and backtracking. The vast majority of that seems to be part of your goal to drive nearly all of Route 66.

If that's what you really want to do, it's certainly not wrong, but I'll tell you, it's not something I would do. While I appreciate the history of the long since decommissioned route, and there are lots of interesting little stops and towns along the way, it's ultimately just a road. I wonder if you aren't overstating the importance of sticking to that one route.

Alternatively, if sticking to Route 66 is something you are committed to, rather than doing the zigzagging of going to Albq, then all the way up to Aspen, back down to Gallup, back up to the Grand Canyon, over to Barstow, the back up to Reno via Nevada, etc - I think you'd be much better off doing a loop trip. Follow the path of Route 66 from Chicago to LA (with some small detours like to the Grand Canyon), then go up to SF, across to Yosemite, and then head back across Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. You could either go all the way back to Chicago, which likely would reduce your airfare and car rental costs, or finish and fly home from Denver.

Food for thought there - thanks MM.

I don't know how well this will attach but this is the route:

Attachment 5110

Have been looking at trying to generate a viable loop route - feasible but not convinced flights are actually cheaper - but admittedly am working on summer 23 prices on Skyscanner. difference between Lon-Chic-LA-Lon and Lon Chic-Chic-Lon is a couple cups of coffee. Mileage/hotels/food between the two would be remarkably similar.

Car hire - Nissan Pathfinder:
Chicago-LA = £2500.
Chicago-Chicago = £2600.
Chicago-Denver = £3100.

Flights (economy) (4 passengers):
Heathrow-Chicago/LA-Heathrow = £2800
Heathrow-Chicago/Chicago-Heathrow = £2710
Heathrow-Chicago/Denver-Heathrow = £2815

I am wondering if I am missing something. The bonus I see for the loop (Lon-Chic return) would be if I extend the holiday a couple of days (which I would rather not do!), I could get to Mt Rushmore.

We like the idea of ending in LA - Universal would be a fun end for the kids.

What would you do?

I'm actually most surprised by the car rental. I would have expected Chicago to LA to be the most expensive, by a pretty large margin. Having a one way rental, especially of this distance, be cheaper than a round trip rental is pretty much unheard of.

The airfare I'm not as shocked by, sometimes I see as good of deals point to point as I do round trip, but at least going the other way, Chicago is one of the cheaper spots to fly to Europe, and usually quite a bit less than anywhere on the west coast. Really, the prices you're finding for £700 per person for a summer trip are pretty good in the current travel environment, so hopefully you'll continue to find those good deals.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

I'm actually most surprised by the car rental. I would have expected Chicago to LA to be the most expensive, by a pretty large margin. Having a one way rental, especially of this distance, be cheaper than a round trip rental is pretty much unheard of.

The airfare I'm not as shocked by, sometimes I see as good of deals point to point as I do round trip, but at least going the other way, Chicago is one of the cheaper spots to fly to Europe, and usually quite a bit less than anywhere on the west coast. Really, the prices you're finding for £700 per person for a summer trip are pretty good in the current travel environment, so hopefully you'll continue to find those good deals.

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Definitely time for a thread bump!

So it has been a while but having got the festive bit out of the way and finally got the youngest to decide yay or nay (surprisingly it was a yay), we are all systems go in the detailed planning phase. Committed now we have booked the flights!

We have shortened a bit and driven by a real want to do the PCH at the end we are minimising Death Valley to a sunset/sunrise, and avoiding the Area 51 -Reno - Tahoe loop, and instead going from DV to Yosemite. Some chunks of R66 missed too to take in Colorado and Bryce/Zion etc.

Some good driving routes I think, and really into the advice re Grand Canyon North Rim - seems a win of gigantic proportions.

