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DCMom Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast posted on: 1/23/2005 2:23:32 PM My friends from Germany will be coming to the U.S. this summer for a road trip from CA to the Utah and Arizona canyons and back. I've been able to help them with getting to southern Utah and northern Arizona, but I don't know the best (quickest but with the least traffic) route for them to take from the Flagstaff, Arizona area to the scenic part of the California coastline and Route 1. They're not interested in stopping in or even traveling through the Los Angeles area but would rather join the coast highway someplace north of there. I tried finding a route using Mapquest, but it recommends I-40 to Barstow, I-15 to the San Bernardino area, 210 to Pasadena, and then 134 followed by 101 to the coast. I looked at a roadmap and saw the possibility of taking I-40 to Barstow followed by route 58 to Bakersfield, route 99 north to the town of Famoso and then route 46 west to Route 1, intersecting with the coast highway south of Cambria. If anyone is familiar with that route or the Mapquest route, could you please give me some feedback about them (including things to see along the way) or suggest another alternative you think might be better? I think if my friends traveled the portion of Route 1 from Cambria to San Francisco, they would see a good bit of the coast highway and attractions near it. This would be the last leg of their trip before flying home from SF, and they're allowing two days for the coast road trip and would like to spend no more than three days crossing from Flagstaff to the coast. They've told me they don't want to travel more than 250 miles a day. Thanks for any help you can give us.
Pussy Galore Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/23/2005 5:25:05 PM Hey DCM. I'm up in the mountains avoiding school work at the moment, but my friend has molassine internet service and I can't get to the maps I want. I will look at this for you when I get home and make some recommendations tomorrow night. However, off the top of my head the trade offs your friends will have to deal with are fast roads vs trafficky roads. By this I mean that the fastest, most direct roads have the largest amount of traffic on them. They will have to decide for themselves what the greater evil is. I personally prefer slightly slower less well travelled roads as they tend to be more scenic and I don't have to contend with as many other drivers. My suggestions will reflect that bias. The other thing is that I am not entirely certain that they can achieve their destination with their stated mileage restriction criteria. I think they will either have to allot more days or they will have to be willing to drive more than 250 miles in a day. -mg
¡Ño! Wendylicious Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/23/2005 6:13:22 PM Sorry DCMom, since I live in LA I don't really know any alternatives. I will say though - I don't think any of the smaller roads are a good idea in the summertime. The desert is hotter than hell and if they need car service, food/water, or a break from driving they'll be happy they are major highways. I've taken Route 99 (although further north) and I don't remember it as more than two-lane country road in parts are they particularly interesting in driving across the desert? they could always fly from AZ to LAX or Burbank and rent a car to drive along PCH
Kahunna Quote \| Reply \| This message was updated on 1/23/2005 7:57:53 PM by Kahunna	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/23/2005 7:57:30 PM quote: They're not interested in stopping in or even traveling through the Los Angeles Why not? This place doesn't suck that much. You would be adding a detour through the expansive Mohave Desert, which is more dangerous in the summer than Compton is during gang initiation week (if there was such a thing). Last summer, Death Valley hit 125F for a few days.
DCMom Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/23/2005 10:35:00 PM My friends want to fly in and out of SF and make a circle, going to Yosemite, Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, and up the CA coast, but they don't want to go near LA and I think it's precisely because of the fast direct roads = most traffic factor. I'm pretty sure high traffic volume is something they want to avoid. I just don't think they have any real imagination for the distance they want to cover, though, e.g. they think driving from Berlin to the Baltic or to Leipzig is a long distance ... I've run into this problem in discussing trips around the U.S. with other German friends. They think they can jump in a car in NYC and be in Miami Beach the next day and only spend 8 hours in the car doing it. I had proposed a route for my friends from SF to Yosemite, then down the Owens Valley to the interstate, across to Vegas, then Zion, Bryce, and the GC, and back to the coast someplace and up to SF. I looked at the amount of mileage across AZ and the Mojave, and I know June isn't the best time to drive through the desert temperature-wise. I think I personally would go a bit nuts driving across it myself at that time of year and I'm not one who minds long driving days, but my friends think any driving trip over four or five hours is insanely long which is why they want to limit themselves to 250 miles a day (actually, they'd prefer 200 miles or less ...). Yet I also think they'll dread the heat and terrain more if they drive it in two days or more instead of one long one. I mean, if a person drives from Flagstaff to Needles for the first day, for example, what does one do in Needles for fun, especially in the desert heat? I'd think it would just be better to drive on into the Central Valley or at least out of the desert and make one long day of it. I'll offer them any info I can, including all of your cautions about the desert heat. I want them to be realistic about what it is they want to do and the time of year they're proposing to do it. MG, I'll look forward to your route suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to look into this in more detail.
vera moderator Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/24/2005 1:41:40 PM What a crazy circle! No matter what they do they'll be in the desert so it looks to me like the 46 to Cambria route you mentioned is the fastest. It's true that I40 is a long, hot haul but there's no real getting around it if they want the last part of their trip to be going up the 1. The only alternative I can think of is going through Lake Tahoe but that's longer, North, and probably the way you have them getting to AZ... 250 miles per day is completely unrealistic.
