THE 10 BEST THINGS TO DO ON THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES

The United States West Coast hide real wonders, from movie tickets or amazing scenic roads, to ghost towns or huge interesting cities. And is that the West Coast of the United States is one of the roadtrip We most enjoy all our trips. But, of all these places to visit, which are the best?

In this post we will try to help you when deciding the stops and we will tell you what they are for us, the 10 best things to do on the West Coast of the United States, our top10.

When you see so many photos of a site you run the risk that when you arrive, you will be disappointed or it seems that you already know it. In the Grand Canyon this risk is minimized, for how many times you have seen it through a screen, the emotion of being face to face with it is incomparable with anything else.

We recommend you to visit it throughout an entire day: there are many viewpoints where to stand and a few great trails to walk with the canyon at our side. Although for us, it is best to stay to watch the sunset, it was certainly one of the prettiest we ever lived.

And, of course, if you have the opportunity to fly over it ... do not hesitate 🙂 the tours are expensive (here is an example), but it is one of this expense that is well worth doing once in a lifetime.

→ All you have to know about the Grand Canyon

It can also happen that, when you see a photo, a place seems beautiful to you, but nothing from the other world, and when you finally know it ... Zas! It is a pasote! It's what happened to us at the Horseshoe Bend, a horse-drawn Colorado River meander that is going to steal a little piece of traveling heart.

And speaking from the heart, if you suffer from vertigo prepare yourself to the occasional accusation, because it is much higher than you can imagine.

→ Everything you need to know about Horseshoe Bend

The Death Valley surprised us greatly, when planning the route we had read in more than one blog that the place was not so much. Well, for us it was one of the best things to see on the West Coast, and this park is not only one of the hottest points (ha, hot says, hot!) On earth, but it is a continuum change of landscapes and colors: salt, mountains, deserts and panoramas that take away the hiccups.

Of course, do not even think about going without liters and liters of water: with the calorazo you sweat ... without even realizing it and dehydration is a real risk.

→ All you have to know about Death Valley

It was one of the National Parks that made us more excited to visit and did not disappoint us at all. Moreover, reality exceeded expectations. There are many viewpoints that are easily accessible from the road and others that need small trekkings. From them you can see these natural arches, so beautiful and perfect that they seem to have been sculpted. But gentlemen, nature is the best artist on the planet!

→ All you have to know about Arches

If in the Grand Canyon we live from one of the best sunsets ever, the sunrise we enjoy in Monument Valley competes very seriously for "the moment of travel." Walking that panoramic road and go through the same point where Forrest Gump decided to go home, it was a dream.

Although we left with a thorn stuck, we decided not to enter the park, we went with a small car and read many comments about the poor condition of the roads and the real risk of getting stuck in the sand. Luckily we also enjoy these incredible landscapes, their colors and the viewpoints. We will be back.

→ All you have to know about Monument Valley

It is one of the best organized and easy to visit parks, thanks especially to the many comfortable viewpoints that are right next to the road. The most striking thing about the park is, without a doubt, its curious rock formations in the form of a fairy chimney.

We made the mistake of not spending an entire day, and we didn't have time to enjoy (or suffer) from any trekking. Don't do like us!

→ All you have to know about Bryce

It was the first National Park we visited on the West Coast and is a perfect snack if you feel like landscaping and adventure. Waterfalls, viewpoints, lakes, mountains, granite cliffs and some other hairy surprise await you (we saw only deer but Yosemite is also home to bears, hopefully you are lucky and can see them, being sheltered, of course).

If you have the opportunity to sleep in one of the park's campsites, do not hesitate for a second: it has to be an unforgettable experience!

→ All you have to know about Yosemite

We have to be honest, for this park we did not give a hard one, we thought that the giant sequoia trees were not going to be so much, simple big trees. We could not be more wrong! The redwoods of this part are the largest trees in the world, and next to them you will feel like a repentant ant for not having valued them enough.

Here you can see General Grant, a sequoia of 81 meters high, 12 wide and with an age of 1700 years ... almost nothing! But it is not the only attraction, there are other ancient trees scattered throughout the park, and at the end of the visit a tremendous surprise awaits you: the Moro Rock viewpoint, more than 2,000 meters and with a 360 degree panoramic view! Besides walking through the park has a special charm, be sure to visit it.

→ All you have to know about Secuoia

Those who know us know that one of the trips we remember most affectionately was to tour Route 66 in a motorhome. And yes, it leaves from Chicago, but what if you only do a stretch? If you are making a route by car along the West Coast of the United States you can join the last two stages of Route 66: the one that goes from Flagstaff to Kingman and the last one from there to the port of Santa Monica, in Los Angeles.

Motels and diners await you that seem to come out of the '50s and the occasional geek attraction and rare weird characters ... you'll see 😉

→ All about the stage from Flagstaff to Kingman

→ All about the Kingman stage to Santa Monica

→ Tips for doing Route 66

If you are an urban like us, we are sure that you will love to include the 3 most emblematic cities of the West Coast, each with its attractiveness.

The Angels, with which it was not love at first sight, has a few places that make you forgive all your sins. We talked about Venice Beach, with its channels and picturesque characters, Universal Studios, where you will be a child again for a few hours, and the Griffith Observatory, with the best panorama of the city.

San FranciscoInstead, he immediately went to the list of our favorite cities in the United States (and we know that we are the only ones). Explore their neighborhoods (they are many and very different between them), visit Alcatraz and fall in love with their Golden Gate.

And what about Las Vegas? We were convinced that we would not like it at all, but apparently we are more geeks than we thought and in the most fake city in the world, we had a great time!

→ What to see and do in Los Angeles

→ What to see and do in San Francisco

→ What to see and do in Las Vegas

And of course, if you have time, do not forget to know other wonderful places on the West Coast! In this post we have focused on the "classic" trip, with its national parks and legendary corners ... but the West Coast is much more: this year we made a roadtrip from Seattle to San Francisco and it was ... wait for it ... LEGENDARY! Here we tell you 🙂

We know that when you start organizing such a trip, the information is very many and it is difficult to choose the essential stops. We hope that we have been able to clarify a little things with this list of which, for us, are Top 10 things to do on the West Coast of the United States.

Video: 10 Things to Do on the West Coast of USA (April 2024).