USA Trip Los Angeles to Amarillo

Nelly 21 · 05-03-2014 3:17pm #1

We've decided that our trip this year to the US will consist of us driving from Los Angeles to Amarillo and back to LA. We want to take in as much of route 66 as we can. Our reason for cutting it off in Amarillo is that we have only 3 weeks and we want to take in as much of the west side of it as we can.

We had originally planned to drive to Dallas but after getting some advice here against it we decided not to drive to Dallas. So the flights are booked into LA in June and I'm hoping to book everything and set up an itinerary. I know it works out cheaper that way, plus there are things that I was to see and do so I want to plan around those things. (Eg grand canyon, san diego, coastal drive up to San Francisco.......).

I've been looking through some pages here taking notes but there's nothing like first hand advise (I always get good advise on boards!!!!) so if anyone one has any recommendations for feel free to advise!!!!

Paul_Hacket · 05-03-2014 5:13pm

I think I might have chimed in on one of the other trips you mentioned. I did large chunks of Route 66 about 10 years back and would agree with the opinions of the posters on the forum thread which I've posted below. It's well worth a look if you're seriously considering it. Route 66 itself does not have very interesting scenery and many of the mid century small towns that once peppered it have either entirely disappeared or been swallowed up by modern urban agglomerations.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/23-village/28803-tell-aussie-route-66-hype-worth-trip.html

If you put the starting and end points of your trip into the google maps directions tool it will give you a number of possible routes. One of which goes north via Vegas, Southern Utah and Colorado before looping back down through New Mexico to Texas. This route only takes 20 hours of driving and takes in a breathtaking variety of desert, mountain and high planes scenery as well as Vegas itself. Just an idea.

InTheTrees · 05-03-2014 5:49pm

It looks like an interesting route with a lot of stuff to do.

Its going to come down to editing the side trips to fit in to 3 weeks.

biddywiddy · 05-03-2014 6:09pm

We drove part of Route 66 a couple of years ago. We started in New Mexico and drove east to Chicago. Not the most interesting part of R66 (lots of wide open spaces and run down towns) but we needed to get to Chicago, so driving west wasn't going to work. We'll hopefully do a trip like yours in the next few years.

In Amarillo, we ate and stayed at the Big Texan. A pretty cheesy spot, and if you eat a 72oz steak within an hour, it's free! We saw one guy fail to do this when we were there.

Nothing like a massive clock and the gaping public to put you under pressure! The motel was a bit more expensive than other places we stayed in along R66, but was also nicer and better kept. I'd recommend it as an option if you get a good deal.

I think I've seen it mentioned somewhere on boards before, but this is the set of maps we used. They were really good, and mostly easy to follow.

Nelly 21 · 05-03-2014 6:15pm

Paul_Hacket wrote: »

I think I might have chimed in on one of the other trips you mentioned. I did large chunks of Route 66 about 10 years back and would agree with the opinions of the posters on the forum thread which I've posted below. It's well worth a look if you're seriously considering it. Route 66 itself does not have very interesting scenery and many of the mid century small towns that once peppered it have either entirely disappeared or been swallowed up by modern urban agglomerations.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/23-village/28803-tell-aussie-route-66-hype-worth-trip.html

If you put the starting and end points of your trip into the google maps directions tool it will give you a number of possible routes. One of which goes north via Vegas, Southern Utah and Colorado before looping back down through New Mexico to Texas. This route only takes 20 hours of driving and takes in a breathtaking variety of desert, mountain and high planes scenery as well as Vegas itself. Just an idea.

I think you did too Paul!! Originally we hoped to go to Dallas bit a few advised against it. Part of what we would like to do is drive through taking the 66 route and then take a different route back and have thought about going through colorado and utah (mindful of time) So i really want to sit and work things out! For me I very much want to experience the desert and mountainous regions. We were in Vegas a few years back so going again isn't a priority but we've no problem stopping a night or driving through.

I had a quick read through your link, will have a better look later. Its good to see those views and get some ideas!!

Nelly 21 · 05-03-2014 6:22pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

It looks like an interesting route with a lot of stuff to do.

Its going to come down to editing the side trips to fit in to 3 weeks.

Yeah thats why I really need to organise things. I think I'm gonna do up some lists and then add or take away stuff. We don't mind the driving, we've done a bit of driving through the states in our last couple of holidays. I just don't want to miss things by avoiding towns and maybe driving too much but at the same time we want to fit in as much as we can

Nelly 21 · 05-03-2014 6:25pm

biddywiddy wrote: »

We drove part of Route 66 a couple of years ago. We started in New Mexico and drove east to Chicago. Not the most interesting part of R66 (lots of wide open spaces and run down towns) but we needed to get to Chicago, so driving west wasn't going to work. We'll hopefully do a trip like yours in the next few years.

In Amarillo, we ate and stayed at the Big Texan. A pretty cheesy spot, and if you eat a 72oz steak within an hour, it's free! We saw one guy fail to do this when we were there. Nothing like a massive clock and the gaping public to put you under pressure! The motel was a bit more expensive than other places we stayed in along R66, but was also nicer and better kept. I'd recommend it as an option if you get a good deal.

I think I've seen it mentioned somewhere on boards before, but this is the set of maps we used. They were really good, and mostly easy to follow.

