Road trip suggestions

[donutty]

Hey you guys over the pond (or other people who have visited).
I'm planning to do a 'grand tour of the USA' with my girlfriend. Will I manage full circle of the big country in 3 weeks?

This is my rough plan:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=RT-27&daddr=I-71+N+to:US-97+to:CA-70+to:US-50+E+to:I-5+S+to:I-15+N+to:I-40+E+to:Broadway+Blvd+SE%2FNM-47%2FState+Rd+47+SE+to:I-27+S+to:35.43382,-97.56958+to:US-175+E+to:Greater+New+Orleans+Bridge+S%2FPontchartrain+Expy+E+to:Tiger+Bay+Rd+to:Belt+Pkwy%2FLeif+Ericson+Dr%2FShore+Pkwy&hl=en&geocode=FeyBbAIdpBqb-w%3BFRTnYQIdLMYN-w%3BFU57hAId3Ia9-A%3BFY5gWgId3OfA-A%3BFeh8TQIdbm7G-A%3BFVgxGgId9LXk-A%3BFWpzJQIdMH0i-Q%3BFYQFGgIduBVI-Q%3BFQhxFgIdhrOk-Q%3BFaDHGAId9AXu-Q%3B%3BFTwb8gEdFkc_-g%3BFVbQyAEdRvCh-g%3BFVaDpwEdsGcf-w%3BFdpEawIddm-X-w&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=10&sz=7&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=35.047987,-98.184814&sspn=4.433331,9.887695&ie=UTF8&ll=40.044438,-111.137695&spn=16.564107,39.550781&t=h&z=5

Long URL huh?

Sorry to all you guys MO, ND, SD etc; I'm skipping your part of the world so I can do a bit of Route 66. Also you probably noticed I plotted a few paths through CPU World member's home cities

Any tips? Have I missed anything out that I should really see? Of course, my route won't be strictly as per the one on the map, but that's the sort of path I intend to follow.

This has been a long-time ambition of mine, and since I will get a decent amount of redundancy payout from my job, I thought this would be a cool way to spend some of it. Is my plan too, er, ambitious? We've calculated that it will be about 4.5hrs per day driving, but that doesn't phase me!

[CPUShack]

That looks like a pretty good route, that drive through eastern oregon will be interesting for ya.

I see you are going by Klamath falls, you'll have to go to Crater Lake national park for sure, its amazing!

3 weeks can be done if ya take turns drivin the long stretches.

[Chiefish]

Better bring some toilet paper and some pillows for youre bums. Thats going to be a huge amount of driving and not so much time to actually stop and smell the roses. But when you come past the east coast of New Jersey and cross the Deleware river give me a shout ill meet ya somewhere and say hello. Youll love the sights and SMELLS of the N.J. Turnpike for sure as you come up past Newark Airport. Good luck and enjoy the ride

[Windmiller]

Man I wish I could do that right now. I've done a one way cross about 8 times and 3 times hitchhiking. My best suggestion would be to rent a van of some sort so you can stretch out when you want and sleep where you want.
Maybe like a EuroVan or something. I did it one time in a 1978 Ford Econoline, 2nd time in a 166 VW and 3rd time driving an International School Bus.

The Pacific Northwest which is Johns area is incredible and worth checking out.

[johnorun]

Will I manage full circle of the big country in 3 weeks?

Adam, you would consider this kind of mileage only if you were running for election as US President and you had a jet plane!! LOL

Yes, you'll be able to circle it in 3 weeks, but you won't have memories of much more than a blur of driving, sleeping and gas stations!
Will this be in summer weather, BTW?

My suggestion would be to a one-way drive from East to West coast, which will give you time to see some of the country and actually visit with some of your CPU-World friends!
Your present plan also misses a lot of nearby "must-see" sites and cities.

For example, your route through Illinois also needs to be fine tuned to bring you to Chicago for a day (at least), where I and Tim (tlccomp) can meet you and give you a Midwest Welcome! (PM me if you want some tips.)

