California and the Southwest

A Travel Plan

for Jürgen and Irene Grosskreutz, Summer 2004

Here is a suggested plan for a leisurely — compared to the size of the undertaking — tour of California and the Southwest. I have carefully considered the direction of the sun and the light of the day in chosing the order of places, driving directions, and visiting times. The best time to visit (photograph) anything in the West is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Do the long-range driving during the day. Of course, you can leave out parts to shorten this plan, or add rest days if you find it all too much. You will be inundated by impressions, not the least by the immensity of the scenery, which is much larger than anything you have seen so far. The natural scenery is its main beauty.. there are few attractive cities.

I included several maps. Some can be clicked on from the text: Maps. On the maps the suggested route is marked in orange, places in yellow, and beautiful roads in bright green. Also included are maps showing driving distances and hours between major points. (See Maps) — Paper maps and a couple of AAA Tour Books listing motels and restaurants etc. you can get from Barbara here.

Los Angeles (See Map) is not included in this discription. I assume that you will stay with us for a week before you go on this trip, so that we can take you to some places and direct you to others. We will leave for Greece on or around September 10, 2004, but you can stay and recover at the house when you return. Make your flight arrangements accordingly. In preparing the attached Picture Book, I once again concluded that the Southwest is most beautiful in the second half of August and September, when huge thunderstorms blow impressive clouds across the otherwise blue sky. On the other hand, the coast is often in deep fog during August, hence the order of the trip is calculated so that you reach San Francisco and drive down the coast in September, when the coastal weather is more stable.

On the practical side, in order to be independent of us and our only car, you will need to rent a car already in Los Angeles. Do not rent from Alamo, they have lately delivered what one calls "lemons" in English (poor vehicles, poor tires, poor brakes) on several occasions. Avis and Hertz, though a little more expensive, are better and more reliable. - This will be a long trip in days and miles through often unihabited areas and the hot desert. You can rent a car via the internet. I recommend a comprehensive car insurance, which, however, will almost double the price of the rental. You do not need an international driver's license to rent or drive a car in the US. I would also recommend to either buy a one-year membership subscription to the AAA-California (best done here) or at least bring an ADAC-membership card along. The first would be better. The AAA will tow you anywhere in the West, and many motels give 10-15% discounts to AAA members.

Bring as little luggage as possible, but include a small day-pack (Rucksack) for hikes. An ice-box, plastic cups etc., instant coffee and tea can be bought here or borrowed from us to prepare breakfast and lunch on the way. This will save you lots of money and there are often no restaurants along your way for 100s of miles, besides, the coffee is always horrible. We will lend you a 110-V Tauchsieder. We could also lend you our 2-man-Tibet tent, sleeping bags, self-inflating air mattresses, and any other camping needs, should you want to camp occasionally — which I would highly recommend.

As you can figure from the given hotel prices, you will in August 2004 spend under $100/night for two on hotels. Prepare a breakfast (often not included) and a picnic lunch yourself and eat one meal at night in a restaurant. You should be able to exist well for under $150/day. The flights, car rental, gasoline (these days $1.70/gallon = 3.8 liter), and incidental expenses have to be added. Still, in Euros this is not an expensive vacation!

With much love from your Rolf

.Pacific Palisades, 5 February, 2004

 

The Plan

 

  1. Drive in one sweep (about 5 hrs straight driving) from Pacific Palisades along Interstate-10, Interstate-60, and Interstate-15 (See Map) via Barstow to Las Vegas, NV. Stay at the Golden Nugget and see the Jubilee Show at the Bally Hotel. Make reservations for the late show at the Bally as soon as you arrive. Or stay at another hotel: e.g. the Mirage. We can make reservations when you are here. At night before the show visit Caesar's Palace, Treasure Island Hotel, (exploding volcanoes, sinking ships, thousands of slot machines, etc. etc.) and after the show dance through the night on top of one the big hotels...

