Oppo - Help Me Plan Vacation!

"MM54" (mm54mk2) 02/23/2019 at 16:15 • Filed to: VACATION

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This summer, some friends and I (who last year bought the above Comanche in CA and drove it home to Cleveland) are going on vacation again. This time, we’re flying into San Francisco, spending a couple days on the west coast, then road tripping through Moab (stopping for a day with rental Jeeps) before ending in Colorado, flying home from Denver.

Above is the ballpark-route. Oppo’s task is to suggest things to do along this way! Highlights planned include some time on the PCH, a taco bell right on the beach, Sequoia/Yosemite, Moab, and Pike’s Peak. Duration of the trip is 9 days.

What does Oppo suggest? We’re all car enthusiasts and generally have similar interests, so toss out your best!

Edit:
Another possible approximate route:

4kc > MM54 02/23/2019 at 16:25

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https://www.stargazernevada.com/
Stay here! I dream about going back to this place. It’s a kind of crappy old motel with the most awesome owner and the best restaurant around for hundreds of miles. The views on Highway 50 are amazing. I didn’t have time to make it to The Great Basin but supposedly that’s amazing as well.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > MM54 02/23/2019 at 16:36

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Unless you have some real reason for heading back to Sacramento, I’d recommend avoiding the interstate and cutting through the S ierras via something other than interstates. Interstates are great for getting places quickly, but let’s face it, you’re planning on nine days to do what’s essentially a two-day drive, and if ridiculous mountain passes are your thing, the S ierras are great for that. 

AestheticsInMotion > MM54 02/23/2019 at 16:40

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Go through San Jose and stop at Patxi's Pizza. Ask for a deep dish pie. Thank me later

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > MM54 02/23/2019 at 16:52

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*looks at route*

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In full seriousness, top gear challenges in-between stops will help make memories.

Here’s hoping kinja stops fucking the gif up...

MM54 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 02/23/2019 at 16:56

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#DickTrip2019

MM54 > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/23/2019 at 17:00

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Maybe somet hing like this?

XJDano > MM54 02/23/2019 at 17:03

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From memory of a 2004 & 2005 trip, Poison Spider + gold bar + gold spike is one hell of a day wheeling.

I plan to go back, possibly next March. 

Alfalfa > MM54 02/23/2019 at 17:14

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Land Cruiser museum in Salt Lake. It's free and good.

MM54 > Alfalfa 02/23/2019 at 17:22

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Oooooooh this looks very good. Thanks!

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 02/23/2019 at 17:32

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Added to the list of things to consider!

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > MM54 02/23/2019 at 17:40

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Here’s your CA route. IMPORTANT: DO NOT FUCKING GO TO OR THROUGH VEGAS OH GOD DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT.

Step One: until you get out of San Francisco, YOUR LIFE IS HELL. GET OUT. FAST. But while you’re there, stop by the Museum of the Long Now, make a stop at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, and you MUST get lunch at Adamson’s French Dip . The Japanese Gardens in San Francisco are also a good stop , as is the de Young Museum in San Francisco proper.

Step Two: GET THE FUCK OFF THE INTERSTATE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Step Three: CALIFORNIA 1 AND 101. I really, really do not need to say any more than that.

Step Four: take 101 down through to Ventura, and GTFO THERE. Seriously. Get your ass onto 126 East, then find some route, any route to get you up to the Mojave Natural Preserve, then down through the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge across Parker Dam. I would take I15 toward Mountain Pass but then take the roads through Mojave.
You can cross into AZ at 40, or take 95 down to Kova National Wildlife Refuge. Personally, I’d go with 40. DO NOT FUCKING STAY ON I15 EAST YOU WILL DIE OR KILL EVERYONE OR BOTH. THAT GOES TO VEGAS. DO NOT GO TO VEGAS.

Step Five: “holy shit why did we end up in Nevada?” Because RootWyrm knows his shit, OK? Just stay with me here. What you’re gonna do now is pick Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (my favorite) or The Grand Fuckin’ Canyon . OK? If you really wanna do Sacramento, you need to go the Grand Fuckin’ Canyon route.
Then get your butt on 89 North, cut over to I15 toward Vegas (it’s cool we’re not going to Vegas,) get onto 93 north, go toward Warm Springs (beautiful views, ) and take 6. “Wait, 6?” Yes, 6.

