An Epic USA West Coast Road Trip
/The West Coast of the USA is one of the most popular road-tripping routes in the world. In this post, I will take you through a detailed description of the places I travelled to back in 2015. In just two weeks I drove over 2000 miles and visited Phoenix, Monument Valley, The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and everything in between. This route has something for every kind of traveller - deserts, mountains, cities, beaches and world-famous landmarks.
There are so many other incredible destinations in between that you can visit too! Lake Mead, Havasu Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Joshua Tree, Antelope Canyon, Zion National Park, Lake Tahoe, Bryce Canyon National Park and Arches National Park. I guess I’ll have to save these for another road trip in the future…
So pack your bags, google maps and some snacks. Wind down the windows, blast your favourite playlist and hit the road. A trip of a lifetime awaits you!
Car Hire
Obviously, you can’t road trip in the USA without having some epic wheels - make sure you have a healthy budget! With the number of miles you will cover, you need a car that will guarantee you a safe journey to your final destination.
I pre-booked a car with Hertz through Skyscanner which was very easy to do. Type in your pick up location and drop off location into the app/website, then you can search through all of the available options. For my trip, I picked the car up from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and returned it to Los Angeles airport. I initially hired the cheapest car they had which was a Chevrolet Spark (tiny!) - I soon realised that it was the wrong choice. I went to the Hertz desk at the airport and they had a GMC Terrain available which was robust and perfect for a long road trip!
In total, the car hire cost around $700 including a free tank of petrol. The price also included an under 25 fee (Young Driver’s Surcharge) as I was only 22 at the time. This is a small charge per day which amounted to around $200 for the total 2 weeks. Gas prices in the USA can be half the price of what you usually pay in the UK, which is an added bonus!
Phoenix to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
The first part of the trip was a 4 and a half hour journey (320 miles) to Monument Valley. After leaving the busy city of Phoenix, Arizona, we soon ended up secluded and surrounded by huge fields of cactus. We were truly in the Wild West! The roads were wide and empty at times - with desert on either side. We then drove through the Coconino National Forest, following the I-17 North towards Flagstaff. After 2 hours on the road, we joined the US-89 North then the US-160 East, which is when we arrived at the Kayenta Monument Valley Inn.
The hotel is located just 25 miles from the entrance of Monument Valley - a lot of visitors stay in Kayenta for this reason. We were given a large authentic, motel-style room plus we had direct access to the swimming pool. It was around 5pm by the time we had settled into the room, so we decided to get back on the road to find the entrance of the valley and of course, we had to chase the sunset.
After driving 25 minutes North on the US-163, we started to discover the wonders of Monument Valley. There were huge sandstone buttes on either side of the road and we could see the main entrance up ahead. This is one of my favourite pictures ever!
We stopped on the side of the road, in front of the Utah border crossing sign, to take photos and to marvel at the red sand surroundings. We stayed in the lay-by until the sun went down and headed back to the hotel for some dinner. An early night was needed, so we headed to bed, ready for another long day of exploring the next day.
After a yummy breakfast at the hotel, we topped up on gas and headed back to the valley entrance. Nothing could have prepared us for what laid ahead that day. I had dreamed of coming here for many years and it was everything I had hoped for. Just look at that view! Also, see how tiny the cars are compared to the monuments!
The entrance fee for the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is $10 per person or $20 per vehicle. There is a 17-mile loop track which takes you right through the desert and in between the huge sandstone buttes. It took us around 2/3 hours to go all the way around, stopping many times to take photos. It was mid-august and the outside temperature was reaching over 40 degrees. We were very thankful for the car’s AC to say the least!
The Monument Valley is not classified as a US National Park as it sits within the Navajo Nation Reservation. It is home to the Navajo tribe - 30 to 100 people, depending on the season, who live in houses without running water or electricity. As you drive around the valley, there are some tribe members selling all sorts of jewellery and arts and crafts. What a life!
After completing the 17-mile loop, we parked up at the visitor’s centre and took some more pictures. We had a look around the gift shop and bought some souvenirs to take home with us. What an incredible morning! It was around 2pm at this point, which meant it was time to head to the Horseshoe Bend - which is on the way to the Grand Canyon - eeeek!
