USA holiday to LA, SF, Hawaii & NYC... how to do it on the cheap?

[cove]

Las Vegas has very little in shows on Monday nights so I would change the timing.
We drove there and it does take a full 4 hours plus traffic jam time if applicable.
The shows and sights in Vegas are a buzz.

 

[casanovawa]

If you look on Google Maps it doesn't look like there are too many direct routes from LV to SF as you seem to have Yosemite NP right in the direct path... so if you want to go route 1 up the coast from LA to SF it looks like you will have to come back down pretty close and skirt round the top of LA (maybe LV-Barstow-Bakersfield-San Luis Obispo?)...

there are other routes but hard to know what speed limits and all are when comparing amount of time taken... Trip Advisor might be able to give you some experiences of people... depends if you might want to sarifice some coast views for some NP views....

 

[Cocitus23]

Re Las Vegas - San Francisco by car, I know the region fairly well. My own choice, as a tourist, would be to go via Yosemite National Park, but that would only make sense if the road over Tioga Pass was open and if you were prepared to spend an extra day in the Park, ie 2 overnights in the Park for a three day total.

The alternative route, (which it sounds like you want to do, ie to go up the Californian coast) also has merit. I have just used my trusty Rand-McNally software to map out the optimum route.

Here is the route with coughulative mileages at various places along the way:
Las Vegas 0
Bakersfield 284
San Luis Obisbo 393
San Simeon 434
Monterey 528
Santa Cruz 568
Half Moon Bay 627
San Francisco 657
Note, those are miles, not kilometres.

For comparison, if you went via Yosemite, the routes and mileages would be:

Las Vegas NV 0
Beatty NV 116
Bishop CA 263
Yosemite Valley CA 399
San Francisco CA 610
This route is very spectacular and takes you right over the Sierra Nevada mountains. But note that it is closed by snow for much of the year. Check on the National Park Service site for opening dates. The critical spot is Tioga Pass.

Any other alternatives you would like checked out? I can also give you estimated driving times.

Cocitus23.

 

[Cocitus23]

FFGrey,

I just re-read your post, and would like to add a few comments to my reply above.

1. Given your travel date of mid-April, the liklihood of Tioga Pass being open is next to nothing, so you can forget the Yosemite alternative via the east entrance. You could visit Yosemite via Fresno (ie south entrance.) Want an itinerary for that?

2. I support your hunch that it would be better to go to Las Vegas and drive to San Francisco, rather than drive to SF then fly to LV and back again. But note that you will be up for an extra day's car rental (small) rather than return air fares. But you will save on taxis to/from the airports.

3. You mention concern about fuel costs. They will be noticeably less than fuel charges for the equivalent distance here in Australia.

4. If you follow the itinerary I gave you, it is a quick dash over the hills from Half Moon Bay to San Francisco airport, if you want to drop the car off and not have the nuisance of the car in downtown San Francisco.

5. The itinerary I gave you would definitely require two full days. It is fairly boring from Las Vegas across to San Luis Obispo (where I suggest you stay overnight). The second day is far more interesting. Certainly visit the Hearst mansion at San Simeon (extravagant, spectacular, bizarre and over-the-top) and do the 17-mile drive at Carmel and take in Monterey, where the aquarium is excellent. Make sure you read some Steinbeck beforehand (eg Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row or Tortilla Flat, all set in the Monterey area.)

Cocitus 23