I’ve done it! After years of incessantly talking about moving to the west coast, I have finally put my plan into action and am moving to Portland, OR. Now where, you may ask, does the adventure come in? Well I’ve decided that this is the perfect opportunity to explore a bit of the US. I LOVE road trips. I’ve driven to every state on the east coast and New England and most of the south. I am leaving Central Florida at the end of July and hope to get to Portland the first week of August. I discovered this site while doing research for this trip. Has anyone been on a cross country trip such as this and can think of places you think I MUST see? Or does anyone know any websites that offer interesting even quirky things(I am not adverse to viewing the worlds largest rubber band ball and things of that ilk)to see and do while driving cross country? Keep in mind that my budget is very tight, I am traveling alone, and I will be traveling with all of my worldly possessions crammed into my little Nissan (if it doesn’t fit in my car it doesn’t come with me). Going by Mapquests directions I will be driving through Georgia, Tennessee, little bit of western Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, little bit of Utah, Idaho, and finally, Oregon (I am not married to this route, it’s just the way mapquest says I should go). Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Welcome to the forums, frankieblue..
Funny you should ask..lol..we took this same exact trip, from Jax Fl to Portland, just last August.
Here is my trip report, any specific questions, just ask.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34668218

frankieblue~
I"ll put a "call" into Scarlett for you,
she did this last year.

Best of Luck on your big move!

R5

...and there she is !
Must be telepathic, that girl !LOL

R5

thanks!

We have been back and forth across the country several times. The only "odd" sights that stick in my mind are the Longaberger Basket building (yes...their main office looks like a gigantic basket!) in Ohio and then the Salem Sue Cow (huge steel cow) in South Dakota. The cow was actually kind of fun. We pulled off the highway and drove up to it. Nice break, and we have some pretty funny pictures

With your trip being during the hotter months, I would stick to the route you have. The southern route can be brutal, but then again, you already live in FL so are used to the heat.

Thank you...I’m thinking that I may need to stick to the shortest route, what with gas prices being what they are. I am very excited and from what I hear the scenery alone will be worth it. I have to ask, is it better to book hotels first or just stop when I feel like stopping and look around for a place to stay. I am driving by myself and I may feel I need to stop hours before I would reach my hotel, or I may get there and feel like I can keep going. Are there plenty of hotels off the highway in the rural areas? I have no real specifications for a hotel/motel as long as it is not too sketchy…

Since you are driving in summer, it stays light late and makes it all much easier to find a place at the end of each day.
It will be much easier for you with no dog .
There are hotels all along the major highways, we took the Northern route, (it was still plenty hot in Aug in all of those states!) but you have choices of hotels along the way.
What we did was map our route and then online, plugged in the hotel name and got a map that we were able to figure out where we would be that night and which hotel would be there..
It worked for us

mms-The cow was actually kind of fun. We pulled off the highway and drove up to it. Nice break, and we have some pretty funny picture
I think it would be nice of you to post those pictures LOL
Not long ago, I remember reading a recommendation to take a certain route so one can see cows
I just see camels and bison on my drives lol...

Scarlett--LOL! I DO have SOME pride...no way would I post any pictures of cows

frankieblue--I agree with Scarlett, it will be easy to find a place to stay. Our drives were moves, so always had our pets with us and even that was pretty easy. Since you are driving by yourself, please be sure to take breaks every couple hours. After a few days of driving it is easy to become a zombie.

I did this with a friend a few years ago. We took the southern route, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, we just drove straight from Denver though Boise so no stops - too close to home and my friend was a military guy eager to get home.

Since that doesn't seem to be your route I can't help you much but I certainly loved seeing the south's big houses/mansions/plantations. Loved PreJeans in Lafeyette LA. Saw New Orelans (didn't love it), fascinated by the above ground cemetaries. Loved San Antonio Riverwalk and water park just north. Enjoyed Taos New Mexico and the Rockies in Colorado. Those are just the few highlights I remember without my book with me (it was a few years ago). Beautiful and varied country but it is a long drive too. You have lots of time so should be able to take it a little slower than us. If you have a small tent and sleeping bag that would probably save you some money.