Cross country road trip

k_estela said:
Andrew,

Have a great trip. I'd suggest making it out to some of the national parks for certain. Just a quick question, what kind of car are you taking out there? With gas nearing $4 a gallon here, it might be a costly trip.
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I will be driving a fairy fuel efficient car, something that gets about 30 mpg. I figure with all the detours it will cost about twice as much as a round trip plane ticket in gas, however, my goal is too often camp out or stay at friends houses along the way, so in the end it will average out to about the same price as a vacation where I would stay in a hotel.

But I agree, I am not too pleased about the gas prices and as long as they don't go up to much I will hopefully have enough money to make this work.


ilbruche said:
I think a drive through Utah should be on the list. The entire state if filled with some of the craziest geology in the States.

I guess it depends on which route you plan on taking. Are you gonna go south through Texas/New Mexico and Arizona or through Colorado/Utah/Nevada?
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I think I would probably go the Colorado/Utah/Nevada as I have a friend in Colorado and I want to hit Zion NP and Vegas. Although I wouldn't mind swinging down to the corner of Arizona to see the Grand Canyon.


Thanks all for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming.


j williams said:
I wish you a safe journey bro, If your ever in Missouri, Ive got some neat places I can tell you about. OR... just a free meal and place to rest for a bit. Mi casa es su casa bro.
Have a ball dude! Thats something I always wanted to do, but military life, and then a family kept me pretty sidetracked. Ive been on a couple road trips though, its life altering.
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That is a very generous offer. I am not sure which route I want to take yet, but I will most likely be around Missouri as I would like to visit St. Louis
 
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Guys dont confuse the 101 with the 1 which is the PCH ..... You want to drive the PCH or highway 1. I took 3 days to drive it and it wasnt enough. I would suggest to get a good GPS it would realy help getting around. It might sound sort of weird but disney land is a great place to spend a day. Something has to be said for a walk on hollywood in the evening... Intresting people are out there lol. If you know a AAA member ask them to pick up a travel book for each state.. realy helps.... Oh i just remembered how about herst castle.
 
I dont know what car you are driving but make sure all the service is taken care of.
 
If you find yourself in LA, consider a day trip out to Catalina Island. The aquatic park/preserve at Casino Point has a lot of fish, kelp forests, etc. You can rent scuba gear right there (if certified) or snorkeling equipment. Cement steps with a metal handrail leading right into the water. There is some surge but usually no serious waves because you are on the more sheltered side of the island.

There's also some interesting hiking on the island.

I like the Channel Islands off Ventura/Santa Barbara a lot but they aren't quite as easy and convenient to dive/snorkel as Casino Point at Catalina.

DancesWithKnives
 
very cool...:thumbup: i am totally jealous.. i have always wanted to drive cross country....:o though i can't drive too far these days, the gas prices are outrageous...:mad:

i'm in CA... there is lots of stuff to see out here...:cool: if you have never seen a redwood tree, please make it over here... it is a must...
 
Back in '99 me and my girlfriend and our dog set off to see the country in my 1978 chevy van. We took almost six months, our basic route was: Start in central Texas, go to Southern Louisiana, follow Miss. river up to Illinois, wind our way across the plains through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and all they way to the Olympic peninsula in Washington, follow the coast down through Oregon and most of California, head east and meander through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and finally back to Texas. After six months and over 10,000 miles with no problems I got pulled over after being back in Texas less than 4 hours!:mad:
It was so much fun that we saved up and did a similar trip in 2000, but in a Volvo station wagon getting twice the gas mileage. And now we are married.
I can't possibly remember everything, but some highlights that I suggest are: the Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone, Glacier NP, Olympic NP, Hoh Rainforest , Pacific Coast Highway, the Redwoods!!, the Lost Coast, Yosemite, Hwy 50 across Nevada, all over S. Utah and the four corners area, Canyon de Chelle, Grand Canyon, Weminuche wilderness, Chaco Canyon, White Sands, Carlsbad caverns......Oh man am I feeling nostalgic!!
I remember getting to California and being surprised that gas was $1.60/gallon!! If you do it right you can live pretty cheap on the road. The secret is to stay away from cities and get good at finding free camping. One technique is to find a small road on the map that follows a river, especiallly around some national forest. There will always be some little unofficial campsites here and there. In the van it was easy to be low key, it doesn't really look like someone is camping. In the station wagon we had to set up a tent everynight, so we had to find places that were a little more hidden. Don't plan too much, play it by ear as you go.
My biggest piece of advice is DO IT! You will have no regrets.

Oh, I just remembered a place! Lookout Mt. just to the east of Mt. Hood in Oregon, it was a nice clear day when we where there and you could see all of the volcanoes from Mt. Shasta to Mt. Ranier at the same time! Except I think Mt. St. Helens was hidden by a nearby mountain.

edit: We also have family and friends all over the states that we stayed with, some for an extended period. We picked up a few odd jobs here and there when we needed some extra cash.
 
