[undefined=undefined]Yosemite, Grand Canyon & Classic California 18th Nov - 3rd December 2015[/undefined]
I felt compelled to write a review of the trip, my first with Just You. Although I had viewed the itinerary when I made the booking, as a first timer there were still a few unknowns so i will share my notes on the trip to help those undecided about whether to go for it or not. There were quite a few people on the tour that had been on JustYou holidays before, and I think the majority at least thought it was up with the best holidays the had been on. Personally, I thought it was an excellent holiday and well worth the money.
We were departing late November, so the cost of the holiday was cheaper as it was not peak season. That was not the deciding factor for me, I was looking to go when it was not too hot as I find a lot of traveling very fatiguing in high temperatures, even if it is not humid. On the downside to touring California in November, the sun sets about 4pm, so no-one in our tour had opportunity to try the outdoor pools at our hotels.
For a good holiday experience, in my opinion you need 3 things. A well planned itinerary, nice fellow travelers, and good weather. Fortunately, this holiday had all 3 in abundance.
This review is long, and there are other Yosemite reviews from other tours that you can read for other information too.
First things first, here a few money saving tips.
If you have a passport from one of the countries with a Visa waiver partnership with the USA, then you just need to have a valid ESTA. The ESTA is valid for two years from the date of authorization, and if you don't have one it is cheaper to purchase it yourself via the official US government page than by purchasing it via JustYou ( $14 yourself or £29 through JustYou).
Secondly, try and purchase your holiday using a debit card. If you pay by credit card, you get an additional 2% charged on top.
I made the mistake of selecting "Mastercard" when I submitted the number of my Mastercard Debit card via the website and was charged the 2%. After the event I phoned the helpline and was advised I should have used selected Visa Debit instead! I told the operator they pass to their superiors the suggestion to add the option of Mastercard Debit to the list, but 3 months later I still see it has not been added. I tried to get a refund for the charge, but it was made difficult and I eventually gave up on it as I didn't want it to dwell on my mind and detract from my enjoyment of the holiday. I know JustYou are there to make a profit, but to not write a cheque to compensate a customer doesn't seem fair if they are willing to accept cheques as payments from customers! Anyway this is not a rant, just advice so fellow customers don't fall foul too.
So, now on to the good bits.
I would admit to being apprehensive on the morning of departure. As I was making my way to the airport I was looking out for bags with JustYou labels, and imaging how other of the JustYou cohort would be meandering to the airport. As it would happen, I was the last of the group to check-in. I was flying from Heathrow, and at United Airlines it is self Check-in there. It sounds simple but the machine wouldn't accept Carefree Resort as the hotel I would be first staying at, hence I couldn't complete check-in. Fortunately Irishman Hilary from JustYou was close by and must have seen I was struggling so came to my rescue. So fellow travellers, I stress you to put the labels on your cases, they are like a badge of honour. Then once the machine prints out your boarding passes and luggage label, you head to the bag drop-off. I let the check-in person attach the luggage label to my case, so don't feel obliged you have to do it.
Our flight from Heathrow was at 10:25 on the Wednesday morning. Thoughtfully JustYou had arranged for us to meet at the Plaza Lounge in Terminal 2. It was at this point we met up with our Tour Manager, Wendy, who explained that there were 13 people flying from Heathrow, 1 already out in Phoenix ,and 6 flying out from Manchester, making a group total of 20. Wendy was an excellent Tour manager. She has a wealth of knowledge and her commentary on the coach was superb with great anecdotes along the way. She is very bright, has good people skills and i think she got the balance right on when to talk and when not to.
I think meeting at the lounge is a good ice-breaker. Everyone will get a bit nervous about meeting new people, so having a meeting where there is a drink available can help relax those nervous flyers, even if it is early!
I arrived about 9am, so probably just had about 45 mins before we started to head to the gate. The gate, B49 was some way off, about 15 mins walk. On this tour you can expect a good amount of walking.
