# Pacific Coast Highway



## oivind_dahle (Apr 23, 2011)

Hi all

Im planning a trip from Vancouver to Mexico, and back to las vegas and grand canyon. However Im really unsure about mexico as Ive heard there are a lot of crime there? Is it safe to go to mexico, near the boarder, or should we stop at LA and head for Las Vegas from there?


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## Aphex (Apr 23, 2011)

Mexico... a lot of crime there. 

The Mexican border is more like a war zone at the moment. It makes Afganistan look like a 5 star resort.


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## oivind_dahle (Apr 23, 2011)

Guess we´re not headed there next year then 
So stop at Los Angeles, and not go further down south cause of crime?


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## Kyle (Apr 23, 2011)

I wouldn't go to Mexico. It's very crime ridden and the cartels are turning it into a war zone as Aphex said. A co-worker's husband was murdered there last year. He was a Mexican citizen too, just visiting family in Tijuana. The police hassled him but he didn't have any money on him so they beat him up in a public market then dragged him into a field where he died and was found days later.

You can definitely go south of LA. It's very beautiful down the coast, especially by La Jolla and San Diego. There isn't any spillover crime in San Diego, in fact I was there last weekend. Try to make it there if you get a chance, I love SD.


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## oivind_dahle (Apr 23, 2011)

Ok, thanks.

I might ask for more tips later when my plans come together.


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## FryBoy (Apr 23, 2011)

At least go as far as San Diego!


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## jheis (Apr 24, 2011)

Been to Las Vegas once. I guess its OK if you like neon, plastic and phoney everything. I, for one, am NEVER going back.

James


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## apicius9 (Apr 24, 2011)

Hey, that's as close to Hawaii as you can get on solid ground - come on over for a few days 

Stefan


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## steeley (Apr 24, 2011)

have to support the local talent:biggrin2:


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## El Pescador (Apr 24, 2011)

Mexico is fine as long as you cross during the day. Below ensenada its good. I made the drive to canon last year no problems.

Pesky


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## oivind_dahle (Apr 24, 2011)

I would love to come to Hawaii, but alas we have only 3 weeks.
We gonna see vancouver, seatle, los angeles and las vegas (perhaps a few others), and we going to redwood forest, grand canyon, and I have to stop for the amazing pinot noir in oregon, and there are no more time 

You my friend should come to norway. Ill take you to places that dont have a lot of tourism: http://leenks.com/link132727.html


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## apicius9 (Apr 24, 2011)

For some reason I never made it to Norway. I always wanted to see the Munch museum in Oslo. But if you live close enough (Germany), it never feels like you need to rush. Now that I live in the middle of the Pacific, everything is far away... But then again, I am quite happy here, so I am not complaining.

Stefan


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## El Pescador (Apr 24, 2011)

El Pescador said:


> Mexico is fine as long as you cross during the day. Below ensenada its good. I made the drive to canon last year no problems.
> 
> Pesky


 

Sorry...Cabo


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## oivind_dahle (Apr 24, 2011)

thanks El Pescador - 
Ill think about it until we go. In the news in norway the only thing about mexico is drug war and killing 
I belive its a really nice country with a nice people. I love the cuisine, but then again Im not taking risks


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## 99Limited (Apr 24, 2011)

Make sure you spend a day seeing the Oregon coast, it's gorgeous. Lots of neat little towns along the way. You also want to go to Yosemite N.P and then while you're in the area go to the Mariposa Grove to see the giant sequoias.


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## FryBoy (Apr 24, 2011)

El Pescador said:


> Mexico is fine as long as you cross during the day. Below ensenada its good. I made the drive to canon last year no problems.
> 
> Pesky


Right! That's why there's virtually no tourism in TJ these days, and why the shops are empty. 

_*SoCal Workers Gunned Down Execution-Style In Tijuana*_

_*Upsurge in Tijuana drug violence kills 13
*_


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## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 24, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> For some reason I never made it to Norway. I always wanted to see the Munch museum in Oslo. But if you live close enough (Germany), it never feels like you need to rush. Now that I live in the middle of the Pacific, everything is far away... But then again, I am quite happy here, so I am not complaining.
> 
> Stefan


 
Stefan, if I lived in Hawaii, I wouldn't complain, either. I was last there in 1984, and have great memories.

Rick


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## SpikeC (Apr 24, 2011)

If renting a car Mexico is probably prohibited anyway.


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## Kyle (Apr 24, 2011)

oivind_dahle said:


> thanks El Pescador -
> Ill think about it until we go. In the news in norway the only thing about mexico is drug war and killing
> I belive its a really nice country with a nice people. I love the cuisine, but then again Im not taking risks



There are good parts in Mexico, but you have to drive right through the cartel wars. I have coworkers that are from Mexico and refuse to go back to visit family. They say it's as bad as we all hear on the news.


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## mc2442 (Apr 24, 2011)

It is a shame, but definitely avoid TJ. I miss the day trips for street tacos and cervesas, but no one goes there anymore, for good reason. Non border Mexico is still great though. And second San Diego, my favorite place I have lived


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## oivind_dahle (Apr 24, 2011)

99Limited said:


> Make sure you spend a day seeing the Oregon coast, it's gorgeous. Lots of neat little towns along the way. You also want to go to Yosemite N.P and then while you're in the area go to the Mariposa Grove to see the giant sequoias.


