I'm planning a driving holiday in the US next month, starting at San Francisco and ending in Las Vegas. I'm hoping to get some advice on the route to take, incorporating cool places to see as well as cool roads to drive (although the car will be a crappy rental).

Right now I'm thinking along the lines of driving down the coast to LA over about a week, maybe stopping over at Monterey, Santa Barbara and LA. Then, from LA to Vegas and fly out from there after blowing all my cash.

Any and all advice appreciated!

Thanks

Rob

The other route I was toying with was east from SF to Yosemite, then maybe north east over the Rockys at Taho to Reno, then south through Death Valley to Vegas. Sounds a bit hot though.

Rob

I wish me and my car were in Vegas in September:
http://silverstateclassic.com/

Now that's a driving holiday!

Wow cool, I wonder if Zandr will lend me a car

Rob

>..SF to Yosemite, then maybe north east over the Rockys at Taho..

Definitely the best way to go, if you like hilly mountain scenery! You'll get to see Mono Lake, maybe hunt ghosts in Brodie, and could even do a side to to Bristlecone Pines N.P..

But if you're a city boy, stick to the coast.

Cheers

The drive south down the coast is amazing, and the drive south through Nevada is amazing in a completely different way. Tough choice.

Hmm. Are you doing this alone, or with companion(s)?

then maybe north east over the Rockys at Taho to Reno

Minor geographical correction. The Rocky mountains are much farther east than Tahoe/Reno. The mountains you're referring to, the ones along the border between California and Nevada, are called the Sierra Nevada mountains ("Sierras" for short).

If you choose this route, you must arrange a stay in South Lake somewhere and we'll meet up to play some Blackjack together.

east from SF to Yosemite

Not sure how it fits with the rest of the route, but Yosemite is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Highly recommended it you're into that kind of thing.

John

I'll 3rd Yosemite. I did almost the same road trip 2 years ago. And it sounds like we hit the same things that mlord suggested. Yosemite is the most spectacular National Park in the West, IMHO. And the Bristlecone Pines are fascinating. Until recently they were on record as being the oldest living things on Earth. I don't know what showed them up, but it has to be damn old (I think it was some kind of bacteria). They used the rings of the Bristlecone Pines to calibrate Carbon-14 dating if that gives you any idea how old the trees actually are. The drive from Yosemite to Las Vegas is not rough at all. There are some curves and a great deal of elevation change, but the curves don't even compare to Hwy 1.

Anyway, after having done both the coast trip and the Yosemite route, I'd recomend the Yosemite route. The sight of Bridal Veil falls, El Capitan, and Half Dome all at once is just amazing.

- trs

Yet another Yosemite vote.
The summer crowds will have somewhat abated by Sept. (but there will still be a lot of people), and the falls will have much less flow than their spring torrent (smaller ones will have disappeared completely), but even with those two seeming strikes, Yosemite is an absolute must if you have never seen it, or even if you have already seen it. Also, make sure to take a side trip to Mariposa Grove in the far south of the park to see gargantuan trees. As mentioned by others, you can then drive past Tuolumne Meadows, Mono Lake, and then blow all your money with Tony in South Lake Tahoe.

Nothing against the Pacific Coast or Big Sur, but you need to see Yosemite before California falls off into the ocean. Besides, there'll be cool new coastline to explore at that point.

see gargantuan trees

I was distinctly underwhelmed by Mariposa Grove: "Gee, there's a big tree. Look, there's another one. Look over there: it's another big tree."

It didn't do anything for me, to be honest. Yosemite, on the other hand, was stunning.

I'd like to go back there in the spring, when the falls are running again.

Lake Tahoe was beautiful as well.

I was distinctly underwhelmed by Mariposa Grove: "Gee, there's a big tree. Look, there's another one. Look over there: it's another big tree."

Some parts of Washington felt like that after we had been there three weeks. "Oh look, more trees".

Yosemite, on the other hand, was stunning.

Love that first Yosemite photo, very moody.

very moody

I cheated -- that's actually the blue sun thingummy across the top of the car windscreen that you can see there.

It works really well, though.