Following are the basics of a vacation trip from the SF Bay Area to the Grand Canyon, made in late September in a Model S. We visited a number of interesting places along the way, including Yosemite, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, Mt Whitney Portal, Las Vegas and Death Valley. The trip was based on supercharging, with some destination charging.
Day 1: Cupertino – Manteca SC – Groveland, 90 + 64 miles:
The intermediate SC stop in Manteca is optional if you’re destination-charging in Groveland, near Yosemite’s east entrance, but worth it for the break after a slow drag through the orchards of CS 120, and for the amazing diorama and aquarium at the Bass Pro shop there. The Groveland Hotel is like a B&B with your own bathroom (ie, antiquey and overpriced), but they have a dedicated 240V/40A Tesla charger, which can be reserved, so you could get a couple hours on it while dining at the Iron Door, allegedly the oldest saloon in California, then head on into Yosemite if you're lodging in the park.
Day 2: Groveland – Mammoth Lakes SC (via Yosemite) – Lone Pine, 119 + 100 miles:
Wanted to start out with full charge as the Priest Grade plus Tioga Pass would use up a lot of range, plus we added about 40 miles in the Valley in order to do some hiking around Bridal Veil. At Mammoth Lakes all SC’s were open – 20 minutes for a quick charge and a latte, then 100 miles down spectacular CS-395 to Lone Pine. Lone Pine is a place where you can hang out for days – great hikes up at the Whitney Portal and Horseshoe Meadows and in the Alabama Hills where many hundreds of movies and TV episodes have been filmed. Arrived at the SC early evening, strolled into town for dinner; back to the car now ready for the next leg. Overnight at Best Western Frontier Motel.
Day 3: Lone Pine – Beatty SC – Las Vegas, 114 + 118 miles:
The first leg has plenty of capacity for some touring in Death Valley. Splendid vistas, other-world landscapes, fine weather. At the Beatty SC a crowd of bikers came over to ogle the car. Creech AFB is here – this is where they train on the MQ-9 Reaper, the AF’s deadliest drone; further south some jets were flying. Then to Vegas. New highways, heavy traffic; fortunately, our GPS gal took us right to the door at Mandalay Bay. Their Tesla chargers were not available -- no problem: the valets used our 1722 adapter and left us on all night. Tram to the strip, evening in Vegas.
Day 4: Las Vegas – Kingman SC – Flagstaff, 103 + 146 miles:
Kingman on old route 66. Checked out the Route 66 museum, then on to the Flagstaff Marriott, where the SC’s are right on the property, very convenient.
Day 5: Flagstaff to Grand Canyon south rim, 164 miles round trip:
This was the only day without an intermediate charge. Parked at the Visitor’s Center, hiked around all day, waited for sunset to get a few more shots, back to the Marriott. This portion of the journey could be extended, but one day on the south rim is enough.
Day 6: Flagstaff – Kingman SC – Las Vegas, 146 + 103 miles:
This is a reverse of Day 4 except this time we stayed at the Bellagio. Sad to say their once-incredible sushi bar with the moon jellies is gone. Here we got the wimpiest destination charge ever: 190V/20A, but they left us on all night, so not a problem. They still smoke in Vegas and the casinos stink, but you can get a non-smoking room at the better hotels. Hoover Dam is a good potential stop on this leg.
Day 7: Las Vegas—Beatty SC—Lone Pine, 118 + 114 miles.
This is a reverse of Day 3. The Death Valley stretch included a couple side trips this time to check out some favorite spots – Artists Pallette, Badwater Basin – then back to Lone Pine where we always stay at the Frontier Motel, which has a lot of movie history. The SC is by the Lone Pine Film Museum where you can learn about the 400+ films that have been made in Lone Pine since 1919.
Day 8: Lone Pine – Mammoth Lakes, 100 miles:
We stopped in Mammoth for coffee and quick supercharge, then spent the morning at the Devil’s Post Pile, a great scenic and hiking spot, then afternoon hiking around Mono Lake and Crater Mountain, gourmet dining at the historical Mono Inn, then back to the Sierra Nevada Resort, about a block from the Mammoth Lakes SC; top off the charge in the morning while getting breakfast in order to leave with a max charge (275 mi).
Day 9: Mammoth Lakes – Manteca SC – Cupertino, 182 + 90 miles:
Not enough comfortable range for a side trip into the valley this time; still, plenty of good stops along the way; eg, a nice hike around Lambert Dome up to Dog Lake, where we saw red crossbills and a marmoset. Then a long and scenic drive down to Manteca where a brief stop at the SC gave us plenty of range to get home.
Altogether, an easy, relaxing, problem-free trip in a great car. Fine weather and not too many tourists (a lot of Germans in rented Mustangs). All the SC’s had at most one other Tesla. We’d forgotten how the car can draw attention, given how common they are back home. We saw one other MS in Yosemite, a couple in Vegas, none in AZ.