Monument Valley to The Horseshoe Bend
We drove back to Kayenta and joined the US-160 once again, but this time heading West. We then joined the AZ-98 West towards Page, which is where the Horseshoe Bend is located. This part of the journey took just over 2 hours and it was a nice way to break up the day. We arrived in Page and followed the signs to the Horseshoe Bend. There is a car park located just off the main road which is where you have to pay $10 to park up. It’s a half a mile walk to the viewpoint, over the sandy terrain which felt a lot longer under the hot sun! Remember to take water with you if you’re travelling during the summer months!
Can you spot it? The Horseshoe Bend is a 1000 foot deep trench naturally made by the Colorado River. The river flows through 7 US states and 2 Mexican states. It also flows through the Grand Canyon which is just 9 miles from this point.
This is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to in my life. The view is breathtaking! I’d love to come back here in the future to kayak on the Colorado River and around the Horseshoe Bend. We spent a good hour here taking photos and stretching our legs. Oh, and getting very sandy!
Horseshoe Bend to The Grand Canyon
The route to The Grand Canyon is incredibly scenic. The combination of the quiet, wide roads and the mountainous landscape from every angle, made this part of the road trip so epic! It took around 2 hours to get to the Desert View which is on the South Rim of Grand Canyon - just in time for sunset! The entrance fee to the National Park was $35 per vehicle and was valid for 7 days.
We couldn’t have timed it more perfect! Watching this sunset was one of the best moments of my life. The sky was a mixture of fiery red and hot pink. The atmosphere was silent. We felt very lucky to witness this natural beauty
with not many people around.
After marvelling at the sunset aftermath for more than an hour, it was time to find some dinner. Luckily the café inside the gift shop at the Desert View was still open. We looked at the souvenirs and ordered pizza - it was a perfect way to end the day.
Our hotel was located in the village of Tusayan which was another 40-minute drive on the windy roads - I could finally say that I had driven through the Grand Canyon! We arrived at the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel around 9pm and couldn’t wait to relax and look back through the photos we had taken so far.
After a much-needed sleep, we woke up feeling fresh and ready to take on the GC! We drove to the Grand Canyon Visitors Center which is located in the Grand Canyon Village, just a 10-minute drive from the hotel. This was the view that awaited us… wowwwwww!
The BEST view is undoubtedly from the South Rim! There are many viewpoints within walking distance from the Visitors Center. You can also trek through the Grand Canyon by yourself or with tour groups - of course, taking care on the rocky paths. Even though our time here was limited, we certainly made use of it. We walked along the paths from the Visitors Center and marvelled at the surroundings from many of the viewpoints. We also followed a steep path down the side of the canyon which led us to be surrounded by the most incredible scenery.
I think I could stay in the Grand Canyon forever. I’m a sucker for dramatic landscapes and wide-open spaces. There is no way I could ever get bored of this place! After spending the whole day taking pictures and exploring, it was time to head to our next destination - LAS VEGAS!
Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
We left the GC around 5pm and arrived in Vegas at 9pm. It was amazing to drive out of the Grand Canyon in the daylight and finally see what we had missed the day before. The 4-hour journey again started off quiet and scenic but soon enough, we joined the Vegas traffic. We drove along the AZ-64 south before joining the I-40 west and the US-93 north. Finally, we drove along the I-11, which from where you can see the twinkly lights of the city in the distance. We were finally in Las Vegas!
We checked in to the iconic Caesars Palace hotel. Staying here had been on my bucket list for sooo long and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It was quite late by the time we got to our room, so we decided to wait until the next morning before we started exploring.
Waking up in Las Vegas! This was one of the parts of the trip I was most looking forward to. I didn’t know what to expect from the city, but I couldn’t wait to relax for a few days, soak up the sun and go exploring! Side note: the room we were given was massive - the hot tub bath and this incredible view of the strip was a bonus!
After a much-needed lie-in, we headed out onto the strip for a couple of hours. Las Vegas or Sin City is famous for having some of the best casinos, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs in the world. Each hotel has a theme of a country, for example, the ‘New York New York’ hotel looks like the Manhattan skyline and the ‘Paris’ hotel has its own Eiffel Tower. There is also a hotel called ‘The Venetian’ which is a mini Venice, with real gondolas that you can ride on!
An afternoon of relaxing was needed after 3 long days in the car. We sunbathed in the 40 degrees, drank cocktails and swam in the SEVEN majestic pools at Caesars Palace. We felt like Roman gods being amongst the incredible architecture. Vegas is now my happy place!
