Yosemite, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon itinerary

Laidback: Starting with Grand Canyon

Kings Canyon/Sequoia

1. Bay Area to Barstow, CA.
2. Barstow to Grand Canyon. Stay in Williams, AZ.
3. Drive to Las Vegas. Stay.
4. Another night in Las Vegas.
5. Drive to Visalia
6. Sequoia & Kings Canyon, drive to Fresno/Oakhurst
7. Yosemite, Back to the Bay Area

Death Valley/Eastern Sierra

1. Bay Area to Barstow, CA.
2. Barstow to Grand Canyon. Stay in Williams, AZ.
3. Drive to Las Vegas. Stay.
4. Another night in Las Vegas.
5. Drive via Death Valley to Bishop.
6. Devils Postpile, Mono Lake, stay near Mono Lake.
7. Yosemite, Back to the Bay Area

Starting with Yosemite

1. Drive from Bay Area to Yosemite. Drive past Tioga Pass (closed in winter). Stay near Mono Lake.
2. Mono Lake, Devil's Postpile. Stay near Death Valley.
3. Drive through Death Valley. Stay in Las Vegas.
4. Another night in Las Vegas.
5. Drive to the Grand Canyon.
6. Drive back to Bakersfield.
7. Drive via Sequoia National Park & King's Canyon national park. Back to the Bay Area.

Utah Arizona Nevada itinerary from San Francisco Bay Area for a week

1. San Francisco Bay Area to Las Vegas. Reach night. Stay.
2. Another night in Las Vegas.
3. Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim. Stay in Page, Arizona.
4. Antelope Canyon (book tour beforehand), Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, Grand Staircase Escalante. Stay near Bryce Canyon, Utah.
5. Drive to Bryce Canyon, Utah. Stay in Torrey, Utah.
6. Drive to Capitol Reef, Utah. Stay in Aurora, Utah.
7. Drive to Great Basin, Nevada. (Book cave tour beforehand). Drive to Tonopah, Nevada.
8. Mono Lake, Devil's postpile. Stay near Mono Lake.
9. Yosemite, California. Drive back to Bay Area.

Texas Gulf Coast-a winter itinerary

Texas Gulf Coast

Dec 24

Arrive in Austin.

Austin Hindu temple

Stay in Austin

Dec 25

Tour Austin & Hill Country

Austin:

• State Capitol
• Congress Avenue
• Bullock Texas State History Museum
• South Congress Avenue: bats from under a bridge
• Live music
• Hill Country Flyer steam train from Austin to Burnet

Hill Country

• Bandera Dude Ranches

Stay in San Antonio

Dec 26

San Antonio:

• The Alamo
• River Walk
• Cruise along canal

Stay in Brownsville

Dec 27

• World Birding Center, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State park
• Padre Island National Seashore
• Sea Turtle, Inc.
• King Ranch
• Port Isabel Lighthouse
• Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville
• Sabal Palm Audubon Center & wildlife sanctuary: 7 AM-5 PM, self-guided trails
• Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Hondo
• La Borde House, Rio Grande City
• Oblate Mission, McAllen
• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Alamo: Tours daily 8 AM-4 PM.
• Ramsey Nature Park
• Harlingen
• Costumes of the Americas
• Historic Brownsville Museum
• Brownsville Heritage Complex

Stay in Corpus Christie

Dec 28

• Mustang Island
• Texas State Aquarium
• USS Lexington Museum
• Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
• Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi
• Texas Zoo, Victoria
• Bayfront Art & Sciences Park
• Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History
• Texas State museum of Asian cultures
• Corpus Christie beach
• Magee Beach
• Ferry to Port Aransas
• Matagorda Bay Nature Park, kayak tours

Stay in Corpus Christie

Dec 29

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge: view whooping cranes in winter, water activities

Drive from Corpus Christie to Galveston

Drive back to Houston

Dec 30-Jan 2

Skipping

Austin

• Rainey Street
• Magnolia Market
• Waco mammoth Site
• Dr.Pepper museum
• Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park
• Driskill Hotel
• Lyndon B Johnson library & museum
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center
• Continental Club
• Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon
• Veracruz All Natural: tacos
• Ann & Roy Butler Hike & Bike trail & boardwalk, Lady bird lake, downtown
• Mexic-Arte Museum
• Museum of the weird
• Lone Star Riverboard or Capital Cruises for bat watching tours
• Blanton Museum of Art
• Neill-Cochran House
• O’Henry museum
• French Legation museum
• Driskill Hotel
• Elisabet Ney Museum
• Texas Quitl Museum, La Grange
• Mt.Bonnell

Hill Country

• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
• Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) National Historical Park near Fredericksburg
• River activities (Paddling/tubing) on Frio River
• Fredericksburg
• Luckenbach
• Caverns of Sonora
• Natural Bridge Caverns
• Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
• Cascade Caverns
• Longhorn Cavern State Park
• Riverside Nature center
• Hill country museum
• Exotic Wildlife associate at Ingram near Kerrville
• Stonehedge replica in Hunt
• Apple picking in Love Creek Orchards

New Braunsfels

• Gruene Hall dance hall close to San Antonio (also other dance halls near Austin & San Antonio)
• Gruene Historic Districk
• Guadalupe River-family float
• Schlitterbahn Waterpark

San Marcos

• San Marcos River-Tubing
• Meadows Center for Water & the Environment: Glass-bottom boats
• Wonder World: Train ride, wildlife park, petting zoo

San Antonio (Skipping)

• Children’s museum
• Seminole Canyon state park
• Missions National Historical Park
• Spanish Governor’s palace
• San Fernando Cathedral
• Splashtown
• Lost Maples State Natural Area
• Ripley’s believe it or not museum
• Brackenridge Park
• Casa Navarro State Historic Site & Museum
• San Fernando Cathedral
• King Williams District
• Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum
• Aztech Theater
• Zoo & Aquarium
• Museum of Art