  2. Sleep late in the morning. After lunch drive on Interstate-15 to St. George, UT and stay at the Econo Lodge St. George ($40-45). St. George is one of the oldest Mormon towns with one of the earliest Tabernacles (not open to non-Mormons). See Map

  3. Continue on I-15 and turn into Utah-9 to Zion National Park, UT. Spend the day hiking in Zion. Late in afternoon drive to Bryce Canyon along US-89/Utah-12. Stay at Best Western Ruby's Inn, UT (Res. 800-468-8660), a motel on the road before you enter the Park. Buy a Golden Eagle Pass and visit the Park in the early evening light! Click here for a detailed Map.

  4. Spend all day at Bryce Canyon National Park, UT. There are several wonderful hikes of 1-3 hours in the canyon, which is really not a canyon but a steep cliff-side. Stay at Ruby's Inn a second night.

  5. This day's route is short but one of the most beautiful routes of the entire trip. Go east on route UT-12 via Escalante, follow 12 north into the mountains (ruins of a small Anasazi village near Boulder along road). Find a modest Mormon motel (e. g. Day's Inn or Super-8, both $70) in the town of Torrey, UT. In the late afternoon drive south into Capitol Reef National Park and take a short dirt road loop tour south of the visitor's center. Return to your hotel in Torrey. Click here to see detailed Map .

  6. In the morning drive slowly through Capitol Reef on UT-24, to Interstate 70 and US-191 to Moab, UT. Find a motel, e.g.Comfort Suites ($99), Day's Inn ($80) and then visit Arches National Park in the late afternoon

  7. Get up early and spend all day in Arches and if you want to and still can see more, drive on UT-313 into Canyonlands Nat. Park.. Stay at the same motel in Moab.

  8. Drive south along US-191 to Monticello and on US-666 to Durango, CO. Do some shopping in this nice Western Town with a good selection. Find a motel, e.g. Econo Lodge ($80) and at night have a drink at the grand old Slater's Hotel!

  9. Drive early into Mesa Verde National Park. The tours to the cliff dwellings are on a first-come-first-served basis. Join a tour, you cannot see the ruins on your own. Spend all day there. In the evening drive down to Cortez, AZ and spend the night in a motel there, e.g. Travellodge ($75).

  10. Drive on US 666 to Shiprock and on US 64 to Farmington, NM and find a motel there, e.g. La Quinta Inn ($77). Continue south on US 64/550 and drive to Chaco Canyon on route 44 to the turn-off south of Nageezi of 7900+7950 (dirt road!) . Spent the rest of the day and early evening there. (See detailed Map) Return to your motel in Farmington at night. See Map

  11. From Farmington drive south on US 550 to Cuba, turn east on route 126 to Bandelier National Park and through Los Alamos, NM downhill to Chimayo, NM. Stay at the Rancho de Chimayo Country Inn (call ahead for reservations: (505) 351-2222), or have at least dinner there, alternate motel: e.g. Quality Inn ($79).

  12. In the morning visit the Santuario and drive on beautiful route 76 + 518 via Las Truchas to Rancho de Taos and Taos, NM. Find a motel in Taos, e.g. Days Inn ($64), Best Western Kachina Lodge ($110), Comfort Suites ($89) and visit Taos Pueblo.

  13. Drive from Taos on US 285 into Santa Fe, NM (don't get sucked into the by-pass west of town). Find a motel (e.g. Sleep-In, 8376 Cerillos Rd, $69 (southwest of town center), special rate at: 800-373-9519; Comfort Suites (in town) $90) ) and explore Santa Fe in the afternoon. Visit the Old Town Plaza, the oldest church in North America, and the excellent three Museums on 706 Camino Lejo in the hills southwest of town: Museum of International Folk Art, The Wheelwright Museum of Indian Art, and the Museum of American Indian Art. There is also a surprisingly worthwhile Museum of Georgia O'Keefe's paintings in the center of town. Stroll along Canyon Drive (Jewelry, art galleries and fashion boutiques) in the late afternoon. Pass by Andrea Fishers' Pottery shop on San Francisco St, she is an old friend of ours, and her collection of contemporary Indian pottery is unique — and very expensive (below $6000 a piece!) Eat in one of the excellent New Mexico restaurants.