I've heard that the western side is better, more scenic and friendly. I've heard about the big texan! Looks interesting, imagine trying to drive after eating a 72oz steak!!!!!

Thanks for the map link!!

InTheTrees · 05-03-2014 6:54pm

Nelly 21 wrote: »

Yeah thats why I really need to organise things. I think I'm gonna do up some lists and then add or take away stuff. We don't mind the driving, we've done a bit of driving through the states in our last couple of holidays. I just don't want to miss things by avoiding towns and maybe driving too much but at the same time we want to fit in as much as we can

And sometimes the best side trips are local and the least advertised.

www.tripadvisor.com - Is a really good site for user reviews of almost everywhere, where to stay, where to eat, what to do etc. Its very unbiased and free of too much hype.

Nelly 21 · 06-03-2014 10:44pm

So I've been going through google maps and trip advisor and other pages here and the itinerary I came up with is:
1. Arrive in LA, drive to San Diego
2. San Diego
3. (Possibly) Drive back to LA to start on 66 route and drive to Flagstaff
4. Flagstaff (Grand Canyon)
5. Albuquerque
6. Albuquerque
7. Amarillo
8. Amarillo
9. Denver
10. Denver
11. Vegas (was here already so don't need to stay longer)
12. San Francisco
13. San Francisco
14. San Francisco
15. LA
16. LA
17. LA
18. LA
19. LA
20. LA
21. LA
Home!!!!

I know there are one or 2 big drives here but we don't mind. Depending on circumstances we might decide to change a place here and there but all going well I'll have everything booked and payed for before we go!!!

Any advise on above would be appreciated!!!!

InTheTrees · 06-03-2014 11:55pm

I assume some of those are actually nights in between cities right?

SO you'd have a night in between Amarillo and Denver and a night between Denver and Vegas?

And also 15 (and 16?) spent in between SF and LA?

I'd worry a little about booking (and especially paying) in advance, it kind of ties you down doesn't it?

Looks like fun anyway!

Patrickheg · 07-03-2014 12:07am

Nelly 21 wrote: »

So I've been going through google maps and trip advisor and other pages here and the itinerary I came up with is:
1. Arrive in LA, drive to San Diego
2. San Diego
3. (Possibly) Drive back to LA to start on 66 route and drive to Flagstaff
4. Flagstaff (Grand Canyon)
5. Albuquerque
6. Albuquerque
7. Amarillo
8. Amarillo
9. Denver
10. Denver
11. Vegas (was here already so don't need to stay longer)
12. San Francisco
13. San Francisco
14. San Francisco
15. LA
16. LA
17. LA
18. LA
19. LA
20. LA
21. LA
Home!!!!

I know there are one or 2 big drives here but we don't mind. Depending on circumstances we might decide to change a place here and there but all going well I'll have everything booked and payed for before we go!!!

Any advise on above would be appreciated!!!!

If you have free time search through this guys threads, rdmcg. He has the most amazing threads with stories and photos of his many Route 66 stories.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1078645

Did the section around Amarillo a few years ago. Loads of Route 66 around there. There is something really fascinating about the old run down /abandoned towns with very interesting Route 66 memorabilia in various states if disrepair and loads of charming people. Some stops around there which I fondly remember;
- Cadillac ranch,
- Midpoint cafe,
- shamrock town,
- glen rio abandoned town on the New Mexico border,
- Palo Duro Canyon,
- nice car museum right at the New Mexico Texas border,
- Billie the kids grave isn't too far from tucumcari(motel town from the film cars)

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 12:20am

InTheTrees wrote: »

I assume some of those are actually nights in between cities right?

SO you'd have a night in between Amarillo and Denver and a night between Denver and Vegas?

And also 15 (and 16?) spent in between SF and LA?

I'd worry a little about booking (and especially paying) in advance, it kind of ties you down doesn't it?

Looks like fun anyway!

No we had planned on driving straight from one to the other...... Do you think that's too much. I know there's a lot of driving involved.

Normally I would always book in advance. Do you think booking day to day would be better?

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 12:23am

Patrickheg wrote: »

If you have free time search through this guys threads, rdmcg. He has the most amazing threads with stories and photos of his many Route 66 stories.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1078645

Did the section around Amarillo a few years ago. Loads of Route 66 around there. There is something really fascinating about the old run down /abandoned towns with very interesting Route 66 memorabilia in various states if disrepair and loads of charming people. Some stops around there which I fondly remember;
- Cadillac ranch,
- Midpoint cafe,
- shamrock town,
- glen rio abandoned town on the New Mexico border,
- Palo Duro Canyon,
- nice car museum right at the New Mexico Texas border,
- Billie the kids grave isn't too far from tucumcari(motel town from the film cars)

Thanks for that...... Will do!!! Some things you mentioned I saw online but some I've never heard of. Would get a kick out of seeing Billy the kids grave! Plus the husband might like the car museum!!!!!!

tricky D · 07-03-2014 2:16pm

Take your time between SF and LA on the stunning Pacific Coastal Highway (HWY1), spending a night along the way in somewhere like Big Sur or San Simeon (beside Hearst Castle).

