Pre Trip report

Ok - It's all finally nailed down

Here's our itinerary for the California/Nevada expedition 2002!

04/09 Wednesday 4.00am Alarm call
4.45am Limousine to Newcastle Airport
5.30am Check in Flight BA 1321 to Heathrow
7.40am Land Heathrow Terminal 1
Transfer to Terminal 4
8.25am Check in Flight BA 285 to San Francisco
1.20pm Land San Francisco
2.00pm Shuttle to Hotel - Check in
Evening Free (Bed 9.00pm - up 25 hours - what Jetlag!)
05/09 Thursday 9.00am Pick up Car O'Farrell Street
City Drive, Cable Car Museum, Fisherman's Wharf, Mandarin
06/09 Friday Mystery House, Alcatraz, Fairmont (Harvey Wallbangers in the Top Bar)
07/09 Saturday 8.00am Drive to Bishop via Tioga Pass
Check in Comfort Inns Bishop.
08/09 Sunday Via Death Valley to Las Vegas
Check in Mirage - Invited Guests
09/09 Monday Audio tour to Grand Canyon West Rim (Full day); Dinner Mirage
10/09 Tuesday Strip Walk, Roller Coaster, Liberace, MGM for EFX
Lunch TI; Dinner MGM
11/09 Wednesday Valley of Fire; Stratosphere - Viva Las Vegas
Lunch TI; Dinner Bellagio
12/09 Thursday Dolphin Habitat; Red Rock Canyon
Breakfast Mirage; Dinner Bellagio 8.40pm Strip helicopter
13/09 Friday Drive to Oakhurst via Calico
Check in Comfort Inns
14/09 Saturday Yosemite Tour
15/09 Sunday Yosemite - Hiking (Hopalong Cassidy permitting!)
16/09 Monday Oakhurst to Los Angeles
Check in West Coast
17/09 Tuesday ??Disney etc; Frasier
18/09 Wednesday Free till 5.30pm
5.30pm Return Car; shuttle to LAX
6.40pm Check in Flight BA268 to Heathrow
8.40pm Take off
19/09 Thursday 3.00pm Land Heathrow - Terminal 4
4.00pm Piccadilly Line to Kings Cross
7.33pm Hull Trains to Brough
10.02pm Arrive Brough
10.30pm Brough Taxis to Home
20/09 Friday Afternoon to office.

Now have I forgotten anything? And before anyone criticises the planning, remember we are travelling 11,000 miles round trip, not something we can do at a drop of a hat. (Oh! to live in Phoenix - Mikey you are soooo lucky!)

Having said that the whole programme is fluid, only the excursions and Hotels are booked everything else will be as the fancy takes us.

Now any suggestions for that full day in LA??

28 days and counting

PS - Update on Geoffrey - his second plaster comes off Thursday and he tells me he has been picked for 5-a-side soccer Saturday

 

Yes, drive two hours north and hang out in Santa Barbara! hahahaha!

http://www.santabarbaraca.com/flashindex.html

That is one busy trip! You won't have any trouble sleeping that weekend you get home, will you?

 

Spend it in San Francisco!! Really haven't been there in years and have no intention of ever going back. Having said that the only thing I might find worthwhile visiting again would be Universal Studios. If you are bringing kids, that or Knotsberry Farm might be a way to get through the day. Just be aware that there isn't really a Wally~World so you won't be able to enjoy that. Driving down to San Diego and WALKING across into Mexico could prove entertaining if you've never done it before. There used to be a "little Mexico" downtown that was good for a coupla hours but I don't know if it's still there. This might be a good place to rest up for your trip home.

 

I agree with Universal Studios. Its been a while, but I have been several times (with child) and had a wonderful time. Its a full day trip and still hard to get everything in. One of my favorite things to do in LA.

 

Thanks guys, I think its going to be Universal Studios, Gail and I last went 24 years ago and geoff has never been.

On that visit we (illegally) took our hire car to Tijuana which, I'm afraid, we thought was a dump, possibly unfairly after a visit of only a few hours - anyway the leather was good value and we brought back matching hand bags. Little Mexico sounds promising for the Wednesday.

The Monday we arrive in LA in the afternoon and, being Frasier fanatics, are hoping to go to a recording of a show that evening. We have been told to ring Paramount a week before (from Vegas) but I would be grateful if anyone has any tips to pass on.

By the way, LV Terry you're dead right; we will have been up for about 34 hours when we get home -and will probably sleep the clock round! Now that is Jetlag

25 to go

[ August 09, 2002, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: searbyb ]

 

Nice one Sonya! - But he's actually seen sense!

No soccer till after we get back.

But it would be nice if you could come and sniff the trees with us - the sweetest is, appropriately, the Geoffrey Pine.

Last year we had difficulty convincing some very sceptical Germans what we were doing

25 to go

 

My husband and I adored Universal Studios in Florida, don't know how the CA one compares (better, worse, same, etc) We went to both the amusement park (whose name I can't recall) and the Universal Studios, and though I love roller coasters, we had more fun at Universal Studios. Played on the simulated Nickolodeon game show (our team won! ), just really enjoyed ourselves. And, we were there in the off season (January, immediately after New Years--everything was dead!!!) so we had no lines, PLUS half price happy hour every day at the parks I think you'll have a great time--sounds like you have plenty of variety in your trip to keep everyone happy and certainly not bored!!!

 

Thanks VoteforLou and Hoyaheel. 6 Flags sounds tempting until I remember riding Superman at Buffalo last year and lost my glasses/sunglasses out of my top pocket where I had unwisely put them for safekeeping!

Your opticians are marvellous though we were into Batavia and back with an emergency pair within 90 minutes - incredible.

Dodgers are playing SF Giants on 17th where would you recommend for seats? There are some "Reserve/Inner" but they look a hell of along way back.

Many thanks for the suggestions.

19 and counting

 

I just checked www.dodgers.com and found Inner Reserve seats on aisle 3 or 4. If I were you, I'd buy those tickets yesterday. They are in the 3rd deck, but you want to be kinda high and behind homeplate for baseball -- that way you can see if the pitch is over the plate and you can see the whole field. Since they're playing the Giants (their biggest rival) you get to see Barry Bonds. Assuming there's no players union strike.

 

Thanks for that - I'm a bit worried about this possible strike - I would hate to make the booking and find the whole thing is off. What are the realistic probabilities?
Reading the site it seems a decision will be made today to set a strike date. When this happened in 1994 was the date adhered to?
I wonder what the position would be as to refunds, we could hardly pop back when teh game was finally played!