One year ago I started planning this travel; I had a lot of miles to spend from my frequent flyer program, so I first booked the flight tickets to LAX.
Then I decided that this should be a Motorhome travel. Through the help of @KarenVChin and some great suggestions from @PaulPavlinovich here https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Travel-and-Advice/My-RV-holiday-in-California-in-september/m-p/331554 I found motorhomerepublic.com; after some issues regarding Credit Card (they don’t accept Amex!) I was finally able to book a 25 ft RV from El Monte RV.
First thing you have to consider is that usually they don’t rent you a motorhome the same day of your arrival international flight, so when we arrived at LAX I rent a SUV from Hertz (really nice rates, around 45 $/day!) and in the evening we went to Hollywood, Walk of Fame and Griffith Observatory, and then we come back to Holiday Inn Express near the airport.
FIrst fact: Los Angeles is HUGE; you cannot travel around the city, if you have a little spare time, without using a private car. Is a car-centric city.
The same day I decided that, to better avoid jetlag effects we had to go around the city till night, and so we started from Walk of Fame and Chines Theatre where we found my beloved movie myths…
To have a glimpse of LA night I decided to visit Griffith Observatory but i discovered that this wasn’t an original idea; parking was impossible. Plan in advance this visit if you want to see the city of lights from above.
The morning after we spent some time in Ladera Center, Inglewood, to have the first coffee in Starbucks and to buy a T-mobile Data Sim for the smartphone i will use for navigation and communications.
Then, after returning the rental car, we finally get the Shuttle to the RV rental.
First time for me to travel a lot in USA, first time for me driving a motorhome, first time also for my sons in the USA, first time for my mother (all of above).
So, I decided to buy a medical insurance from Chubb Travelins, with a coupon from Amex, but not to extend the RV insurance.
El Monte RV is a great and well organized place; they have a Shuttle service from many hotels and from the airport, so no problem to get to the rent location, in Santa Fe area: https://goo.gl/maps/Sm48w5XGrB52
Accessories and tools are being rented separately, so I decided to rent a kitchen kit (+ toaster) and not to rent personal convenience kits (blankets, towels etc.). I bough some goods (personal camping blankets, towels, etc. in Decathlon, in Italy, so i can keep for any other camping need). This allowed me to reduce rental expenses of 220 $.
First Day: Pacific Coast, from Los Angeles to Pismo Beach
After a stop in Cerrito Towne Center, having lunch in TGI Fridays and buying foods and tools in Walmart we headed north.
I drove along the coast, until i found a RV site, was late in the evening, and I entered this camp, Holiday RV Park, just in the front of the ocean, in Pismo beach. As we were off hours, I simply entered and found a place. Then, in the morning, i discovered that there was a blackboard with available places, and i was lucky to choose the correct one 
The park was nice, and not so expensive.
Second Day - Pismo Beach - Half Moon Bay - San Francisco
After registration and payment we decided to try a swim, but was so cold, and only some surfers were in the water:
Weather was not so good, light raining and cold, but we had good times here.
To start tasting some real USA, we had breakfast in Old West Cinnamon Rolls! I have to say that I need to try it again, my Frozen Cinnamon Roll was too sweet…
Before noon we left the camp, headed again north, on HWY 1; in my plans I wanted to reach Monterey and then San Francisco through Big Sur national park, but Google Maps told me the HWY was closed.
I decided to try, anyway, but I had to stop when i started to see trucks loading rocks from the road… maybe after a landslide. We stopped here.
The road is very scenic and offers great panorama:
During the road we noticed a natural area with Elefant Seals so now we decided to stop: Elephant Seal View
It’s a nice place, and you are surrounded by squirrels and crows, while watching elephant seals calm posing on the beach! We decided to have lunch here.
The following miles were very fast, we went along El Camino Real with only one stop for coffee recharge in Soledad (Nuestra Senora de la Soledad).
This ancient road connects all the old Spanish Missions in California.
The highway was hitten by a very strong cross wind, and I had to drive very carefully.
