Travelling North America

Started by icecube, Aug 4, 2021, in Life Add to Reading List

  1. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 4, 2021
    I'm at the very beginning stages of fleshing out a month long trip of touring the States by car. This won't happen for years to come yet. Prob at least 5 years as the overarching plan will be that the Mrs takes the kids back home to Poland for a month and my brother and I tour America for a month. So they'll both need to be in school and old enough to be somewhat self sufficient!

    So, the only known factor is that it will be in August.

    I'm thinking fly to somewhere West (either Seattle or LA) then heading East and flying back home from NY. But happy to do the other way if there's certain things that happen in certain states at certain times of the month.

    28 days, including an overnight flight back to UK so 27 days of travel.

    General idea is to travel c.500 miles on each leg and then base ourselves for somewhere for 3 or 4 days and do smaller journeys from there. (No more than an hour drive would be a smaller journey).

    Key things I want to do:
    Yes, I want to do all the touristy things. Vegas, Grand Canyon, City tours etc. As many big cities as possible. I've only ever been to Chicago in my adult life.
    I want to see as many States as possible. Time and length of journey dictates I won't be able to spend a night in many of them but I'll be happy with just experiencing them for a few hours. A local beer and local food will suffice.

    @Donkey Kong Country you're probably best to give some insight here with your knowledge of travelling. I'm not looking to backpack though, I'll be staying in hotels. Location is important though in each spit as a base so we can get out each day without feeling like we've spent most of the day behind the wheel each day.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  2. Michael Myers
    Posts: 40,825
    Likes: 82,856
    Joined: Feb 28, 2011

    Michael Myers Moderator

    Aug 4, 2021
    I had that planned for 2021 as well after beeing in Miami. A west coast tour. But postponed it until after corona and the other issues lol.
     
    #2
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  3. reservoirGod
    Posts: 11,623
    Likes: 17,971
    Joined: Mar 7, 2011
    Location: Alaska

    reservoirGod reckless adventurer.

    Aug 4, 2021
    @icecube , f--- 5 years. Come in December for this:

    [​IMG]

    and I'll show you every thing in between the Grand Canyon, San Diego and the Bay Area.
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2021
    Mar 29, 2024
  4. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 4, 2021
    @icecube will make a longer post in a bit! Super excited for you though the American road trip is def an item everyone should have on their bucket list. The USA isn’t really made for backpacking like Europe/SE Asia/Latin America anyway so you have the right idea.
     
    #4
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  5. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 4, 2021
    Man, if I could get time off work in December I would fly there just for the weekend for this. It's huge.
     
    #5
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  6. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 4, 2021
    The good thing is that I know the wife will let me do it. She knows a like America but she has no interest in it at all. Good fore though as I'll have a second driver and a drinking partner!
     
    #6
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  7. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 4, 2021
    The weather in the pacific northwest is perfect in august, so that's a great time to fly into Seattle and I think would be an optimal starting point if you wanted to go south down to LA and then east along the southern states and up the coast to NY.

    What do you like to do on trips? Restaurants/bars? Museums? Other cultural stuff? Nature stuff?

    General tips:

    • Gas prices can vary wildly by city and state. For example the average gas price in Cali right now is $4.38, and the average in Georgia right now is $2.97. It can also vary that much just in California. You'll see a bunch of gas stations that are like $3.75 a gallon and then you'll hit a long stretch of highway where there isn't gas for a long time and then the first gas station you see is like $5.50+ a gallon. Not joking. So always fill up with cheap gas when you can.
    • I always use this map of average gas prices by state to plan roughly how much gas will cost, as well as the app Gas Buddy to try to find the cheapest gas while on the road. Do you have a Costco membership? Looks like they're in the UK but I'm not sure how popular it is over there. They almost always have the cheapest gas.
    • Make a hotels.com account and use the app. You can often find really cheap deals day-of (though check the actual hotel website too cuz sometimes it's cheaper there)...but if it's a popular/really booked day that can also bite you in the a--- cuz you won't have many choices or they'll be expensive. Every 10 nights you book through the app you get one night free (up to the average cost of your past 10 stays).
    • Staying in a single room in someone's house via airbnb is also a cheap way to travel. Might not be as feasible if you're with your brother unless you guys wanna share a bed lol but I've only had super positive experiences.
    • Things are a lot farther apart on the west coast but especially in the inland states. There's basically no major cities between Seattle and Minneapolis to the north. To the south it's slightly better, but it's basically all desert between LA and the east Texas cities (Austin/Dallas/Houston/San Antonio) with Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Vegas in between. Personally I think Phoenix is garbage and I wouldn't bother. If you wanna stop somewhere in Arizona aside from the Grand Canyon I'd go to Flagstaff. I wasn't a huge fan of ABQ either but I've grown to kinda like it cuz I have friends who live there (also, they have Breaking Bad tours and stuff if you're into that show lol).

