Jump to content

Anyone done a road trip - west coast USA?


sazzle

Recommended Posts

Hi

I am planning to spend a couple of weeks on a road trip.

Will start in Las Vegas then get to LA and drive up the coast.

If anyone has done a similar trip i would be grateful for tips on places to say and things to see and do!

Thanks

Sazzle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've done a similar trip, only going the other way. We hired a convertible coupe which added to the whole road-trip feel. We took in the awesome scale of the Yosemite National Park landscape. Death Valley is incredible, there's a hotel in the middle at Stovepipe Wells, with an outdoor pool from where I watched a sandstorm race across the valley. There's an old goldrush ghost town nearby called Bodie which is well worth taking a diversion to see. San Francisco is full of places to see and the Chinese Quarter is full of great restaurants. Hope this helps.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes...


I did 6 weeks driving & climbing in & around that area


The back route to Yosimite National Park via Bishop & Owen's river gorge is memorable ( but maybe because my then wife nearly killed us over a 400ft abseil ) So avoiding the ropes & rocks should see you OK


I remember camping in the middle of nowhere, literally a vaguely marked out rock strewn & empty site on the side of an ancient high glacial plane. A place where you could hear coyote howling, silhouetted against the moon.


A dream of solo camping nowhereness, shattered at 3:00 am by a 40 strong "Dykes on Bikes" Harley Davidson owners club meeting up at our camp ( oh the irony ) site . Lead by the largest Nazi helmut wearing, trike riding, apehanging, leather studded greaser of a girl.


We staggered out of the tent cold & bleary eyed "Ohh Hello" we said , after what else do the English say when being woken up at that time


Though we ended up drinking with them till dawn in a glass sliding "Ye Haa" back country bar; as you do !


We eventually drove back along the Pacific coast highway, which was lovely. Though "Santa Cruz" that famous surf town is in fact a giant sized Californian Littlehampton



Enjoy it though, it's a great adventure



W**F

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've sent a PM of a link for you.

I have been to California many times as I have rellies there, and also done road trips around USA including Las Vagas and the Pacific Coast Highway and so on.

If you can, I would highly recommend trying to find a reason to go down the 395 which is a sort of north/south road inland and through the desert. Las Vegas is such fun, if you're not a gambler! On our road trip Las Vegas gave us some of the most comfy places to stay yet were the second cheapest after Alabama!

Do try and take a helicopter ride if you can stretch to it, and go over the Hoover Dam.

When driving up Pacific Coast Highway visit Big Sur and the Hurst Castle.

I quite like Santa Cruz (and Littlehampton, come to that! Great point though, woofmtd!) and Monterey, but when staying in San Francisco try and take a sea plane ride around it, which is based in Sausalito just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you can, ride the coast north of San Francisco, go into the Redwood forests and see the Sequoias.


Ohh I know you'll have a great time!


Send us photos!


PeckhamRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've done Highway 1 LA to San Fran (including the Big Sur) twice - You Can do it in a day (I did as a skint 18 year old) or spend a couple of days (I did as a less skint 40 year old). In all honetsy one break for a night is probably enough as there's so much to see in the rest of California and you can do it in two days easy with stops. Also drive from LA to SF rather than the other way round for logical reasons to do with views that now escape me. Loads of places to stay all very nice affluent californian towns.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi I did 2 road trips first one was Memphis to Vegas, then last year we went from Memphis, down to Savannah, which was beautiful, then right up to South Dakota, to see Mount Rushmore, what a sight, down to Colorado springs, then on to Momument valley, we did 3000 miles but we saw so much on the road. This year I plan on going to California, on an escorted train trip, finishing in Oregan, and then flying on to Alaska.

Enjoy yours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've driven around California a fair bit and will be there next month for Coachella.


Vegas - I love vegas and have been several times. I don't gamble but there's lots to do. Best people watching on the planet! My favourite place to stay is the MGM Signature (NOT the MGM Grand). I've stayed there twice and would go back.


http://www.signaturemgmgrand.com/Suites/


I have also stayed at the Wynn but wouldn't go back. Basically, I wouldn't stay at a hotel attached to a casino.


I'm a sucker for Cirque du Soleil and my favourite is 'O'.


Go to the Neon Museum - a friend dragged me along - I didn't want to go - but I loved it.


As PeckhamRose says - take the hellicopter tour over the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. It's expensive but you'll never forget it or regret it. DON'T consider driving to the Grand Canyon - you'll just get hot and bothered.


The drive from LV to LA is dull so just put your foot down and get it over with.


LA is not a pretty city and you'll want to get out fast. It helps if you have friends there - I do so I don't mind it so much. The only hotel I will stay at is the Sunset Marquis. It's friendly and I like it.


http://www.sunsetmarquis.com/


This is a hotel in Santa Monica that I've stayed at a few times and I would go back - it's small and very old fashioned.


http://www.embassyhotelapts.com/index.html


The very crazy Madonna Inn is worth a visit


http://www.madonnainn.com/


I've driven to San Fran from LA twice but never on the freeway - just on the coast road (whatever it's called). Definitely go to Hurst Castle. Make sure you book a tour in advance though because they always sell out so don't just rock up and expect to get on a tour.


http://www.hearstcastle.org/


Essential viewing - Citizen Kane - Sunset Boulevard - Sideways - Entourage

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I love LA which puts me in a minority I know - Stay in West Hollywood ideally (on that bit of Sunset between Beverly Hills and Hollywood). Getty Centre, Holocaust Museum, Venice Beach, Beverley Hills tour, Universal Studios, Venice Beach, etc, etc bit of kitsch and culture.


