california road trip!!!!!

Ok guys heres the story so far, me and a mate have now graduated and we are celebrating by doing this road trip
. Thats where your help comes into it. so far have deiced to go to lax and drive all the way up to vancouver stopping at san francisco , las vegas. What i need to know is where to go from peoples experience on here, and how to get cheap accomodation. in my last Nyc trip i used priceline and got some good hotels at around £40 a night, but this time we are hoping to go for around 1 month so we need something cheaper, any ideas guys? any help would be appreciated, especially on how to find a good cheap flight, itenary and accomodation. i dont ask for much do i[}:)]

Cheers

Rups

[preiffer]

Umm... One observation - Las Vegas isn't exactly on the way to San Francisco from LA... [:w]

Damn good trip though. [y]

Try renting one of those winebago things..... then you sleep wherever you like! (but the cost of petrol might be a bit higher than for an economy car.....)

Originally posted by preiffer
Umm... One observation - Las Vegas isn't exactly on the way to San Francisco from LA... [:w]

Damn good trip though. [y]

Depends on the route you take. If I were navigating, it could very well be on the way....[:(]

Originally posted by rupsingh

Thats where your help comes into it. so far have deiced to go to lax and drive all the way up to vancouver stopping at san francisco , las vegas. What i need to know is where to go from peoples experience on here, and how to get cheap accomodation. in my last Nyc trip i used priceline and got some good hotels at around £40 a night, but this time we are hoping to go for around 1 month so we need something cheaper, any ideas guys? [}:)]

Cheers

Rups

As far as accommodation is concerned, it depends on the level of luxury you want.
I remember on our first trip to California way back in the early 90's we used Motel 6 a lot, literally every town of any size has one. Most seem to have pools, rooms are basic but clean and the cost ranges from around $25 to $40 dollars per night (for the room, not per person).

As for where to goÉÉ Vegas, although quite a detour, should definitely be on there. Long trek back across, but the trip up HWY one via Monterey / Carmel and up to San Francisco is also well worth it.

Plan enough time in SF, great city, loads to do and see. Also Seattle is a cool place to stay for a few nights, some good nightlife there.

Jon B

Thanks for all the replies guys, with regards to the motel 6 suggestion it looked ok till i googled it, and from the reviews it seems clean was the last word people use to describe it!! but will definetly have a look at them because the price seems to be good. Roughly speaking hope to spend 5 days in la, 3 days in sf and the rest where ever the car goes ending with 8 days in vancouver

Originally posted by rupsingh
Thanks for all the replies guys, with regards to the motel 6 suggestion it looked ok till i googled it, and from the reviews it seems clean was the last word people use to describe it!! but will definetly have a look at them because the price seems to be good. Roughly speaking hope to spend 5 days in la, 3 days in sf and the rest where ever the car goes ending with 8 days in vancouver

Rup

At $30 per night you really ought to be glad for something .. cleanliness is a big plus and I hope you find that

vegas isn't on the way to anywhere....

it IS the way.........[|:)]

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by armadillo
vegas isn't on the way to anywhere....

it IS the way.........[|:)]

[y] that man.

Ok,try this.

LA to Laughlin.Spend the night in Laughlin should be around $20.Head over and see the Grand Canyon.

Laughlin to Vegas,check out rates at Circus Circus,the Sahara or the Strat.Try http://www.travelworm.com as they seem to have great prices right now.

Vegas back down to LA and follow the PCH from Santa Monica to Ventura.

As has been said above Motel 6 is not a bad bet,I have crashed in many of them on road trips and never had a problem such as a dirty room.The decor is very 70's,but they provide a good basic place to spend the night and they are everywhere.

Follow the PCH as far as you can,from there Preffier is probably your best bet as that is his neck of the woods.

I did a california road trip a few years back. Great fun it was too.
Flew in to LA, Headed across the Mojave to Barstow (Big outlet mall in middle of nowhere. Flagstaff for the Grand Canyon. Across the Hoover Dam to Vegas. Then up across Death Valley and the Sierra Nevada towards Lake Tahoe and Reno (taking in Yosemite), then crossed the Sierra Nevada and down towards 'frisco.
We then headed south down the PCH back to LA, but you of course can venture off to Northern California, with its Redwoods and
Vinyards!
We stayed in range of motels around the Motel 6 price bracket and never had any gripes, except the telling bloodstains on the balcony outside our room in Vegas.
Didn't bother booking anything in advanced and never had a problem finding accomodation at the last minute. It's better that way, then you can pick and choose how long you stay someplace.

Originally posted by PVGSLF
except the telling bloodstains on the balcony outside our room in Vegas.

Sorry to be nieve, but what does blood on the balcony tell one?

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by sailor99

Originally posted by PVGSLF
except the telling bloodstains on the balcony outside our room in Vegas.

Sorry to be nieve, but what does blood on the balcony tell one?

In Vegas there are many answers to that,we shall go with a cut finger ok...please...pretty please [:I]..was that at the IP BTW?

Well, i figured the chunks taken out of the wall close to the blood stains weren't caused by masonary bees!
I think we'd picked one of the rougher suburbs of vegas. Our budget only ran to Motel6, not MGM Grand.

OK, got it!

