Expert: Ernest Tufft - 11/4/2007

Question
Hello,

I am going to trip through California during Christmas. Spend Christmas eve in Yosemite and New Year in Las Vegas. Do you have any recommendation where to go for four days between Yosemite and Vegas? I thought about Giant Sequoia & Death Valley but there is still time for more places. I prefere nature rather than cities.
Thank you.

Answer
I'm not sure about access to Sequoia National Park during winter.  The Tioga Pass through Yosemite toward route 398 will be closed.  Therefore, I recommend the following:  After Yosemite, drive through Merced and the Pacheco Pass to Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove on the Pacific Coast and stay the night there; then drive south along coastal highway 1 to San Simeon/Cambria.  At this point, cross back over the coastal mountains through to Paso Robles and the wine country for another night.  From Paso Robles, cross over another low mountain range into the great central valley, heading toward Bakersfield.  From there, you can go to Death Valley, see some ghost towns like Randsburg along Highway 398, and crossing over to Las Vegas will be easy.  Mono Lake would be on the back side of Yosemite, and can be reached by 398 from the south via Death Valley route.   Pinnacles National Monument, an underappreciated park best seen after crossing the Pacheco Pass enroute to Monterey or Paso Robles.  I have written detailed comments and provided photos about many of these places at Virtualtourist.com under the membername of atufft, and others have written and provided photos for places along this route not covered by me.  If you can't find these places using Mapquest, or are otherwise still confused, don't hesitate to reply for additional help.