Day 1: Cupertino – Manteca SC – Groveland, 90 + 64 miles:
The intermediate SC stop in Manteca is optional if you’re destination-charging in Groveland, near Yosemite’s east entrance, but worth it for the break after a slow drag through the orchards of CS 120, and for the amazing diorama and aquarium at the Bass Pro shop there. The Groveland Hotel is like a B&B with your own bathroom (ie, antiquey and overpriced), but they have a dedicated 240V/40A Tesla charger, which can be reserved, so you could get a couple hours on it while dining at the Iron Door, allegedly the oldest saloon in California, then head on into Yosemite if you're lodging in the park.
Day 2: Groveland – Mammoth Lakes SC (via Yosemite) – Lone Pine, 119 + 100 miles:
Wanted to start out with full charge as the Priest Grade plus Tioga Pass would use up a lot of range, plus we added about 40 miles in the Valley in order to do some hiking around Bridal Veil. At Mammoth Lakes all SC’s were open – 20 minutes for a quick charge and a latte, then 100 miles down spectacular CS-395 to Lone Pine. Lone Pine is a place where you can hang out for days – great hikes up at the Whitney Portal and Horseshoe Meadows and in the Alabama Hills where many hundreds of movies and TV episodes have been filmed. Arrived at the SC early evening, strolled into town for dinner; back to the car now ready for the next leg. Overnight at Best Western Frontier Motel.
Day 3: Lone Pine – Beatty SC – Las Vegas, 114 + 118 miles:
The first leg has plenty of capacity for some touring in Death Valley. Splendid vistas, other-world landscapes, fine weather. At the Beatty SC a crowd of bikers came over to ogle the car. Creech AFB is here – this is where they train on the MQ-9 Reaper, the AF’s deadliest drone; further south some jets were flying. Then to Vegas. New highways, heavy traffic; fortunately, our GPS gal took us right to the door at Mandalay Bay. Their Tesla chargers were not available -- no problem: the valets used our 1722 adapter and left us on all night. Tram to the strip, evening in Vegas.
Day 4: Las Vegas – Kingman SC – Flagstaff, 103 + 146 miles:
Kingman on old route 66. Checked out the Route 66 museum, then on to the Flagstaff Marriott, where the SC’s are right on the property, very convenient.
Day 5: Flagstaff to Grand Canyon south rim, 164 miles round trip:
This was the only day without an intermediate charge. Parked at the Visitor’s Center, hiked around all day, waited for sunset to get a few more shots, back to the Marriott. This portion of the journey could be extended, but one day on the south rim is enough.
Day 6: Flagstaff – Kingman SC – Las Vegas, 146 + 103 miles:
This is a reverse of Day 4 except this time we stayed at the Bellagio. Sad to say their once-incredible sushi bar with the moon jellies is gone. Here we got the wimpiest destination charge ever: 190V/20A, but they left us on all night, so not a problem. They still smoke in Vegas and the casinos stink, but you can get a non-smoking room at the better hotels. Hoover Dam is a good potential stop on this leg.
Day 7: Las Vegas—Beatty SC—Lone Pine, 118 + 114 miles.
This is a reverse of Day 3. The Death Valley stretch included a couple side trips this time to check out some favorite spots – Artists Pallette, Badwater Basin – then back to Lone Pine where we always stay at the Frontier Motel, which has a lot of movie history. The SC is by the Lone Pine Film Museum where you can learn about the 400+ films that have been made in Lone Pine since 1919.
Day 8: Lone Pine – Mammoth Lakes, 100 miles:
We stopped in Mammoth for coffee and quick supercharge, then spent the morning at the Devil’s Post Pile, a great scenic and hiking spot, then afternoon hiking around Mono Lake and Crater Mountain, gourmet dining at the historical Mono Inn, then back to the Sierra Nevada Resort, about a block from the Mammoth Lakes SC; top off the charge in the morning while getting breakfast in order to leave with a max charge (275 mi).
Day 9: Mammoth Lakes – Manteca SC – Cupertino, 182 + 90 miles:
Not enough comfortable range for a side trip into the valley this time; still, plenty of good stops along the way; eg, a nice hike around Lambert Dome up to Dog Lake, where we saw red crossbills and a marmoset. Then a long and scenic drive down to Manteca where a brief stop at the SC gave us plenty of range to get home.
Altogether, an easy, relaxing, problem-free trip in a great car. Fine weather and not too many tourists (a lot of Germans in rented Mustangs). All the SC’s had at most one other Tesla. We’d forgotten how the car can draw attention, given how common they are back home. We saw one other MS in Yosemite, a couple in Vegas, none in AZ.
