Help With Rv Camp Sites! West Coast-usa, WEST COAST-USA BIG trip First timers from South africa! HELP Options

[BuckeyeBarb]

Hi-we are new to RVing but not new to the Southwest. Your plan is great but there are 2 things we think you don't want to miss. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon will give you views you won't believe! Granted the S. Rim is easy access but you get predetermined views by where the openings are. At the North Rim, you can see both canyons and vistas. Every little crevice looks different in the sunrise, sunset and every other time of day. It's less visited as there is only 1 road in and one road out, taking 90 minutes to get there. But, oh, so worth it.

Next, we'd recommend spending less time at Zion and add Bryce Canyon if you want to see some incredible red rock, gorgeous views and vistas. We took my Dad horseback riding there for a 4 hour trip for his 80th BD...he loved it!
Happy Trails!

[Fufu12]

Thank you all

So overwhelmed with information and so helpful

Yes we are landing in Ontario califonia

Our rv is 32 feet long

This is what we have booked no confirmed so far with a few more advise


Hi half brit we will contact the people and clarify everything with them. Thanks for that we haven't given it a thought!

Thanks Val we currently busy booking a rv park site

So guys so far we have got on booking the trip by days here is what we have schedule so far

Day 1 - 7 th July
Ontario
Stay over night

Day 2
Taking route 62 (is this best route)
Visit 29 palms
Lake havasu city
Over night stay
Lake havasu camp site (booked)

Day 3
Grand canyon - south rim
2 day stay
Trailer village rv park ( booked)

Day 4
Page
Morning drive
Tour horse shoe bend
Antelope canyon
Alteria point
Stay over 1 night
Wahweep rv campsite (booked)

Day 5
Wave visit ( 1 hour drive) if we get a permit
Drive to Zion
We still contemplating staying overnight at zion??????
Watchman campground

Or skip Zion drive to las Vegas?
And spend that night at Yosemite instead??? (the extra day)

We tried to avoid las Vegas on the weekend but we have dated the drive on the 12 th July arriving in the evening should we skip Zion and leave las Vegas on the 13th July evening to MammoTh lake for stop over then yosimite.


Suggestions please thanks

[Jensb]

Since you have 23 days, I think it's very soon you think about being in Vegas on day 5. Did I overlook something in your postings, that you have to spend several days somewhere? Otherwise a quick suggestion could be:

Day 1 - July 7 2012
Fly to USA and pick up motorhome. What time do you arrive? Do you arrive early enough to pick the Motorhome the same day?

Day 2 - Drive to Lake Havasu City

Day 3 - Drive to Grand Canyon. On the way you could drive some of the Route 66, and make stops in Hackberry, Seligman and maybe Flagstaff.

Day 4 - Spend the entire day at the Grand Canyon. Stay one more night at this campground.

Day 5 - Drive to Monument Valley. You could stay either at the primitive campground inside the territory, or at Gouldings. I haven't tried any of them yet, but the primitive campground inside the park, should have perfect view over Monument Valley with a beautiful sunset.

Day 6 - Drive to Page. Take a look at Horseshoe Bend. Stay at Wahweap

Day 7 - Start the day with the Antelope Canyon tour. This company http://www.antelopecanyon.com/ has a special photographers tour. It is at noon, when the sunrays make beautiful light in the canyon. After Antelope Canyon, drive to Bryce Canyon. You could stay at Rubys Inn Campground.

Day 8 - Spend the entire day at Bryce Canyon. Make sure you also take a walk down into the canyon. Compaired to Grand Canyon, the walk to the bottom is much more doable in Bryce Canyon, even in the summer. Spend the night at Rubys Inn again.

Day 9 - Drive to Zion, spend the night at Watchman.

Day 10 - Soend the day in Zion, and one more night here.

Day 11 (Tuesday) - Drive to Las Vegas. As for Hotels there are so many great options. Bellagio in a lakeview room, so you can watch their incredible fountains. Or maybe at Paris just across the street. Both are located very good in the middle of the street. But there are many other options. I stayed at Bellagio last time, and they didn't have room for RV's in the parking lot. I decided to book a site at KOA Las Vegas, next to Circus Circus for the RV. I thought it would be more safe there, than in a parking lot.

Day 12 - One more night in Vegas.

Day 13 - Drive to Mammoth Lake

Day 14 - Take the drive a long Tioga pass road in Yosemite. Spend the night somewhere east of Yosemite. Maybe if there's a campground in Lee Vining. Or one more night at Mammoth Lake, but that's a bit south again, so not the obvious choice.