Day
1 Heathrow T3 Hotel
2 Fly to Chicago (10:00 flight)
3 Chicago
4 Chicago-Springfield Il
5 Springfield-St Louis
6 St Louis-Springfield Mo
7 Springfield-Oklahoma City
8 Oklahoma City-Amarillo
9 Amarillo-Albuquerque
10 Albuquerque
11 Albuquerque-Canon City (Royal Gorge)
12 Canon City-Colorado Springs
13 Colorado Springs (Pikes Peak)
14 Colorado Springs-Glenwood Springs
15 Glenwood Springs-Durango (Million Dollar Highway)
16 Durango-Monument Valley (Moki Dugway)
17 Monument Valley-Holbrook
18 Holbrook -Grand Canyon South Rim
19 Grand Canyon South - Page
20 Page – Grand Canyon North Rim
21 Grand Canyon North - Las Vegas
22 Las Vegas
23 Las Vegas-Death Valley
24 Death Valley - Bishop
25 Bishop - Yosemite (Tioga Pass etc)
26 Yosemite
27 Yosemite-San Francisco
28 San Francisco
29 San Francisco-San Simeon
30 San Simeon-Los Angeles
31 Los Angeles
32 Los Angeles-Santa Monica Pier-LAX

The one thing that really sticks out to me is Holbrook - going from Monument Valley to Holbrook then back to the Grand Canyon seems like a really big detour. That almost doubles the distance.

If the detour is for route 66, I might suggest instead to go from Monument Valley to the North Rim (via Lake Powell and/or Antelope Canyon?), then down to the South Rim, and focus on the section of Route 66 from Williams to Kingman through Peach Springs, on the way to Las Vegas. That section is a lot of what inspired what was depicted in the pixar movie "Cars."

Alternatively, if you're going to stick with your current plan, then it would be a shame to go from the North Rim to Las Vegas without giving yourself some time to see Zion National Park, as you'll basically have to go right through it!

For Colorado, personally, I think Royal Gorge is an overpriced, underwhelming tourist trap. I'd just head straight to Colorado Springs and use that time for Garden of the Gods. Another thought, if you're going to Glenwood Springs just for the hot springs, you could instead look at Ouray Hot Springs, which is already on your route at the start of the Million Dollar highway.

The only other thing I would say is that despite me offering some additional suggestions, I'll say your trip is pretty full. There's no single day that is a problem, but on the whole, you might want to be careful that you're not pushing yourself too hard.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

The one thing that really sticks out to me is Holbrook - going from Monument Valley to Holbrook then back to the Grand Canyon seems like a really big detour. That almost doubles the distance.

If the detour is for route 66, I might suggest instead to go from Monument Valley to the North Rim (via Lake Powell and/or Antelope Canyon?), then down to the South Rim, and focus on the section of Route 66 from Williams to Kingman through Peach Springs, on the way to Las Vegas. That section is a lot of what inspired what was depicted in the pixar movie "Cars."

Alternatively, if you're going to stick with your current plan, then it would be a shame to go from the North Rim to Las Vegas without giving yourself some time to see Zion National Park, as you'll basically have to go right through it!

For Colorado, personally, I think Royal Gorge is an overpriced, underwhelming tourist trap. I'd just head straight to Colorado Springs and use that time for Garden of the Gods. Another thought, if you're going to Glenwood Springs just for the hot springs, you could instead look at Ouray Hot Springs, which is already on your route at the start of the Million Dollar highway.

The only other thing I would say is that despite me offering some additional suggestions, I'll say your trip is pretty full. There's no single day that is a problem, but on the whole, you might want to be careful that you're not pushing yourself too hard.

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Michael thank you for taking the time to reply. Have read a lot of your posts on here and really value your opinion.

Your suggestion was on my radar when we were looking at the options - it still is but I have lent the way I have because of the following.

Grand Canyon is pretty much the pinnacle of the trip - probably once in a lifetime for me and the wife, and so wanted it to be as spectacular as we can make it. Going from Holbrook (where incidentally we are planning staying in the wigwams) to Tusayan is to enable a helicopter ride into the canyon which will give us that first sight and impression from the air. Then we do it by car/on foot.

As for Zion - have been bringing that leg together - we are staying in Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge and will watch the sunrise there, then head off for Vegas, via Jacob Lake and Springdale - maybe taking in a hike but depends on how the mrs is feeling - she is petrified of heights!!). We want to arrive on Vegas strip after dark so we have all day to do this leg.

Understand your point re Royal Gorge - but high bridges are a particular thing for me. In fact no, its bridges in general - love the engineering that goes into them. So it might be a fleeting stop as I can't see us tackling the zip wire etc. There might be time for Garden of the Gods. Also intend to drive Skyline Drive in Canon City before heading off to Colorado Springs.

