Hi All,
Myself and my fiancé (both in our late 20’s) are about to embark on a 3 week US road trip after living in London for 3 years on our way back to live in Australia. Before we leave in a few days time I wanted to get your thoughts on the below. The flights and car are booked and can’t be changed and most of the accommodation is also booked.
So all that’s left is to add/remove any activities… thanks so much in advance!
Sat 13th December: London – Miami
? Fly: London – Miami (arrive early afternoon)
Sun 14th December: Miami
?
Mon 15th December: Miami
? Possible Key Largo (Florida Keys) Day trip – See Key West
? See: Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks (America Airlines Stadium)
Tues 16th December: Miami
? Possible Everglades Day trip
? Possible Naples Day Trip (stunning beaches with the highest concentration of millionaires in the USA – 2 hours from Miami)
Wed 17th December: Miami – Houston - Austin
? Fly Continental late afternoon
? Pick up hire car
? Drive to Austin (3.5 Hours)
Thurs 18th December: Austin
? Visit Zilker Park for the giant Christmas tree, the trail of lights and the yule log
? Visit 6th Street downtown for the bar district
? Eat at Salt Lick BBQ
Fri 19th December: Austin – El Paso (8.5 hour drive)
? Watch the sunset in El Paso
Sat 20th December: El Paso - Santa Fe (5 hour drive)
? See White Sands National Monument
Sun 21st December: Santa Fe – Sedona (6 hour drive)
? Visit Alburquerque
? Stop in Gallup for a cup of coffee at the El Rancho Hotelo in the middle of town along the R66 stretch and admire the lobby.
? Stop at the Painted Desert overlook exit 311 off I40.
? Stop in Winslow for old time R66 sake.
? Visit Phoenix
? Visit Scotsdale
? Visit Acmoa Pueblo
Mon 22nd December: Sedona – Grand Canyon (2 hour drive)
? Pink Jeep Tours: Broken Arrow Tour
? Visit Flasgstaff (Walnut Canyon)
? North of Flagstaff on US89 take the loop via Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki.
? 2 Night Stay: Bright Angel Lodge
? See the sunset from rim viewpoint (or take Sunset Tour).
? Dinner at:
o Yavapai Restaurant - www.enchantmentresort.com
o Dahl %26amp; DiLuca Restaurant - www.dahl-diluca.com
o Heartline Cafe - www.heartlinecafe.com
o Troia%26#39;s Pizza, Pasta, Amore%26#39; - www.troias.com
Tues 23rd December: Grand Canyon
? Walk down to the first rest stop (1 hour down and 2 up at a steady pace)
o Do it first thing in morning then do the rim walk (unless you can do that when you get there with a bottle of wine)
? Walk to the rim for sunrise (or take Sunrise Tour).
? Breakfast at El Tovar Dining Room.
? Tour the Visitor Center at Canyon View Information Plaza (take the shuttle or walk).
? Walk to Mather Point; stroll along rim to Yavapai Observation Station.
? Walk or take the shuttle to the village, explore Historic Buildings (Pick up Walking Tour Brochure and other information at any lodge transportation desk).
? Lunch at Bright Angel Restaurant.
? Take Hermits Rest motorcoach tour (2 hrs).
? Stroll along the rim for sunset or dine early at the Arizona Room.
? Dinner at the Arizona Room.
? Enjoy a National Park Service evening program or simply stargaze at the dark canyon skies.
Wed 24th December: Grand Canyon – Las Vegas (5 hour drive)
? Visit Williams
? Visit Seligman and see Hoover Dam
? Drop off car to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
? Eat at The Cheescake Factory (at Caesars)
Thurs 25th December: Las Vegas
? Christmas Day
? Eat at a buffet (Bellagio?)
