USA Road trip (NLC)

[ClarkyBoy]

has any one undertaken a trip like this before?

i really fancy doing it this year.... see below the map i have made up today, it can change, but it seems to cover places i wanna go!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 709473&z=6

[Doc883]

Yes very similar We drove from San Francisco to Las Vegas via Lake Tahoe, Yosemite (el Capitan) & Sequoia (effing big trees ) National Parks and Death Valley. From Vegas we caught a flight to Phoenix to meet family then drove north to the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell (used in opening scenes from Planet of the Apes). Have to admit it was our best ever holiday. We travelled in September so it was still really hot and took just under 3 weeks all in

[andyc]

My best pal and myself are doing a coast to coast Harley trip in September/October for our 40th birthdays. Should be 18 days riding covering about 200 miles per day. Starting at Viginia Beach and basically heading straight across picking Route 66 in parts from Oklahoma City onwards. Couple of days in Vegas and finish with a few days at LA. Can't wait to turn 40

(Already had Harleys from San Francisco to Carmel in 2005....great fun!)

[andyc]

You could visit Laguna Seca....maybe get a track day in! Also, Carmel by the Sea is where Clint Eastwood was the Mayor....cutsey town! Santa Cruz might also be worth a visit....that's where they make the moutain bikes funnily enough! You should defo head north of SF too and get some wine tasting in. If you do wine tasting bring me a large bottle of Schug Pinot Noir please!

[ruadh08]

My best pal and myself are doing a coast to coast Harley trip in September/October for our 40th birthdays. Should be 18 days riding covering about 200 miles per day. Starting at Viginia Beach and basically heading straight across picking Route 66 in parts from Oklahoma City onwards. Couple of days in Vegas and finish with a few days at LA. Can't wait to turn 40

(Already had Harleys from San Francisco to Carmel in 2005....great fun!)

Now that sounds superb, which route are you doing, and how do you organise the bikes?
Always fancied that, and should now thuink of planning it!!

[ClarkyBoy]

Thats right, i remembered you talking about that trip andy, it would be awesome on bikes, but im afraid, not being a biker, i will have to opt for the RV! however, there have been talks with some of my biker mates about doing that kinda trip next year!! woo hoo!

i have been looking into costs etc, it doesnt seem too bad especially when you get 4 people going together, the RV would cost around 800-900 USD, with a 500 USD deposit, then you have fuel etc, and of course flights - which would be the most expensive part, but september seems to be the time the prices calm down, and as you said the weather is still good then,

now i just need to get my mates to pull thier fingers out and commit!

and Doc, those are pretty much the sites i would like to see, especially with my new camera!!

it covers everything,

Golden gate bridge, san fran,

Yosemite park,

Vegas,

Grand canyon,

however, there have been talks of doing the ramshackle rally this year too.... dont think i could afford both in 1 year.....we'll see!!

[DDtB]

My best pal and myself are doing a coast to coast Harley trip in September/October for our 40th birthdays. Should be 18 days riding covering about 200 miles per day. Starting at Viginia Beach and basically heading straight across picking Route 66 in parts from Oklahoma City onwards. Couple of days in Vegas and finish with a few days at LA. Can't wait to turn 40

(Already had Harleys from San Francisco to Carmel in 2005....great fun!)

Now that sounds superb, which route are you doing, and how do you organise the bikes?
Always fancied that, and should now thuink of planning it!!

Does that mean I'm getting old??

[Stewart]

Clarky

I have done most of these roads on 2 or 3 trips to the West Coast and can highly recommend it.

Are you sure about your RV hire prices? Sounds very low particularly with a one way trip (ie pick up & drop off at different locations). I have also done a couple of RV trips and in theory sounds great but sometimes camp sites can be a bit expensive. Also once on site, you are loathed to nip down the town for a bite to eat, get messages etc. as you need to pack every thing up - plus four blokes(?) in one RV may be a bit cramped unless you get a really big un. You may wish to bin the RV idea and get a big 4x4 and chose motel type accommodation. Even accommodation a step up from that can be relatively cheap.

It's also a fair old trek you have planned so you will need at least 10-14 day.

For some inspiration you can check out my holiday snaps of some of my trips. We generally try in take in an IRL or NASCAR race.