Why are we headed to Glenwood Springs? It looks a nice place but more specifically, I want to do Independence Pass and Aspen - and Glenwood Springs seems the best way to then head back to do the Million Dollar Highway. Long winded but have been looking at the maps apps over the winter and note that a lot of the passes are currently closed. More work is needed on this bit to see if I can cut across from Carbondale on the 133......

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Originally Posted by Mattyn1

Flights (economy) (4 passengers):
Heathrow-Chicago/LA-Heathrow = £2800
Heathrow-Chicago/Chicago-Heathrow = £2710
Heathrow-Chicago/Denver-Heathrow = £2815

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Wow those are good prices. What dates are you flying and with which airline? We have struggled over the past couple of years to find anything lower than +/- £1,000 pp (other than with Norse who offer less destinations and who are a little risky to commit to with such little infrastructure IMO)

The route looks great and I hope that you come back and give us updates as progress along the route! I am guessing, given your interest in impressive bridges, that you may be taking a little detour en route Albuquerque NM > Las vegas NM > Canon City CO to visit the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge? With the Las Vegas NM stop it will add around 90 minutes of driving time to the day so it may not be entirely feasible (although it doesn't look like you mind covering the miles) but it does look worthy of a visit.

Ha - those prices were from last year and might have been me fudging the dates - I just paid £4k for three PE seats LHR-ORD and LAX-LHR via Skyscanner/WorldAirFares. Travelling summer 24.

Was not on my radar but just looked on the map - might be a little too much to take it in but will have to work out it all a little later. Might be a struggle though - unless I got to Santa Fe the night before to give me an hour head start........

Sounds like a good plan. Santa Fe looks like a good place to visit.

Also: https://www.breakingbad-locations.co.../train-bridge/
Just saying.

Big fans of Longmire too and while we are not talking famous bridges the locations for filming are nearby in Las Vegas NM and Madrid NM.

Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge -- did you get a cabin or are you staying in "the motel"? A couple of tips on this:

* For either, but especially the motel rooms, your car is often a ways from your room/cabin. There are porters, if you need them, so be sure to set aside some tip $.

* The motel rooms are small. Just sayin'. Not air conditioned, either, but I believe they all have the ability to open the windows and turn on a ceiling fan. This made for wonderful sleeping!

* The view from the Lodge itself is gorgeous.

* The food places are VERY pricey. The buffet, which we took part in (pre-COVID), was expensive and the food lukewarm (even being on steam tables). The dining room needs reservations several days in advance, so call ahead. Less expensive alternatives: counter service in the Lodge, a deli, and the bar has good breakfast rolls. Sandwiches at the campground store (if it's open) are "meh".

* There is one scenic drive, so be sure not to miss it.

* We took a 3/4 mile hike down into the Canyon from Bright Angel Trailhead, just to say we'd hiked a little inside the Canyon. Good views all the way!

*It's a 45-minute drive between Jacob Lake and the Canyon.

* Be prepared for a bit of altitude "sickness". Hubby suffered from some. It went away when we went downhill to our next stop.



Donna

Hi Donna

Thank you. We have a cabin - a Pioneer Cabin 2 bedroomed. Good tip (thank you) re booking the restaurant. Noted re the scenic drive etc, and especially the altitude sickness. We don't want that - hopefully we will avoid at Pikes Peak too.

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Originally Posted by Mattyn1

Understand your point re Royal Gorge - but high bridges are a particular thing for me. In fact no, its bridges in general - love the engineering that goes into them.

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I understand and respect that, and certainly appreciate them myself. The flip side is I think that's part of why I dislike the stop so much - it literally is a bridge to nowhere that was built purely to be a tourist trap.

Hello Mattyn1, you've gotten a lot of great suggestions already. I'd like to suggest a few things about your route north from Albuquerque, NM.
When you leave ABQ, first take I-40 East five miles to NM Hwy. 14 at Cedar Crest and go north. This road is know as the
Turquoise Trail , and will take you north to Santa Fe through Madrid, which was one of the locations for Longmire. NM Hwy. 14 joins I-25 near Santa Fe, where you would continue on to Las Vegas, NM.

From Las Vegas, NM, you could take a very nice drive through the mountains northward. One way would be NM Hwy 518 to Mora, then over the mountains to Taos, as UKCraig suggested. Lots to see around here, and this could be a good place to stay overnight. Then onward into Colorado - there are several routes you could take.

