Hi All,
from july 19th to August 13rd, I'll be, with my wife, in your (at most :-) wounderful Country. We'll land in New York where I would like to spend 4/5 days. The rest of the Agenda is till to be defined. I would like to travel with an internal flight to California (Fisco) and then follow the map you find attached. But I'm completely open to other suggestions, and, in particular, to have some hints on interesting places within this route or even different routes. I've already been one time to Las Vegas and the Northern Grand Canyon rim, so feel free to suggest whatever you want. Guy told me that it will be extremally hot in this season in most of the places reported on the Map. But, even if very well captured from most of you, I would like to see in person Zion, Arches, Bryce and Monument valley....
I also suggested you consider some of the northern parks (Olympic, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, etc.) instead of the Southwest this time of year
Guy
Posted by William Brozy on January 22, 2007 at 11:36 AM
I completely agree with Guy.
Posted by Ed Dubois on January 22, 2007 at 12:18 PM
The Oregon coast is a beautiful area with many photographic opportunities and will be pleasant temperature at that time of year too.
Posted by Mitch Erwin on January 22, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Hi Massimo,
In suggesting some areas of the Eastern parts of the United States, I would recommend Acadia National Park in Maine, and even the Adirondack area on either the New York or Vermont sides of Lake Champlain. It should be short travel from New York City, driving, and you are sure to see beautiful sites between the two destinations.
Posted by Richard Wong on January 22, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Drive north on Highway 1 from San Francisco. fyi, if a Bay Area native hears you refer to the city as "Frisco" they might flip out at you.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on January 22, 2007 at 7:02 PM
I'd also consider a nothern loop, or continuing past Arches and Canyonlands in Utah to the Colorado Rockies. Specifically the San Juan or Elk mountains. The temperatures will be much more pleasant and it is only a relatively short drive (3 hours or so) from Moab to Aspen, Telluride or Ouray. There may still be good wildflowers at this time of year in the Colorado Rockies. You'd still get to see the dramatic southwest landscapes this way. Also the mountains around Salt Lake City in Utah are very beautiful.
Going north,
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on January 23, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Massimo, you have selected a wonderful tour route to see many of the southwestern highlights, however, I strongly agree with the others that mid July to mid August will not be pleasant in the desert. Even Yosemite Valley in August often reaches 100 deg F. If you plan to stay in Yosemite, especially in the valley, get reservations as soon as possible, it fills quickly and it's a LONG drive in from any of the surrounding towns.
If you have the fexibility, I would definitely recommend a more northernly route that includes Yellowstone. Your wife will thank you.
I agree with the others that the southwest is extremely hot in July and August (35-45 degrees). However, there are mountains and deep canyons in this country which will allow a little respite from the sun if you plan well. Think about planning your trip to go from 'oasis to oasis'. Coming from so far away I can understand your desire to see some of the unique parts of the American landscape and these areas are probably the most unique. Assuming you are going to commit to this region regardless of weather/season, here are a few suggestions.
