Where should we go on our first trip to US west coast.

March 9, 2017 12:38 PM

My wife and I are flying to Los Vegas from Ireland for a weekend event in mid May. We plan to hire a car in Los Vegas and make our way to San Francisco from where we fly home two weeks later. It's the first and probably last time we will be in this part of the world. What route do you recommend we should take and where should we visit?

We'd prefer to concentrate on a few places rather than trying to see everything. One obvious route is to drive to LA and the up the coast. Is this the best plan?
We both like long drives, visiting small interesting towns and spending our evenings in friendly bars with good live music (any genre), but I'm open to any suggestions

posted by night_train to Travel & Transportation around United States (37 answers total)

From Vegas to SanFran, 100% go through death valley. Stay at one of the Furnace Creek hotels.
posted by H. Roark at 12:44 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Sequoia National Park is my favorite thing in California. You can't see anything like those trees anywhere else. They are incredible. Definitely worth the trip.

I've also always wanted to stay at the Madonna Inn (click through and look at the pictures of all the rooms!) but I haven't made it there yet.
posted by something something at 12:46 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

If it were me, I'd go to Monterey, Carmel, and Santa Cruz. With that much time, I'd probably also try to hit Yosemite.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

The coast route is not a bad plan, and there a number of nice towns along the coast.

If you're more interested in forest, mountains and nature, you could also go through Death Valley, then up Highway 395 to Yosemite and/or Lake Tahoe stopping in Bodie along the way.

Death Valley will be very, very hot in mid-May.

Would agree with kevinbelt that even if it's out of your way, Yosemite (and Lake Tahoe) are worth a 3 day diversion.
posted by cnc at 12:54 PM on March 9, 2017

I would return the car before staying in SF.
posted by brujita at 12:55 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Monterey

definitely make a side trip to see the coast around there and Big Sur
posted by thelonius at 1:04 PM on March 9, 2017

Sadly Highway 1 is closed indefinitely around Big Sur due to mudslides so wherever you go, don't plan on going there. It's been closed for over a month and while it may be open by then, it may not be. One of the bridges on hwy 1 has also collapsed near Big Sur. Luckily there's lots more to see. Maybe stick on 101 from Santa Barbara to Salinas and then backtrack a bit to Monterey.
posted by GuyZero at 1:13 PM on March 9, 2017 [11 favorites]

Davis, California! It's a college town, this is a popular bar with music. I have lots of opinions about Davis if you decide to stop in there. You can catch the train up from the bay area (or take I-80 in your car or bike or &c).
posted by aniola at 1:38 PM on March 9, 2017

- Think about doing a detour to see the Grand Canyon. It's a couple hours out of the way, but one of those "once in a lifetime" things.

- Definitely go to Yosemite/Tahoe, though check the weather first. I also have a real soft spot for the area around Nevada City, it's just so beautiful and makes me feel like I'm in a Joni Mitchell song. Monterey/Big Sur is also a must-do.
posted by lunasol at 1:40 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

There is so much snow this year that I don't think Tioga Pass will be open in May so I wouldn't plan on accessing Yosemite from the east. Here's a list of opening dates; 2011 was the last snowy year before the drought. It is incredible though and really worth a visit. Driving up 395 and through Tahoe should be fine although it will probably still be pretty snowy around Tahoe in May; the peaks have gotten over 50 feet of snow so far this year. I think driving-wise it should be ok but you might need to rent snowshoes if you want to do any high-elevation hiking. It is very pretty here though. Here's a listing of live music events around Reno/Tahoe.

Agreed that Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Davis also sound like towns you might like. The Madonna Inn is super fun if you like kitschy over the top stuff.
posted by carolr at 1:49 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park are fun for some beautiful landscape and great mid-century architecture. I've done a day of short hikes and driving through the park while staying in Palm Springs.
posted by quince at 1:51 PM on March 9, 2017 [4 favorites]

Just FYI: your trip overlaps with Bay To Breakers in San Francisco (Sunday May 21st.) It's a very popular race across the city that people camp up a lot (running in costumes, drinking, etc--I've heard it described, humorously but sort of accurately, as "straight pride.") You may or may not want to see it, but know that it will likely affect traffic and public transit in San Francisco on that day.
posted by needs more cowbell at 2:09 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Keep an eye on that Big Sur Hwy closure - to me, Big Sur is best thing in California.

