What are the "must sees" for a two week trip through the Western United States?
We are thinking Golden Gate, Grand Canyon, Giant Redwoods, Hoover Dam, Yosemite…Please share anything you think is a "must-see" for a family trip (children’s ages are 11 through 16).
3 Responses
mr danger
15 Mar 2011
gandrew
15 Mar 2011
Old Faithful, the four presidents carved into the mountain, old west Dodge City or Deadwood, Las Vegas
Richard D
15 Mar 2011
If your jumping off point is San Francisco, The golden gate will start you out. Following highway 1, the coastal highway, one of the best scenic trips in the U.S. A stop at the Muir woods, just a few miles north, would give you a taste of the redwoods. Rt 1 is slow and winding all the way to Eureka, a two day journey with many many stops to enjoy the beauty. Redwood National forest just north of Eureka, offers many trails for the hardy hiker, and the view of 1500 year giants that humble our existence. From there going East and South to take you through the wine country and on to Yosemite, the first wilderness National Park.Enjoy many breathtaking mountain sights. Continue south and East again to the HOOVER Dam, keeping in mind that Large commercial trucks and Motor Homes, (RVs) are no longer allowed to cross the dam. If they still give the hardhat tour, its the only way to see the dam from the inside out. Then on to the Grand Canyon, which should be a vacation all by its self. Some people take a life time to cover that much ground and don’t stop to enjoy the wonder of it all. Look at the map, your time and decide My wife favors the ocean and I love the mountains, Traveling with children has its challenges, trying to keep variety and distance between activities. there is something for everyone in your trip Enjoy.
What’s your starting point?
OK I’ll give one >and yes I have driven all of it
Get a Rand McNally Road Atlas and try this
LAX >Fresno CA > loop it thru Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP and come out at Visalia CA >Bakersfield CA>Weldon CA>Olancha CA>Furnace Creek CA >Shoshone CA>LAS=> do a quick trip over to Hoover Dam and bak to LAS
Then LAS>Mount Carmel Junction UT > Jacob Lake AZ> GCN > Cortez CO/Mesa Verde NP >Mexican Hat UT >side trip thru Monument Valley
Then Moab UT/Arches NP
Two ways to do that trip
1) The way that most normal people would do it which is straight up US 191
2) The really turn you on and really scare the crap out of you at the same time way, which is to take SR 261 up Moki Dugway >Google it if you don’t want it to be a surprise >to the junction of SR 95 make right and then back to US 191 to Moab UT
From Moab UT>Hanksville UT >Torrey UT>Idaho Falls ID >West Yellowstone MT >Jackson WY>Twin Falls ID>Wells NV>Truckee CA>South Lake Tahoe>Lee Vining CA >Yosemite Village CA>Modesto CA >Vallejo CA> SFO>Santa Cruz CA> Monterey CA>San Simeon CA via the PCH of course & finally LAX
Since i just routed you thru about 8 National Parks you will find an $80.00 National Parks pass to be a very handy item to have
http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
Safe trip