sproiet1

My roommate and I are driving from Los Angeles to Rochester, NY in a few weeks. We have one week for the trip, and I've never driven cross-country before. Which route should we take- Northern or Southern? If we only have one week, what should we stop and see? What are the "must-see"s?

Orcas

A week is not a lot of time to cross the country and have time to see much of anything. What have you seen before? Route 40 gets you close to the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe. Route 70 goes through the rockies, and Rocky Mt. National Pk would be nice detour. Why not pick between those routes and then go to AAA and see what's on the way that you have time for.

Fodorite018

I agree that a week is not much time. We have moved cross country several times, and the one route that I refuse to do again is the very southern route, 10 I think it is. Anyway, too darn hot for my liking, especially this time of year. We loved the trip on 70, very pretty! As far as must see places, it all depends on your interests. Give us a bit more to go on and I bet you get more suggestions.

Orcas

I just did a little calculation to give you an idea of the time we are talking about here. The distance between LA and Rochester is 2,585 miles. If you go 60 mph (which is hwy of 70 mph plus some stops for fast food and gas), you can make it in 7 days if you drive 6.1 hours/day, and 9 days, if you drive 4.75 hours/day. So, depending on how many days you actually have and how long you are willing to drive each day, you can figure out how much time you have to spend sightseeing.

Chele60

Is this a utilitarian trip? Or is this for pleasure? Or are you attempting to get to Rochester quickly and hoping to see some sites along the way?

If strictly utilitarian, and you just need to get from point A to point B, you can do it in roughly 4 - 5 days while driving 10 - 12 hours a day and not stopping except for bathroom breaks, eating, and occasionally getting out of the car to stretch. The northern routes would be fastest. And cooler.

If you are doing this for pleasure, a week is really not long enough. You could make it in a week - 7 - 9 days, but with minimal sightseeing and long drive days. I think you would be missing a lot, though. There is a lot to see, though. Lots of stuff in this country! I would still take one of the northern routes, though. Just more comfortable. Those southern routes until October can be really HOT!

If you need to get to Rochester quickly and only want a minimal amount of sightseeing, you could squeak by with 7 days, but just barely and you would miss out on a lot. As far as what those things might depends on what your interests are, such as age, nightlife, any interest in history, big cities, etc?

I've noticed you are driving from LA to Rochester, but not driving back. Is this a one way trip? Or will you be taking some other form of transporation back? Just curious.

rkkwan

Take I-15/70. It's a lot prettier than I-40.

sproiet1

Thanks for all your suggestions! I talked to my roommate, and she said she would prefer the Northern route. We're out in LA doing internships for grad school, and we only have 7 days to make it back to Rochester for graduation- that's why the trip is so short. But we're hoping to see as much as we can on the way in the time we have- I've heard there are some really beautiful sights along the Northern route. Any suggestions? We're both 23, and with the time constraints on our trip, probably won't be exploring the night life very much, unfortunately. My roommate mentioned she'd like to see some of the national parks; ideally, I'd like to get a mix of beauty, history, and maybe a big city or two along the way. I will definitely use the AAA website to plan, but any suggestions for prioritizing all the sights along the way would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Cassandra

Why not head east to the Grand Canyon -- you'll kick yourself if you don't see it -- and then head ENE or even N through the mtns. up toward the rest of your northern route?

jared1

I would highly suggest the northern route. Weather is nicer and the mountains and national parks are unforgettable.
If you can get through Idaho and into Yellowstone through the west entrance, you can exit the Northern exit and be on you way. Montana's speed limit is 85 so you'll be able to make tracks

rkkwan

Montana's speed limit is 75. Right now, only one states has higher limit - 80mph in Texas. It was just signed into law a few weeks ago, and I'm not sure which stretches of highway, if any, have the new signs yet.

sproiet1

Ok, thanks! So I've got Grand Canyon and Yellowstone on the itinerary. What else is there to see further east along the Northern Route?

lemon2

The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone are quite a distance from each other. Maybe you should get a map of the USA and plan your trip. Also, doesn't it begin to snow in Sept. in the Rockies? You might want to check the weather before you go.