Expert: Steve Summers - 7/21/2004

Question
We are 3 french retired adults 62 years old and we are planning a journey to visit west coast of USA.We will land in Los Angeles end of May 2005 and rent a Motor Home and travel for 3 weeks.We have not experience with camping in USA, we would like to visit several states as we are planning to drive 200 miles a day; we intend to visit national park and also pacific coast
I have had a quotation with Happy Travel Camper Rental Inc do you know this company?
What trip can you recommend us?
Is it difficult to find camping place? do we have to book before arrival
The maximun of informations will be hepfull.
Many thanks for your cooperation and please apologize for my poor English
Pierre  

Answer
Bonjour Pierre,

I am glad that you are planning ahead, because some places (like State Beaches and National Parks) need to be reserved months in advance. I have some ideas for your trip below.

I have found a great web site that will help you find RV (Recreational Vehicle, aka Motor Home) parks. See www.rvparkreviews.com. You can get excellent information onf RV Parks in the area.

After landing in Los Angeles, you may want to see sights such as Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles, Disneyland, etc. Give yourself a 3-4 days in Los Angeles, since there is a lot to see. Unfortunately, there are no campgrounds close to Los Angeles, so you may want to stay in a hotel the first days of your trip. There is a nice KOA campground in Pomona (http://www.koa.com/where/ca/05438.htm), but you will have to drive into LA, and the traffic is terrible.

You might want to stay in Orange County near Disneyland for a day or two, since it is a centrally located. There are several RV parks in the area. I especially like the Anaheim Harbor RV Park (http://www.anaheimharborrvpark.com/) because of its location- It is close to Disneyland, and has an excellent view of the nightly fireworks.

From OC, you may want to take a trip to San Diego, about 100 miles. Chula Vista RV Resort is a nice place to stay (www.chulavistrvresort.com). Actually, Campland on Mission Bay is a little nicer, but more expensive (www.campland.com). While in San Diego, be sure to visit Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Allow a day for each.

I highly recommend the Grand Canyon, and since you are in the area, you might as well see Las Vegas. I have been told by visitors from Europe that Las Vegas is overwhelming, mainly because there are bright lights flashing everywhere. In any case, it is about 300 miles from LA or Orange County. I know that it is more than 200 miles, but it cannot be helped. There are large stretches of desert in the southwest US with nothing in between. The good news is that it is usually a fast drive. Here is what I recommend: Take I-15 from the LA area to Barstow. From there, take I-40 to a town called Laughlin for the night (about 300 miles from Anaheim). There is an RV Park at the Riverside Casino, and several across the river in Bullhead City. I prefer the buffet at Harrah's, or at the Edgewater.

From Laughlin, cross the bridge at the end of the strip (hwy 68) and drive to the Grand Canyon to spend the night(about 200 miles). Make your reservations at reservations.nps.com, and be sure to make a reservation on the SOUTH rim. I recommend calling or making Internet reservations on the first available day, which is January 5, 2005 for reservations starting up to June 4. You can also check some of the parks on rvparkreviews.com.

From the Grand Canyon, take I-40 to highway 93, which takes you into Las Vegas, about 300 miles. I would be very interested in your impression of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, which has a scaled-down Eiffel Tower. The Rio Hotel or the Bellagio has the best buffet. Don't eat the food at Circus Circus, it's the worst. Check rvparkreviews.com for RV Parks. Circus Circus is OK to camp, just do not eat there.

From Las Vegas, continue West on highway 95 to Death Valley, the lowest spot in North America. You can stay in Furnace Creek (about 140 miles), or in Lone Pine.

From Death Valley, take highway 395 north through the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Stop in Bishop and visit Schatt's Bakery. Continue north to the little town of Lee Vining to spend the night before going into Yosemite National Park. I highly recommend the Mono Vista RV Resort, and Bodie Mike's restaurant for a meal. It is about 230 miles from Furnace Creek to Lee Vining.

From Lee Vining, take highway 120 into Yosemite. It is about a 3 hour drive to Yosemite Valley  (70 miles) where the campgrounds are. Take your time, this is a beautiful drive. You will need to make reservations at reservations.nps.gov (or call the reservation phone number) on January 15. Don't forget, good sites go fast. Park your RV for several days and take the shuttle around the valley. See some of my other recommendations for Yosemite under my other answers. Don't forget to visit the Giant Redwoods.

From Yosemite Valley, take highway 140 through El Portal and Merced to highway 99 and 580. THis will take you to San Francisco, about 210 miles. Be sure to go to Ghirardelli Square and have a hot fudge sundae. Also visit Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. I recommend staying in Pacifica at the San Francisco RV Resort http://www.sanfranciscorv.com You can take the BART (train) into SF and visit all the sights there. Be sure to have some bread from the Boudin Bakery, too.

From San Francisco, drive south on highway 101 and take highway 17 over the hills through Santa Cruz, then take highway 1 to Monterey, about 100 miles. You can camp in Marina or Big Sur. Be sure to visit Cannery Row in Monterey and to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

From Monterey, consider taking highway 1 down the coast. This is VERY beautiful, but the road has many curves, so take it slow. Visit Hearst Castle in San Simeon (about 100 miles from Monterey). You can stay in San Simeon State Park, which is close to the beach. Make your reservations at www.reserveamerica.com on November 1 for May, or December 1 for June. See the Hearst Castle site at www.hearstcastle.com.

From San Simeon, take highway 1 south to highway 101, then go to Santa Barbara (about 140 miles). The coastline here is also very nice. You can stay at one of the State Beaches near Santa Barbara: Refugio, El Capitan, or Carpinteria. My favorite is Carpinteria. Be sure to visit State Street in Santa Barbara, which has lots of restaurants and shops.

From Santa Barbara, it is only about 100 miles to Los Angeles.

I hope this helps. Have fun and send a follow up question if you need any more information.

Your English is fine. Have a wonderful time in the US! :)

Steve