2 Weeks in California

Jan 29, 2007 9:22 PM
Posts: 13

hey everyone,

I have half planned out a trip for 2 weeks in USA, but would love ideas of places to stop at and see + things to do in these places

here are the details:

We are 2, 21 year old guys from Australia
We are arriving in LA on March 21st and will be leaving from LA on the 4th of April
we are picking up our hired car (4wd) on the 23rd and have to have it back in LA on the 3rd of April
We Will want to have a budget of about $2000 each for the time we are there ( more is on offer if we need )

we are into anything really, we like the beach, just chilling in bars/pubs, meeting new ppl, love the open road and will like to see some good scenery on the way, I have got a picture attached of the route I have planned out ( my friend just goes along with anything ) so he has just left it up to me

Here is a rough timeline of events

21st - 24th LA

24th - Drive down the coast to San Diego

24th - 26th San Diego (Tijuana,)

26th - Drive to grand canyon then on to Las Vegas

26th - 29th Las Vegas

29th - 30th Visit Death valley, Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes, then on the San Fransisco

30th - 1st San Fransisco

1st - 3rd The coastline back to LA: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica

3rd - 4th LA again then Fly out to the UK

So yeah if anyone has any ideas from what they have experienced on what we should do and where to go, feel free to reply, Like i said this is only a rough itinerary and we like to leave it pretty open,

Map

Saudade30

Jan 29, 2007 10:13 PM
Posts: 3

1

Is this your first time in the USA? First time in Cali? That is WAY TOO MUCH to do!! You aren't going to see all of that in two weeks!! First of all, LA traffic is a nightmare. Based on all that you wrote above you are going South then Northeast than West than South again. California is enormous and things aren't so close.

I would pick an area that you really want to see and stick to it... either Southern Cali. and a visit to Tijuana and maybe to Death Valley. But, Los Angelas is a good four hours away from Death Valley. It's in the middle of the desert! Although it doesn't look that far on the map it is!!

You can pick S.F and then go to Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon (you've got to check out the sunrise- it's amazing!).

But, there is no way that you can do all of what you have listed. Death Valley to SF is more than 12 hours away! Death Valley to Yosemite is aprox. 4 hours away and the road that looks passable on the map is closed due to snow until June! I lost hours and hours of my trip because I had to go back... the road after 3 hours ended in a wall of snow.

So my Aussie friends, I would pick what you want to check out and really check it out! California is really big!

smallsy_44

Jan 29, 2007 10:31 PM
Posts: 13

2

Yeah, i know its a big trip but i think that we can do it, i did that map router on map quest and it said it will be a good couple of days of driving, not including little detours and what not we decide to do, we are the type of ppl who probably wont like to stay in the same place for too long but at least see it , IE. yosemite , grand canyan, death valley ( not a place we have to go ) and mammoth lakes, the rest of the time will be spent just exploring each main city for a day or 2 like san fransisco and las vegas and LA, the problem is the things i most want to do are the furtherest apart from each other

also, there are contiki tours that do trips like that in the same amount of time so im guessing that if they can do it on a bus with stops everywhere, then we can do it too,

the main thing is we want to see as many places as possible, to get an idea of it then maybe come back and spend more time in each place that we liked.

thanks for your help tho, if i could shorten the trip without losing something i reali want to do i would,

Oh and yeah the driving is not a problem, i have done lots of trips from brisbane to sydney and that trip is longer then 8 hours so long drives dont bother us , as long as we have music of course tho

Saudade30

Jan 29, 2007 10:44 PM
Posts: 3

3

yeah... it's up to you. good luck! i understand seeing as much of a place as possible. if you aren't into the national parks and want to see one for sure... i would go to the grand canyon and skip the rest. the bus tours do these trips but they are crazy and people don't end up interacting with the locals all that much- which is indeed the best part of travel. at least this is my opinion. good luck.

cool towns besides the larger SF (which by the way, is one of the greatest cities in the world and you can easily spend four days there); los angelas isn't anything to write home about however, santa barbara, santa cruz, etc. are all really great stops. vegas is a wonderland and definitley worth an overnight stop.

good luck and have fun!

smallsy_44

Jan 29, 2007 10:54 PM
Posts: 13

4

Thanks, and yeah if we dont have the time i think we will bypass yosemite and death valley and just spend more time in either vegas or san fransisco, the only thing i really want to do in LA is go to hollywood of course :) ...

and yes we are very keen to interact with locals mostly in the not so big towns along the way so that could take up a bit of time,

at 1 stage i was thinking of just taking san diego and anything south of the list out and just make it LA to vegas to san fransisco, wich would also save like 3 - 4 days, but i dont know why but im keen to go down to san diego

see wat happens i guess, be good if the guy im going with could throw an idea out there :) but what can you do ....