In the evening, we put on our fancy clothes and headed out onto the strip.
We walked from one end of the strip to the other, by walking through the hotels and casinos. We also managed to watch the famous fountain show at the Bellagio! We came across the famous Cheesecake Factory restaurant, which is where we spent the rest of the evening. An absolute must if you visit Vegas!
The next morning, we checked out of Caesars Palace and moved onto the Mandalay Bay hotel. When I was booking this trip, I was torn between these hotels so I decided to book both! Caesars Palace is one of the classics and has a central location on the strip, however, I loved the look of Mandalay Bay with its huge pool area and facilities. They didn’t disappoint!
We checked into our new room which had incredible views of the desert, mountains and the airport. We spent the rest of the day pool-hopping and sunbathing. Mandalay Bay is basically a mini water park with a lazy river, beach and huge wave pool. We went from being classy and grown-up at Caesars Palace to being big kids at Mandalay Bay!
In the evening we headed back out onto the strip and had a yummy dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe - another perfect way to finish the day.
For our final morning in Las Vegas, we had to find the famous ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign. Luckily enough it was a 10-minute walk from the Mandalay Bay hotel - as you can see in the background. We then did a bit of window shopping and visited some of the other hotels. It was nice to stretch our legs a little bit before getting back in the car.
Before driving to our next destination, we drove to the Fremont Street Experience which is located in the heart of the city. It’s a famous gaming and entertainment destination, with a nightly light show, zip-line and the insane heart-attack grill… it really was an interesting morning!
You can also visit the STRAT hotel which is a 1,149-foot observation tower. There are rollercoaster rides right at the top of the tower - definitely something for the thrill-seekers!
Las Vegas to Hoover Dam
A 45-minute car journey from the Vegas strip is the famous Hoover Dam. It’s one of the largest of its kind in the world. The
Colorado River flows on either side plus it’s on the border between Nevada and Arizona - something else to see on your road trip. It’s $10 to park up where you can get the best view of the dam.
Hoover Dam to Mammoth Lakes
For me, this part of the trip was the most tiring. However, it was definitely the most scenic! From the Hoover Dam, we travelled back through Vegas on the US-95 north until we reached the NV-266 west. This is where we were driving through the mountains and couldn’t drive more than 20mph as the roads were windy and steep. This is also where we crossed the Californian border to join the CA-168 west. The final part of the journey was on the US-395 north towards Mammoth Lakes. The whole trip took well over 7 hours from the Hoover Dam, covering another 350 miles. It was safe to say, I was tired!
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much of Mammoth Lakes as it was only a pit stop on the way to the Yosemite National Park. However, from what we saw in those few hours, I would love to go back and explore the lakes properly! We arrived at the Austria Hof Lodge around 11pm. The hotel transported us to the Austrian Alps, we were surrounded by tall trees and mountains. The lodge was super cosy, with log burners and traditional mountain lodge rooms. The kind of place you want to snuggle up with a cup of tea, after a long day on the ski slopes.
Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite National Park
There aren’t many places to stay in Yosemite unless you have an RV or you camp within the National Park. Mammoth Lakes is less than an hours drive away, which was an ideal place for us to stay. The whole journey to Yosemite was incredibly picturesque, so we didn’t mind the extra hour in the car! We arrived at the Tioga Pass entrance around 11am and it cost us $35 to enter with our car.
JUST WOW. We drove through the National Park and couldn’t believe our eyes. The colour of the stone made it looked like it was snowing in the middle of August. With every corner we turned, there was another incredible viewpoint, so we had to stop and take another million photos.
Mountain after mountain, lake after lake. Now it felt like we were on a road trip! It was just incredible to drive amongst this untouched landscape and have the place pretty much to ourselves. We stopped at one of the lakes and had a little swim in the perfectly clear waters. It was freezing but so refreshing!
We parked up at the Yosemite National Park Visitors Center and had a walk around to stretch our legs. We headed towards the Yosemite Falls Trailhead where we were suddenly amongst huge Sequoias and could see where the falls normally would be. Unfortunately, to see the waterfalls, you should visit between November and July. You could easily spend weeks exploring the National Park, there are many hiking trails and viewpoints that just aren’t possible to complete in one day!
