12 days in November Lake Tahoe to LA to San Fran

[zainyk]

Hello all,

I was hoping for some help with an itinerary for a trip I'm doing at the end of November.

I am visiting a friend in Lake Tahoe on Nov 23rd and leaving there on the 25th. I have from the 25th of November until the 7th of December to wander California.

The things i have to do are visit some friends in LA for a couple of days and return to SF for my flight back home on the 7th.

I really want to drive the PCH have never had the chance in all my visits to CA and now find myself with free time so don't want to waste the chance.

I was thinking doing the fast drive to LA on the 25th (thanksgiving day) then spend the 25th - 29/30th with friends in LA.

29/30th - 4th driving up the coast to my friend in sacramento spending a couple of days there and then heading to SF for my flight home.

will that give me a fulfilling trip up the coast? is it enough time?

any ideas are appreciated.

[Lifemagician]

Hi and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

Are you planning this trip with good detailed maps, such as those available at AAA? You might then find this paragraph of some help.

Start with maps. Not GPS, not software, not Google, but real honest-to-god paper maps that show you your entire route, that you can mark up (and erase), that you can stick pins in, and that show something about the land you'll be driving through. Those are your essential tool in any RoadTrip planning process. Start by marking all the places you know you want to visit. Then connect the dots. Then look for more places of interest and scenic routes along the lines connecting the dots. Repeat until you've got as many sites and roads as you think you want.

I really want to drive the PCH have never had the chance in all my visits to CA and now find myself with free time so don't want to waste the chance.

You may consider driving the PCH from SF to LA, as that way you will be on the side of the ocean and all the scenic view points. It avoids having to cross oncoming traffic each time you pull in and out of them.

Lifey

[zainyk]

that is great advice, i will be sure to map my route on an old fashioned map.

I could easily swap things round so i do the PCH heading south.

[Lifemagician]

Be aware that the PCH from SF to LA is a two day drive. It is slow going, and you won't want to miss any of the scenery. Popular overnight stops are San Simeon/Cambria/Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo.

Lifey

[Southwest Dave]

If you are not locked into a flight from SF and can fly from LA, then you could go from Tahoe to Sacramento to SF and down to LA. Even if you have to fly from SF it wouldn't make much sense going all the way down to LA and back up to Sacramento, it's the next logical stop from Tahoe. If the weather was 'kind' I would consider visiting Yosemite valley after Sacramento before heading to the coast.