Raisuli

Jan 29, 2007 11:05 PM
Posts: 390

5

I'll repeat what #1Saudade30 said the eastern entrance HWY 120 Tioga pass is closed in the winter and doesn't open until June, you won't be able to do the Las Vegas - Death Valley - Mammoth - Yosemite drive in march. So you'll have to rethink that portion of your roadtrip

LA & San Diego are both big cities. there is plenty to see in each city. But you really need to have a specfic plan or idea on what you want to visit or else they just become freeways and strip malls with alot of traffic. I 'd would think about eliminating SD or LA (or both) to give you extra time elsewhere.

The San Diego - Grand Canyon - Las Vegas drive in two days/one night is possible but it will be a couple of long driving days/nights.

The weather in march especially on the California coast and north to SF can be iffy. It might be sunny your whole trip or it might rain every day or something in between. A roll of the dice, but you'll avoid the heavy tourist season.

Good Luck, you got the 4WD, the open road and money in your pocket, that goes along way in having a good time

Saudade30

Jan 29, 2007 11:06 PM
Posts: 3

6

smile. it's so damn hard to travel with someone who has such little imput that you almost think your planning a family outing. ;-) he he
san diego is okay... i would skip it and stick to the big cities for sure if that's an option. tijuana would definitley add a diff. flava to your trip. if you do head to tijuana (commonly referred to as T.J) try to get to the border early! i've been stuck there for hours!!!! and hours!!! on the mexican side coming back to the usa especially!!

ciao and you'll have a great time no matter what you do!

onthecheaptraveldude

Jan 30, 2007 1:11 AM
Posts: 19

7

Be absolutely sure your rental company will let have a car when 21 years old. Some do; many don't. If they will, verify the rate is the same.

Quote
26th - Drive to grand canyon then on to Las Vegas from San Diego

If you visit the Grand Canyon, and I hope you will, do it right. That means visit the main south rim area, north of Flagstaff, not some less colourful and less awesome outlook nearer Las Vegas. For that you need more time.

Quote
1st - 3rd The coastline back to LA: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica
3rd - 4th LA again then Fly out to the UK

Nice. Don't forget the beachfront at Carmel and do the Santa Barbara marked scenic drive. Check out the Santa Monica hostel. Excellent location.

Quote
we like the beach

Dudes, as do we all!

Quote
29th - 30th Visit Death valley, Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes, then on the San Fransisco

As mentioned, this route is a no go. Instead, do Vegas - Bakersfield - Yosemite - San Francisco. Too bad. This alternative route isn't nearly as interesting as the one you chose. You could substitute Death Valley for Yosemite.

Could you add some time to your trip? As it is, you're just getting a brief glimpse of all these places.

smallsy_44

Jan 30, 2007 2:23 AM
Posts: 13

8

hey thanks for your help, and on that map that i posted could anyone possilby type up which routes/ highways are blocked off and where, if not thats cool im sure when we get over there locals will offer more then enough help :)
does it mean that mammoth lakes is a no go too ?

I was looking at the map and another place i had herd of was lake tahoe, that might be a bit far out of the way tho.

we were planning on driving to that place of the grand canyon u mentioned ,

unfortunately, when we booked out tickets we had to give our travel agent dates then for how long we wanted in the USA, at first it was only going to be a week but then we thought we want a little bit longer, and that we werent going to do much other then vegas and LA , then the idea of a contiki tour came up and we were about to book it but then got the idea of just hiring a car and having the freedom to go where we wanted, we could change how long we stay there but it would cost us like $300au just to change dates, i would love to hopefully come back for a month or 2 and do more of the country and take our time doing it, maybe on the way back from the UK ( 1 yr later )

