Road Trip Planned

[roadtripstuff]

Ok so after a month or so of going back and forth we finally got our road trip plans nailed down. Below is a list of the courses we plan on playing with the city and state. We will be leaving Columbus, OH on Dec. 29th and returning on Jan. 21st. What I wanted to know is basically what everyone thinks of the list. Am I missing any must plays along the way? Any advice on a particular courses. Thanks ahead of time, and thanks to those that reviewed these and all the other courses, it really helped me make some of my decisions.

San Antonio, TX - McClain Park
Tucson, AZ - Marana Rock DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Vista Del Mar DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Mouer Park
Flagstaff, AZ - Thorpe Park
Las Vegas, NV - Sunset Park
Yucaipa, CA - Yucaipa Regional Park DGC
Los Angeles, CA - Chavez Ridge
Pasadena, CA - Oak Grove DGC
Sylmar, CA - Veterans Park DGC
Ventura, CA - Coyote Point DGC
Santa Cruz, CA - DeLaveaga Park
Felton, CA - Black Mouse DGC
San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park
Albuquerque, NM - Brent Baca Memorial
Amarillo, TX - Thompson Park

[wolito]

Enjoy your trip! I have played most all courses in Phoenix and Flagstaff as well as Thompson in Amarillo. You could read my reviews on the courses. In Flagstaff, Thorpe park is awesome. Also consider MacPherson park which is about 2 miles away. Even better veiws of the mountians and a couple of holes where you can just bomb it downhill. MacPherson might actually be a little better in my view. Steer clear of NUA in Flagstaff as it is a temporary course not up to par yet. I live in Phoenix and I feel your choices are kind of slim. Mouer is a cacaphony of holes, with dirt teepads and definate navigation issues on the back 9. If there is a map, you want to print that. There is some blind throws which add to the challenge. Vista Del Camino (Shelly Sharpe) is average. Water holes here. In a park setting. Multiple pins. Lacks elevation and "trees". Vista is a popular course and tournaments are played on it. Buffalo Ridge is a good desert/mounitan course. Lots of uphill and downhill shots. A little worn around the edges. Conocido Park is a hybrid 18 that is also very popular. In summary, I might change Mouer for Buffalo Ridge, just my opinion. Thompsom Park in Amarillo is a solid all around course. Some water, some trees, and elevation changes. You should enjoy it. Have a good trip.

[prerube]

I am freakin' jealous. I am free from December 12 to Jan 2, so I will have to do a road trip of my own.

Anyone know how Kentucky is that time of year? (but idlewild will be down, maybe I'll try the Carolinas)

[Ventura_Tom]

I would substitute La Mirada (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=252) for Chavez Ridge.

[zenbot]

Ok so after a month or so of going back and forth we finally got our road trip plans nailed down. Below is a list of the courses we plan on playing with the city and state. We will be leaving Columbus, OH on Dec. 29th and returning on Jan. 21st. What I wanted to know is basically what everyone thinks of the list. Am I missing any must plays along the way? Any advice on a particular courses. Thanks ahead of time, and thanks to those that reviewed these and all the other courses, it really helped me make some of my decisions.

San Antonio, TX - McClain Park
Tucson, AZ - Marana Rock DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Vista Del Mar DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Mouer Park
Flagstaff, AZ - Thorpe Park
Las Vegas, NV - Sunset Park
Yucaipa, CA - Yucaipa Regional Park DGC
Los Angeles, CA - Chavez Ridge
Pasadena, CA - Oak Grove DGC
Sylmar, CA - Veterans Park DGC
Ventura, CA - Coyote Point DGC
Santa Cruz, CA - DeLaveaga Park
Felton, CA - Black Mouse DGC
San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park
Albuquerque, NM - Brent Baca Memorial
Amarillo, TX - Thompson Park
Let me know when you hit up Ventura. I'll try to meet up with you. It will save you some money if you get someone with a lake pass to drive you in. Otherwise they charge by the car.

[roadtripstuff]

Enjoy your trip! I have played most all courses in Phoenix and Flagstaff as well as Thompson in Amarillo. You could read my reviews on the courses. In Flagstaff, Thorpe park is awesome. Also consider MacPherson park which is about 2 miles away. Even better veiws of the mountians and a couple of holes where you can just bomb it downhill. MacPherson might actually be a little better in my view. Steer clear of NUA in Flagstaff as it is a temporary course not up to par yet. I live in Phoenix and I feel your choices are kind of slim. Mouer is a cacaphony of holes, with dirt teepads and definate navigation issues on the back 9. If there is a map, you want to print that. There is some blind throws which add to the challenge. Vista Del Camino (Shelly Sharpe) is average. Water holes here. In a park setting. Multiple pins. Lacks elevation and "trees". Vista is a popular course and tournaments are played on it. Buffalo Ridge is a good desert/mounitan course. Lots of uphill and downhill shots. A little worn around the edges. Conocido Park is a hybrid 18 that is also very popular. In summary, I might change Mouer for Buffalo Ridge, just my opinion. Thompsom Park in Amarillo is a solid all around course. Some water, some trees, and elevation changes. You should enjoy it. Have a good trip.

I have played Mouer before, but haven't played vista. We kinda chose these based on their location to that of the airport, we will be picking up a friend that is flying out to meet us for a few days. Once we get the flight info down we may have more time and we will check out buffalo ridge instead. We will probably go head and check out McPherson as well. Thanks for the info. I love flagstaff so adding another course there would be great.

[roadtripstuff]

Let me know when you hit up Ventura. I'll try to meet up with you. It will save you some money if you get someone with a lake pass to drive you in. Otherwise they charge by the car.

Hey thanks man, that would be awesome. My friends and I were out there and played it once before. Due to time restraints we didn't even get to play all of the wholes, but the price was still worth this amazing course, but having someone with a pass and someone that knows the course would be great. I will definitely hit you up when we are heading up that way so we can meet and throw a round. We are planning on camping at Point Mugu the night before and heading up late morning to mid-afternoon. This is probably the course that I am most looking forward to playing again.

[roadtripstuff]

I am freakin' jealous. I am free from December 12 to Jan 2, so I will have to do a road trip of my own.

