Thrown together bucket list trip... Let me know if you all have any advice!

[IronBoss]

We just finished throwing together a trip for my son's pseudo graduation present.... Traveling from the Baltimore are

Flying into Vegas on a red eye on a Saturday night.

Sunday... Hanging out in Vegas. Staying at the Resorts World Hilton.

Monday... Driving to the Grand Canyon South Rim. Staying at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squires.

Tuesday... Driving to Twentynine Palms & staying at a funky little Air BnB. Hope to see some of Joshua Tree National Park.

Wed... Driving to the Hollywood area. All we really have definite plans for is he Rock N Walk Sunset Strip Tour Thursday night. Maybe Santa Monica Pier, Funko Hollywood,... Want to go see the Jane's Addiction Walk of Fame Star!

Friday... Driving to San Diego... Planning on seeing La Jolla, San Diego Zoo, some sort of Speed Boat tour we found & Ghosts & Gravestones.

Flying back from San Diego Monday night.

Any tips from West Coast experts?

Thanks!!

 

[China Expat]

Yikes! Too condensed for me with all that driving and distance. You need a full day in Joshua Tree. In Hollywood I would do the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Petersen Car Museum, Griffith Park Observatory to see the Hollywood sign and LA, and limit time on Hollywood Blvd. It's kind of janky now. How about Warner Bros Studio Tour?

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Distances between places are greater in the west than you may be used to. With so little time in each area, it looks like you'll be spending most of your time driving between areas, instead of having time to savor each destination. If this were my trip, and I couldn't extend the overall trip duration, I'd cut back on the number of areas to visit, in order to allow more time at each place.

 

[bennifer]

I think your trip sounds fantastic! I grew up taking road trips to the west from PA and those distances seem very reasonable to me. Will you be able to see everything? No, but will you see enough? Sure! I think it's better to leave wanting to go back rather than feeling stuck somewhere that may look awesome online with great reviews but doesn't appeal to you personally.

 

[IronBoss]

Distances between places are greater in the west than you may be used to. With so little time in each area, it looks like you'll be spending most of your time driving between areas, instead of having time to savor each destination. If this were my trip, and I couldn't extend the overall trip duration, I'd cut back on the number of areas to visit, in order to allow more time at each place.

Thanks for the advice! We've always been more the keep moving & don't slow down types. We don't sit still much!

 

[IronBoss]

I think your trip sounds fantastic! I grew up taking road trips to the west from PA and those distances seem very reasonable to me. Will you be able to see everything? No, but will you see enough? Sure! I think it's better to leave wanting to go back rather than feeling stuck somewhere that may look awesome online with great reviews but doesn't appeal to you personally.

Thanks! We can't wait. Never been fans of sitting still for long! And you're right. Those drives are nothing for me.... roadtrips are the best.

 

[chickapin parterre]

well....you are not going to enter Joshua tree national park on tuesday, but can see some of the features as you head west ....but what you can do as travel along is see some famous national sites between between 29 palms and HOllywood.

what is your route when leaving grand canyon?

anyhow as you travel west as you enter Joshua tree you pass the famous room 8 of gram parsons.....west side you pass Luna studios and then you see the most structures that Frank lloyd wright designed in one site.....then in Yucca, just a block off your route is very famous folk art display of the life of Jesus.... and due north of that park by 50 miles is the oldest living plant in the world. don't have to be a believer....but a great display of one man doing a park of statues in the history of folk art....as you drop into Morongo Valley, once again just a few blocks off is a world famous osais...at one time the only one in the world...then some scientist went to prove that wrong. Then as you enter the valley of the very first wind farm in the USA and you will see a mountain peak is with the
only tram of its kind in the world ...then you can get on I-10 and practice your "DRive like Hell skills" to get to Hollywood

Thanks! We can't wait. Never been fans of sitting still for long! And you're right. Those drives are nothing for me.... roadtrips are the best.

 

[oakleycat]

Sound like a great trip. Those distances are very doable if you don't mind driving and enjoy roadtrips. Just try to avoid rush hour for your drives!

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

Tip for Joshua Tree NP— if the skies are clear, drive back in to the park after dark and find somewhere to pull over and savor the millions of stars in the sky. It is a Dark Skies Park, and stargazing is amazing there.

 

[chickapin parterre]

Sound like a great trip. Those distances are very doable if you don't mind driving and enjoy roadtrips. Just try to avoid rush hour for your drives!

what route would you take from GRand Canyon to 29 palms

 

[chickapin parterre]

Tip for Joshua Tree NP— if the skies are clear, drive back in to the park after dark and find somewhere to pull over and savor the millions of stars in the sky. It is a Dark Skies Park, and stargazing is amazing there.

never considered that...though I am sure on our cub scout campouts we were told to look at the sky ...I have no childhood memory of the sky other than full moon over copper mountain....for me it has always been about the rocks, canyons, washes.

 

[IronBoss]

Tip for Joshua Tree NP— if the skies are clear, drive back in to the park after dark and find somewhere to pull over and savor the millions of stars in the sky. It is a Dark Skies Park, and stargazing is amazing there.

Will do! We are staying at a little air bnb in Twentynine Palms with an outdoor hot tub. Stargazing will happen for sure.

 

[IronBoss]

what route would you take from GRand Canyon to 29 palms

According to Google Maps, we are taking 40 West. I'm from Baltimore haha. Trusting the map on this one.

