Hi

My wife and I are planning to travel around the Southwest for 12 days in September.

I'll show our plan below - pls let me know:
- If there's anything missing
- If there's anything that we should skip



Plan
Between (brackets) means perhaps
Bold are places we will stay for the night.

Las Vegas 2 nights

Grand Canyon

(Drive on Route 66)

Palm Springs

Joshua Tree

San Diego 2 nights

Los Angeles 2 nights
incl. Universal Studios

Santa Barbara
(Laguna Beach)
(Hearst Castle)
Big Sur
Monterey
(Santa Cruz)

San Francisco 2 nights
Napa Valley
(Berkeley)

Yosemite NP

(Kings Canyon / Sequoia)
Death Valley

Las Vegas

looks good though i certainly recommend zion national park, beautiful place.

Sounds like you're more interested in California. You're missing everything in Utah (Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches etc) and probably Sedona, AZ which is nice for a day as well. But with only 12 days and wanting to throw in Yosemite and the pacific coast that's pretty rough to fit in, although 4 days between LA and SD seems a little excessive - you could steal a day or two there and throw in Sedona or a couple Utah parks towards the west end of the state (Bryce/Zion). September is a great time to go to those place though, LA and SD you can go to when its colder everywhere else.

@Fletcher

Thanks for the suggestion. Zion is within reach of Vegas so yes I could include that. But I'm already visiting quite a lot of NPs so I'm trying to balance it a bit.

If you had to pick 2-3 out of the following list, which would you visit?
- Grand Canyon (we're definitely going here)
- Yosemite
- Sequoia
- King's Canyon
- Joshua Tree
- Zion
- Death Valley


@LOLTehRigged
You're right I'm focusing on California; that's because we don't have much time and we don't want to spend too much time in the car. Sedona is a great idea, we'll probably do Utah next time we go. Spending a day less in SD/LA is a good idea, we'll probably take your advice (and add Sedona).

How much time do you think we need in Yosemite? Is one full day enough?

Yosemite and grand canyon are musts. I don't feel qualifed to comment on a lot of those as i haven't been though if you want to cut down on travelling time then something within close proximity to vegas makes sense.

it might have a cooler name :P but i think zion would be the better choice over death valley. Looks like a great trip anyway, i am jealous. Hope you have a great time .

Yeah Zion must be better than Death Valley. But Death Valley is on the way from Yosemite (or Sequoia) to Vegas. Zion would be a detour, so I need to see if I can fit it in.

Thanks for the help (so far).

Another question: Of the following towns, which are nicest (if I have to make a choice)

Palm Springs
Sedona
Santa Barbara
Laguna Beach
Monterey
Santa Cruz
Berkeley

You might want to plan it so that you spend a day in Yosemite, spend the night somewhere between Yosemite and DV (such as Lone Pine or Bishop), then go to Vegas via Death Valley the next day. It's a long drive from Yosemite to Vegas--a full day--and there won't be any time to stop in DV really.

You can cut out Berkeley. I am more of a beach guy so Santa Barbara - Santa Cruz would be my choices. And of those 4, Santa Barbara is the way to go.

Sedona is also nice. Never been to Palm Springs.

I dont know about most of those places but i have been to the grand canyon and done the helicoptor tour and i would really recomend it if you have the time/budget.

Also you may want to check out his thread for some ideas also

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/92...wanted-404068/

Please don't overnight in Sedona. They have really stupid rules on lighting and other things (you basically have to carry a flashlight with you everywhere and trip over rocks nonstop). Sunset/sunrise is absolutely awesome up at the airport (you drive up and its kind of at the top of a bluff - nice 360 degree viewing angle from there to most of the famous rocks and the town. Road in/out is very twisty though so I'd just catch early sunset and head out before it gets too dark.

I'll leave the california towns to more locallized expertise there. With the route you have planned I wouldn't really add Zion since there is a ton of other things to hit in that general vicinity. So if it tightens up the trip then just do a whole week some other time in southern utah/NE arizona.

PS - make sure to take some pics and TR when you get back.

That's an awesome thread - I wish I had more than 12 days.