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Be sure to hit Kings Canyon NP - it is immediately adjacent to Sequoia. Depending on how much time you have, you might consider sticking to just those 2 parks and visiting Yosemite at a later date.

My other advice is to be prepared for long traffic lines getting into and around all 3 of these parks. They are fabulous places, and literally receive millions of visitors each year, primarily during the snow-free summer and fall seasons. It won't be fast-paced like L.A., but you will need to have patience and drive carefully on single-lane roads.

Have fun, and send postcards - err, post lots of pics!



Minor correction - it's South Dakota, my home state :)
I knew I goofed it, and forgot to change it...will fix it, thanks ;) Fixed it!!
 
If you have a GPS, rely on it, but make back-up plans just in case. Write down all your addresses before you leave, just in case your GPS doesn't find them. Better yet, program them in ahead of time. But bring the written ones, too. Over the years I have had to replace two failed GPS's, and of course this only happens when I am traveling.

If you don't have a GPS, but have a smart phone, and a data plan, utilize that feature. Bring all your chargers and so forth so that it works thorughout your trip. In fact, make sure you have all necessary adapters and connecting cables for every device your bring along on this trip.

Bring your camera and take lots of pictures! Bring extra batteries or the charger for the camera. Bring a back-up battery or a back-up camera (and it's back-up batteries). Bring an extra SD card for your camera, or make sure you start out with an empty one with as much space on it as you can afford. Take pictures of the location you are visiting as you enter. This is a reference to help you remember what the following photos are from. Especially when you are going to see so much you have never seen before.

Pack a cooler with frozen water bottles, which you can drink as they melt (some may take a day or two, depending on circumstances). Prepare nutritious or comfort foods ahead of time to eat when you stop at rest areas. Include fruit or other favorites that will help keep you energized for the trip. Bring tea bags or other caffeinated drink if you so indulge, to help you along the way. You can make tea in a cold bottle of water, same for coffee if you like instant or coffee bags (like tea bags.) Other coffee options are concentrated coffee that you add water too (comes as a liquid in a small bottle). Sometimes long drives, especially in the heat can make one drowsy, so watch out for that and take precautions.

Short power naps at a rest area (15 minutes) with a timer set, in my car (with a small pillow) helped me get across the country when I moved from California to Illinois in 2005. I used a kitchen timer and a small baby size pillow.

If you are planning on crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, stop at the first Rest Area as you come off the bridge going North. The photo ops are great at that Rest Area. It's huge and has tons of parking and rest rooms, of course. You don't have to go that route, but if it's on your bucket list...

If you are able, avoid driving West in the late afternoon. Driving into the sun can be very hard on the eyes, causing eyestrain and contributing to fatigue. If you are able and night driving doesn't bother you, drive at night. I don't like night driving anymore, but when I was young I preferred driving at night. When possible, try not to drive through major cities during rush hour traffic, but that can be pretty hard to avoid in California, where it seem 'rush hour' lasts about 3 or 4 hours twice a day in some larger metropolitan areas.

Check you oil and other auto fluids when the car is cold, such as before you start in the morning, or after it sat cooling down while you ate your meal. Carry a couple of extra quarts of oil in your car to use as needed. Motor oil at gas stations tends to be overpriced, so buy it ahead of time to avoid the higher prices. Make sure your washer fluid is filled before you start the trip. Keep a roll of paper towels in the trunk, for three reasons: use for cleaning the dip-stick when you check the oil, use for cleaning windows (when gas stations run out of paper towels), and to use as napkins when you stop to eat at rest areas.

If you take I-5, you are bound to have more dead bugs on your windows than most other freeways. I don't know why, but I get far more bugs on my windshield on I-5 than other highways in California. So stop and clean them frequently at gas stations. Not only for better visibility, but you might just want to take a photograph through a window.

Pick up hotel discount books at rest areas and truck stops if you are so inclined. Some times the prices are pretty good.v Another fun thing is a map of the US from Cracker Barrel. I used to stop there to eat with my granddaughter on our roadtrips & we'd pick up a map and with a highlighter, track our trip. Aside from have most of the major highways on the map, it also shows all the Cracker Barrel Restaurants along the way as well.

I hope you have a wonderful time. Redwood trees are fabulous. I grew up in a redwood forest in Northern California. We had a burned-out redwood on the property that my brother and I used to sit in/under like a fort.
 