Anyone know how Kentucky is that time of year? (but idlewild will be down, maybe I'll try the Carolinas)

Kentucky might still be a little cold and maybe even some snow that time of year. The Carolinas would be better, and if you are up for going just a bit further the IDGC in Appling, GA is great, they have three courses on location, and they are suppose to be working on more, the weather might be a little chilly still, but the likelihood of snow is pretty low.

[zenbot]

Hey thanks man, that would be awesome. My friends and I were out there and played it once before. Due to time restraints we didn't even get to play all of the wholes, but the price was still worth this amazing course, but having someone with a pass and someone that knows the course would be great. I will definitely hit you up when we are heading up that way so we can meet and throw a round. We are planning on camping at Point Mugu the night before and heading up late morning to mid-afternoon. This is probably the course that I am most looking forward to playing again.
There's a course at the Point Mugu base too.

[rybob42]

Ok so after a month or so of going back and forth we finally got our road trip plans nailed down. Below is a list of the courses we plan on playing with the city and state. We will be leaving Columbus, OH on Dec. 29th and returning on Jan. 21st. What I wanted to know is basically what everyone thinks of the list. Am I missing any must plays along the way? Any advice on a particular courses. Thanks ahead of time, and thanks to those that reviewed these and all the other courses, it really helped me make some of my decisions.

San Antonio, TX - McClain Park
Tucson, AZ - Marana Rock DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Vista Del Mar DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Mouer Park
Flagstaff, AZ - Thorpe Park
Las Vegas, NV - Sunset Park
Yucaipa, CA - Yucaipa Regional Park DGC
Los Angeles, CA - Chavez Ridge
Pasadena, CA - Oak Grove DGC
Sylmar, CA - Veterans Park DGC
Ventura, CA - Coyote Point DGC
Santa Cruz, CA - DeLaveaga Park
Felton, CA - Black Mouse DGC
San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park
Albuquerque, NM - Brent Baca Memorial
Amarillo, TX - Thompson Park

If you're looking to spend a little more time in Vegas, try Mountain Crest (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=316) or Red Ridge (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=3337). Mountain Crest uses its elevation well but has some short holes. Red Ridge is like a ball golf course: flat, long and narrow fairways with lots of OB.

[roadtripstuff]

If you're looking to spend a little more time in Vegas, try Mountain Crest (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=316) or Red Ridge (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=3337). Mountain Crest uses its elevation well but has some short holes. Red Ridge is like a ball golf course: flat, long and narrow fairways with lots of OB.

Well we have two days, and three nights in Vegas. We are planning on renting a boat at either Lake Meade or the Black Canyon for part of the day one day, and getting sloppy drunk and throwing some of our money away the rest of the time.:D

[roadtripstuff]

Another question I have, for anyone from Texas or familiar with the area, does anyone know a nice place to camp around San Antonio. The plan is to go check out the riverwalk and alamo in the morning and then throw a round at Mcclain. The next day we will be heading to Big Bend National Park, so something between the two would be ideal.

[solomon.trenton]

Ok so after a month or so of going back and forth we finally got our road trip plans nailed down. Below is a list of the courses we plan on playing with the city and state. We will be leaving Columbus, OH on Dec. 29th and returning on Jan. 21st. What I wanted to know is basically what everyone thinks of the list. Am I missing any must plays along the way? Any advice on a particular courses. Thanks ahead of time, and thanks to those that reviewed these and all the other courses, it really helped me make some of my decisions.

San Antonio, TX - McClain Park
Tucson, AZ - Marana Rock DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Vista Del Mar DGC
Phoenix, AZ - Mouer Park
Flagstaff, AZ - Thorpe Park
Las Vegas, NV - Sunset Park
Yucaipa, CA - Yucaipa Regional Park DGC
Los Angeles, CA - Chavez Ridge
Pasadena, CA - Oak Grove DGC
Sylmar, CA - Veterans Park DGC
Ventura, CA - Coyote Point DGC
Santa Cruz, CA - DeLaveaga Park
Felton, CA - Black Mouse DGC
San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park
Albuquerque, NM - Brent Baca Memorial
Amarillo, TX - Thompson Park

that is a pretty impressive list. i cant wait to read the reviews.

[roadtripstuff]

that is a pretty impressive list. i cant wait to read the reviews.

I am really hoping that we can get all of them in. There are a couple more that aren't on the list that we might also play if we have time, and or feel up to it.

McPherson Park - Flagstaff, AZ
Morley - San Diego, CA
La Mirada - La Mirada, CA
Stafford Lake - Novato, CA

We have a lot of other stuff that we are going to see and do, and while I love disc golf I don't want to spend the entire time throwing or we would definitely get all of them in. Some of the courses were based on their proximity to other attractions and stops along the way, but if there is a must play that might take us out of the way I would be willing to do that for the right course.

[John Rock]

Hit me up when you pass through Amarillo. I might be able to show you the course if work allows. There are a few camping areas around here if you're looking for economy, with Palo Duro Canyon probably being the premier. We could maybe set you up with some yard space if you'ld like to camp near the course (1.5 miles away).

Is there a particular reason that you chose to visit "The Baca" when you're in Albuquerque?

[DSCJNKY]

Stafford Lake!!! Stafford Lake!!! Stafford Lake!!!

IT IS THE BEST course in CA. And I'm not from there... so there's no bias. I'm from LA... went to school in Humboldt... and played almost every course in between. Stafford is Tops.

I've played a lot of the courses you're going to and others in regions you're planning to go to... I do have other suggestions but respect your right to plan your own trip. PM me if you want to know more though.
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

Hit me up when you pass through Amarillo. I might be able to show you the course if work allows. There are a few camping areas around here if you're looking for economy, with Palo Duro Canyon probably being the premier. We could maybe set you up with some yard space if you'ld like to camp near the course (1.5 miles away).

Is there a particular reason that you chose to visit "The Baca" when you're in Albuquerque?

Right now we aren't planning staying overnight in Amarillo, but a guide for the course would be awesome. No particular reason for picking Baca, just from the pics and reviews, if there is something better by all means let me know.

[roadtripstuff]

Stafford Lake!!! Stafford Lake!!! Stafford Lake!!!