The flight from Heathrow to Newark was in a United Airlines Boeing 767. In economy the seating is a 2-3-2 and our group of were in fairly close proximity and the flight seemed 90%+ full. When it is busier times, a Boeing 777 in 3-3-3 configuration is operated. The plane had onboard wi-fi which you had to pay for to use. Other than that flight range of entertainment was more than adequate. I used the United App on my iPad to stream a movie to by device. It has a much bigger screen than the 5in screen on the seat back. All in all, the 767 is showing its age. I believe someone in the group upgraded to economy plus for about $200 so they could get a little extra leg room. I think someone else went business class too, they certainly did on the return flight. Someone in the group flew BA direct to Phoenix, and then was flying directly from San Diego back to Heathrow. Another person tagged on an extra week in Seattle at the end of the tour. So contact JustYou if you want to modify your standard holiday it seems well worth it.
On the plane you have an immigration/customs form to fill in. they were handed out immediately so I began filling mine out as we taxied as it was smoother. Our flight to Newark was down as an 8 hr 25 minute flight, so there is plenty of time to complete it!
Once you arrive in Newark you have to pass through border control. This is when you present your passport, get your finger prints taken and retina scanned, and get the heavy questons about why are you visiting the USA, how long are you here for, etc. Our group average age was about 60, so this tough guy impression seems a bit OTT. It's like they question why someone wants to visit their great country? In reality there are plenty of nutters already in the USA anyway!
A Brit on the same flight but not part of our group said the JFK border security are much worse!
One thing to bear in mind is that you have to queue to get through border security, t think it took at least 30 minutes for me to get through, and it wasn't that busy. So that is further standing time after a long flight to be aware of.
Once through immigration, you then have to collect your suitcase which has the flight label already on for the connecting flight, but you still need to collect it. It was fairly straight forward to follow the signs. Best to stick in a group at this point. Once you collect your suitcase, you then have to wheel it to the next security area. There was a guy there who from what I can tell sole purpose was to pick your luggage from you and chuck it on a conveyor belt. He showed no sign of respect for the luggage and duly did throw cases on the conveyor with no care in the world for the contents, I would much rather have placed the suitcase on the belt myself. Newark Airport could do themselves and passengers a favour by disposing of that employee.
Then it is up an escalator and through security again. That means shoes off, liquids in transparent bags etc (again).
Then once passed security that is you in the concourse for shops and the gates. The Manchester bunch had arrived at Newark before us, but we hadn't all mingled together yet, they were just other faces in the crowd.
Our flight to Phoenix was delayed by an hour so it meant more sitting around.
Our next flight was a 5 hour flight in cramped economy. The flight doesn't offer any free food, if you want something to eat you need to use your debit or credit card - no cash purchases! I recommend buying food at the airport in Newark.
Once landed at Phoenix, you just need to collect your luggage, so everyone gathers round the baggage area and the group was complete for the first time. Then Wendy escorted us out of the airport to the coach which was our first introduction to Carl, our superb coach driver.
Carl was such a lovely man, everyone thought the world of him. He went out of his way to make us happy, and every night washed down the coach so it was spotless for us the next day. This was after him driving long hours too. I would be amazed to come across a better driver than Carl. LA traffic is daunting , but Carl took everything in his stride. Some on the coach did their best to try his patience, i.e spill coffee, or food in the coach, but Carl was a measure of restraint.
Over the piece he drove us 2320 miles and it was great he was part of the experience.
Landing in Phoenix around 9pm, we had around a 45 minute drive to our Carefree resort hotel. Once there we get our room key and then, have a paid for dinner and a drink. The dinner was good, but after travelling so long it felting like eating at 3 in the morning! Next morning we were up early for breakfast, and then drove to Sedona.