  14. Spend some more time in Santa Fe and in the afternoon drive southwest along scenic NM 14 via Mádrid (Tibetan/Am-Indian rug dealer!) and Golden (approx. 3 hrs on winding road) to Albuquerque, NM. Find a motel, e.g. Tramway-I-40-Travelodge ($40!), Best Western Winrock Hotel ($94), and visit Albuquerque's Old Town Plaza with some good pottery. See Map.

  15. Drive west on Interstate 40 to Gallup. - On the way you may make a detour south to see Pueblo Acoma. - From Gallup take US 666 and route 264 northeast to Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo/Hopi Nation. Continue on 264 west and on US 191 north to Chinle, AZ. Find a room at the Thunderbird Lodge ($106, the place is not as good as the price may suggest and you must make reservations 1-800-679-2473 also for a truck tour into the Canyon (whole day for two $140, half day for two $80); alternatively, best motel in Chinle: Holiday Inn ($91-$109), Best Western ($99). Then go on a ride along the south and north rim roads in the late afternoon.

  16. Excursion with truck into Canyon de Chelly, or alternatively, hike (about 3 hrs both ways) from the South Rim down to White House Ruin (Barbara did that a year ago!). Stay a second night at the Thunderbird Lodge.Drive north on US route 191 to Mexican Hat. Visit the lookout on the San Juan River and the local Indian Outpost Store and continue west on US 163 through Monument Valley. If you feel like splurging stay at Goulding's Lodge, UT ($160, 3-1/2 hr tours: $32 per person) reservations absolutely necessary (435) 727-3231 or better online: http://Gouldings.com/ ), a very nice place in true Western Style. — If this doesn't work out, take a jeep tour through the Park with Roland, the most beautiful Indian in the Navajo Reservation (according to Barbara), and continue in the afternoon to Kayenta, AZ, where you'll find a slightly cheaper motel, Holiday Inn ($109-$140), Hampton Inn ($109-$149), Best Western ($109) See Map.

  17. Continue early on US 160 and route 564 to Navajo National Monument. Take the guided tour to Betatakin Ruin. Drive in the afternoon along US 160 and route 98 to Page, AZ . Find a motel there e.g. Comfort Inn at Lake Powell ($90), Days Inn and Suites ($70) or a room by the shore of Lake Powell at Wahweap Lodge ($120+, must make reservations: (928) 645-2433),. Page was the workers' town during the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, it is not interesting

  18. Drive early to Whaweap Marina and either rent a power boat for a day, or if this fails take the half-day boat tour to Rainbow Bridge. Return to your motel.

  19. From Page follow US 89-Alt south and then north across the Colorado River to the little town of Jacobs Lake,UT. Find a motel there (under $80) — alternatively you can stay in Kanab, UT: (Holiday Inn ($85-$99) or in Mt. Carmel Junction, UT: Best Western ($80-$88) — and then drive south on route 67 to Grand Canyon North Rim. Drive out to Inspiration Point and Imperial Point in the late afternoon/evening, and return to the hotel in Jacobs Lake. Hotel space at the North Rim is limited and the accommodations (cabins) are poor, except rooms in the old Rim View Lodge ($140, reserve one-month(!) ahead, toll-free reservations required 888-297-2757) — food is bad there, but do have a cup of coffee at the North Rim Lodge (fabulous view!). See Map.

  20. Retrace your steps from Jacobs Lake along US 89-Alt, but after the Colorado River bridge continue south on US 89 to route 64 to Grand Canyon South. It is probably impossible to find accommodations in Grand Canyon Village, so right away leave the Park south on US 180 and find a motel in Tusayan, AZ: Rodeway Inn RedFeather ($96), Best Western Squire Inn ($114), Holiday Inn ($115-$140), just outside the Park. Return (shuttle bus?) in the late afternoon for a walk along the South Rim. See Map.

