Colorado/California/Las Vegas Road-trip

[DebbieM]

Hi everyone!

Super excited to be on this forum. We are a family of 8 (7 adults and one child) who are starting to plan our dream epic road trip. We would love to do the Colorado/California/ Las Vegas. We want to visit as many national parks and other sites as we can. We are wanting to combine some hotel stays with some more rustic / unique overnights. Any help, suggestions, advise or pointers to links most welcome and so appreciated! We are looking at a trip of around 2.5 to 3 weeks! ( Summertime )

Thank you all :)

Debbie

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

"Colorado/California/Las Vegas" covers an awful lot of territory, and other than Las Vegas are large areas rather than precise spots. So at this point I have many more questions than answers. Such as... Where are you starting from? Surely you have a few 'must see' sites already on your To Do list; what are they? How old is the single non-adult? How many vehicles and of what type do you intend to use? Will this be a complete circuit, returning to your starting point, or a one-way drive? Since 'Colorado' to 'California' and back could easily chew up four days just driving, what would you rather give up if you had to cut some thing(s) out? And perhaps most importantly, how much have you all discussed this amongst yourselves to make sure that you're all seeking the same sort of epic dream?

AZBuck

[DebbieM]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

"Colorado/California/Las Vegas" covers an awful lot of territory, and other than Las Vegas are large areas rather than precise spots. So at this point I have many more questions than answers. Such as... Where are you starting from? Surely you have a few 'must see' sites already on your To Do list; what are they? How old is the single non-adult? How many vehicles and of what type do you intend to use? Will this be a complete circuit, returning to your starting point, or a one-way drive? Since 'Colorado' to 'California' and back could easily chew up four days just driving, what would you rather give up if you had to cut some thing(s) out? And perhaps most importantly, how much have you all discussed this amongst yourselves to make sure that you're all seeking the same sort of epic dream?

AZBuck

Hi! Thank you for your reply :) We are planning our trip quite far in advance as we are looking to go next year. We will be going for 2.5 to 3 weeks. It is my dream to visit Colorado (as much of it as possible) and others in the family’s to visit and explore California and Las Vegas! We are all over 21 with the exception of a 3 year old! Travelling in 2 cars and a small rv. Just wanted suggestions on where to start in Colorado - and best route to take (with suggestions of where to stop) end route to California.

Idea is then to go down to Las Vegas. Are we being too ambitions? Is 3 weeks not enough time to do this route?

Thank you so much for your help x

[DonnaR57]

I think one thing that is a puzzlement to all of us regulars, that hasn't been addressed: are you driving from home (and where is that)? That has to be accounted for, in your planning. If you're driving in from Kansas or Nebraska, that's a lot less days on the road in both directions than if you are coming from somewhere on the East Coast. Then there's just driving between Colorado and California, another couple of days in each direction.


Donna

[Southwest Dave]

It sounds as though you are in the (very) early stages of planning but you have given yourself a good amount of time to work things out. Yes you could certainly drive from Colorado to California and visit Las vegas in 2.5/3 weeks, but just as easily you could spend 3 weeks "seeing as much of Colorado as possible". This is perhaps where you need to research individually for your 'must see' destinations, at what pace you want to travel, compare budgets etc and then sit down as a group and see if you are all on the same page. The RTA compatability test is a fun way to start. Once you get the basics down we can help fine tune your thoughts and fill in any blanks and answer specific questions.

Are you driving your own vehicles or flying in and renting and is it a one way or round trip? If renting you need to consider the extra cost of one way rentals etc and whether a round trip might work better. There really isn't a single 'best route', you want the one that takes you to the places you wish to visit and lodgings come after where those places are. So yes you can do this trip but you have endless amounts of options and narrowing it down to make a trip you will all enjoy is going to take some research on your part to get started. You will find lots of useful info on this site by using the search function and planning resources in the tool bars. We are happy to help so just keep asking questions and giving as much detail as you can to enable to give you meaningful advice rather than just throwing out names of places aimlessly. Enjoy the planning, it's a fun part of the journey !

[travelingman]

Are you flying into Colorado and flying out of Vegas? Seems odd to go all the way to California and turn back to Vegas.

You’ve picked three destinations. How did that come about? I surmise that there are very different expectations among your group. Here is an idea for planning. Have each person list their single “must see” destination specifically. Rocky Mountain National Park for instance. Allow a full day there and then determine total travel time at 50 mph on interstates. Yes, 50!

Now determine your lodging options; camping, hotels, lodges. Will you need to make reservations NOW to ensure getting to stay at very popular destinations such as National Parks? Now look for “second choices” to visit along the route. Make sure to allow for two “optional days” in case you all agree to stay longer in one place, provided you can get lodging. The extra days also allow for unforeseen delays like breakdowns or rainy days.

Also, consider the option of splitting up and going your own ways for several days. It might be a nice break. Maybe some of you would like to hike my favorite trail in Zion National Park!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EwZQQ52fOOs

Also consider leaving the three year old with a relative. They won’t remember a thing about this trip, won’t appreciate the scenery and may limit some of your activity choices.

[MurrayLily]

Hi, new girl here. Happy to join and discuss our travels with you)
My husband and I have a trip planned to Las Vegas and I just can't wait! We are a month away from an unreal cool time, casinos, clubs, alcohol and everything imaginable!!!

[DonnaR57]

Hi, welcome to RTA! Feel free to start your own thread about your upcoming LV trip. If we can be of any help in planning, please ask!


Donna

[landmariner]

I will ask a basic question: Are you primarily interested in doing a "windshield tour" or to explore more deeply into the destination national parks, national monuments (what many national parks start out as), do some hiking, camping, etc. Also, any national sites of interest beg a two night stay to have a full day visit. One should also consider spending the first and last nights not far from the airport if flying in or out of Calif/Las Vegas/Colorado.

Some good maps (AAA is a great source) and guidebooks (your local library) can open up options for your road trip.

With so many people I would consider making a spreadsheet and plotting out daily routes to see how everything adds up. Google Maps is a great planning tool... it will provide mileage but you need to add 30% or so to provide realistic drive times (rest stops, gas refills, meals en route, road construction, etc.). Plan big, then plan realistically.