Sedona is a lovely area to live, it is a bit higher at altitude so doesn't get bakingly hot like the Sonoran Desert, but when we were there it was pleasantly warm. The optional Jeep ride is bumpy but a lot of fun. Hold on to your hat!.
http://www.sedonatrolley.com/
At lot of the group didn't purchase the optional excursions at the time of booking the holiday. You can wait until on the holiday to add your name and pay the cost of the excursion in dollars, the only exception being the seaplane flight in San Francisco, you should book that in advance if you want to go.
From Sedona , we travelled on to Flagstaff to stay at the Doubletree by Hilton. It was a nice hotel, with good facilities and bar. We arrived around 5pm, and were met with a fizzy welcome drink and a cookie (probably the best welcome we got at any of the hotels). The Christmas tree was already up and we were still in November (19th)! We had the choice to dine in the hotel, or eat out in the Galaxy Diner on Route 66, just down the road from the Hilton Hotel. There were also students in the hotel lobby singing Christmas carols. As Flagstaff was a bit colder with some strips of snow outside, it certainly felt a bit more like Christmas, though still a bit early.
http://jbsfamily.com/galaxy-diner/
One thing to be aware of, the Diner does not sell alcohol. That may just be a temporary thing if the new owner needs to apply for a liquor licence.
Fortunately we were able to stop off at a supermarket on the way back to the hotel for a nightcap. The Hilton Hotel also has a bar which has a nice ambience.
Breakfasts at the Hilton were typical, sausage , bacon, eggs, cereals, toast and fruit, quite a variety.
Next morning we were up early to visit the Grand Canyon. First stop was the Grand Canyon airport where those taking the helicopter ride, www.papillon.com, or the fixed wing flight, www.grandcanyonairlines.com , got off first. The rest stayed on the coach and headed for the Grand Canyon , South Rim ( The North Rim is open seasonally May- October and is the one with the Skywalk) . Everyone enjoyed their flights, and even those that were anxious are glad they did them.
The helicopter ride is shorter, and costs a bit more, but each has their own merits. Unfortunately if you want to do both you'll have to save it for another trip.
The weather was again absolutely perfect for the trip, clear blue skies, crisp air.
Around the South Rim, there must have been a snowfall some days before, as it was still icy in places. You'll need some good walking shoes if you wish to walk the trail from Hermits Rest. Some of the trail is on a tarmac pavement, but not all the way. You can get a free bus ride and hop on and off the bus to make your way round if you don't want to do any walking. Some of the sights were jaw-dropping. The canyon is massive. We probably left around 3pm in the afternoon and stopped off at the grandview point and then back to Flagstaff
.
Wendy our Tour Guide , had arranged for us all to eat at Black Bart’s Steakhouse in Flagstaff for the evening. The food was good, but the piece des resistance were that the waiters and waitresses could hold a tune and would sing throughout the evening. They were some very talented singers amongst the staff, to get a job there you must be able to hold a tune. The pianist was a marvel. A really memorable meal. Then it was back to the hotel to pack our bags again.
Next morning we were off again , this time heading to Las Vegas. This trip is just highlight after highlight !
First stop on our journey was Seligman, which is a small town on the classic route 66. We stopped off at the route 66 giftstore. For a quick stop-off. Then it was back on interstate 40, next stop Kingman for some lunch. Not much to see in Kingman , it is just a stop to eat. there is a military base nearby, but you don't get to see it.
After that is was then on to fabulous Las Vegas.
We stayed at the Tropicana Hotel, which according to other reviews is an improvement on the Stratosphere used previously. The hotel has around 1700 rooms, so it is a big complex. You can expect it to take 5 mins walk to get the breakfast room from your hotel room!
We actually arrived a little early before our rooms were ready ( 3pm) , so Wendy took us on a quick walking tour around the hotel to get our bearings.
We were scheduled to have a Blackjack lesson in the hotel that afternoon, but it was postponed till the next day. A shame really as it meant we were less inclined to hit the tables until we had a practice.