Start in San Fransisco (don't call it 'frisco', call it 'the city') and go to Muir Woods and Sam Taylor park to see the redwoods. It's usually foggy and cool this time of year. Consider a trip further north to Redwood National Park and the Oregon Coast. Cut across the central valley of California to Yosemite. It will be VERY crowded this time of year in the valley but nice in the high country around Toulumne Meadows. Camping along the Glacier point road can also be nice. The high alpine areas just outside of Yosemite near Tioga Pass (Saddlebag Lake) are spectacular. There are amazing day hikes there. Stop at Mono Lake and Mammoth Lakes when heading out to Death Valley. The Eastern High Sierra around Bishop and Big Pine (The hike in to Second and Third Lake in the Palisades is my favorite little valley here) are nothing short of spectacular. The 'little lakes valley' south of highway 395 between Mammoth and Bishop is also outstanding for high country scenery. The drive from here to Death Valley is actually a bit dangerous in summer. Rubber melts on the black pavement. You may want to drive at night. Make sure your car is in excellent condition before you go and check the tires because the expanding hot air and scorching pavement causes a lot of blowouts. Consider carring a ton of extra water with you and a couple large blocks of ice in an ice chest (melts slower than cubes). The nice thing about death valley in summer is the lack of footprints on the sand dunes at sunrise. Head to Zion from there. Hike the narrows and climb angels landing. Be prepared for flash floods and temps around 40 degrees. It will be cool in the narrows. The Subway is another gem of the area but the hike is going to be tough in the heat. The waterfall below the Subway is best in the early morning and the 'tunnel' is best in late afternoon. From Zion, you could consider the drive to Page, Arizona and photograph Antelope Canyon. I've been hiking in that area in late June and although VERY hot, the light beams are at their best near the summer solstice, and the slot canyons are reasonably cool. Flash floods are a very real danger at this sime of year so be VERY careful. You will also be close to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon which is higher and cooler than the South Rim and can be nice at that time of year. Be very prepared with lots of water and check local conditions before considering a hike into the canyon. People get into big trouble there in summer all the time. As you probably remember, it is a nice oasis in the desert. You could go from there to Monument Valley where it will be scorching hot but at least you will be able to see the classic American Landscape. Then go up to Mesa Verde National Park and take highway 550 across the San Juan mountains in Colorado. It will be a welcome break from the desert. These are some of the grandest mountains in the US and wildflowers will be spectacular. There are some amazing day hikes and some great mountain biking along the mining roads there. There are nice hotsprings around the Ouray area. Then head over to Grand Junction (Colorado National Monument is great at sunrise and sunset) and Moab so you can see Arches and Canyonlands. The La Sal mountains above Moab have amazing Aspens and it is really cool up there compared to Moab. From there you could go back toward Vegas via Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante. You can photograph the Aspens on Boulder mountain, which is also about 3,000 meters and nice and cool. The town of Boulder is kinda funky and cool and it is worth the side trip out the Burr Trail road to Long Canyon for an afternoon and evening. The highway continues from there along a spectacular expanse of Navajo sandstone down to Escalante. The dirt road along Hell's Backbone is a pretty spectacular alternate route down into the town of Escalante. There are great slot canyons you can hike to outside of Escalante but it will be HOT and flash floods are a big threat this time of year. Everett Reuss explored this area in the summers of the 1930's and his letters make very inspirational reading. The highway continues from there to Bryce canyon. Bryce is also very nice this time of year and lies at nearly 3000 meters. Then back down to Zion, highway 15, Las Vegas and you end up in LA.
Distances are further than you might think coming from Europe. This is at least a three week trip in a car (minimum). And you should definitely plan to spend a few days hiking to really appreciate the parks. These are huge wilderness areas and the car viewpoints don't give you much of an indication of how grand these places really are. You have to get out on foot to really appreciate them. And trust me, there are some really cool secret spots all over this grand circle route. You might find your favorite spot is the one you walked out to and found on your own.
time passes by and my travel to US is coming....
I put together a route that will pass through VERY HOT places.... But I cannot resist, I should see some of your great shots live. The plan takes into account most of your suggestions... You can see the itinerary here.
I'll move from San Francisco on July 29th and catch a plane from Salt Lake City on August 12th.
Now some more questions....
1. Do you suggest to book in advance all accomodations or I can find something without big difficulties in that period?
2. Can you suggest me some town/hotel/motel along the route were I can stay? It is very difficult from here to imagine the places and the only thing I can do is select on the basis of a given hotel chain or on some fancy website on the Internet....
3. Plans are
- 2 nights Yosemite area
- 1 night Death valley area
- 3 night Las Vegas (1 day to get to the Gran Canyon by plane)
- 1 (?) night Zion
- ????