I like that whole Central Coast area, we go there a lot . Morro Rock is worth a visit if you're in the area, staying in Cambria is really nice, Hearst Castle is worth the visit. I really do not like Monterey very much myself for various reasons - I'd much rather spend time in any of the smaller towns nearby - but most people do find the Aquarium worthwhile. I like Santa Cruz and little towns near that. Honestly, most of the Coast is excellent, with only a few exceptions.

I might structure it like this: few days in LA. Maybe one just stay in one or two place and explore from there, don't try to do too much. There's a lot of good food and some areas are really pleasant, if you're not fighting traffic the whole time. The Getty is worth visiting. The whole Malibu, Topanga Canyon area is pretty. One trip, we went to a show at the Hollywood Bowl (and stayed in Los Feliz Lodge), which was lovely.

From LA, drive 101 to San Louis Obispo or Paso Robles and then stay some days in Cambria. From there, explore the Central Coast area - there are wineries and hikes and beaches and Hearst Castle. If there aren't road closures, maybe go into Big Sur for at least one overnight, then maybe an overnight or 2 in Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz there's lots more to see in that area: hiking, beaches, the Monterey Aquarium, etc.

Then from there to SF. You could spend as long or as little as you like in SF, but it's not too difficult to get to a lot of the other places mentioned above from SF. Nearby, you could go up Hwy 1 to Marin/Pt Reyes Seashore, or even up as far as Mendocino (at that point, it's 4 hours+ away if you're on Hwy 1). You could go up 101 into Sonoma Valley (I much prefer Sonoma to Napa for casual wine tasting.) I love Hwy 128 between Cloverdale and Hwy 1 near Mendo, so it's a good round trip from SF in either direction.

So, to me, I'm a coast person and a little towns person and not so much a mountains and national parks person. So I would do a much of the Coast as possible and forego Yosemite, Tahoe and Sequoia for a different trip focused on the Sierra. All of these are great great, for sure, but they require more effort and car time and then at least Yosemite and Tahoe are a little bit of a production to arrange. So I'd rather just be spending that time on the not-necessarily-world-class attractions like boardwalk on Moonstone beach or the Mendocino bluffs or Anderson Valley/.
posted by vunder at 2:18 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

If you want to move in from the coast a very short distance, there are two highways connecting the towns of Santa Cruz and Los Gatos: 17 and 9. Highway 9 is the slower of the two, but by far the more beautiful. As a bonus, there's a state park along 9 called Henry Cowell State Park that has an old redwood grove...just as impressive as the one in Muir Woods park in SF, and a lot less busy.

Somewhere around there is Wilder Ranch State park...this looks like nothing from the parking lot. A bunch of cultivated fields given over to some low-growing crop. But if you follow the hiking trail about a mile or two, it arrives at some cliff tops with a spectacular view of the ocean. We walked it around Easter, and saw several whales (albeit at a distance).

Somewhere off highway 35, close to the Los Gatos end, there's a couple of wineries, Byington and David Bruce, that both specialize in Pinot Noirs and have tasting rooms and gorgeous grounds.
posted by Ipsifendus at 2:21 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

And you really could structure a very nice Southern California-only trip, as well. You could spend a little time in Laguna Beach for example, spend some time hiking in San Diego County, go to Catalina, see some of the interesting parts of LA.

I have to say, though, Davis is a nice town and all, but I can't imagine any reason to go out of your way to go there above anywhere else? I'm not even sure I would choose it over Sacramento for a quick overnight on the way to Tahoe. At least in Sacto you could go to the train museum and the capitol.
posted by vunder at 2:25 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

When you're in Vegas, make sure you have a full tank of gas and drive up through Death Valley to see the slightly smaller super bloom this year (flowers! in the desert!). Then head north to Big Pine. Drive NE past Black Mountain, then take a left on White Mountain Road to the Bristlecone ancient pine forest. These are some of the oldest trees in the world. The views are gorgeous. Then, head back down, and drive up north to Bishop, the most striking place in California. Enjoy the views and the little local deli. Then, head up 395 to Lee Vining, take a look at Mono Lake for some cool birds, and head west to explore Yosemite.
posted by ball00000ns at 2:44 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Please keep in mind that there have been incredible amounts of snow in the Sierras this year. In mid-May Tioga pass (Lee Vining to Yosemite) will still be under snow. As of February the snow pack is at 190% of normal.

