Road Trip

[ariesstar89]

So I've been saving up money for the past couple of years to take this huge road trip all across the country. My plan is this:

Alabama -> California -> Washington -> Colorado -> Illinois -> New York -> Washington D.C. -> Alabama

I realize that this will take ages upon ages to get all this covered, but as I've said; been saving up money here and there for the last 3 years for this fund. I'm not going alone, will have someone else, even its just one other person riding with me to help with gas as well as just having company. But anywho, let me ask my world of JUB this: With this plan and the locations pretty much down, what all is there between these stops that I should take a look at? Sites, attractions, things to do, places to eat, etc etc. I plan on making this trip last awhile, at least 3 weeks or until I just start to run out of money, but want to know what all ya'll recommend I should do?

 

[martin6]

All I'll say is that three weeks is a really short amount of time to go across the country and back. You're route is two weeks of non-stop, all day interstate highway driving. And then only seven days to see the sites in such cool places like Cali, Washington, Colorado, Chicago, and NY? Put an extra week or two down. Don't take the interstates either; you'll see more that way.

 

[ariesstar89]

Yea I realize that if I truly want to see what I want to see and parts in between, I need to make this trip last about a month and half, if that. My uncle travels to lots of places and has given me names of certain restaurants to eat at, certain hole in the wall places to try out, and things in between. I only plan on taking the interstates maybe once, and that would maybe be scootin across Texas, (since I've been through and visited parts of that state SOOO many times) and maybe when we decide to head home.

I plan on makin a sort of documentary about our experiences. We made one once while we backpacked through Europe for two months and it was nothing short of amazing the way we put it all together, I feel like this trip needs just as much of an experience to show others.

What sorts of places and towns should we stop in along the way? Think about the states I would be traveling through...I may post a picture later to show just to show the states we plan on going through and states we may make a side trip just to visit a certain part.

 

[ariesstar89]

Here's a map of the plan as of now... The blue states are what I plan on visiting.

 

[swerve]

WOW!!!

What a cool plan for summer vacation!!!

I've been to and through all of those states many many many times...

UNFORTUNATELY -- I could spend DAYS trying to tell you all of the things to see...

SINCE I can't type for days -- I'll just say HAVE FUN -- and if you need any specific info on any segment of your trip -- it would be a LOT easier to answer...

 

[looseliam]

Here's my number-one rule for road trips (it's a two-part rule):

1a) If you see something interesting, stop.

1b) Ask the locals!

 

[racer2438]

I cali, you should go to Sea World it's reall cool, Stop in Los Angeles-> WeHo,

A must is take a drive up Hwy 1 it goes up the coast of cali, and stop by SF then get on Hwy 1 and go north. It is a beautiful drive. Going through Monterey before SF is great also, And also driving up the coast through Santa Monica, Malibu, and also Santa Barbara.

Hope you have a great fun trip and safe as well. Sounds like you will have a great time. I love trips that are a no rush type. Take plenty of pic's.

 

[okiedokie]

i've been to most places in the usa but one really sticks in my mind as magical is the monterey/carmel area of california. be sure to plan a few day's in that area.

 

[ronnie54321]

If you come to New Mexico I'll give you something to EAT I'm BAD!!! (I truly hope you have a great trip)

 

[qwe549]

Wow, that's so cool!

A cross-country road trip is always something I've wanted to since I was young(er) .

For those in the know, what type of budget should one aim for when taking a trip such as this?

And to the OP: Did you make a documentary of your trip in Europe? It sounds really cool! Hope you share your footage here when your new trip is completed.

Good luck and safe traveling!

 

[scains]

Harry Potter world!!!

I don't even know if you're going by Florida - my geography isn't that great but it's the first thing that popped into my head

Mostly because I want to go!

 

[hotdog1846]

If I understand this right, you're looking for must-see things in between the major stops?

Hmm.... there are so many... here are some ideas. I'm going to suggest free things, since you're on a limited budget.

Iowa: The covered bridges in Madison County.
Iowa: "Maid-Rite" loose meat sandwiches. (Not that they're a culinary delight, but they're a piece of Americana.)
Idaho: Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Idaho: Lake Ponderay or Lake Cour d'Alene.
Utah: the Great Salt Lake (of course!)
New Mexico, Arizona: Route 66 and the funky old motels with neon signs.
Nevada: Hoover Dam.
Wyoming: the wind farms along I-80.
Wyoming: The oil refinery at Sinclair at night.
Oregon: The Dalles and the Columbia River gorge.
Pennsylvania: Intercourse and Blue Ball, of course!
Virginia: Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.