    If you started in Seattle, this is a rough route I'd recommend. You prob won't have time to do all of it and won't be interested in all of it but:

    Seattle
    Portland
    Bay Area
    LA
    Vegas
    Flagstaff/Grand Canyon
    Denver
    Oklahoma City
    Austin
    Houston/texas coast
    New Orleans
    Birmingham
    (Miami, but it's very out of the way)
    Atlanta
    Savannah/Georgia Coast
    Charleston/Carolina Coast
    Virginia Beach/virginia coast
    DC/Baltimore
    Philly
    NYC
     
    #7
    2
    Enigma and Ordinary Joel like this.
    2
    Enigma and Ordinary Joel like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  8. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 4, 2021
    If you're intent on hitting Miami, I'd just follow the coast from New Orleans all the way down. You could also skip Denver and OKC for a more direct route to east texas from the grand canyon.
     
    #8
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  9. DKC
    Posts: 23,125
    Likes: 80,641
    Joined: Nov 23, 2014

    DKC hank trill

    Aug 4, 2021
    My very first road trip I did in about a month. I circled the whole USA but most places I only stayed for a day or two. My route was:

    Seattle
    Bozeman, Montana (shoutout @joeyp363 )
    Rapid City, South Dakota (just to sleep)
    LaCrosse, Wisconsin (just to sleep)
    Chicago
    Anne Arbor Michigan
    NYC
    Reading PA (grandfather lived there)
    Nashville
    New Orleans
    Dallas
    Albuquerque
    Phoenix
    LA
    Bay area
    Northern cali
    Portland
    Seattle

    And that reminds me, Nashville is def another place to stop but it's sorta out of the way too.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  10. joeyp363
    Posts: 15,375
    Likes: 24,261
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011

    Aug 4, 2021
    [​IMG]
     
    #10
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and DKC like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  11. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 4, 2021
    Depends how long I'm there for. But assuming it's just 2 or 3 days then I'd be doing a bit of research to find the best craft beer bars and visiting a couple of them. In the bigger cities I'd probably do a bus tour. They tend to be the most condensed way of seeing key sights. Wander around the the local area and just take in the area. Eat at a local restaurant.

    I've o KY really got this far on your post so far! I'll digest the rest later on when I have a bit more time but thanks for such a detailed response!
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  12. Sign Language
    Posts: 11,696
    Likes: 24,587
    Joined: Jan 2, 2015
    Location: Screwston

    Sign Language We miss you Screw

    Aug 4, 2021
    @icecube lmk if you plan to pass through Texas at all
     
    Lil Squeed, Ordinary Joel and icecube like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  13. Wreckless
    Posts: 11,057
    Likes: 22,675
    Joined: May 18, 2015

    Aug 6, 2021
    In 5 years hotels, prices and some of the activities will probably have changed. Better to plan that a few months in advance.
     
    #13
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  14. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 6, 2021
    Well obviously the finer details of dates and hotels etc won't be organised right now! I'm really just looking for recommendations and inspiration on where to go and what to do while I'm there. Line best things to do in Seattle, LA, Vegas etc. This will be a once in a lifetime trip so would love to do some lesser known touristy stuff as well as the "must-dos".
     
    #14
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Wreckless like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Wreckless like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  15. Worm
    Posts: 14,951
    Likes: 59,392
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: New Jersey

    Worm Big Perm Big Worm

    Aug 6, 2021
    I'd be terrified to rent a car in another country when I've driven on the other side of the road my whole life. I feel like it would be fine in traffic since you can follow other cars but would forget on smaller side roads
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  16. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 6, 2021
    Driven through Europe 3 years in a row over 4000km each time. Only drive in the wrong side of the road twice and that was when exiting a junction from a stopped position. Was scary! But mostly the second-nature of understanding road markings is enough to keep you in check.
     
    Mar 29, 2024
  17. reservoirGod
    Posts: 11,623
    Likes: 17,971
    Joined: Mar 7, 2011
    Location: Alaska

    reservoirGod reckless adventurer.

    Aug 6, 2021
    I rented a Suzuki Jimny with the steering wheel on the wrong side when I was down in St. Lucia for a couple months... they drive on the left... it's easy until you get to intersections... then it sometimes f---s with your mind.
     
    #17
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Worm like this.
    2
    Ordinary Joel and Worm like this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  18. icecube
    Posts: 9,506
    Likes: 19,653
    Joined: Feb 15, 2011
    Location: London

    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Aug 6, 2021
    ^ that reminds me, it was my car throughout Europe. I've never driven a car with the steering wheel and everything the other way round. Although I'm guessing it'll be easier in America as your cars are all automatic aren't they? As in you don't control the gears? It melts my mind to think I'd have to worry about mirror image road rules as well as a gear stick the other side of me.
     
    #18
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  19. reservoirGod
    Posts: 11,623
    Likes: 17,971
    Joined: Mar 7, 2011
    Location: Alaska

    reservoirGod reckless adventurer.

    Aug 6, 2021
    This vehicle was auto... still weird putting it into park and forward and reverse and signaling with my left hand... plus I walked to the wrong door a bunch of times.
     
    #19
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024
  20. Lil Squeed
    Posts: 24,190
    Likes: 57,526
    Joined: May 5, 2015

    Lil Squeed French Montana Stan

    Aug 6, 2021
    If you fly into LA and plan on seeing Vegas or the Grand Canyon - make sure you always have gas in your car because some of those stretches are brutal, especially if you take any non-main-highway routes.
     
    #20
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    1
    Ordinary Joel likes this.
    Mar 29, 2024