60 day roadtrip
 

We are going on a 60 day roadtrip from D.C. to California, thru these states:<BR>D.C., VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, AR, OK, MO, KS, IA, NE, SD, WY, CO, NM, UT, AZ, NV, CA. <BR>We are interested in tips on what to see or do in these states. We are interested in attractions (thrill rides....), historical stuff (NO ART), scenic routs, and anything else interesting. Thanx a lot for you're help.

To narrow this down a bit, when are you going, who's going, what are your ages, and what's your budget?

Also, what ideas do you have so far?

Well, you could drive at least part of old Route 66 if you're interested. Lots of web sites dedicated to this bit of Americana, just do a search on any search engine. <BR><BR>We've done bits and pieces of it but would like one day to drive it in its entirety. Also recommend the book &quot;Route 66: The Mother Road&quot; by Michael Wallis for some good sightseeing tips.

Drive up/down Alt 89 in Arizona, to Red Rock Canyon.

In South Carolina, go the Charleston and spend some time. After that, take the 110 mile drive to Savannah and spend a few days sightseeing.

Thanx so far. to narrow it down we are 23 years old, we start our trip in D.C. march 31 and end up in LA May 29. We are interested in tips on locations as well as website adresses. Any help is apreciated.

Oh, to be 23 again! I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm (in fact, I love it!), but do you think it's wise to try to cover 21 states in 60 days (roughly 3 days per state)?<BR> <BR>You would probably have a safer, more enjoyable trip if you weren't pushing yourselves at break-neck speed. I would suggest that you eliminate several states from your route, and then identify the high points of the states that remain.<BR><BR>Forgive me if I've offended you with my concern. Have a safe and memorable trip!

I'm assuming (or at least hoping) that you have already checked out the car rental thing and can rent a car (age problem?) and csan pick up on the east coast and drop off on the west coast. I say the idea of going coast to coast is too good an opportunity to pass up --at your age, go for it. But I would take a more direct route. That means either head south and then go across the south (LA, AR, OK, NM, AZ, NV and CA) or else head north across SD, WY, CO, etc. Do not, I repeat DO NOT try to do all those, both north and south.<BR><BR>Ann D's statement really puts in all in perspective. 3 days per state?? What is the point. Either pick the north, the south, or the central route (the least interesting). Not all three.

Join AAA, well worth it for all the tourbooks you can pick up with great travel information and motel listings. Not to mention if you need a tow! <BR><BR>Call ahead for motel rates, the rates over the phone are usually a little better than walk-up. About two hours before you're ready to settle in for the night, check to see what cities are up ahead, then call a few motels until you get a decent rate. Coupons are available at www.roomsavers.com<BR><BR>&quot;Road Food&quot; is a good book to pick up, listings of great cafes and diners all over the country. <BR><BR>Be sure to have a meal at Lesley's Cafe in Salisaw Oklahoma, just over the Arkansas border. Best pie I've ever tasted! Turned around an hour down the freeway and went back for more!

Thanks for all the answers everyone :)<BR>About joining AAA, is that something we can easily do when we get to the US? Cost?<BR><BR>We`re not going to explore *every* state that we mentioned, some of them are just for passing through. They were listed to get hints on theres anything we just have got to see.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.

I once purchased a coffee table book that lists scenic drives and sites of interest along those routes for the whole US. It is sorted by regions and has beautiful color pictures throughout the book. Perhaps you can look for something like this in your library or bookstore. <BR><BR>If I every win the lottery, I'll be in a big RV travelling the country with that book!

Have I missed where you're from? AAA has a reciprocal agreement with AA in the UK, for example. We found that we could go into an AA office in the UK and get free maps with our AAA card. I assume the reverse is true.<BR><BR>I'm still curious if you have the car issue sorted out? The drop-off and rental problems generally?

Back in the 70's, I took a 5 week, 10,000 mile road trip (that began and ended in NY) and went thru as many, if not more states than seeker is intending. I think this is more than doable. And as Seeker, we didn't stop in every state (except for gas and food!). We made it a point to stop in those that interested us - AZ, NV, UT, CA, OR, WA, MT, WY, SD. IT was a trip I'll never forget. And would love to do again. I'm jealous!