IT IS THE BEST course in CA. And I'm not from there... so there's no bias. I'm from LA... went to school in Humboldt... and played almost every course in between. Stafford is Tops.

I've played a lot of the courses you're going to and others in regions you're planning to go to... I do have other suggestions but respect your right to plan your own trip. PM me if you want to know more though.
DSCJNKY

I really want to get up and play Stafford, the time restrictions are the only thing keeping that one off the definite list. I would love some advice on any courses in any area we will be in. I have played La Mirada though, a couple people have mentioned that, so we decided to go with some other courses, and even though I might get some hear for this, I wasn't that impressed with it. Most of the courses, well from the ones that I haven't played were chosen by the pics and reviews on here so like I said any info would help out.

[John Rock]

"The Baca" is an OK course in a not-so-OK area. I have a deep respect for it since it is named to honor a long-time Albq. player, Brent Baca (who passed away 4 years ago). The course plays around an arroyo that is usually dry and provides for several cool hole positions. The rest of the course is basically flat, very few trees, and with lots (I mean LOTS!) of low desert vegatation. On many holes you really need to have one of the group go ahead to spot because of the overgrowth of weeds. It can take a long time to search for discs after each throw that will suck the enjoyment out of the round. Also, you need to pay attention to the weather, not just where you are but also look to the mountains. If it's raining up in the hills it can flood the arroyo in a matter of minutes so you DO NOT want to be on the wrong side of the arroyo when it comes.

If you're playing an event there or just looking to add to your "courses played" list, it's worth playing.

Now on the other hand, if you're looking for the best in the area, Roosevelt Park is the one to play. Only a few blocks away from the University of New Mexico, this course is small but very pretty. Hilly, lots of huge trees, nice grass, and recently rennovated, this is the one to play if you're limited on time. It's only 9 holes but the locals have several challenging variations that they are happy to share with visitors. Try to play early in the day as it's much less crowded.

[Peterb]

I'm an SF local and I would say that if you had to choose between Stafford and Golden Gate Park, Stafford is the one to play.

However, having a course in SF is killer, since you'll be right in the city. Bottom line, don't miss Stafford...especially the moist-T on 6. Best shot in Cali at the moment.

[roadtripstuff]

I'm an SF local and I would say that if you had to choose between Stafford and Golden Gate Park, Stafford is the one to play.

However, having a course in SF is killer, since you'll be right in the city. Bottom line, don't miss Stafford...especially the moist-T on 6. Best shot in Cali at the moment.

The decision behind golden gate was more of a time thing. We are planning on seeing and doing a lot of other things while in the SF area as well, one of them was probably going to the park anyway, so playing this course was sort of a gimme. How long of a drive is it to get to Stafford from San Francisco?

[swatso]

I was in NorCal for two weeks this summer, and played eleven courses while there.

DeLaveaga is certainly worth a visit.

While Black Mouse is unusual, playing amongst the redwoods, it is difficult for a first-time visitor to navigate, and the potential to lose a disc is moderate.

I enjoyed Hellyer Park and Parque De La Raza, two nine-holers near San Jose and only a few minutes apart, more than Black Mouse.

Moraga Commons, if in the vicinity, is fun.

Stafford is practically a must-play if in the area - I enjoyed it a bit more the DeLa, but both are great courses.

[roadtripstuff]

Stafford is practically a must-play if in the area - I enjoyed it a bit more the DeLa, but both are great courses.

Sounds like I need to make time to play Stafford. We have a lot of things that we want to see and do in SF, any suggestions of things to skip. I hear that a lot of things are real tourist traps which we would like to avoid as much as possible. I have been to Socal a couple times, but this will be my first trip into the northern part so any advice about the area would be great, esp SF.

[DSCJNKY]

SF is a pain in the ass to drive in. Do you have a GPS?
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

SF is a pain in the ass to drive in. Do you have a GPS?
DSCJNKY

No, but I may get one, but I have looked at a map of the city for quite sometime now and I kind of have a photographic memory when it comes to maps and directions. I successfully navigated Los Angeles and the surrounding areas without one. Is it much worse than that?

[Huk Finn]

Exactly what he said about GPS, that course is deep in the city. Lots of one ways, aggressive driving etc..
PM me if you are interested in company at all. Stafford Lake is about SF for sure. Napa (Skyline Wilderness) is good too.
Santa Cruz for sure.
Awesome schedule you have!

[roadtripstuff]

Exactly what he said about GPS, that course is deep in the city. Lots of one ways, aggressive driving etc..
PM me if you are interested in company at all. Stafford Lake is about SF for sure. Napa (Skyline Wilderness) is good too.
Santa Cruz for sure.
Awesome schedule you have!

Playing with someone who knows the courses would be awesome, I will definitely let you know when we plan on coming, once we get thing narrowed down a little more and we have the dates nailed down.

[roadtripstuff]

So we've bee putting on the finishing touches on our trip, and I was at the website for the California State Parks, and what do I find? That they are now only taking reservations for 20 of their state parks. We had planned on staying at Point Mugu State Park on our way down the coast of Cali and it appears that it is in danger of being closed. Any folks out there have more info on this? Are they going to completely close all the parks but 20 or have major cutbacks? what is going on?

[Huk Finn]

I don't have a clue. I believe there is camping near the Stafford Lake course. Also in the Santa Cruz area...
Moylans Brewery and Restaraunt is mandatory after a long round at Stafford.
Great beer and food.
Real nice down to earth place.

[roadtripstuff]

I don't have a clue. I believe there is camping near the Stafford Lake course. Also in the Santa Cruz area...
Moylans Brewery and Restaraunt is mandatory after a long round at Stafford.
Great beer and food.
Real nice down to earth place.

Hey thanks I will see if I can find anything near stafford, that would be convenient. I did read a news story that they aren't going to permanently close any of the parks, but have some cutback, some parks will only be open during peak season, or on the weekends. Thats a real shame you guys have some really nice parks out there, hopefully some government big wig doesn't decide that selling off the land some of these parks are on would be more useful than the park.

[roadtripstuff]

There's a course at the Point Mugu base too.

Do you need to have an escort to play this course? I know of a course on an air force base in Florida that you have to know someone on the base to get into play.

