ilovetokidoki

We are a group of college kids planning a road trip in August 2010 from San Francisco CA to St Louis MO. This trip will start in San Fran where we pick up the car and it needs to end in St Louis where we all attend college. We have approximately 10 days for this trip, but don't know where to begin. We are thinking of starting off in San Francisco, then making our way to Los Angeles and then Las Vegas. Then comes the part we know nothing about...between Las Vegas and St Louis, does anyone have any suggestions on cities that we may find interesting? We will be staying in hotels along the way, so any suggestions for hotels within the $150 - $200 a night range would be great. This is our first adventure alone, without family, so we welcome any advice you may have. Thank you!

emalloy

What do you like to do? Will you want to visit the National Parks? If so, go to www.nps.gov and decide which ones would interest you, lots are between SF and St. L and could be visited along the ride depending on your route and likes. If you do go to them, you should pick up a pass at the first one that will let your car full into all of the NPs for a year for free. You could even start in Yosemite and continue on to Vegas from there, then up to Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches. Rocky Mt. NP, or go to Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest/Painted Desert then up to Bandelier, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mt., etc. Check it out.


Also pick up one of the discount magazines for hotel/motels like Roomsaver. They give better rates and also have little maps that show where there are likely to be accommodations.

sf7307

You said you are going to "pick up a car" - do you mean a rental or a friend's vehicle? If you're talking about a rental, I assume you're aware of the sometimes-as-high-as-50% premium for rentals to under-25s?

Are you all 21? If you are, Vegas could be fun, if even one of you isn't, it won't be!

Is any part of the 10 days IN San Francisco? I would definitely plan 2 or 3 days here before you head off.

ilovetokidoki

We are starting out in San Francisco because one of us lives there and we are taking her car to school in St Louis.

montereybob

On the way to St. Louis, you will probably be passing through Kansas City. There is a fun college town by the University in Lawrence, Kansas (about 30 min before you get to KC). Also, a vibrant new bar, restaurant, and music scene for 20 somethings can be experienced at the Power and Light District in Downtown KC. Check out their website.

ilovetokidoki

Thank you for the advice so far. emalloy - The national parks sound interesting, especially since I love to take photographs. BTW, we will be ages 19 and 20 when we do this road trip. We are all female and love to shop, so any shopping advice is welcome.

musicfan

First advice: Join AAA/CAA. You can get maps, guidebooks and trip routing assistance, all for free as well as discounts (usually 10-15%) at most hotels. And most importantly--free roadside assistance. My daughter is 21 and had a flat tire this weekend, at night, on I-70 in eastern Kansas...AAA to the rescue! I'll never be without it and neither will she!

Skip Vegas---you aren't old enough to get to do anything there--save that trip for another year!

Colorado is beautiful, especially if you enjoy photography...Mesa Verde, Durango, Telluride, Ouray.

The Power & Light District here in KC IS cool, but again, you have to be 21. Lawrence (previously mentioned) has some good shopping for young women your age. On the way from Lawrence to KC is The Legends...more shopping, albeit more generic.

Assuming it's fully open and operational (check first!) by the end of next summer--put this on your list--they are building a huge Schlitterbahn waterpark just across the interstate from The Legends. The others are deep in Texas or in Wisconsin and they are supposed to be awesome fun.

Be careful (that's the mom in me) and have fun!

montereybob

There is great shopping in Lawrence, Kansas and at Country Club Plaza in KC.

bratsandbeer

Don't skip Vegas. We go there and we don't gamble. There are so many great restaurants, shows and just walking around looking at the casinos are fun. Plus they have a neat shopping mall on the strip. IF you have never been there before, it will be fun to see everything.

Have you been to the Grand Canyon? You could take the southern route and go through Texas, Louisianna and up to St Louis. There are so many different routes to take and all will have something interesting.

Or you could drive north along the coast to Portland Oregon, drive up the Columbia River gorge, Idaho, Montana - stop at Yellowstone, drop south to Denver and east to St Louis.

sf7307

<<<Don't skip Vegas. We go there and we don't gamble. There are so many great restaurants, shows and just walking around looking at the casinos are fun. Plus they have a neat shopping mall on the strip. IF you have never been there before, it will be fun to see everything.>>>


Can we take a vote? I vote to skip Vegas, unless you have a lot of money to spend on good restaurants and shows. I personally don't think Vegas is fun to "look at" (obviously, others disagree).