In the evening we had the guided tour of Las Vegas. If you are new to Vegas, i'd recommend the tour. For us we were on our regular tour bus, there wasn't a local guide, but I doubt anyone would have been better than Wendy. We stopped at various hotels along the way. We went down to Freemont St, and I think at 8pm it had the overhead visual display. I wouldn't say it was the greatest display ever, but at least worthwhile to say you experienced it. If you have already been in Vegas, you are just as well doing your own thing.
Back at the hotel, there was time to book a show for the following evening, and get something to eat.
Next day there was the optional tour of the Hoover Dam. You get a short video showing the construction of the Dam, a tour of the Power Plant inside, but I really enjoyed walking around the Dam, just being awe-struck at the sheer size of it. The weather for us was perfect again, very sunny, so we had no problem with waking around outside.
There was an opportunity for the entire group to get a group photo, which went down well.
At 3pm there was a 1 hour BlackJack introduction lesson in the casino at The Tropicana. It is good fun and worth a go as you are not losing any money. You'll get time to do that later in the night! Then it is time for a quick bite to eat, before going out on the High Roller, the world's tallest Ferris Wheel. If you have been on the London Eye, you have an idea what to expect. The sun had set by the time we were up, so we got a great night-time view of the city.
Then it was back to the hotel to catch a show. After the show there was a brief opportunity for a gamble. The halls are open all night. One thing I would say that personally puts me off is that you can smoke in the casino. Some tables may be non-smoking, but the whiff is not far away. So in the casino you get the stench of tobacco, e-cigarette perfume, sweat, and desperation wafting around. The majority of players will lose money in the Casino, they are there to make money.
Next day we were off very early again, it was a long drive to Fresno. Along the way we stopped off in Barstow for lunch. There is a factory outlet with many top brands having outlets there, Calvin klein, Coach, Levi's , Ralph Lauren,
Timberland etc. You can easily spend an hour shopping. If you happen to arrive at the same time as the Chinese coaches, you can be entertained as the descend on the shops. For lunch, I wanted to try and In'n' Out Burger, but the queue was right outside the door, so I went next door to a Panda Express next door. For those not in the know, Panda Express is gourmet chinese fast food. It is cheap and I even got a beer with my meal. I was served by Angel, excellent service.
There was another stop at a gas station in the afternoon, but I don't recall, where.
Then it was on to our hotel. We stayed at a Best Western Plus hotel. These are more basic that the other places we stay at. For instance the breakfast use plastic cutlery and plates. There is no hot food just the continental breakfast, fruit, cereal etc. For dinner, we ate over at the “Steak and Anchor” restaurant across the road. The alarm bells should have rang when Wendy said the proprietor said they wanted us to go early as we were the only ones dining there and they wanted to close early. When we got there , the menus that we had been shown on the coach didn't match what we were given. When Wendy queried it, Brian ( the waiter), said the menu on the website was out of date, and Wendy said she printed it out that morning. Brian made some excuse that he wasn't in charge of the website. Then when different menu's had different prices for the same item, Brian said the person that made up the menu made a mistake, and they weren't in to correct it. There was no atmosphere in the restaurant, it was just us until a Chinese couple appeared a bit later. I felt the food over-priced, and it was the worst meal of the tour. If you check other online reviews there are very similar comments.
Day 7 , we were off early again, visiting Yosemite. This was the first area where it was a bit overcast, and our only brief experience of rain during the tour. Yosemite is a spectacular wilderness area. Really all you can say is make sure to take your camera. There is plenty of time to walk around. There are also buses that take you around if you do not want to walk. Really you have about 3-4 hours to spend as you choose. Then back on the coach for an overnight stay in Mariposa.
For evening we went out to eat at Charlie's. We walk from the hotel up the street, but the surface is a little uneven so watch you step in the dark. The food was fantastic. Plenty of choice. The local beer's were served in chilled glasses. The waitresses were very helpful and had no problem with individual checks.