To quote the NPS:

The Tioga Road closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June. The road closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to Tioga Pass Entrance Station. (Highway 120, the continuation of the Tioga Road outside the park, is often closed in winter from Tioga Pass to five miles west of Lee Vining.)
posted by gyusan at 2:53 PM on March 9, 2017

This is a good map of road closures and estimates to when they'll be open. Much of route 1 in Big Sur is currently closed due to mud slides, but most are estimated to be cleared and the road open in the next couple of weeks. The Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge is going to be closed until November, though, which complicates driving all the way north on 1, because there just aren't a whole lot of roads going east from 1 and you'd have to backtrack quite a long way.

(Please note as well that two of the roads into Yosemite (when coming from the West) are closed; the only way in right now is Hwy 49.)
posted by rtha at 3:09 PM on March 9, 2017

Yosemite National Park should be great in May, especially when the ice is melting and waterfalls are at its peak.
posted by WizKid at 3:51 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

First stop out of Vegas has to be the Canyon. It is one of the very few things on this Earth that lives up to the hype. However big you think it is, it's bigger than that. Even if you take into account that it's going to be bigger than you expect it to be, it's going to be bigger than *that*.

It's one of those things that you won't miss if you don't do it because the only way to know what you would have missed is to go there.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 5:07 PM on March 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

Davis would be a huge waste of time, in my opinion. It's in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing to see or do that you couldn't see/do elsewhere.
posted by désoeuvrée at 5:32 PM on March 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

I would see the Grand Canyon. And then go through Death Valley and up the east side of the Sierras so you can see the bristlecone pines - even if you have to take 395 up to Truckee before you can get across the mountains. Then swoop around the Bay Area south to Monterey and environs - specifically the park at Pt Lobos - and then up the (short) patch of coast to hike or stroll among some coast redwoods and Half Moon Bay before you wind up in SF.
posted by janell at 6:02 PM on March 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

Sorry to pile on but the Grand Canyon is so insanely big
posted by czytm at 8:07 PM on March 9, 2017

It would be a shame to be that close to the Hoover Dam and not visit. Tours fill up quickly though. I do recommend one.
posted by Automocar at 8:34 PM on March 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

Whole Earth Fest in Davis is mid-May. Happens every year, huge event, lots of fun.

I guess there's Winters (like 10 miles west) if you're looking more for touristy small town than college small town.
posted by aniola at 9:57 PM on March 9, 2017

Picnic in the Park (Wednesdays in Davis) is another memorable Davis experience with live music.
posted by aniola at 10:01 PM on March 9, 2017

Response by poster: Many thanks for all the thoughtful answers. I'm looking forward to spending an evening pouring over maps and marking the great suggestions made here.
posted by night_train at 1:19 AM on March 10, 2017

The Grand Canyon, Sequoia National Park, and Redwood National Park, three of the most amazing spots on earth! When my best Italian friend came to the States I took her to all those places and it was soooo worth it, and so much more amazing than any cultural thing or city stuff (and I'm a city person). You have plenty of fun cities in Europe, art treasures, coastlines, the Alps etc, but this may be your only chance to see a sequoia. They are boggling and holy and mind blowing.
posted by hungrytiger at 1:47 AM on March 10, 2017 [3 favorites]

I was in that part of the world over Xmas. I really enjoyed the Hoover Dam. If you stay in Death Valley, I recommend Stovepipe Wells over Furnace Creek - more basic and much cheaper but less theme-parky. We did a 4-hour guided jeep tour with these guys and it was super interesting.
posted by corvine at 2:47 AM on March 10, 2017

2nding Santa Cruz as a lovely town to stop in. And Joshua Tree too, if you like the extraterrestrial landscape vibe.

If you are in L.A. on a friday, you might like going to the outdoors Jazz at LACMA . (Scroll down.) They have good bands and the scene is really nice; the large courtyard between museum buildings fills with colorfully dressed jazz fans, many on the grassy spots with picnic baskets and blankets. There's a bar too.
posted by bertran at 5:20 AM on March 10, 2017

If you stop in Santa Cruz, do go up to the University of California campus there; it's like a college in the forest. Quite something.
posted by bertran at 5:57 AM on March 10, 2017

2nding Joshua Tree, this rental in the desert is awesome. A drive through the park is recommended too. If you like the cool daddy Palm Springs vibe Ray Bradbury's house is also up for rent.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:10 AM on March 10, 2017

The natural world of the West is unique and way more interesting than the cities of the West in my opinion, but that depends on what you're into. The problem is there is a lot of open space and long driving distances involved. A lot of the interesting stuff is not on that route.