 
Thanks for tips. That place should have a visit


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## FryBoy (Apr 24, 2011)

I love the California coast south of San Francisco, but IMHO the coast north of San Francisco is even prettier. Mendocino in particular is spectacular and near wine country (Anderson Valley). And it connects to the Oregon coast, definitely worth seeing. 

BTW, I recently saw something on TV about a major slide on Highway 1 that closed the road someplace around Big Sur. It looked like it would take months to repair. Check before you go.


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## tk59 (Apr 25, 2011)

I know dozens of students the cross the border everyday to go to school. I've asked them about the drug wars and they are concerned in general but they don't seem to be afraid for their lives. That said, depending on what you're after, I might skip Yosemite and go to Sequoia/Kings Canyon. I take my family there every year. Yosemite is so damn crowded. My favorite places to visit are wine country (although the Napa side can get pretty crowded) and SF, in general. There's one particular beach south of SF I liked to stop at when I could. It's been a long time but there are pebbles there instead of sand. I found it to be a really unique and relaxing place/sound. Ridge Winery is in the same area. LA can be a lot of fun but the traffic is literally a nightmare. I used to get to school faster on my bike than my neighbors did in thier cars. Seattle/Vancouver/Victoria is also great to visit. That's gonna be a great trip, OD. Figuring out where to spend your time is probably going to be pretty tough.
+1 to FryBoy's post.


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## oivind_dahle (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks for tips 

My GF is finishing her master degree this summer, and then we´re ready to go. When is the best time to go?
We was going to plan to go april next year to experience the spring, but some have told us to go in the fall?
Ive heard roomers that the roads are closed during winter/spring and fall too?

Im a planner. I like to have the big picture and calculate cost (yeah I work as a CPO), so I can plan ahead for a year if so. I like to keep cost down...

The plan is to stick to one chain of motels, and therefor get more bonus. Would be fun to paid my respect to Devin and Burke, but then again its a long drive to them. Im going to have a few days in NYC as well, on the way home.


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## FryBoy (Apr 25, 2011)

Best time to come to California is the early fall. Late-September and October are spectacular! The water in SoCal is at its warmest, the summer crowds are diminished, and the weather is great (except for the occasional Santa Ana winds). Spring is nice, too, but can be wet. Summer is hot (except the immediate coast, of course) and crowded. June = gloom along the coast. 

Re: tk59's suggestion -- if you want to see the mountains, consider the eastern side of the Sierras, especially Mammoth, June lake, Tahoe, etc.


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## jheis (Apr 25, 2011)

I'll second FryBoy's recommendation. Early fall is the best time to visit California. Kids are back in school, so the crowds and traffic in the spots you'd like to visit will be down.

Summer along the west coast can be foggy and cold. 

The quote: "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" is usually attributed to Mark Twain. It can be true, but there's no evidence Mark Twain ever said it. I lived in SF for 16 years and we locals always got a chuckle out of watching the tourists in shorts and tee shirts shivering in the fog as they waited in line for the cable cars.

You are unlikely to run into any road closures before mid October, but it is always possible to run into freak storms and temporary closures in the high Sierra.

James


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## swarfrat (Apr 25, 2011)

FryBoy said:


> .... Spring is nice, too...
> ...Re: tk59's suggestion -- if you want to see the mountains, consider the eastern side of the Sierras, especially Mammoth, June lake, Tahoe, etc.



Heh, heh, here's what spring in Mammoth looked like yesterday morning: :biggrin:









oivind_dahle said:


> ...Ive heard roomers that the roads are closed during winter/spring and fall too?...



Most of the passes though the Sierra Nevada stay closed until late spring. So if you wanted to go from Yosemite or Sequoia to Death Valley or Vegas you'd need to go the long way around.

The north route by Tahoe gets insane amounts of snow, but they have equally insane snow clearing capability so it's only closed during the worst winter storms, then opens immediately.

Fall isn't a problem.




FryBoy said:


> ...BTW, I recently saw something on TV about a major slide on Highway 1 that closed the road someplace around Big Sur. It looked like it would take months to repair. Check before you go.



Yeah, but that doesn't happen very often. This is the worst one in years. Even so, it isn't difficult to go around. 

I wouldn't worry too much about it.



sr


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## mhlee (Apr 25, 2011)

jheis said:


> I'll second FryBoy's recommendation. Early fall is the best time to visit California. Kids are back in school, so the crowds and traffic in the spots you'd like to visit will be down.
> 
> Summer along the west coast can be foggy and cold.
> 
> ...


 
I also think early Fall is best, followed by late Spring. However, if you're going to go through wine country, early Fall can be frustrating because of harvest. Many hotels are booked well in advance, and those that aren't, are expensive. 

Definitely forget summer. It's way too crowded to go to the national parks or other major sites during the summer because of crowds. 

If you're going to be traveling through LA on the freeways, go either really early in the mornings (before 6), mid day, or after 7 p.m. to avoid traffic.


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## SpikeC (Apr 25, 2011)

Fall is the best time in Oregon as well. When school starts back up the weather gets great! The coast is crowded before then as well.


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