Another route north from Las Vegas, NM would be NM 518 - NM 434 - US 64 to Eagle Nest/Cimarron/Raton, then up into Colorado on I-25. This is a very scenic drive, but it should be noted that NM 434 is slow-going. Last time I was up there it was quite narrow in places and a few tight turns. The highway department supposedly has been widening and improving this road, but I haven't been up there recently. But it's really beautiful all through there.

PS - It's been a long time since I've posted here. Hi to everyone!

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Originally Posted by howard

PS - It's been a long time since I've posted here. Hi to everyone!

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Howard, wonderful to hear from you. And thanks for the helpful post!

Mark

Edit to add (and I profusely apologise) - thank you all for the advice - taking it on board most genuinely.

Quickly realising this Amarillo (1 night) - Albuquerque (2 nights) - Santa Fe/Las Vegas/Canon City (1 night) is seemingly overstretching me. I might have to let Santa Fe drop off sadly.

So I might:

30 Jul 24: Amarillo - travel R66 through Tucumcari for coffee and into Alberquerque, check in and ditch bags (hopefully early check in).
Do the some of the sights of Alberquerque that afternoon (Breaking Bad locations) and dine in Pollos Hermanos! Overnight Alberquerque.
31 Jul 24: Next day continue Breaking Bad sights - head to Madrid and do Mine Shaft Tavern for late lunch, , then onto Las Vegas for the night.
Next day, stroll the Las Vegas Plaza, then to Eagle Nest and then up I25 to Canon City.

Breaking Bad and Longmire locations will take precedent over Santa Fe. But thinking more, Santa Fe is not the lowest priority based on advice here!!

So..... thinking about what our friend said earlier about Royal Gorge -

30 Jul 24: Amarillo - travel R66 through Tucumcari for coffee and into Alberquerque, check in and ditch bags (hopefully early check in).
Do the some of the sights of Alberquerque that afternoon (Breaking Bad locations) and dine in Pollos Hermanos! Overnight Alberquerque.
31 Jul 24: Next day continue Breaking Bad sights - head to Madrid and do Mine Shaft Tavern for late lunch, , then onto Santa Fe for the night.
1 Aug 24 - Leisurely breakfast in Santa Fe, head to Las Vegas for that night.
2 Aug 24 - head off early and head for Mora/Taos or via Eagle Nest, if time works for us pop into Royal Gorge, if not, (although I did want to do Skyline Drive in Canon City - but it is only a tiddler) head to Colorado Springs and get checked in ready for Pikes Peak on 3 Aug 24.

I think that's more workable. Less long stints in the car, with decent stops and breaks.

Wow - what a brain storm that was!! What I should have added is Amarillo (we are meeting some friends) and Pikes Peak (absolute necessity and drives the other fixed nights in Monument Valley (accommodation paid for there) are really fixed days.

Thoughts?

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to Tusayan is to enable a helicopter ride into the canyon which will give us that first sight and impression from the air.

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mrs is feeling - she is petrified of heights!!).

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This is a fantastic experience and the Mrs can keep her eyes open for the views! ;-) One thing to note, no Helicopters actually go into the National park area of the canyon, but they do fly over it. The 45 minute Spirit tour was memorable!

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UKCraig. Wow those are good prices. What dates are you flying and with which airline? We have struggled over the past couple of years to find anything lower than +/- £1,000 pp

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Wow! I know with kids it's not an option, but this is another good reason we travel out of season! I think our last flights direct into LA from Heathrow were under £350pp!

OR like Howard suggested, after Las Vegas (don't stay here) head for Mora then Taos and overnight there instead - that puts me closer to Canon to see Royal Gorge, do Skyline Dr and head for Colorado Springs overnight.

That you Howard - took me a while to unpick the nuances of your advice but I think that is what I will plan for - unless someone shouts NOOOO!!!

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

This is a fantastic experience and the Mrs can keep her eyes open for the views! ;-) One thing to note, no Helicopters actually go into the National park area of the canyon, but they do fly over it. The 45 minute Spirit tour was memorable!



Wow! I know with kids it's not an option, but this is another good reason we travel out of season! I think our last flights direct into LA from Heathrow were under £350pp!

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Pretty sure cheap long haul is a thing of the past!

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

This is a fantastic experience and the Mrs can keep her eyes open for the views! ;-) One thing to note, no Helicopters actually go into the National park area of the canyon, but they do fly over it. The 45 minute Spirit tour was memorable!