I could go on and on. PM me if you want any particular feedback on your itinerary in Colorado (and include what time of year) -- I might be able to turn you on to things you haven't thought of.

 

[braex27]

If I understand this right, you're looking for must-see things in between the major stops?

Hmm.... there are so many... here are some ideas. I'm going to suggest free things, since you're on a limited budget.

Iowa: The covered bridges in Madison County.
Iowa: "Maid-Rite" loose meat sandwiches. (Not that they're a culinary delight, but they're a piece of Americana.)
Idaho: Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Idaho: Lake Ponderay or Lake Cour d'Alene.
Utah: the Great Salt Lake (of course!)
New Mexico, Arizona: Route 66 and the funky old motels with neon signs.
Nevada: Hoover Dam.
Wyoming: the wind farms along I-80.
Wyoming: The oil refinery at Sinclair at night.
Oregon: The Dalles and the Columbia River gorge.
Pennsylvania: Intercourse and Blue Ball, of course!
Virginia: Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.

I could go on and on. PM me if you want any particular feedback on your itinerary in Colorado (and include what time of year) -- I might be able to turn you on to things you haven't thought of.

I had to wiki this to make sure it was real!!!!

 

[ariesstar89]

WOW O_O

Great responses thus far and have actually noted some of them. As many of you have said the drive up Hwy 1 I've heard from my mom, and many others is one of the most beautiful drives in America. I'm definitely making that stretch. I figured out several other cities I want to stop at, a few major ones include:

Dallas, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Las Vegas, L.A., San Fran, BACK over to Reno (just because I really wanna see Lake Tahoe and Yosemite area), Portland, Seattle (my all time FAVORITE city) Salt Lake City, Denver, Mt. Rushmore area, Chicago, Detroit (mostly to take in what is left of this city), Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC, Washington DC, and I guess Atlanta (though been there done that many times).

I've also pitched to my possible travel companion about maybe taking a quick ride up to Toronto for maybe a day or so. Always wanted to see the area..

On a side note: HARRY POTTER! We werent planning on going to Universal during this trip, but some other friends of mine are planning to take an excursion down there once it opens and the hype has someone died down

Another point: The documentary/video we made of Europe Trippin' (as we called it) was about 2 hours long lol. If our "Aries does America" video is that long, i may upload it in pieces to Youtube or something so any who want to see may do so.

 

[ariesstar89]

I'd like to try this. Especially Page 4. Maybe you could keep it in mind for the next time.

That actually does sound quite interesting. Funny how the article starts out with him exploring my homestate of Alabama, (and actually mentioned my town in the piece). I'd like to try that, maybe not as far as from NYC to LA, but maybe from here (Tuscaloosa, AL) to NYC or something along those lines.

 

[Yooper]

Here's a suggestion.

After Salt Lake, head South and hit Arches National Park or Canyonlands NP. Then head east via I-70 into Colorado.

Spend a night in Glenwood Springs and swim in the pool (might still be the world's largest hot springs pool!). Next day head east and go UNDER the Continental Divide via the Tunnel; get off I-70 at Empire and go back OVER the divide via US 40. Then go through Rocky Mountain National Park and OVER the divide again via Trail Ridge Road then into Estes Park, spend the next night there and the next day into Denver.

Once in Denver, I'd also make the trip back into the mountains to Idaho Springs then a drive to the top of Mt. Evans (14,000+ feet). Then you can say you've been on the World's Highest Auto Road.

If you have more time, there's Dinosaur National Monument in NW Colorado (it has been years since I've been there), or Mesa Verde NP down in SW Colorado.

 

[Yooper]

And a suggestion for a Chicago to Detroit leg.

Make this a 3 or 4 day trip. Go North from Chicago and go AROUND Lake Michigan. You've seen plenty of the same type of scenery already if you take the direct route.

Once you get to St. Ignace, Michigan, it is less than an hour north to Sault Ste. Marie. See the Soo Locks. If you've got a little extra cash, spend the night in the Soo, hop over to Soo Canada the next day (it must be early) and catch the Algoma Central excursion train. It is an all day thing but really worth it.

If you have any interest at all in Skiing or Snowboarding, a side trip worth noting is the U.S. National Ski and Snowboarding Hall of Fame. A little north of Green Bay, Wisconsin, take U.S. 141 (NOT 41!) and keep going North. Once you get past Iron Mountain, Michigan, take M-95 North until it hits US 41 again; turn right and go to Ishpeming where the ski hall is. You'd think the Ski Hall would be in Colorado or Utah, but nope. It is in Ishpeming, the 'Birthplace of Organized Skiing in North America.' A bunch of drunken Finlanders got together in those brutal winters about 150 years ago and thought it would be fun to jump off a snow covered hill while wearing skis.

