yeah i know same old but im new

[matt&shelly]

hey guys and girls
my trip is starting in san fran then plan a drive to la then vegas grand canyon yosemite then to vancouver
just a question regarding alt routes to yosemite because of snow any other alt routes so we can still see the park
i found this site to be the best of its kind worldwide
congratulations to all concerned
oops any other must see places not tacky jellybean factories etc

[Mark Sedenquist]

my trip is starting in san fran then plan a drive to la then vegas grand canyon yosemite then to vancouver

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! Yikes! San Francisco to Las Vegas to Grand Canyon to Yosemite to Vancouver? Are you aware you are zig-zagging all over the place? When is this trip planned for and how long will you have?

i found this site to be the best of its kind worldwide

That is good to know -- Thanks!

oops any other must see places not tacky jellybean factories etc

I am confused -- are you looking for tacky places or not? By the way, the Jellybelly factory is NOT tacky -- a great tour and fun to visit! Here are some of our favorite scenic drives (actually I see I need to update this section with recent articles)

Happy Planning!

Mark

[matt&shelly]

yes zig zagging indeed us australian are used to long drives via short cut (the greatest distance between 2 points)ha ha im not looking for tacky places
we are landing in sf on the 30th april
next weekend yah its finally nearly here
we have a month do you think its enough time
2 days booked in frisco
thanks mate

[Mark Sedenquist]

yeszig zagging

Most of the Aussie travelers I know are master planners and rarely zig zag for no purpose. With only a month, you really need to look at a map and decide on a route that does not criss-cross the area twice. You will be hard pressed to cover that much ground with the stated route -- but it should make for an interesting trip.

Happy Planning!

Mark

[lhuff]

you travel with a purpose. I'd really suggest streamling your path, then you'll have more time to enjoy the trip and various stops along the way. If you didn't have Vancouver on the itenary I'd say great - have fun circling the southwest, but with Vancouver you need follow a logical route.

As the person who has the Jelly Bean factory on her list of things to see and actually went to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries on Tuesday, I probably shouldn't answer your question about seeing tacky things. I adore tacky and off the wall. In fact I'm thinking about going to see the Salt House in Grand Saline, Texas soon and will have a hard time restraining myself from licking the walls.

Laura

[Mark Sedenquist]

...and will have a hard time restraining myself from licking the walls.

Laura, here is one place I hope you can restrain from licking as well!

Mark

[dj toast]

I'm jealous, I just finished driving SF - LA plus Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and I wanna do it all again now!

just a question regarding alt routes to yosemite because of snow any other alt routes so we can still see the park

Here's a picture taken six days ago in Sequoia National Park that may give you some idea of what to expect; I found the driving conditions there to be identical to those in Yosemite, which I drove through two days earlier. There was still a lot of snow visible (a fair bit had fallen the day before I visited Yosemite) but the roads were absolutely clear.

Of course that *might* change again.



I drove into Yosemite on highway 120 and it was spectacular. The eastward section will be closed for some time yet but you can certainly get in from the west to Yosemite Valley and highway 140 isn't far off even if more snow DOES fall.

Your route does seem a little inefficient; for example you could start in SF and take in Yosemite, Sequoia & Death Valley on the southern section of your journey, leading you nicely to Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and THEN to LA (via some great stretches of Route 66), then back up the Pacific Coast Highway from LA towards Vancouver.

Whatever you end up doing, have fun!

[matt&shelly]

thankyou for you suggestion and what a great pic now im really excited
and to all who have helped
i have told so many people about this website i think its awesome