A couple things I can help you with, in Missouri, if you are interested in tours through caves, there are a number of them near Springfield, including Fantastic Caverns, in which you actually take a jeep ride through the caves, which is advantageous if you have a difficult time working or have young kids. Silver Dollar City is an amusement park near Branson,MO with some good roller coasters. If you make it up near St.Louis there is a Six Flags there with more excellent coaster. In Oklahoma City is an amusement park called Frontier City with some small coasters - but the laid back attitudes of the park workers is not condusive to moving people through very long lines on hot days. Las Vegas has a number of good coasters. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA(north of L.A.) has alot of big coasters. Knotts Berry Farm has a couple of very good coasters too.

I found this site several years ago but still enjoy visiting it. It's just one young person's web page dedicated to their Great American Road Trip:<BR><BR>http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/8290/travel.html<BR><BR>You might pick up some ideas there.<BR><BR>

Whoops, was going to post this url too, for more ideas:<BR><BR>http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

Wow! What a fun road trip! I'm from Kansas originally and lived near Kansas City for a few years, so let me suggest a few things for my humble home state &amp; city. (Although I'm sure it's one of the ones you are planning on driving straight through). Stop in Kansas City and spend some time at the Country Club Plaza--beautiful architecture, shops, restaurants, and fountains. For fun night life, try the jazz district or just stick to the Plaza. Also, if you want a theme park that has good rides but isn't too busy, try Worlds of Fun in KC. If you are coming in the summer I would suggest stopping at a professional baseball game (the great American pastime!) in at least one of the cities--the Kansas City Royals aren't a good team right now, but they have a nice stadium and it will be easy to walk up and buy tickets. If you are driving west down I-70 to Colorado, there isn't much to see after Kansas City (although you will drive through the state Capitol--Topeka--and the capitol building is worth a quick visit). Just enjoy the friendly people as you drive through!<BR><BR>Oh--one more thing--if you drive through Nebraska, definitely stop at &quot;Car-henge&quot; it's a replica of Stonehenge made from old cars--hilarious! I can't remember exactly where it is, but it's a must see in Nebraska! <BR><BR>Have a great time!

Here's another web site you may want to take a look at for travel ideas specifically oriented toward road trips: www.RoadTripAmerica.com. Check both the articles and the forum threads.

Wow, *excellent* replies here people!<BR>About the AAA issue; we`re from Norway, Im not sure if our version of AAA has any agreements in other countries, but I guess we have to find that out :)<BR><BR>About the car, we have all that sorted out. We had to pay a 500 dollar drop-off fee and some dollars extra per week because of our &quot;young&quot; age.<BR><BR>How`s the weather in these two months in the east/mid-west? No blizzards or anything I hope..<BR><BR>One more question: Is it reasonable for us to budget $80-85 per night for accomodations (double room)? What kind of standard will that amount get us? Can we do with less (we would prefer private bath)?<BR><BR>Thanks again :)

At that time of year, for most places outside a few major cities in the USA, $80-85 will get you something between fair and really nice. There aren't many places where you'll even have the option of sharing a bath. Be aware that we have room taxes added on to the quoted cost for a room. They can be as high as 15%. $40-$50, including taxes, will be plenty to spend for a motel in some rural areas, leaving you more $ for the more expensive areas.<BR><BR>Weather in the Rocky Mountains can be very unpredictable until mid-April; March is our snowiest month. Luckily, it doesn't look like you'll get that far west until past mid-April.

I will try this one more time. My laptop zapped itself in the middle of my response!<BR><BR>I am a very experienced roadtripper, and have been to all but 1 state in the US (Maine). <BR><BR>The basics, etc.<BR>thrill rides: Atlanta, St. Louis and Los Angeles all have Six Flags Amusement Parks. They are all fun, but if you want extreme, then Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles is the one for you. Some of those rides should be illegal!<BR><BR>In D.C. you might be able to catch the cherry blossoms (very pretty) and hit the Smithsonian/monuments, Carolinas have very pretty mountains and rolling hills, Georgian estate homes are pretty neat, go to an alligator farm in FL and see the pretty beaches on the Gulf coast, Alabama has some outstanding fried food and be sure to order some sweet tea, MS has the floating casinos but mostly murky water, LA - New Orleans French Quarter, Arkansas and Oklahoma - haven't visited any sights there but the roads sure are bumpy. I hope const. is done by the time you get there if you're taking 40. <BR><BR>Missouri is back to the rolling hills and you can go up in the Arch in St. Louis. SD has Mt. Rushmore which will probably be a lot smaller than you expect, WY has Yellowstone (watch out for those buffalo) and Old Faithful geyser. Also, call ahead a day or two at least for a hotel around Yellowstone - had a problem with that once. <BR><BR>Maybe you can do some late season skiing in the rockies of CO. UT is one of the prettiest states IMO because of the rocks and clean landscape. The Salt Lake is stinky though, so bring a gas mask! (just kidding).<BR>New Mexico's red rocks and plateaus are very unique and a nice sight at dawn if you're headed through early. <BR><BR>Don't miss the Grand Canyon (I prefer south rim) and Las Vegas. California must sees are Yosemite, either Redwoods or Sequoias, and the cliffs of the seaside. <BR>Santa Barbara is a fun college town that you may want to spend a day tootling around as well and SF is outstanding. If you're in LA, you'll probably want to hit Mann's Chinese theater where all the stars hand/footprints are, the observatory is a nice view of LA, the tar pits have that archeological edge (bones of mastadons and sabre tooth tigers).<BR><BR>I have really skipped around here so if you have specific questions let me know. Your budget is certainly enough for hotels. I disagree that you should pick a smaller route. You can do it, and passing through is not bad. At least you got to see it!

