Must-see spots From Southern to Northern, coastal and inland?? (transfer)

[kettlepot]

Day 1 San Diego - El Centro - Apple Valley - Camp in Death Valley
Day 2 Explore Death Valley
Day 3 Decamp from Death Valley Drive through Sequoia on your way to camp at Yosemite
Day 4 Explore Yosemite
Day 5 Decamp from Yosemite and drive to Eureka (entire day - you better leave Yosemite at the crack of dawn)
Day 6 Stay with friends in Eureka
Day 7 Spend Second day with friends in Eureka
Day 8 Leave Eureka and drive halfway south on Highway One
Day 9 Leave your midway point and continue south to San Diego.

There is just too much time being spent inside the car, even if you are looking out the windows at attractive scenery. I've been told that PCH Hwy 1 is a pokey slow road. It may not be possible to go from Eureka to San Diego along PCH in two days.

Day 1, 5, 8, and 9 are entirely car bound, and day 3 is in the car half the time. Only 4 days don't involve hours in the car. Doesn't sound like a vacation.

I agree with Oddstray, you should have a northern California trip and a southern California trip, but your friends in Eureka are dictating drives of very long distances. Could you fly back from San Francisco, Oakland, or Sacramento instead of San Diego?

[roadtrippin']

Too much time spent in the car for most, but after our roadtrip to Vegas from Ohio, our most enjoyed aspect was the scenery changing outside of our window. Thanks so much for the suggestions and sorry for such a late response! I don't want to let my friends dictate much of what we do because, well, someone had it pegged when they said they KNOW what people do for fun up North haha I can drink expensive beer and act aloof in my own town, I want to go go go!! It's just 14 days away at this point and I guess we're still in the same position. We're pretty much just going to go with the flow and our only goals are to get to specific locations by nightfall if we intend to camp there (for instance Death Valley and Yosemite, after that we're going to take it slow)

[roadtrippin']

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

If you're taking the 395 North up from Death Valley through Mammoth (which is not as spectacular as Yosemite), and you think you will see enough trees at your other stops, at the intersection of the 395 and the 120 (road to Yosemite) you might consider driving north to the 270 East (a bumpy, dusty road BTW), (31 miles total of both roads) to the ghost town of Bodie. The world's largest, it has about 110 buildings. It's a photographer's dream.

Bodie, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes!! I forgot about Bodie! I'd read about it a long time ago and I can't wait to check it out. It's definitely making the list!! Thank you!

[roadtrippin']

Originally Posted by thisplacesucks

Definitely go to Sequoia, the size of the trees are amazing, great photographs, and if you go as far as Blue Lake, go to the coast & the redwoods. My favorite place in all of CA is Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Get in the trail & photograph some old growth redwoods, now THAT is amazing! (Geez, I sound like Huell Houser!)

I think someone mentioned to me that I should take the Avenue of Giants? I can't remember who/where, it might have been in an article, but that's DEFINITELY on the list. I'm hoping when we depart Blue Lake we can start our trip back south with some old growth spots. Thanks!

[roadtrippin']

Originally Posted by kettlepot

Day 1 San Diego - El Centro - Apple Valley - Camp in Death Valley
Day 2 Explore Death Valley
Day 3 Decamp from Death Valley Drive through Sequoia on your way to camp at Yosemite
Day 4 Explore Yosemite
Day 5 Decamp from Yosemite and drive to Eureka (entire day - you better leave Yosemite at the crack of dawn)
Day 6 Stay with friends in Eureka
Day 7 Spend Second day with friends in Eureka
Day 8 Leave Eureka and drive halfway south on Highway One
Day 9 Leave your midway point and continue south to San Diego.

There is just too much time being spent inside the car, even if you are looking out the windows at attractive scenery. I've been told that PCH Hwy 1 is a pokey slow road. It may not be possible to go from Eureka to San Diego along PCH in two days.