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Make sure you visit the Las Vegas national park. Beware of strange and sneeky wildlife (hookers), and try to get your campsite (hotel room) comped. After that, you'll be broke so go ahead and head home. :)
 
I did a trip cross country with my girlfriend (now my wife) a few years back. If you're thinking about it, just do it. Memories that will last forever. We camped all the way with a few hotel nights to clean up and sleep in a bed. I also started in New England and went south through the Smoky Mountains to the panhandle of Florida. One of best places was St George's Island State Park in Florida-one of the best beaches in the USA. The campground is across a dirt road from the beach. From there we headed west along the Gulf Coast and into the Southwest. There have already been alot of recommendations in the southwest, try to see some of them. I did my trip before having internet access. With a road atlas and a AAA Campbook for each region, we planned day to day how far we wanted to go and where we would camp. It was just after the summer season, most of the state park campgrounds were open but not staffed. I only paid for a handful of campsites the whole trip. Do it now, while you can. A month on the road, living like a transient, is a beautiful thing but is harder to do when you're older and have more responsibilities. Good luck.
 
People keep mentioning interstates. In my opinion, if you want to see america stay off the interstates. Drive the highways. It will take longer, with stop signs and lower speed limits, but you see small towns and people. On the interstate you won't see much but fields and MacDonalds.

Chad
 
Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois and the National Museum UNDER the Arch in St. Louis, Illinois. Also, Lake Texahoma on the northern border between Oklahoma and Texas.:D
 
Do you want any advice on attractions in Connecticut?:D

I take a couple of touring trips each summer by motorcycle, camping along the way, although I have not yet managed to integrate a cross-country one with my assorted other responsibilities. Last summer was Virginia's Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. Definitely drive those roads if you make it South.
 
I just made this trip about a month and a half ago. New Haven CT to San Mateo CA. I was on a schedule so I really didn't stop to see anything, but I did clock about 950 miles per day. If you are going I-80 be aware that the eastern approach to Salt Lake City is pretty hairy. Steep grades and construction. This also applies to the descent out of the Sierras. Wyoming was rather unimpressive, although it, Iowa, and Nebraska were the only states where I saw some deer. The road is straight enough through NE that if you bring along some rope you should be able to set your course, tie the steering wheel, and catch a nap. Also be warned that at amny fuel stations in some of the western states the fuel price adverised is either for E10 (Iowa and Nebraska) or for 85 octane (Wyoming) fuel.

Bring a load of cash, gas prices are only going up.
 
hlee said:
Wyoming was rather unimpressive, although it, Iowa, and Nebraska were the only states where I saw some deer.
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I-80 through WY is pretty boring. The best parts of the state are further north.

Also be warned that at amny fuel stations in some of the western states the fuel price adverised is either for E10 (Iowa and Nebraska) or for 85 octane (Wyoming) fuel.
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85 octane is the norm at higher altitudes. Since the air pressure is lower the engine draws less air, that in turn means the cylinder pressure is lower so a higher octane isn't needed to combat knock.
 
dont go to nevada. in genesis it was where adam was banished to.definately the grand canyon and bryce and zion in utah. ok , ok lake tahoe isnt considered nevada, that is truly beautiful. also the navajo reservation in the four corners, utah, arizona, new mexico and colorado.
 
Blackhills, I'm sure that you are correct on both accounts. However, I did notice a slight knock in my 2000 silverado with 85 octane, so I went back to 87.
 
In the midwest, most towns have free or cheap camping in parks. I recently took a motorcycle trip from Tucson to Lincoln, NE and camped out in Kansas and Colorado in city parks. Since tourism is the bread and butter of the Arizona economy(and maybe other mountain west states), you have to pay for camping.

Chad
 
Excellent, a road trip.
Get a canvass bag for all your maps. Get the AAA route maps, guide books and camping guides for the States on your route. Consider getting AAA plus- doesn't cost much and your first 2 tows up to 150 miles are free, and they could really be expensive without it. Also get a nice big current road map book from a bookstore, the colors are better than AAA, there are often little details not covered elsewhere and you can buy one that has more national and state park info.

Join Triple JJJ truck and RV stop for free, you get a card for a few cents off of gas and the JJJ's have hot showers, parking and various kinds of chow 24/7 in most cases.

Start making a bag of east coast trinkets-little ships, rubber lobbies...etc, as you will make friends and want to exchange mementos.

Send 'Hi There, remember me?' cards to friends and relatives on your route- the 'Pop In' blows at 3am with a flat tire...
Buy or borrow a 2 burner Coleman stove, decide between instant or perked coffee, percolator, frying pan and utensils, good cooler that stays cold in hot,hot sun, magnetic key holder( with spare key ) and use it, even a small crappy dollar store toolkit has a good size wrench for walloping coyotes, a spare small wallet with photocopies of EVERYTHING important-plus a pre-paid phone card and some cash( open your glove box, squeeze the inside ends together and pull it out, duct tape the spare wallet behind it somewhere ).

We're all ready to go on a road trip apparently.

Good luck planning
Mark
 
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