[zenbot]

Do you need to have an escort to play this course? I know of a course on an air force base in Florida that you have to know someone on the base to get into play.
You do need to know somebody. Do I know somebody? Yes, I do.

If you're limited on time just play Coyote Point, though.

[roadtripstuff]

You do need to know somebody. Do I know somebody? Yes, I do.

If you're limited on time just play Coyote Point, though.

I will keep this course in mind if we end up with extra times while we are in the area. Although now we might not being staying at Point Mugu now since it may not be open when we are there. I hear there are going to be big cutback and possible closures. As it stands we can't make reservations the Cali parks system is only taking reservations for 20 parks. Anyway, thanks for the info.

[roadtripstuff]

Can anyone who lives near San Francisco, or who goes there often recommend any hotels in the area? I am having a hard time sorting through the thousands of choices that I have. We are going to be in the area for four days, we will be camping, most likely at Point Reyes for two days, but still need a hotel for the other two, any help would be appreciated.

[roadtripstuff]

So we were suppose to be leaving in a few days for our trip, but unfortunately we had to postpone the trip due to an illness in my family. We ended up having to push it back until May, but it also gave us more of the country to see and better weather. I know its a while in advance, but since the thread was already started and it takes a lot of time to plan such a road trip I figured I would hit you guys up again for some advice.

We will be leaving on May 4th and our return date is May 26th. We are planning on leaving and heading to Moab, UT.

May 4th & 5th - Arches NP & Canyonlands NP (Camping)
May 7th & 8th - Base Camp Adventure Lodge (probably most excited to play this course) (Staying at the Lodge)

May 9th - Page, AZ (Hotel)
May 10th - Las Vegas, NV (Hotel)

May 11th - Kings Canyon & Sequoia NP (Camping)

May 12th - 14th - Yosemite NP (Camping)
May 15th - 16th - Santa Cruz (DeLaveaga) & Big Sur Coast (Camping)

May 16th - 18th - Ventura, CA (Coyote Point) (Camping) (Also visiting Channel Islands NP)

May 18th - 21st - Los Angeles (Sylmar, Oak Grove, Chavez Ridge, La Mirada, Eldo, Sunrise?) (Hotels)

May 21st - 23rd - Las Vegas (Sunset Park) (Hotel)

May 23rd - 24th - Flagstaff (Thorpe, McPherson)

Basically I wanted to make sure I'm still not leaving out any must plays, and I see on the browser here that there are some course near the Kings Canyon Yosemite area and we will probably be able to hit up one or two, heading to and from Yosemite, any suggestions?

And of course we are also looking for course guides and cool people to throw with along the way, got my 2010 travel tag ready to go. Any info that you might have will be very helpful especially the courses, and any info on the National Parks that we will be visiting, haven't been to many of them yet and I am very excited. Well thanks guys, hopefully I will see some of you on the road.

[NothinButChing]

looks great .... gotta start planning our trip for the spring when my boy finished grad school

[DSCJNKY]

Basically I wanted to make sure I'm still not leaving out any must plays, and I see on the browser here that there are some course near the Kings Canyon Yosemite area and we will probably be able to hit up one or two, heading to and from Yosemite, any suggestions? .

Suggestions...
On the way into Yosemite, from Kings Canyon:
Fresno has a course that is alright... the best thing about it is it's easy to get to from the freeway so the road trip isn't delayed by driving around. And, there are two nice 9 hole disc golf courses that are close together and a little north of Fresno but on the way to Yosemite (Eastman Lake and Hensley Lake). I had a good time there.


On the way to Santa Cruz from Yosemite:
I would go north out of the park and take 120 up to the 4 (if memory serves)and make your way over to New Hogan Dam and the drop down on Stocton for Oak Grove Regional Park, and then drive on to Cruz.


In Yosemite:
(Since I was a ranger there last summer, let me especially help you out with this one).
If it is a full moon during your stay in Yosemite I would climb Half Dome in the middle of the night and see the sunrise from the top. Nothing like it. You'll harldy ever need your headlight and you won't see another person the until sunrise (Best hike of my life going up... just me and my buddy, we passed one other hiker midway). However, I would not hike it during the daytime with the millions of others who are trying to do it too (worst hike of my life coming down, passed everyone who was trying to get where I had been and they all wanted to ask me a question). It's 17.5 mile hike with 5000+ feet of elevation gain though, so it's a doozy.

Also, since you'll have just been to Sequoia NP you can ditch Yosemite's Sequoia Groves and check out other features like Tuolumne Meadows or my favorite, Hetch Hetchy.

I would go to Hetch Hetchy and hike to Tueeulala and Wapama Falls. It's a 1.5 mile, easy hike, (over rocky terrain), to my favorite waterfall in the park - Wapama. I have sat at the base of the falls for over an hour, by myself. Amazing when considering you probably couldn't get 30 seconds alona at any of the other waterfalls in the park at any time of day.
Kolana Rock is just across the reservoir and is awesome at sunset. The sun reflecting off the water and onto the rock gives everything a glowing orange hue, while a 1000' waterfall splashes in your ear, by yourself... Trust me.

OK... this is a novel... and now I'm pissed that I don't work at Hetch Hetchy anymore.
PM me for more info.
DSCJNKY

[harr0140]

Nice! Add some more courses in there, plenty of time for disc golf during the day.

[DSCJNKY]

These are just my crappy pics. Cameras rarely give justice to beauty.

Hetch Hetch Reservoir.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac99/DSCJNKY/100_0762.jpg

Wapama Falls.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac99/DSCJNKY/100_0764.jpg

Kolana Rock from Wapama Falls.
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac99/DSCJNKY/100_0765.jpg

No one ever wants to visit to Hetch Hetchy... The reason why you should go.
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

Nice! Add some more courses in there, plenty of time for disc golf during the day.

We are going to try to get in a much golfing as possible, but we have a lot of other things we are going to see and do on the way. We will be spending a lot of time at some National Parks and doing some other site seeing and hiking as well. We are both into photography as well so we spend a lot of time doing that.

DSCJNKY I will definitely send you a PM here very shortly with some more questions about Yosemite. The only real thing I can think of right off hand is any info you may have on what to expect weather wise in Yosemite in mid-May. I know that some areas may still have some snow and roads may be closed, thats from what I read on the NPS website.

