This was our first trip to the USA, and really our first “big” overseas trip.
Date early January 2005
States Visited – 3
New –
- California
- Nevada
- Arizona
Itinerary :
12 nights in total, staying –
- Los Angeles CA (Anaheim – Disneyland) 3 nights
- San Simeon CA 1 night
- Monterey CA 1 night
- San Francisco CA 3 nights
- Las Vegas NV 2 nights
- Los Angeles CA (Hollywood) 2 nights
Details :
Our first “long haul” flight – 14 hours – Australia is so far from everything !
With two of our children in tow for this first trip, Disneyland was our first stop. Our weather wasn’t great, and pretty cool, but it didn’t stop us having a great trip.
First stop Anaheim and we covered both the Disneyland and California Adventure Parks over a few days before picking up a car to head north to San Francisco.
Along the way we had a night in San Simeon so we could do a tour of Hearst Castle. We were able to do our tour, however due to the bad weather we were unable to get much of a view as fog had rolled in.
Then heading north, we had to detour inland due to mudslides on Highway 1 and we were unable to do the “Big Sur” coast road.
At Monterey we did the fantastic aquarium and drove along the scenic coast roads.
In San Francisco we did the highlights – drove the Golden Gate Bridge, did a cable car ride and visited Pier 39.
And, probably the highlight of our tour, had a fantastic day trip to Yosemite National Park – our first National Park visit. We left San Francisco about 6am in a little 10 seater van – in almost pouring rain. Most of the drive was in rain including a stop along the way to get some breakfast and a coffee hit. Not far from the park the rain started to turn to snow and we had to stop so the guide could put snow chains on the wheels of the van. It was quite magical to experience the park in snow and even more magical when the weather cleared a little later in the day. We were able to get some wonderful glimpses of the Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan as well as the fabulous “Tunnel View” across the valley ! We didn’t get back to our hotel until about 11pm but what an experience that day was !
From San Francisco we flew to Las Vegas. Certainly an eye opener ! Really enjoyed wandering the themed “indoor cities” in the casinos, the Bellagio fountains and the Fremont Street Experience. Also took in the amazing feat of construction that is Hoover Dam – where we snuck across the border into Arizona during our drive.
We then drove back to Los Angeles. A great drive along I 15 through the spectacular desert and coastal mountains !
And our last few days were spent in Hollywood and visiting Universal Studios.
A great trip, but our interest in the USA was to really take off with our next trip ! ……………….
Disneyland !
It’s A Small World – with its Christmas overlay
Our first road trip !
A foggy Hearst Castle, San Simeon
San Francisco tram ride
Pier 39 & Fisherman’s Wharf
Iconic Lombard Street, San Francisco
On the way to Yosemite National Park
A fabulous and unexpected experience – Snow in Yosemite
Flying over the Sierra Nevada ranges to Las Vegas
Massive hotels ! Paris and the Bellagio
Hoover Dam
The Fremont Street Experience
Just love those roads !!
Some Hollywood favourites !
It was 3 years before we returned – but Disney was calling Adrienne ! So plans were put in place for another tour. Disney World was a certainty but there were other bits we wanted to see. At this stage there was no “grand plan”, so I think at this stage Adrienne and I were wanting to fit in some “must see” experiences in this place so far away ! So we ended up with a bit of North, South and West … and by the end of it I Feel a Plan Coming On …