West coast 3 week trip

[emersoncole2]

First timers so hubby is wanting to weigh out all options .. We have middle aged schooled children and taking 3 weeks in 2014 oft and niov to consider west coast !! Top 5 choices to stay and be able to tour and visit .. I def am wanting to check out Big Sur and the redwood forest and Grand Canyon ... Any ideas or experiences ??

[jmtandem]

A couple of observations.

You will likely be tight on time. It is easy to spend a week or more in California and not see much of it. The Pacific coast is not like the Gulf of Mexico. The cliffs, beaches, rocks and shoreline are worth the time to get to the coast and spend time at it. Second. California is huge. Driving distances can be long. It might be better to fly to California and rent and spend the requisite time where you want to be not two of the three weeks getting to and from where you want to visit. Other things or places to see in California is a dormant volcano at Lassen, Death Valley, Sequoia, Yosemite, Alcatraz in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Big Sur/Monterey and maybe some of the 49er gold rush towns if your family is into that history.

[Busskipper]

emersoncole2 wrote:
First timers so hubby is wanting to weigh out all options .. We have middle aged schooled children and taking 3 weeks in 2014 oft and niov to consider west coast !! Top 5 choices to stay and be able to tour and visit .. I def am wanting to check out Big Sur and the redwood forest and Grand Canyon ... Any ideas or experiences ??

Answer from a similar post, they had a lot more time but were looking for the same thing "The West";

Busskipper wrote:

steveh2112 wrote:
hi, i'm a total newbie to RVing and want to cross country on a 6 month trip stating late March next year.

we'll be starting from the SF Bay Area. its me, my wife and 13 year old daughter. they are both Thai and never seen the US before so it should be pretty exciting for them. plus i want to see some places i haven't seen before like the north and east USA.

My broad stroke plan is:
SF
Yosemite
Mono Lake if Tioga pass open, else south through Fresno
Las Vegas
Grand Canyon
Colorado Rockies
Yellowstone
Rushmore
Devils Tower
Chicago
DC
NY (upstate and finally NYC)

i'd sell the RV at the end of the trip (not sure what's involved in selling an out of state RV yet, need to check into that).

Then we'd fly home to Thailand

so, where should I aim for along this route that isn't a massive detour? i'd like to see Crater Lake Oregon but can really fit they in to this trip, but i'm sure there are a lot of excellent RVable places along that general route.

thanks, steve

Look over these sites for ideas,

http://www.cross-country-trips.com/

http://www.pbase.com/sparker1/root%26view=tree

http://lakeshoreimages.com/2012trip001.html

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26349709/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1

You will need to look over these sites and determine your STYLE and the LOCATIONS you NEED to SEE.

These are all very successful trips, but they are all completely different.

When you are able to be more specific WE will be able to give you answers to your questions, but as it is now, it's just a shot in the dark.

JMHO,

BOL,

BOL

[D_E_Bishop]

If I remember correctly STLNLUV, Denali is the highest peak in the USA and North America. Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the coterminous USA. And about 125 miles East of Mt Whitney is the lowest point in No America in Death Valley, CA. All three are great attractions but AK may be a streach in 3 weeks.

[MarkTwain]

First timers so hubby is wanting to weigh out all options .. We have middle aged schooled children and taking 3 weeks in 2014 oft and niov to consider west coast !! Top 5 choices to stay and be able to tour and visit .. I def am wanting to check out Big Sur and the redwood forest and Grand Canyon ... Any ideas or experiences ??

General overall thoughts-- From Gulf Springs to San Francisco round trip is 4880 miles
1. Total vacation days 21
2. Total travel days round trip 12 days based on driving 6 hrs. per day @ 60MPH, not including fuel and potty stops. Staying only 1 night at the end of the each day as you drive out to just get to the Calif. coast will take a toll on you and the family's stress and energy levels.
3. Total sight seeing days 9 left.
Yes, the trip can be done but you have to decide if trying to squeeze this great trip in such a short period of time is what you really want to do.
Other alternatives,
1. Fly out to the west coast , rent an RV so you can explore the Ca. coast at a more leisurely and enjoyable pace. Then drive the RV to the Grand Canyon. Drop the RV off in Phoenix and catch a plane home from their Airport.
2. Do just the Calif. coast trip this time and save Grand Canyon for your next RV trip.
Have a great trip:) what ever you decide.

[chris3403]

I'll 2nd the "follow the PCH as far north as you can, you will will not be disappointed" comment. We did a 8,621 mile RT from Louisville, KY to Seattle WA earlier this summer and already making plans to go back.
If you make it to the Giant Redwoods area; halfway between the Redwoods and Eureka CA is a RV campground called Elk Country RV Resort. Sure isn't a resort but good WIFI. Sites are basically in a field but there is a huge Elk herd that frequents the park. Back in 2006 wife and I were driving down 101 and we looked over and there in the park were close to 150 ELk. We didn't have our RV with us at the time but I said if we ever came through that area again with it I would sure stop and spend the night. We did but the Elk didn't enter the park that night, they did 2 days before according to 1 lady. However I did spot 5 Elk across the road right at dark.
We took 101 all the way up to Newport and then over to Portland. Beautiful country.

[STLNLUV]

The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably the most scenic road in all of America. Don't travel that far and miss it.

Absolutely a must!

There are so many nice places to choose from but a must see and at least a two night stay is in Yosemite but advance reservations (6mo min) are necessary. My preferred route is up HWY395 (past Mt. Whitney, highest peak in North America) to HWY120 west, thru the mountains into Yosemite from the North/West. Haven't done it since the big fire this last August. Then I'd shoot to the coast on HWY 152 to Salinas and do the 17 mile drive thru Monterey and visit Big Sur. Take the Pacific Coast Hwy thru Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a redwood state park north of Santa Cruz but the best Giant Redwoods are 200mi north. You're probably pressed for time at this stage and you can jump on I80 and head east. If you have more time, follow the PCH as far north as you can, you will not be disappointed.

Have a safe trip.

[linnemj]

We just returned from a 9 week trip out west from Mississippi.

If you let us know what type of campgrounds (national, state, KOA, ect) you like and activities your family enjoys I am sure you will get some good ideas.

We found late September this year getting chilly at night in Yosemite and higher elevations.

[jmtandem]

First timers so hubby is wanting to weigh out all options .. We have middle aged schooled children and taking 3 weeks in 2014 oft and niov to consider west coast !! Top 5 choices to stay and be able to tour and visit .. I def am wanting to check out Big Sur and the redwood forest and Grand Canyon ... Any ideas or experiences ??

The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably the most scenic road in all of America. Don't travel that far and miss it.

[emersoncole2]

Leaving gulf shores in mid October thru mid November

[Sloop_Smitten]

What time of year? If the summer you probably want to stick to the mountains or the coast. Maybe a trip to the Grand Canyon, up though Utah and into Wyoming to visit Yellowstone. Loop back though South Dakaota (Badlands, Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills, etc.) and back to Alabama. If you definitely want to do Big Sur you probably want to head due west and work your way up California. Stay on the coast. It gets awful hot in the summer in the inner valley. Maybe hit Yellowstone and the Black Hills on the way home. Boy, thats' a lot of miles!

[RetSgt7114]

Where are you starting from, Gulf Shores Alabama?