I definitely want to check out Hetch Hetchy. I have heard many stories about it and it looks and sounds like it will be perfect. I want to be able to get away from the crowds at some point and enjoy nature the way it should be.

[DSCJNKY]

Oh, Yeah... in May the road to Tuolumne will be closed still. So the best part of the park will be the Valley, the Groves (but you'll have seen bigger and better groves already), and Hetchy. (And, at that time of year I think Hetchy is more packed than usual). The good thing is the water falls should be pumping as the snow pack in the high country melts and that's good for pictures. I wouldn't expect the weather to be crazy, but anything can happen in the mountains.

Photography... If you do get to Hetchy, snap some pictures for me. I'm sure they would be of better quality than my little digital camera. You probably use the Apature, Shutter Speed, Focus... My little cam is just point and shoot. Anyway, I would love some high quality pics. (Especially Kolana Rock at Sunset).
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

Oh, Yeah... in May the road to Tuolumne will be closed still. So the best part of the park will be the Valley, the Groves (but you'll have seen bigger and better groves already), and Hetchy. (And, at that time of year I think Hetchy is more packed than usual). The good thing is the water falls should be pumping as the snow pack in the high country melts and that's good for pictures. I wouldn't expect the weather to be crazy, but anything can happen in the mountains.

Photography... If you do get to Hetchy, snap some pictures for me. I'm sure they would be of better quality than my little digital camera. You probably use the Apature, Shutter Speed, Focus... My little cam is just point and shoot. Anyway, I would love some high quality pics. (Especially Kolana Rock at Sunset).
DSCJNKY

I will definitely have a lot of pictures. I think I tool like 300-400 at the Grand Canyon in about the first 6 hours we were there, and i was just getting started. The waterfalls in Yosemite are what made us change our plans once we knew we had to go later. I heard and read that May is the best time to see them. Any more info you have on hiking trails would be great. We don't have as much time as I would like nor are we in the best shape and both are smokers as well. I mean we aren't going to keel over and die if we hike 5 miles or so, but anything much further than that and my lungs my explode on me, lol. Anyway thanks for all the info its great.

[roadtripstuff]

Alright, so here is an updated list of the courses we are planning to hit on this trip.

May 6th - Old City Park DGC, Moab, UT
May 7th & 8th - Base Camp Adventure Lodge, Moab, UT
May 10th - Sunset DGC, Las Vegas, NV
May 11th - Sharktooth Mountain & Suicide Flats, Bakersfield, CA
May 14th - DeLaveaga & (either) Black Mouse DGC or Pinto Lake, Santa Cruz Area, CA (Input would be helpful here, which should we hit up?)
May 16th - Waller Park, Santa Maria, Ca
May 16th - Evergreen Open Spaces, Santa Barbara, Ca
May 17th - Coyote Point DGC, Lake Casitas, Ventura, CA
May 19th through May 22nd - Chavez Ridge, Los Angeles, CA/Veterans Park, Sylmar, CA/Oak Grove, Pasadena, CA/La Mirada DGC, La Mirada, CA/Whittier Narrows Park, Whittier, CA/Huntington Beach Central Park, Huntington Beach, CA/El Dorado Regional Park, Long Beach, CA
May 23rd - Thorpe Park & McPherson Park, Flagstaff, AZ

***If Sunrise @ Mountain High is open in Wrightwood, we will definitely be hitting this one up as well.

Any Suggestions on courses and such would be great, especially around the great LA area. Like is the drive out to Yucaipa or Riverside worth it? What about Chino Hills, if anyone has info on these courses that would be great, I don't hear a lot of talk about them. Keep the info coming.

[mashnut]

I will definitely have a lot of pictures. I think I tool like 300-400 at the Grand Canyon in about the first 6 hours we were there, and i was just getting started. The waterfalls in Yosemite are what made us change our plans once we knew we had to go later. I heard and read that May is the best time to see them. Any more info you have on hiking trails would be great. We don't have as much time as I would like nor are we in the best shape and both are smokers as well. I mean we aren't going to keel over and die if we hike 5 miles or so, but anything much further than that and my lungs my explode on me, lol. Anyway thanks for all the info its great.

In Yosemite Valley, one of the best walks you can do is coming down from glacier point. They run cheap or free shuttles up to there, where you'll see one of the best views in the park including a beautiful look down at Vernal and Nevada falls. Then you can either hike down the 4 mile trail which basically switchbacks straight down to the valley, or take the panorama trail over to the top of those falls and hike down either of the two trails that go down the falls. The advantage of the panorama trail is that you'll see Illouette Falls, which a lot of park visitors never get to see.

[roadtripstuff]

In Yosemite Valley, one of the best walks you can do is coming down from glacier point. They run cheap or free shuttles up to there, where you'll see one of the best views in the park including a beautiful look down at Vernal and Nevada falls. Then you can either hike down the 4 mile trail which basically switchbacks straight down to the valley, or take the panorama trail over to the top of those falls and hike down either of the two trails that go down the falls. The advantage of the panorama trail is that you'll see Illouette Falls, which a lot of park visitors never get to see.

I may be wrong, but I think the road to Glacier Point may still be closed while we will be there. Maybe the shuttles still run, I don't know, any info there would be great. As of now we were going to be camping at North Pines, and we were going to spend a few hours in the valley and head up to Hetch, Hetchy.

We were looking to do about a five mile hike in each location. Right now we were thinking about hiking the Mirror Lake Trail in the Valley, but any other suggestions would be great. Only info I have is the NPS website and a couple other site that I have found, if you have any info I would love to hear it, we have very limited time there so we want to make the best of it.

[roadtripstuff]

One other thing, does anyone know if the course up near Wrightwood, Ca will be open mid to late May? We changed a couple things around and were hoping it would be open to play and possibly camp. We will probably be there on May 21st or 22nd.

[DSCJNKY]

Mountain High should be open by then. And, unless it's changed, the baskets in Ukiapa are the baskets in Wrightwood and they rotate based on the season (at least that's how it used to be).

I also heard that Chino is going to be great once they get the concrete tees in. Supposedly best in So-Cal good once it gets fully established. But thats just what I heard from some friends back home... I haven't played there myself. But, I do know Wisecup and Dunipace wouldn't design something crappy.

