That old chestnut - Las Vegas to San Francisco via 395 & Yosemite (120)

[Midwest Michael]

Thanks to GLC, we will definitely try a short hike into the canyon - I surmise these are signposted?

Actually, I think that was my suggestion. But in any case, there are two trails down into the Canyon. The Bright Angel Trail and the South Kanab Trial. Bright Angel starts right in the GC Village, while South Kanab starts farther east off Desert View Drive.

We've decided to use one of our LV days to do the side trip to the Hoover Dam which will provide us with a break from the razzmatazz and we no longer have to squeeze it in before we head for Bishop via the Death Valley.

It really doesn't make any sense to make a separate trip to the Hoover Dam, as you will be driving right past it on your way to and from the Grand Canyon.

[glc]

There is no lodging on 120 between Lee Vining and the Yosemite Valley. Considering it only takes about an hour and a half to drive from Bishop to Lee Vining, I don't really see why you would need to spend a second night out there.

[Karen Adams]

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to say a big thanks for all your tips and comments. It's all been very helpful and as a result we have completed our planning and booked all our overnight stops enroute. Thanks to you we have booked 2 nights around the GC area instead of just one; only 1 night enroute to the Tioga Pass, in Bishop, but 2 nights in Yosemite instead of one. We have reduced our stay in San Fran by a night and will definitely take a tour over the Golden Gate and explore a bit of the coastline up there. Carmel proved impossible to book on our way down to LA as we happened to coincide our journey with the popular Concours Car Show - everywhere within an hour's drive is booked chocabloc - but I did manage to squeeze a room in a no-frills motel in Salinas. We'll have our 2nd night in Cambria, so well pleased with that.
Just wondered what you guys would recommend we take in whilst in LA.
Also, I've been told that San Fran and along the coast down to Carmel is very chilly for days at a time, sometimes, in August due to the mist. Is that going to force us to carry something warm to wrap up in, after stripping off in the Vegas heat?
Lastly, we would be most grateful if you could share your experiences with using a local SIM card. Is there one you would recommend over others? Would a local SIM card cover both Nevada and California, for example? We'll be flying to New York after LA - maybe we'll need a different SIM card there?
Many thanks in advance for you continued invaluable help.

[jcorb2d]

In my defense, I did preface that with saying that it was a personal (and highly biased) opinion.

Jon