The drive between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is extremely dull, although flying is not any quicker. Your plan in general involves a potential for a lot of time in traffic. I'm not trying to discourage you, but if you want to see LA and SF just know going in that traffic is going to be part of it and take it in stride.

So, long distances with little in between (it's not like the South with small towns every few feet) and heavy traffic in bigger cities make it difficult to see a lot. You could also consider in your plans what you'd really like to see and think about flying to different places. If you wanted to see other parts of the West you can fly from Vegas really cheap in many cases. Tucson, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Santa Fe, you could fly to many of those places, drive around all you want, then catch a flight to SF if you want to end up there.
posted by bongo_x at 11:25 AM on March 10, 2017

Hello from San Francisco! I came to echo just how wet (near sea level) and snowy (at elevation) this year has been. As the seasons progress, thawing snow and plow works will undoubtedly reveal a lot of infrastructural problems in the Sierras. Then again, there is so much beauty in those mountains that it will be very much worth it to check on things as your travel dates get nearer. Yosemite, King's Canyon, Lake Tahoe, Hetch Hetchy reservoir, the list is unending.

The wet year means that the desert will bloom profoundly. This has already started, and will largely be finished by May, but keep that in mind as you drive (Antelope Valley outside of Los Angeles will look like this soon). Joshua Tree National Park is a bit out of your way, but well worth a visit if you can spare the time. I assume you'll be taking the long stretch of Interstate 15 heading out of Vegas, so you'll find no shortage of traveler recommendations along that route.

If you plan to swing through Los Angeles, I would encourage you to take the coastal route north as far as you can. As others have mentioned, the very impressive Big Sur section of Highway 1 / Pacific Coast Highway is closed or I'd suggest you take that route the entire distance between LA and SF. Instead, you can drive from Los Angeles through Malibu, Santa Barbara, and leave the coast at San Luis Obispo; after bypassing the coastal highway closure by driving the length of the Salinas Valley, you'll pop back out on the coast at Monterey/Santa Cruz, and you can take the coast all the way up to SF from there. That route (here's a sample map) would give you the chance to taste some delicious food and wine, especially in the Santa Ynez Valley region (the Hitching Post II in Buellton is a personal favorite), but there are gems here and there the entire length (like Cafe Brasil in Santa Cruz). I have lived in California for a decade and, without a doubt, the coastal drive between LA and SF is still the most striking thing about this place. If you do this drive, do as much of it as possible during the day!

If you do go through LA, I highly recommend skipping the freeways as much as possible. They have a tendency to make one hate indiscriminately. Take surface streets when you can, but also take the many scenic routes. I highly recommend taking the Angeles Crest Highway across the San Gabriel Mountains that form the eastern backdrop to the city. Coming from the east, you'll end up in Pasadena, very close to central, downtown LA. Just remember: fuel up your car in Wrightville before you make the 60-ish mile trip (it's mountain wilderness, no gas stations)!

Feel free to say hi when you get here if you're in need of a cocktail after all that driving. Enjoy your trip!
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 11:42 AM on March 10, 2017

If I were doing this trip I would traverse Valley of Fire state park have lunch in mesquite Nevada, continue to Hurricane Utah helicopter tour of Zion, Utah state hi-way 21 Great Basin Lehman cave US93 to Pioche Nevada. then Nevada 375 extra terrestrial hi-way US6 Tonopah Nevada mining park and museum. US 95 to Beatty Nv.Scotty's Castle road into Death Valley Ca. Panamint Springs SR 190 to US395 to Ca 178 Walker Pass Kern River Canyon Bakersfield Ca. SR33 to Coalinga 198 to SR25 the airline Highway Pinnacles NP on the way to San Jose. Because you said you like driving .
This is the most beautiful way I know that avoids roads with heavy traffic enjoy your trip .
posted by hortense at 1:25 PM on March 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

N'thing the Grand Canyon, and 2nd'ing Zion National Park. Utah has some amazing scenery.
posted by msittig at 7:36 PM on March 10, 2017

I also suggest hire a camper van instead of a car .
posted by hortense at 5:28 AM on March 11, 2017