LOTS of historical stuff in DC and VA. You could easily spend 2 weeks in DC alone. Be sure to at least hit the highlights of DC – visit several of the Smithsonian museums, the Washington, Lincoln and Vietnam War Memorials. For some living history visit Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. For thrill rides in Williamsburg go to Busch Gardens. It is probably a little out of your way, but try to drive through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee or North Carolina. Later in your trip you will drive over the Rocky Mountains, but the Smokies are different. Tour Boone Hall near Charleston, SC to get an idea of what a southern plantation was like. In Charleston tour Fort Sumter. Further down the coast stop in Savannah, Georgia. In Florida, you will want to visit Orlando, of course, but don’t spend all your time there. Drive south of Orlando and take a tour of the Everglades. If you have time, I highly recommend you drive all the way down to Key West. When you get back to northern Florida, stay on Highway 98 in the panhandle – it’s a very pretty drive all the way to LA. I can’t give you much advice on the rest of the states except Iowa. In Iowa I recommend 2 stops – Winterset, IA to see the covered bridges and Living History Farms in Des Moines, IA.<BR><BR>URL/ Website links for more information:<BR> www.si.edu – Smithsonian museums<BR>www.williamsburg.com – Williamsburg, Virginia<BR>www.nps.gov – America’s National Parks (Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone)<BR>www.boonehallplantation.com – Boone Hall Plantation<BR>www.charlestoncvb.com – Charleston, South Carolina<BR>www.savannah-visit.com - Savannah, Georgia<BR>www.madisoncounty.com – Winterset, Iowa<BR>www.lhf.org – Living History Farms, Iowa<BR>

If you do indeed plan to pass through Oklahoma City, you'll find the National Memorial moving, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum intriguing, Remington Park racetrack exhilarating, and Enterprise Square (interactive economics museum and White Water (water park) fun! Bricktown in downtown is a good place to eat, lounge, and take in a water taxi.

More about AAA and alternate sources of travel info. There is an AAA office on 15th street NW in Washington DC - check www.aaa.com for exact address). <BR><BR>Another source of travel info are bookstores. The two big US chain bookstores have downtown DC branches which are within reasonable walking distance of the main tourist areas (&quot;museums and monuments&quot;)- Borders Books (14th St NW) and Barnes &amp; Noble (12th St. NW)(check websites for exact addresses). These stores will have a wide selection of specialized guide books to different US regions, states, cities, scenic routes, historical attractions like plantation homes and Civil War battle fields, National Parks, amusement parks, and cities in the US, as well as hotel/motel and &quot;road food&quot; guides. Plus, these stores sell some maps and road atlases. (There's also a good independent map store somewhere nearby, but I just can't recall the address) <BR><BR>The National Geographic Society publishes an extensive selection of US travel guides and maps in addition to the famous magazine. These publications can be bought at the Society's headquarters Explorer's Hall (17th and M Streets) in Washington DC - and the Explorer's Hall itself has interesting exhibits and be a fun place for a quick visit.<BR><BR>You can get some good ideas for the rest of your trip just browsing in these places, and if you do buy a book or map, they will be much cheaper than buying than buying off the websites and having the items shipped all the way to Norway.<BR><BR>

well, if it were me....go directly to chicago for a couple of days, museums, ride the el etc, then on to colorado with one night in nebraska. visit denver and area, go south to santa fe, n.mex., spend a few days. <BR><BR>drive to pagosa springs colorado, durango, mesa verde, moab, utah. spend a few days, tour arches nat. park and canyonlands. on to torrey via green river, spend a day or two hiking capitol gorge. drive the marvelous scenic highway 22 to bryce, spend a day, then on to zion national. spend at least 2-3 days for hikes. <BR><BR>from there i would go to page, arizona and take the boat ride, grand canyon then to las vegas. las vegas through death valley then to yosemite valley and san francisco or wherever.<BR><BR>i would read up on history if possible. your hotel budget sounds right, cheaper in the southwest, more expensive in chicago and california. look up motel chains on the web for prices. i would also buy a national park pass for $50 that you can get in any natl. park. <BR><BR>the western u.s. will blow your mind. can i come too?

