Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
That's great. I wasn't sure if there was something we needed to book something. My idea was to be amazed at the view, but knowing these things are for tourists I didn't know if I should consider other things also. Happy to go with the original idea ���� thanks for the advice.
We much prefer to wander around the parks alone and at our own pace and find quiet spots to just be able to soak in the unbelievable beauty around you. If you like the 'great outdoors', even just a little bit, you are going to love it !
Just south of Bishop on the 395 towards Big Pine and Death Valley is Keogh Hot Springs. It's a bit ropey in terms of changing facilities etc but swimming in the hot spring water is very pleasant.
If you're staying at Furnace Creek there's a similar set up at the Inn and Ranch.
Badwater Basin is fascinating but wear sunglasses and a hat and take water if you plan to walk out on the salt pan. The words Death and Furnace are there for a reason. Look up on the cliff wall behind you to see the sea level marker.
Driving the back routes around Kelso (interesting rail museum) is a welcome break from the busier routes.
The Road Kill Cafe on Route 66 in Seligman is a blast. We walked in and had a minor panic as the place was full of Hells Angels! It turned out that they were all 99%ers who very deliberately distance themselves from the 1%ers who are the not such friendly types. We got chatting and one was a San Francisco cop! They were at great pains to tell us the fascinating history and were brilliant with the kids. Opening times are limited though so check first.
Don't know if you've booked accommodation in the Grand Canyon area but we found the stuff in the village in the park very expensive and pretty rubbish. Williams is at the Park entrance about 60 miles from South Rim but considerably cheaper. There is a preserved train that runs in and out but not sure of the timetable.
Go east along the south rim road and a bit along is a visitor centre that's not as busy as the village and has a tower look out, The Desert View area. The route has lots of different look out points but the canyon is so vast the view remains almost unchanged!
As has been mentioned, it's a long way from Vegas, a good day but stopping off at the Hoover Dam is worth it. The new road bypasses it IIRC?
Excellent feedback. Thank you all.
We will only book a couple of things here and there but nothing on Yosemite and Sequoia, as mentioned we prefer the outdoors and just soak it all in.
hello again road trippers
plans are well under way, we are starting to look at the smaller details.
what is your advise in terms of spending money?
We are four people (2 adults and 2 teens), not looking for fancy restaurants, though I'm sure we'll try at least a couple, it has been difficult for me to gauge spending considering a lot of the trip is just admiring nature and walking through national parks, any thoughts?
Are you referring to the entire budget, or just a small part of the budget? Thinking more in lines of the general budget....
Fuel: there's a fuel cost calculator on every page of this forum, just scroll down to the big blue box.
Food: Everyone is different there, and you have two teenagers (which I haven't budgeted for in a long time, as my kids are grown/gone). Fast food places will set you back about $7/meal. A continental breakfast is included with many (but not all) lodging places. A family restaurant entree will cost anywhere from $8-14, depending on what you order (Denny's, etc). A more upscale one, $10-30. If you are in a national park, the food will cost more, as will the drinks.
Lodging: A room for four will cost anywhere from $50/night to $200, depending on what your needs are. In a national park, you can get those prices right online, but $150-250 is about what I've seen.
Sightseeing money: We've had years where the two of us will drop $500 on souvenirs in a month's trip, and others where we've kept it to less than $200. This includes books, etc.
Fees for parks: as was recommended, if you are going to 4 or more national parks, or if you have at least two of the "big ones" on your list, get an $80 pass, as it's a bargain. (Yosemite, Yellowstone/Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, Glacier, have all upped their fees to $30 this year.)
Ice: if carrying a cooler, as we always do, budget $2/day to keep the stuff in it cold. Hotels don't like it if you try to fill your huge cooler with ice for the day, and no one who comes to the ice machine behind you will like it, either.
To save money on food to feed those teens: stop at the local grocery store or SuperTarget/Super Walmart, and pick up snacks and drinks there. Keep in the car, along with a cheap cooler. Much less expensive than stopping at the convenience stores!!!!!!
Those places, as well as Walgreens, can often be counted on for cheap souvenirs of a place. But not always.
Donna
Hi.
I'm thinking more general budget.
All the lodging is paid for. I guess we are more about budget for fuel/food/miscellaneous
Good idea about the pass for the parks. I have also booked Alcatraz during our stay in San Francisco.
$300 per day average if we paid for park passes? There will be days of more and days of less I'm sure.
Is the pass the one in:
https://store.usgs.gov
And covers all parks pm such as Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, etc?
Last edited by Tom_H007; 10-01-2023 at 04:22 AM. Reason: updated usgs store link
Yes, that's the pass and includes entry to all of them mentioned for 1 vehicle and all passengers, the exceptions are parking charges at Mt Rushmore and the boat trip to Alcatraz. You can simply purchase one at the kiosk of the first park you enter, Overseas visitors can not purchase on-line, or at least you couldn't do last time I checked. $300 a day should be pretty healthy.
RoadTrip Guru & Enthusiast
Yes, that's the pass. You can buy it at the entrance kiosk at the first park you visit. Death Valley does not have entrance kiosks, you can buy the pass and a hangtag at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
A very rough approximation for fuel is about 15 cents a mile.
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