We flew in to Vegas, stayed two nights, your son may like it, you'll probably hate it, but if Penn and Teller are doing a show, try to catch it as they are quite amazing. From there, we drove to Flagstaff, stayed about ten nights and visited Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, Sunset Crater, all day trips from Flagstaff except the Canyon where you want to stay for a night or two, and all well worth the time. Flagstaff is probably the most liberal city in a very right-wing state, it is has great restaurants, the Lowell Observatory, and four brew pubs within two hundred yards of each other.
Can only reiterate what others have said regarding the drive from San Francisco to LA, fantastic experience (if you can get a convertible).
I have done LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Death Valley, Yosemite, Napa Valley and San Francisco twice. First time in a car staying in motels, second time was a combination of car for the cities and the coast road, then RV for all the inland stuff.
I would definitely recommend the RV if you can do it (RV park at Circus Circus for Las Vegas) as the experience was so much better. Not been to New York (yet), so no help there.
I haven't read the previous comments nor do I know enough about Vegas or California.
However, I am doing a solo self drive holiday in the NW states in July. I started the planning by identifying where I would like to go (obviously!) and then put in two co-ordinating points into Google Earth to identify distances and time. I did this for all 13 days and refined it as I went along. Once having a definite daily schedule, I went onto Trip Advisor to identify hotels in each stopping point, read the reviews and selected and booked hotels. Using Trip Advisor again, I looked at all the evening entertainment venues and I now know where I shall be eating/drinking every night and how far that facility is from my hotel! I supplemented that information by searching You Tube for visual views of hotels and points of interest at where I am staying/passing through. The planning was thorough and I spent many many hours planning, but all good fun!
Just for the record, I am flying into Billings, Montana, hiring a jeep and initially driving to Yellowstone Park, spending two nights in a rustic log cabin. Then driving to Cody, Wyoming for a rodeo, then site of Custer's Last Stand. Four days follows in the Black Hills, South Dakota (Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood); then to Pine Ridge Reservation (Oglala Sioux) for Wounded Knee massacre site. Flying back from Rapid City.
I haven't read the previous comments nor do I know enough about Vegas or California.
However, I am doing a solo self drive holiday in the NW states in July. I started the planning by identifying where I would like to go (obviously!) and then put in two co-ordinating points into Google Earth to identify distances and time. I did this for all 13 days and refined it as I went along. Once having a definite daily schedule, I went onto Trip Advisor to identify hotels in each stopping point, read the reviews and selected and booked hotels. Using Trip Advisor again, I looked at all the evening entertainment venues and I now know where I shall be eating/drinking every night and how far that facility is from my hotel! I supplemented that information by searching You Tube for visual views of hotels and points of interest at where I am staying/passing through. The planning was thorough and I spent many many hours planning, but all good fun!
Just for the record, I am flying into Billings, Montana, hiring a jeep and initially driving to Yellowstone Park, spending two nights in a rustic log cabin. Then driving to Cody, Wyoming for a rodeo, then site of Custer's Last Stand. Four days follows in the Black Hills, South Dakota (Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood); then to Pine Ridge Reservation (Oglala Sioux) for Wounded Knee massacre site. Flying back from Rapid City.
Exactly how I plan my Holidays... So much more fun than a Holiday that has been organised for you as the planning is all part of the fun, then when your actually out there you can see all your hard work and research come to fruition
You gotta go to Winslow Arizona to see the famous corner where Jackson Browne met his girl in a flatbed Ford whilst taking it easy ((:>) .. the town's whole economy depends on it
Something else to throw into the mix, the Copa America is being hosted in the USA in June 2016 to mark it's 100th anniversary.
Not sure if it would be your thing, but it might coincide with your planned visit. I'm hoping to drive down to Seattle for the a group game involving Argentina (opponents as yet undecided) and possibly the QF being hosted there (potentially USA vs Brazil).
I've only ever done the north-east of the US - did an 18-night solo jaunt by train and bus through Boston, Niagara Falls, NYC, Philadelphia and Washington DC (plus Montreal and Toronto) six years ago.
Easily the best trip I have ever done - take your time, plan it yourself, don't think you have to see *everything* because you won't. Do as much as you can by road or rail because you'll see so much more. (And don't get ripped off getting these: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/esta-usa-visa) Enjoy!
Hi again folks. Thanks for all the advice. Just in case you are on tenterhooks wondering........