And, did you cut Stafford out of the trip? Yikes!

And, does that only leave two days in Yosemite? Or one day in Sequoia, one day in Yosemite? Either way... Yikes! I'd ditch Hart Park so you can have an extra six hours in the park. It might be worth it.
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

Yeah we are stretching it a little thin, but we will get to Sequoia NP about 2 PM and will leave the next day the about the same time, and then we will have two nights at Yosemite. This is kind of just a scouting trip for those place, we are planning on making a trip back out there in the next year or two with more time focused on central to nor-cal. We did cut all of San Francisco out of the trip to add the days in Sequoia and Yosemite, we also added in time in Moab, UT at Arches and Canyonlands as well as going up to the Base Camp Adventure Lodge.

[Cnote]

For the Santa Cruz portion in addtion to DeLa the second course I would play would be Black Mouse (nice challenging wooded course), next would be Aptos High School (they have done a bunch of work to the course lately), my last would be Pinto (not a super fan of the new 9 holes, very wide open). One thing to think about is both Black Mouse and Aptos are at schools and are not supposed to be played before 4p during the school year.

[mashnut]

I may be wrong, but I think the road to Glacier Point may still be closed while we will be there. Maybe the shuttles still run, I don't know, any info there would be great. As of now we were going to be camping at North Pines, and we were going to spend a few hours in the valley and head up to Hetch, Hetchy.

We were looking to do about a five mile hike in each location. Right now we were thinking about hiking the Mirror Lake Trail in the Valley, but any other suggestions would be great. Only info I have is the NPS website and a couple other site that I have found, if you have any info I would love to hear it, we have very limited time there so we want to make the best of it.

That's true, they keep that road closed if there's any snow on it, the last little bit of it is impossible to plow and very dangerous to drive if the road is icy. The mirror lake walk is nice, right near there you can walk through happy isles and up about a mile to a bridge with a great view of Vernal Falls from below. From there if you still feel like walking you can take the .3 miles of stairs to the top of the falls, and it's only a little flat walking from there to see Nevada Falls. That really is the best time of year to see the waterfalls, so if you can you ought to get to where you can see those. The other two major falls in the valley (Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls) are both very visible from lots of places in the valley, but both have short paved trails to nice view points near the bottom of each.

[roadtripstuff]

That's true, they keep that road closed if there's any snow on it, the last little bit of it is impossible to plow and very dangerous to drive if the road is icy. The mirror lake walk is nice, right near there you can walk through happy isles and up about a mile to a bridge with a great view of Vernal Falls from below. From there if you still feel like walking you can take the .3 miles of stairs to the top of the falls, and it's only a little flat walking from there to see Nevada Falls. That really is the best time of year to see the waterfalls, so if you can you ought to get to where you can see those. The other two major falls in the valley (Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls) are both very visible from lots of places in the valley, but both have short paved trails to nice view points near the bottom of each.

Thanks for the awesome information. We are definitely going to check out those water falls. When we moved the trip back, I instantly thought, May waterfalls in Yosemite will probably be at their peak, new plan, so again thanks for that info.

[DSCJNKY]

Just so you know, Mirror Lake is more of a very flat puddle. It's only about 8" deep, and not very big.... But, that's when I saw it in August. Basically it's a sand bar where the water flows really slow and smoothly and therefore it provides a nice reflection.

I would definitely recommend the Vernal and Nevada Hike out of the Valley, and the Wapama Falls hike at Hetch Hetchy. And, since you don't have that much time there, the rest of it you can see (and take pictures of) while driving around (Tunnel View, Bridal Veil, Yosemite Falls, El Cap, Half Dome, etc...). And, since you'll have just gone to Sequoia NP, you won't have to go see Yosemites less impressive Merced and Tuolumne Groves (although they do provide a little more solitude amongst the giants).
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

Just so you know, Mirror Lake is more of a very flat puddle. It's only about 8" deep, and not very big.... But, that's when I saw it in August. Basically it's a sand bar where the water flows really slow and smoothly and therefore it provides a nice reflection.

I would definitely recommend the Vernal and Nevada Hike out of the Valley, and the Wapama Falls hike at Hetch Hetchy. And, since you don't have that much time there, the rest of it you can see (and take pictures of) while driving around (Tunnel View, Bridal Veil, Yosemite Falls, El Cap, Half Dome, etc...). And, since you'll have just gone to Sequoia NP, you won't have to go see Yosemites less impressive Merced and Tuolumne Groves (although they do provide a little more solitude amongst the giants).
DSCJNKY

I think those are the two hikes that we are going to go with. Sounds like it will be great. We also may take your earlier advice and skip the two Bakersfield courses to have more time in Sequoia. We are actually going to be camping at Belknap campground in Sequoia National Forest, I couldn't find any campgrounds in the National Park that allow you to make reservations, and while we should have no problem getting a site, when you are travelling all the way across the country you want to have as many things nailed down as possible. But if anyone has any info on a couple short hikes in Sequoia NP or Forest or Kings Canyon that would be great too.

Back to Yosemite. Our plan is to go something like this:

Arrive day one around 2:00PM, we will set up camp and spend this time checking out the valley and do the Mirror Lake hike.

Day 2 we will do the Vernal, Nevada Falls Hike

Day 3 we will spend from about 7:00am to 2:00pm in Hetch Hetchy, will do the Wapama Falls Hike.

Sound like a plan? Do we have enough time to get all this complete. Should we switch around the hikes?

[mashnut]

If you're going to go very far up the Vernal and Nevada falls trails, you'll want to leave yourself plenty of time so definitely don't try to get in and get on the trail in the afternoon for that one. Also, if you go all the way up to the top of Nevada Falls, I really suggest going up the Mist Trail and down the Jon Muir Trail, you get totally different views and the Muir Trail will be much less crowded later in the day when you're going down so you won't have to fight your way through crowds.

[roadtripstuff]

If you're going to go very far up the Vernal and Nevada falls trails, you'll want to leave yourself plenty of time so definitely don't try to get in and get on the trail in the afternoon for that one. Also, if you go all the way up to the top of Nevada Falls, I really suggest going up the Mist Trail and down the Jon Muir Trail, you get totally different views and the Muir Trail will be much less crowded later in the day when you're going down so you won't have to fight your way through crowds.

