Accommodation ideas Vegas/Yosemite/Lake Tahoe/San Francisco

[kath6144]

We are starting to put together an itinerary for trip to USA in July, myself, DH, DS19 & DD17. We so far are looking at flying into Vegas, doing Grand canyon south rim, then up to Yosemite via Death valley, maybe a trip to Lake Tahoe and onto San Francisco.

Can anyone recommend accommodation in any of these places, hotels/motels/lodges? A friend did something similar last year, so have got some recommendations but she didnt stay in all same places.

Also, any places we should add to the itinerary, and advise on how many nights at each place? We are planning 3 weeks so dont need to rush, but may add somewhere onto the end (DC angling for Hawaii!)

Not sure of your exact itinerary, but if you're leaving LV/Grand Canyon and heading to Yosemite and want to break that journey, there's a nice RV Park in Lone Pine CA called 'Boulder Creek'. We've stayed there a few times.

Between Yosemite and LA, depends on your route. Hwy 1 or straight down I-5?

Hi looking at a similar trip for this September - can I ask what kind of money we're talking? We've got quite a lot saved and know rough prices but wondering how much others have paid ... for a couple

For those not RVing some other hotels

San Francisco The Argonaut

Lake Tahoe The Resort at Squaw Creek (book a valley view)

foodie - would suggest you do an estimate using preferred flights (from/to) then look at hotels in places you want to stay. It is pointless giving you our costs as they are for 4 of us, and in July (would expect Sept to be cheaper).

Alternatively, put a rough itinerary together and fire it off to Trailfinders, or similar, and get a cost from them. We did that initially, honed the itinerary in store, then decided we could book lots of places cheaper ourself, so have gone with them for flights, car hire and a small no of hotels only.

Evergreen Lodge at Yosemite was nice - facilities probably nicer than the rooms though.

Travelling to the US with 4& 12 year old at Easter. Any recommendations of hotels in Vegas that aren't too loud and crazy.

Oops sorry to highjack. Thought I'd added a new post

Alcatraz books up weeks in advance in the summer. You need to book soon online. Really interesting and great views of the SF skyline from the island.

Thanks MrsMontgomery, Alcatraz booking only opens 90 days in advance, which for us will be early April. I have a reminder set on my phone!

I am sat here admiring your organizational skills!

I enjoyed Alcatraz way more than I thought I would. Fascinating place.

Did you do the day or evening Alcatraz visit? A few others on the thread have said the evening one is good.

Anywhere else you recommend that needs booking in advance? Will look at a Vegas show, and some Yosemite activities, though not sure if the latter will need to be booked in advance.

I did a very similar trip to this a few years ago - absolutely fabulous.

Are you all booked up or do you still need help on anywhere?

By the way, we did go through Death Valley in July (en route from Yosemite to LV). It was hot as HELL but we absolutely loved it, it was stunningly beautiful and way bigger and more varied that I had imagined. And we saw Coyotes! We stayed at Panamint Sprints, which was pretty basic and the air con was shite, but just down the road was the big resort of Stovepipe wells, which was fine. The best bit about DV was going out at night and just standing outside looking at the stars. Amazing.

I'd recommend Mandarin Oriental in LV for a on strip non-casino hotel. It was an Oasis of calm in a city of madness.

Oh and I'd recommend the Cirque du Soleil show O at the Bellagio for an amazing experience, as it's all played out on a stage of water. gob smackingly brilliant.

I read somewhere that you should either do the very first or the very last trip of the day for Alcatraz - so you have the place to yourself. We did the first one of the day, and it was great because it meant we could stay as long as we wanted and took our time ,and there's so much to see and do. It's stunning.

We camped in the Yosemite and I took my 2 ds hiking And met a bear.

Kids loved it and still talk about our bear Adventure.

For Alcatraz the Behind The Scenes tour is excellent. Our tour guide was Lori Brosnan who gave who had visited Alcatraz when it was a child with her journaist father.lots of unique stories on life on Alcatraz, not just prisoners.
For The Behind the scenes tour, you get taken down to the cells in the dungeon, locked in a cell a live tour guide and the night tour. You also can do the audio tour as well.

UnGoogleable - we are booked up apart from somewhere to stay in Monterey area for a couple of nights. Can anyone make a suggestion? There was an earlier suggestion of the Hilton garden hotel, but it looks to be on the bypass?

Bruffin - is the 'behind the scenes' Alcatraz tour an add-on to the normal tour?

Yes
You get the normal tour as well

Thanks Bruffin

Can recommend Tahiti Village hotel in LV. Stayed there 4 years ago when dds were 11 & 7, and going back there in August. We loved LV! Spent a lot of time in the mahoosive pool and lazy river at the hotel. It's away from the Strip so they run a free shuttle bus. We spent a whole day at the mall next to caesar's palace - great fun with the shops and roof that changed colour as the day went on. This time the fashion mall has been recommended. We're also going to go to an Elvis night. We've got 3 nights in LV booked - Tahiti Village dead cheap for huge suite too.

Going on to Mammoth Lakes, then Lodi (wine country), SF and LA.
Not staying there this time, but Santa Barbara was lovely last time. Beaches fab and town very pretty.

Agree have a couple of nights in Monterey/Carmel for beach, surf, paddle boarding & marine life.