? See free water show outside Bellagio (every 15 minutes)
? Go to the New York hotel and ride the rollercoaster inside
? Ride the rooftop rollercoaster at the hotel Strasophere (get the tickets that allow you to go back at night and take photos from the rooftop)
? Get off the strip and go downtown to Freemont Street (better at night)
Fri 26th December: Las Vegas – San Francisco
? Boxing Day
? Shop in Caesar’s Palace and Bellagio (Abercrombie %26amp; Fitch at “Fashion Show Mall”)
? Skydiving?
? Visit Red Rock Canyon (30 mins outside Vegas)
? Visit Valley of Fire (1 hour 30 mins outside Vegas)
? Fly Southwest Airlines late afternoon
Sat 27th December: San Francisco
? Visit Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39
o See the Sea Lions that have inhabited the docks.
? Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge.
? See the view from Fort Point
? Visit the Boudin Sourdough Bread Factory
o Take the tour and eat the tastings at the end
Sun 28th December: San Francisco
? Shop at Union Square
? Look around Haight and Ashbury
? Tour Alcatraz (Book ahead – sells out)
Mon 29th December: San Francisco – Big Sur (3 hour drive)
? Pick up hire car
? Visit Napa Valley (wine tours)
? Visit Santa Cruz
o Visit the boardwalk and ride the big dipper...it%26#39;s really old wooden roller coaster.
? Visit Monterey
Tues 30th December: Big Sur – Santa Barbara (4.5 hour drive)
? Visit San Luis Obispo
? Visit Hearst Castle
Wed 31st December: Santa Barbara – Los Angeles (2 hour drive)
? Visit Ventura
? NYE
Thurs 1st December: Los Angeles
? Visit LA City Halls for unknown rooftop views
Fri 2nd December: Los Angeles
? Pink Taco in LA (cool Mexican restaurant with great margherita%26#39;s) based at Century City shopping plaza - 10250 Santa Monica Blvd # 220.... pretty good shopping mall.
? See Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach....
Sat 3rd December: Los Angeles
? Visit Disneyland
Sun 4th December: Los Angeles – San Diego (2 hour drive)
? Visit Palm Springs
Mon 5th December: San Diego - Los Angeles (up to 4 hour drive)
? Drop off hire car
? Fly to Australia
US Road Trip
Your schedule from Santa Fe to Sedona makes me wonder...do you plan to hit Albuquerque, Acoma, Gallup, Winslow, Phoenix and Scottsdale all in one day?!?!
The difficult part will be the enormous side trip down to Phoenix and Scottsdale. I%26#39;d skip them and concentrate on what you%26#39;ve already put on your list, although you really could bypass Albuquerque considering you%26#39;ll still have a long day ahead..stronly recommending a stop at La Posada for lunch in Winslow, and then heading on to Sedona via Flagstaff.
US Road Trip
And...Los Angeles to San Diego...via PALM SPRINGS??!! No, no...I%26#39;d just do the coastal highway ( Hwy 5 ) at about San Juan Capistrano and make a stop for seafood and scenery along the way. Lots of nice little places to stop and see on the coast.
Amazing tips, all changed :)
If you can squeeze it in, Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff is nice...if you are there after dark. They discovered Pluto there and even though it%26#39;s not really a planet anymore, that%26#39;s still a big deal.
Enjoy your trip...it sounds amazing.
And here%26#39;s the final plan... thanks again for all your help. It%26#39;s invaluable!
Sat 13th December: London – Miami
- Fly: London – Miami (arrive late afternoon)
- Stay on south beach
Sun 14th December: Miami
- Possible Key West (Florida Keys) Day trip
Mon 15th December: Miami
- Explore Miami
- See: Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks (America Airlines Stadium)
Tues 16th December: Miami
- Possible Everglades Day trip
Wed 17th December: Miami – Houston - Austin
- Explore Miami
- Fly late afternoon
- Pick up hire car
- Drive to Austin (3.5 Hours)
Thurs 18th December: Austin
- Visit Zilker Park for the giant Christmas tree, the trail of lights and the yule log
- Visit the State Capitol
- Visit 6th Street downtown for the bar district
- I strongly suggest while in Austin you skip Sixth Street and make it to SoCo (South Congress) instead. The clientele is a little more upscale and the area is much more fun and much less seedy. Great bars, cafes, and shops. Sixth Street is a much younger crowd and lacks the character and ambiance of SoCo
- Eat at Salt Lick BBQ (18001 FM 1826, Driftwood, Texas 78619). Follow South Lamar Blvd. to highway 290 West. At the ';Y'; in Oak Hill stay left, continuing on Highway 290 west towards Fredericksburg. At the third light, turn left onto FM 1826. Drive 13 miles to the Salt Lick.
