opnspaces wrote:
I love the idea and know that you guys will have fond memories even if only half of the plan works out. Here's a few ideas I have after reading all the posts.
As will be evidenced below I'm partial to Yosemite. I've been going since I was a child and now my children go with me once a year in spring.
I would go to Yosemite from LAX, it's about a 6 hour drive. When I think if Yosemite I picture it as two separate parks even though it really is only one park. There is high country which is the bulk of the park. It consists of meadows and streams trees and great views. although at that time of year many of the streams will be small or dry. Also the high country is snowed in and closed most of the year and starts opening in June or July. If you go in the summer or early fall the high country is probably the best place to be.
Then there is Yosemite valley which is only about 7 miles long and 1 mile across. Yosemite valley is where you will see all and hear all the waterfalls. There are paved bike trails as well as a free bus system that circles most of the valley. BUT the waterfalls are fed by snow melt and will be mostly dry in the fall. By and large the best time to see Yosemite valley is late March or early April. The temperatures will be mild 68-73F (20-22C) and the waterfalls will be flowing. There are bike rentals in the valley, but honestly the bikes are horrible.
Yellowstone is huge. You could probably spend all two weeks there and feel like you haven't seen it all. Again watch for winter as it will snow.
Grand Canyon... I honestly have never seen it as a huge destination. Yes it's a big amazing looking canyon. But for an RVer I can't imagine it holding more than a day or two days worth of you attention. I would instead consider maybe a trip of Grand Canyon for a day or so and then over to Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. They are about a 4 hour drive from the Grand Canyon.
Go late March to Late April, the crowds are much smaller as our kids are in school. But be aware our school spring breaks stagger around Easter causing higher prices and larger crowds. so late April would be best. You can go early May, but temperatures start to rise and crowds start to grow. By and large the busiest travel season in the US is between Memorial day and Labor day. That is when the kids are out of school for summer.
Figure
1 day flying into LAX plus getting rentals and shopping squared away.
1 day driving to Yosemite Valley (6 hours) and setting up camp.
4 days in the valley riding bikes, looking at waterfalls and such.
1 (11 hours) day driving to Grand Canyon with a stop at Hoover Dam.
(7 days so far)
2 days at Grand Canyon.
2 maybe 3 days at Bryce and Zion national parks.
1 day driving back to Los Angeles
(13 days so far)
probably a day to donate goods and drop off the RV and such.
(14 days)
WOW! Thank you! What a detailed and passionate note! Very much appreciated.
1. Yosemite in April, but not Easter, sounds a must do to put on our voting list!
2. Grand Canyon is a must! It may not be much to you Americans but to us Europeans it is part of America itself as much as Coca-Cola and Harley Davidson. How can we visit the US and not see The Grand Canyon. We may not do it on our first time around but it is a must, sooner or later.
3. Thanks for the dates heads-up!
4. Schedule planning seems perfect! We are going to keep it as the tentative plan, for now. Thank you!
opnspaces wrote:
On other thoughts.
Consider this a trip for the adults. At 2 and 4 the kids really wont remember the trip so make it one the adults want to do.
Yes. Planning will consider our childrens' needs but they certainly will not have a "vote" in the itinerary!
opnspaces wrote:
I believe most rental RV's have the option to also rent bedding and dishes, obviously at an added cost.
We were given heads-up about this and we decided to go with renting privately owned RVs from reliable websites that offer this service plus insurance.
opnspaces wrote:
We are a bit relaxed on driving in the US. You do not need a special license to drive or tow most RV's. Your regular old license will be good enough unless you are renting a HUGE RV which I seriously doubt you would even find to rent.
Check!
opnspaces wrote:
Most of the speed limits you will encounter on your trip will be around 70mph (112kmh) Typically everybody drives 5-8 mph over the limit in the cities and up to 15 mph in the open country. That being said I would keep it to 5-8 mph over, anything higher is just inviting an unfortunate stop from law enforcement.
Being Italians this will be the hardest advice to follow... Our fellow Italians will look at us with scorn if we don't get arrested for speeding at least once! Jokes apart, I was arrested in Georgia in 1985 for speeding on a rented open Corvette while chasing 2 pretty girls that I had just met at the Gold Club in Atlanta... At that time I was studying marketing at the Coca-Cola Company School for Marketing and I remember my mother's embarrassment and reprimands and my father's (private) compliments and pride that I got arrested doing two very Italian things: chasing girls and speeding! LOL... (I apologise to the moderators if I am not allowed to go OT on these matters).
Now I have a daughter so I will behave... promised!
opnspaces wrote:
It would probably be easier to buy 4 bikes, but the problem is getting rid of them after the trip is over. Same thought for a bike rack. Then again it might be cheaper to buy bikes and a rack and abandon them at the end than to rent them. I would look at Walmart.com or Target.com, (two of the largest retailers in the US) for bikes. You can pick up a 4 bike rack at Target for around $130 Make sure the rack fits a 2 inch receiver, don't buy the one that fits both 1 and 2 inch receivers as the adapter can be flimsy. Obviously you would want to physically visit the stores to purchase though you can usually do a purchase on the website with a ship to store option to pick the stuff up. The great thing about the internet is you can just search for a local charity center (also called thrift shop) to donate the bikes and carrier to as you get back to Los Angeles. These are typically run by Salvation Army, Goodwill and a large host of local churches and such.
This is a very good idea. We checked online and prices are not that crazy. I am sure that we can find a church that can use some extra bikes and the rack we can leave to the RV owner.
opnspaces wrote:
On top of mileage, rentals also typically have additional charges for running the generator and opening the awning.
Check.
opnspaces wrote:
Don't forget Los Angeles is huge (3 hours to drive South to North on a good day) with a host of attractions. The kids are probably a bit young, but a day trip to Disneyland in Anaheim would possibly be a good must see.
One wife suggested it and it is in our check list.
opnspaces wrote:
Good luck with the planning, I would love to visit Europe some day as you have a much longer history than we do.
True. But it is getting destroyed by our politicians so you better hurry! If you ever come, let us know, we live in the South of Italy, in Naples.