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Short power naps at a rest area (15 minutes) with a timer set, in my car (with a small pillow) helped me get across the country when I moved from California to Illinois in 2005. I used a kitchen timer and a small baby size pillow.

Walmart has travel-sized pillows and pillow cases at a reasonable price.

Check you oil and other auto fluids when the car is cold, such as before you start in the morning, or after it sat cooling down while you ate your meal. Carry a couple of extra quarts of oil in your car to use as needed. Make sure your washer fluid is filled before you start the trip. Keep a roll of paper towels in the trunk, for three reasons: use for cleaning the dip-stick when you check the oil, use for cleaning windows (when gas stations run out of paper towels), and to use as napkins when you stop to eat at rest areas.

Just like Dad always said! Although, mine would also say to check your tire pressure before you go and carry a jug of water, in case of overheating.
 
If you take I-5, you are bound to have more dead bugs on your windows than most other freeways. I don't know why, but I get far more bugs on my windshield on I-5 than other highways in California. So stop and clean them frequently at gas stations. Not only for better visibility, but you might just want to take a photograph through a window.

Simple Green concentrate sprayed on the dead bugs will help desolve them so that they will wipe off very easily. So, be sure and get a spray bottle of Simple Green to take with you.

I fully understand where you are coming from in your excitement, yet in your hesitation, as I, too, was the same as you. I ended up marrying a man that drives trucks for a living and had the wonderful privilege of riding 6 months with him and then being trained by him (talk about conquering a fear) and we drove together for 5 years. Now, when we take road trips, we try our best to avoid the interstate and take the smaller state highways instead. Yes, it might originally look like it is adding time (depending on what time of day we run it through Google maps), but usually, it saves time because we completely bypass all major cities, therefore we miss the backups.

I second having multiple external battery chargers for your phone. I always take 2 on our trips (even though all 5 of my cig lighters work) just to ensure we are able to charge our phones in an emergency.

The most important thing to remember is that you can do this as long as you set your mind to it. So with that, go and have fun. Make the most of it and enjoy. Don't think about where you came from, but think of this as a new page (or two or three) in your life and take tons of pictures to document all the new and exciting things you saw and did.
 
Have a GREAT time! Traveling alone to accomplish a dream can be an empowering experience. (three years ago I traveled alone to India, experienced an amazing culture, and it completely opened up my eyes to how much I really am capable of doing.)
 
I had to double check the user name several times while reading the first part of your post because that sounded exactly like me. Lol.

It’s really brave of you to do something so much outside of your comfort zone. I was doing monthly trips with train a couple of years ago and I would always take a picture/screenshot of the journey, with train changes and everything so I didn’t have to worry about not remembering something. My mantra would always be: keep track of time, trust the signs, trust yourself and everything will turn out right. And it always did, even if it was scary sometimes. A cross country road trio is of course a much bigger deal but the same principle goes, get a up to date atlas, trust that and the signs and yourself and everything will turn out all right.
 
I thank every single one of you for your advice and encouragement! I listened to all of you.

Change of plans: I'm FLYING. Yeah, it's going to greatly increase the cost but I went to AAA to work on a triptik and found that central CA has a large amount of road work going, couple with plenty of traffic from visitors, and to expect the trip to take 8 hrs just to get to the bottom of Sequoia Natl park. That greatly reduces my time actually visiting the parks.

This may be the only chance in life I have to visit the area so that's how I'm planning things. Sequoia is #1, then Yosemite, then Kings Canyon. However, I be so enthralled with Sequoia that I choose to spend all my time there - and that's okay. My goal is to enjoy the experience and not focus on crossing things off a list. Better to thoroughly enjoy a small area than to rush through a large one!

Was up very late scrambling to change accommodations so I'm not sure how coherent my post is; but thank you all very, very much. Wish I could get a T shirt for all of you!

I had to double check the user name several times while reading the first part of your post because that sounded exactly like me. Lol.

It’s really brave of you to do something so much outside of your comfort zone. I was doing monthly trips with train a couple of years ago and I would always take a picture/screenshot of the journey, with train changes and everything so I didn’t have to worry about not remembering something. My mantra would always be: keep track of time, trust the signs, trust yourself and everything will turn out right. And it always did, even if it was scary sometimes. A cross country road trio is of course a much bigger deal but the same principle goes, get a up to date atlas, trust that and the signs and yourself and everything will turn out all right.

Thank you. I love my comfort zone - but do have to remind myself to challenge it now and then or it never grows! Now that I've chosen to fly I kind of feel like I'm cheating - except I do think it's better to optimize my limited time!
 