Wandering_I

Jan 30, 2007 2:33 AM
Posts: 1

9

I would cut out Death Valley, Yosemite, and mammoth. Like others said, the roads will be pretty horrible. To go from Mammoth to SF, you would have to drive up all the way through Lake Tahoe (depending on how much snow there is). So, if you really want to hit the slopes, it might be a better option to head from Vegas to Tahoe/Reno and then on to SF.
If you're really into the beach, I would definitely go to San Diego. Be sure to check out Pacific Beach. It has a pretty young, fun bar scene. You should maybe also try to spend a night in Newport Beach (Orange County) on your way to San Diego.
Don't cut out LA either. There's lots to see and do and you'll be fine as long as you have a car.

lelobandito

Jan 30, 2007 4:52 AM
Posts: 3

10

If you stay in San Diego- you gotta stay at the banana bungalow hostel as it's on the beach in PB (pacific beach) It's amazing. There are plenty of bars on Garnet AVe a few walking blocks away and the hostel has a wonderful deck overlooking the ocean. I was just there and can't wait to check it out this summer! This is a place you could easily stay a few nights and not want to leave.

Remember, less is more. if you try to see too much, that can influence how much you enjoy all the places you want to visit.

Tijuana is overly commercial, constant pestering by people to come into their restaurants, people selling the same tourist souvenirs every 3rd step and rather dirty and sleezy, if you know what I mean. In hindsight, I wouldn't have spent a day there but sometimes it;s a place you think you have to experience yourself. I'll just say I have no desire to return!

If you do go, there are places to park on the US border and then you can walk over, which will save you lots of time in crossing and returning. NOt to mention you must have MExican car insurance while driving there!

Tulipana

Jan 30, 2007 7:50 AM
Posts: 14,378

11

Yep, that's too much.

Death Valley takes a day, Yosemite takes 2-3 days, Mammoth Lakes 1-2 days. The costal villages are absolutely lovely, so make sure to pick maybe one or two and stay in each a day or two. (Santa Cruz and Big Sur are really nice).

Driving from LA to Vegas will take you about 5 hours (if all goes well, I mean.... you're on holidays.... take your time) and a day or two days in Vegas will be nice. Grand Canyon is 'rather' far from Vegas and certainly not something to do fast, so I advice you to go to Vegas then go onto Death Valley (only 30 mins from Vegas) and from there to Mammoth lakes, Yosemite then the coast and to SF (stay 3 days there, it's WAY lovelier than LA).

So... cut back on the wishlist, take your time and you'll REALLY enjoy your time there.

I was in Nevada and California in Oct-Nov, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

smallsy_44

Jan 30, 2007 8:46 AM
Posts: 13

12

yeah im sure whatever we decide on it will be good,

I was thinking of maybe just driving out to Vegas as soon as we get the rental car, because we arrive in LA on the 21st and don't actually get the car till the 23rd, so maybe a day will be enough in LA , and then yeah just drive straight to Vegas from LA and stay there 2 - 3 nights then head straight to SF, maybe brief stops along the way , to meet and mingle with people, get sum pics of some scenery ( any suggestions of places on the way ) and then spend a night or 2 in SF, and then have about 5 more nights of the car and just cruise down the coast staying in coastal towns ie. Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and hopefully still have a night or 2 to spare at San Diego at pacific beach which people keep mentioning.

would the coastal places have hostels ? if so any suggestions

and also any ideas for chilled out young friendly hostels at all the places i have mentioned would be great

thanks all

Tulipana

Jan 30, 2007 11:37 AM
Posts: 14,378

13

I am sure hostel websites can help you out in that department. In the cities you shound't have a roblem with finding one. In Vegas you should really stay in one of the hotel-casinos. Circus Circus/ Stratosphere/Sahara are rather cheap if you book in advance (like $44 for a room). There is a hostel at the end of The Strip too... but, that's not the real Vegas experience eh ;-)

Santa Cruz has a lovely hostel, forgot its name, but google will point you right to it.

pedrosf

Jan 30, 2007 2:51 PM
Posts: 33

14

Do you gamble? If not, Vegas can get old fast.

As mentioned above, this is too much:

29th - 30th Visit Death valley, Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes, then on the San Fransisco

and San Francisco for only one day? Since you don't have the time to see any parks, you might want to fly from Vegas to San Francisco.