Step Route 6: BAM! YOSEMITE! And not just ANY part of Yosemite. Oh no. 395 up to 120 OR all the way up to Topaz lake. Dealer’s choice. From there, it’s a pretty easy shot over to Sacramento.

Step 7: I80. Just get on I80 and go. Because I80 will take you up through Tahoe National Forest. Have your passenger ready with the camera, they will be very busy. Once you’re on I80, you can just stick with it all the way to Salt Lake City. Again, have the passenger ready for beautiful landscapes. And that’s really the only thing worth doing.
If you want to do Stargazer Inn, it’s on your way from I80. Take I80 to 93, then take 50, and it drops you right there. It’s very on the way because you need to cut down to I70 next.

Step 8: FUCKING TAKE I70. TAKE. INTERSTATE. 70. You need to pick it up at either Sulphurdale (I15 route) or Salina, UT. I recommend Sulphrdale, but go by your schedule. If at ALL POSSIBLE pick up the fastest damn sports car you can for this leg. Because I70 through Utah is bliss . On your way through, you want to stop at Sand Bench View Area, Black Dragon Canyon View, and San Rafael Swell.
You’ll also want to stop at Grand Junction, Colorado, and check out the Colorado National Monument. Oh, did I mention that at NO point here is I70 even REMOTELY straight? It tracks the Colorado River. It is so much damn fun. If you have time, stop in Idaho Springs and check out the Indian Hot Springs. If you have LOTS of time, Soda Creek Road down to 151 which is switchback switchback switchback . Crazy drive. Do NOT attempt in a Jeep though.

Step 9: I70 all the way to Denver.

Unfortunately, there’s no  way to squeeze Fort Collins (beer heaven if you’re into that stuff) into your route without going through Denver first. You just have to go way too far north.

HammerheadFistpunch > MM54 02/23/2019 at 17:44

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seconded.

HammerheadFistpunch > MM54 02/23/2019 at 17:45

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how long will you have in Utah?

Chuckles > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 02/23/2019 at 17:49

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You really hate Las Vegas.

MM54 > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 02/23/2019 at 17:49

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Wow, thanks for all the input! Some of that southern part of the route we did last year (LA through the desert, stopped at the grand canyon, monument valley, million dollar highway in CO, and so on), we’re looking to stay a ways north and do more on the way to Co lorado (plus spend a day in Moab) . Will definitely keep the input in mind though, even with the north-er route there’s a lot of good ideas here. Thanks!

MM54 > HammerheadFistpunch 02/23/2019 at 17:54

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(I’m with friends planning at the moment so subject to change) It looks like Utah itself will be basically a day of travel (from entering from NV towards moab) with stops along the way, plus the evening after Moab and a little bit on the day moving out .

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > MM54 02/23/2019 at 18:10

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My pleasure!

Once you hit I80/I70, you basically will have it floored the whole way. I was averaging through Colorado and through Utah. So it very much cuts down on your travel time. I shaved off Google’s estimate. A lot of . Despite all the big twisties and literal mountains on I70, it is fast when you have the right car. I was in one of the original Regal Dragons and once I found race gas near Denver, things got fun.

I took the I70->I15 route last time I did the cross-country and believe me, I regretted EVERY FUCKING SECOND of I15 . It was absolutely beyond miserable starting 30 minutes out. Between traffic and construction and tourists, that entire city is a death trap. I will NEVER fucking do that again.

Unfortunately, if you wanna go even one mile further north than Reno, you absolutely have to go all the way up to fucking Oregon . I’m sure there’s lovely scenery and all that, but it’s literally halfway up Oregon and then halfway across Idaho before you can pick anything up without a 200+ mile backtrack.

Realistic driving time with 2-3 hours of tourist traps from Anaheim to Denver is about 2 days. But Ventura to San Francisco is 8 hours driving straight through   by itself without traffic. Traffic will add 4+ hours easily .