For a couple of 50's style experiences:<BR><BR>Wall Drug in Wall, SD<BR><BR>Harold Warp's Pioneer Village, Minden, NE

Thanks again to all those that replied :)<BR><BR>We`ve been researching quite abit these past weeks and one thing that is on our minds is the crime.. We come from a country that has minimal crime and so are sceptical about the big cities in the US. <BR><BR>We dont want to make this trip into some big city adventure, but we have to visit some of them. We know we have to keep the car locked at all times and never stop anywhere in bad city neighbourhoods and always keep your guard up (this will be a new experience). <BR><BR>What to you recommend we do when we want to visit a city? We thought of staying at a motel on the outskirts of the city and then travel by public transportation to whatever destination we had in mind. One reads about staying out of bad neighbourhoods, but I reckon its not exactly easy to know which is which for a couple of foreigners.<BR><BR>I hope some of you can enlighten us here. Tension is growing ever stronger.<BR>Only three weeks to go now.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.

It's important to be aware of the possibility of crime, but most USA cities are usually safe. There aren't that many &quot;bad&quot; neighborhoods in any given urban area.<BR><BR>Living for 20 years in Houston, and working mostly in the middle of town, the only crime I experienced was being pickpocketed once while boarding a city bus.<BR><BR>I've traveled fairly extensively, even doing stupid things like walking alone at night in big cities, and have had nothing else happen to me.<BR><BR>A USA guide book, like Let's Go, is likely to tell you infamous neighborhoods to avoid, also general safety tips. If you walk with someone else, avoid drug deals, don't hitchhike, avoid lonely ATMs, and don't flash cash around, you've probably protected yourself as much as anyone in the USA would.<BR><BR>Yes, avoid certain areas, lock your doors, and be aware of your surroundings, but don't let yourself worry so much that you can't enjoy the places you go.

Wow, that was quick!<BR>Ok, hope you can answer a couple more questions :)<BR>Is there tourist information available at specific places? Like right at the border of a new state? How is the condition of roads other than interstates? Are these worth driving for scenery? <BR>We`ve put up a specific travel route for us to follow, but that makes us wonder that we might miss something (of course.. we wont be able to experience everything).<BR>

Yes, there are tourist information centers at most state lines, also in most major cities and national parks. <BR><BR>US and state highways are smaller than interstates, but generally well-maintained. They are less likely to have controlled access, and may be 2 lane roads, but the speed limits are usually 55-70mph. They do tend to be more scenic. While driving these roads, you may have to stop fairly often at stoplights in towns, since you don't drive over or around towns like you would on interstates.<BR><BR>Interstates are good to use if you just want to get somewhere fast, but with what you're doing, the secondary roads would probably be a lot more interesting.

Lots of replies. Might I also suggest seeing as many National Parks as possible on your route.<BR><BR>Look them up at www.nps.gov/parks<BR><BR>You can click on the map and find all the ones where you'll be going and read all about them. Just buy a National Parks Pass for $50 at the first park entry gate which gives all in your vehicle entry to ALL national parks / national historical sites / national monuments &amp; lasts one year before expiry.<BR><BR>www.byways.org/travel/<BR><BR>- gives you all of the national scenic byways. You can request a free map.<BR><BR>You'll not want to miss the national parks across southern Utah - especially Zion and Bryce, the Grand Canyon, and Sequoia or Redwoods in California area.<BR><BR>In North Carolina area --- Great Smokey Mountains National Park / Blue Ridge Parkway scenic route. In Vicksburg Mississippi, there is a tour through the town past all of the old historical homes/buildings, and there is a national civil war memorial/cemetery. From New Orleans to Baton Rouge, Louisiana - there are many historical plantations/homes/farms that you can drive by or tour for a minimal fee.<BR><BR>For amusement parks / thrill rides - check out www.sixflags.com for all of their locations throughout the U.S.A.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip!