Originally Posted by
abmj-jr
If 2 visits to LA are required (at the beginning and in the middle of the trip) then all bets are off and I withdraw my suggestions. I certainly wouldn't do it (I despise LA and SoCal in general). The drive back to LA from Yosemite is about 6 hours, mostly through farm and/or commercial-industrial areas and not really very pleasant. To each his own.
No need for bets to be off, its only a few extra hours to LA from SLO I assume
. A return to LA would be ideal, we may have left some luggage there to travel light to LV/GC/Yos. Having friends and family there I would like to return for a day or two, and more importantly we would need to return to dp PCH, I would like to start from LA and would be good to have a day or two in Luxury between Yos and PCH. I thought about doing SFO first and taking PCH down to LA, taking a domestic back up to connect to our ex-SFO flight home... however the cost and hassle of a domestic, and having to keep the car for a few extra days
(we could loose it if we end on SF, not in LA) was not worth it.
Is it really only 6 hours from Yos-LA?? That is not so bad, in an SUV
(can safely write off the convertible option, it would be iconic however not great for 4 tall guys in desert driving). Perhaps if the drive is manageable then maybe we should put the LV-Yos drive back on the map, as opposed to doing it after PCH and before SF.
Also coming round to the idea that the GC should be first to go, per the cost of a Helicopter or Driving distances. If so then an extra day to do a more liesurely/overnight drive to Yos might be ideal taking in the mojave, bryce, zion if possible.
Right now the possible Itinerarys I have in my head in order of preference are:
1) LA-LV-GC-*LA-PCH-*Yos-SF
* How long approx are these drives?
2) LA-LV-GC-Yos-LA-PCH-SF
3) LA-LV-Yos-LA-PCH-LA
4) LA-LV-Yos-PCH-LA-fly-SF..we would skip SFO after Yos and head straight for PCH taking a flight up to SF to 'do it'