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I'm coming over from the UK in November, and plan to drive from Vegas through Death Valley, and on through Yosemite to Reno over 3 days staying overnight in Vegas, Mammoth Lakes and S Lake Tahoe.
I would be grateful of any information on likely weather, places not to miss, places to avoid !, and anything else you may think useful.
Right off the top of my head I would suggest a side trip to Mono Lake and the ghost town of Bodie, CA and another to Virginia City, NV. You're picking a pretty good time to go through Death Valley as it will have cooled off considerably from the summer months however it may not be the best time for Yosemite (or Bodie for that matter).
The logical route would bring you up 395 from Death Valley. You'd then have to take 120 from Mono Lake over the Tioga Pass into Yosemite. However, the Tioga Pass closes during the winter because of snow. This typically happens sometime in October or November.
Regardless if Tioga Pass is open or not I would tell them where you are going and ask the rental agency if they can provide chains. If Tioga Pass is open it's smart to carry them and it's also possible that you may need them for the Kingsbury Grade coming into Tahoe. If the agency doesn't have chains they can be picked up en route and most auto parts stores. Some gas stations will also have them when you get into areas where it snows. If they are required during your visit most chain control points will have chain monkeys you can pay to put them on. It's worth it to do so. They can put them on much faster than you or I ever will and do a better job to boot. Plus you won't get wet and dirty.
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
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I'd say to go along route 49 ... is it SR 49? and hit some of the gold towns where people struck it rich in 1849, or at least tried to. I think Nevada City/Grass Valley and other town along that route had some English history from the large numbers of Cornish tin miners who went there to work in the hard rock gold mines. You can still get Cornish pasties in some of the restaurants there.
When you pass through Bishop, you should stop at Schat's Bakery and pick up a loaf of Sheepherder Bread. There's also the Meadow Farms Smokehouse along Highway 395 as you are heading west out of town. They are famous for their varieties of jerky, beef and otherwise (buffalo, turkey, etc.). Both of these places are well known to travelers in the area, and are popular stops along the route.
The LAWS Railroad Museum, a few miles north of Bishop on Highway 6, is another interesting place to visit, but it may not fit in well with your 3 day itinerary. I think you will find Bodie to be even more interesting, so if you had to choose between the two, I'd suggest Bodie.
If you're going to visit Yosemite along the way, I'd suggest planning at least one full day to see as much of it as you can. If Tioga Pass is closed, you probably will have to pass on Yosemite and Highway 49, as Woof suggested. It will take several hours to drive from Tioga Pass to Yosemite Valley, and then it will take a while to take in the sights once you're there. If you're heading out by way of Tioga pass again, allow a few more hours for the drive out.
I think Woof's suggestion of taking highway 49 is a good one. You can take it north out of Mariposa (a town a little bit West of Yosemite on Highway 140), or you can take Highway 120 west out of Yosemite to Highway 49, then follow Highway 49 on up to Placerville. From Placerville, you can take Highway 50 up to South Lake Tahoe.
Another interesting thing to see if you go this way, is the Marshall Gold Discovery site in Coloma. This is just a few miles north of Placerville on Highway 49. There is a replica of Sutter's Mill, and a lot of other Gold Mining exhibits, as well as some places where you can actually try your hand at panning for gold along the American River.
I know there have been quite a few suggestions of things and places to see on your trip. I hope you're not overwhelmed by the ideas. If there is any way to extend your trip by one or two more days, you will find that you will still be very busy taking everything in. I just hope that the three days you have planned will be enough to see some of what you are hoping to see.
Thanks for all you help. I appreciate your time. I need to review your comments with a map open !
I realize that I'm cramming a lot in to 3 days, but the original plan was go direct to Reno arriving Tuesday night, leaving the UK on Sat am allows us to do this trip. The whole 3 days is an "add on" to our other plans.
Come November weather will be your most important consideration, as once climbing out of Death Valley you may be dealing with snow from Lone Pine on US 395 all the way to South Lake Tahoe.
Then again, it might be perfectly clear and lovely, but plan for the possibility. Both California and Nevada are weird in demanding the use of tire chains when other states do not. The best way to circumvent this to use a four wheel drive vehicle equipped with snow tires. You should be able to rent such a vehicle if you specify this and none other; legally and in practice it will allow you to drive in snow (if it comes to it) without using chains. Believe me, you do not want to mess with chains.
The new casinos along The Strip in Las Vegas are magnificent and worth seeing, whether you gamble or not. You might do no more than walk and/or use some of the readily available public transit from one casino to another. Not too distant from Las Vegas on the Colorado river is Boulder Dam. It is beautifully crafted within a striking location, but you'll have to decide if too distant for the time you have.
At the junction of US 95 and NV 374, where you turn west towards Death Valley, is the Death Valley Nut & Candy Company. Stopping there will not take you out of your way, and it is a very unique business. If you happen to like a variety of nuts or candy, all the better.
At the north end of Death Valley is the popular tourist destination of Scotty's Castle. It will however take you out of your way, and something more likely is the historic Furnace Creek Inn, located in the center of the valley. Driving there and back will take you a bit south of your path to US 395, but not much. It is an old and picturesque hotel that was, or if not should have been, the inspiration for the song 'Hotel California' by the Eagles.
You'll have to decide, but several miles even further south are the striking white salt flats of Badwater, at 282 feet below sea level the lowest elevation in the United States. Depending on the weather and your mood it can be quite surreal.
Mammoth Lakes might, as you mentioned, be a good place to spend the night. Particularly after the desert you might enjoy the significantly higher elevation and forests. While there be sure and investigate some of the many geothermal springs in the area.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate with you, as Yosemite is definitely worth seeing. The junction with CA 120, which runs through the park, is also the location of Mono Lake at the small town of Lee Vining. But while Mono Lake is certainly interesting, you will see it at a slight distance, so decide if you wish to take the time for closer investigation.