Originally posted by PVGSLF
Then up across Death Valley and the Sierra Nevada



Didn't bother booking anything in advanced and never had a problem finding accomodation at the last minute. It's better that way, then you can pick and choose how long you stay someplace.

Don't try this in Death Valley. It's short on motels...

Well there is Stovepipe wells... but granted, if they are full, it's a long drive to anywhere else.
I think we just passed through and stayed in Lone Pine... a famous cowboy movie location!

the motel 6s that i checked come out between $80-$120!!! for that price i would definetly accept some standards of cleaniless. To be honest i might stick with priceline but go for the budget 1* accomodation hopefully for under £30 a night

If you want a bit of kitsch on the way, try the Madonna Inn http://www.madonnainn.com/
Some freinds stayed there and whilst you wouldn't want to spend too long there its a good experience for a night.

Dean

[preiffer]

^ Quality suggestion. Only a couple miles from downtown San Luis Obispo (great student town) and an amazing walk up to the top of Madonna Mountain in the morning [y]

Be warned though, the owner paints the sign a brighter flourescent pink every time he gets more upset with the city...

Originally posted by Wolves27
If you want a bit of kitsch on the way, try the Madonna Inn http://www.madonnainn.com/
Some freinds stayed there and whilst you wouldn't want to spend too long there its a good experience for a night.

Dean

Please, no, I still require therapy after visiting. Anything vaguely pink brings me out in a rash. Seriously "what the hell?" inducing to visit though !

And of course Hearst Castle at San Simeon the examplar that money good taste. A collection of architectural items, largely from Europe, slung together in a quite awfully fascinating way.

Originally posted by PVGSLF
Well there is Stovepipe wells... but granted, if they are full, it's a long drive to anywhere else.
I think we just passed through and stayed in Lone Pine... a famous cowboy movie location!

We ate at a great diner in Lone Pine. Didn't know it was a movie location...

We did a couple of nights at Stovepipe Wells (wish we'd done more there and fewer at Mammoth) and enjoyed it greatly. Sunrises and sunsets at Zabreskie Point, the Salt Flats and the shifting desert colours are worth a visit. Stovepipe also has a warm spring that feeds their swimming pool. A very pleasant chlorine free experience.

Paul

Originally posted by rupsingh
the motel 6s that i checked come out between $80-$120!!! for that price i would definetly accept some standards of cleaniless. To be honest i might stick with priceline but go for the budget 1* accomodation hopefully for under £30 a night

Don't always believe the reviews you read..... Stayed in a few in my time, always been clean, always been safe but hey, It will be your $'s so look around at other options.

Just checked out the direct price, even the more expensive Knotts Berry / Disneyland motel 6 comes out at $53 to $60 (£30 to £34) depending on room - others on the highway 1 route are coming out at anywhere between $45 and $60 (that's via http://www.motel6.com)

Jon B

Originally posted by pjh

Originally posted by PVGSLF
Well there is Stovepipe wells... but granted, if they are full, it's a long drive to anywhere else.
I think we just passed through and stayed in Lone Pine... a famous cowboy movie location!

We ate at a great diner in Lone Pine. Didn't know it was a movie location...

We did a couple of nights at Stovepipe Wells (wish we'd done more there and fewer at Mammoth) and enjoyed it greatly. Sunrises and sunsets at Zabreskie Point, the Salt Flats and the shifting desert colours are worth a visit. Stovepipe also has a warm spring that feeds their swimming pool. A very pleasant chlorine free experience.

Paul

theres always furnace creek ranch as well... best thing with DV is pre-book either stovepipe or furnace creek.. Avoid panamint springs tho (has about 10 rooms I think)- if you like 'some' comfort.

stovepipe though is much better - great atmosphere. used to go there a lot - a friend of mine lived there, yes lived there for 12 years... Guess what she was the bartender!! Jina's the name - some people may still remember her there (now resides in Vegas). had some good nites there!! strong beer available. Food sucks tho.

DV is great winter, spring or fall - avoid summer obviously - though you could hike telescope peak - takes around 8 hours round trip. best time late Sept.

We tried it once in April - and had to turn around cos of 4 ft snow....(we were in shorts and stuff - other people were hiking down in ski wear!) [:w][:I]

Originally posted by pjh

We ate at a great diner in Lone Pine. Didn't know it was a movie location...

I think I ate in that diner too!
Stayed in the Best Western there... great Jacuzzi Bath. Chuck in your dirty clothes, add some washing powder, turn it on sit back and relax... your choice if you're in or out of the water at the same time!

The Foothills of the mountains there are called "The alabama hills" and consist of sandy colured boulder strewn land scape. that we have all seen in the old cowboy films.

http://totalescape.com/active/leisure/s ... abama.html



The Best Western has rooms named after all the stars that filmed there.

Originally posted by armadillo

stovepipe though is much better - great atmosphere. used to go there a lot - a friend of mine lived there, yes lived there for 12 years... Guess what she was the bartender!! Jina's the name - some people may still remember her there (now resides in Vegas). had some good nites there!! strong beer available. Food sucks tho.

12 years ? Respect for the endurance.

Funnily enough the beer sticks in my mind. I seem to remember it tasted pretty good and wasn't the standard Bud / Miller derivative - though I hasten to add didn't drink *that* much of it.