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I thank every single one of you for your advice and encouragement! I listened to all of you.

Change of plans: I'm FLYING. Yeah, it's going to greatly increase the cost but I went to AAA to work on a triptik and found that central CA has a large amount of road work going, couple with plenty of traffic from visitors, and to expect the trip to take 8 hrs just to get to the bottom of Sequoia Natl park. That greatly reduces my time actually visiting the parks.

This may be the only chance in life I have to visit the area so that's how I'm planning things. Sequoia is #1, then Yosemite, then Kings Canyon. However, I be so enthralled with Sequoia that I choose to spend all my time there - and that's okay. My goal is to enjoy the experience and not focus on crossing things off a list. Better to thoroughly enjoy a small area than to rush through a large one!

Was up very late scrambling to change accommodations so I'm not sure how coherent my post is; but thank you all very, very much. Wish I could get a T shirt for all of you!
Do try to make Yosemite you will not be disappointed. While the Sequoias are fantastic I am guessing you may enjoy Yosemite even more.
 
Do try to make Yosemite you will not be disappointed. While the Sequoias are fantastic I am guessing you may enjoy Yosemite even more.

I will! Yosemite is my first adventure on my first full day there! (did that on purpose - in case I just must have a second day there)

If you have a GPS, rely on it, but make back-up plans just in case. Write down all your addresses before you leave, just in case your GPS doesn't find them. Better yet, program them in ahead of time. But bring the written ones, too. Over the years I have had to replace two failed GPS's, and of course this only happens when I am traveling.

If you don't have a GPS, but have a smart phone, and a data plan, utilize that feature. Bring all your chargers and so forth so that it works thorughout your trip. In fact, make sure you have all necessary adapters and connecting cables for every device your bring along on this trip.

Bring your camera and take lots of pictures! Bring extra batteries or the charger for the camera. Bring a back-up battery or a back-up camera (and it's back-up batteries). Bring an extra SD card for your camera, or make sure you start out with an empty one with as much space on it as you can afford. Take pictures of the location you are visiting as you enter. This is a reference to help you remember what the following photos are from. Especially when you are going to see so much you have never seen before.

Pack a cooler with frozen water bottles, which you can drink as they melt (some may take a day or two, depending on circumstances). Prepare nutritious or comfort foods ahead of time to eat when you stop at rest areas. Include fruit or other favorites that will help keep you energized for the trip. Bring tea bags or other caffeinated drink if you so indulge, to help you along the way. You can make tea in a cold bottle of water, same for coffee if you like instant or coffee bags (like tea bags.) Other coffee options are concentrated coffee that you add water too (comes as a liquid in a small bottle). Sometimes long drives, especially in the heat can make one drowsy, so watch out for that and take precautions.

Short power naps at a rest area (15 minutes) with a timer set, in my car (with a small pillow) helped me get across the country when I moved from California to Illinois in 2005. I used a kitchen timer and a small baby size pillow.

If you are planning on crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, stop at the first Rest Area as you come off the bridge going North. The photo ops are great at that Rest Area. It's huge and has tons of parking and rest rooms, of course. You don't have to go that route, but if it's on your bucket list...

If you are able, avoid driving West in the late afternoon. Driving into the sun can be very hard on the eyes, causing eyestrain and contributing to fatigue. If you are able and night driving doesn't bother you, drive at night. I don't like night driving anymore, but when I was young I preferred driving at night. When possible, try not to drive through major cities during rush hour traffic, but that can be pretty hard to avoid in California, where it seem 'rush hour' lasts about 3 or 4 hours twice a day in some larger metropolitan areas.

Check you oil and other auto fluids when the car is cold, such as before you start in the morning, or after it sat cooling down while you ate your meal. Carry a couple of extra quarts of oil in your car to use as needed. Motor oil at gas stations tends to be overpriced, so buy it ahead of time to avoid the higher prices. Make sure your washer fluid is filled before you start the trip. Keep a roll of paper towels in the trunk, for three reasons: use for cleaning the dip-stick when you check the oil, use for cleaning windows (when gas stations run out of paper towels), and to use as napkins when you stop to eat at rest areas.

If you take I-5, you are bound to have more dead bugs on your windows than most other freeways. I don't know why, but I get far more bugs on my windshield on I-5 than other highways in California. So stop and clean them frequently at gas stations. Not only for better visibility, but you might just want to take a photograph through a window.