It's great that that you'll be helping our slow economy. LOL

Just get your airline ticket and then you can plan the rest...

We hope to meet you and your GF ...

[donutty]

OK, so it is too ambitious... I though so. So I'll probably just do an E-W type of one-way trip (Land Orlando, Fly back LA). Trouble is trying to fit in most of what we want (FL, NY, AZ, LV CA etc.) Might have to zig-zag.

Grrr... so frustrating!

[CPUShack]

cant fly into NY then drive south to florida, and across the US that way?

[Cobracon]

You asked, so here's my 2 cents worth:

1) Skip Dallas/Ft. Worth & add Austin, Texas

2) Add the Everglades National Park in southern Florida ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades )

3) Move the last leg, B/C, of your trip further West to include driving through the Great Smoky Mountains.

[JAC]

Depends where you have been and where you want to go. Everyone will have their own take on it.

Having lived in various parts of USA myself and driven across various states, I would think carefully about what you want - some kind of lifetime road trip adventure it is NOT. Don't underestimate the amount of driving. It is thousands of miles. Boring it will be for most of it. You'll get fat from eating loads of junk food and sitting on your arse for weeks on end.

If it was me, I'd make a beeline for the Pacific Northwest, or CPU and Gun Country as it seems to be. You can probably spend 3 weeks in that area alone and still only see a fraction of it.

[Neon]

well I have to agree with johnorun that you would be in for a LOT of driving if you attempt a national circuit, which would likely result in memories of traffic and monotonous hours of pavement.

Rather than just travel the highways, what do you want to see and do? Places like NASA, New Orleans, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas are popular. There are many more, but you can't see it all in one trip. Heck, Texas alone "is like a whole other country" (that's their tourism slogan).

If you decide to travel through Dallas / Ft. Worth, I would be glad to meet up.

[donutty]

New route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=25.720735,-80.15625&daddr=Defiance+Rd+to:Luther+Rd+to:S+Avenue+N+to:Hwy+ZZ+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:I-515+N+to:Bunker+Hill+Dr&hl=en&geocode=%3BFerPWwIdXbSG-w%3BFc4-jAIdKMlP-w%3BFQBhfAIdRkPI-g%3BFUAnSwId5T6N-g%3BFRyX8AEdHLc8-g%3BFQ5sFQIdvMDK-Q%3BFUf2JwIdQScj-Q%3BFYqSPAIdFDG1-A&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=6&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=26.431228,-81.474609&sspn=9.690646,19.775391&ie=UTF8&ll=37.020098,-97.294922&spn=34.343178,79.101562&t=h&z=4

[CPUShack]

hehe who needs oregon lol

[wepwawet]

When you go to Dallas, think it over if it is worth to take pictures of some "X" on a grey asphalt street, lol
better plan to be in Ft. Worth at the weekend and go to the stockyards, esp. Billybob, a huge bar, dancefloor, billard and bull riding area.
Flagstaff, ok, the Arizone crater is a must have.
Unfortunately you are far from Bryce Canyon, at my opinion one of the nicest places during summer (green ground, orange sand and stone, blue sky).
If you are a fan of "the Waltons", don't miss the Waltons museum in Schyler, VA.
If you have not been to the Everglades and the Keys you should take time for that. Take the Everglades during a thunderstorm, that's incredible (I luckily got it. Rain on the boat trip, clouds and all the grass, wow. But the Keys are better with sunshine:-)
LA is boaring, San Francisco is neat. I suggest a change here.
If you do not take the coast highway it makes no sense to find the exact point near Newport, OR, where a beautyful rock bridge/bow is close to the coast, very nice view.
Isn't there a "plane cemetary" near Salt Lake City?
Take your screwdriver and tell us what planes have inside:-)

Anyhow, take four weeks and have a great trip!

[wepwawet]

[CPUShack]