In part 2 of the Ultimate 3 week California road trip we travelled from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe and finished in Yosemite. If you haven’t checked out part 2 yet, see it here first, and part 1 here. In the final post of this 3 part series we leave Yosemite for Lone Pine, Death Valley, Las Vegas and San Diego before reaching full circle and ending in LA.
Part 3: Death Valley - Las Vegas - San Diego - Santa Monica
I didn’t know what to expect from the next stint from Yosemite to Lone Pine, but I was pleasantly surprised. Once you’ve made your way out of Yosemite to the east, you’ll find yourself on Highway 395 from Lee Vining all the way down to Lone Pine (and beyond). This stretch of road is absolutely stunning, running along the east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Although it is essentially the backbone of California, it is relatively undiscovered territory compared to the likes of Highway 1. You could actually make a pretty incredible (and unique) road trip of the 395 and you would often have the whole road to yourself.
Lone Pine
Nestled amongst the Alabama Hills and surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains, Lone Pine sits in the Owens valley either side of Highway 395. With a population of only around 2000 people, it is very small and centres around one street, Main street. The town itself makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time to the American West, with Western style buildings and even a saloon bar, ‘Jake’s Saloon’. Stop for a beer here surrounded by what must be hundreds of dollars in singles stapled all over the bar. If Western movies are more your thing, check out the Museum of Western Film museum or even go on a self guided tour by picking up a brochure at the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce.
Lone Pine also happens to be a base for hikers tackling Mt Whitney and those who are making their way along the Pacific Crest Trail (like Reese Witherspoon in the movie, ‘Wild’). Over-hearing some of their stories whilst sitting around the motel pool was pretty fascinating, and made our hike to half dome look a little more like a walk in the park. One guy who was staying at the same motel as us had actually walked there from Yosemite. To put that in perspective, that’s over 150 miles.
MY TOP PICK: Walk down main street, take in the views and play pool in Jake’s Saloon bar.
Where we stayed: Historic Dow Hotel, approx £65/night
282
Feet below sea level (DV)
4.2
Miles of the Vegas strip
10
Hour round trip to the Grand Canyon
Death Valley
Leaving Lone Pine, you will soon find yourself in what feels like the middle of nowhere. Death Valley is incredibly vast and of course, hot as hell. We were there in the middle of September and the temperature rose to over 100 degrees, so it’s important to take plenty of water and dress appropriately. I’d also recommend filling up with fuel before entering the park as it will cost you a heck of a lot more once you’re in.
There are many things to do and see in the park but if you’re just driving through it would be wise to pick a few stops rather than trying to fit everything in. After all, the park is over 13,000sq km so you would be very hard pushed! We managed to squeeze in a good few stops but did miss out on Dante’s View which I’ve heard is an absolute must see (due to some navigation issues!).
On your way into Death Valley from Lone Pine, make a quick stop at Father Crowley Point for great views, followed by the Mesquite flat sand dunes. Further into the park stop at Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in the US at 282ft below sea level. You can walk out to the salt flats here from the car park, but make sure to take your water as it’s much further than it looks (and you will be sweating like a pig in a sauna). Another great stop is Zabriskie Point, a viewpoint overlooking the hilly badlands.
Las Vegas
After hours of driving through the desert, you’ll enter Las Vegas at the Southern end of the Strip, the perfect chance to stop at the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. It can get very crowded and you may actually have to queue to take a photo in front of it. There just so happened to be a couple of newlyweds having their weddings photos taken by the sign when we were there….only in Vegas!
It’s hard to put Vegas into words. It’s big, hot, and expensive. It’s full of surprises but also incredibly predictable. If you’re not into gambling and not into partying then it’s probably not going to be your favourite stop. One thing I did love about it was the grandness of the hotels, the heat and the extravagant pools.
Signature at the MGM
We stayed at the Signature at the MGM, a suite hotel with links to the MGM Grand. Essentially, you get all the benefits of the MGM Grand, but at a fraction of the cost. Our suite came with a view of the strip, a hot tub, and a kitchen as well as plenty of room for pre-drinks dancing. The hotel was linked by corridors to the MGM where you had access to its grand pool area, including 4 pools, a lazy river and waterfalls. You can even (in true Vegas style) order cocktails and snacks to your sun lounger but these will cost you the earth and I’m still not convinced my cocktail had any real alcohol in it. However, if you’re tired of the drunk party girls throwing up in the bushes, then the Signature does have it’s own pools, one for each of the three towers that are far more relaxed and family friendly.