.......I've finally gone and booked it. Went with Trailfinders in the end. They were brilliant and very patient with me as we changed our minds several times and looked at planes, trains and automobiles. And so many different places and possible variations. Soooooooo.
We fly to NYC on 8 October for three days, fly to Vegas and pick up a car at the airport and drive to Zion where we stay overnight before driving to Utah and stay in Monument Valley. Then drive to the Grand Canyon for a two night stay then drive back to Vegas where we leave the car and stay for three nights including a trip to the Hoover Dam before flying back to the UK on 18/19 October overnight. Really nice hotels all pre booked. Can't wait. And all for less than 2 grand each which I thought was great given the style we are doing it in. He's only gonna be 21 once, so father and son are going to have a ball.
Hi again folks. Thanks for all the advice. Just in case you are on tenterhooks wondering........
.......I've finally gone and booked it. Went with Trailfinders in the end. They were brilliant and very patient with me as we changed our minds several times and looked at planes, trains and automobiles. And so many different places and possible variations. Soooooooo.
We fly to NYC on 8 October for three days, fly to Vegas and pick up a car at the airport and drive to Zion where we stay overnight before driving to Utah and stay in Monument Valley. Then drive to the Grand Canyon for a two night stay then drive back to Vegas where we leave the car and stay for three nights including a trip to the Hoover Dam before flying back to the UK on 18/19 October overnight. Really nice hotels all pre booked. Can't wait. And all for less than 2 grand each which I thought was great given the style we are doing it in. He's only gonna be 21 once, so father and son are going to have a ball.
Sounds good! The drive from south rim of GC will take you past Hoover Dam on the way into Vegas, so you might not need to go back down that road again? Enjoy!
Comments
I have done LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Death Valley, Yosemite, Napa Valley and San Francisco twice. First time in a car staying in motels, second time was a combination of car for the cities and the coast road, then RV for all the inland stuff.
I would definitely recommend the RV if you can do it (RV park at Circus Circus for Las Vegas) as the experience was so much better.
Not been to New York (yet), so no help there.
Can I call shotgun if we hire a car?
However, I am doing a solo self drive holiday in the NW states in July. I started the planning by identifying where I would like to go (obviously!) and then put in two co-ordinating points into Google Earth to identify distances and time. I did this for all 13 days and refined it as I went along. Once having a definite daily schedule, I went onto Trip Advisor to identify hotels in each stopping point, read the reviews and selected and booked hotels. Using Trip Advisor again, I looked at all the evening entertainment venues and I now know where I shall be eating/drinking every night and how far that facility is from my hotel! I supplemented that information by searching You Tube for visual views of hotels and points of interest at where I am staying/passing through. The planning was thorough and I spent many many hours planning, but all good fun!
Just for the record, I am flying into Billings, Montana, hiring a jeep and initially driving to Yellowstone Park, spending two nights in a rustic log cabin. Then driving to Cody, Wyoming for a rodeo, then site of Custer's Last Stand. Four days follows in the Black Hills, South Dakota (Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood); then to Pine Ridge Reservation (Oglala Sioux) for Wounded Knee massacre site. Flying back from Rapid City.
Not sure if it would be your thing, but it might coincide with your planned visit. I'm hoping to drive down to Seattle for the a group game involving Argentina (opponents as yet undecided) and possibly the QF being hosted there (potentially USA vs Brazil).
http://www.ca2016.com/
Easily the best trip I have ever done - take your time, plan it yourself, don't think you have to see *everything* because you won't. Do as much as you can by road or rail because you'll see so much more. (And don't get ripped off getting these: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/esta-usa-visa) Enjoy!
.......I've finally gone and booked it. Went with Trailfinders in the end. They were brilliant and very patient with me as we changed our minds several times and looked at planes, trains and automobiles. And so many different places and possible variations. Soooooooo.
We fly to NYC on 8 October for three days, fly to Vegas and pick up a car at the airport and drive to Zion where we stay overnight before driving to Utah and stay in Monument Valley. Then drive to the Grand Canyon for a two night stay then drive back to Vegas where we leave the car and stay for three nights including a trip to the Hoover Dam before flying back to the UK on 18/19 October overnight. Really nice hotels all pre booked. Can't wait. And all for less than 2 grand each which I thought was great given the style we are doing it in. He's only gonna be 21 once, so father and son are going to have a ball.