Yosemite National Park to San Francisco
After an incredible day exploring the lakes, mountains and Sequoias in Yosemite, it was time to get back on the road! This part of the journey was a 4-hour drive to San Francisco which is directly due west from Yosemite. We stayed on the CA-120 west for most of the way, then joined the I-205 west and the I-580 west into San Fran. Baring in mind, the Oakland Bay Bridge is a toll road. (I only realised this when I was welcomed back home to the UK with a toll fine letter!)
Once again, we arrived late at our hotel so we waited until the next morning to start exploring the city. Another downside to arriving late - we couldn’t find anywhere to park! We ended up leaving the car in a (shady) paid parking lot, a block away from the hotel. It was 11pm and it was nerve-racking to leave the car, but it was our only option at the time.
Just a quick tip for driving in the US - especially in cities. Look out for the stop signs and make sure you STOP! By this time I had gotten used to driving on the right side of the road, opposed to the left, and on quiet, open roads through the desert and mountains. But I certainly wasn’t used to driving in the cities. I was thankful it was late when we arrived as the roads weren’t busy.
We woke up at the cosy Nob Hill Hotel and fueled up on the yummy breakfast. I had visited San Francisco before with my dad, so I kinda knew where I wanted to go. We walked from the hotel to Pier 39 which is famous for its entertainment and huge family of sea lions.
From Pier 39, we walked along the coast to the Fisherman’s Wharf and then onto Crissy Field beach. From here you can see the famous high-security Alcatraz prison. Its doors closed to prisoners in 1963, however ever since it has been a popular tourist attraction. We didn’t have time to visit Alcatraz, however, I know it’s best to buy your tickets in advance to guarantee a tour.
If you hadn’t guessed already, we were headed to the Golden Gate Bridge! The walk along the coast is gorgeous - lots of quirky houses, boats and you have the bridge in your view the whole time. From the hotel, it took us around 2 hours to get to the bridge, with many stops along the way.
The Golden Gate Bridge is 2.7 kilometres long and connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. We walked the whole length of the bridge, seeing many boats, cruise ships and dolphins along the way! We also were very lucky with the weather and could see the San Fran skyline in the distance.
It took us 30 minutes to walk to the end of the bridge and 30 minutes back. Once we were back on land we decided to head back to the hotel which took another hour and a half - who’s idea was it to walk? Anyway, all we knew was that we were shattered by 3pm! After 5 hours of exploring, we grabbed a Five Guys along the way which made up for the achy legs.
Even though we had less than 24 hours in the city, we actually saw everything that we wanted to see. However, before we headed to our next destination, we came across Lombard Street which is a steep road with eight hairpin turns, one after another. It’s certainly a memorable driving experience! San Fran is famous for its steep hills and having the world's last manually operated cable car system, which takes people up and down the roads with ease.
San Francisco to Los Angeles
Now it was time for the longest car journey of the entire trip. There are three main routes from San Fran to LA. You can either use the US-101 or the I-5 which are the quick routes. There is also the famous coastal road CA-1, which takes the longest but the view is incredible the whole way - of course, this is the way we went! It took a gruelling 8 hours in total and it’s the first time I’ve ever used a whole tank of petrol without stopping the car. We filled up in San Fran and had to fill up again just as we entered LA.
We were back on the road by 4pm so we had a good few hours of daylight to enjoy the incredible ocean view. Highway 1 is a relatively slow road with sharp bends and at parts, you’re driving right on the edge of the cliffs. There are many notable places to stop along the way, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, Lucia, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Bixby Creek Bridge shown here.
We chased the sunset and stopped at many viewpoints at the side of the road. We had the Pacific on the right side and mountains on the left. You could easily spend days travelling along this coastline, visiting the small towns and beaches along the way. We lost the daylight at around 8:30pm with another 4 hours to go…
We filled up with petrol on the outskirts of LA and joined the main highway into the city - US-101 south. It was past midnight by the time we had found our hostel and again we had to leave the car in a shady parking lot. Luckily the lot was right next to the hostel, however when we arrived the security guy was asleep in his chair with all of the keys on-show next to him. Oh yeah, you have to leave your keys with them overnight! I was very hesitant to leave the car there, however, it was late and we were super tired. We had no other option.
We checked into the Stay On Main hostel which is located in Downtown LA. To put it simply, I wouldn’t recommend it at all. We left it to the last minute to book this accommodation as it was the only available place within our budget. Downtown LA is home to Skidrow which is notorious for having street after street of homeless people. The crime rate is pretty bad too. Of course, we only found this out after we arrived.
