Planning a trip, especially one where you’d have flown 17 hours just to get there, is never easy. After all, you have invested time and money flying, it’s natural to want to make the most of it. You start off with a blank sheet of paper and the possibilities seem endless. At this point, you probably have a rough idea of your non-negotiables (e.g., must-see places of interest, food, pace of itinerary etc.) and you are mapping it all out in your head. It getting overwhelming and you employ a tool to aid in planning, whether it’s an app or just old-fashioned excel.
I had a recent similar encounter planning my trip to the West Coast of the USA so I completely empathise. I’ll be sharing recommendations on places of interest + tips I found useful while planning/ on the trip.
Highlight 1: Planning
Identify your core vs filler places of interest and plan your trip around your must-sees. For me, that included Los Angeles, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and San Francisco. Google maps is your key resource at this point and throughout your planning. Once you have plotted out your route on Google maps and come to terms with the unrealistically long drives you’d have to do between destinations, you’ll start identifying filler locations to stop for the night and break your drives into manageable chunks – Joshua Tree and Barstow for me. It’s also a good time to start building out your excel (old-fashioned anytime) to track destination, driving distance etc.
Tip 1: When planning drives, keep in mind differences in timezone to account for realistic traffic conditions. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’ve buffered only 3 hours when it actually takes 5 hours. Or catering 30 mins for the drive to the airport, only to realise you’ve grossly underestimated traffic and sprinting all the way to the gate.
Tip 2: Related to tip 1 above, be sure to cater loads of time when travelling to LAX. There is usually heavy traffic congestion within LAX itself and getting to your specific terminal could take 20 mins. There is also a queue for bag checks – you’ll need to cater ample time for these for a stress-free departure.
Tip 3: If you’re not a confident driver, you might want to plan on arriving when the sun is still setting. I have been spoilt living in Singapore and forget that a lot of places outside the city do not have street lamps and visibility could be an issue.
Highlight 2: Los Angeles in 2 days
I had about 2 days in Los Angeles and found that to be sufficient. We covered Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills and Griffith Observatory. I personally found Santa Monica Pier to be underwhelming and if you plan on visiting Pier 39 in San Francisco on the same trip, I’d recommend skipping Santa Monica Pier and instead use the time to visit downtown LA.
Hollywood Walk of Fame and Beverly Hills are worth visiting. With their location proximity, it makes sense to do them consecutively. Doing so has the added advantage of experiencing the contrast in atmosphere. Hollywood gives off an energetic vibe with lots of tourists, street music and exhibitions, and realistic movie scene set-up. Beverly Hills on the other hand had a more upscale feel as you’d expect and I enjoyed the drive through the housing enclave, taking in the huge houses and their well-kept lawns. One can dream after all.
If you are short on time, the one place I’d really recommend visiting is the Griffith Observatory. It has an impressive collection of astronomy related exhibits, including a planetarium in which multiple shows run throughout the day. Besides that, it houses the Zeiss 12-inch refracting telescope through which you can view Sirius. The Observatory also offers unblocked view of the LA skyline, including the Hollywood Sign making for a great photo spot.
Tip 1: Show tickets are released in blocks at specific times of the day and sell out quickly. Plan your time such that you are in the queue early to avoid any disappointment. We tried queuing for tickets twice but failed during both attempts. I’ve heard very good reviews of the show and was a little bummed I didn’t get to watch it.
Tip 2: Visit during the evening/ night – I found the city view to be much prettier with all the lights. Also at night, you can view Sirius through their Zeiss telescope, which is quite an icon. The queue can take up to an hour so be sure to queue early to avoid being turned away at the telescope’s closing time of 9.30pm.
Tip 3: Parking in downtown LA is challenging and limited, although not impossible to find. There are stores (e.g., Trader Joes) offering free 2-hour parking with a validated receipt – use them wisely when hopping between places of interest!
Highlight 3: Joshua Tree National Park in a day
Home to Joshua Trees and interestingly shaped rock formations, a day is more than sufficient to explore this National Park. There are multiple hikes you can do and if you are a novice hiker like we are, you’d probably want to go for trails that are under 2 hours round-trip. Hikes which I found worth exploring were the Arch Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, Skull Rock and the Hidden Valley. The Hidden Valley is a little more strenuous of a hike, taking us around 1.5 hours to complete but the view along the way was definitely worth the walk for us.
