USA West Coast travel notes (07/2024)
Unfortunately, I did not write a full journal directly after this trip. The route was in July 2024, and I am writing this down on July 14, 2026. So this is not a complete diary. It is more a memory log while scrolling through the pictures I took and trying to save the parts I still remember.
I am really glad I did this kind of work directly after my Australia road trip. Since I am restructuring my blog and want to publish more articles about topics outside software engineering, I also want to share my road trip along the West Coast of the USA - at least the route, some photos, and a few impressions.
The route started in San Francisco and then went inland through Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon, Page, the Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu, and Joshua Tree. After that we came back to the coast through San Diego, Los Angeles, Highway 1, Lompoc, and Santa Cruz. Lots of places for only 3.5 weeks, but it never felt too busy.
I was traveling with friends. We were six people in total, driving together in one Chrysler Pacifica with all our luggage, and sleeping in a mix of hotels, motels, and many Airbnbs. Along the way we passed through four states: California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Beautiful beaches, mountains, and these red and golden deserts.
San Francisco (08.07 - 11.07)
We took a flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco. One of the first things I remember is that we had tickets for the Blink-182 concert in a basketball arena. It felt a bit weird because we were sitting during the concert, which I had never experienced at a punk concert. We also visited Alcatraz, which is one of those tourist things but definitely worth doing.
The city itself gave me a lot of small impressions. Waymo cars were already driving around without a driver, and I remember seeing a Tesla Cybertruck for the first time, which we do not really see in Europe. We rented cheap and quite crappy bikes to explore the city. Cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge was worth it, even with the usual fog. We also took a cable car into downtown and walked between the big skyscrapers.
On our last day, we visited Stanford University and drove through a few famous places in Silicon Valley before continuing to Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe (11.07 - 12.07)
Lake Tahoe was extremely beautiful. We did not stay there for long, but it was enough for a hike and a swim. In my memory it is mostly clear water, pine trees, and a very relaxed summer feeling. In winter it is also a well-known place for skiing.
Ahwahnee (12.07 - 13.07)
Ahwahnee was a random stop for a single night in the middle of nowhere, just because it is close enough to Yosemite National Park. We had a wonderful Airbnb there and a great barbecue.
Yosemite National Park (13.07)
Yosemite was one of the places that really stayed with me. We only spent one day there, but we did a very long hike, and the scenery was extremely beautiful. I still have images from Yosemite hanging on the wall in my flat, which probably says enough about how much I liked it.
Sequoia National Park (14.07)
Sequoia National Park is famous for its huge trees, and that is also the main thing I remember from it. They are impressive, especially when you stand close to them and get a feeling for the scale. Most of the trees have burned several times, but they are very resistant to fire.
At the same time, I am not sure if this stop was completely necessary for our route. You can already see some of these trees in parts of Yosemite, so we probably could have skipped it. But we had the time, and it was still nice to see.
Death Valley / drive to Las Vegas (15.07)
Death Valley was mostly part of the drive to Las Vegas for us. We made a few stops, including Badwater Basin, and got the expected mix of heat, salt, and dry landscape.
Las Vegas (15.07 - 17.07)
Las Vegas is hard to compare with any other place on this route. It is impressive and ridiculous at the same time. I still find it crazy that this whole city was built basically in the desert.
The Sphere was probably the most impressive piece of architecture for me. I also remember the little Venice inside a hotel, with the ceiling painted like the sky. After walking through it for 15 minutes, you almost forget that you are inside a building.
Bryce Canyon National Park (17.07 - 18.07)
Bryce Canyon National Park was beautiful. We stayed in a nice accommodation, a small wooden cottage in the middle of nowhere, but still close enough to the national park.
As recommended, we drove there very early to enjoy the sunrise. That was definitely the right decision. Afterwards we did a small hike within the canyon.
Page / Antelope Canyon (18.07 - 19.07)
In Page we visited Horseshoe Bend and then did a kayak tour on the Colorado River through the canyon. This was probably one of the coolest activities of the whole trip. The only bad thing I remember was that I badly burned my shins from the sun in the kayak.
Grand Canyon (20.07)
At the Grand Canyon, we actually only drove by and took some pictures. We did not hike into the canyon. By that point we had done enough hiking during the previous days.
Lake Havasu City (20.07 - 21.07)
Lake Havasu City was basically a one-night stop. We arrived in the late afternoon, and I mostly remember the heat. It had around 45 degrees Celsius (!), so we only took a short walk through the city.
Joshua Tree National Park (21.07)
Joshua Tree National Park felt completely different from the places before. The landscape has its own look, mostly because of the trees that give the park its name and appear everywhere in the desert.
For me, it was definitely worth the stop. After mountains, canyons, cities, and extreme heat, this scenery added another very distinct image to the trip.
San Diego (21.07 - 24.07)
San Diego felt like city time again, but in a more relaxed way compared to SF. We visited a friend of one of my friends, walked through downtown, and went surfing without a wetsuit. The water is warm enough there, at least in July.
We also went out for Taco Tuesday, and the tacos were incredibly good. I remember the dinner more clearly than some of the sightseeing, which says something. The zoo is probably nice if you like zoos. I do not, so I did not visit it.
Los Angeles (24.07 - 27.07)
In Los Angeles we had a pretty cool accommodation in a residential area outside the city. It looked very much like the housing areas we know from movies: wide roads, one-story houses, two pickups in front of the house, and an American flag.
We visited the beaches and the city, then drove through Hollywood and Beverly Hills. In some places I felt like I had been there before. Probably because I had seen these places in movies before.
Highway 1 (27.07 - 28.07)
Highway 1 is famous for the drive along the coast, and for good reason. The scenery is beautiful, and I understand why people recommend this route. We made a few stops along the way, including Santa Barbara and Malibu Beach, and walked along the beach.
Lompoc (27.07)
Lompoc was another one-night stop in the middle of nowhere. I do not remember much from the place itself, but I do remember a great barbecue and a campfire.
Santa Cruz (28.07 - 01.08)
Santa Cruz was the final stop before going back to San Francisco for the flight home. After such a full route, we stayed there for a few days and did almost nothing in the best way: workouts, good food, some shopping, and surfing.