The east entrance to Yosemite, at Tioga Pass, is basically straight up from Lee Vining. From there it is more or less downhill to the far west side of the park. So if the road isn't closed at the highest east entrance to Yosemite, you'll make it all the way through.
Even though it will be a bit out of your way, you should surely make the detour near the western edge of the park to visit Yosemite Valley. Absolutely magnificent and far less crowded with tourists that time of year.
Although you might turn back at this point to retrace your route back to US 395 at Lee Vining, a more promising route would be to continue west on CA 120 to the junction with CA 49. This is the old gold rush country and in running north and south the often narrow, winding and unique CA 49 passes through such historical towns as Sonora and Angels Camp. Angels Camp is the home of author Mark Twain's 'Jumping Frog.' Between these two towns is also the small cabin where Twain spent one of the more trying periods in his life.
If you opt for such a route you might find lodging in any number of the small towns along the way. One possibility might be the Murphys Hotel in the picturesque small town of Murphys, California.
From CA 49 you might reasonably choose any one of three routes to South Lake Tahoe.
The most interesting would be CA 4, over Ebbits Pass, through Hope Valley and thence Luther Pass directly into South Lake Tahoe. Just be aware that above the town of Arnold you may be dealing with snow. The route from Lake Alpine over Ebbits Pass is narrow and winding and quite unique, but also closes for the entire winter. So check, as this pass may or may not be open.
CA 88 over Carson Pass is not as interesting but a faster route, and Carson Pass is generally open. But best to check in advance, as well as Luther Pass into the Tahoe basin, as whether CA 88 or CA 4, this will be your most direct route into South Lake Tahoe.
Simply in speed and efficiency your best route probably to follow CA 49 north to its junction with US 50 at Placerville. From there you can take the rather heavily traveled US 50 directly into South Lake Tahoe. Aside from the traffic it is a beautiful enough route. Particularly as you crest the summit at Echo Lake Summit and enjoy the panorama of Lake Tahoe in the distance as you drop down an intriguing road, if you don't mind heights.
Should you have encountered snow you can almost certainly expect it at South Lake Tahoe. Although your possible route along CA 49 would be no more than rain.
Lake Tahoe is beautiful and unique in its beautifully clear waters. The gem of this entire lake may well be Emerald Bay, situated at the southwest corner of the lake. Due weather the road circumventing Emerald Bay may be closed, but most likely open.
Should you have the chance, and it open, the enchanting Norwegian inspired Vikingsholm is well worth the visit. It is located back of the beach, nearly hidden in the forest of vast trees, at the head of Emerald Bay, in a near otherworldly setting.
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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I can almost positively absolutely guarantee you will not be able to drive from 395 into Yosemite in November. It was closed last week for a time because of snow, and as soon as the first flakes hit in October or November, Caltrans will close the road. It's just too narrow and windy to allow traffic on during snowy weather. Sierra weather can turn on you in a minute so if I'm wrong and it turns out to be a balmy 80 degrees out, make sure you get a decent weather forecast, otherwise you will be exiting Yosemite on the west side of 120. Hiway 49 is not a straight road either, but it is much wider with fog stripes and center lines painted on it. I takes me 2 hours to get to yosemite valley in the summertime and 2 hours to get to I-80 at Auburn. I think it takes another couple of hours to get to Reno from there, but again if the weather is poor, I-80 can be problematic.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that the snow hasn't flown by the time of your trip
Many Thanks again for your replies, and apologies for not posting sooner.
We managed the trip through Death Valley and Yosemite without any problems. We now realize how lucky we were not to have had snow to contend with !
Death Valley was stunning - Dante's Point and Zabrinske Point kept the camera busy. We took an interesting route out of Death Valley - North West of Scottys Castle to Crankshaft Junction, then on to Big Pine and Bishop. A 4x4 was definitely the right choice. Really wanted to see the Galen Rowell Gallery in Bishop, and thought we were going to be unlucky arriving at 4.30 pm on a Sunday but they were still open. I enjoy photography, and bought one of Galen's books years ago, so it was treat to visit.
After a night at Mammoth Lakes we continued in to Yosemite on the Monday am. Seemed like we were the only traffic on the Tioga Road. Plenty of stops for pics - and lunch in the village. It was very quiet - I'm sure in Summer it's buzzing. We took your advice Idunn, and took the IS4 back North East to South Lake Tahoe for the night. It was a great drive made all the more exciting by running low on gas. Very low. We just made Markleeville in the dark to a 24 hour gas pump. Relief all round as the Sat Nav was indicating another 30 miles to gas at that point.........
Next day was a short hop to Reno, but we took off across country and took in Beale AFB, just west of Yuba City. Saw a couple of U2's doing circuits, and then hit the IS80 across to Reno for the night.
The rest of the trip saw us at NAS Fallon for a tour round the base, and then a flight back to Vegas and the Aviation Nation Air Show at Nellis AFB. It was the capstone event for the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the the USAF.
In summary it was a great holiday, made better by your contributions, so many thanks for taking the time to post and help us out.
I've posted some pics from the visits to Beale / Fallon and Nellis if you would like to see them :
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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I take back my guarantee about being able to make it from 395 to yosemite This has been a strange weather year. Sounds like a great trip and thanks for sharing the photos.
I flew from San Jose to Marysville near Beale in 1970 for my private pilots license training. Highlight of the trip? watching an SR-71 take off from Beale and absolutely disappear from sight in about 30 seconds. 2nd highlight flying over Sacramento airport watching a 747 doing touch and goes for pilot training (they were new then)
Last edited by DMenscha; 11-26-2007 at 05:20 PM..
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Quite possibly fantastic
