US Roadtrip Itinerary Advice

[Bluebird23]

Hi,

Hoping for some advice suggestion on West Coast US Roadtrip. This will be a special family trip to celebrate our daughter finishing her GCSE's. Travelling will be 2 adults and 2 teens (age 16 & 14).

Current Itinerary is:
San Francisco 3 Nights
Yosemite 3 Nights
Sequoia 1 Night
Las Vegas 3 Nights
Grand Canyon 2 Nights
California Coast 9 Nights

I wondered if anyone could offer any advice on the above itinery and also recommend things to do. We're quite an active family and enjoy hiking, body boarding etc. We're also hoping to book white water rafting.

Most of our holidays have been European road trips from the North of England so the we're used to covering many miles in the car but also want to ensure we don't lose too many days in the car.

Many thanks in advance.

We loved San Fran (were just adults though), there is farmers market at the ferry plaza, alcatraz and sour dough!.

Wouldn't bother with 3 nights in Vegas with under 21s. Maybe 1 or 2 and check out the Hoover Dam?

San Diego is great. We did Pismo beach (nice beach but cold sea) on coast but didn't have time for monterey or LA

We did a similar trip when our boys were about 17 and 21 and it was without doubt their favourite holiday. We even loved the long drives, all part of the adventure. Rent a decent size car and stop at the first Walmart to stock up with a cooler, drinks and snacks. We flew into vegas and out of LA which worked well for travel with out any back tracking. Route was LV, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Page rafting, on to Death Valley via 1 night in LV, Yeosemite, SF, HY1 via Monterey and Santa Barbara stops and the finishing in LA with the statutory theme park visits. If you plan to stay in national parks book then ASAP as reservations are hard to secure and you may need to book your schedule accordingly. Have fun!

We loved San Diego and Monterey. Could live in both places! Body boarding in San Diego was so much fun and the sea wildlife in Monterey was amazing. Am very envious, hope you have a brilliant time!

Funnily enough, SF was one of the favourite destinations on our road trip for our teens. I've been multiple times and it can be foggy and cold but I saw a different side.

Alcatraz is hard to beat as an experience, we went to see the Giants play (they try to hit home runs over the top into the water), there are some nice photos of the GG Bridge from the beaches, lovely lunch in Sausalito and they still rave about the trampoline place (I know you can do that anywhere...).

They also really enjoyed the slightly cheesy tours of celebs homes in Hollywood, the Getty Museum (amazing views of the city) and Griffith Observatory in LA.

I'd done the west coast tour four or five times but with the kids, we did LA, LV, GC, Antelope, Bryce, Zion, back to LV, Death Valley, Yosemite and SF. It was a lot of driving though so I'd get a people carrier type car if you can.

Car hire prices have gone up considerably in the USA due to the cutbacks in fleets during covid. Opt for off airport as it can save you 500 pounds on a two week rental. Just booked one out there.

Things we loved on our similar trip:
San Fran - Alcatraz tour with headphones, cycling across the bridge to Sauselito, Fishermans Wharf
Yosemite - driving around the very different landscapes high and low
Grand Canyon - helicopter trip, getting up early to watch the breathtaking sunrise
Vegas - taking a trip to old Vegas to have fun gambling for very much less money!
It was one of our fave ever roadtrips, have fun OP!

9 days coast of California is a lot imho. as someone that lived in the states, California is lacking culture, I do recommend a visit to Santa Monica pier, WeHo, los Santos, Skid Row (to see the real LA), and Newport Beach.

@Bluebird23 agree with others about Las Vegas, we stopped for one night after flying in when we lived in the US, young DCs and parents with us, the whole place just left me cold.
We drove from LV to the Grand Canyon via the Hoover Dam (awesome), and stayed in the GC national park overnight so we could explore and experience sunset and sunrise - both incredible. Our DCs were quite young when we visited but if we went again we'd do more hiking.
We stayed in Yosemite for a couple of nights, it's stunningly beautiful and perfect for hiking, exploring & relaxing.
San Francisco we loved, would recommend a fab little cafe under the bridge on the city side, then walking/cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge.
We drove over to Muir Woods which was breathtaking, the trees - omg, magnificent. Lombard Street is great to see, and riding the trams up and down the steep streets is brilliant fun. The audio tour of Alcatraz will stay with me forever.
We loved San Diego, the coastline and the zoo were highlights, it has a beautiful climate and light, the sunsets are other worldly.
Have an incredible time 😁

I disagree about Las Vegas, was there with my 12 old DD who loved it, you aren't allowed to stop in the casinos true, however you can walk through.
There are plenty of amazing shows to see, we saw 3 in 5 nights, there's lots of shopping and fine dining, and lots of attractions in the hotels, bellagio conservatory, fountains etc.
We found it made a lovely contrast after being in parks for such a long time.
Loved Monterey, also agree with the suggestion to stay a night in Death Valley, we just drove through on the way to a reservation in Yosemite and regretted we weren't staying.
Throwing in another suggestion, have you considered lake Powell and monument valley which aren't too much further from the Grand Canyon south rim. Lake powell resort is amazing with lots of water sports in summer and monument valley is stunningly beautiful.

San Francisco 3 Nights (Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, the home from Mrs Doubtfire, Cheesecake Factory for dinner, pizza in Little Italy)
Yosemite 3 Nights
Sequoia 1 Night
San Luis Obispo 1 Night (great town with a cool vibe, visit the Madonna Inn, gum wall)
Los Angeles 2 Nights (Universal, Warner Bros, maybe a movie studio tour?, walk of fame, Beverly Hills, tour of the stars homes, Chinese theatre to see the handprints, Hollywood sign, Santa Monica beach, maybe go see basketball or American football game?. Eat at Craigs if you hope to see celebs, or SUR/Villa Blanca/Schwartz & Sandys if you are into Vanderpump Rules!)
San Diego 2 Nights (Gaslamp district, zoo, USS Midway, La Jolla)
Palm Springs/Joshua Tree 2 Nights
Las Vegas 3 Nights (Vegas sign, visit all the hotels - they each have various things to draw you in!)
Grand Canyon 2 Nights (I did a flight from LV over the Hoover Dam to the South Rim with Papillion many years ago)
Back to Vegas for flight home 1 Night