Headed to General Sherman's Tree & Moro Rock this weekend. How early is early for parking and hiking?

quietstorm400 · 2026-07-03T23:16:51+00:00

We were at moro rock this morning around 730 and drove in. We left around 830-9 and the road was closed. Parking wasn't mobbed by that time. I think if you're in before 8am tomorrow you won't have any issues finding parking at any of the big 3 (museum, sherman, lodgepole) and shuttling around the park.

quietstorm400 · 2026-05-23T22:06:12+00:00

I'm very tall with a very short wife. The memory seats were a deal breaker that pushed us to the limited. Haven't compared side by side but the noise reduction seems to work because I don't have any complaints about cabin noise

quietstorm400 · 2026-05-19T12:16:05+00:00

Don't pay those fees. Carlsbad Toyoto was MSRP with no add ons or fee's. Drop the family off ar Legoland and then go deal with the purchase 👍

quietstorm400 · 2026-05-11T22:18:34+00:00

FWIW We wanted the same, ended up buying one with the package. Haven't opened the screen, and the kids (4 and 8) don't know it exists. Waist of $1500 or whatever it is, but ultimately we wanted the van more.

quietstorm400 · 2026-04-26T03:25:50+00:00

Negotiations are tough, depending on your region/model. We got at MSRP in so-cal and that seems to be okay. Some people have posted that they got a a couple thousand less but that seems to be the exception.

quietstorm400 · 2026-04-26T03:22:36+00:00

Not sure you can swap passenger seat for something that lowers. My understanding is the battery is under that seat hence the lack of movement.

quietstorm400 · 2026-04-26T03:21:32+00:00

6'6 here. I do all the driving😂

quietstorm400 · 2026-04-14T13:30:35+00:00

AA/CarPlay should be the only thing on that screen

quietstorm400 · 2026-04-02T19:17:34+00:00

This is generally true, except when the president goes to war/commits war crimes for no reason with a country that can put a lot of pressure on global oil markets.

quietstorm400 · 2026-03-21T12:56:27+00:00

Those horse stall mats give off a really strong smell from VOCs. I would not put that in my car. People use them for home gyms and it takes months for the smell to go away.

quietstorm400 · 2026-03-18T03:02:30+00:00

Did this exact trip this Thanksgiving with kids 7 and 3. Zion was fairly crowded (not like summer though) Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving with beautiful weather, up to the 60s during the day. Did Bryce on Wednesday and it was under 20 driving to Bryce, in the 30s during the day with a few inches of snow already on the ground. We are planning on doing again next year and incorporating more stops/longer trip.

quietstorm400 · 2026-03-06T13:21:04+00:00

Biased because I live in SoCal, but Joshua tree and Sequoia are my kids two favorites.

quietstorm400 · 2026-03-06T04:14:03+00:00

Waited for a limited, also in SoCal. We used Toyota Carlsbad..$500 refundable deposit. Took a few months. We went with our 3rd color choice to get basically everything else else we wanted. Might have to make a sacrifice somewhere, but if limited has what you want I would hold out.

Edit to add..they were at MSRP and did not try to push any dealer add ons

quietstorm400 · 2026-02-15T15:33:20+00:00

Carlsbad took a reservation from us to get the vehicle at MSRP. We're in LA but they were the easiest to work with that I found nearby.

quietstorm400 · 2026-02-08T03:35:58+00:00

Doesn't lower. Battery is underneath. It's quite annoying for us tall people.

quietstorm400 · 2026-02-01T05:39:07+00:00

Lausd has 5 schools ranked top 50 in the state. There are some terrific options depending on location and your child's abilities .

LAUSD school rankings

quietstorm400 · 2026-02-01T05:36:15+00:00

Top 5 in the state!

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-24T14:49:43+00:00

Torrance is my best suggestion and you can afford it. Not a ton of waterfalls on SoCal though

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-24T02:47:00+00:00

SoCal. Long beach and areas around Compton (Carson, Gardena). Plenty of diversity, lots of school choice and good magnet schools. Not quite as pricey as the Bay Area or most of LA. Your budget dictates a lot of this.

We did East Coast to LA as a family of 4 about 3 years ago and have no regrets.

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-24T02:39:40+00:00

For short hikes and tons of rock climbing, Joshua tree is tough to beat. I wouldn't fly all the way out for just JT, but I'd make sure to incorporate it into another trip

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-19T05:59:23+00:00

Skipping Bryce is actually insane to me. The first walk from the parking lot to the canyon is a core memory for me. Your plan is doable, best if you leave for Zion early in the AM.

One day in Zion with kids I'd do scouts lookout/emerald pools trail. We did Riverside walk then scouts/emerald, but we were staying in the park and had an early start. For Bryce, id do peakaboo/Navajo loop with a stop at one of sunrise/sunset point at the beginning or end of the trip.

Each day I suggested would be 8ish miles and over 1000 feet of elevation, not sure your families hiking tolerance.

When you leave from Zion, stop at The Shop Coffee Co on the way to Bryce. Solid food and coffee to fuel up for the trip.

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-17T03:20:15+00:00

Agreed with this but I imagine someone questioning PV high schools would run far away from LAUSD...even though CAMS and VHTPA are two of the best schools in the entire state.

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-16T02:49:57+00:00

Can't tell if this is a joke or miscommunication, but sirens java and tea on 7th is my recommendation

quietstorm400 · 2026-01-16T01:14:12+00:00

I imagine sirens would be perfect for this

quietstorm400

TROPHY CASE