 

[chickapin parterre]

okay...so I was ignorant about time to travel from GC to 29 palms....I-40 is fairly easy freeway to drive...I drive it from Lake havsasu to Needles and have never had problems...my research shows 6 hours...so yes you will have time to explore the eastern gate in Joshua tree......I guessing you are using gas buddy or such for research....I suggest that you exit freeway at Needles at what is called the route 66 ramp and see all the abandon history and murals of that famous route. Needles is a living ghost town of the modern era ....very cheap gas across the california border at fort mohave...cheapest gas on the trip...very easy to access and plenty of good signage back to i-40. Needles is not a thriving town, so traffic is not stressful or problem Gas at needles when not in crisis is 5.00...so I am thinking it is at 8.00...so make sure to top off tank in Arizonia, there is large gas station at lake havsau off ramp if you choose to not go to ft mohave. At needles as you cross in ft mohave, you have good view of the culture of tourist colorado river.

any charles shultz fans? Snoopy borther Spike is from needles and has his own road in rural needles.

as you enter needles...you will be entering the largest county in United State.

the last time I traveled thru Yucca valley...the gas was reasonable so that could be a good place to fill...though the palm springs arco station on 1-10 has been good....but is a tad out of the way and no way near the culture of Palm srings...so you have to measure time in relationship to yucca valley gas and that palm springs arco station

any western movie fans or donkey fans? if so....a consideration is a easy side trip to Oatman....a living ghost town with wild burros on the street....so the only time to encounter wildlife at your elbow

 

[IronBoss]

okay...so I was ignorant about time to travel from GC to 29 palms....I-40 is fairly easy freeway to drive...I drive it from Lake havsasu to Needles and have never had problems...my research shows 6 hours...so yes you will have time to explore the eastern gate in Joshua tree......I guessing you are using gas buddy or such for research....I suggest that you exit freeway at Needles at what is called the route 66 ramp and see all the abandon history and murals of that famous route. Needles is a living ghost town of the modern era ....very cheap gas across the california border at fort mohave...cheapest gas on the trip...very easy to access and plenty of good signage back to i-40. Needles is not a thriving town, so traffic is not stressful or problem Gas at needles when not in crisis is 5.00...so I am thinking it is at 8.00...so make sure to top off tank in Arizonia, there is large gas station at lake havsau off ramp if you choose to not go to ft mohave. At needles as you cross in ft mohave, you have good view of the culture of tourist colorado river.

any charles shultz fans? Snoopy borther Spike is from needles and has his own road in rural needles.

as you enter needles...you will be entering the largest county in United State.

the last time I traveled thru Yucca valley...the gas was reasonable so that could be a good place to fill...though the palm springs arco station on 1-10 has been good....but is a tad out of the way and no way near the culture of Palm srings...so you have to measure time in relationship to yucca valley gas and that palm springs arco station

any western movie fans or donkey fans? if so....a consideration is a easy side trip to Oatman....a living ghost town with wild burros on the street....so the only time to encounter wildlife at your elbow

Thanks for the advice! Definitely gonna check out the ghost town. I love that stuff.

 

[chickapin parterre]

don't be tempted to take the "shortcut at Kingman" route 66 at that point is a gnarly road...best to save stress and MPG by staying on 40 and entering Oatman from the the needles US 95 side side as that is very good road.. Photos don't do Oatman justice, it is truly a one of a kind adventure with the burros and architecture that has not changed. parking as you enter from the south side in large sand lot . so if you get gas in fort mohave , AZ the time you use to oatman will be 1 and half hours. from the gas station. drive is hour round trip and 30 mins in Oatman should be enough time to photograph burros and outside of buildings.

of course if you like history, the route 66 thru needles will also offer many photo opps, no one going to run you over as you pull over photos, that part of needles is pure modern ghost town.

 

[Gladys Belcher]

Would also recommend 40 for historical.

Many national / state parks now have "reservation systems," in the spring/summer so you might want to double check if there is a 'gate keeper".

Just keep a watch at road times, temps etc.. If you are headed to the coast, local tide charts are needed for high and low tides. 100+ sunscreen required.

San Diego is fun. You can park your car at a hotel in "Old Town " . Red Train runs up and down to the various University centers. Zoo is a gem. Eat local!

 

[IronBoss]

Would also recommend 40 for historical.

Many national / state parks now have "reservation systems," in the spring/summer so you might want to double check if there is a 'gate keeper".

Just keep a watch at road times, temps etc.. If you are headed to the coast, local tide charts are needed for high and low tides. 100+ sunscreen required.

San Diego is fun. You can park your car at a hotel in "Old Town " . Red Train runs up and down to the various University centers. Zoo is a gem. Eat local!

Thank you! I can't wait to see San Diego. And eating local is a must for us!

 

[sarah4770]

I think it’s too much driving, I would cut out the round trip from vegas to Grand Canyon, and either do Death Valley, or some other destination west of vegas. You will be in the car the whole trip, and you won’t really get to see anything with your current itinerary. 6 hours to Grand Canyon, plus you have to factor in waits to get into the park. You’ll be there for 2 hours.
Joshua tree doesn’t have that long of a wait to get in.
you will be getting to most of these places in the afternoon/ early evening.

Even though 29 palms to Hollywood doesn’t look like a far distance on the map, the traffic comes to a crawl in the afternoon.