Consider swapping a day or two from LA to SF. LA isn't quite so good imho.

dave2pvd · 07-03-2014 5:00pm

I've driven a lot of what you propose. On one of the many roadtrips, several years ago, My brother and I did a cross country and back. One of my biggest regrets: all the stuff we missed because we spent so much time in the car. My second regret: we used cities as milestones - in many cases we should have used small towns. So many of the cities in America are just sprawling and generic.

Here's an idea. You've targeted Flagstaff. A good choice. The downtown area is a really nice spot to hang out. Next, choose Santa Fe instead of Albuquerque. Stay the night - or more than a night. From there, get off the highway. Head up 84 and 160 to Durango. You'll pass Los Alamos on the way. Stay the night in Durango. From Durango, go North on 550. This is a fantastic way to get to Denver - one of the best drives in all of North America (unlike Route 66, sorry). You'll pass thru Silverton, Ouray and Leadville. All are worth checking out - I'd love to spend the night in any of them. They can also be a great base for day hikes, mountain biking rentals, etc. Seriously - you ought to get out of the car for a day or two. Especially when you have all that buffer time in LA at the end of the trip - you don't need that.

Also, this bit: "(Possibly) Drive back to LA to start on 66 route and drive to Flagstaff". I wouldn't do that. Don't stick so religiously to the Route 66 requirement. Go see the Salton Sea and Joshua Tree NF. Then Route 66 is just North of you.

Regarding Grand Canyon. Figure out how to stay overnight - NPS have cabin rentals. Or you could overnight in GC Village. The 1 day in and out is not enough time to experience the Canyon. It's a pretty amazing spot.

InTheTrees · 07-03-2014 6:24pm

Nelly 21 wrote: »

No we had planned on driving straight from one to the other...... Do you think that's too much. I know there's a lot of driving involved.

I dont have any experience of these routes but ... Amarillo to Denver looks like a long day. And Denver to Vegas looks really far, through the rockies and the entire state of Utah in 1 day? How many miles is it? Vegas to SF is a long drive too, thats a complicated route. Basically you're drive all the way from Denver to SF in two days with a stop in vegas to rest. To me that would be exhausting and I love driving.

I do know SF to LA down highway One and doing it one day is a Long day. The scenic stretch (100miles?) is a small road along cliffs and can be very slow. Adding a night in there would give you time to spend around Monterey/Pebble beach too.

Just a thought. I think you're happier about being in the car then I am!

InTheTrees · 07-03-2014 6:36pm

Nelly 21 wrote: »

Normally I would always book in advance. Do you think booking day to day would be better?

Its a tough call.

For some of your longer sections (Den to LV) I'd worry that you'd get tied in to some serious driving just because you've got a hotel room that you've paid for 100's of miles away.

But for the big cities, SF, LA and LV, I think yuo're right to book in advance. You can get good online deals, check on parking availability/price, etc.

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 8:09pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

I dont have any experience of these routes but ... Amarillo to Denver looks like a long day. And Denver to Vegas looks really far, through the rockies and the entire state of Utah in 1 day? How many miles is it? Vegas to SF is a long drive too, thats a complicated route. Basically you're drive all the way from Denver to SF in two days with a stop in vegas to rest. To me that would be exhausting and I love driving.

I do know SF to LA down highway One and doing it one day is a Long day. The scenic stretch (100miles?) is a small road along cliffs and can be very slow. Adding a night in there would give you time to spend around Monterey/Pebble beach too.

Just a thought. I think you're happier about being in the car then I am!

Advice from someone who knows and has been there is brilliant!

On the Amarillo to Denverr one we figured we'd leave early (ish) but looking at the denver to vegas one again it does look a bit much. Maybe we'll stop in the middle somewhere. I'm looking at google maps and it looks like quite a nice area to drive through. I'm easy shaving a day off somewhere else

With regard to the SF to LA route..... you think doing half and stopping over night and then doing the other half the next day. I've heard its a fantastic drive so I don't want to miss anything so I've no problem taking a day from our time in LA to do that.

biddywiddy · 07-03-2014 8:12pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

I dont have any experience of these routes but ... Amarillo to Denver looks like a long day.

Yes, it is!

We drove from Fort Collins (about an hour north of Denver) to Taos, New Mexico in one (long) day, with a stop off in Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, and then drove from Taos to Amarillo the next day.

We actually ended up driving through a snow storm in northern New Mexico, even though we had just left behind warm, t-shirt weather in Colorado!

Don't underestimate how tiring and boring it can be in the car. Parts of Texas were really boring to drive through (Amarillo to Oklahoma).

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 8:14pm

tricky D wrote: »

Take your time between SF and LA on the stunning Pacific Coastal Highway (HWY1), spending a night along the way in somewhere like Big Sur or San Simeon (beside Hearst Castle).

Consider swapping a day or two from LA to SF. LA isn't quite so good imho.

A few people have mentioned this. I've heard its such a beautiful route I want to take in as much as I can so I'm happy to take a day from our stay in LA to do that, maybe stop half way and book in somewhere.

Big Sur or San Simeon............ gonna look them up!!

With regard to SF... we were there before but never in LA, that's why we wanted extra time in LA

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 8:21pm

dave2pvd wrote: »

I've driven a lot of what you propose. On one of the many roadtrips, several years ago, My brother and I did a cross country and back. One of my biggest regrets: all the stuff we missed because we spent so much time in the car. My second regret: we used cities as milestones - in many cases we should have used small towns. So many of the cities in America are just sprawling and generic.