Gibbous Klimt CotFU Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/24/2005 5:00:10 PM green tortoise does a canyons tour: http://www.greentortoise.com/canyons.of.the.west.html I don't know if that fits into their money or time budgets, but they would get to sleep at night while the bus driver drives them. They could also ask to be dropped off in LA or Las Vegas on the return leg and rent a car to drive up the coast on a more scenic route than the 5.
drewmeister_sd Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/24/2005 10:43:16 PM quote: 250 miles per day is completely unrealistic. I agree totally with this comment and the others above. If they don't want to drive that much they should fly Southwest or America West (or United). I guess they might enjoy Laughlin Nevada and places like that, halfway between the coast and the Grand Canyon, but I'd put the pedal to the metal... 250 miles on those highways is nothing. It shouldn't be too hot and the rental car "should" be in shape.
Pussy Galore Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/25/2005 1:46:53 AM quote: My friends want to fly in and out of SF and make a circle, going to Yosemite, Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, and up the CA coast, but they don't want to go near LA and I think it's precisely because of the fast direct roads = most traffic factor. I'm pretty sure high traffic volume is something they want to avoid. I just don't think they have any real imagination for the distance they want to cover, though, e.g. they think driving from Berlin to the Baltic or to Leipzig is a long distance ... I've run into this problem in discussing trips around the U.S. with other German friends. They think they can jump in a car in NYC and be in Miami Beach the next day and only spend 8 hours in the car doing it. I had proposed a route for my friends from SF to Yosemite, then down the Owens Valley to the interstate, across to Vegas, then Zion, Bryce, and the GC, and back to the coast someplace and up to SF. I looked at the amount of mileage across AZ and the Mojave, and I know June isn't the best time to drive through the desert temperature-wise. I think I personally would go a bit nuts driving across it myself at that time of year and I'm not one who minds long driving days, but my friends think any driving trip over four or five hours is insanely long which is why they want to limit themselves to 250 miles a day (actually, they'd prefer 200 miles or less ...). Yet I also think they'll dread the heat and terrain more if they drive it in two days or more instead of one long one. I mean, if a person drives from Flagstaff to Needles for the first day, for example, what does one do in Needles for fun, especially in the desert heat? I'd think it would just be better to drive on into the Central Valley or at least out of the desert and make one long day of it. I'll offer them any info I can, including all of your cautions about the desert heat. I want them to be realistic about what it is they want to do and the time of year they're proposing to do it. MG, I'll look forward to your route suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to look into this in more detail. ok, finally got my maps dug out. The route suggested by mapquest is quite similar to a part of the route that I took on the way home from Mexico 2 weeks ago. That is a pretty drive but I think defeats your friends purpose a bit by adding to the length of the drive. I have driven back and forth from SF to NM a number of times and am very familiar with the I-40 route. A few comments just in general. Your circle route is one that I would personally recommend. One possible hitch is going over Tioga pass in June. We have had unusually heavy snowfall in the sierra this year. If we don't get much more, or if we have a hot or unusually rainy spring, it won't matter. If we get more snow, or late snow, then Tioga Pass may not open until July 1. There are alternate road options but they add about 6 hours to the process of getting to the east side of the sierras. In terms of coming to CA from the grand canyon, I am assuming they would be staying on the north ridge because I think that is where all the lodges and camp grounds are. Even if they aren't I think it will be something of a drive to get down to I-40. If it were me, I'd plan on driving from Grand Canyon to Kingman, AZ in one day. That is about 250 miles, and I find Flagstaff to be a town worth stopping in. It's in the mountains and will be cool. even Kingman is at something of an elevation and will be cooler than Needles. The following day I would plan as my long ass, get-it-done driving day. I would leave Kingman around 4 or 4:30 in the morning (sunrise will be around 5:30am in June). The Mojave is absolutely spectacular at dawn, really wild and beautiful and staggeringly Not Hot. It is actually the part I consider the high point of the trip. Take I-40 to Barstow. From Barstow take 58 West until Just Before Bakersfield when they turn off and take 233 west, crossing CA 99 to the junction with I-5. From there I would opt for speed over scenicness and take I-5 north to CA 46 which looks to be a bigger straighter road than CA 58 between I-5 and the coast. My last preference would be to spend the night in Paso Robles as opposed to Cambria. It's bigger and has more food and lodging options. Also the last part between Paso Robles and the coast will likely be windy road that will be challenging with the sun full in your face (because it will be afternoon by then) and general tiredness. The adventures would no doubt continue on to Cambria. I cannot in any good conscience recommend staying in the central valley. It's almost as hot as the desert, but it's also humid and reeks of chemical fertilizers. Yuck. I'd guess the mileage on that day to be between 400 and 500 miles, but it's terrain where there is no good incentive to stop on the way. Hope that helps, if you have any additional questions let me know. smooches mg = map gir
