Advise on upcoming California tour

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Translation from Amlish to English:

Gas = petrol  ;D
 
We were intending to stop in Vegas for one night as a stopover on the the way to the Grand Canyon, we were looking to stay at one of the RV parks right near the strip and then use public transport, but after reading some of the comments I'm getting a bit nervous now as I think I may have vastly underestimated my times from place to place, due to difficult terrain and volume of traffic.

I was hoping to stop at the Hoover Dam on route to the Grand Canyon but have read that this can also take a long time due to volume of traffic and security checks.

The other thing that is now playing on my mind is the Tioga Pass, I am not too concerned about driving up it but I am a bit worried about the trip back down again.

I have a couple of alternative routes now planned in case things look like they may get tricky.

Firstly I may do Tahoe Lake and approach Yosemite from the East as planned, if it looks a bit tricky to come back that way I may leave from the west and follow the national parks through Sierra, Kings Canyon & Sequoia, forgetting Vegas & the Grand Canyon, then picking up Joshua Tree and working a route around LA to the coast.

I never really plan to drive the RV in any city centre traffic, I always try and skirt round the outside and park up where we intend to stay, the same will apply when we return to San Francisco, we did the same thing in Vancouver last year and it seemed to work really well.

The other alternative is to forget Lake Tahoe and approach & leave Yosemite from the West and follow the route above.

 
Didn't mean to scare you regarding Tioga Pass; You'll be fine, but be sure not to ride the brakes on the way down (either side). Shift into a low gear at the top, and don't worry if there are cars behind you. Use the brakes occasionally to correct your speed, and that will avoid overheating and eventual brake fade.

Don't skip Tahoe!
 
If you were to fly into Las Vegas, rental cars are available at the airport (a short distance from the Strip) and Hoover Dam is only 30 miles away.

Through traffic no longer crosses the dam, there's a new bridge across the canyon immediately to it's south. You won't see much while driving across the bridge, the roadbed is considerably higher than the crest of the dam and they intentionally blocked the view with high sidewalls to avoid driver distraction.  But you can park at the west end and walk across for a full view.

Entry and exit to the dam is through a security checkpoint on the Nevada side.  Cars are usually sent through without too much of a delay, but if you bring an RV it will be inspected before you're allowed to proceed.  The visitor center and main parking garage are on the Nevada side, but an RV won't fit in the garage so you'll have to drive across the dam and park on the Arizona side, then walk back.
 
Just thought I would let you all know that I am now back from the US and the RV trip was great, thank you all for your help and advice.

As most of you mentioned I was trying to do an awful lot in a real short space of time and you certainly weren't wrong, here is a brief run down of how things went, for anyone who is interested.

Lake Tahoe was amazing and I was a bit disappointed that I didn't allow my self more time there, as I would have loved to have driven around the whole lake but there was a cycle race on and I turned around part way in as every corner had a cyclist and it wasn't much fun for them or me.

I never actually got to drive Tioga pass as my sat nave sent me up Highway 4 and to be totally honest I found that such a scary drive, I am not great with heights, that I didn't want to drive down Tioga Pass a couple of days later so I changed my route to stay on the west of the mountains as the roads seemed a little easier.

On the plus side I did get to see Kings Canyon and Seqotia, before heading to Vegas. I missed out Death Valley and Grand Canyon but did see the Grand Canyon by helicopter on a flight from Vegas, which I am told is one of the best ways to see it. We took in the Hoover Dam (amazing) and dropped down to Lake Havasu city before heading to LA through Joshua Tree park, which I thought was a really nice National Park.

LA is absolutely crazy with traffic, as I was warned, it took us 4hrs to get from 40 miles east of the city to Highway 1, there was an accident but even so every road we tried was absolutely rammed.

Highway 1 was fantastic and we stopped at Big Sur which was gorgeous, I wished I had allowed myself another day there, we then headed in to San Francisco for a couple of days, that's a beautiful city.