Vegas is great - you've got to do a bit of gambling too. Play $1 table Blackjack and you'll meet some interesting people will be unlucky to lose more than $10 an hour on average and will get 2-3 'free' drinks in that time so probably cheaper than sitting at a bar and far more interesting. Go an see the light show up on Fremont Street where Vegas used to centre around until the 'strip' took over. Why I sort of agree about not staying in a big casinos's hotel as they're massive and a bit souless (although big clean well serviced rooms) they do offer some amazing deals, especially if you stay in the week (no 'batchelor parties')- we stayed in the Alladdin for about $20 per night midweek, get on the internet just before you go or even when you get there for last minute room deals. I'd say Grand Canyon's a must too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Plenty of great advice from everyone. Just wanted to say - as an Angeleno myself - watch your speed on all the highways because our CHP are everywhere in unmarked cars. 70mph tops and sometimes only 65mph on the highways. Also, if you can fly to Vegas, hire a car (convertible) then drive to LA then up HWY 1 to SF and drop off the car in SF and fly out from there it would save you on backtracking a bit. The vineyards above SF (Sonoma and Napa) are also lovely but some extra time.


Have such a great time.

-C



Edited to add - agree with ???? that West Hollywood is fab - Robertson Boulevard has great shops and is where the Ivy is where you're guaranteed to see movie stars (real ones).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah thanks so much everyone for all these tips!!!


I am going to get a big map and start drawing things on it!


Good to know that its best to drive up from LA to SF as the travel agent had offered the other way round saying it was cheaper.


We defo fancied seeing the grand canyon/Hoover Dam so I will look into the helicopter tours, I saw the coach tour takes 24 hours and you only get 2 hours there or something.


Is there a particular car hire company which stands out as better than others?

How safe did you feel in general and leaving things in the car?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes to West Hollywood - it's the best place in LA to stay - I just wanted to reiterate what ???? and Canj said. Here's the link to my favourite LA hotel (Sunset Marquis) again because I really do like staying there (and I'll be there in just a couple of weeks). The bar is well away from the rooms so even on a Saturday night you can go back to your room and get a good night's sleep.


http://www.sunsetmarquis.com/sm_story/story.shtml


Definitely don't consider a coach tour to Grand Canyon. It's a long long drive. The view from the air is breathtaking. Also, if you do the afternoon trip then it will be dark when you return to Vegas and your hellicopter will fly right down the strip before landing - so that's pretty spectacular too at night.


Here's another reason to drive LA/San Fran and not the other way round. I like to take the coast road and sometimes that can get pretty scary (sheer drop down cliff to ocean). So if you're driving on the right you've got another lane of traffic between you and the drop. I know some of you are made of harder stuff and probably find that funny but I remember once driving for about 20 miles North to South and all I could see on my right was a huge drop down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, if we're on to hotel recommendations.... I vote for The Standard in West Hollywood on Sunset. Great hotel and the one in downtown LA has a fabulous roof top pool/bar (but wouldn't want to stay in downtown LA). I've also stayed in The Avalon in Beverly Hills when I moved to London and no longer lived in LA. Nice small hotel with cool, mid century modern decor and (of course) a swimming pool in the middle.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason going south to LA from SF is best because they drive on the right so you're closer to the coast.

I would drive to the Canyon, but then I'm a motorcyclist so it's all good!


I would definitely recommend the north of San Francisco though.

One of my rellies lives in the Sierra foothills.

It's not famous up there but so pretty.


What a well travelled lot we are here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is giving me an itch. What awesome advice from everyone. I've only done a very small trip that combined a long weekend in NY, flew to Vegas for 3 days gambling, then hired a beaten up Winnebago and drove from there across the Mojave desert to Palm Springs for the Coachella festival then flew out of LA. Weirdly all the flights on this open jaw were about the same price as a return to LAX. I remember seeing bullet holes in battered road signs as the sun was setting, and some old Credence on the stereo. Darn....I want to go back!


In fact that would be my tip - take some great road tunes on CD - and go large on the Southern Rock. Very jealous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like ?I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive...? And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: ?Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?? :))
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did SF down to LA last year - it was amazing! Didn't do Vegas, but spent 9 days in SF - if didn't live in London that'd be my first choice of where to live! Monterey is worth a visit for the aquarium if that's your sort of thing, but otherwise a little soulless. We found a great stop off between there and LA called Pismo Beach - tiny place, but we had a motel room which looked directly onto the Pacific, and we could walk straight onto the beach from the hotel - wish we'd been able to have another day there as very relaxing. Great crab restaurant too. Let me know if you want more details!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And do it by motorcycle....


Anecdote time:

Bestest memory was being stopped by CHiP (Californian Highway Patrol) for doing a little over the 50mph.

I saw the lights in the rear view mirror and pulled over and he got out his car and I got off my bike.

He watched.

I pulled off my helmet - I'm female. I also happened to have some makeup on but not tacky-like.

I then opened my mouth and out came my best female version of High Grant accent.

"I am so sorry Officer, I realise I may have been going over the speed limit".

Covering his amusement and shock, a little, he asked me for my documents.

My documents were at the bottom of the rather large bag tied with a hundred bungee cords to the back seat.

I explained this was the case and as I started undoing everything, I told him I had a British passport and British driving licence (they have drivers' licenses, we have driving licenses), and realising this would take some time and that there were rather a lot of speeding car drivers he could be chasing - he said "You take care ma'am and enjoy the rest of your vacation but stay within our limits, yeah?"

"Thank you so much Officer, I shall".


All the way back to LA I could not wipe the grin off my face.


Another place to stop north of San Francisco is GUERNEVILLE. It's a male gay town basically, and as friendly as you could imagine. I went with MrPR and stayed in a fab riverside guest house run by a great couple of guys and absolutely everywhere we went, from the supermarkets and even the gay bars in the evening, we were welcomed warmly. But I think I was the only woman in the town!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...