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I visited Yosemite for a few days in December 20 years ago, really enjoyed what I saw, but the possibilities were limited. I've always wanted to go back when the northern road Tioga Pass Road was open through Tuolumne Meadows, do Glacier Road and some sites east of the park, and more.
I really wanted to share those sights with my kids, so I bounced the idea off of them - not really expecting them to go for it, but they did! Haha, my daughter added that she'd want to include Disneyland or Catalina Island again, and my son-in-law hoped we could include Colorado - and I suggested they look at some maps. They did, and came up with new requests we can work with.
Well, their requests are for the Grand Canyon, since the son-in-law didn't get to take that trip a couple of years back with my daughter and the kids, and she wants to do a little of Sedona for some reason beyond me. I drove thru there once 20 or 30 years ago while exploring area ruins & features, didn't notice much - but she and my sis went to a wedding there a few years ago, and she loves it?!
We stopped off on the last trip for a few hours so the girls could explore something - and I don't get it, so overrun, overhyped, overpriced, and all? Anyway, I think I've worked out how we can do a little of this & that, including their requests - unless SWA offers a good sale to Vegas for dates we can use, then we have agreed to skip those for another time and fly to start there with Plan B.
I'd really like to go in May before the biggest crowds hit Yosemite, or September after school starts, but they can't get away from school either. I have an idea that Yosemite Vally may be even more crowded than Grand Canyon close to the village, and there are even traffic challenges on some of the other roads - but we have to go when they can, so we're looking at June.
Plan A...
Day-0: Rent a minivan with unlimited mileage and no state restrictions and put the miles on their vehicle. That'll cost us over $800 plus gas for the 11 days & 3,000+ miles, but the real cost of driving our biggest vehicle would be 3 times that before gas - and their vehicles are newer and roomier than even our 4-door pickup. If we have a mechanical problem, it's their problem - not ours, and we'll see how fast they can bring us another one.
Day-1: Lubbock to my house to Holbrook AZ: 622 miles, 9-½ hours (2 time hour change). That's more driving than I like in a day, and it's all driving - but it'll put us in nice range.
Day-2: Holbrook, AZ to Grand Canyon: 165 mi, 2-½ hr, going in the east entrance as I think it'll have shorter lines, first stop - Desert View Watchtower. A nice place to start, and a couple of shops. I need to replace my GC cap I lost on a roller coaster, and I want to avoid the Village. Spend the rest of the day visiting various south rim views, avoid the buses unless we can get on one to Hermit's Rest without the problems we had last time, and a picnic lunch - then to Williams for the night...
Day-3: Williams to Lee Vining: 545 mi, 8 hr. Get there early enough to see Mono Lake, I hope. It's sad that LA has stolen the lake's water, but the site looks interesting - and now the tufa rock formations previously submerged are above the surface.
Day-4: Yosemite Park & Valley: 76 Mi, 2 hrs plus stops and valley traffic. Who knows what we'll get into along the way, we'll be exploring, but I'll have my PLB - it goes where I go nowadays. We'll try not to get in trouble. I am wondering if I want to carry bear spray, and if the park allows that? The national park sites are all down for now. The Lodge there is already sold out for June, so who knows what we'll find when we have our dates picked? We might stay in their tent village there in the valley, or commute to/from hotel outside the south gate...?
Day-5: Tunnel View, Mariposa grove - the biggest of 3 grove of the Giant Sequoias on the park, Glacier Point, etc. - explore more. The glaciers left there started in the Little Ice Age, have been receding since, some have vanished - and it'd be neat to visit one while we can.
Day-6: Explore the park more, including another trip on Tioga Road, and end up in Lee Vining or south for the night.
Day-7: Down to Devils Postpile, then later, to Panamint Springs Resort, 202 mi, 4 hr driving.
Day-8: Death Valley. I really don't know what we'll see there in a few hours, but we'll see. The Racetrack is too far down an unpaved road, but visiting Badwater Basin 282 feet below sea level sounds neat - deeper than I hope I ever dive, the craters sound interesting, and more - as long as we can do it in the morning! 60 miles to the park, then after lunch 386 mi, 6 hr to Oak Valley north of Sedona for the night. I think maybe I found once place we can afford to stay! There is even a Dairy Queen on that road, and it gets good reviews.
Day-9: The girls want to go into Sedona for whatever. Leave after lunch for Grants: 275 mi, 4 hr, or Albuquerque, 355 miles, 5-½ hr.
Day-10: To my house, then Lubbock: 467 mi, 7 hr, or from Albuquerque 389 miles, 6 hr
Plan B...
