USA 2016 - The Southwest

Tour facts

Hotel review

Date of the tour: Mid-February to mid-March
Start and end point: Los Angeles
Flight: Nuremberg - Amsterdam - Los Angeles (KLM)
Car: Booked IFAR (Midzise SUV) with Alamo via GermanWho- we got a Jeep Cherokee.
Duration of the tour: 23 days

*****
****
***
**
*

Very good, everything fit here
Good, we felt comfortable
Complies with the standard
Very simple but clean
Never again

Tour details

Tag Aktivität des Tages Bemerkungen zum Tag Accommodation -
Day 1
Arrival and drive to Santa Clarita.
Eco Plus at KLM is ok and for us a very good alternative to the normal Eco.
Hampton Inn Los Angeles, Santa Clarita/Kalifornien ****
51mi
Day 2
The movie sets are in the middle of nowhere, hard to believe that anyone ever found them. Really cool was Elmer, who showed us his workshop. We also had a nice chat.
Hampton Inn & Suites Henderson/Nevada ****
-
Day 3
Since we were already in the Valley of Fire in 2013, we let ourselves drift. Finally we walked to the Fire Wave and White Domes and drove off a few viewpoints.
Hampton Inn & Suites Henderson/Nevada ****
194mi
Day 4
In Oatman we were lucky, because the donkeys let themselves be seen in the city. But the red Corvette in front of the Hackberry Store disappeared.
Best Western Premier Squire Inn, Tusayan/Arizona ****
347mi
Day 5
It's February, so Hermit Road at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is open for private cars. The rest of the year you have to take a shuttle. Unfortunately you can't really hike into the canyon because although there is no snow at the rim, the trails down are snow covered and icy.
Best Western Premier Squire Inn, Tusayan/Arizona ****
35mi
Day 6
Two National Monuments that have been on our list forever.
Best Western Plus at Lake Powell, Page/Arizona ***
230mi
Day 7
We were lucky in the online lottery. This time we wanted to explore the area below the Wave. We had hoped for snow in the Wave, but unfortunately there was none left.
Best Western Plus at Lake Powell, Page/Arizona ***
92mi
Day 8
In 2016 you could still enter the canyon alone with a 5$ permit. Since 2018, you can only enter the canyon and the Great Wall as part of a guided tour.
Best Western Plus at Lake Powell, Page/Arizona ***
62mi
Day 9
Wir machen die Tour mit den Leuten von „Paria Outpost“
Best Western Plus at Lake Powell, Page/Arizona ***
65mi
Day 10
February is a really good time to see the Antelope Canyons without crowds. At least if you don't really want to see beams in the canyon. They are only there in summer. The way to Alstrom Point was OK to be done with the Cherokee.
Best Western Plus at Lake Powell, Page/Arizona ***
103mi
Day 11
The drive from Page to Moab is always beautiful, no matter what you see on the way. Just stopping at the Forrest Gump point and taking a look at Monument Valley is priceless.
Hampton Inn, Moab/Utah ****
285mi
Day 12
We were also at the trailhead to Tower Arch, but the way up was so icy that I went on strike.
Hampton Inn, Moab/Utah ****
80mi
Day 13
Die Dirt Road zum Secret Spire war super zu fahren. Wir sind etwa die letzten 500 m gelaufen.
Hampton Inn, Moab/Utah ****
139mi
Day 14
There is snow in the Boulder Mountains.
Best Western Grand Hotel, Bryce City/Utah ****
239mi
Day 15
There is snow in Bryce Canyon, which looks nice, but has the disadvantage that many trails are closed or very muddy.
Best Western Grand Hotel, Bryce City/Utah ****
58mi
Day 16
Today is a driving day with a view.
Best Western Grand Hotel, Bryce City/Utah ****
311mi
Day 17
Today was a driving day. Since the days are very short in February, we also arrived in Yucca Valley only in the dark.
Best Western Joshua Tree Hotel & Suites, Yucca Valley, Kalifornien ***
449mi
Day 18
Die Tour zu Key’s Ranch hatten wir schon von zu Hause aus gebucht. Vor Ort bekommt man nur noch selten Permits dafür.
Best Western Joshua Tree Hotel & Suites, Yucca Valley, Kalifornien ***
169mi
Day 19
Unfortunately, the weather was again very mixed, but it was not too hot. There is always something.
Best Western Joshua Tree Hotel & Suites, Yucca Valley, Kalifornien ***
156mi
Day 20
Around the Salton Sea a sandstorm raged which was partly so strong that one could not see the hand before eyes any more.
Hampton Inn San Diego – Kearny Mesa, San Diego, Kalifornien ***
156mi
Day 21
Unfortunately, the weather was very mixed today, so we couldn't do the whole program. Besides, San Diego deserved at least one more day.
Hampton Inn San Diego – Kearny Mesa, San Diego, Kalifornien ***
87mi
Day 22
The sea lions and especially the babies are so cute. If you are in the area in the spring, you should stop by La Jolla. It is worth it.
Hilton Garden Inn Redondo Beach. Los Angeles/Kalifornien ***
132mi
Day 23
Chilling and return journey
Our flight leaves already at noon, so we don't do much today except packing and driving to the airport.
10mi