r/usatravel

So, me and my husband are planning a 2 week trip to the US, flying in and out of San Francisco and we will have a car for the whole trip. Ideally, I want a mix of cities, scenic drives, and 1 week based in LA (not rushed). We came up with this plan and wanted some actual experienced people to maybe give their advice. So here's the plan:

Days 1–3: San Francisco

• Day 1: Arrival, Embarcadero, Ferry Building, easy dinner
• Day 2: Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio, Marina
• Day 3: Alcatraz (morning), Mission District, Dolores Park, Twin Peaks sunset

Day 4: Drive SF → Monterey / Carmel

• Stops: Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, 17-Mile Drive
• Overnight in Carmel or Monterey

Day 5: Big Sur → Santa Barbara

• Bixby Bridge, scenic Big Sur stops
• Overnight in Santa Barbara

Days 6–12: Los Angeles (7 nights, likely West Hollywood base)

Day 13: LA → Palm Springs / Joshua Tree

• Drive to Palm Springs (~2h), optional Joshua Tree sunset
• Overnight in Palm Springs

Day 14: Drive back via Yosemite → San Francisco

• Very early start
• Quick Yosemite Valley stops
• Continue to SF for departure

Main questions:

• Is Day 14 (Palm Springs → Yosemite → SF) too unrealistic?
• Would you break that into 2 days? If yes, where’s the best stop?
• Any must-stop places along the coast I’m missing?
• Is 7 nights in LA too much / too little?
• Any areas you’d change for staying in LA?
• Any place I'm missing on the way?
• Generally, any improvement to this plan would be welcome.

Open to all suggestions — especially from people who’ve done a similar loop 🙌

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