DCMom Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/25/2005 10:50:54 AM Gibbous, thanks - Green Tortoise's route sounds like a great one, but I think that kind of travel is a bit rougher than what my friends have in mind. Drew, thanks for your suggestion of flying instead of driving. When my friends have a realistic idea of the amount and type of terrain to be covered, they may decide that's their best option. MG, thank you so much for your advice, and I'm anxious to go home and get my CA map out to look at the route you suggest. I also thought about the snow factor in the Sierras, especially this year, and what it might mean to have to go around Yosemite rather than through it. As far as where my friends will stay near the Grand Canyon, I'm going to recommend they stay near the South Rim, even if it's as far as Flagstaff, because that's where the hotels/motels are. It's good to know Kingman is cooler than Needles, and I think your suggestion of starting their drive before sunrise is a great one. Maybe I can persuade them to make one long day out of their journey from Kingman to Paso Robles or to consider the alternative of flying back to SF and renting a car to drive down some of the coast and back. Thanks again to everyone for all the input. You've pretty much confirmed what I already suspected about this whole prospective adventure.
Pussy Galore Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/25/2005 3:49:22 PM If your friends are at all amenable to the idea of air travel, I think the circle route can still be maintained. Fly into SF, drive to Yosemite, drive to Sacramento. Fly to Las Vegas. Drive to Bryce, Zion, GC, return to Las Vegas. Fly to either Los Angeles (Burbank maybe) or I hate to say it San Jose. Drive to Monterey, and drive a bit down the coast as far as Big Sur and then back up to SF. I realize this will put them in some big urban areas, but the relatively few hours flying will allow them to spend more days in the places where they want to be as opposed to the time spent getting from place A to B. I think that some of the things one sees on road trips (such as Mojave at dawn) are really special, but may not outweigh the minuses of spending nights in towns that are geographically convenient, but nowhere you'd go if choices were different. -mapgirl
DCMom Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/25/2005 4:12:04 PM MG, this is so helpful! Thank you so much. It's great to have alternatives to offer them. This weekend I'm going to put together options and cautions for them to consider, and your info will be a large part of it. I really appreciate it.
apyf Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/26/2005 4:19:11 PM quote: Fly to either Los Angeles (Burbank maybe) or I hate to say it San Jose. Southwest also flies out of SJC, so there are lots of cheap flights (with the the AA & United trying match southwest prices) to Vegas and other western coast cities.
DCMom Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 1/26/2005 4:45:54 PM Thanks, apyf!
DCMom Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 7/1/2005 3:07:41 PM To all who helped with this inquiry, again, many thanks to you, and especially to MG. My friends are currently in the U.S. and have decided to forget the Route 1 trip because they changed their minds and are going to L.A. after all. They said they want to save Route 1 for the future and drive the whole thing from north to south! So they flew into S.F. yesterday from DC and will spend a couple of days there. Then they're driving to Yosemite and over Tioga Pass (they're so excited that it's opened) and down the Owens River Valley. Then they're going to Death Valley (yeah, they're crazy) and on to Las Vegas. From there they're doing an overnight package tour that takes them via van to Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon where they'll overnight and then helicopter back to Vegas. Then they rent another car and head off to the Utah canyons, Monument Valley, Flagstaff, Phoenix ("if we have time"!), and across the desert by dawn's early light to L.A. They plan to do all this in 12 days because they told me they have two spare days built in (!) before they fly home on July 15. They seem to have gotten over their shock at driving distances in the U.S. because they drove from Manhattan to Niagara Falls in one day and then took parts of two days to make the trip from Niagara Falls to D.C. where I met them on Wednesday. They're having a wonderful time so far so I hope it continues.
drewmeister_sd Quote \| Reply \|	Route from the Grand Canyon to Route 1 on CA coast replied on: 7/1/2005 3:35:29 PM Death Valley in the middle of the summer? Those wacky germans! I hope they bring a lot of sunblock. It was 118 there yesterday. My g/f's family have stayed in a place there, Furnace Creek, I believe. Supposed to be nice. Why go to Phoenix, especially in the 'bummer time? There's not much there, there. Bryce Canyon is pretty darn nice if they are in that part of Utah.
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