So, me and my husband are planning a 2 week trip to the US, flying in and out of San Francisco and we will have a car for the whole trip. Ideally, I want a mix of cities, scenic drives, and 1 week based in LA (not rushed). We came up with this plan and wanted some actual experienced people to maybe give their advice. So here's the plan:
Days 1–3: San Francisco
- Day 1: Arrival, Embarcadero, Ferry Building, easy dinner
- Day 2: Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio, Marina
- Day 3: Alcatraz (morning), Mission District, Dolores Park, Twin Peaks sunset
Day 4: Drive SF → Monterey / Carmel
- Stops: Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, 17-Mile Drive
- Overnight in Carmel or Monterey
Day 5: Big Sur → Santa Barbara
- Bixby Bridge, scenic Big Sur stops
- Overnight in Santa Barbara
Days 6–12: Los Angeles (7 nights, likely West Hollywood base)
Day 13: LA → Palm Springs / Joshua Tree
- Drive to Palm Springs (~2h), optional Joshua Tree sunset
- Overnight in Palm Springs
Day 14: Drive back via Yosemite → San Francisco
- Very early start
- Quick Yosemite Valley stops
- Continue to SF for departure
Main questions:
- Is Day 14 (Palm Springs → Yosemite → SF) too unrealistic?
- Would you break that into 2 days? If yes, where’s the best stop?
- Any must-stop places along the coast I’m missing?
- Is 7 nights in LA too much / too little?
- Any areas you’d change for staying in LA?
- Any place I'm missing on the way?
- Generally, any improvement to this plan would be welcome.
Open to all suggestions — especially from people who’ve done a similar loop 🙌
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