Criss Angel Mindfreak at the Luxor
A trip to Vegas wouldn’t be complete without seeing a show. With the sheer amount and variety on offer it can be hard to chose just one! We decided to go for Chris Angel, Mindfreak which at the time, was showing at the Luxor at the southern end of the strip. I honestly had no idea what to expect as I hadn’t even seen his wildly popular TV show but Tony convinced me it would be a great one to see.
We managed to get tickets from the MGM ticket office and discovered if you sign up for an M-Life reward card (not a credit card) then you can get discounted tickets. This essentially meant we got far better seats for the same price as we were originally expecting to pay. Anyway, the show! It was an experience to say the least, it involved lots of heavy metal music and was a pretty big production. As a sceptic, I was intrigued and entertained but I was not utterly amazed by it like Tony was. However, to this day I have no idea how he appeared in the row right in front of us within seconds of him being on stage.
MY TOP PICK: Lounging by the over-the-top hotel pools and seeing a show
Where we stayed: Signature at the MGM
The Grand Canyon
We drove 5 hours from Las Vegas early one morning into Arizona to the South rim of the Grand Canyon. We also drove back in the same day. I would not recommend this. Let’s just say, we must have played every car game under the sun to pass the time and keep ourselves sane. I’d personally recommend either staying overnight somewhere near (or in) the Grand Canyon, staying there for a few days and exploring by foot (and paddle board!) or flying over it on one of the many helicopter tours on offer. While these can be quite expensive, it may be worth it if it’s something you’d love to see and avoid hours of driving. You would also avoid the hoards of people and tour buses that flood the view points at the rim.
San Diego
There are so many great stops you could make between Vegas and San Diego such as Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs. However, if you’re tight on time and heading straight to San Diego, it’ll take you about 5 and a half hours to drive the 330 miles along the i15.
San Diego really won our hearts. It just has something, something that I can’t quite put into a couple of words. It’s got incredible weather, with warm sunny days the norm, a bustling but relaxed city and excellent food. If you do one thing in San Diego, go to the Old Town and stuff your face with Mexican food and margaritas. A visit to the famous San Diego zoo is also well worth doing, along with exploring the smaller town of La Jolla and seeing the seals bask in the sun. There’s also the incredible, relaxed beaches perfect for sunning yourself or learning to surf. We decided to jump out of a plane whilst in San Diego, so that’s always an option if you’re in need of a mad adrenaline rush!
When it comes to nightlife, you simply have to visit ‘The Shout! House’ in the Gaslamp Quarter, a piano bar with singers/pianists battling it out singing Classic rock songs. It is hands down the most entertaining bar we visited the whole trip. If you’re after a quieter evening, pop over to Sunset Cliffs with a blanket and some drinks and watch the sun go down over the ocean.
MY TOP PICK: Mexican food in the Old Town and singing along to classic rock songs at The Shout! House
Where we stayed: Marina Inn and Suites [update: now closed]
Santa Monica
The drive from San Diego to Santa Monica is simply gorgeous. Make sure to leave enough time for plenty of little stops along the way to the many beautiful beaches that line the coast. Some of the more known beaches along this stretch include Laguna beach, Huntington beach and Newport beach. However, the best spot we found was actually a little beach that had no name, a few miles from Laguna beach. Basically, don’t be afraid to stop at the smaller beaches and car parks, sometimes they can be the best ones.
Back in LA, we spent our last 24 hours exploring Santa Monica. I loved this part of LA, the beach, the cafes and of course the pier. It’s a huge tourist magnet but it’s fun to wander and take a ride on the famous ferris wheel.
Where we stayed: airbnb
This California road trip was truly unforgettable and I hope to do it all over again one day. There isn’t a single place we went to that I wouldn’t recommend, everywhere is uniquely beautiful. If anything, give yourself more time in each place if you have the luxury, or even better, add a few more stops such as Napa Valley or even Palm Springs. No matter what you love, California has a little slice of heaven for everyone.
Have you been to California? Let me know in the comments!
Happy adventuring,
Lorna
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