If SWA runs a sale for $200 RT tickets to Vegas in June, which I think they might, and we can pick our dates then - they've agreed: Save Grand Canyon & Sedona for another trip, fly non-stop that far, rent our van there for just 7 days, save enough on van rental, gas, and overnight stops to pay for the tickets for 4 - and start there. My home bud's family used to consider Vegas a one day drive from here years ago, before I-40 even - but it's a 2 day drive each way to me, that I'd love to skip.
Well, their requests are for the Grand Canyon, since the son-in-law didn't get to take that trip a couple of years back with my daughter and the kids, and she wants to do a little of Sedona for some reason beyond me. I drove thru there once 20 or 30 years ago while exploring area ruins & features, didn't notice much - but she and my sis went to a wedding there a few years ago, and she loves it?!
We stopped off on the last trip for a few hours so the girls could explore something - and I don't get it, so overrun, overhyped, overpriced, and all? Anyway, I think I've worked out how we can do a little of this & that, including their requests - unless SWA offers a good sale to Vegas for dates we can use, then we have agreed to skip those for another time and fly to start there with Plan B.I'd really like to go in May before the biggest crowds hit Yosemite, or September after school starts, but they can't get away from school either. I have an idea that Yosemite Vally may be even more crowded than Grand Canyon close to the village, and there are even traffic challenges on some of the other roads - but we have to go when they can, so we're looking at June.
Plan A...
Day-0: Rent a minivan with unlimited mileage and no state restrictions and put the miles on their vehicle. That'll cost us over $800 plus gas for the 11 days & 3,000+ miles, but the real cost of driving our biggest vehicle would be 3 times that before gas - and their vehicles are newer and roomier than even our 4-door pickup. If we have a mechanical problem, it's their problem - not ours, and we'll see how fast they can bring us another one.
Day-1: Lubbock to my house to Holbrook AZ: 622 miles, 9-½ hours (2 time hour change). That's more driving than I like in a day, and it's all driving - but it'll put us in nice range.
Day-2: Holbrook, AZ to Grand Canyon: 165 mi, 2-½ hr, going in the east entrance as I think it'll have shorter lines, first stop - Desert View Watchtower. A nice place to start, and a couple of shops. I need to replace my GC cap I lost on a roller coaster, and I want to avoid the Village. Spend the rest of the day visiting various south rim views, avoid the buses unless we can get on one to Hermit's Rest without the problems we had last time, and a picnic lunch - then to Williams for the night...
Day-3: Williams to Lee Vining: 545 mi, 8 hr. Get there early enough to see Mono Lake, I hope. It's sad that LA has stolen the lake's water, but the site looks interesting - and now the tufa rock formations previously submerged are above the surface.
Day-4: Yosemite Park & Valley: 76 Mi, 2 hrs plus stops and valley traffic. Who knows what we'll get into along the way, we'll be exploring, but I'll have my PLB - it goes where I go nowadays. We'll try not to get in trouble. I am wondering if I want to carry bear spray, and if the park allows that? The national park sites are all down for now. The Lodge there is already sold out for June, so who knows what we'll find when we have our dates picked? We might stay in their tent village there in the valley, or commute to/from hotel outside the south gate...?
Day-5: Tunnel View, Mariposa grove - the biggest of 3 grove of the Giant Sequoias on the park, Glacier Point, etc. - explore more. The glaciers left there started in the Little Ice Age, have been receding since, some have vanished - and it'd be neat to visit one while we can.
Day-6: Explore the park more, including another trip on Tioga Road, and end up in Lee Vining or south for the night.
Day-7: Down to Devils Postpile, then later, to Panamint Springs Resort, 202 mi, 4 hr driving.
Day-8: Death Valley. I really don't know what we'll see there in a few hours, but we'll see. The Racetrack is too far down an unpaved road, but visiting Badwater Basin 282 feet below sea level sounds neat - deeper than I hope I ever dive, the craters sound interesting, and more - as long as we can do it in the morning! 60 miles to the park, then after lunch 386 mi, 6 hr to Oak Valley north of Sedona for the night. I think maybe I found once place we can afford to stay! There is even a Dairy Queen on that road, and it gets good reviews.
Day-9: The girls want to go into Sedona for whatever. Leave after lunch for Grants: 275 mi, 4 hr, or Albuquerque, 355 miles, 5-½ hr.
Day-10: To my house, then Lubbock: 467 mi, 7 hr, or from Albuquerque 389 miles, 6 hr
Plan B...
If SWA runs a sale for $200 RT tickets to Vegas in June, which I think they might, and we can pick our dates then - they've agreed: Save Grand Canyon & Sedona for another trip, fly non-stop that far, rent our van there for just 7 days, save enough on van rental, gas, and overnight stops to pay for the tickets for 4 - and start there. My home bud's family used to consider Vegas a one day drive from here years ago, before I-40 even - but it's a 2 day drive each way to me, that I'd love to skip.
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