Fri 19th December: Austin – El Paso (8.5 hour drive)
- Visit Fredericksburg
- As approaching El Paso eat at: Cattleman%26#39;s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch, Fabens, TX, United States?
- Get off on Fabens exits and go North. 4.5 Miles North of I-10 from the Fabens Exit 49
- Watch the sunset in El Paso
- If you do end up in El Paso for sunset, exit Mesa Street in Downtown, turn right on Mesa, then turn right on Robinson and it will go up into the hills and become Rim Road. It%26#39;s the only really pretty part of the city, IMHO.
Sat 20th December: El Paso - Albuquerque (4 hour drive - direct)
- See White Sands National Monument
- Explore Albuquerque
Sun 21st December: Albuquerque – Sedona (5 hour drive)
- Stop in Gallup for a cup of coffee at the El Rancho Hotelo in the middle of town along the R66 stretch and admire the lobby.
- Stop at the Painted Desert overlook exit 311 off I40.
- Stop at the Meteor Crater
- Stop in Winslow for old time R66 sake.
- Stop at La Posada for lunch in Winslow
- Visit Acmoa Pueblo
Mon 22nd December: Sedona – Grand Canyon (2 hour drive)
- Pink Jeep Tours: Broken Arrow Tour
- Visit Oak Creek Canyon-Walnut Canyon
- North of Flagstaff on US89 take the loop via Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki.
- Stay at Bright Angel Lodge
- See the sunset from rim viewpoint (or take Sunset Tour).
- Dinner at:
- Yavapai Restaurant - www.enchantmentresort.com
- Dahl %26amp; DiLuca Restaurant - www.dahl-diluca.com
- Heartline Cafe - www.heartlinecafe.com
- Troia%26#39;s Pizza, Pasta, Amore%26#39; - www.troias.com
Tues 23rd December: Grand Canyon
- Walk to the rim for sunrise (or take Sunrise Tour).
- Breakfast at El Tovar Dining Room.
- Walk down to the first rest stop (1 hour down and 2 up at a steady pace)
- Do it first thing in morning then do the rim walk (unless you can do that when you get there with a bottle of wine)
- Tour the Visitor Center at Canyon View Information Plaza (take the shuttle or walk).
- Walk to Mather Point; stroll along rim to Yavapai Observation Station.
- Walk or take the shuttle to the village, explore Historic Buildings (Pick up Walking Tour Brochure and other information at any lodge transportation desk).
- Lunch at Bright Angel Restaurant.
- Take Hermits Rest motorcoach tour (2 hrs).
- Stroll along the rim for sunset or dine early at the Arizona Room.
- Dinner at the Arizona Room.
- Enjoy a National Park Service evening program or simply stargaze at the dark canyon skies.
Wed 24th December: Grand Canyon – Las Vegas (5 hour drive)
- Visit Seligman
- Have a burger at Delgadillos Snow Cap
- See Hoover Dam
- Park at the Az side for free. Also fill your tank in Az.
- Drop off hire car
- Eat at The Cheescake Factory (at Caesars)
Thurs 25th December: Las Vegas
- Christmas Day
- Eat at a buffet (Paris Hotel or Bellagio)
- See free water show outside Bellagio (every 15 minutes)
- Go to the New York hotel and ride the rollercoaster inside
- Ride the rooftop rollercoaster at the hotel Strasophere (get the tickets that allow you to go back at night and take photos from the rooftop)
- Get off the strip and cab downtown to Freemont Street (better at night)
- The original Pink Taco restaurant (going to LA) is at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, so you might check it out there. But the one in LA is supposed to be fun, too.