Pick up hotel discount books at rest areas and truck stops if you are so inclined. Some times the prices are pretty good.v Another fun thing is a map of the US from Cracker Barrel. I used to stop there to eat with my granddaughter on our roadtrips & we'd pick up a map and with a highlighter, track our trip. Aside from have most of the major highways on the map, it also shows all the Cracker Barrel Restaurants along the way as well.

I hope you have a wonderful time. Redwood trees are fabulous. I grew up in a redwood forest in Northern California. We had a burned-out redwood on the property that my brother and I used to sit in/under like a fort.

Earlene, I'm not going to the Redwoods yet (our local airport will have commuter flights to the area in a couple of years - and will do it then!)
And I'm no longer driving to Sequoia/Yosemite, BUT I am definitely going to keep your list on hand for the long drives I'll be doing in the area; hopefully through Kings Canyon! You could write a road warrior's guide to road trips!!!
 
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After you pick up your car, and heading to Yosemite I would recommend stopping and picking up some food for the day. The main place to eat there connected with the gift shop changed hands and the food and service is terrible according to my daughter. When they go to the park they now pack a lunch. It is a shame because the food used to be quite good although pricey as usual for tourist areas.
 
Have a wonderful time. I hope this first big step leads to many more adventures. The feeling of standing among the redwoods is nothing short of humbling. You will not be disappointed. As for flying - I don't think it is cheating at all. My DH loves road trips and me not so much. Anything over about 10 days of riding in the car really takes away from the whole experience. So, we've reached a compromise. We go to our destination and I fly home. Win-Win :)
 
Anything over about 10 days of riding in the car really takes away from the whole experience. So, we've reached a compromise. We go to our destination and I fly home. Win-Win :)
:lol: bet you would not make 3 weeks and 5k miles on the back of a Harley and never getting on a freeway once out of Las Vegas! I agree flying is not cheating it gives you more time to enjoy the area. You have a great time
 
Earlene, I'm not going to the Redwoods yet (our local airport will have commuter flights to the area in a couple of years - and will do it then!)
And I'm no longer driving to Sequoia/Yosemite, BUT I am definitely going to keep your list on hand for the long drives I'll be doing in the area; hopefully through Kings Canyon! You could write a road warrior's guide to road trips!!!
Lenarenee, Have a wonderful time! Flying will be much easier, given the construction (I did forget to suggest planning for those delays, as they do happen all over the country.)

I also forgot to mention that you might want to check your fuse for the car lighter. In most cases, when a car lighter stops working, all you need to do is replace the fuse. It's very easy to do and if you don't have your car's service manual anymore, you can easily find it online these days. Then look up the schematic for the fuses in the manual (or online) to see which one it is and make sure to buy the same size fuse when you are ready to replace it. The fuses are cheap and you can buy them in most auto supply stores. I always used to remove the fuse and take it with me to the store to make sure I got the right one.

Some cars even have slots to keep a couple of spare fuses inside the fuse compartment, so you might not even need to go buy one right away if that's the case. Anyway, it's worth a try to see if that fixes your problem.
 
I'm back - and what a trip! It was so good - I must do it again! And I'm a dork; when driving through the Ranger entrance to Sequoia I started crying. The younger Ranger just grinned at me - he understood!

Had a few hitches along the way - like when they found something hanging off the back of the plane that wasn't supposed to be there. We spent 3 hours waiting on the tarmac while they sent videos to the manufacturer. As for hotels - what is with people jumping off the beds at 2 in the morning and keeping the rest of us awake??

I'm so glad I flew - saved so much time to do more sight seeing.

And CaraBou - I did make it to Kings Canyon!

Below you will find Bridalveil falls

20180520_101608.jpg


Half dome; can you count how many hikers are climbing that day???
(I was there the day before a hiker fell to his demise :()





20180520_101351.jpg


It was definitely waterfall season, these are Yosemite falls and Nevada Falls (I think) Pic was taken from Glacier point - and those falls are about a mile away and you could still here them roaring!

20180520_150039.jpg


I was almost
20180523_135546.jpg
disappointed when I got to the largest tree known as the General Sherman; it didn't look bigger than this double trunked tree...

Heading down toward the valley of King's Canyon. I almost stopped and turned around because the drive looked like all the other drives....until the road broke through the edge of the forest and I saw this....
20180523_151009.jpg
(Kings Canyon is actually 3000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon!)
 
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