The West Coast in 6 Days

San Francisco, Yosemite, Idaho, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and Denver ... all in 6 Days 

Day 1 – Fly into San Francisco. If you take a morning flight from the East Coast, you could get there by midday.  

Be smart. Don’t rent your car until tomorrow. Also, take the BART from the airport to your hotel, as it is way cheaper than taking a cab.  

Similar to what we did in New York City, we need to make some choices here. My recommendations would be to do the MUST SEES of San Francisco. You can start midday by riding the Cable Cars, and walking down Lombard Street. You can get a day pass on the cable car ... OR ... for way cheaper, ride the buses as the locals do. You can always get a picture with a cable car when they stop. But, if you must ride the car ... that is fine too ... massive tip: *** Don't wait on the long line at Powell Street! All the tourists do that ... pick up the cable car on its route in Union Square ... many of the drivers will let you on. ***. That's a million dollar tip, trust me. 

4:20 PM – By now, you have walked from Lombard Street around Fisherman's Wharf. Now ... your night tour of Alcatraz starts. Why the night tour? It’s way creepier than the day tour. Many locals even take this tour, as it’s historical yet entertaining to those who hate learning. GET THESE TICKETS A FEW WEEKS IN ADVANCE THOUGH! And buy them through www.nps.gov ... don't use a local agency, as they will just jack up the price. Oh ...  At some point, buy a bag of potatoes. Don’t ask questions now, you’ll see why later.

Day 2 – Pick up the rental car (NOT from the airport ... see my page on rental cars for 10 tips.) Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods and the Napa Valley. You have a choice here. You can get off before the bridge, and walk across to grab your pictures. Or, you can drive over the bridge, and take pictures of the bridge in the cute town of Sausalito. Because it is the morning, your pictures may be at the mercy of the fog. Do not leave too early, as we have to wait for Muir Woods and the Wineries to open. Get to Muir Woods around 9 AM ... it's breathtaking ... literally. You won't believe the amount of oxygen in the air around the Redwoods. After a one hour walk through the woods, figure on spending the day in either Napa or Sonoma. Both are cute towns, beautiful in the summer. Some spend a full week here ... we don't have the time. If you are interested in Wineries, do take a visit. I can't recommend any in particular for two reasons. First, I don't know anything about wine. Second, this is an education website, and if you are reading this, there's a good chance you can't drink for another 4 years. Leave Napa or Sonoma after dinner, and drive the 3.5 hours to sleep in Yosemite. There is lodging inside of Yosemite National Park, or you can stay just outside the park for cheaper.

Day 3 – Wake up and finish Yosemite National Park by 9 AM. Yes, that’s an early start, but we have a lot of driving ahead of us. Also, Yosemite is open 24 hours a day, and the best time to see wildlife is at sunrise. Note, that if you are traveling in the winter, BEWARE. You need tire-chains to get into the park on some days. It snows often in the mountains. Odds are you are taking this trip in warmer weather, as who would be crazy enough to do Montana in winter, right?  

After Yosemite, we want to get in as much driving as possible. It’s about 650 miles or 11.5 hours to get to Idaho’s City of Rocks. Get within a couple of hours of this target, as it is not imperative. Find a hotel, and sleep. This is our longest day of driving, but it will be well worth it. Plus, we already have Yosemite, Muir Woods, San Francisco, and Napa in our backpockets.                        

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