I think this is a troll.

It seems like shopping and big cities are more your priority and there's nothing wrong with that, it's just not my area of expertise and it wouldn't be the reason I'd come to America. You asked...I'm just saying.

If you want to see the beauty of America then I'd suggest adding Zion National Park and Bryce National Parks between Las Vegas and Grand Canyon.

http://www.zionnationalpark.com/

http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm


Utahtea

You need at least two nights along Highway 1, with kids I'd suggest Pismo Beach and Monterey. Between Yosemite and Las Vegas I'd stop in Lone Pine or Mammoth Lakes.
You are really jumping all over the place and need to cut some destinations out.

I would strongly resist the urge to visit Las Vegas and New Orleans with kids 5, 7 and 9 (neither is a kid-friendly location). I would strongly resist the urge to visit Houston period. Since that will leave you with a ton of extra time , I'd add the national parks Utahtea suggested.

Wow OK no need to be negative, we are from Australia, was after suggestions & ideas so thank you to the people who actually gave us some great suggestions & information

Amazingly I have actually looked at maps and driving times lol, we wanted to drive from LA to San Fran because I had read that the drive is gorgeous similar to our great ocean road drive, it looks like it is around a 6 hr drive breaking that up a few nights on the way is nothing. We wanted to drive from San Fran to Vegas to see some of the national parks and get off the beaten track a little for a few nights. We wanted to visit Vegas as I have always dreamed of seeing the Grand Canyon so it seemed logical to go to Vegas while we are there. We wanted to go to Houston as my Husband has always wanted to go to Texas.

After info from the helpful people and doing some more research we have decided to drop Texas and fly from Vegas up to Sth Dakota and see Mount Rushmore and we have found an amazing road trip from there down to New Orleans that we found on Discover America. If anyone actually has some tips of things to see and do on The Great River Road please let us know.

Also I didn't say we were definitely only going for 8 weeks I said that was an estimate, we will pretty much plan where we want to go and for how long and that is how we will decide how long the whole trip will last for.

Our kids are great travellers, we have done a lot of overseas & local trips with them already. When we map out our route we know how to plan it so that everyone has a great time and plenty of down time, we aren't people who have to rush from site to site all day long.

Sorry if we have somehow managed to offend people by simply asking for advice and suggestions. We really were just after some tips. A big thank you for the tips and suggestions and advice that were given.

I apologize for thinking you a troll. It appears you may not be pulling our leg, but you need to change your screen name. Google it.

My name is simply from mine and my husbands initials.

I agree with others that the Utah national parks are not to be missed.

If you do add South Dakota, be sure to visit the Badlands. Maybe you can also add in Wyoming...Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, Jackson Hole. This would need to be done on the earlier end of your trip before some of the roads close for the winter season.

There are some caves/caverns to explore in S. Dakota as well.

Well, if you are going to see the sites in South Dakota, I would suggest a late Spring/early summer start date. You could spend an entire week just in the Rapid City area seeing Mt. Rushmore, the caves, state parks, the Badlands, Deadwood. You could start even at Yellowstone and spend a week there and then South Dakota and start your drive. However, there will be snow and roads will be closed until late in the Spring so plan accordingly.

As for your screen name, I thought the same thing as MichelleY. Maybe change it to HandJ?

Now that we know you home is Australia, I'm going to put Hawaii into your plan.

How about Seattle, Idaho, Western Wyoming,Utah, Northern Arizona, Coastal California, Hawaii, and home? Do 'north' first to beat the snow. Relax and enjoy an island or two in Hawaii at the end. Consider using trains for part of this trip; two compartments should do it.

Here is a really helpful trip report from an Australian family. It may give you some ideas for California etc.

Oops! Here is the link:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...lden-state.cfm

I agree to add in a week in Hawaii at the end of your trip.

Sorry it is not a 6 hour drive from LA to SF unless you take the very boring I5 and you can learn how agriculture is California's biggest industry. The best drive is to take the extremely scenic Highway 1. Maybe watch a few videos on YouTube?
You cannot trust GoogleMaps driving estimates for Highway 1, they base their times on you being able to drive 55mph and not stopping for food, gas or restroom stops. In reality you will be lucky to drive 35mph between Cambria and Monterey and hope you do not get stuck behind some slow moving RV. It is a beautiful drive, please take your time and enjoy it. And yes, I have heard other folks from Australia compare it to your great ocean road.
I also agree that Hawaii would be a nice stop on your way home, most flights to Australia leave fairly early from HNL so you'd want to be on that island for at least your last night. Many Australians seem to enjoy the shopping there.

It's more than 6 hours drive between LA and San Francisco.

That's a BIG difference. If you have more than 8 weeks (10 weeks? 12 weeks? 16 weeks?) that would make a big difference in the comments people were posting.

I think Hawaii fits perfectly for one week on your way back home. Skip Mexico, skip the Caribbean cruise.

We drove some of the Great River Road in Wisconsin. It's in my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

Lee Ann

I know you said you were dropping Texas, but if your husband is really set on it, I would think Fort Worth is more what he has in mind than Houston. San Antonio is neat, too.

Ok, because I was humming Rosie from Jackson Brown.


Skip Mexico and do the California coast going to Reno, Tahoe and then Vegas. Do Texas if you must but it is huge and miles of nothing. I would rather do Wyoming and Idaho, see some of the beautiful parks. If you really want to see New Orleans then go quick heading to the panhandle of Fl with a trip to Orlando and head west to Port Canaveral for a quick cruise. Your kids will love this part of the trip.

oh my gosh that is a lot of ideas. please remember the states are huge and it takes a long time to get around and kids can get restless. The balloon is Albuquerque is lovely and fun - you could then go to Carlesbad caverns and White Sands. I would skip Santa fe with kids - very adult town. You could then swing up through Mesa Verde (ancient cliff dwellings) to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, and then down to Zion (my favorite) and Bryce and finish up at the Grand Canyon which is not to be missed.

On the East Coast, I come from Philadelphia and that is a great city for kids - lots of history and museums and restaurants with all kinds of food - really fun and then you could go out to Lancaster County to see the Amish. good luck and welcome to the States

Im from Australia and I've been to the States quite a few times. Im currently planning my first driving holiday from LA up the coast to Monterey then over to Yosemite, Las Vegas and then back down to LA. As many have suggested, the US is a huge and diverse place. You are far better off visiting either the west coast and hawaii and then planning a separate trip for the east coast and Florida and another trip again for Alaska, especially if you are travelling with kids. Each region is so beautiful, its worth focussing on each and taking in what each has to offer rather than rushing through and trying to see everything at once. Maybe take some adult time and do your cruise without the kids