Posible touring itinery - is is possible?

initial thoughts on the order of our visit I%26#39;m thinking of the following (i%26#39;ve put rough days spent there, not taking into account travel time) is this enough tme in each place, can some have less?

Fly from UK into San Francisco (2days)

to Yosemite (2days)

to Death valley (1night en route?)

to las vegas (1night)

Zion national park, Bryce canyon and Monument valley (poss 1night some point across these three)

Grand Canyon \9hoping to avoid traffic congestion by arriving from the opposite direction to everyone from LV (2 days)

Hoover Dam (not really a stop over but something to see on the way but would need to stop smewhere between here and LA)

LA (1night)

Big Sur/Monterey (1 night)

fly out from SF

did want to include Kings Canyon but that meant a lot of back tracking. Any suggestions for Giant trees anywhere on that route?

I%26#39;m sure this is almost impossible on a 14 night trip but would it be too little for 3weeks 9assuming i can get that much off work)

many thanks

Posible touring itinery - is is possible?

I sure hope you like to drive!

When are you planning this trip? Summer? Three weeks would make this a very do-able itinerary. You%26#39;d need to add some time to the Las Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon piece if you hope to see anything.

What are your main goals? Scenery? Hikes? Cultural? A bit of everything? Are you more of a ';drive by, take a photo, move on'; type of traveler or a ';get out, walk, visit, absorb'; type of traveler?

Details......Giant trees ~ the easiest access is the Tuolumne Grove in Yosemite. Assuming this is a summer trip, you%26#39;d drive right by on your way out of the Park up to Tuolumne Meadows %26amp; Tioga Pass. There is a hike in, but the location is convenient. There is another larger grove in Yosemite, Mariposa Grove, but it takes about an hour to get there from the Valley and might not really be on the way for you. (Check a map. You can enter the Park through the South Entrance, see the Mariposa Grove, drive to Glacier Point, and end the day in the Valley. Or you can go in the Arch Rock entrance directly to the Valley.)

Get lodging in Yosemite as soon as you set your itinerary. It%26#39;s very popular.

Posible touring itinery - is is possible?

In regards to the trip, this will work between June and end October when Tioga Pass is open. As long as that is the case, Yosemite to Death Valley works. Death Valley is about a six hour drive from Yosemite Valley. If you do want to stop, people either like to stay in Mammoth Lakes (mountain, lakes, etc.) or in Lone Pine (its where you take the road into Death Valley; view of Mt. Whitney - tallest mountain in the continental United States.

Hoover Dam is about one hour to 90 minutes outside of Las Vegas. People generally stay either in Las Vegas or Boulder. There is really not any lodging directly at the dam. Another place you might want to consider staying is Laughlin, Nevada. There are casinos on the river - which can be fun.

I would plan an overnight in the Zion, Bryce, Mounment Valley portion. Zion is nice to stay at overnight, but you might want to also consider some place near Monument Valley depending on the order in which you plan to see the parks. Bryce can be seen in the shortest amount of time.

I think you can see all of htis in that amount of time, given you are concentrating on outdoor areas, and not spending a lot of time in the cities. Enjoy planning your trip.

thank for your comments so far.

This will probably the only time we visit california (if not it%26#39;ll be the only time for a very very long time) so we want to see as much as possible, without cramming in too much.

I think we%26#39;d like to try a few hikes around yosemite and GCanyon but are there some sights that can be enjoyed en route to other places which we can incorporate into the drives?

all other coments are most welcome.

I cannot imagine ';doing'; Zion,Bryce Canyon AND Monument Valley in one day,or even 2. You will basically be driving through without really experiencing anything and even that is too much.

You mentioned that you%26#39;d probably not be in California again for a while but these particular attractions are in the states of Utah and Arizona not California.

IF you are not planning to hike, you could stop and see most of the viewpoints at the Grand Canyon all in one day although staying there overnight would be spectacular!!

The drive from Las Vegas/Hoover Dam to LA is easy to do in one day so no need really to stop in between unless you have lots of time.

Be sure to make your in park reservations as early as possible since they book up far in advance!!!

Having made these loops on different trips, I would also suggest trimming the itinerary. It is sometimes hard to grasp how big this piece of the country is, but I%26#39;m afraid you will be bleary eyed with blurry memories if you attempt this Zion/ Bryce/ Monument Valley/Grand Canyon segment. A couple of suggestions:

1) Add Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley to your SF days schedule to get your giant trees in. It%26#39;s 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and there are wonderful Giant Redwoods there. It%26#39;s not Sequoia, but it will fit very nicely with your busy schedule.

2) Since you are going to the Grand Canyon, the grandest of all, I would eliminate Bryce Canyon. This will shorten your drive and allow you more time for Zion %26amp; Monument Valley.

3) Do see Hoover Dam, but you don%26#39;t need to plan a stop between there and LA.

Look forward to watching your plans develop!

I would suggest skipping LA, except you want to see something particular