LAX to SFO - LotusTalk

masheen · 04-09-2007, 03:37 PM

i have a visitor from overseas coming in july and staying at least for a month. we are planning to visit both the east coast and the west coast during this time.

for the first trip, i am thinking about us flying from detroit to LA, renting a fun car there and driving to san francisco along the coast, and then flying from there back to detroit.

this seems doable, but i am running into some concerns. one is that booking each flight separately, involving these three cities, on one of those travel websites, ends up costing much more than a simple return flight involving any two of those cities.

the second difficulty is finding a fun car to rent. for example, i did some quick searches and had no luck finding any manual tranmission cars. also, the categories that would seem likely to have a fun car often don't have anything that i'd like to drive. i did find a miata in couple of cases, which would be perfect, but no manual and at quite a premium over other cars. further, it usually seems like there is no guarantee that the selected car will be the one that we actually get - there is often "or similar" note below it.

any advice for me?

knucklehead · 04-09-2007, 03:46 PM

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/show...terprise+Elise

But make sure you point out ALL the problems with the car prior to taking the car out of the parking lot.

Highway 1 is an awesome road for a Lotus. Add in a short canyon drive in Malibu and you'll never forget the drive.

Have fun,
Jacob

MattG · 04-09-2007, 04:50 PM

You could try Budget in Beverly Hills (http://www.budgetbeverlyhills.com), but I think for a 'fun' car your best chances are to drive it roundtrip rather than one way to SFO. If you take the quick way from San Francisco to LA, you're only talking about a 6-7 hour drive, just a bit more if you take the more scenic hwy 101.

masheen · 04-10-2007, 08:59 AM

thanks for the leads.

it doesn't have to be an elise. a miata would do fine too and i would hope it wouldn't demand as much of a premium.

woetra · 04-11-2007, 07:18 AM

Will you be looking for someone to drive the rental back to LA for you?

Say yes, say yes, say yes.

masheen · 06-04-2007, 12:08 PM

i expect i'll be able to arrange the flight and car to my liking.

i am thinking about doing this in the first or second week of august. one week and weekends on each end = 9 days.

we will be flying in and out of SF. we will be driving down highway 1 to LA and up highway 5 back to SF. staying 2 days in SF with friends on the way in, and 1 day on the way out. the rest is going to be a spontaneous road trip - staying along the way where we feel like, with possible detours.

but since i will be in the area, i am willing to do a little bit of planning to hit couple of must-see things. i haven't done much looking into this, but i already know i will ensure stops in napa and monterey.

i am not interested in resorts, shopping, ... or even land-marks. i'd like to experience the places and their people. experience = see, hear, touch, smell, taste, move, talk, feel ...

what places or events do you recommend?

can i get by without booking rooms ahead of time?

Rat27 · 06-04-2007, 12:19 PM

I'll admit a bias upfront - I don't like the LA area. (Flame suit on.)

I wouldn't go south of San Luis Obispo. I'd use the time you were planning to spend in LA to go east to Yosemite or spend more time in Napa or Sonoma.

The area from San Luis Obispo to Monterey has some great roads and scenery. Yosemite is like no where else on earth. It's a long way, but worth the drive in my opinion. The area north of San Francisco also has some great roads and scenery.

So unless there's something in particular you want to see in LA, don't do it!

MattG · 06-04-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masheen

but since i will be in the area, i am willing to do a little bit of planning to hit couple of must-see things. i haven't done much looking into this, but i already know i will ensure stops in napa and monterey.

i am not interested in resorts, shopping, ... or even land-marks. i'd like to experience the places and their people. experience = see, hear, touch, smell, taste, move, talk, feel ...

what places or events do you recommend?

can i get by without booking rooms ahead of time?

Since you're talking about an August trip, you might want to schedule it around the festivities in Monterey around August 16-19. Concorso Italiano is just one of the many car events that weekend and one of my favorites.

I'd recommend booking rooms ahead of time for the more popular tourist destinations like Napa and Monterey.

JLSELISE · 06-04-2007, 12:24 PM

The biggest automotive weekend on the West Coast (and perhaps in the country) is the Monetrey Historics. Official events start Friday, August 17 with track activities at Laguna Seca and many other shows/auctions in the Monterey area all weekend. Local accommodations are very hard to come by, but if you are willing to do a little driving it shouldn't be too hard to find something in the nearby towns.

fitfan · 06-04-2007, 12:31 PM

hertz typically has C6 vetts at most airports, along with some other cool cars here and there - give em a call and see what they got. i got a crossfire last time i was up in N.H. jsut because they were low on small cars and i tend to run over and hit things in big cars so i don't rent them

anyways - the crossfire was fun as far as rentals go. Hertz will have something fun for you.

fitfan · 06-04-2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masheen

can i get by without booking rooms ahead of time?

allways book rooms ahead of time unless you like paying too much for a dump.