On the last part of the itinerary (zoomed view) I have some more difficulties in understanding HOW long should I stay in each place.... Feel free to give suggestion and rearrange dates as you prefer. You'll be my guests as soon as you get to Sicily
Yosemite will be very crowded in August, but if you've never been there, it's an amazing place. My guess is that all rooms in Yosemite Valley are already booked. If they're not, RESERVE NOW. You can do that online. There is a hotel in Wawona which is in the park but is about an hour from the valley and a hotel at the east end of Tioga Pass. Other than that, you'll need to stay in neighboring towns, Fish Camp, Big Oak Flat and Mariposa. Mariposa is about 1 1/2 -2 hours from Yosemite Valley and the drive is a very pretty one along the Merced River. If you can't find a place in the valley, I'd try for one in Mariposa.
Coming to the US next week.
19-26 NYC
26-29 SFO
and then from 29th to the 13th
Yosemite
Death Valley
Bryce
Zion
Monument Valley
Arches
Antelope
and Salt lake City...
In case some of you is on these zones it would be great to meet.... Let me know sending me and email to mc@massimocristaldi.com (I'll check it also when in NYC)....
Discussion
12 repliesfrom july 19th to August 13rd, I'll be, with my wife, in your (at most :-) wounderful Country. We'll land in New York where I would like to spend 4/5 days. The rest of the Agenda is till to be defined. I would like to travel with an internal flight to California (Fisco) and then follow the map you find attached. But I'm completely open to other suggestions, and, in particular, to have some hints on interesting places within this route or even different routes. I've already been one time to Las Vegas and the Northern Grand Canyon rim, so feel free to suggest whatever you want. Guy told me that it will be extremally hot in this season in most of the places reported on the Map. But, even if very well captured from most of you, I would like to see in person Zion, Arches, Bryce and Monument valley....
Waiting your suggestions,
Massimo
I also suggested you consider some of the northern parks (Olympic, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, etc.) instead of the Southwest this time of year
Guy
In suggesting some areas of the Eastern parts of the United States, I would recommend Acadia National Park in Maine, and even the Adirondack area on either the New York or Vermont sides of Lake Champlain. It should be short travel from New York City, driving, and you are sure to see beautiful sites between the two destinations.
Going north,
If you have the fexibility, I would definitely recommend a more northernly route that includes Yellowstone. Your wife will thank you.
I agree with the others that the southwest is extremely hot in July and August (35-45 degrees). However, there are mountains and deep canyons in this country which will allow a little respite from the sun if you plan well. Think about planning your trip to go from 'oasis to oasis'. Coming from so far away I can understand your desire to see some of the unique parts of the American landscape and these areas are probably the most unique. Assuming you are going to commit to this region regardless of weather/season, here are a few suggestions.
Start in San Fransisco (don't call it 'frisco', call it 'the city') and go to Muir Woods and Sam Taylor park to see the redwoods. It's usually foggy and cool this time of year. Consider a trip further north to Redwood National Park and the Oregon Coast. Cut across the central valley of California to Yosemite. It will be VERY crowded this time of year in the valley but nice in the high country around Toulumne Meadows. Camping along the Glacier point road can also be nice. The high alpine areas just outside of Yosemite near Tioga Pass (Saddlebag Lake) are spectacular. There are amazing day hikes there. Stop at Mono Lake and Mammoth Lakes when heading out to Death Valley. The Eastern High Sierra around Bishop and Big Pine (The hike in to Second and Third Lake in the Palisades is my favorite little valley here) are nothing short of spectacular. The 'little lakes valley' south of highway 395 between Mammoth and Bishop is also outstanding for high country scenery. The drive from here to Death Valley is actually a bit dangerous in summer. Rubber melts on the black pavement. You may want to drive at night. Make sure your car is in excellent condition before you go and check the tires because the expanding hot air and scorching pavement causes a lot of blowouts. Consider carring a ton of extra water with you and a couple large blocks of ice in an ice chest (melts slower than cubes). The nice thing about death valley in summer is the lack of footprints on the sand dunes at sunrise. Head to Zion from there. Hike the narrows and climb angels landing. Be prepared for flash floods and temps around 40 degrees. It will be cool in the narrows. The Subway is another gem of