Day 15 - Drive to Lake Tahoe

Day 16 - One more night at Lake Tahoe

Day 17 - Drive to San Francisco. When I was there, I stayed at KOA in Petaluma. But it's about an hours drive from downtown. So the idea about staying at a hotel is probably good. I think there's a campground called Candela or something like that, which is located more central in SF. Search this site, and you'll find it. This could be an option, whether it's for staying, or just to park the RV while staying at a hotel

Day 18 - Spend the day in SF.

Day 19 - One more Day in SF.

Day 20 - Start driving Highway south. Maybe someone else has a suggestion about where to make a stop for the night along Highway 1.

Day 21 - Drive the rest of Highway 1 to L.A.

Day 22 - One more night in L.A.

Day 23 - Drive to Ontaria, return the RV. Fly home. What time is your flight? Do you have time to return the RV before? Otherwise you'll have to steal a day somewhere. Maybe in Zion or Las Vegas, you could have just one night.

[Fufu12]

Wow thank you Jensb

I seem to have incorrectly dated a few days

Here is what we have already booked and confirmed

Arrive at 5pm (to late to to pick up rv)


Day 1 - 7 th July
Ontario
Stay over night

Day 2
Taking route 62 (is this best route)
Visit 29 palms
Lake havasu city
Over night stay
Lake havasu camp site (booked)

Day 3 & 4
Grand canyon - south rim
2 day stay
Trailer village rv park ( booked)

Day 5
Page
Morning drive
Tour horse shoe bend
Antelope canyon
Alteria point ( possibly not)
Stay over 1 night
Wahweep rv campsite (booked)

Day 6
Wave visit ( 1 hour drive) if we get a permit
Zion
Watchman campground (booked)

Day 7 & 8
Las Vegas
Venetian hotel (booked)
2 nights
Rv will be parked off at a rv park for 2 days

Day 9
Looking for shortest scenic route???
From LV to Mammoth
Mammoth lake or twin lake
1 night stay over
Day 10 & 11

Yosemite
2 night stay

A bit confused here should we rather book in Yosemite?
And so that we can stay 2 days at yosemite
Please advice

[Jensb]

Yosemite
2 night stay

A bit confused here should we rather book in Yosemite?
And so that we can stay 2 days at yosemite
Please advice

It's to late for you to book in Yosemite. There's only a few campgrounds in Yosemite that takes reservations. These are in Yosemite Valley. But you have to book these the second they open for reservations. Seriously, the open for reservations for one month at a time, I think 5 or 6 months in advance, and within a few seconds every single site is reserved.

But there's also first-come-first-served sites. I'm not sure how difficult they are to get, but I don't think I would count on it in July.

[Fufu12]

We will be flying out front Los Angeles

Spending 2 days there

Will confirm once we book Yosemite for the rest of trip

Your info is much help thanks


Oh no

And if we book mammoth can we still visit Yosemite over the 2 days

What would you suggest

We currently stuck here and need to book urgently like in today

[Jensb]

Day 9
Looking for shortest scenic route???
From LV to Mammoth
Mammoth lake or twin lake
1 night stay over
Day 10 & 11

When I drove this route, I just followed the suggestion from my GPS. I took 395 from Maommoth Lakes to Big Pine, then 168 to 95, and then south to Vegas. Also what maps.google.com suggest. You should of course do it in the opposite direction.

It wasn't scenic in my opinion, but there's not a lot of options.

There was a couple of tight winding roads on the 168, but they were doable in a 30 feet motorhome.

Oh, and Venetian is also a good choice. I haven't stayed there, but it looks very nice.

[Fufu12]

Sorry for all the questions

We see that there's availability at High Sierra RV & Mobile Park

Do you suggest this?

[Jensb]

Oh no

And if we book mammoth can we still visit Yosemite over the 2 days

What would you suggest

We currently stuck here and need to book urgently like in today

Take a look at the Mono Vista RV Park in Lee Vining here: http://rvparkreviews.com/regions/California/Lee_Vining.html
I dont know it, but it seems to get good reviews.

I would suggest booking to nights there.

So you would use one day driving from Las Vegas to Lee Vining. And then stay there.

Next day, you could spend the entire day driving the Tioga Road from Lee Vining, as far as you want, and then back to Lee Vining again. Maybe you could drive all the way to Yosemite Valley, it depends on how many photostops you make.

Sorry for all the questions

We see that there's availability at High Sierra RV & Mobile Park

Do you suggest this?

