European on a US roadtrip - fill in my itinerary

[NW-Bound]

We met a tour bus with lots of French people in Bryce Canyon. It's a good time for me to brush up on my French, listening skill only. I can barely speak the French language now.

When in Bryce a few years ago, I also observed quite a few French tourists. In Zion, more Germans. May be just coincidental. Also saw a busload of Frenchmen at Glen Canyon Dam.

Bryce is unique but you can see a lot with a quick look...

If you want to take a hike down from the rim, it will take at least 1/2 day just to do a couple of trails. And going down to the south end of the park will take additional time too.

We have booked a West coast US roadtrip in September this year and we have about three weeks. We've booked the major stops (hotels) and I now want to make sure we don't miss anything!
...
We're two active mid 50's and will be travelling with our adult son. So....what's "not to miss"?

You will always be missing something. I have lived on this side of the US for 40 years, and have done a lot of travel through the western states through the years, and I have not seen it all. First, you hit all the major points of interest, then you go back and see the secondary places. Finally, you take the back roads, and see places that they don't talk about much in travel books.

 

[brucethebroker]

+1 to Hoover Dam, also to Hollywood tours. Ask about free tickets for game shows or comedies as part of the audience.

 

[Scuba]

Are you saying you have already booked all the hotels?

IMO Bryce is a one night park.
Skipping Zion is a mistake in IMO.. consider Bryce, North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion.. That's much more doable and better scenery..

I'll second Valley of Fire it's on the way to the Utah stops.

+1. I would add Zion and skip Death Valley. I would consider wine tasting in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles or Santa Ynez Valley. Consider skipping Los Angeles unless there are specific attractions you consider to be a must do.

 

[JoeWras]

I'd make these changes:
Fly into Las Vegas (2 nights)
-- drive to Zion National Park spending 1 or 2 nights in Springfield UT or in the park
North to Bryce Canyon (3 nights)
-- don't need 3 nights here. 1 is enough.

+1. I would add Zion and skip Death Valley. I would consider wine tasting in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles or Santa Ynez Valley. Consider skipping Los Angeles unless there are specific attractions you consider to be a must do.

Agree on both above. I did not see the 3 nights in Bryce. 3 nights in Bryce is too much. And it is NOT easy to drive to Zion from there if you use Bryce as a base. Add time in Zion, take time off in Bryce. You can "do" Bryce in one day if you start early. Get a view from the rim, and take a quick hike down among the fairlyland spires. Long hikes here don't add much. However, long hikes in Zion add a lot.

Skip death valley and add the time somewhere else.

We also need clarification on the Grand Canyon. OP said:

Fly into Las Vegas (2 nights)
Drive south to Grand Canyon (2 nights)
North to Bryce Canyon (3 nights)

The GC to Bryce is a difficult drive (and I'm assuming South Rim). It says 5 hours, but it is a draining 5 hours that forces you to go out of your way due to the canyons. I would add a night to the GC, and then drive to Zion (see Springdale on my map snippet below).

 

[Cap_Scarlet]

Thanks everyone for your replies - they are all very helpful. So here is a little more detail on a day by day basis:

Fly to Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Grand Canyon (South rim)
Grand Canyon
Page
Bryce Canyon
Zion NP
Death Valley
Mammoth Lakes
Mariposa (YNP)
[Spare night]
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Francisco
Carmel / Monterrey
Cambria
Santa Barbera
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Fly home

Of the places we are visiting, Vegas is the only place we've been to before so we're not spending much time there. We're staying one night in Page just because it felt like such a long way between the Southern GC and our next stop although reflecting on that now it may give us the opportunity to visit the North rim.

We're actually staying at a place between Bryce and Zion - so thanks for all the tips on Zion - we will definitely do that.

We're not really intending on visiting DV but I think we need to drive through it to get to our next stop (in Mammoth), we would then drive through the park / visit the park on the next day, staying on the other side of the park in Mariposa. We've left the spare night at the moment in case we want to spend another night in the vicinity of the park although we might use it to drive to Napa.

The time in LA is really to visit some of the theme parks (six flags, universal etc.) which our son is very keen to do, otherwise we are thinking of the iconic sites (Hollywood, Chinese Theatre etc.)