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Chuckles 02/23/2019 at 18:14

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I drove through it once. Since then I have continually lobbied for above-ground nuclear testing within city limits.

Chuckles > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 02/23/2019 at 18:16

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That sounds a bit extreme.

HammerheadFistpunch > MM54 02/23/2019 at 18:27

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If you’ve only got one day I can’t really recommend too much, especially if you are stopping in Salt Lake for the cruiser museum .

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MM54 02/23/2019 at 18:38

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Both routes across Nevada will be boring as sin. Generally there aren’t a whole lot of “interesting” ways to get across that wasteland. Also, given this winter season if you mean June/July as summer, then you may have trouble getting across the Sierras due to roads closed from the snow still being in the way.

I’d rather suggest staying on the PCH through Big Sur and all the way to LA. Spend a day checking out Canyon roads and just chillin at the beach in Malibu. Maybe some casual hiking if it’s not too hot too. Then you are best off following the 15 through Vegas. Afterwards you have two ways to Moab: visit Zion and Bryce and then just continue on i70 for the turnoff to Moab or take the longer route South after Zion and check out Antelope Canyon, North rim of the Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley on the way to Moab. Both of those will be infinitely more interesting than i80 or rt50? through Nevada. At least LA to Vegas is a short 4 hour stint and Vegas is worth seeing for its own spectacle of debauchery.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 02/23/2019 at 18:48

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Haha Vegas is not that bad. Good food and the hotels on the strip are pretty nice if you score a decent deal. As long as you aren't there when it's like 120 degrees outside, it can be nice to just chill outside and take it easy while the rest of the city seems intent on partying 24/7. People watching is entertainment in itself but I enjoy the shows too. I can think of worse places! 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MM54 02/23/2019 at 18:50

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If Tioga Pass is indeed open when you go, heading into Yosemite from the west and then popping out on that road (Ca-120) is highly recommended. Mammoth Mountain is open until August most likely so you could add a ski day if you really wanted the novelty of summer skiing haha. Death Valley isn't far East of there and aside from the heat, could be pretty neat to see. 

MM54 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 02/23/2019 at 19:16

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That is our planned route through Yosemite; I have a hard time imagining that routes would still be closed off for snow in July?

Death valley could be cool.

MM54 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 02/23/2019 at 19:21

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I have trouble imagining roads being closed in late june / early july for snow? Is that a common thing (last year we had someone telling us that the rockies would be “impossible” in May and it was 65 and sunny when we went, so a bit skeptical).

Last year we hung out in LA for a while, then went through the grand canyon route up through monument valley, the million dollar highway in CO, etc. Looking to stay north-er this time.

The Snowman > MM54 02/23/2019 at 19:54

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Crossing the Sierra's in Tahoe will 100% be ok by June. The second route through Yosemite could take that long to open but most likely open by end of May

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > MM54 02/23/2019 at 21:04

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Could be. I was thinking further north in the sierras, but Death Valley is pretty  cool (also the opposite of cool). But I was thinking more Sonora or Ebbetts pass, or up towards Tahoe. I enjoyed driving through Nevada, and there's tons of random things to stop and check out. 

CompactLuxuryFan > MM54 02/23/2019 at 21:25

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Patxi’s is a chain and there are plenty around the bay. No need to go to San Jose  :P

CompactLuxuryFan > MM54 02/23/2019 at 21:28

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If you’re going the Sacramento route you might as well check out Lake Tahoe. There’s a reason it’s so popular year-round!

Of course Yosemite is also jaw-dropping. Lots of cool naturey places all over the Sierras pretty much.

I’m in SF proper so holler if you need anything :)

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 02/23/2019 at 22:34

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I’ve been to Vegas and I enjoyed it.

I’m working on an itinerary where he goes to Vegas and just stays there doing hookers, blow and booze... like in the movie Leaving Las Vegas.

But I have to see if the Whole Year Inn still exists.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MM54 02/23/2019 at 23:13

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As Snowman said, you won't have an issue on i80 but yeah its a real possibility any of the other passes in between will be blocked late June. Two years ago Tioga didn't open until July and this year is tracking for similar snow amounts. It's unbelievable a bit but it happens. You just have to plan around it which is fine.