Complete Novice - West Coast

[SunbreezeFL]

Hi

Really hoping someone could point me in the right direction, I'm trying to plan our first trip to the west coast. We are hoping to visit San Francisco, Magic Mountain (my 15 year old has his heart set on this), San Diego and Las Vegas.

I'm lost as to which way around is best and how long in each place is advisable - can anyone help?

[400ixl]

You have to consider the size of area you are thinking of. It's huge and to try to do it in one holiday is not possible. If you are Florida familiar it's like trying to do the whole state and then double it.

Where do you want to see, San Francisco is far North, Las Vegas is on Nevada to the east and San Diego in the far south. That's 1,000 miles of driving just to go between them.

How long are you planning to go? I assume that you have no plans for Los Angeles as part of this as well?

Something like:

San Fran 3 nights
Six Flags 1 night
Yosemite 2 nights (if you plan to do it)
Drive to Las Vegas 1 night (too far in one day)
Las Vegas 3 nights
Drive to San Diego (can be done in one long day)
San Diego 4 nights

That's probably a minimum and will not include doing any of the Pacific Coast Highway or Los Angeles.

San Diego is also one of the more expensive airports to use on the West Coast.

[cornishfrogboy]

It is very achievable, even in 14 nights. Whether it will be enjoyable to yourselves is the question. I rarely drive less than 1000 miles on a US vacation and certainly not on any of my last 5 as even those in Florida have covered the Keys, Mobile Alabama and the like, as well as Orlando. Proper Multi centres and the mentality needed to enjoy them is very different from a fortnight in Orlando, regarding 10 in Disney and 4 in Universal as a “multi centre”.

For what it is worth, I would have a read of my trip report link in my signature. This is a 14 day and you only need to really read the first 4 pages as it is all on the single thread. This is San Francisco, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Magic Mountain, Anaheim, San Diego and then back up to Long Beach. Is this for you? Would you enjoy all that travel? I haven’t then tracked out for 5 .5 hrs to Las Vegas, yet there is still one heck of a lot of (enjoyable) driving. If I was to consider Las Vegas, then I would not consider less than 21 days.. but in any case it holds no appeal to me at all as I do not gamble. Remember also that Las Vegas has strict licensing laws that would affect the enjoyment of your 15 yr old son.

Have a look, then have a think. For me, I would enter at SFO and after seeing it, head South as this puts the Pacific on your good side as you drive the wonderful PCH. We headed back up from gorgeous San Diego to Long Beach because
1. Flights out of LAX were much cheaper.
2. I wanted to be an awful lot nearer to my flight home when I awoke on the last day.
3. We treated LA as ‘shoreside and ‘inland’, where the theme parks are. I had no wish at all to drive through the middle and didn’t.
4. The RMS Queen Mary was a ‘must do’ and did not disappoint in any way.

[SunbreezeFL]

Originally Posted by 400ixl

You have to consider the size of area you are thinking of. It's huge and to try to do it in one holiday is not possible. If you are Florida familiar it's like trying to do the whole state and then double it.

Where do you want to see, San Francisco is far North, Las Vegas is on Nevada to the east and San Diego in the far south. That's 1,000 miles of driving just to go between them.

How long are you planning to go? I assume that you have no plans for Los Angeles as part of this as well?

Something like:

San Fran 3 nights
Six Flags 1 night
Yosemite 2 nights (if you plan to do it)
Drive to Las Vegas 1 night (too far in one day)
Las Vegas 3 nights
Drive to San Diego (can be done in one long day)
San Diego 4 nights

That's probably a minimum and will not include doing any of the Pacific Coast Highway or Los Angeles.

San Diego is also one of the more expensive airports to use on the West Coast.

See more...

Thanks for the reply - we are familiar with FL and are used to a lot of driving in a day eg MCO to the Key West in a day but we are thinking of doing the West Coast over 16 nights maybe something like ...

San Fran - 3 nights
Yosemite - 2 nights
Travel to Las Vegas - 1 night stopover?
Las Vegas 3 Nights
San Diego - 3 nights
Los Angeles Beaches - 4 nights (go to Magic Mountain from here - we aren't too bothered about LA itself)

I'm conscious that this could be far too ambitious for one holiday, forgot to say this would be in June/July as I know some roads are not passable in the winter.

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by SunbreezeFL

Thanks for the reply - we are familiar with FL and are used to a lot of driving in a day eg MCO to the Key West in a day but we are thinking of doing the West Coast over 16 nights maybe something like ...

San Fran - 3 nights
Yosemite - 2 nights
Travel to Las Vegas - 1 night stopover?
Las Vegas 3 Nights
San Diego - 3 nights
Los Angeles Beaches - 4 nights (go to Magic Mountain from here - we aren't too bothered about LA itself)

I'm conscious that this could be far too ambitious for one holiday, forgot to say this would be in June/July as I know some roads are not passable in the winter.

See more...

If you like driving, I would not consider that over ambitious, merely a challenge and perfectly achievable. I think that with a 15 year old boy, you are underselling San Diego. It is amazing.

[kirkdalewdw]

Six flags is one of our fav parks, I would consider staying close to the park so you are there for opening, we stay at the comfort inn, Stevenson Ranch, it is a nice hotel, six flags is a 7 min drive from the hotel, a Walmart and Outback close by and my fav hamburger restaurant the original Tommys

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by kirkdalewdw

Six flags is one of our fav parks, I would consider staying close to the park so you are there for opening, we stay at the comfort inn, Stevenson Ranch, it is a nice hotel, six flags is a 7 min drive from the hotel, a Walmart and Outback close by and my fav hamburger restaurant the original Tommys

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We stayed half a mile away and walked in. I agree that it is a great park. We much preferred it to Disney.

[jdouds]

Hi all looks fairly good, only other thing to do on you’re route would be a night at Palm Springs ,Aerial tram way is great and this would break the journey.

[SunbreezeFL]

Originally Posted by jdouds

Hi all looks fairly good, only other thing to do on you’re route would be a night at Palm Springs ,Aerial tram way is great and this would break the journey.

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Thanks - I'm being really thick - which journey Las Vegas to San Diego?

[SunbreezeFL]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

We stayed half a mile away and walked in. I agree that it is a great park. We much preferred it to Disney.

See more...

Thanks I'll look at closer hotels to Magic Mountain we are looking about an hours drive from the hotel I'm looking at which isn't too scary. My lad is a rollercoaster addict - completely our fault for putting him on the tower of terror when he was 4