LV to Los Angeles through Death Valley

[AZBuck]

You can still get to Scotty's Castle. The road that's closed is the road that runs from Scotty's Junction on US-95 east of the park via NV-267 and Grapevine Canyon Road to the Castle. The road from the main part of the park to the south (the way you'd be coming), i.e. Scotty's Castle Road and Grapevine Canyon Road, is open but subject to delays of up to half an hour for construction. Yeah, that would make me think about skipping the Castle, with a total delay of up to an hour, and that's a shame. Still, there is plenty else to see in the park. You might ask at a visitor center if they know when traffic will be allowed through, if there's a schedule, or if it's just random.

AZBuck

[ramangouda]

hello,
The constraint is I will be flying out of LV on 27th evening. Thus wanted to be as close to LA by 25th night.. so that I can spend a day in LA on 26th.. (I wont be going to Universal or Disney) thus checking out the city is all I had planned. Also on the way back, thought of making a quick stop to Joshua Tree NP before reaching LV on 27th.. I know it would take about 2 hours more.. but I guess it is worth it :)

thanks again for the help!

[Southwest Dave]

Have you considered going to LA first [perhaps via Joshua Tree NP?] and then to Death Valley. It might just put less pressure on getting back to Vegas in time for your flight, Furnace creek is under 2.5 hours from Vegas and you wouldn't have the worry of getting out of LA at the end of your trip. It means you could spend the night of the 25th in LA rather than Lancaster and do a little sight seeing on arrival, be in LA on the morning of 26th to do a little more sight seeing and then head to Panamint Springs before the afternoon rush starts and have most of the following day in DV before heading back to LV. I must confess the thought of heading in and out of the heavily congested urban sprawl of LA for a quick look around the City fills me with dread, although I admit I'm not a City person and would sooner head for the Grand canyon, Valley of Fire or even Zion NP.

It makes no difference overall with the time travelling, but you spend a night in LA sightseeing instead of 'wherever' in between just to get some sleep.