Randy Chase · 06-04-2007, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rat27

I'll admit a bias upfront - I don't like the LA area. (Flame suit on.)

I wouldn't go south of San Luis Obispo. I'd use the time you were planning to spend in LA to go east to Yosemite or spend more time in Napa or Sonoma.

The area from San Luis Obispo to Monterey has some great roads and scenery. Yosemite is like no where else on earth. It's a long way, but worth the drive in my opinion. The area north of San Francisco also has some great roads and scenery.

So unless there's something in particular you want to see in LA, don't do it!

I like LA and I would second your recommendation. Drive south to SLO and then head northeast on 41 to and through Yosemite and then north on Highway 49 through the scenic gold rush country. You can make a nice loop that way.

masheen · 06-04-2007, 05:49 PM

whether i like it or not, LA seems to me important enough to visit once. i wasn't planning on spending much time there. i could still do yosemite - i've got lots of time.

masheen · 06-04-2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattG

Since you're talking about an August trip, you might want to schedule it around the festivities in Monterey around August 16-19.

my friend is leaving the country on the 17th and we need to be back at least couple of days before that. but yes, that would have been a nice feature. i was going to look up the dates for that event hoping that maybe the dates would work out - they almost did.

masheen · 06-04-2007, 05:55 PM

i was even contemplating doing a track event in the area.

codymac · 06-04-2007, 06:28 PM

Get him something he'd never drive overseas - a Mustang convertible for example. I mean, for a coastal drive in the States? Bonus is they're cheap and easy to come by from the rental outfits.

SF? C'mon! ANY rental car is a FUN CAR in SF! If it's not, you're not getting all four off the ground! (Bonus for a CA plate on the rental.)

masheen · 06-04-2007, 10:40 PM

it's a she. doesn't have a driver's licence. i'll be driving. miata is as close to an elise as i am willing and able to find to rent.

codymac · 06-04-2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masheen

it's a she. doesn't have a driver's licence. i'll be driving. miata is as close to an elise as i am willing and able to find to rent.

Well... that certainly changes everything, especially my theory about:

"We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, laughers, screamers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls."

masheen · 06-05-2007, 10:54 AM

yes, especially that kind of theory. i am having trouble dispelling her prejudices on some related subjects. she is a medical student, so one would hope for a certain dose of objectivity, but it this case it's quite the opposite - she has been influenced by (non-american) cultural propaganda strengthened with a dose of (non-american) medical authority.

and now i have one reason to hope that this thread dies and is never revisted.

masheen · 06-06-2007, 09:26 PM

a very tentative itinerary:

night 0: flying into san francisco (may instead fly-in next AM)
night 1: san francisco
night 2: sacramento
night 3: monterey
night 4: san lui obispo
night 5: los angeles
night 6: san diego
night 7: bakersfield
night 8: yosemite
night 9: flight back leaves from san francisco

about 1400 miles of driving in total
about 175 miles per day on average

looks like it's going to happen at the end of july.

04-09-2007, 03:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	best way to get a fun rental from LAX to SFO? i have a visitor from overseas coming in july and staying at least for a month. we are planning to visit both the east coast and the west coast during this time. for the first trip, i am thinking about us flying from detroit to LA, renting a fun car there and driving to san francisco along the coast, and then flying from there back to detroit. this seems doable, but i am running into some concerns. one is that booking each flight separately, involving these three cities, on one of those travel websites, ends up costing much more than a simple return flight involving any two of those cities. the second difficulty is finding a fun car to rent. for example, i did some quick searches and had no luck finding any manual tranmission cars. also, the categories that would seem likely to have a fun car often don't have anything that i'd like to drive. i did find a miata in couple of cases, which would be perfect, but no manual and at quite a premium over other cars. further, it usually seems like there is no guarantee that the selected car will be the one that we actually get - there is often "or similar" note below it. any advice for me? Last edited by masheen : 04-10-2007 at 08:55 AM.

04-09-2007, 04:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	You could try Budget in Beverly Hills (http://www.budgetbeverlyhills.com), but I think for a 'fun' car your best chances are to drive it roundtrip rather than one way to SFO. If you take the quick way from San Francisco to LA, you're only talking about a 6-7 hour drive, just a bit more if you take the more scenic hwy 101. __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

04-11-2007, 07:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
woetra Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Walnut Creek Posts: 92	Will you be looking for someone to drive the rental back to LA for you? Say yes, say yes, say yes. __________________ 05 Elise 4,100 miles - scraped hole in front clamshell 6,500 miles - garage door closed on rear clamshell 6,900 miles - AC failed 9,000 miles - front wheel arch liner fell out 9,950 miles - right inner tail lamp fell out It's an entropy thing