Here's an idea. You've targeted Flagstaff. A good choice. The downtown area is a really nice spot to hang out. Next, choose Santa Fe instead of Albuquerque. Stay the night - or more than a night. From there, get off the highway. Head up 84 and 160 to Durango. You'll pass Los Alamos on the way. Stay the night in Durango. From Durango, go North on 550. This is a fantastic way to get to Denver - one of the best drives in all of North America (unlike Route 66, sorry). You'll pass thru Silverton, Ouray and Leadville. All are worth checking out - I'd love to spend the night in any of them. They can also be a great base for day hikes, mountain biking rentals, etc. Seriously - you ought to get out of the car for a day or two. Especially when you have all that buffer time in LA at the end of the trip - you don't need that.

Also, this bit: "(Possibly) Drive back to LA to start on 66 route and drive to Flagstaff". I wouldn't do that. Don't stick so religiously to the Route 66 requirement. Go see the Salton Sea and Joshua Tree NF. Then Route 66 is just North of you.

Regarding Grand Canyon. Figure out how to stay overnight - NPS have cabin rentals. Or you could overnight in GC Village. The 1 day in and out is not enough time to experience the Canyon. It's a pretty amazing spot.

I like the idea of towns rather than cities myself. I've heard Sante Fe Is excellent. I don't even need to stay in Denver, happy to stay in in another place.

Salton Sea and Joshua tree..... have heard of the 2nd not the 1st.... gonna google!!!!!

So you think 2 trips to the Canyon? From any place I've mentioned, seeing the grand canyon comes first. We've been years talking about going there so Its a must for both of us so we want to take in as much of it as we can!!!!

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 8:25pm

biddywiddy wrote: »

Yes, it is!

We drove from Fort Collins (about an hour north of Denver) to Taos, New Mexico in one (long) day, with a stop off in Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, and then drove from Taos to Amarillo the next day.

We actually ended up driving through a snow storm in northern New Mexico, even though we had just left behind warm, t-shirt weather in Colorado!

Don't underestimate how tiring and boring it can be in the car. Parts of Texas were really boring to drive through (Amarillo to Oklahoma).

For me I've always wanted to do the western side of the route. Thats why we decided to stop in Amarillo and drive somewhere else. I'm not stuck on going directly to denver, I'm happy to change that part of our trip. We could drive north and stop somewhere (open to suggestions!!!)

Thats mad going from heat to snow (Like irish weather!!!!)

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 8:26pm

Advice here is priceless and like I said plans aren't set in stone and I appreciate ye all taking time out to help and advise me!!!!

Thanks soooooo much!!!

InTheTrees · 07-03-2014 8:33pm

Nelly 21 wrote: »

With regard to the SF to LA route..... you think doing half and stopping over night and then doing the other half the next day. I've heard its a fantastic drive so I don't want to miss anything so I've no problem taking a day from our time in LA to do that.

You're leaving from SF so you can get as far south as San Simeon or San Louis Obispo in one day, then on to LA the next day.

Monterey is worth seeing, There's an amazing aquarium there, plus a historic waterfront area. There's also the town of carmel which is really cute and pretty. Also the town of Pebble Beach and "17 mile drive" which is a scenic ocean front drive past incredibly expensive houses.

Remember there's not a lot of places to stop after Monterey on the drive down the big sur/scenic part of highway one. Its a narrow(ish) cliff road for about 70 miles until you get to San simeon. (I think there's a gas station at the "town" of Big Sur, not much else). You'd want to make sure you have 3-4 hours of daylight before you head down that section after Monterey too, or you'd really be missing out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1

Stop here for a break if you have time:

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

InTheTrees · 07-03-2014 8:43pm

Nelly 21 wrote: »

With regard to SF... we were there before but never in LA, that's why we wanted extra time in LA

I Love LA.

I think it gets a bad rap because people really are not ready for the fact that its a "car city", designed in the 30's to 50's when the automobile was god in the United States. And european tourists get thrown off assuming a car is an extravagance and expecting to get around by bus and then have a hellish time. Its completely different from Sf. Far larger and in addition to the film industry its also the major west coast business centre, banking, aerospace, manufacturing, etc. And without the geographic constraints of SF its grown into a massive urban sprawl.

But you guys sounds happy driving so I think you'll enjoy LA. Appreciate it anyway I'm sure. Its somewhere to be experienced anyway, its the USA's second city and I think you could easily fill 3-4 days. The driving really isnt bad, there's a lot of it but they still drive reasonably like most americans. You probably will have to pay for parking at your hotel, you'll also find a lot of valet parking at restaurants, etc. (They really do drive everywhere).

Paul_Hacket · 07-03-2014 8:54pm

Just wanted to check if you understand that Route 66 doesn't actually exist anymore in any meaningful sense? I've driven on large chunks of what people call Route 66 these days and it wasn't as rewarding as I hoped it would be. The best bit is a 60 mile stretch near Kingman, Arizona, the scenery there isn't amazing but it's pretty much the original two lane road. In nearly all other places the original two lane road has been replaced by four lane state highways which are pretty charmless. When they built the new highways they bulldozed most of the old diners and hotels that used to line the route.

And to be honest, the reason Route 66 is so well known is because of the song and because a vast number of people used it to move out west. It wasn't chosen as a route to be picturesque or anything, in fact the route avoided the more dramatic scenery in the West in an effort to created a smoother road.

