It also depends on whether you want to do the Tioga pass - you can also drive on 395 (East of Yosemite/Sierra Nevada), and make sure you stop by Mono Lake - be there around sunset for really really beautiful scenery.

2 years ago we flew in and out of LAX and did a loop to Yosemite (stayed at the newish FFI Kingsburg - cat 1 in the Swedish town close to Sunmaid HQ). and finally did the Tioga pass (couldn't do it when we were there the first time) - it was awesome, from 30+ degrees to snow in a day and Mr.'s pepsi was affected by the altitude. Then we headed back down via 395 (to stay at IHG PB hotels in Lancaster CA) and along 395 the view was amazing. Wish we had more time along the 395.

Definitely do that again when there are more hotels in Oakhurst - it'll be a great alternative to Fresno/Merced.

The OP is leaving from Mariposa to Lake Tahoe, not from Yosemite. So taking the Tioga Pass would involve extra mileage. Plus, he will be taking 395/95 south when he goes from Tahoe to Vegas, so he will have plenty of opportunity to see the attractions on that highway (no need to cover the same road twice).

For a Sierra crossing that few people know about, I highly recommend States route 4 (Alpine Highway). Super-pristine nature with essentially no man made interference (except for the road itself). And it leads directly to the Tahoe basin.

http://scenic4.org/the-route/the-driving-experience/

I think you meant to say you would recommend vs. don't? Auto-correct?

Cheers.

OMG that d÷5%#@&"%/,)£€*£/ auto-correct is driving me nuts! (I switched to a tablet a few days ago.

Will edit - thanks for the catch.

Duplicate

From that page:
Are there plenty enough designated pullouts?

(I get annoyed in some places which have roads through beautiful scenery but no pullouts to stop and enjoy/photograph it.)

The road is quite minimally engineered, on purpose. Relatively few guard rails, no gas stations or food; but oh my god the unspoiled natural beauty.

To answer the question more clearly: YES, there are pullouts on the road. You can't pull off just anywhere-- as noted, the road is narrow and there are often no safe shoulders-- but tourists should find plenty of places to stop legally.

I am no longer sure where we are going, or in what direction. I also dont think this has anything to do with Marriott anymore, but hey, what ever.

If you are on US-395, make sure you go to Bodie.

Bodie is an original mining town from the late 1800’s. What’s left today stands in a state of “arrested decay” and is maintained by the California State Parks System, who took over the town in 1962 to make it a State Historic Park.
http://www.bodie.com/#ixzz4AIH3FI4M

Mono Lake is must see. - also dont miss Crater Mountain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono%E2%80%93Inyo_Craters

If you are in Bridgeport, look for the hot springs.
https://www.google.com/search?q=brid...utf-8&oe=utf-8

I prefer to drive the Tioga Pass from East to West, it feels like you are going straight up.


If you are in South Yosemite, eat at Erna's Elderberry House Restaurant - Menus come customized with the date and your name. http://chateausureau.com/restaurant.html

Also, if you are on US-95, make sure to check out Rhyolite:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyolite,_Nevada
Rhyolite is a ghost town in Nye County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is in the Bullfrog Hills, about 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Las Vegas, near the eastern edge of Death Valley. The town began in early 1905 as one of several mining camps that sprang up after a prospecting discovery in the surrounding hills. During an ensuing gold rush, thousands of gold-seekers, developers, miners and service providers flocked to the Bullfrog Mining District. Many settled in Rhyolite, which lay in a sheltered desert basin near the region's biggest producer, the Montgomery Shoshone Mine.

And finally, Scottys Castle might be worth checking out, but I think it burned down in a wild fire last year. Google is your friend.

And really really finally, if for some reason you find your self an hour north of Vegas on US-93, there is a ghost town that is in the process of happening. I prefer this link from 2009, it really shows how bad off it is, 7 years later.
http://desertsurvivor.blogspot.com/2...ipe-dream.html

+1000

This is the review that launched Erna Kubin to fame, written by the great critic Craig Claiborne;

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/08/ga...pagewanted=all

Thanks so much for the Route 4 tip. I have actually done Tioga Pass once before (albeit in 1983).

I amit this thread is now not directly related to Marriott other than to show what nice, helpful people Marriott customers are ;). Scotty's Castle is now closed "Scotty's Castle is CLOSED until further notice due to flood damage, and is not likely to re-open to the public until 2019. All entry to Grapevine Canyon and Scotty's Castle district is currently prohibited." I have been to the Ghost Towns before - Death Valley is one of my favourite places and I have been there a few times. On this trip I am trying to avoid the temptation to revisit.

Thanks for this tip.