Wow! I know with kids it's not an option, but this is another good reason we travel out of season! I think our last flights direct into LA from Heathrow were under £350pp!

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We have talked about the GC this evening and we are leaning toward the plane ride (easier for them) and the hummer sunset trip which gives me a little driving break!

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Pretty sure cheap long haul is a thing of the past!

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Indeed but I was still surprised at the prices mentioned by Craig. Direct flights in and out of LA in October are currently £475pp via Skyscanner. That's why I'm glad we are able to travel out of peak season.

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

Indeed but I was still surprised at the prices mentioned by Craig. Direct flights in and out of LA in October are currently £475pp via Skyscanner. That's why I'm glad we are able to travel out of peak season.

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We have come to the conclusion that we'd like to be able to enjoy a little more time with the kids before they start leaving school, starting to drive, getting jobs, going to nighclubs... Yes it's hella expensive but you only get to live this once so screw it. That said I think 2025 is going to be a little more low key and close to home. If we could do these trips in October I'd love to as a) it's cheaper and quieter b) we don't step out of the nicer time of the year in the UK but, as you say, it's not really an option. Sorry to take over your thread Mattyn1!

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Originally Posted by Mattyn1

I think that's more workable. Less long stints in the car, with decent stops and breaks.

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I am someone who has always thought of the drive BEING the holiday but even I am coming round to building time in to the schedule for decent stops. I think it is far too easy to keep packing things IN to the schedule; the key to making it work is knowing what to take OUT. When I was able to travel solo I'd book a flight in, a flight out, a car and a first nights accommodation. I'd arrive with tickets for a highlight along the way (usually a motor race of one type or another), a rough route in mind and a list of possible destinations and set off and see how it went, finding hotels or campgrounds along the way. A real freedom. No longer an option now there are four of us but it is still a lesson to me that I shouldn't over plan or over load things and I should allow space in the schedule to let the trip 'happen'.

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Originally Posted by howard

PS - It's been a long time since I've posted here. Hi to everyone!

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Nice to see you back, Howard!

Another quandary for the experts please if I may!

I am due to leave Death Valley (The Ranch @ Furnace Creek) AM of 14 August. I am booked into San Francisco hotel on 16 August. Those two nights were going to be up to Bishop overnight, then onto Lee Vining and do Tioga Pass staying on Yosemite for a night. Then on to SF.

But I have just discovered the reservation system for Yosemite and it bothers me. To get accommodation in good time for Yosemite I need to pay now and it really isn't cheap. The cancellation policies seem sketchy at best (noting I would want to stay in Yosemite View Lodge or Cedar Lodge @ El Portal. There seems to be no guarantee I will be able to get a reservation for Yosemite in August (and I could easily forget while on the road). As I read it if I can't get a reservation, I am pretty stuck.

So I am contemplating options here. I could head north go through Lee Vining and get to Tahoe (which would be awesome - a place I have always wanted to see) or head round and up through Sequoia. I am easy either way.

So - what do you all think to the Yosemite Reservations? And if you were to avoid Yosemite, which way would you go to SF?

Why San Francisco I hear you ask? Well I want to see if it really is as bad as people say, I want to see Alcatraz and drive across the GG Bridge, and I want to do the PCH. So it is a fixed stop so to speak!

I'd book the hotel in Yosemite and worry about the cancellation policy later if it were me. Absolutely a must on that route and should not be skipped. Be aware that there will be a huge volume of traffic in the valley during the day but that does settle down as the day goes along so I'd take my time on the drive and enjoy the Tioga Pass (a stop at the Whoe Nellie Deli is recommended for lunch and a look around the souvenir shop!) before arriving after lunch when things should have calmed a little. Make the most of your hotel reservation by staying in the park and exploring the valley area later in the day/evening and stop at a few places as you leave the next morning (Glacier Point would be a good place to see the sun come up) and then head on to San Francisco (which certainly IS as bad as reported in certain areas) It is NOT a place to park a car ANYWHERE and expect it to be left untouched when you return: just park it in the hotel parking lot - preferably underground - and use public transport. It's a great city and well worth a visit but I think the defund the police thing has gone too far there for sure!