the area but the hike is going to be tough in the heat. The waterfall below the Subway is best in the early morning and the 'tunnel' is best in late afternoon. From Zion, you could consider the drive to Page, Arizona and photograph Antelope Canyon. I've been hiking in that area in late June and although VERY hot, the light beams are at their best near the summer solstice, and the slot canyons are reasonably cool. Flash floods are a very real danger at this sime of year so be VERY careful. You will also be close to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon which is higher and cooler than the South Rim and can be nice at that time of year. Be very prepared with lots of water and check local conditions before considering a hike into the canyon. People get into big trouble there in summer all the time. As you probably remember, it is a nice oasis in the desert. You could go from there to Monument Valley where it will be scorching hot but at least you will be able to see the classic American Landscape. Then go up to Mesa Verde National Park and take highway 550 across the San Juan mountains in Colorado. It will be a welcome break from the desert. These are some of the grandest mountains in the US and wildflowers will be spectacular. There are some amazing day hikes and some great mountain biking along the mining roads there. There are nice hotsprings around the Ouray area. Then head over to Grand Junction (Colorado National Monument is great at sunrise and sunset) and Moab so you can see Arches and Canyonlands. The La Sal mountains above Moab have amazing Aspens and it is really cool up there compared to Moab. From there you could go back toward Vegas via Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante. You can photograph the Aspens on Boulder mountain, which is also about 3,000 meters and nice and cool. The town of Boulder is kinda funky and cool and it is worth the side trip out the Burr Trail road to Long Canyon for an afternoon and evening. The highway continues from there along a spectacular expanse of Navajo sandstone down to Escalante. The dirt road along Hell's Backbone is a pretty spectacular alternate route down into the town of Escalante. There are great slot canyons you can hike to outside of Escalante but it will be HOT and flash floods are a big threat this time of year. Everett Reuss explored this area in the summers of the 1930's and his letters make very inspirational reading. The highway continues from there to Bryce canyon. Bryce is also very nice this time of year and lies at nearly 3000 meters. Then back down to Zion, highway 15, Las Vegas and you end up in LA.
Distances are further than you might think coming from Europe. This is at least a three week trip in a car (minimum). And you should definitely plan to spend a few days hiking to really appreciate the parks. These are huge wilderness areas and the car viewpoints don't give you much of an indication of how grand these places really are. You have to get out on foot to really appreciate them. And trust me, there are some really cool secret spots all over this grand circle route. You might find your favorite spot is the one you walked out to and found on your own.
Hope this helps!!!
Mike Anderson
Thank you very much for the detailed help. I'm putting together the plan now and let you know it ASAP. Thank you sooo much, really appreciated!
Massimo
time passes by and my travel to US is coming....
I put together a route that will pass through VERY HOT places.... But I cannot resist, I should see some of your great shots live. The plan takes into account most of your suggestions... You can see the itinerary here.
I'll move from San Francisco on July 29th and catch a plane from Salt Lake City on August 12th.
Now some more questions....
1. Do you suggest to book in advance all accomodations or I can find something without big difficulties in that period?
2. Can you suggest me some town/hotel/motel along the route were I can stay? It is very difficult from here to imagine the places and the only thing I can do is select on the basis of a given hotel chain or on some fancy website on the Internet....
3. Plans are
- 2 nights Yosemite area
- 1 night Death valley area
- 3 night Las Vegas (1 day to get to the Gran Canyon by plane)
- 1 (?) night Zion
- ????
On the last part of the itinerary (zoomed view) I have some more difficulties in understanding HOW long should I stay in each place.... Feel free to give suggestion and rearrange dates as you prefer. You'll be my guests as soon as you get to Sicily
Massimo
Keep up posted.
- Dan.
19-26 NYC
26-29 SFO
and then from 29th to the 13th
Yosemite
Death Valley
Bryce
Zion
Monument Valley
Arches
Antelope
and Salt lake City...
In case some of you is on these zones it would be great to meet.... Let me know sending me and email to mc@massimocristaldi.com (I'll check it also when in NYC)....
Massimo
PS=Thank you all for the great suggestions....