With the exception of the spare night all our lodging is booked as i took some earlier advice that it might be quite busy around September.

Once again - thanks for all your tips!

 

[MichaelB]

Sounds like a fantastic trip.

 

[COcheesehead]

Have fun!

 

[ivinsfan]

Page is more then a place to stop...Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell,Horseshoe Bend...
There are a couple of great lodging options directly at Bryce..

So we have done BC, Zion and North Rim all as day trips by staying in Kanab....this was on our first summer trip and we just wanted to see the area. We used that trip to make plans to go back and see more of our favorite areas.

We went to the North Rim in early December during an open winter and you could count the people in the park on both hands...that's a trip we will never forget.

 

[ivinsfan]

I realize you have probably bought your plane tickets. For someone reading this for a future trip, it would be much more efficient to fly into PHX and go to the Grand Canyon and do the rest of the trip from there. You will pay a pretty large drop off fee on the rental either way.

 

[meierlde]

Actually if you make your base for Zion Cedar City (which also gets you a chance to visit the Kolob Canyons Section of Zion park which is pretty but unknown) you could head up to the Lonliest road in America across Nevada thru Ely, Eureka, Austin, and Fallon. Then if interested Drive thru Virginia City, down 395 to Mammoth.

 

[ivinsfan]

Actually if you make your base for Zion Cedar City (which also gets you a chance to visit the Kolob Canyons Section of Zion park which is pretty but unknown) you could head up to the Lonliest road in America across Nevada thru Ely, Eureka, Austin, and Fallon. Then if interested Drive thru Virginia City, down 395 to Mammoth.

St George makes a great base for Zion as well and would be a better place to fine reasonable rooms. Then you could do Snow Canyon State Park, which in IMO tops the Kolob Canyon Section of Zion.

 

[Cap_Scarlet]

I realize you have probably bought your plane tickets. For someone reading this for a future trip, it would be much more efficient to fly into PHX and go to the Grand Canyon and do the rest of the trip from there. You will pay a pretty large drop off fee on the rental either way.

Thanks - we seriously considered that. At the end of the day we wanted to go back to Vegas for a couple of days (our son has not been there) and also relax a little before hitting the road. We weren't keen on the drive between LA and Vegas and hence we choose this anti-clockwise route.

 

[ivinsfan]

Thanks - we seriously considered that. At the end of the day we wanted to go back to Vegas for a couple of days (our son has not been there) and also relax a little before hitting the road. We weren't keen on the drive between LA and Vegas and hence we choose this anti-clockwise route.

It's a great trip either way and I hope you don't run into too much summer traffic on the way to the GC,that can make for some very frustrating driving.

 

[JoeWras]

OK, with your new details, I like your itinerary better. Just be aware you will be doing a lot of driving. I think you know that. You'll be moving! We did all the parks in Utah like this. It wasn't so bad, as long as you like to keep going.

One final tip. Please heed the warnings about heat if you decide to walk down some of the trails in the GC. If you are fit, it is do-able, but it gets hot as you go down. Even in early September, temps over 40C are possible only a short way down the trail (despite it feeling very nice at the top). You may get lucky, however, and get a cool spell. They start happening around then.

In our two trips to the South Rim, we witnessed at 4 distressed tourists requiring help. None were critical (no helicopters), but it was still very scary for them. This despite all the warnings in at least 5 different languages.

On our August trip, we went to the bottom (requires planning) and it was 45C/113F by the river.

 

[Sunset]

I suggest you skip Bryce and hike "Angel's Landing" in Zion. It a strenuous half day, but is considerably more impressive, keeping in mind that occasionally someone takes the shortcut down.

Bryce is very beautiful, great, but is only a 1 day event.

There are many trails all short and easy for avg person. each from different parking lots.
Be aware of the timezone change, we were not and got locked out of the parking.
If you leave your car at the outside free lot and take the free hop on hop off shuttles, be super aware of the timezone change and last buses.

It's a few hours to drive back to Vegas as we did it.

 

[Hyperborea]

We stayed in Frisco, CA before going into Yosemite.
San Francisco a great place, but 4 days may be a little long.

Do not refer to it as Frisco in ear shot of any of the residents.