Thanks thats great to know. We will most likely be getting up and out of camp around 6am - 7am each morning. Are there a lot of people already on the move at the time of the day? Should we shoot for sunrise?

[DSCJNKY]

^No... don't switch around the hikes because Hetchy is in the north end of the park and you'll be able to leave there and just head out towards the 99 and over to Santa Cruz. If you were to be leaving from the Valley it would take an extra hour or more to get out. (It's a really pretty drive out the north end of the park too).

On your way into Yosemite Valley there is a parking lot to go see the Tunnel View. You'll definitely want to go there and get some pictures. Try to scramble up the boulders above the tunnel and you'll get a better shot (and be away from the crowd and tour busses). You'll also have the opportunity to stop at Bridal Veil on the way into the Valley. Check these off your list on the way in and you'll have more time for the big hike (Vernal/Nevada) the next day.

And... it might be hard to spend 5 hours at Hetchy. The hike shouldn't take that long. (3 hours is more than enough). Although there is a lot of cool stuff to take pictures of... and that could take some time.
DSCJNKY

[DSCJNKY]

Thanks thats great to know. We will most likely be getting up and out of camp around 6am - 7am each morning. Are there a lot of people already on the move at the time of the day? Should we shoot for sunrise?

No... your good, people are lazy. Plus you want to shoot pics of the falls before there are crowds of people in the shot.
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

No... your good, people are lazy. Plus you want to shoot pics of the falls before there are crowds of people in the shot.
DSCJNKY

Thats our goal, we want to be able some peace and quiet while on the trail and get some great pics. We may or may not spend all that time in Hetch, Hetchy, but that is about the latest we will be there to get to Big Sur and set up camp. The we will be heading up to Santa Cruz the next day. We have a couple nights at the site in Big Sur, so we are going north to Santa Cruz one day and south the other day.

[roadtripstuff]

So you guys that know Yosemite, when we want to do the Vernal, Nevada Falls hike, should we just walk to the trail, drive (is there parking at the trailhead), take the shuttle? I guess in general what is the best way to get around the Valley?

[mashnut]

If you're camping at the Pines Campground, it's less than a mile flat walk up to Happy Isles where the trailhead is, you definitely want to drive as little as possible while in the park. Otherwise, the free shuttle will drop you off right at the trailhead, but I'm not sure how early it starts running in the summer, I usually am only in the park in the fall around Thanksgiving.

[roadtripstuff]

If you're camping at the Pines Campground, it's less than a mile flat walk up to Happy Isles where the trailhead is, you definitely want to drive as little as possible while in the park. Otherwise, the free shuttle will drop you off right at the trailhead, but I'm not sure how early it starts running in the summer, I usually am only in the park in the fall around Thanksgiving.

Awesome, we will probably just walk to the trail head from the campground. How are the campgrounds there, ever had any problems? For instance, when we were at the Grand Canyon someone stole our firewood while we were away from the site. I don't know if this is something that happens regularly, or we were just camped by a couple DBs. Just wondering if anyone has ever had this kind of things happen at Yosemite, should we lock even the smallest things up? Will our tents be safe set up all day with no one at the site?

[mashnut]

I've never had issues there, but any place like that where you have huge numbers of people there's always the possibility of some jerk coming through. You do want to be really careful with food, believe their warnings about leaving food or even anything that looks like it could have food in it inside your car or tent, the bears are very good at destroying cars to get to anything that looks edible.

[roadtripstuff]

I've never had issues there, but any place like that where you have huge numbers of people there's always the possibility of some jerk coming through. You do want to be really careful with food, believe their warnings about leaving food or even anything that looks like it could have food in it inside your car or tent, the bears are very good at destroying cars to get to anything that looks edible.

Thats funny, I was just on the NPS site reading about food storage. Going to have to measure my cooler and make sure it will fit in the food locker. I have never been to a place that they require you to do this so it will be interesting. I'm sure there won't be any issues.

[roadtripstuff]

Also I just found this, I'm hoping that it will be taken care of before we get out there.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/upload/wapamafallclosure.pdf

[mashnut]

Yeah, of all the places I've dealt with bears, Yosemite is by far the worst. They have even broken into cars with empty coolers under blankets just because they saw the shape and took a chance. If you're smart about it and follow all the rules you won't have any issues, but nearly every time I've been to Yosemite somebody doesn't follow them and ends up with a messed up car or tent, and usually a big fine for feeding the bear too.

[roadtripstuff]

Thanks for the heads up. I will make sure that we take extra precautions. Should we make sure to vacuum the car out so there is no chance there are crumbs and such in there? I guess if I am asking then it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and do it.

[mashnut]

I've never had an issue with the few crumbs that tend to collect in the car, but it's certainly not going to hurt (especially since that means you'll have a clean car, too).

[roadtripstuff]

I've never had an issue with the few crumbs that tend to collect in the car, but it's certainly not going to hurt (especially since that means you'll have a clean car, too).

Thats very true, we are usually very good about keeping the car clean. When you are in a car for two to three weeks you don't want it to be full of trash the entire time. It close enough quarters with all our bags and equipment. I'm hoping that I will be able to get a new vehicle instead of renting a car. I am looking into getting a Ford Escape or Small truck with 4-wheel drive. The extra space and the high clearance with help in Utah and Arizona.

[tallpaul]

Renting a car is actually a very good idea for disc, and other road trips. A: You don't put all that mileage on your personal vehicle. It only ends up costing $25 or a little more a day. B: If a bear tears apart your car; won't affect you!!! lol But really; I lost the car keys in the snow on a course once during a winter road trip...many hours from home. We simply called the rental company; and within one half hour they had fabricated a new set of keys and delivered them to the course. This new set of keys came with a Shiner beer, bottle opener (for whatever reason), and I have that bottle opener on my key chain to this day. If you choose to do this; make sure to get unlimited mileage; as the charges for going over mileage limit are VERY expensive.

