Highlights - Top 5 - Conclusion

Our 3-week round trip has come to an end, and we return home happy and with many positive impressions. The 2,099 miles or 3,378 km route through the four states of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona is quite manageable within the planned time with an 8-year-old child; we never felt rushed and had to change or omit very few points from our itinerary. However, the road trip is definitely demanding and not for late risers. It was a spectacular mix of nature, entertainment, forests, deserts, cities, countryside, mountains, and coast. Our various hikes lasted around 1/2 to 2 hours - those wanting to take half-day or full-day hikes should plan accordingly.

We visited a total of 4 national parks:

• Yosemite National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park

and 6 National Recreation Areas / National Monuments / State Historic Parks / State Parks:

• Alcatraz Island (part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area)
• Bodie State Historic Park
• Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (part of Inyo National Forest)
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and
• Antelope Canyon (Navajo Nation).

Only at Bryce Canyon would we have needed another (half) day to fit in the planned hike, or alternatively, we could have skipped Cedar Breaks National Monument, but since it was on our route and receives little attention due to its limited accessibility, we didn’t want to miss it. The national parks are truly vast and offer numerous opportunities and much potential for future visits. We definitely want to return. Our 'America the Beautiful' pass was valid for all the parks mentioned above (including the state parks), except for Antelope Canyon, which is on Navajo territory.

Destinations and sights of our route in order:

• San Francisco: Cable Car Powell-Hyde Line, Lombard Street, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Fire Engine Tour, Golden Gate Bridge, Presidio, Fort Baker, Coit Tower, Greenwich Steps, Palace of Fine Arts, Painted Ladies, Dragon Gate, Alcatraz
• Yosemite National Park: Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (Grizzly Giant, Fallen Monarch, California Tunnel Tree, Bachelor and Three Graces), Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Olmsted Point, Tioga Pass
• Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake, Bishop
• Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
• Las Vegas: The Strip, The Venetian, Bellagio Fountain, The Sphere, BattleBots Arena
• Cedar Breaks National Monument, Red Canyon
• Bryce Canyon National Park: Sunset View, Bryce & Inspiration Point
• Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell
• Grand Canyon National Park: Desert View Watchtower, Grand View Point, Hermit Road, Yavapai Geology Museum & Yavapai Point
• Route 66: Williams, Seligman
• Joshua Tree National Park: Arch Rock Trail, Skull Rock
• Los Angeles: Hollywood, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Legoland California, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, Griffith Observatory, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Petersen Automotive Museum

My personal top 5 nature highlights were:

• Yosemite National Park: Glacier Point, Bridalveil Fall, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Olmsted Point
• Joshua Tree National Park: Arch Rock Trail
• Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
• Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
• Bryce Canyon National Park

In terms of cities, San Francisco clearly won - this city simply has an incredible amount to offer, is beautiful, and very diverse.

The top 5 entertainment highlights were:

• Universal Studios
• Warner Brothers Studios
• Fire Engine Tour in San Francisco
• BattleBots
• The Sphere

What we could have skipped:

…the Walk of Fame - Hollywood Boulevard and Seligman we cannot recommend, they are not worth a detour. However, the stretch from Page to Joshua Tree is very long, and it requires a stopover - Seligman is a good choice here as it lies halfway and alternatives are lacking.

What our son liked the most:

• Yosemite National Park
• Page (especially the restaurant with the cool mini-golf course and classic arcade games like Pac-Man & Co)
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Antelope Canyon
• Cedar Breaks National Monument

His entertainment favorites:

• Legoland
• Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios)
• Warner Brothers Studios
• BattleBots
• The Sphere

The tour took a lot of time for planning, but it was more than worth it. There's so much to see in this part of the world, and we plan to come back!