  21. Spend an hour in the morning at the South Rim and then follow US 180 south to Flagstaff. — You may make a detour to Wupatki (not much to see) through Sunset Crater Volcano Nat. Monument (scenic). — From Flagstaff continue west on Interstate 40 to Kingman and north on US 93 to Las Vegas, NV. This is a longer drive, which you can interrupt for the night at many places along the road, otherwise spend the night in Las Vegas. — I assume that you will not want to climb down into the Canyon to see Havasupai and back up again to Hulapai Hilltop. Otherwise you will have to add 2-1/2 days. But we have twice driven straight to Pacific Palisades from Flagstaff (on Interstate 40), once after climbing out of Havasupai Canyon starting at four in the morning!

  22. Leave Las Vegas early (because of the heat) on route 159 to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, have a picnic breakfast there. Then follow U-160 to Pahrump, go southeast on route NV-372/CA-178 into Death Valley National Park South. Drive along the Valley floor and see Bad Water (lowest point on the Western Hemisphere), and Artist's Palette Drive on the way to Furnace Creek, NV. Stray at the Furnace Creek Ranch ($102-$170) — NOT at the F. C. Inn, it is very expensive!. Try to reserve a room ahead of time at F. C. Ranch through the Park Service: 760-786-2345. See Map.

  23. See Death Valley by driving west out of the Valley via Stovepipe Wells, NV (primitive motel: $99) on CA-190, through Panamint Valley to Lone Pine, then north on US-395 via Bishop to Mammoth Lakes, CA. Find a motel: Econo Lodge ($90-$100), Rodeway Inn Sierra Nevada ($80-$90). At sunset time drive to Minaret Summit Vista Point to see the High Sierra. You may also spend an hour at Mammouth Hotsprings behind the airport — if the place is still open to bathers.

  24. Continue north on US-395 to Lee Vining. See Mono Lake (a Visitor's Center is a mile north of town). Continue directly behind Lee Vining on route 167 for a short distance to the turn-off to Bodie (not on the Northern California map!). Spend a couple of hours at Bodie (see the cemetery!) and then return along the direct route from Bodie to US 395 (not on the Northern California map). Go north on 395 to Bridgeport, CA and find a motel there: Best Western Ruby's Inn ($120) cheaper motels exist. See Map

  25. Continue north along US-395 to the turn-off of route 89 across Monitor Pass (views!). Wind along California 89 past the town of South Lake Tahoe and along the western shore of Lake Tahoe (very beautiful views!) until you reach Interstate 80. Take I-80 west across Donner Pass with its grisly story of cannibalism, to Auburn. Turn south into route CA-49, the Gold Country Road. You come through Placerville, Sutter Creek (where the gold rush started), Columbia (Columbia State Park), Angels Camp, and Sonora. Find a motel in Sonora, CA, e.g. Days Inn ($80) to spend the night. See Map

  26. Drive early to the entry of Yosemite National Park, take the shuttle bus into the valley and spend the day there. Return to Sonora, the hotels in the Valley are crowded and expensive.

  27. Take routes CA-49/108/120 to Manteca. Continue on Interstate 705/580 west, soon after Livermore (Teller's atomic laboratory is to the left of the freeway). Change into Interstate 680 north, pass across the Sacramento River to the turn-off to Napa. Before entering Napa Valley proper turn into route CA-121 west and reach Sonoma. Sonoma is cheaper than Napa, and we can recommend the good and reasonable El Pueblo Inn ($120, 896 Napa St, Sonoma, call ahead toll-free Tel: 800-695-8284) ). See California Map, detailed Map Napa