I felt like we had truly made a bad mistake choosing this hostel, especially as we were staying there for 6 nights! Anyway, we lived to tell the tale…
Beverly Hills/Hollywood
After a looong sleep, we woke up the next morning feeling relieved that we had safely made it to LA. Extra relieved that the car did too! We grabbed breakfast and a coffee from Starbucks and headed to Beverly Hills which was only 20 minutes away. We drove down the palm-tree filled streets and amongst the houses of the superstars. It felt like a dream!
We then parked up just off Hollywood Boulevard and found the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. We walked along the stars of Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Matthew McConaughey to name a few. This is also where the Chinese Theatre is situated.
The venue is famous for holding many film premieres and having concrete hands and footprints of many famous stars. Including Will Smith, Eddie Murphy and George Clooney. We also found the Dolby Theatre which is where the Oscars are held! The Hollywood and Highland outdoor mall is right by here which boasts a great view of the Hollywood Sign!
After an incredible afternoon exploring Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Boulevard, we drove down to Santa Monica to watch the sunset. The pier is full of entertainment - buskers, street acts and fair rides. The pier is also where Route 66 finishes! We sat on the beach, paddled our feet in the ocean and watched the sunset into the horizon. Dreamy day!
Universal Studios
Day 2 in LA consisted of an early start and taking the metro from Union Station to Universal Studios. It took just over 20 minutes to walk from the Stay on Main hostel to the metro station. Then another 25 minutes on the metro to get to Universal City/Studio City. At the time we paid $110 each for the entrance fee - the prices vary on different demand days.
I had been to Universal before and was so excited to be back! There are many rides, film props, shows and you get to take a tram ride on the Studio Tour, which goes through many famous film sets including Jaws, King Kong, War of the Worlds and Fast and Furious. My favourite ride is Jurassic Park - you get soaked!!
We went to the studios mid-week so the queues weren’t long at all. At weekends you can spend an hour or more queuing at the popular rides! After going on our favourite rides a gazillion times, it was time to watch the Waterworld show. Lots of action, drama and fire - a must see!
Just outside the entrance of Universal Studios is the City Walk which is a street full of restaurants and entertainment. We managed to get a table at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner - the interior is awesome plus there is memorabilia on display from many iconic musical artists. We stayed at the City Walk for the rest of the evening and then took the metro back to our hostel.
Hiking to the Hollywood Sign
Day 3 in LA was an interesting one! After breakfast, we drove to the Griffith Observatory which is high up in the hills overlooking the whole city. The Observatory is a free tourist attraction for the space geeks - a must-see! After looking around the telescopes and exhibits, we decided we would walk to the Hollywood Sign. We could see it in the distance, however, it was further away than we anticipated…
The temperature just after midday was nearly 40 degrees and we only had half a bottle of water with us. We walked over the steep mountains, through smoking bushes and we lost track of the path many times. It’s safe to say we should have researched the best route before setting off. After a gruelling few hours under the hot sun, we made it close enough to the sign. The view was incredible, however, I was starting to hallucinate and could not walk another step. Luckily we walked down to a residential street (where we should have started) and a lovely couple offered to take us back to the Observatory. They could see how exhausted we were.
We were sandy, sweaty, dehydrated and exhausted from the heat. After safely getting back to the Observatory and downing a litre of water each, we decided to head back to Santa Monica beach and Venice beach for a relaxing afternoon. It felt amazing to cool off and swim in the ocean - a
t some points the waves were over 8 feet high!
Los Angeles to San Diego
Day 4! After seeing pretty much everything we wanted to in LA, we decided to travel to San Diego for the day which was only a 2-hour drive away. We decided to visit Sea World which was an incredible experience however I would not go back. It’s awful seeing such beautiful animals living in small spaces when they should be in the ocean. Anyway, it was spectacular to see them up close.
Griffith Observatory
Just after sunset, we headed back to LA. We decided to go back to the Griffith Observatory to see the city view at night. The sky was clear and the moon was full. It was a perfect place to spend the rest of the evening.
For our last day in LA, we went to The Grove for lunch and did some shopping afterwards. The Grove is one of the most popular places in LA, located in West Hollywood. A retail complex full of shops, restaurants and entertainment. We chilled for the rest of the day, as we were going to be on a flight early the next morning.