The OP might consider taking a day trip north of SF (acceptable short form) to go to Napa and/or Sonoma for the wineries. Go on the weekday because it will be quieter. Muir woods may also be worth stopping at north of the city especially since it looks like Yosemite is off the itinerary.

If your son (or you or your wife) is a tech geek then the Computer History Museum in Mountain View (down the peninsula from SF) would make a fine stop for an hour or two on your way south. It's very close to the Google campus and you could drive around that and ogle the buildings and employees. They do have a visitor centre which is quite busy.

On the trip from SF to LA there are a number of wineries in the central coast region. This is the area where the movie Sideways takes place.

Another thing to do in LA is just walk along the beach and people watch. Get brunch at one of the places and sit and watch. Somewhere like Venice Beach. In that area is also "muscle beach" where a lot of the famous body builders of the past including Arnie used to hang out and work out.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks everyone for your replies - they are all very helpful. So here is a little more detail on a day by day basis:



Fly to Las Vegas

Las Vegas

Grand Canyon (South rim)

Grand Canyon

Page

Bryce Canyon

Zion NP

Death Valley

Mammoth Lakes

Mariposa (YNP)

[Spare night]

San Francisco

San Francisco

San Francisco

San Francisco

Carmel / Monterrey

Cambria

Santa Barbera

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Fly home



Of the places we are visiting, Vegas is the only place we've been to before so we're not spending much time there. We're staying one night in Page just because it felt like such a long way between the Southern GC and our next stop although reflecting on that now it may give us the opportunity to visit the North rim.



We're actually staying at a place between Bryce and Zion - so thanks for all the tips on Zion - we will definitely do that.



We're not really intending on visiting DV but I think we need to drive through it to get to our next stop (in Mammoth), we would then drive through the park / visit the park on the next day, staying on the other side of the park in Mariposa. We've left the spare night at the moment in case we want to spend another night in the vicinity of the park although we might use it to drive to Napa.



The time in LA is really to visit some of the theme parks (six flags, universal etc.) which our son is very keen to do, otherwise we are thinking of the iconic sites (Hollywood, Chinese Theatre etc.)



With the exception of the spare night all our lodging is booked as i took some earlier advice that it might be quite busy around September.



Once again - thanks for all your tips!

Some thoughts about your time in LA now that you've shared more about your trip:
- For theme parks, if your son likes roller coasters, Magic Mountain in Valencia is hard to beat. It is between Santa Barbara and LA. Universal Studios is a combination of rides and a studio tour. Disneyland is iconic but if you've been to Disney World in FL, you might be disappointed as the CA Disney is much smaller.
- Warner Bros and Paramount Studio Tours are both good. WB has a lot more interactive exhibits and I think your son would enjoy it more than Paramount. Buy advance tickets. You could also tour the inside of the Dolby Theatre where the Academy Awards are held. It's only a 30 minute tour but is cool.
- I would skip Venice Beach. It's gotten pretty trashy. Last time we took out of town guests there, we wished we hadn't. Laguna Beach in OC is my favorite beach but quite a drive from LA. Laguna is a very artsy town with great restaurants and shopping if you like unique places. The South Bay beaches (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach) are really nice and are close to LAX. They have several beachfront restaurants that are great for people watching.
- Long Beach has a great Aquarium and a nice set of waterfront restaurants. You can also rent kayaks, SUP's or small boats and paddle in Alamitos Bay. It's about 40 minutes south of LAX.

For a 3-day itinerary I'd recommend:
Magic Mountain- first day
Warner Bros tour & Hollywood - 2nd day
3rd day - one of the South Bay beaches if your priority is relaxing on a great beach, Laguna Beach if you don't mind a long drive and want to spend time in a nice town and some beautiful beaches, or Long Beach if the Aquarium and some paddling is appealing.

Have fun!

 

[Lsbcal]

...

We're not really intending on visiting DV but I think we need to drive through it to get to our next stop (in Mammoth), we would then drive through the park / visit the park on the next day, staying on the other side of the park in Mariposa. We've left the spare night at the moment in case we want to spend another night in the vicinity of the park although we might use it to drive to Napa.
...

Are you basically site seeing or wanting to do some day hikes?