Before deciding for sure on a route take a look at a couple of these links where people discuss driving on what is called "66" and being disappointed:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2291407

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28924-i139-k6406051-Route_66-Arizona.html

http://travelingdad.com/66-getting-kicked-by-route-66/

Santa Fe is definitely a much nicer place than Albuquerque, a city that is basically just a big sprawl of cheap housing. You should also know that the Texas panhandle where Amarillo is located is incredibly boring visually, as is Amarillo. There's pretty much nothing of interest in Amarillo apart from the Cadillac graveyard. The desert scenery in northern Arizona and Southern Utah (my personal favorite) is way better. As are the mountain scenery and old mining towns in Colorado.

I wouldn't plan your trip around cities so much as the cities in the South West are very blah. Denver is okay - my girlfriend comes from there so I've been several times - but the state itself and its small towns is much more interesting. The best part of the South West and California in my opinion are basically the National Parks (Yosemite, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Zion, Arches, Bryce, etc) and the more interesting small towns. You can bring a tent and camp in the "back country" sections of the parks and have an entire valley to yourself with incredible views.

Finally, I wouldn't spend a week in L.A., it has its attractions but it takes forever to get around, and can be pretty confusing to drive. It can take as long to cross L.A. as it takes to drive from Dublin to Belfast, longer even. Venice Beach is nice, and its somewhat fun to take a tour of Hollywood and Malibu but there's much more interesting towns and scenery on the stretch between L.A. and San Francisco. Frisco is also generally considered a much better city from the tourist's point of view.

InTheTrees · 07-03-2014 8:54pm

I know to some people this might seem like a crazy extravagance but consider swapping out your rental car for a convertible once you get to SF.

Its really fun. Not much extra and really makes a for an extra memorable time. You can smell the pacific, and cruising Beverley Hills at night with the roof down, you'll remember the rest of your life.

Just a thought. I'm one of those crazy people who even owned a convertible in Ireland...

dave2pvd · 07-03-2014 9:26pm

dave2pvd wrote: »

go North on 550......one of the best drives in all of North America

Am I allowed to quote myself for emphasis?

Seriously. To go around this piece of America would not be wise

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 11:20pm

Paul_Hacket wrote: »

Just wanted to check if you understand that Route 66 doesn't actually exist anymore in any meaningful sense? I've driven on large chunks of what people call Route 66 these days and it wasn't as rewarding as I hoped it would be. The best bit is a 60 mile stretch near Kingman, Arizona, the scenery there isn't amazing but it's pretty much the original two lane road. In nearly all other places the original two lane road has been replaced by four lane state highways which are pretty charmless. When they built the new highways they bulldozed most of the old diners and hotels that used to line the route.

And to be honest, the reason Route 66 is so well known is because of the song and because a vast number of people used it to move out west. It wasn't chosen as a route to be picturesque or anything, in fact the route avoided the more dramatic scenery in the West in an effort to created a smoother road.

Before deciding for sure on a route take a look at a couple of these links where people discuss driving on what is called "66" and being disappointed:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2291407

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28924-i139-k6406051-Route_66-Arizona.html

http://travelingdad.com/66-getting-kicked-by-route-66/

Santa Fe is definitely a much nicer place than Albuquerque, a city that is basically just a big sprawl of cheap housing. You should also know that the Texas panhandle where Amarillo is located is incredibly boring visually, as is Amarillo. There's pretty much nothing of interest in Amarillo apart from the Cadillac graveyard. The desert scenery in northern Arizona and Southern Utah (my personal favorite) is way better. As are the mountain scenery and old mining towns in Colorado.

I wouldn't plan your trip around cities so much as the cities in the South West are very blah. Denver is okay - my girlfriend comes from there so I've been several times - but the state itself and its small towns is much more interesting. The best part of the South West and California in my opinion are basically the National Parks (Yosemite, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Zion, Arches, Bryce, etc) and the more interesting small towns. You can bring a tent and camp in the "back country" sections of the parks and have an entire valley to yourself with incredible views.

Finally, I wouldn't spend a week in L.A., it has its attractions but it takes forever to get around, and can be pretty confusing to drive. It can take as long to cross L.A. as it takes to drive from Dublin to Belfast, longer even. Venice Beach is nice, and its somewhat fun to take a tour of Hollywood and Malibu but there's much more interesting towns and scenery on the stretch between L.A. and San Francisco. Frisco is also generally considered a much better city from the tourist's point of view.

Yeah I know it doesn't exist anymore. We just wanted to tour that route (and of course say that we did it!!!). You gave me so much info thanks so much. As it stands I'm happy to deviate from the route and am open to changes!!

Myself and my husband like the idea of visiting parks also.

I'm having a good read through the links you gave me. Loads of advise!

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 11:26pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

I Love LA.

I think it gets a bad rap because people really are not ready for the fact that its a "car city", designed in the 30's to 50's when the automobile was god in the United States. And european tourists get thrown off assuming a car is an extravagance and expecting to get around by bus and then have a hellish time. Its completely different from Sf. Far larger and in addition to the film industry its also the major west coast business centre, banking, aerospace, manufacturing, etc. And without the geographic constraints of SF its grown into a massive urban sprawl.