So as I mentioned I am back and now clear of jet lag and have started planning next years trip and would welcome any advice you could give, I have three potential ideas but would welcome any others, if you have them.

1. Into Seattle, or similar, and tour Yellowstone and surrounding parks
2. East coast maybe starting in New York and up to Niagra Falls, after that who knows?
3. Back to Canada, which I did last year, and maybe take in Victoria and a ferry up to Prince George area, has anyone done this? (I know this is technically in the wrong area)

I would be looking to cut the mileage back to about 800 miles per week and either do 2 or 3 weeks, as mentioned any advice would be welcome.

Thanks

Gary
 
Fly into Phoenix in the spring or fall. Go back and do Grand Canyon right, on the ground. Hang out a couple of days in Flagstaff and visit Walnut Canyon, Wupatki, and Sunset Volcano, interesting NPS sites in the area. Drive up into SW Colorado and visit Mesa Verde and Hovenweep. Drive the Million Dollar road (spectacular in fall). Wander across southern Utah....more there than you can see in years so sample bits and pieces and stay long where you find something you love. Zip down to Vegas and then back to Phoenix. About 1300 miles mileage with some of the best scenery you'll find anywhere.


Wendy
Cortez Colorado
 
THat certainly looks interesting, I think Zion National Park is on the way back to Phoenix? I forgot to mention, we would probably go in June next year, not sure if that makes much of a difference, also couldn't see a Million Dollar Road near that route on google maps?
 
Zion would be on the route. Bryce could be, too, if you wanted it and had time. And if you had time to kill (not likely), you could toss in Moab.


Sorry, Million Dollar Highway is Highway 550 in Colorado from Durango to Ouray. There's a great loop drive, Cortez-Durango-Silverton-Ouray-Ridgway-Telluride-Cortez. It's a spectacular drive with drop-dead scenery. Pretty anytime of the year, but spectacular in fall.


June would be a nice time for the trip although it would be getting a bit toasty in Phoenix and Las Vegas. But the rest of the trip would be nice. And you could drive straight from Phoenix to Flagstaff to get out of the heat quickly.


You could also start/end the trip in Las Vegas if the airfares and RV rental were better prices.


Wendy
 
I know this is a late response, but if you decide to come to the Pacific Northwest, start a new thread. There is a lot of scenery per square meter here, and plenty to do -- both city stuff and natural! I'm glad you enjoyed your California trip.
 
I would definitely recommend the Seattle plan. The pacific Northwest is breathtakingly beautiful, the people are nice, and there is plenty to see. I would do Seattle and Portland, but drive down the WA/OR coast. I have been a lot of places in this country, but that stretch of coastline if by far the prettiest. Portland is nice, because there is a ton to do, and they have EXCELLENT public transportation to anywhere you would want to go. :)
 
Thank you for all your responses.

I have decided to go for the Seattle plan, the flights booked and I can't wait, although I now have to work out which actual route I will be taking, there are so many to choose from.
I do fancy doing the coastal road, as I enjoyed it from LA to San Francisco, but I also want to do Crater Lake, Mt St Helens & Yellowstone, Glacier and possibly Mount Rushmore, but that might be pushing it.

I do feel a bit bad though as I will be doing it in a car from motel to motel, not an RV :0(
I managed to get a free flight with my airmiles and they gave me a great rate on car hire, so it just worked out as a great deal and it seemed mad not to, I will definitely be back RV'ing the year after though!
 
Where and when will you be arriving?
Timing is everything on the Oregon/Washington coast. If you can, make a reservation in the Willamette valley somewhere, and then let the weather "blow you" in the proper direction. Same goes for Washington, pick an out of the way spot that is not too far. Olympia, for example.
If it is good run for the coast and enjoy it. If not, it is a reasonable drive to Sisters, Bend, Crater Lake and the like. It is rare to see rain both east and west of the Oregon and Washington Cascades.
I find that making hard reservations for Friday and Saturday is a must, but the rest of the week let that weather take you where it is best. Unless it is a festival or something you can get a room Sunday~Thursday without too much trouble.
 
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