And as long as you are that far North, head east, take a swim in Lake Superior and then stop in Munising, Michigan. Take the Pictured Rocks Cruise ($30 ish). You won't regret that unless the Lake is having one of its moods. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of the most unknown places and missed by far too many.

 

[Knucklehead]

Sounds like fun.Take your time and enjoy the scenery and like Martin6 said, try and get off the interstate when you can.It's nice to see the little towns and eat at places you never heard of.The pace is much more pleasant than dealing with the morons on the big road.

Don't stick to any concrete agenda,play it by ear and by what feels right.

Make sure you have a good map and you'll be fine. Enjoy.

See if you can stretch it out to a month.Your really setting an aggressive schedule for yourself..It's supposed to be fun.Driving 11 hours a day isn't fun.

 

[hotdog1846]

To piggyback onto Yooper's excellent suggestions:

While in Estes Park, stay at the Stanley Hotel. Historic hotel that inspired Stephen King's The Shining:
http://www.stanleyhotel.com/

When in Denver, I'd suggest the Kirkland Museum. It's a museum dedicated to mid-century Modern decorative art and fine art, with an emphasis on Vance Kirkland (influential Denver artist). There's tons of stuff in there, from a huge variety of well-known mid-century architects and artists: Frank Lloyd Wright, I M Pei, Eero Saarinen, the Bauhaus, Gropius, and on and on. I've spent all afternoon in there and still haven't seen everything.
http://www.kirklandmuseum.org/

To see a little slice of gay life in Denver, check out "Queen Soopers", probably the gayest grocery store between the Mississippi and WeHo. It's actually named King Soopers, but it's in the middle of the gayborhood, so ... 9th and Corona, in Capitol Hill.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/king-soopers-denver-12

Also check into the Daz Bog at 9th and Downing, across the street from Queen Soopers. It's a coffee shop that's a gay hangout. Not really any different than any other coffee shop except everybody's gay -- owners, clientele, and staff.
http://www.cafevivid.com/listing/dazbog-coffee-4b174079ac4ea.html

If you're interested in gay bars -- I'm not really a good resource here because I don't like bars in general. Be that as it may, JR's is one of my favorites. Clarkson and 17th:
http://www.myjrs.com/

For a gay restaurant, check into Hamburger Mary's. I think it's part of a chain. It's kinda fun -- campy without being too over-the-top, and the food's not bad. It's across from JR's at Clarkson and 17th:
http://www.hamburgermarysdenver.com/

But, yeah, Denver's a nice city and all, but I'd plan to spend most of your time in the mountains.

To go along with Yooper's suggestion of the Ski Hall of Fame, stop in at the Colorado Ski History Museum in Vail. It covers ski history of the US, not just in Colorado.
http://www.skimuseum.net/

On your way along I-70 through Summit County, stop in Breckenridge and walk up/down Main Street. It's a historic Victorian mining town that's become a ski resort. They've (mostly) preserved the historic feel of the place (where possible), and the view of the Tenmile Range is wonderful.
http://www.breckenridge.com/

There's tons more stuff, depending on how much time you want to spend. Remember that the West is big. It takes literally two full days to drive from Denver to Seattle, non-stop, no sightseeing, so factor that into your plans.

 

[ariesstar89]

Wow, great info fellow Jubbers!

I've come to realize that my budget isn't nearly as tight as I thought, but and we are mostly going to kinda just go with the flow when it comes to certain things. I will say that we are staying with friends in certain towns while we visit (he has family in LA so that helps SO much), and when we aren't able to do that, we are just bringing camping supplies for places in between that may not be big cities. So with that alone, we are able to cut out alot of the costs. We decided that the Toronto excursion would be out of the way, since we were trying to do a straight line kinda deal, but I may be able to talk him into it once we're out on the road and are lingering around the Michigan area.


Yooper:
Holy crap with the amazing information! I actually filled up every part you describe in my notebook. That sounds like it may take awhile, but would definitely be worth it. And hell, might as well enjoy it while we're out that a way right?

I love the suggestions and support thus far and would love to get much more. Also, if anyone has any ideas on some cheap, but decadent and memorable hotels or bed and breakfasts that are worth looking into, I'd much appreciate it. Mostly lookin' for the bigger cities that I described above, but open to all suggestions.