It seems to me I heard somewhere that pth10312002@yahoo.com wrote in
article <1174949395.740159.40750@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>:
>For this coming Easter Weekend in April, we plan to make a driving
>trip from San Jose to Kings Canyon, then Sequoia NPs and LA as the
>final destination. We will have two toddlers (4 years old and 18
>months) with us so hiking probably is not an option (any
>recomendation/advice?). Here is my plan:
> --Leaving SJ at 9:00AM.
> -- From Google map, it takes ~ 3:20 min to get to the Kings Canyon
>entrance.
I agree with Peter that this may be optimistic on a weekend.
> -- Spend ~ 3 hours driving thru the Park and make few quick stop for
>photograph, lunch.
I also think three hours more or less is very optimistic to go through
the park, maybe even if you don't stop for necessaries or for some
sightseeing. I've only ever done the trip in summer, and April may be
even slower with possible snow or bad weather, but the road down into
Kings Canyon is a pretty winding ~15 mile drive from Wilsonia, near the
park entry, to the end of Hwy. 180 near Cedar Grove. Either entering
the park or returning from the bottom of the canyon you'd probably want
to see the General Grant tree ("the nation's Christmas tree," used to be
decorated for Christmas, maybe still is) near the entrance, and then
you'd have a level but longer drive on Hwy. 198 from the Wilsonia area
to the Giant Forest area where you'd probably want to see at least the
Gen. Sherman tree and Crystal Cave, if not the 1200' Tokopah Falls, and
walk through the sequoia groves.
From Giant Forest to Visalia via Hwy 198 is still an hour or more of
downhill driving, partly on fairly winding highway. And toward the end
of the day you might be catching traffic since others will also be on
their way out to the valley.
One visitor's impressions and experiences are at
http://www.fabuloustravel.com/usa/sequoia/sequoia.html.
> -- Stay overnight outside the park on the way to LA (Visalia/
>Tulare..)
> -- Drive to LA on the next day. We dont have to leave early for LA
>but would like to avoid LA traffic during the rush hours. What is the
>best time to leave for LA?
If I understand your timing, you'd go through the park on Saturday and
to LA on Sunday? As I said, that seems very optimistic to me, but if
you do come into LA on Sunday traffic could get heavy, but probably
nothing comparable to weekday rush hours, toward evening (Visalia to
downtown LA is roughly 180 miles, so figure on three hours, more if
traffic is building).
--
Don Kirkman |