  28. I want you to see where the California wines grow. The persimmon trees have their fruit in November-January, you will not recognize them during the rest of the year. Spend the day in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys visiting wineries and museums.. Stay a second night in Sonoma. At night buy a bottle of the best local wine (e.g. at Hess, see below) and have some good food. We liked the Taste of the Himalayas restaurant (464 First Street East - just off the Sonoma plaza) and the exquisite Zen-food Vegevillage (a vegetarian restaurant at 18350 Sonoma Highway (route 121) a couple of miles north of the El Pueblo Inn). — Private Museums: Di Rosa Preserve (5200 Carneros Highway, Napa - route 121 east of Sonoma - you must make reservations: 1-707-226-5991) and the Hess Collection at the Hess winery in the hills west of Napa (4411 Redwood Road, Napa, Tel: (1- 707-255-1144). Both are notable collections of contemporary art. Di Rosa is a large ideosyncratic collection of modern Californian artists in fake barns and farming houses. The Hess collection is much smaller and eclectic. Hess was a Swiss intellectual, while di Rosa was a self-made land speculator of Italian descent who got rich by buying a large part of the Carneros when it was dirt cheap - and later selling it peacemeal for vineyards at fantastic prices. See detailed Map with a suggested route through the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

  29. Take route CA-121/37 to US 101 and enter San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a spectacular view point on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge just before you get on the bridge. There are a number of cheap motels as soon as you enter town: Lombard Street: Days Inn ($105), or off Van Ness Ave: e.g. Castle Inn Motel ($69.95 taxes incl.,Van Ness and 1685 Broadway, Res. 1-800-246-8357), See San Francisco Map It is somewhat distant from city center, but they offer parking, which is impossible to find or pay for ($36/day) in the city center. Leave the car and take a bus...

  30. San Francisco: See San Francisco Map. On one day take the ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito. There is an excellent very small Thai Cafe at the far northeastern end of the tinsel-town of Sausalito. In the 70s it was our favorite Hippie place. Alcatraz is uninteresting. Drive to Twin Peaks. Parking in the inner city or driving in SF during rush hour is nearly impossible.

  31. San Francisco: On foot or by bus and/or cable-car: climb Coit Tower, worth seeing are the new Museum of Modern Art, the East-Asia Museum, and the Museum of the Legion of Honor, which all have bus connections. Eat in Chinatown (Kan's is a good place). There are also some very reasonable Chinese, Thai, and Cambodian restaurants in the 23 to 26 Avenue block in the western part Geary St (not on my map), near where you change to the bus to the Legion of Honor Museum. (Above the Pacific! Not on my map).

  32. San Francisco - Berkeley: Visit Berkeley by car (or less conveniently by BART-Subway — you need to take bus in Berkeley): UC at Berkeley Campus and University Museum of Art, Telegraph Avenue. Drive on Hearst Ave (north side of Campus) up the hill above Berkeley to the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab with a fantastic view of the Bay and San Francisco — on a clear day, just before sunset!

  33. From the center of San Francisco take Interstate-280 south through San Jose, continue on US-101 to Castroville. See Map.Turn-off into route CA-1 to Monterey. If you are a fan of such things, you must see the quite fabulous Monterey Aquarium (+2 hrs) and stay in a motel there. See Northern California Map. Otherwise it would be better to only see Point Lobos and continue that afternoon leisurely driving south on route CA-1 the spectacular 100-miles along the coast to Morrow Bay, where you'll find affordable motels: Travelodge ($95-$109), Econo Lodge ($79). On the way you pass Hearst Castle. You can take expensive guided 1-to-3-hour-tours of the place; I don't think its worthwhile. See Southern California Map.

  34. Drive on CA-1 to US-101 and go south past San Louis Obispo, the Dutch tinsel-town of Buellton/Solvang, and Santa Barbara. Have lunch at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara to properly conclude your trip. . . . . Continue to Oxnard, where you should leave US-101 and continue on CA-1 towards Santa Monica. Past Malibu turn left at Temescal Canyon Road, up the hill to Pacific Palisades. See Southern California Map, Los Angeles Map

 

 

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