You can check other reviews here:
http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/charles-street-dinner-house-mariposa
In terms of accomodation, Best Western is the most basic place you stay in. The rooms are nice enough but not great sound-proofing between rooms. There was also noise from the carpark early morning which woke people up.
Day 8 , Next morning we were off to San Francisco. We stopped at Ripon along the way for a refuel and a coffee. Then back on the road. We arrived from the North over the San Rafael bridge, first stop Sausalito for lunch. This was because the people doing the optional seaplane trip would be back out here , and there was no point going to San francisco and then coming back out here. Originally scheduled for the 2nd day, the seaplane company were not operating on Thanksgiving Day, so trip was brought forward. Everyone enjoyed their lunch in Sausalito. The seaplane trip is a good experience and well worth it if you want to fly over the Golden Gate bridge and want an ariel view of San Fran. For those that didn't do the flight, the tour bus headed on to stopped close to the Golden Gate bridge for a photo opportunity.
The seaplane company, seaplane.com, were kind enough to drive those that took the flight back to our hotel. We were back at 4pm, and time for a wash/shower before going out for dinner. The Zephyr hotel is very handy for pier 39. There is no bar in the hotel, and for breakfast you need to make a very brief walk to the IHOP next door, which is a nice diner type eatery. Other than that it is a very nice hotel.
Next morning , day 9 it was Thanksgiving day. We were up early for our tour by local guide , Frances. It was very kind of Frances to give up her Thanksgiving morning and give us a tour of her great city. The weather again was perfect, blue skies, no wind. It wasn't particularly warm, but was perfect conditions for us. The tour dropped us off at the pier, we had time for a quick trip to the restroom, then we were boarding the optional afternoon cruise around Alcatraz island. It is always a bit cooler out at sea, so take a hat, suncream, sunglases and a warmer jumper. The cruise goes under the Golden Gate bridge, and around Alcataraz island so you get great pictures. After the cruise i walked up Taylor Street for some spectacular views of the city.
Then it was back to the hotel to refresh and get ready for dinner. Wendy had phoned a number of restaurants some days prior to see if they could take a booking for 21 people. Only a few were willing to do so on Thanksgiving Day. In the end we plumped for Neptune's on Pier 39. the actual service was a disappointment, nothing wrong with the food. However i don't think Wendy will be taking any groups back there. It was back to the hotel to get bags packed for the next stage in our journey.
Day 10 - travelling to Monterey. A stop for lunch and then in the afternoon , there was the optional Aquarium tour. To be honest, this was my least enjoyable excursion. The actual aquarium wasn't as spectacular as I imagined it was going to be. There were no tunnels with fish swimming all around you, the fish tanks weren't as large as the ones in Dubai. If you have visited those before, I would suggest you can give this one a miss. There were a lot of children around so you can expect squealing and people getting in your way. It was quite busy, so you have to wait to see the different tanks. It is a lot of walking about on your feet. I think you are given about 3 hours, but I had seen all i had wanted after 1.5 hours. For those that didn't do the tour , they got back to the hotel early, and went out to the fisherman's warf area and made happy hour, so by all accounts had a great time.
For dinner, we went to "Domenicos on the Warf", an Italian fish restaurant. We turned up and they went out of their way to seat 12 of us without a booking.
Then walked back to the hotel. The Hotel Pacific has nice rooms, spread around the complex. There is no bar and the breakfast is continental, i.e no cooked breakfast.
Day 11 - Next morning we travelled along the scenic 17 mile road. We stopped off at Bird Rock, the Lone Cypress etc for pictures. Continued on to Carmel for lunch. Arrived at 11:15. I ate at Lebanese restaurant on one of the streets, and had lovely soup and pizza. Make sure you eat a lunch as there is wine tasting in the afternoon. Only had a couple of hours in Carmel and it was not enough, left at 1:15. The beach was amazing. Went and put my feet in the Pacific Ocean. I would gladly have stayed there all afternoon. However we were soon back on the coach and heading for Paso Robles. Cal took us via Spreckles Avenue just south of Salinas on the way. Arrived at Paso Robles around 3:30pm. The wine tasting took about an hour, we had 6 wines to try, 2 white, 3 red and one dessert wine. Left at approx 4:45 and headed to San Luis Obispo. It was dark when we arrived. The room was more basic than some of the hotels we stayed in.