But you guys sounds happy driving so I think you'll enjoy LA. Appreciate it anyway I'm sure. Its somewhere to be experienced anyway, its the USA's second city and I think you could easily fill 3-4 days. The driving really isnt bad, there's a lot of it but they still drive reasonably like most americans. You probably will have to pay for parking at your hotel, you'll also find a lot of valet parking at restaurants, etc. (They really do drive everywhere).

Well when I say we're happy driving its my husband that does all the driving.... He loves it and I'm happy enough being a passenger!!! We've driven a little bit through the US so hes not too fussed by having to drive.

Paying for parking is a balls though. I read the small print when booking a hotel so I keep an eye on the paid extras!¡

Also your convertible idea...... Imagine driving in the sunshine in LA with the top down ............. Wow

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 11:32pm

dave2pvd wrote: »

Am I allowed to quote myself for emphasis?

Seriously. To go around this piece of America would not be wise

I'm open to doing this. I need to go back to the drawing board!!!!!!

Nelly 21 · 07-03-2014 11:50pm

Reading through everything here makes me think I may go back to the drawing board!!!!!!! I'm so glad I looked for advise. I read all the replies to my husband and he's like yeah I agree with that..... Yeah that sounds good............ So I'm reading through everything again and checking out all the links before we try to decide!!!

I m getting so excited organizing this holiday!!!!!!!!

InTheTrees · 08-03-2014 1:24am

On long drives as regards time I think its good to assume an average of about 30mph on non-freeways and about 50mph on freeways. And maybe thats a little optimistic.
Yes, the roads are generally great with big wide open freeways, but americans drive slowly (and badly!) and have low speed limits so it can be relaxing enough but still take a long time.

InTheTrees · 08-03-2014 1:34am

Nelly 21 wrote: »

I'm open to doing this. I need to go back to the drawing board!!!!!!

oh. oh...

Can you add a night between Denver and Vegas?

Also... you'll be taking highway 70 through the rockies west of Denver so what about skipping Denver (just another urban sprawl) and staying somewhere in the mountains? Vail is a major ski resort for instance, and there's got to be a huge choice of places to stay. Its a spectacular drive.

Years ago we did the same thing and stayed in Denver which I regret, but we were flying out of there the next day and wanted to be safe.

friendinAZ · 08-03-2014 1:36am

Have you thought about exploring any ghost towns?

Nelly 21 · 08-03-2014 2:40am

InTheTrees wrote: »

oh. oh...

Can you add a night between Denver and Vegas?

Also... you'll be taking highway 70 through the rockies west of Denver so what about skipping Denver (just another urban sprawl) and staying somewhere in the mountains? Vail is a major ski resort for instance, and there's got to be a huge choice of places to stay. Its a spectacular drive.

Years ago we did the same thing and stayed in Denver which I regret, but we were flying out of there the next day and wanted to be safe.

Yeah we are happy to stay somewhere other than Denver and staying somewhere in the mountains!!!! Maybe we mightn't book anywhere and just stop when we feel like it. You recommend Vail. I'm gonna sit tomorrow and rework things and look up some places recommended to me by yourself and others on this thread!!

Nelly 21 · 08-03-2014 2:42am

friendinAZ wrote: »

Have you thought about exploring any ghost towns?

Yes... I had assumed there were some scattered off route 66, can you recommend places to see

Nelly 21 · 09-03-2014 3:19pm

So I went back through things and made an new itinerary, I looked through advice here, links that were sent to me and googlemaps! We've decided to not spend so much time on Route 66 and drive north from Amarillo and west to San Francisco.

I'm willing to make changes gain as not all places are set in stone. It is as follows......

1. Fly into LA, drive to San Diego
2. San Diego
3. Flagstaff
4. Flagstaff
5. Albuquerque/ Sante Fe
6. Amarillo
7. Pueblo
8. Cheyenne
9. Salt lake City
10. Vegas
11. Reno
12. San Francisco
13. San Francisco
14. San Francisco
15. Baywood(this is an idea as its half way between SF and LA, figure taking our time we can stop in places and see stuff??)
16. LA
17. LA
18. LA
19. LA
20. LA
21. LA

Like I said another rough guide and appreciate recommendations. I'm also happy staying in towns, doesn't have to be a city..........

tricky D · 09-03-2014 4:24pm

If the other half likes parks and the like, you've opportunities to spend some time (a night/day) in each of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite between Reno and SF, swapping for some LA time. (Still reckon 6 days in LA is way too much imho)

One other note on the PCH/HWY1 drive, I'd advise only travelling during the day light due to scenery and parts of it being quite challenging (safety).

Nelly 21 · 09-03-2014 4:42pm

tricky D wrote: »

If the other half likes parks and the like, you've opportunities to spend some time (a night/day) in each of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite between Reno and SF, swapping for some LA time. (Still reckon 6 days in LA is way too much imho)

One other note on the PCH/HWY1 drive, I'd advise only travelling during the day light due to scenery and parts of it being quite challenging (safety).

Thats def an idea, both of us would be open to that. I've heard a lot about Yosemite. The 6 days in LA are because its the end of the holiday and after all the travelling we just wanted to sort of wind up somewhere close enough to the airport and relax. Also we want to take in some of the theme parks.

