Community Forums

DGBusi · 03-29-2015, 08:36 AM

I am taking my family on our first RV Trip. We will start in San Antonio, TX, and end in Colorado Springs, CO. We have about 19 days to explore the West Coast. I wish we had more time, but work does not allow. Any suggestions on good rout with national parks, monuments and land marks? Thank you.

hal1phx · 03-29-2015, 08:55 AM

We find Good Sam Trip planner very handy ....

Scottybdivin · 03-29-2015, 09:15 AM

Welcome from Spicewood, TX. Your trip sounds like it will be memorable. A west coast tour is high on our list too, and we have about the same distance to drive as you. I have done I-10 to AZ, and will be doing it again in 10 days. It's about as easy as it gets and a quick way to get from point A to point B. We will overnight in Ft Stockton and Benson, AZ, then on to Parker, AZ on the CA border. Unless you need to go through Phoenix, there is a bypass the goes west on I-8, then north on 86 to reconnect to I-10. If we were going to the west coast, we would just continue west on I-10, and detour north of LA. Although there is lots to see and do in LA and San Diego, my interest is from N. CA to the north. I will watch to see what kind of suggestions you get.

TQ60 · 03-29-2015, 09:30 AM

Toad?

If not then look at local rentals.

Yosemite is a must see but traffic and parking a joke.

It is about and hour from fresno so park near fresno and get rental in north end to avoid airport tax.

Enterprise is cheap and has lot at north end just off route to park.

And stop at petes in oakhurst for great eats...

jacwjames · 03-29-2015, 09:35 AM

We drove the route from Napa Valley north along the coast all the way into Washington state several years ago. Really enjoyed the scenery along the ocean drive, made many stops to sight see and enjoy the views. We actually were able to whale watch from a couple of pull overs. There were plenty of campgrounds so we drove as far as we wanted daily.

wrapper · 03-29-2015, 07:12 PM

I-10 west to I-8 just north of Tucson. I-8 will take you into San Diego which I think is a must see for a family. Great zoo, wild animal park and beaches. Plenty of campgrounds. North on I-5 will take you into the dreaded Los Angeles basin. I'd take Hwy 101 out of LA and head up the coast through Paso Robles and central coast wine country. Shoot over to the Monterey peninsula from Hwy 101. Great golf and a fantastic aquarium. You can head east from there towards Yosemite or north to San Francisco, Napa and wine country.

CampDaven · 03-29-2015, 08:15 PM

If you bee-line from San Antonio to San Diego, see the important sights, and bee-line back, 19 days has been burned up!
If you let the Journey be Your Destination, you can go to Colorado Springs and surrounding locations and drink-in the goodness, and have a calm touring, hiking experience.
Or you can just burn up road.
It ain't how many spots you touch, it's how many memories you make!
Just sayin....
Happy trails

twogypsies · 03-29-2015, 08:45 PM

You might want to concentrate your stays to northern Arizona for the Grand Canyon then into southern Utah for great national parks - Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands. Then perhaps do Mesa Verde Nat'l Park in Colorado, then Durango, CO area and Pagosa Springs, CO, ending in Colorado Springs.

This will definitely take up your 19 days and you might not get all of those parks done. For this trip I'd skip any other states.

Big Dude · 04-01-2015, 02:32 PM

After making a couple of trips from Tenn to the west the main thing we learned was to find a spot to put the coach for several days and drive the car to to the places we wanted to see because every time we moved the coach it cost us a day. So take the 19 days you have, subtract the out and back time then (4-6 days depending on how far you go) then divide whats left into the few areas you really want to see and go from there. I like to think in terms of a 100 mi radius of the coach (about two hour drive) and we still have several hours each day to explore the things we want to see. We are planning a trip to the northwest this year and using this philosophy - I try to stay a minimum of 4 days in each place.

pagosajoe · 04-01-2015, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

You might want to concentrate your stays to northern Arizona for the Grand Canyon then into southern Utah for great national parks - Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands. Then perhaps do Mesa Verde Nat'l Park in Colorado, then Durango, CO area and Pagosa Springs, CO, ending in Colorado Springs.

This will definitely take up your 19 days and you might not get all of those parks done. For this trip I'd skip any other states.

Sounds right on target to us! Of course, we live in Pagosa Springs.

You could spend 19 days in each of the locations listed above, and we've just about done that, granted, they are close to home.

Regardless, enjoy your trip and the memories!

MisterT · 04-01-2015, 05:39 PM

go north of Los Angeles on Hwy101, beach highway...
- stay on the beach(RV parking) at FARIA BEACH PARK
- to Santa Barbara
- to San Luis Obispo
- stay at Paso Robles(nice RV RESORT there)
- take the BIG '1' beach highway to Cambria
- thru BIG SUR, Beach Cliffs Highway !! to Monterey and PEBBLE BEACH

it's wild, but you won't regret it! beautiful..... : ) : )