I'd say the sound proofing between rooms wasn't great. Didn't see much of the town. In the evening we crossed the road and went to the Apple Farm restaurant. It was more like home-style cooking, but very filling and enjoyable. Then it was back to the hotel. I don't recall there being any bar at the hotel. If I recall correctly the breakfast was basic too.
Day 12 - Left San Luis Obispo and headed for Santa Barbara. Wandered up the Pier and got a photo saying end of Route 66. Headed back towards town and ate at a burger at an All-American style pub. It was a Sunday and some of the locals were in watching the NFL games. at 2pm we got the Surfliner Amtrac train to Union Station in LA. The train journey lasted 3 and a bit hours. Carl was driving the coach onward to LA after he dropped us off in Santa Barbara, and he would be there to meet us at the station once we arrived. So timing worked out perfectly. It was around 5pm when we met up with the coach, and we were at the hotel around 6pm, not bad considering the LA traffic. There was the option to go for food at the Mall a block away, but I chose to stay in the hotel. The food was lovely, served by Mandie.
Next morning was an early start, we were up at 0730 to head to Santa Monica for lunch.
Traffic was typically heavy for a Monday morning. Think we arrived around 9am for breakfast at the Back on the Beach Cafe. After breakfast, walked the mile or so along the beach to the pier. Took a photo next to the end of Route 66 sign. Met up with the coach again, at 11am. I think by around 1130 we were in Farmer's Market. Wandered around and had lunch, and then we were to be back at the coach for 13:15 for the guided tour of Hollywood. Chris , our tour guide was very informative. You are on the coach for the vast majority of the tour, but there is some walking involved. Arrived back to farmer's Market at 4pm and headed back to the Marriot Courtyard hotel in Sherman Oaks arriving back about 5pm. It was a quick turnaround, we had to leave the hotel at 6;30 and head for the optional LA dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. The food is not up to much, but as the vast majority of the group attend, I'd recommend you go just for the experience. On the way back the traffic was not bad and we were back at the hotel in 20 minutes.
Day 14 - left the hotel at 8am, and we are taken by coach to the Griffith Observatory. From there you get a great view of the Hollywood sign and a quick time to stretch your legs. Then it is on to Pasadena for a food tasting tour with meltingpottours.com. The group was split into 2 groups, my group's guide was Sabrina. She had a wonderful personality and was really informative about the local area. Everyone was certainly full by the end of the tour. We tasted Mexican Tamale, Italian cheeses, Middle Eastern falafel, and then visited an ice-cream shop. We then departed for San Diego. I think we got there about 2:45. We had roughly 1 hour in Balboa Park before we had to leave at 3:45. It was starting to get dark by then. Wendy wanted us to see the exclusive Coronado hotel, but to be honest I think everyone would have been happy to give it a miss and head straight to our hotel. We wasted too much time in the traffic which meant we had less time to get ready in the evening.
We had a Margarita at a Mexican place close to the hotel, and then we were back on the coach to go to another Mexican restaurant. After that it was back to our hotel for a drink. The Manchester crew had an early start, and were leaving at 4am. The rest of us had a longer lie in. We left the hotel at 10:45 in plenty of time for our 13:48 flight. We had a connecting flight at 2105 to Heathrow.
All in all , a memorable trip. Met great people along the way. Everyone was sorry the tour had to end. If we had an extra day in San Diego, that would have made it even better. People wouldn't have minded paying for a 17 or 18 day trip instead of 16 days. The tour is very rushed, if there was an extra day to yourself in San Francisco or Las Vegas, it would give time to take more in.
There are so many highlights to this tour, I couldn't recommend it highly enough.