Long Beach to San Francisco Apr 2009 CLICKY

Las Vegas to Colorado Mar 2008 CLICKY including Grand Canyon

Napa Valley to San Fran via Death Valley Sept 2006 CLICKY including Sears Point & Laguna Seca

[a4drk]

Hi Clarky
6½ years ago i got married in Vegas.
Went over for 3 weeks.
Started off in San Francisco - Hired an SUV and drove down the Big Sur road (coast)
to LA - stopping off for a night in Santa Monica
Then, 3 nights in LA & then up to Vegas.
Dropped the car off - had 5 days in Vegas
Hired a Ferrari 355 Spider for 5 hours ($750 (at the time=£500) & a $5,000 excess!)
then hired another SUV and drove to San Diego.

If I was doing it again I would go the route you are taking - thro Yosemite / Death Valley etc....
however - you should go via the Hoover Dam....

Enjoy it....
David

[Lazydonkey]

You'll love it.

We did San Fran - Yosemite - Vegas but copped out of death valley and did the highway via Bakersfield - wasn't nearly as much fun but time wasn't on our side and we didnt want to spend days and days driving as mrs donkey couldnt drive the hire car (a mustang)

Yosemite is one of the most amazing places in the world, but if you're scared of heights i'd hide in the back of the RV on the road in and out

[andyc]

Now that sounds superb, which route are you doing, and how do you organise the bikes?

My route will be roughly.....
Virginia Beach, Knoxville, Lynchburg (Jack Daniels/Bourbon trail...yum!), Nashville, Memphis (Graceland), Little Rock (Bill Clintons home town), Oklahoma City, Amarillo (If we know the way!?), Winslow (Stand on the corner in the Eagles song!), Flagstaff, Grand Canyon Village, Vegas Baby and LA.

Route open for change during trip!!

Bikes from http://www.eaglerider.com/

Will post about it later so I can get ideas of other places to visit etc etc....

Clarky: You might want to look at the MotoGP at Laguna Seca. My work mate did that last year in an RV he rented from SF. He had a great time.

[Ian Wilson]

Did a similar route to yours a few years ago Andy. Was moving from Europe back to NZ and took my S1 Elise with me. Managed to fit in the Tail of the Dragon (Knoxville), an AutoX (single car sprint), quarter mile run and a track day at Laguna Seca. Broke down a couple of times along the way, but even managed to meet the ultimate Petrolhead Jay Leno in LA.

Thread on Exiges.com HERE might be some useful nuggets in there for you.

[mikeep]

I did a similar route on my 3 week honeymoon 3 years ago. Started in San Fran then to Tahoe, Yosemite, Death Valley, Vegas and finished at Disney for 3 days (it's wasted on kids)

I enjoyed Death Valley with the roof off the car and Yosemite had had loads of rain which gave some great waterfalls.

You'll have a blast anywhere in California. Just remember to pack some elasticated waist trousers. The Americans eat loads.

Enjoy,
Mike

[vet111s]

Clarky
Thats a superb road trip you've got planned. I've driven most of those roads with the exception of south of Lone Pine. If time permits I'd second a trip to Napa for a night or two. The north end is lovely and not too busy and there are spas in Calistoga if you've got a lady friend with you.
One thing to remember is that the passes over the Sierras can sometimes be closed any time before June and after november which could put a rather large detour onto the journey.
If you take the opportunity to go to napa another option is to drop down into Tahoe City (north end) by taking the 80 from sacramento to truckee and drive down the banks of lake Tahoe which is beautiful.
Highway 395 is really fun to drive though watch out for cops ($300 fine for 81 in a 55!). If you happen to stop in Bridgeport have a pizza, a few beers and a game of pool in Rhinos and say hi to my cowboy friends there.

(just in case it's not obvious-I'm really jealous!!)

Cheers, Ali

[ClarkyBoy]

Stewart,

I reckon i spent about and hour looking at your pictures, they are awesome!!

Ali,

I have tweaked the route a little to take in leguna seca and hoover dam, and decided it will have to be a 2 week holiday,

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 927368&z=8

Looked at flights today, i can get from aberdeen to san fran and return from pheonix to aberdeen 2 weeks later for 1005 quid - based on 2 people going the 1st weekend in september, so not too bad considering,my flight to china and back next month will cost me 700 quid,

As for the motorhome, for me to hire a family one - sleeps 2 adults and 3 kids - so plenty of space as all i will need it the space for 2 people i think as it will probably me a couple trip as opposed to a mates trip - for £1400, including insurance, kitchen pack, wash kits and allowance for 1500 miles, then .32usd per mile thereafter for 13 days with the drop off in arizona, collection in san fran, oh and its a 6.2 ltr V10..........(0-60 still gonna take a week tho) haha

So now i just need to save some cash, and get someone to go with, i have her in mind....just hopeful it would last that long !! lol

what else do i need to know?? and is sempember the right time to go?