06-04-2007, 12:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	i expect i'll be able to arrange the flight and car to my liking. i am thinking about doing this in the first or second week of august. one week and weekends on each end = 9 days. we will be flying in and out of SF. we will be driving down highway 1 to LA and up highway 5 back to SF. staying 2 days in SF with friends on the way in, and 1 day on the way out. the rest is going to be a spontaneous road trip - staying along the way where we feel like, with possible detours. but since i will be in the area, i am willing to do a little bit of planning to hit couple of must-see things. i haven't done much looking into this, but i already know i will ensure stops in napa and monterey. i am not interested in resorts, shopping, ... or even land-marks. i'd like to experience the places and their people. experience = see, hear, touch, smell, taste, move, talk, feel ... what places or events do you recommend? can i get by without booking rooms ahead of time? Last edited by masheen : 06-04-2007 at 12:17 PM.

06-04-2007, 12:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
JLSELISE Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Livermore, CA Posts: 489	The biggest automotive weekend on the West Coast (and perhaps in the country) is the Monetrey Historics. Official events start Friday, August 17 with track activities at Laguna Seca and many other shows/auctions in the Monterey area all weekend. Local accommodations are very hard to come by, but if you are willing to do a little driving it shouldn't be too hard to find something in the nearby towns. __________________ Joel '67 S3 Elan dhc (owned since 1970) '06 Audi A3 3.2 '04 Noble M12 (380 rwhp)

04-09-2007, 03:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
knucklehead TWRD & Blip advertising Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Marina del Rey, CA Posts: 3,838	http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/show...terprise+Elise But make sure you point out ALL the problems with the car prior to taking the car out of the parking lot. Highway 1 is an awesome road for a Lotus. Add in a short canyon drive in Malibu and you'll never forget the drive. Have fun, Jacob

04-10-2007, 08:59 AM	#4 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	thanks for the leads. it doesn't have to be an elise. a miata would do fine too and i would hope it wouldn't demand as much of a premium.

06-04-2007, 12:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Rat27 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 424	I'll admit a bias upfront - I don't like the LA area. (Flame suit on.) I wouldn't go south of San Luis Obispo. I'd use the time you were planning to spend in LA to go east to Yosemite or spend more time in Napa or Sonoma. The area from San Luis Obispo to Monterey has some great roads and scenery. Yosemite is like no where else on earth. It's a long way, but worth the drive in my opinion. The area north of San Francisco also has some great roads and scenery. So unless there's something in particular you want to see in LA, don't do it!

06-04-2007, 12:31 PM	#10 (permalink)
fitfan Regurgitated User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Diego! Posts: 4,095	hertz typically has C6 vetts at most airports, along with some other cool cars here and there - give em a call and see what they got. i got a crossfire last time i was up in N.H. jsut because they were low on small cars and i tend to run over and hit things in big cars so i don't rent them anyways - the crossfire was fun as far as rentals go. Hertz will have something fun for you. __________________ Driving it around!

06-04-2007, 05:49 PM	#13 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	whether i like it or not, LA seems to me important enough to visit once. i wasn't planning on spending much time there. i could still do yosemite - i've got lots of time. Last edited by masheen : 06-04-2007 at 05:56 PM.

06-04-2007, 05:55 PM	#15 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	i was even contemplating doing a track event in the area.

06-04-2007, 06:28 PM	#16 (permalink)
codymac short angry bloke Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: where the east tapers out and the west begins Posts: 9,260 Images: 19	Get him something he'd never drive overseas - a Mustang convertible for example. I mean, for a coastal drive in the States? Bonus is they're cheap and easy to come by from the rental outfits. SF? C'mon! ANY rental car is a FUN CAR in SF! If it's not, you're not getting all four off the ground! (Bonus for a CA plate on the rental.) __________________ torque (tôrk) n. - an excuse for the lack of momentum. - let's bring back CanAm & Group B! - have you hugged your Exige today? I'm currently working on my performance driving merit badge. There's always somebody faster, sometimes it's me.

06-04-2007, 10:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	it's a she. doesn't have a driver's licence. i'll be driving. miata is as close to an elise as i am willing and able to find to rent.

06-05-2007, 10:54 AM	#19 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	yes, especially that kind of theory. i am having trouble dispelling her prejudices on some related subjects. she is a medical student, so one would hope for a certain dose of objectivity, but it this case it's quite the opposite - she has been influenced by (non-american) cultural propaganda strengthened with a dose of (non-american) medical authority. and now i have one reason to hope that this thread dies and is never revisted.

06-06-2007, 09:26 PM	#20 (permalink)
masheen Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 723	a very tentative itinerary: night 0: flying into san francisco (may instead fly-in next AM) night 1: san francisco night 2: sacramento night 3: monterey night 4: san lui obispo night 5: los angeles night 6: san diego night 7: bakersfield night 8: yosemite night 9: flight back leaves from san francisco about 1400 miles of driving in total about 175 miles per day on average looks like it's going to happen at the end of july.

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