We have done a lot of day hiking with a base in Mammoth Lakes. Several beautiful and short hikes in Mammoth Lakes. But also one can drive up to Tioga Pass in about 45 minutes. There is world class hiking in that High Sierra area from very easy to strenuous. Lots of beautiful exposed granite domes and not the congestion of the Yosemite Valley. The ranger station probably has maps as you enter Yosemite there.

I could recommend a nice drive from Heildsburg in Sonoma County to the ocean if you are going that way. Napa is pretty touristy.

BTW, we will be in Austria in September ... trading places.

 

[Cap_Scarlet]

Are you basically site seeing or wanting to do some day hikes?

We have done a lot of day hiking with a base in Mammoth Lakes. Several beautiful and short hikes in Mammoth Lakes. But also one can drive up to Tioga Pass in about 45 minutes. There is world class hiking in that High Sierra area from very easy to strenuous. Lots of beautiful exposed granite domes and not the congestion of the Yosemite Valley. The ranger station probably has maps as you enter Yosemite there.

I could recommend a nice drive from Heildsburg in Sonoma County to the ocean if you are going that way. Napa is pretty touristy.

BTW, we will be in Austria in September ... trading places.

Hi

We may do some short walks (1-3 hours) but not what I would call day hikes. We are reasonably fit but our preference is more on the sight seeing. We live in the middle of the alps where we get our fix of mountain scenery!

Whereabouts in Austria are you headed?

 

[Lsbcal]

...
Whereabouts in Austria are you headed?

Probably considered the usual tourist haunts: from Munich to Salzburg (3 nights), then to Hallstatt (2), and then Vienna (6). This will be our first visit to Austria which is the final country in our trip. Looking forward to it!

If you don't have much time for a hike when you get over Tioga Pass, there are nice level walking trails in Toulumne Meadows something like 20 minutes from the pass. Tioga Lake would be a nice stop too further up the road.

 

[meierlde]

Hi

We may do some short walks (1-3 hours) but not what I would call day hikes. We are reasonably fit but our preference is more on the sight seeing. We live in the middle of the alps where we get our fix of mountain scenery!

Whereabouts in Austria are you headed?

One other issue to be aware of is that some places can be at a significant altitude Bryce is for example at 9000 feet. Tioga pass is almost 10k feet also. So depending on the altitude you live at there could be an issue with hiking (Its more of an issue in Colorado, but parts of UT in particular can get high also.)
BTW also from Mammoth there is Devils Postpile National Monument as well. (it is actually west of the crest of the mountains but reached from the east as the planned road from the west was not built as the land it would have gone thru became a wilderness. )

 

[Fedup]

Probably considered the usual tourist haunts: from Munich to Salzburg (3 nights), then to Hallstatt (2), and then Vienna (6). This will be our first visit to Austria which is the final country in our trip. Looking forward to it!

If you don't have much time for a hike when you get over Tioga Pass, there are nice level walking trails in Toulumne Meadows something like 20 minutes from the pass. Tioga Lake would be a nice stop too further up the road.

I saw something about Eagle's nest on atV. Salzburg will be on my list for next trip. I was in Vienna last year.

 

[Fedup]

One other issue to be aware of is that some places can be at a significant altitude Bryce is for example at 9000 feet. Tioga pass is almost 10k feet also. So depending on the altitude you live at there could be an issue with hiking (Its more of an issue in Colorado, but parts of UT in particular can get high also.)
BTW also from Mammoth there is Devils Postpile National Monument as well. (it is actually west of the crest of the mountains but reached from the east as the planned road from the west was not built as the land it would have gone thru became a wilderness. )

My husband seemed to have this issue with high altitude. I'm not sure if the cold and wet weather had any effect or just bad food.

 

[Ronstar]

I've spent some time hiking, taking photos in most of these spots. Some ideas:

Page - Glen Canyon dam, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend

Yosemite - hike Mist trail, bike rental is fun and beats the park traffic

Monterey, Carmel - aquarium, 17 mile drive

LA. - Hollywood tours, Santa Monica pier

San Francisco. - Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Lombard st, Napa/Sonoma

Grand Canyon south rim. - Bright Angel Trail, stay/ dine at the El Tovar

 

[COcheesehead]

My husband seemed to have this issue with high altitude. I'm not sure if the cold and wet weather had any effect or just bad food.

At altitude drink lots of water, not so much booze and take it slow.