The HW1 drive................. I agree on that, we aim to do that kind of thing quite early in the day for the scenery and also hoping that might be a quieter time......... (will it be???)

Thanks again for your suggestions. Also is one day enough for Yosemite??

Paul_Hacket · 10-03-2014 1:09pm

Nelly 21 wrote: »

I'm willing to make changes gain as not all places are set in stone. It is as follows......

1. Fly into LA, drive to San Diego
2. San Diego
3. Flagstaff
4. Flagstaff
5. Albuquerque/ Sante Fe
6. Amarillo
7. Pueblo
8. Cheyenne
9. Salt lake City
10. Vegas
11. Reno
12. San Francisco
13. San Francisco
14. San Francisco
15. Baywood(this is an idea as its half way between SF and LA, figure taking our time we can stop in places and see stuff??)
16. LA
17. LA
18. LA
19. LA
20. LA
21. LA

Like I said another rough guide and appreciate recommendations. I'm also happy staying in towns, doesn't have to be a city..........

I'm just curious what criteria you're using to come up with the above list? You seem to be basing your route on cities, which in the South West is not the way to do it in my opinion. In 20 years of living in the USA with frequent road trips through this region I have literally never heard of anyone visiting Salt Lake City or Albuquerque for pleasure. Going to Alburquerque is like going to Ireland to visit Limerick or Navan. I'm not knocking those place (I'm from Athlone myself so am in no position to), but they aren't the kind of places you would go out of your way to visit.

Salt Lake City is totally horrible. An ugly city with a very unpleasant humorless Mormon population, you can't even get a drink there. The drive from Salt Lake City to Vegas is also totally boring.By going from Cheyenne to Las Vegas via Northern Utah you are skipping what many people consider to be literally the best scenery in Northern America. The route you want to take is through South West Colorado and Southern Utah.

I'd recommend you to take a look at a few websites about the South West such as the Lonely Planet entries on it, or just use use google to find blogs written by people who have toured the region before.

This is a video of what driving through Zion National Park looks like, which you would skip in the above itnerary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_wNzHWdNzs

Here is a great BBC video about Bryce Canyon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygSgCn3Bo8o

spideog7 · 10-03-2014 1:42pm

Paul_Hacket wrote: »

Salt Lake City is totally horrible. An ugly city with a very unpleasant humorless Mormon population, you can't even get a drink there. The drive from Salt Lake City to Vegas is also totally boring.

That's a load of crap, Salt Lake is a nice city, the Rockies are right on the edge of the city limits and really impressive and imposing while driving around. Saying you can't even get a drink is completely untrue, there are several nice micro breweries there and you can buy beer in the grocery store which you can't even do here in PA. There are numerous Canyons, hikes and ski slopes a few minutes drive away. You can head up to Antelope Island to see the Buffalo and Antelope and swim/float in the Great Salt Lake. The Kennicott Copper Mine is the largest open pit mine in the US and there is a museum where you can learn about the operation and view the pit if you're interested in that sort of thing. The Mormon library of Genealogy is a great place to trace your family tree, they have plenty of Irish and British records and it's all free to access.

That being said I generally agree that the most interesting parts of the US are outside the cities, so I wouldn't plan your trip around the cities if I were you. In my opinion that goes for the entire country not just the West.

I agree with much of the rest of what you have to say though, especially the part about visiting southern Utah; Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands etc. Not to be missed.

Paul_Hacket · 10-03-2014 2:15pm

spideog7 wrote: »

TSaying you can't even get a drink is completely untrue, there are several nice micro breweries there and you can buy beer in the grocery store which you can't even do here in PA.

Maybe my information is out of date. Last time I was in Salt Lake was ten years back and given the experience I'm pretty confident it will be the last time ever. I just did not find the locals remotely friendly and I'm not a big fan of the tenets of their religion (which was invented in New York State in the 19th century by a convicted con artist).

All I'm saying is that driving from Colorado to Vegas via Northern Utah would be a huge mistake given the alternative.

Nelly 21 · 10-03-2014 5:04pm

I looked at the link and am like oh my god!!!!!! That's just fantastic!!! Really not to be missed.

I have mentioned cities but im happy staying in smaller towns. I've nothing booked other than flights. I'm delighted with the information and links that I'm getting here!!!! Gonna check out southwest Colorado and southwest Utah. The idea of during through parks mentioned above is really appealing to me!!!!

InTheTrees · 10-03-2014 5:17pm

I hate to keep throwing changes in there but...

I'd do:

10. Vegas
11. Yosemite
12. SF

Reno isnt worth going the extra distance for (Its a less classy(!) version of Vegas) and you'd miss Yosemite.

Nelly 21 · 10-03-2014 11:24pm

So here we go again. I hope I'm not being too head wrecking. I went on google maps and took my time looking through the parks. I reckon I can book somewhere around the parks and stuff I've been looking at is amazing!!!!

Am I closer to getting it right and fitting loads of good stuff in????