Fri 26th December: Las Vegas – San Francisco
- Boxing Day
- Shop in Caesar’s Palace and Bellagio (Abercrombie %26amp; Fitch at “Fashion Show Mall”)
- Skydiving?
- Day Tours:
- Visit Red Rock Canyon (30 mins outside Vegas)
- Visit Valley of Fire (1 hour 30 mins outside Vegas)
- Fly Southwest Airlines late afternoon
Sat 27th December: San Francisco
- Visit Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39
- See the Sea Lions that have inhabited the docks.
- See the view from Fort Point
- Visit the Boudin Sourdough Bread Factory
- Take the tour and eat the tastings at the end
Sun 28th December: San Francisco
- Shop at Union Square
- Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge.
- If you rent bikes in SF you can bike to the Golden Gate Bridge and then turn south to Golden Gate Park. Bike through the Park (maybe stop at the DeYoung museum and go to the top of the observation deck) to the east end and that%26#39;s where the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood will be.
- Look around Haight and Ashbury
- Tour Alcatraz (Book ahead – sells out) - http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/
Mon 29th December: San Francisco – Carmel (3 hour drive)
- Pick up hire car
- Wine Sampling: Paso Robles (www.pasowine.com)
- Visit Santa Cruz
- Visit the boardwalk (open till 5pm) and ride the big dipper...it%26#39;s really old wooden roller coaster.
- Visit Monterey
Tues 30th December: Carmel – Santa Barbara (4.5 hour drive)
- Visit Hearst Castle
- Book Hearst Castle in advance, http://www.hearstcastle.org
- Visit San Luis Obispo
- Wine Sampling: Santa Ynez Valley
Wed 31st December: Santa Barbara – Los Angeles (2 hour drive)
- Visit Ventura
- NYE
Thurs 1st December: Los Angeles
-
Fri 2nd December: Los Angeles
- Pink Taco in LA (cool Mexican restaurant with great margherita%26#39;s) based at Century City shopping plaza - 10250 Santa Monica Blvd # 220.... pretty good shopping mall.
- Visit LA City Halls for unknown rooftop views
- See Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach....
Sat 3rd December: Los Angeles
- Visit Disneyland
Sun 4th December: Los Angeles – San Diego (2 hour drive)
- Via Costal Highway 5
- Visit San Juan Capistrano
- Visit La Jolla
Mon 5th December: San Diego - Los Angeles (up to 4 hour drive)
- Drop off hire car
- Fly to Australia late evening
Here%26#39;s a couple of ideas for your NM to AZ portion:
Sat 20th December: El Paso - Albuquerque via White Sand National Mon will be 5.5 hours of driving, plus time visiting the monument.
While on the way to Albuquerque after White Sands, possibly stop at Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge, thousands of cranes and geese nest there. Incredible place. Also nearby is a small town, San Antonio, with a great green chile cheeseburger at the Owl Cafe!
Once in Albuquerque visit the Old Town area and possibly Nob Hill, which has some Rt 66 type places. If you have time the Rattlesnake Museum is fun!
Sun 21st December: Albuquerque – Sedona.
Acoma Pueblo is just outside of Albuquerque, so you will stop here prior to reaching Gallup. You may want to check with them to see if they offer tours on a Sunday morning. http://sccc.acomaskycity.org/
I love the El Rancho Hotel. Make sure you check out the huge map painted on the wall in the lobby. If you get there for lunch, maybe dine at Earls, food is ok but interesting place to visit.
The Painted Desert overlook is ok, I prefer to visit the entire Petrified Forest Nat Park. I would do that over Meteor Crater. Winslow is before Meteor Crater.
Thanks for that Casaazul!
captain I hope you post a trip report!
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