At once a rolling bush hit the camper
Finally, we get to San Jose and entered the Silicon Valley; around Mountain View we turned left, and we disappeared into the bay fog… in some minutes become night!
We tried first an RV park in Half Moon Bay, but was full, and then we entered another camp (also marked as full) and we found a place (another time without no assistance from managers, was late): Pelican Point RV Park
Third Day: Half Moon Bay - San Francisco
We woke up in a foggy, light, rain. We discovered to be near a nice golf club just in front of the ocean.
After payment, refill and … dump, we were ready to discover the city! So we drove along the coast, and we first encountered the city of Pacifica, where we saw a lot of guys surfing.
Then we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and went north, up to the first highway exit and we turn back, just to have a quick glimpse of the city; as always, SF appears ethereal, upon the fog.
Fourth Day: San Francisco - Silicon Valley - Yosemite
Fifth Day: Yosemite
Yosemite is pure magic. I started screaming and crying the first time i saw Half Dome from Portal Road, after the toll barrier. The mountains I always dreamt of just in front of me. Started stopping the RV in front of each mountain, and then I saw El Cap.
So we arrived at our camp late in the night. This was the only place that I booked in advance, so i was happy to see my name on the dashboard
As you can see bear accidents are common in Yosemite, so you will read a lot of advices on how to store your food, how to throw rubbish and how to react to a close encounter!
We made a campfire, is permitted in specific hours, and we enjoyed our first starry Yosemite night.
We woke up early in the morning, we had to leave the Upper Pine camp at noon, and we decided to make a short hike to Mirror Lake, when we encountered some lovely deers.
I decided to walk on the north side, up to the face of North Dome, when i climbed on some, huge, unstable, freshly fall, white granite blocks and make some panoramas.
Trails are easy, but as you walk out of them, it’s not easy to go on; unstable blocks everywhere, fallen trees and any kind of difficult, so be aware.
Also, there was an invasion of mosquitos; at general store you can find a net hat that will help you survive!
During the return, me and Valerio went faster, to reach the guard and prepare to leave the camp, so Virginia and my mother get lost! The area was easy, but they cannot communicate with me (and they are not able to talk in english as well!) in any way.
So i decided to alert Rangers and leave the camp to search them with RV.
I found them in another camp, after half an hour!
We decided to stay one more day, so i went to the ranger and asked for a place; there was a queue, and at 3 pm, they called everybody under red pines and sequoia and called my name! We had a place, again in Upper Pines!
We made another camp fire and we cooked, meanwhile i was planning the next day.
Sixth Day: Yosemite - High Sierras - Lone Pine
Seventh Day: Death Valley - Las Vegas
No words can help explain the beauty of this wild place.
Exiting Death Valley was the dangerous thing we did
I drove around 80-100 miles in complete solitude, without encounter a single car or animal; cellular network was completely out of work (both AT&T and T-Mobile), gasoline was at 1/4, and outside temperature was around 50° C. But was a great ride, desert, rocks, canyons, we saw a tornado, very far, and at last we met a city and we were back in the world.
After Pahrump we entered a supercell.
We saw the weather was quickly becoming worst, and we started to see a lot of lightings above Red Rock NP, before Las Vegas.
We quickly entered the supercell, and a tornado hit the motorhome.
I decided to go on and exit as quick as i can from the supercell, and I really had fear we were lifted fro the highway; some cars stopped by.
We were lucky enough to exit the tornado and reach Las Vegas safely.
Here is a video from Death Valley, at 2:12 you can see a poiana running over the canyon. Locations are Panomint, Golden Canyon and Badwater Basin (enlarge to see in 4K)
Eighth Day: Las Vegas
This is the fountain show in Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas: each 15’ the show starts, every time with different music and coerography!
Nineth Day: Las Vegas - Hoover Dam - Los Angeles
This is the whole map of the places we have touched:
Made a Google Photo Album with more photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GtkkduNtJzg4eTWG3
Enjoy 