1. Fly into LA, drive to San Diego
2. San Diego
3. Flagstaff
4. Flagstaff
5. Albuquerque/ Sante Fe
6. Durango CO
7. Capital reef national park Wayne county UT
8. Zion National Park Springdale UT
9. Death Valley CA
10. Bishop CA
11. Yosemite CA
12. San Francisco
13. San Francisco
14. San Francisco
15. Baywood(this is an idea as its half way between SF and LA, figure taking our time we can stop in places and see stuff??)
16. LA
17. LA
18. LA
19. LA
20. LA
21. LA

InTheTrees · 11-03-2014 12:59am

Nelly 21 wrote: »

14. San Francisco
15. Baywood(this is an idea as its half way between SF and LA, figure taking our time we can stop in places and see stuff??)
16. LA

Yes. Morro Bay is a good stopping point. Or just a little further on is the town of San Louis Obispo which is much larger and has a good choice of motels/hotels.

Nelly 21 · 11-03-2014 1:00am

Brilliant..... so I'm finally getting it right!!!!!!

spideog7 · 11-03-2014 1:11am

Nelly 21 wrote: »

1. Fly into LA, drive to San Diego
2. San Diego
3. Flagstaff
4. Flagstaff
5. Albuquerque/ Sante Fe
6. Durango CO
7. Capital reef national park Wayne county UT
8. Zion National Park Springdale UT
9. Death Valley CA
10. Bishop CA
11. Yosemite CA
12. San Francisco
13. San Francisco
14. San Francisco
15. Baywood(this is an idea as its half way between SF and LA, figure taking our time we can stop in places and see stuff??)
16. LA
17. LA
18. LA
19. LA
20. LA
21. LA

I've heard Santa Fe is much nicer than Albuquerque but never been in that area. I'll be in Durango this summer but haven't been before so can't speak to it, it looks like a nice area though so I'm excited for that trip. I'll be heading to Mesa Verde for sure, looks very interesting.

Have you picked a route from there into Utah? There's a big load of desert that you have to get around and it might make it awkward trying to get to Capitol Reef National Park. I've never been there so I can't speak to how nice it is. If you had planned on heading north to I70 then don't miss Moab and Arches, but that seems a bit out of your way and there are a lot of similarities in those Parks so I wouldn't worry too much about missing it (although Moab is a nice little town). Another option is to head south towards Page, AZ and take UT163 through Monument Valley it's very scenic and you'll probably recognise it from all the westerns, it's pretty much just an area you drive through so I wouldn't plan to spend any time there. That drive will bring you through Navajo tribal land, so you can stop at one of their stalls and buy some jewellery and dreamcatchers and whatnot. You'll probably miss Capitol Reef on that route though.

I'm guessing you probably planned on taking UT95 as it seems the most direct? In which case don't miss Natural Bridges National Monument. And I'd probably take UT12 (looks like a fun drive) from Capitol Reef to Bryce.

Either way no matter which route you take to Zion I wouldn't pass that close to Bryce without stopping in briefly at least, if you're not going for big hikes or overnight camping or anything you can see a lot in hour or so wandering around.

I haven't been further West than Las Vegas so I can't comment on the rest of your trip but Death Valley on into Yosemite all makes sense to me.

Nelly 21 · 11-03-2014 12:57pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

I hate to keep throwing changes in there but...

I'd do:

10. Vegas
11. Yosemite
12. SF

Reno isnt worth going the extra distance for (Its a less classy(!) version of Vegas) and you'd miss Yosemite.

I appreciate the changes. There are some things that I forgot about looking into such as roads to take etc. People including yourself in this thread have mentioned places that I wouldn't have looked into. I'm thrilled with the advise and love looking through pictures of places that we are going to see!!!!!! I'm constantly taking notes and looking things up on the net based on advice I'm getting here!!!!!!!!!!

Nelly 21 · 11-03-2014 1:01pm

spideog7 wrote: »

I've heard Santa Fe is much nicer than Albuquerque but never been in that area. I'll be in Durango this summer but haven't been before so can't speak to it, it looks like a nice area though so I'm excited for that trip. I'll be heading to Mesa Verde for sure, looks very interesting.

Have you picked a route from there into Utah? There's a big load of desert that you have to get around and it might make it awkward trying to get to Capitol Reef National Park. I've never been there so I can't speak to how nice it is. If you had planned on heading north to I70 then don't miss Moab and Arches, but that seems a bit out of your way and there are a lot of similarities in those Parks so I wouldn't worry too much about missing it (although Moab is a nice little town). Another option is to head south towards Page, AZ and take UT163 through Monument Valley it's very scenic and you'll probably recognise it from all the westerns, it's pretty much just an area you drive through so I wouldn't plan to spend any time there. That drive will bring you through Navajo tribal land, so you can stop at one of their stalls and buy some jewellery and dreamcatchers and whatnot. You'll probably miss Capitol Reef on that route though.

I'm guessing you probably planned on taking UT95 as it seems the most direct? In which case don't miss Natural Bridges National Monument. And I'd probably take UT12 (looks like a fun drive) from Capitol Reef to Bryce.

Either way no matter which route you take to Zion I wouldn't pass that close to Bryce without stopping in briefly at least, if you're not going for big hikes or overnight camping or anything you can see a lot in hour or so wandering around.

I haven't been further West than Las Vegas so I can't comment on the rest of your trip but Death Valley on into Yosemite all makes sense to me.

I'm taking note of all your suggestion s and looking stuff up. There is so much to see that I hadn't even realized and you're all very good to take so much time to give such detailed advised. I'm including more places to see and things to do than we would have without everyone's help!!!!!

USA Trip Los Angeles to Amarillo

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