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-   -   drive cross country (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/drive-cross-country-973640/)

honourhitchings Apr 9th, 2013 05:27 AM

drive cross country
 
I'm interested in planning a cross country USA driving trip incorporating historic and natural beauty sites. Willing to go either a northern or a southern route, probably in the spring lasting about a month. Any suggestions?

tomfuller Apr 9th, 2013 05:42 AM

Starting where? Month? Renting a car or driving your own?
For a solo trip I would consider using a USA Rail Pass and renting a car in the towns where you get off the train.
Are you returning to your starting point?

PaulRabe Apr 9th, 2013 09:11 AM

For spring, I recommend the "southern" route. Places like Glacier NP, Yellowstone, and the Black Hills are fantastic areas to visit, but even June can be early -- Rapid City is getting a foot of snow today, for instance.

History and natural beauty?
Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio, Big Bend NP, Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, national parks of Utah, Las Vegas (you have to see it to disbelieve it), Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and ending in San Francisco.

boom_boom Apr 9th, 2013 09:15 AM

There are so many possibilities it's hard to make specific suggestions without more information as tomfuller asks above.

But, I possible is using I-70 as a base route and making excursions from that of a day or so north or south you can cover a lot of scenic and historic areas.

You could visit Gettysburg, the PA Dutch region, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the St. Louis Arch and some of the Louis & Clark route, Lincoln and Eisenhower museums, Dodge City, Denver, Aspen and Vail in Colorado, Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake and then decide is you want to go via Las Vegas to Southern California or via Reno to Northern California.

Spring, late spring at least, should find clear roads and no blizzards in Rockies or Great Plains.

WhereAreWe Apr 9th, 2013 09:46 AM

Early June is still spring and the northern route would be nice then. Early April is great for the southern route. Really depends on when you can start.

nytraveler Apr 9th, 2013 10:33 AM

Assume this is a one-way trip - so a car rentl?

If you try to go there and back in a month you won't have time to see a lot of things.


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