You will need a reservation for entry in to Yosemite I believe - though this may come automatically with a hotel reservation (?) - and you will want to make certain to book Alcatraz tickets in advance as they sell out. You will also need to make sure your rental car has a tag to allow you to pay for the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge (they only charge in one direction but sadly no longer take cash and it seems a real faff to set up an account on a rental car to pay the bridge directly)

Yosemite is a highlight of any trip and still my favourite place so I (like Craig) would probably bite the bullet and reserve asap. If it's not for you I would opt to go south to Sequoia NP even though Lake Tahoe is wonderful. In DV you could take CA178 past Ballarat ghost town, through Ridgecrest towards Lake Isabella. If you wanted to get away from the crowds you could head up to Kernville and onto Johnsondale via the pretty Kern river highway. From there take the Great western divide highway North and stop at the little visited Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia's and on through Cedar slope to Porterville. Then head up to Three rivers to the southern entry point of Sequoia NP. Kernville and Three rivers would make to decent overnight stops and it's a lovely mountain drive in between.

And I also agree that you will need to book Alcatraz tickets in advance. Many companies advertise them but only along with other tours as the 'other' tour is the one that earns them money. So, I recommend purchasing them from the official nps website.

Dave & Craig - was having a bit of a flap so thanks for the d&g!
I have been in comms with the Yosemite View Lodge this evening and as they are out of the park proper, the accommodation reservation does not give the entry reservation.

There must be opportunity to get these in the future right? We still have seven months to go! Surely.

It has to anyway as I want to try this Whoa Nellie!!

You will be pleased to know I have provisionally booked the hotels for Alberquerqu/Santa Fe/Taos/Colorado Springs so that bit is firming up - thank you for that advice. Next I need to square away what happens after Aspen to the Million Dollar Highway - wondering if Glenwood Springs is a bit too far - so might stay in Carbondale and then head across to the MDH.

Then it is almost there. V Excited!!

Have provisionally booked a hotel in San Francisco v close to Fisherman's Wharf - with valet parking. Yes it's expensive but already been advised about secure parking. And yes will pre book Alcatraz in good time!

Cutting out Glenwood springs would give you a little more time to enjoy both the drive over Independance pass to Aspen and the Million dollar highway where you will want to stop at the mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton for a peak! Although Glenwood springs is not miles and miles out of the way, it's a very popular spot and traffic could potentially slow you down on days you have some slow going miles to cover with lots to see.

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Originally Posted by Mattyn1

Dave & Craig - was having a bit of a flap so thanks for the d&g!
I have been in comms with the Yosemite View Lodge this evening and as they are out of the park proper, the accommodation reservation does not give the entry reservation.

There must be opportunity to get these in the future right? We still have seven months to go! Surely.

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The fact that Yosemite had gone to a timed entry system was, until yesterday, news to me in all honesty. I'd only seen it mentioned when I went on to recreation.gov worked as I need to source my own timed entry tickets for Rocky Mountain NP (these are not available until much closer to the time unfortunately).

Your post actually got me to wondering when they released Yosemite passes as there may be a need to re-route our own trip should the road through the Big Sur area not re-open after the winter as Yosemite is the natural alternative route from SF to Furnace Creek. Surprisingly they are on sale now and I reserved my own for the period which we would be travelling through the park should worst come to worst. They cost $2 and are valid for three consecutive days so I figured there's nothing to lose and will cancel it closer to the time if we are not going to need it. I'd suggest checking out this page at recreation.gov and reserving now also if you have your dates all set.

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Originally Posted by UKCraig

The fact that Yosemite had gone to a timed entry system was, until yesterday, news to me in all honesty. I'd only seen it mentioned when I went on to recreation.gov worked as I need to source my own timed entry tickets for Rocky Mountain NP (these are not available until much closer to the time unfortunately).

Your post actually got me to wondering when they released Yosemite passes as there may be a need to re-route our own trip should the road through the Big Sur area not re-open after the winter as Yosemite is the natural alternative route from SF to Furnace Creek. Surprisingly they are on sale now and I reserved my own for the period which we would be travelling through the park should worst come to worst. They cost $2 and are valid for three consecutive days so I figured there's nothing to lose and will cancel it closer to the time if we are not going to need it. I'd suggest checking out this page at recreation.gov and reserving now also if you have your dates all set.

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Already done so…. When I looked last night late, it was working and allowing me to book……also As well as sorted accommodation in Bishop, Yosemite and SF!