That's another option. You could stay one night at Lee Vining. Next day drive Tioga Road and see Yosemite Valley, and then stay at High Sierra RV & Mobile Park. And next day drive to Lake Tahoe.

This way you don't have to Drive Tioga Road back and forth. So you'll have more time to see other parts of Yosemite. That's probably better than staying to nights in Lee Vining. Even if the drive from High Sierra RV & Mobile Park to Lake Tahoe is then longer than from Lee Vining to Lake Tahoe.

Or if you have enough time, you could even book two days at High Sierra RV & Mobile Park, in order to have one more day at Yosemite. But I lost track of how many days you have left :-)

At Lake Tahoe I have once made a note to myself that http://www.zephyrcove.com could be a good option. I haven't stayed there yet myself.

[Fufu12]

Oh thank you

I've been sitting and waiting for your reply

Okay so we going to rather book

Day 9
Lee vining
Mono lake rv campgound arriving at 4pm possibly booked now

Day 10
Drive tioga road
Visit Yosemite site
Arrive in lake tahoe

Day 11
Still to confirm



Unfortunately we don't have enough time to stay over at oak hurst

Not sure if the drive from there to lake Tahoe is longer than the drive fron vinning

We just quickly checking 2 options

Drive 395 from lee vining to lake Tahoe

Then to San francisco

Or

Lee vinning to 108 highway
Stanislaus national forest
Stay over 1 night

Then to San Francisco

Your advise will be much appreciated

[Jensb]

Day 9
Lee vining
Mono lake rv campgound arriving at 4pm possibly booked now

Day 10
Drive tioga road
Visit Yosemite site
Arrive in lake tahoe

Well I guess it's doable, but it wont give you a lot of time in Yosemite.

I'm not sure what the best route is. Either Lee Vining, Tioga Road to the valley and back to Lee Vining and then north to Lake Tahoe Or Just go from Lee Vining thru Tioga Road to the Valley, and then 108 to Lake Tahoe. According to Google Maps there's not much difference, but I don't how it is out there in the real world.

But no matter what, it's going to be a long day, and you wont have a lot of time to actually see the park. You have to remember that the driving time you get from Google Maps are going to be longer in real life. First of all, you are driving an RV, and it just takes a little longer than a normal car. Especially in mountain areas like this. Secondly, this is a very popular national park. There's going to be lots of people, so you have to expect that traffic dosn't always move.

Again, It's propably doable, but you wont have time to really experience the place, and spend time taking those really good photographs.

I'm still a little confused. Aren't you moving forward to fast? If you arrive at Lake Tahoe at day 10, what are you going to do the remaining days? Aren't you ending up in L.A. to early?

[Fufu12]

Thanks a mill Jensb

We have just looked for Yosemite and all the parks inside are fully booked

We will try for the first come first serve parks when we get there

Yes just did our trip map and date and thought that because we will be driving down the west coast we would like some extra days to relax and enjoy the beaches before heading back home and not rushed

But we now staying 3 night at Yosemite and skipping lake Tahoe

We will then drive straight to San Francisco

Then down on HW 1
Then LA
Ontario
Then home

[B. Kidd]

[quote name='Fufu12' date='Apr 20 2012, 02:53 AM' post='29318']
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INFO

We have now decided not to go through death valley as with all the comments and feedback its going to be too hot an uncomfortable.




A good decision not to go to Death Valley. I'm currently in Las Vegas now (4/21/12), and it is only April and tomorrow and/or the next day we may be breaking a heat temperature record that has stood since 1930 (82 years ago!)
The way this current high has set up so early here in the high desert, it could be a scorcher of a summer here in the southwest.

[Jensb]

Thanks a mill Jensb

We have just looked for Yosemite and all the parks inside are fully booked

We will try for the first come first serve parks when we get there

Yes just did our trip map and date and thought that because we will be driving down the west coast we would like some extra days to relax and enjoy the beaches before heading back home and not rushed

Sounds like a good idea. Lake Tahoe is wonderful, but not if it means that you don't have time to enjoy Yosemite. The most difficult part of planning a road trip in the West, is to limit yourself from seeing everything. But it makes it a better vacation, if you don't try to accomplish to much.

Having good time for the trip down the coast is also a good idea. It is a camping trip, so you should also have time to enjoy campinglife.

Enjoy your trip, and maybe update this thread with some pictures after your trip.

[Fufu12]

Hi

Yes I will

Thanks for the advice really helped us

Does someone know of a good Rv park to sleep over in Monterey and Santa Barbra that's close to public transport for us to site see the cities

Thanks