Day 1, 5, 8, and 9 are entirely car bound, and day 3 is in the car half the time. Only 4 days don't involve hours in the car. Doesn't sound like a vacation.

I agree with Oddstray, you should have a northern California trip and a southern California trip, but your friends in Eureka are dictating drives of very long distances. Could you fly back from San Francisco, Oakland, or Sacramento instead of San Diego?

Our opinions on vacations differ. I absolutely LOVE roadtrips. I love watching the world change outside of my window. I just love being on the go. Perhaps it's because even a day trip away from Ohio is almost as boring as being stuck indoors all winter or being stuck indoors at work all summer. I just like to see as much as possible, even if I can't explore in depth. I'm actually transferring to California (or very close by in Nevada) next year and I'll have whole 3 and 4 day weekends to spend giving each of the sights the individual attention they deserve.

All that sounds very very similar to what we're planning minus the spending the second day in Eureka with our friends. We've convinced them to finish out the road
trip with us and after a nights sleep (or a nap, depending on what time we arrive) we're making them journey with us down south. They've never even SEEN the desert. They live in California and they've never even SEEN THE DESERT! They're always going on about the beautiful trees and the ocean and I keep trying to tell them that that's only a tiny portion of the beauty! They're a day trip away from so many different landscapes!! I'm so excited.

[509]

I would drop Death Valley and Sequoia National Park.

Go to Yosemite National Park. I would go to Toulumne Meadows see the High Sierra up there. Not sure when your going, but the road snows in sometime in October through November. You can see Giant Sequoia's in Yosemite National Park. I would go walk Wawona Grove. The Valley is always worth a visit even when the waterfalls are not running. Hike to either Yosemite Falls or Vernal/Nevada Falls. Go see Glacier Point.

Drive Highway One all the way down the coast. Stop at the STATE Redwoods parks up north like Jedeiash Smith. The STATE parks are much, much better than the National Park.

Head south on Highway 1. Pt. Reyes National Seashore. San Francisco, Carmel, Montery, Pt. Lobos Natural Reserve, Big Sur.

If your a photographer....don't miss Pt. Lobos or Big Sur. You want to go south on Highway 1 so your always on the ocean side (cliff side).

Remember this advice is worth what you paid for it!!

[roadtrippin']

Originally Posted by 509

I would drop Death Valley and Sequoia National Park.

Go to Yosemite National Park. I would go to Toulumne Meadows see the High Sierra up there. Not sure when your going, but the road snows in sometime in October through November. You can see Giant Sequoia's in Yosemite National Park. I would go walk Wawona Grove. The Valley is always worth a visit even when the waterfalls are not running. Hike to either Yosemite Falls or Vernal/Nevada Falls. Go see Glacier Point.

Drive Highway One all the way down the coast. Stop at the STATE Redwoods parks up north like Jedeiash Smith. The STATE parks are much, much better than the National Park.

Head south on Highway 1. Pt. Reyes National Seashore. San Francisco, Carmel, Montery, Pt. Lobos Natural Reserve, Big Sur.

If your a photographer....don't miss Pt. Lobos or Big Sur. You want to go south on Highway 1 so your always on the ocean side (cliff side).

Remember this advice is worth what you paid for it!!

Thank you! I've actually considered doing just that. I've never been to Yosemite despite the fact that it's always been on the top of my list and I wonder if a week would even be more than an appetizer!

[oddstray]

Toward the south end of Big Sur, there's a rather spectacular photo op on the cliff side of the Ragged Point cafe: RAGGED POINT, CALIFORNIA IN BIG SUR

[roadtrippin']

Thanks Oddstray! I just looked it up and it's definitely on our map now.

[roadtrippin']

Ack! Can't believe I didn't post pictures. For anyone interested, here's the resulting video of the road trip. It's just a compilation of time-lapse and hyperlapse style photos. Nothing professional, just capturing memories. Thanks again, all! https://youtu.be/k6O0dYcMxms