Tip 1: It can get really really hot in Joshua Tree – lots of sunblock and water is recommended. Also, unlike the more touristy National Parks, Joshua Tree does not have any cafe/ places selling food and drinks within. Pack snacks and lunch for your trip into Joshua Tree.
Tip 2: Connection is spotty within the Park so download the National Park Services app for navigation within the park. This same app works for all National Parks in the US and is really convenient.
Tip 3: If you are visiting 3 or more National Parks, you’re better off buying the annual pass for US$80. Each paid park entry typically costs US$35 per car entry or 4 people group.
Highlight 4: Grand Canyon (South Rim) National Park in 2 days
Of all the places of interest we included, this was hands down the highlight of the trip. There are broadly 2 types of hikes you can do in the South Rim. The Rim Trail is a paved path that stretches 21km from South Kaibab Trailhead (East) to Hermits Rest (West). Hiking trails are generally steeper, unpaved and more difficult. The Rim Trail offers breathtaking view from every point along the trail. From most vantage points, you can see the intricate lines on the rocks shaped by elements of nature. There are shuttle buses (red, blue and orange) that run along the Rim Trail, making it easy to hop on and off at various points of the trail.
With the hiking trails, there are sections of steep descent which could be challenging if you’re not comfortable with slopes and steps but the view was definitely worth the climb. Plus you can always take breaks in between and absorb the vastness of the canyon. We did the South Kaibab Trail and Bright Angel Trail, and no regrets. If you’re a fan of sunset, your best bet will be at Hermits Rest. The colour produced by the sun rays hitting the Canyon was absolutely stunning. If you have the luxury of time, plan for a night’s stay near the Canyon.
Tip 1: While there are food options within and around the Grand Canyon, they can be rather limited and pricey. We stopped at a supermarket in Williams (nearest city to Grand Canyon) to pack enough food and drinks for the duration of our stay here. This saved us loads of hassle of having to drive out/ hunt for dinner & breakfast.
Tip 2: Accommodation can be exorbitant within the Canyon and I’d recommend staying outside, but near enough to the Canyon. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Tiny Homes Rental 30-mins south of the entrance and it worked perfectly for us.
Highlight 5: Yosemite National Park in a day
Yosemite offers quite a drastic change in scenery and temperature compared to Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree. Here it’s more tall trees, sequoias and waterfalls. I’d cater half a day to explore Yosemite Valley, where you can access places such as Tunnel View, El Capitan Meadow and Yosemite Village.
Yosemite Village is your main place of interest here, as this is where trails such as the Mirror Lake Trail, Cook’s Meadow Loop and Yosemite Valley Fall Trail are located. The trails are pleasant and easy, can be completed within 30 mins to an hour each. They offer amazing view of Yosemite Fall, Half Dome and (probably in the summer) beds of flowers. It is possible to walk between trails, although I’d suggest using the shuttle buses to save energy for the trails.
Tip 1: The weather can get quite unpredictable, with cold temperature and mist as common occurrence. I’d definitely pack a good jacket and leave the park while the sun is still up for good visibility while driving along the winding roads around Yosemite.
Tip 2: It is not uncommon to encounter road closures in the wider area surrounding Yosemite, or requiring advanced reservations to enter Yosemite during certain months of the year. Be sure to check the National Park website for latest updates on road closure and reservations to access the park.
Highlight 6: San Francisco
Definitely the Golden Gate Bridge (every tourist’s must-see), Pier 39/ Fisherman’s Wharf and Lombard Street. Pier 39 has one of the biggest collection of sea lions that you can view up close and personal, with the sea lions casually lazing around, dipping in and out of the water in between naps. Lombard street is the most crooked and steepest street I’ve seen and driving through it is an experience worth having. We also visited the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience and if you have a sweet tooth, this is chocolate heaven. Try one of their sundaes, it’s worth the calories.
Tip 1: San Francisco has to be one of the windiest places I’ve been to. Wind chill is real, omnipresent and unforgiving. You’ll need a good jacket to brave the winds at the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39.
Tip 2: Having some idea of places of interest I wanted to visit in San Francisco, I used Gemini and ChatGPT to optimise the route for me, provide suggestions on time duration at each place and food recommendations.
These are my personal favourites, highlights of places of interest and tips from my 2-weeks trip to the West Coast. Figure out your non-negotiable for the trip and happy planning. It’s definitely worth the effort!