[roadtripstuff]

Renting a car is actually a very good idea for disc, and other road trips. A: You don't put all that mileage on your personal vehicle. It only ends up costing $25 or a little more a day. B: If a bear tears apart your car; won't affect you!!! lol But really; I lost the car keys in the snow on a course once during a winter road trip...many hours from home. We simply called the rental company; and within one half hour they had fabricated a new set of keys and delivered them to the course. This new set of keys came with a Shiner beer, bottle opener (for whatever reason), and I have that bottle opener on my key chain to this day. If you choose to do this; make sure to get unlimited mileage; as the charges for going over mileage limit are VERY expensive.

Yeah I already have a car reserved, and I did get a good price of 17 bucks a day, but the rental rate isn't what gets you. The damage waiver is more per day than the car. I have been looking into other options, but as it stands with damage waiver and taxes and fees, we are looking at about $1100.00 for three weeks.

[tallpaul]

We have never got the damage waiver; (I'm knocking on some wood) and has never been an issue. And, we have slightly damaged a vehicle a couple of times; i.e. once a cigarette ash cam back in a burnt a slight hole in the fabric....but we were not charged for this.

[roadtripstuff]

We have never got the damage waiver; (I'm knocking on some wood) and has never been an issue. And, we have slightly damaged a vehicle a couple of times; i.e. once a cigarette ash cam back in a burnt a slight hole in the fabric....but we were not charged for this.

I have thought about skipping it a couple times, but as soon as I do some ******* will rear end me, or some other nonsense will happen. I've had some bad luck in the past, rented a uhaul once and decided not to get the insurance, long story short, ended with the windshield being busted and I was left holding the bill.

I did find a company called TravelGuard that offers car rental protection at like 9 bucks a day, so we are going to do some research into that, and see if its the real deal, and hopefully that will save us a huge chunk of change.

[tallpaul]

PM me when you find out about the TravelGuard situation; as we are renting a car in March/April for a journey; and even though I knocked on wood.....

[roadtripstuff]

PM me when you find out about the TravelGuard situation; as we are renting a car in March/April for a journey; and even though I knocked on wood.....

Will do, I should be contacting them this week to find out what the deal is. I know there is a similar company that offers coverage, I think its through orbitz, or rather they use this other company, but when you are in an accident, or something happens you have to pay for the damage and they reimburse you. I just want to make sure TravelGuard is not the same, but I will send you a PM with all the details when I get them.

[roadtripstuff]

Anyone have any info on Sequoia National Forest and National Park? We are wanting to visit Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP and were going to camp in Sequoia National Forest, but realized there is like a two hour drive between. I guess what I want to know is the national forest worth it? or should we skip it and head to the national park?

[Peterb]

Head to the national park for certain. The big trees are well worth it...as is the hike to the watchtower.

Are you still heading to SF? There's camping right across the golden gate bridge in the marin headlands (google kirby cove). You could easily hit up GGP in the morning then head up to Stafford.

[roadtripstuff]

Head to the national park for certain. The big trees are well worth it...as is the hike to the watchtower.

Are you still heading to SF? There's camping right across the golden gate bridge in the marin headlands (google kirby cove). You could easily hit up GGP in the morning then head up to Stafford.

We aren't going to make it up to San Francisco on this trip. Originally we were going to be there in the winter, but since we moved it back to May the weather is going to be warm enough to go to Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon, so we are going to spend the time there. When we were planning on going to San Fran we had found Kirby Cove and were going to try to get a site there.

As of now we are only going as far north as Santa Cruz on the Coast. We will be heading there after Yosemite. We are definitely going to Sequoia and Kings Canyon, I just wanted to know if the National Forest was worth seeing or if the trees and scenery are just as good if not better in the National Parks.

[roadtripstuff]

Trip is next week figured I would lay down the final details see if anyone in the area wants to golf or has any last minute advice. Disc golf courses are in blue.

Day 1 & 2
Arches National Park
Old Town City DGC
Canyonlands National Park

Day 3 & 4
Base Camp Adventure Lodge

Day 5 & 6
Monument Valley
Las Vegas, NV
Sunset Park DGC

Day 7
Hart Park DGC (Both Courses), Bakersfield, CA

Day 8
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Day 9 & 10
Yosemite National Park

Day 11 & 12
Delaveanga DGC
Big, Sur

Day 13
Waller Park DGC, Santa Maria, California
Evergreen Open Space, Santa Barbara, California

Day 14 & 15
Coyote Point DGC, Lake Casitas, Ventura, California
Point Mugu State Park

Day 16 - 20
Los Angeles, California
Chavez Ridge DGC
Sylmar (Veterans Park) DGC
Oak Grove DGC
La Mirada DGC
Huntington Central Park DGC
El Dorado Regional Park DGC
Angeles National Forest
San Diego, California
Morley Field DGC

Day 21
Flagstaff, Arizona
Thorpe Park DGC
McPherson Park DGC

We might hit up some extra courses along the way if we have time, but we have a lot of other things planned as well. Like I said if anyone wants to meet for a round and swap tags I would be down for that, plus its always cool to have a guide on a new course.

[humchris85]

What? Your coming out to calli, and not making it up here to Humboldt?

[roadtripstuff]

Next time for sure. I think we are already thinking about a San Francisco and north trip as our next big trip. Damn only having three weeks. ;)

[humchris85]

Your missing out on alot of good golf if you only play in so-cal

[roadtripstuff]

Thats what I hear. I can't wait to make it back out there and get further north. Well actually I hope to be a resident of Cali myself in the next couple years.

[DSCJNKY]

Just so you know... the Angeles National Forest burnt down last year and most of it is still closed to public access. There were some great areas right behind Sylmar and Oak Grove too. Unfortunately, I'm sure the area is still trashed. You might want to just spend more time at the beach.
DSCJNKY

[roadtripstuff]

Just so you know... the Angeles National Forest burnt down last year and most of it is still closed to public access. There were some great areas right behind Sylmar and Oak Grove too. Unfortunately, I'm sure the area is still trashed. You might want to just spend more time at the beach.
DSCJNKY

Oh yes, I had almost forgotten about that. Its really ashame too, we spent some time up there a few years ago, camped and drove around. Well thanks for the heads up, I appreciate it.

[DSCJNKY]

How'd it go? How was Yosemite? Did you get to Hetchy? How was the golf?
Let us know...
DSCJNKY