The tipping me over the edge road trip

[anwad]

Hi all
Complete newbie to this side (feel like a deserter ) but we are finally getting plans together for Summer 2017 - and already my head is turning to mush!

Firstly the cast - which has changed in the three days that planning has been underway

Dawn (me) 21 + 31 Obsessive planner, worrier and extreme stresshead. Lover of Disney, sunshine and holidays in general - isn't that the only reason we go to work? Stateside holidays consist of 4 times to Orlando and once to Vegas

Tracy (aka Widow Twanky) (OH) 49. Just leaves me to get on with it. Serious OCD and low tolerance threshold. As long as she can access laundry products and white goods we should get through it okay. Stateside holidays same as mine.

Alison (SiL) 48. Party animal and likes to get involved in the planning to an extent but leaves the donkey work to me (and then tries to butt in afterwards )

Simon (BiL) 45. Odd - very, very odd. As tight as a ducks a**e and odd. We got on fine with him. It's just his wife that doesn't

Thomas (Nephew) 13. Will need to be surgically removed from all his technology before we leave. There are plans afoot to throw his phone from PCH - to be honest I think he would probably dive in after it!

Rita (aka Madwoman) 69 - but thinks she is nearly 100. Hypochondriac, self centred and lover of all things funeral. We have a love/hate relationship - but to be fair she is usually more amenable on holiday as she is surrounded by people all the time so doesn't have to create dramas for attention (and this is me being positive about her )

Up until this morning there was another family of 4 coming with us (Thomas' friend and family). However, they have decided that finances are against them so are backing out which is a shame.

THE PLAN
3 weeks in August starting from San Francisco

Will fly into San Francisco and spend 4 nights - going to rent a house/apartment. No major plans apart from night tour of Alcatraz

Pick up rental car and drive down PCH. Stop one night in an Inn at Monterey and possibly go on a whale watching trip from there.

1 night in Santa Barbara

On to Los Angeles and we want to stop 4 nights in a house. Go to one of the beaches, do US and other touristy things

6 nights in Palm Beach, again in a home. We want somewhere to relax, chill around the pool and take some time out but still have things to visit if we want

Then onto Vegas for our last port of call. 5 nights in a villa before we head for home. This last part may change as SiL would like to stay at the Belaggio again and we would like to stay at the Wynn again - so will look at costs. Some of us have done the Grand Canyon and other stuff before but I would like to go on a shooting range and will see what the others want to do.

Pricing flights up for this summer to get an idea - looking about £700 each at the minute but I have seen them cheaper than that. Cost of accommodation is working out about £700 each for the 21 nights and that is with nice rental properties. Nothing set in stone yet but will update as and when things get booked (although we have to pay the balance on a holiday to Cuba for this summer and Orlando for Christmas, so I may have to sell a vital organ - obviously one of Tracy's, not mine )

Thanks for reading and any tips are gratefully received

[Merligan]

Sounds fab, will look forward to more updates,

X

[hawki]

I'm thinking of a similar plan for 2017 too, where are you planning on flying from for San Fransisco? I want to go from Manchester.

[anji]

Sounds great and similar to the trip we did. We stayed the night at Death Valley between Palm Springs and Vegas at Furnace Creek Ranch. 6 nights in Palm Springs seems a lot to me. I'd suggest adding a night in Monterey if you want to go whale watching (and the aquarium!) and doing Death Valley too.