So now the flights are booked it's time to consider the route! Hubby's happy as the hire car is booked - after last years Camaro he's booked a Camaro SS - a true muscle car 6.2 l V8 with 455 bhp I'm guessing that we'll be spending more on fuel than shopping
So after many an hour on maps over the last few days we've come up with the following first draft and I'd be grateful for your thoughts!
May 13 - pick up hire car from LAX & drive to Cambria/San Simeon area, stopping in Santa Barbara for brunch/lunch, visit Hearst Castle
May 14 - drive Big Sur to Monterey for lunch & a wander - possible aquarium visit, before driving late afternoon to Mariposa/Oakhurst
May 15 - into Yosemite Valley, then onto Stanislaus Forest before heading to South Lake Tahoe
May 16 - Cable car in South Lake Tahoe (hubby's considering a waterski though!) then down to June Lake/Mammoth Lakes
May 17 - down to Death Valley staying at Furnace Creek
May 18 - after Death Valley a short hop to Vegas, possibly via Red Rock Canyon
May 19 - Vegas
May 20 - Vegas
May 21 - onto the Grand Canyon South Rim, via Seligman or the Skywalk
May 22 - back to Vegas, via Seligman or the Skywalk if we didn't do it the day before
May 23 - Vegas
May 24 - drive to Palm Springs, via London Bridge, taking the Tramway in the afternoon/early evening/sunset
May 25 - return the hire car & back to reality - but at least there's now a Clubhouse at LAX
This is just over 2,000 miles, which hubby is happy with. The longest drive in a day is Vegas to the Grand Canyon at just under 300 miles in a day.
The original plan was to drive through Yosemite on the 120, 108 or failing that the 4, but after researching there's a risk that as it's an El Niño winter none of those roads will be fully open - hence the overnight in South Lake Tahoe.
We've decided to add a night in Death Valley as last year we couldn't stop & take in the views as there was a HUGE sandstorm.
When in Vegas we plan to do go to the Hoover Dam to do a tour - this is our fifth visit and we've flown over it & driven over it but never actually been in! We're not sure if the SkyWalk is worth it though as we've been to the west canyon by helicopter before.
Many thanks in advance for all your help & I look forward to hearing from you!
So after many an hour on maps over the last few days we've come up with the following first draft and I'd be grateful for your thoughts!
May 13 - pick up hire car from LAX & drive to Cambria/San Simeon area, stopping in Santa Barbara for brunch/lunch, visit Hearst Castle
May 14 - drive Big Sur to Monterey for lunch & a wander - possible aquarium visit, before driving late afternoon to Mariposa/Oakhurst
May 15 - into Yosemite Valley, then onto Stanislaus Forest before heading to South Lake Tahoe
May 16 - Cable car in South Lake Tahoe (hubby's considering a waterski though!) then down to June Lake/Mammoth Lakes
May 17 - down to Death Valley staying at Furnace Creek
May 18 - after Death Valley a short hop to Vegas, possibly via Red Rock Canyon
May 19 - Vegas
May 20 - Vegas
May 21 - onto the Grand Canyon South Rim, via Seligman or the Skywalk
May 22 - back to Vegas, via Seligman or the Skywalk if we didn't do it the day before
May 23 - Vegas
May 24 - drive to Palm Springs, via London Bridge, taking the Tramway in the afternoon/early evening/sunset
May 25 - return the hire car & back to reality - but at least there's now a Clubhouse at LAX
This is just over 2,000 miles, which hubby is happy with. The longest drive in a day is Vegas to the Grand Canyon at just under 300 miles in a day.
The original plan was to drive through Yosemite on the 120, 108 or failing that the 4, but after researching there's a risk that as it's an El Niño winter none of those roads will be fully open - hence the overnight in South Lake Tahoe.
We've decided to add a night in Death Valley as last year we couldn't stop & take in the views as there was a HUGE sandstorm.
When in Vegas we plan to do go to the Hoover Dam to do a tour - this is our fifth visit and we've flown over it & driven over it but never actually been in! We're not sure if the SkyWalk is worth it though as we've been to the west canyon by helicopter before.
Many thanks in advance for all your help & I look forward to hearing from you!