Hi everyone! I’m planning a family road trip to the US West Coast from December 24 to January 2, and I’d love some advice on our itinerary.

This will be our first time doing this route. We’re not very outdoorsy and don’t plan on doing long/strenuous hikes (I can do some by myself). We’re more interested in scenic drives, viewpoints, cities, and seeing the major sights. We’re also a vegetarian family.

Here’s our rough itinerary:

Dec 24 – Los Angeles
• Land in LA and rest

Dec 25 – Universal Studios Hollywood
• Full day at Universal

Dec 26 – Los Angeles
• Explore LA / sightseeing

Dec 27 – LA → Santa Barbara → Death Valley
• Drive toward Santa Barbara
• Continue toward Death Valley
• Overnight around Death Valley

Dec 28 – Death Valley → Grand Canyon
• Some sightseeing / easier trails in the morning at death valley
• Long drive to the Grand Canyon

Dec 29 – Grand Canyon
• Full day at the park
• Viewpoints / easier trails

Dec 30 – Grand Canyon → Las Vegas
• Drive to Vegas
• Explore Vegas in the evening

Dec 31 – Las Vegas → Joshua Tree
• Drive to Joshua Tree
• Explore the park

Jan 1 – Joshua Tree → Los Angeles
• Some sightseeing / easier trail
• Drive back to LA

Jan 2 – Fly out of LA

A few questions I’d really appreciate advice on:

1. Is this itinerary too ambitious for late December?
2. Are there any roads/areas on this route that are particularly risky or likely to be affected by winter weather?
3. Is Death Valley → Grand Canyon in one day realistic, or should we change the itinerary?
4. Would you recommend spending more/less time at any of these places?
5. Are there any easy trails or viewpoints you’d recommend at Death Valley, Grand Canyon, or Joshua Tree?
6. Should we be concerned about park/road closures around Christmas and New Year’s, and how far in advance should we be checking?
7. Would you recommend booking hotels in advance for this period, especially around the Grand Canyon and Death Valley?
8. Is there anything obvious that we’re missing or that you would change completely?

We’re happy to cut things out if the itinerary is too rushed. The priority is to have an enjoyable trip rather than spend the entire vacation driving.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I’m planning a family road, I (21) with my parents, trip to the US West Coast from December 24 to January 2, and I’d love some advice on our itinerary.

This will be our first time doing this route. We’re not very outdoorsy and don’t plan on doing long/strenuous hikes (I can do some by myself). We’re more interested in scenic drives, viewpoints, cities, and seeing the major sights. We’re also a vegetarian family.

Here’s our rough itinerary:

Dec 24 – Los Angeles
• Land in LA and rest

Dec 25 – Universal Studios Hollywood
• Full day at Universal

Dec 26 – Los Angeles
• Explore LA / sightseeing

Dec 27 – LA → Santa Barbara → Death Valley
• Drive toward Santa Barbara
• Continue toward Death Valley
• Overnight around Death Valley

Dec 28 – Death Valley → Grand Canyon
• Some sightseeing / easier trails in the morning at death valley
• Long drive to the Grand Canyon

Dec 29 – Grand Canyon
• Full day at the park
• Viewpoints / easier trails

Dec 30 – Grand Canyon → Las Vegas
• Drive to Vegas
• Explore Vegas in the evening

Dec 31 – Las Vegas → Joshua Tree
• Drive to Joshua Tree
• Explore the park

Jan 1 – Joshua Tree → Los Angeles
• Some sightseeing / easier trail
• Drive back to LA

Jan 2 – Fly out of LA

A few questions I’d really appreciate advice on:

1. Is this itinerary too ambitious for late December?
2. Are there any roads/areas on this route that are particularly risky or likely to be affected by winter weather?
3. Is Death Valley → Grand Canyon in one day realistic, or should we change the itinerary?
4. Would you recommend spending more/less time at any of these places?
5. Are there any easy trails or viewpoints you’d recommend at Death Valley, Grand Canyon, or Joshua Tree?
6. Should we be concerned about park/road closures around Christmas and New Year’s, and how far in advance should we be checking?
7. Would you recommend booking hotels in advance for this period, especially around the Grand Canyon and Death Valley?
8. Is there anything obvious that we’re missing or that you would change completely?

We’re happy to cut things out if the itinerary is too rushed.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

I'm planning a 10-day family trip to the US West Coast around late December/early January and would love some advice.

We're thinking of doing Las Vegas → Grand Canyon → (another national park?) → Los Angeles → San Diego. We love theme parks, scenic drives, cities, viewpoints, and good food, but we're not big hikers. We're also vegetarian, so any food recommendations are welcome!

A few questions:

• Is Yosemite worth visiting at that time of year, or is it too affected by snow and road closures?
• If not, which national park(s) would you recommend instead (Joshua Tree, Zion, Death Valley, Bryce, etc.)?
• What's the best way to check if roads or parks are closed due to weather?
• Are Disneyland and Universal unbearably crowded around New Year's, or are they still worth doing with Express/Lightning Lane?
• Would you book hotels in advance for this route and time of year, or is it easy enough to book as you go?

Any itinerary suggestions, scenic stops, hidden gems, or vegetarian food recommendations along this route would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hey everyone! Looking for some ideas for a 10-day family trip around late December/early January.

It's been a while since we've taken a vacation together, so I want to make this one count.

A few things about us:

• Not very outdoorsy (no long hikes or strenuous activities).
• We love scenic drives, cities, good food, viewpoints, and easy sightseeing.
• Big fans of theme parks (Disney, Universal, etc.), so that's a huge plus.
• We don't mind driving, so a road trip is definitely an option.
• We'd prefer to avoid extreme cold—around -2°C to -3°C is about our limit.

Right now I'm deciding between:

• US West Coast: LA → San Diego → Las Vegas, with Disneyland, Universal, and maybe the Grand Canyon/Yosemite (if it's worth it in winter).
• Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica (not sure how practical it is in late December).
• New Zealand
• Europe (open to suggestions that aren't freezing).

If you had 10 days for a relaxed but memorable family trip, which would you choose? Any routes or destinations I'm overlooking that would be great for a family that enjoys driving and theme parks more than hiking?

Would love to hear your recommendations!

Hey everyone! Looking for some ideas for a 10-day family trip around late December/early January.

It's been a while since we've taken a vacation together, so I want to make this one count.

A few things about us:

• Not very outdoorsy (no long hikes or strenuous activities).
• We love scenic drives, cities, good food, viewpoints, and easy sightseeing.
• Big fans of theme parks (Disney, Universal, etc.), so that's a huge plus.
• We don't mind driving, so a road trip is definitely an option.
• We'd prefer to avoid extreme cold—around -2°C to -3°C is about our limit.

Right now I'm deciding between:

• US West Coast: LA → San Diego → Las Vegas, with Disneyland, Universal, and maybe the Grand Canyon/Yosemite (if it's worth it in winter).
• Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica (not sure how practical it is in late December).
• New Zealand
• Europe (open to suggestions that aren't freezing).

If you had 10 days for a relaxed but memorable family trip, which would you choose? Any routes or destinations I'm overlooking that would be great for a family that enjoys driving and theme parks more than hiking?

Would love to hear your recommendations!