Flights booked.. let the planning begin!

[cornishfrogboy]

Well, after 3 Covid cancellations of West Coast vacations, I have been rather patient, waiting for BA release of flights. I have realised the following..
1. Mon Tues Wed are generally best priced flights.
2. They never seem to get cheaper with BA than initial release price.
3. Getting up at 0100 and checking on release makes seemingly no difference.

So today was the day.. Into San Francisco on 17 October 2022 and home from San Diego on 01 November 2022.
They cost around £490 each and then a further £90 outbound only for the exit row seats, total £1189. We will take our chances coming home. I must add that we fly hand baggage only.

Whilst we were on a roll, we also purchased 2 nights at the Hotel Riu, San Francisco, just a couple of blocks from Fisherman’s and a positive bargain at £365 inc breakfast with EBookers. That has free cancellation.

This is our first vacation without the kids and needless to say, we are extremely excited at the prospect. With this in mind, we have the following, rather unusual itinary to book..
There is no LA and there are no theme parks at all. I simply don’t like the place with its endless traffic congestion.
I must also add that we have visited California before and that on that occasion the PCH was blocked for all practical reasons, creating a prearranged itinerary diversion between Monterey and San Simeon, going inland and missing out on Big Sur, Pfeiffer Burns, Bixby etc. This trip will right that wrong!


ITINERARY.

Whilst SFO, ‘The Love Tour’, some cycles from Dylan’s and that is it. We are only there for 2 nights. We have already seen Alcatraz, Union Sq, Sausalito etc. We will depart SFO via cable car and BART to SFO int and collect our hire car there before driving to Monterey for the night, maybe stopping at Santa Cruz..

Monterey, 2 nights there, aquarium and whale watch before driving the PCH to the Madonna Inn at San Luis Obispo as we leave. We may even get to see Killer Whales.

Madonna Inn, 1 night as a stopover before driving via Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove to Santa Barbara and then flying to Vegas. I really like the Madonna Inn!

Vegas 2 nights before driving out via the Hoover Dam to the GC South Rim, Yavapai Lodge.

Yavapai for Sunrset and Sunrise before driving via Winslow ( to hopefully see ‘A girl my Lord in a flat bed Ford’ ), en route to Tucson.

Tucson 3 nights, to take in Pima Museum, Davis Monthan boneyard and then Tombstone where we will Horse Ride to some Silver Mines.. and see a Gunfight! We then fly Tucson to San Diego.

San Diego is 3 nights to take in Coronado Beach, USS Midway, Kansas City Grill, Balboa Park and generally relax.

Fly home.

Lots of stuff to research and to do.. but we have a pretty set plan, having now been cancelled 3 times. Now onto Hotels!

[Rachaelwoolly]

Sounds Fantastic CFB
No children, amazing..like having another life
Just the waiting and anticipation to bear now !

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by mobys mum

Sounds Fantastic CFB
No children, amazing..like having another life
Just the waiting and anticipation to bear now !

See more...

Just a little concerned at how the house will look upon return!

[OliMax]

Itinerary sounds fantastic. We are doing a similar trip but spending a little bit more time on the PCH. However can't find reliable car hire under £1000 for 9 days so thinking of cancelling our hotel reservations on the coast and flying in-between San Fran and LA at a fraction of the cost.

[enjibenji]

Loved Hoover dam tour and then GC, stayed at the yavapai lodge twice, basic but serves the purpose for location, we loved it there. Never got to see sunrise but 2 amazing sunsets and one at Christmas with snow. You will have a great time 😊

[Rachaelwoolly]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

Just a little concerned at how the house will look upon return!

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Ahh ! it'll likely be only mess ! It will do them and you good ! ... As long as the house is still there on your return !

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by OliMax

Itinerary sounds fantastic. We are doing a similar trip but spending a little bit more time on the PCH. However can't find reliable car hire under £1000 for 9 days so thinking of cancelling our hotel reservations on the coast and flying in-between San Fran and LA at a fraction of the cost.

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We won’t look at cars until we have booked our Santa Barbara- Vegas and also our Tucson- San Diego flights.
We need a car from SFO to S Barbara and also from Vegas to Tucson airport.

Hopefully prices will drop back to common sense by Easter. We are clearly in no rush.

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by enjibenji

Loved Hoover dam tour and then GC, stayed at the yavapai lodge twice, basic but serves the purpose for location, we loved it there. Never got to see sunrise but 2 amazing sunsets and one at Christmas with snow. You will have a great time 😊

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On that day from Vegas to Yavapai, we will only be stopping at that place where they film westerns and stuff as well as the Hoover Dam. We will likely be right at the bottom of the strip, close to McCarran. We should get to Yavapai in plenty of time for sunset!

The Yavapai lodge does seem basic.. but perfect in location.

[LOU LOU DISNEY]

We did a similar trip a few years ago! It’s been my fave USA trip out of all the places we’ve been!
We’ve stayed twice in the Rui Plaza in SF, first time it was a Sheraton the next year it had changed to Rui!
Amazing itinerary, so happy planning!

[enjibenji]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

On that day from Vegas to Yavapai, we will only be stopping at that place where they film westerns and stuff as well as the Hoover Dam. We will likely be right at the bottom of the strip, close to McCarran. We should get to Yavapai in plenty of time for sunset!

The Yavapai lodge does seem basic.. but perfect in location.

See more...

We spent one of the days in Vegas going to Oatman for the day and driving on sitgreaves pass, real old town with burros roaming. Our last day we left Vegas, drove to Hoover dam, done the engine room tour, drove to Seligman on r66 had lunch at the roadkill cafe, drove to GC with minutes to spare for sunset, we were the only people there, it was just before christmas and had snowed, lovely, when we went in October it was very warm and quite a few people about but as its so vast it doesn't seem busy.
If you come out of GC east side you will come across a place called Little Colorado gorge and will see the Native American stalls, 2 brothers own the stalls there and was telling me about the gorge, then carry on to Cameron, stop at the trading post there for lunch or just a look. From there we headed to Sedona, thats another amazing place and another for us to return to.
Happy travels, its nice to talk and plan holidays again 😊