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Roadtripping USA

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by CharlieChalk, May 11, 2015.

  1. CharlieChalk

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    Hey All.

    I'm considering Roadtripping - Route 66 with possibly more driving (Miami to NY/Chicago and then LA to San Fran on the other side).

    I was just wondering if a) anyone had done something similar and b) anyone had any advice/hints/suggestions?

    :slight_smile:
     
  2. Psaurus918

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    I've never road tripped coast to coast but I've done several NY to TX trips, NY to Chicago, NY to FL and NY to ME
     
  3. kindy14

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    Depends on your means of transportation. There are a lot of good resources out there for finding good places to stay and what not.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=Road tripping&oq=Road tripping

    I love going on driving road trips. If you really want to see America, avoid traveling the interstates. There's a lot more culture on the backroads then the main roads.

    Always have a person who knows where you are going to be, and when. Update them with your itinerary and check in so they know you are safe. I would write a blog, and post photos of your journey. Would be an interesting perspective on our country.
     
    #3 kindy14, May 11, 2015
    Last edited: May 11, 2015
  4. CharlieChalk

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    Thanks! :slight_smile:

    I am a big fan of avoiding the main roads and just finding little random places, so avoiding the interstates sounds like an awesome idea!

    Despite the fact I have lived away from home for going on 3 years now, I don't think my parents would let me go without continuously checking in on them haha. The blog idea is a great one though :slight_smile:
     
  5. kyfry

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    In 2001 my family and myself went to the west coast in our motorhome. a trip that lasted about 4 weeks. We did the following states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Kansas, Missouri. Our stops included Mall of America in Minnesota, cousins in Iowa, Mt Rushmore, The Badlands, and Wall Drug in South Dakota, Coors Field, Pepsi Center and the US Mint in Colorado, Devils Tower in Wyoming, Yellowstone in Montana, Pike Place Market, Safeco Field, The Space Needle and Mt. St. Helens in Washington, the Pacific Ocean in Oregon, and finally Kauffman Stadium and more cousins in Missouri.
     
  6. blackhatguy

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    I'd have to recommend Monument Valley in Utah/AZ, might as well go through Moab and see Arches/Canyonlands too. Antelope Canyon, near Page AZ, is the most beautiful thing I've seen this side of sea level.
     
  7. AlamoCity

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    My family has done several road trips, from Texas to Disney World and Texas to Colorado (usually around a thousand miles). I am usually the "navigator" LOL. In the pre-smartphone era, I would print out routes on Mapquest and have a reliable paper map. Never underestimate the power of paper maps on road trips, especially if your battery dies for some reason (well, you would probably have a car charger) or you are in a place with crappy/non-existant reception or roaming and can't really use the internet.

    I would always book hotels in advance and create an itinerary of stops to make sure we got the best rates and actually had a room ready for us (you have no idea how hard it is to get a room in ski country on Spring Break :lol:.). After the smartphone era, I would usually pick a hotel chain and make electronic reservations on the phone browser that could be cancelled up to the day of or changed so that we could stop a city early in case it got late or changed plans. We actually used Motel 6 because they are ubiquitous and had a generous cancellation policy and are located in even the smaller towns. We once had to change our stay from Mississippi to Louisiana because we were too tired to go further. Of course, remember that for the overnight stays you usually just want a good bed and don't care about how "nice" the hotel looks. A hot shower and a bed is what you need before moving on. Now, for the actual destination, we would stay at a "nice" hotel.

    Also, make sure to never wait for the gas tank to dip too low.

    Also, let's say you have a budget of $2000 for the trip and have the cash, but also have the credit available on credit cards. Take both and limit yourself to the budget, but have extra cash in case an emergency arises. Also, carry copies of driver licenses, health insurance and other things just in case.
     
  8. CharlieChalk

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    Super useful stuff! Thanks :grin:

    Good to know about Motel 6 too - I will definitely look in to that one :slight_smile:
     
  9. Bi in MD

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    Ive done a couple in the last few years from Md to Grand Canyon up to Rocky Mountain National park and back then another to Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, badlands etc...
    Have done a few cross country runs in the past too, most of mine end up being around 7 to 8 thousand miles on the truck by the time I get back home.