Hi everyone
I am unsure of which route is the "best" and I hope you will be able to assist me in this matter.
My girlfriend and I will be going on a roadtrip in the end of august and we are traveling from San Francisco -> LA -> Vegas ->San Francisco (like many others!). I am having problems with the trip from Vegas to SF, via Yosemite and Virginia City.
Day 1: Leave Vegas in the morning and drive to Yosemite
Day 2: Full day in Yosemite
Day 3: Drive over Tioga Pass around noon, stay at Lake Mono. See the ghost town of Bodie.
Day 4: Drive to Virginia City and spend some hours there before heading to SF (arrive in the evening)
Day 5: Fly back home
Questions:
1) Any comments to the itinerary? (i.e. is Virginia City overrated, would you recommend anything else?)
2) Which route will you recommend for the Vegas-> Yosemite drive (if any of them :) )
Route 1: Vegas -> Dantes View (stop and look over Death Valley) -> Yosemite via 395 (north) and Tioga Pass
Length: 9 hour drive, i.e. approx. 11 hours with breaks (8 a.m. -> 21 p.m.)
Pros/Cons: Not "that" long, but I think it is kind of stupid to take this route since we'll drive over the Tioga Pass when we'r going to Virginia City.
Link:
Google Map route via 395 north
Route 2: Vegas -> Dantes View (stop and look over Death Valley) -> Yosemite via 178, Lake Isabella and Highway 99 and 41 North till Yosemite
Length: 11 hours, i.e. 13 hours incl. breaks
Pros/Cons: This road should be "pretty" with a lot of scenery (apart from the last bit on 99/41). The bad side is that this is one long trip.
Link:
Google map, route via 178
Route 3: The fast route. Highway 95 north (east of Death Valley) and then take the Tioga Pass.
Length: 7:17 hours, i.e. 8 hours with one break.
Pros/Cons: This is the "fast route" but it might not be as interesting as the others..
Link:
Google map, the fast route
Thanks in advance. Any help will be appriciated.
Best regards,
Svend
At first I had hoped we could see the Sequia National Park (the big tree) as well as Yosemite - but I dont think that is feasible, and as far as I can read Yosemite is more interesting than Sequia National Park.