Memorial Day -- Time to Hit the Road

Summer's here -- so let's hit the road! That's what a number of suddenly cheerful newsmedia reports have started saying -- gas prices are down from last year's painful $4-a-gallon peaks, and the economic slowdown has caused hotels to ease their prices.

So, whether or not you manage to hit the road this long weekend, this summer may have some fun for us to look forward to.

"Read all about it" here:

This "The Road Trip is Back!" story is courtesy of Dow Jones Marketwatch. The intro features a Road Trip quote from yours truly, and the whole story includes 5 "Great Road Trips" -- one each of out Southern California, NYC, SF Bay Area, Chicago and Washington DC.


The Auto Club (AAA) has announced the results of its summer travel survey, which seems to say that more people are planning to hit the road this summer than did last summer -- some 32 million people will be taking vacation road trips of 50 miles or more over the 3-day weekend, so drive safely.

Road Trip advice -- Driving vs Flying; Traveling with Young Kids

>

Hey Jamie,

I've been fantasizing about a cross-country trip for many years and am thinking about setting out this summer or perhaps early fall. I'm currently on hiatus from work, so now might be the perfect time for me.

I'd be traveling with my three-year-old son and either our babysitter or a friend from DC (or both). I live in the Boston area, but would probably set out from either DC (if the friend joins me) or NY (where I have family). And I'd like to travel a northern route (to visit friends in Chicago, Madison, and St. Louis) out to Seattle (more
friends).

First question: Do you recommend driving west and then flying home? Or flying to the west and driving back east?

Second: Do you know of fun places to hit with a toddler? I think that will be the biggest planning challenge.

I look forward to any advice you might have. Thanks!

K & C

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Hello K & C --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA about your upcoming great adventure!

About the driving vs flying debate, there are benefits and costs to either side.

(That's helpful, isn't it?)

I personally find it is easier (though less "glamorous"!) to drive from home and then fly back. This way you can pack up the (rental?) car more carefully, and really get ready to hit the road. Then again, this way you need to re-pack everything at the end of the trip, being late for a plane without enough room in your suitcase etc. Not much fun. Because I pick up so much stuff -- postcards, pamphlets, brochures, baseball cards, books, Corn Nuts wrappers -- after even a few days on the road, any cars I've driven start to look like battle zones. (Kindof like what having a 3-year-old around can do...!)

On the other hand, hopping a plane makes for a more exciting beginning to the trip, and you will be more limited to what you can take -- which may be even more of a challenge when you factor in all the gear your young traveling companion needs and wants. But you won't have the same limits at the end of your trip -- assuming you can stop at home and unload before returning the rental car.

But the bigger question lurks in the background -- what can you do to make sure you, your friend, and your 3-year-old boy, ALL have a great trip !?

The more I think about your situation, the more I think -- why not make this into a pair of trips? Maybe start by doing a "shakedown" road trip from home (from Boston via DC or NYC -- there are a lot a variables here! -- out to Chicago and St Louis -- Route 66 country!)??

But don't over-reach by trying to make it all the way across the country, enticing though that prospect may seem.

You can always do a separate trip, flying out to Seattle and getting a car there?

No offense to North Dakota et al, but many of the attractions of the wild Western US, even Mount Rushmore or the National Parks, are not always appreciated (at least not yet!..) by the 3-year-old mind.

Though my Road Trip USA book lays out cross-country adventures -- east and west, north and south -- most of my real-life travel is done in loop trips (this has a lot to do with my earlier point, about how much stuff I collect on my "research" trips...).

Loop trips are way more flexible, and though there isn't the sense of achievement (crossing the country is a truly memorable feat!), at the same time there isn't the sense of "white line fever" that sometimes urges X-C drivers to keep moving toward the other coast, often missing out on great experiences because of the powerful urge to get to the "end of the road".

Does that make sense??

Now, on to travel with toddlers. You ask about fun places to hit -- and I agree keeping Jr smiling will be the biggest challenge. That said, the challenge is not so much finding things he will like, but keeping -yourself- happy and sane. In my experience -- and I've been road trip traveling with my twin boys since they were 4-months old -- your son will be happy as long as you are happy doing something, whether it's touring an art museum, a petting zoo, or just walking around some small-town Main Street.

All of these are great "attractions" for kids, even if they are not always marketed that way.

And, BTW, traveling with small children is a great way to meet local people in the places you pass thru -- like at home, you get talking to other parents in playgrounds, and they will generally be happy to share advice on what nearby places might suit your child. Meanwhile your kid gets to play with other kids, which in my experience is the best entertainment anywhere.

(Plus waitresses seem to insist on scoops of ice cream to go with slices of fresh-baked fruit pies...)

So, before I go completely off-topic, I'll send this back. Please let me know what you think, and keep in touch as your plans take shape.

w/ best wishes,



Jamie Jensen

Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways
** new edition May 2009 **

roadtripusa.com

Road Trip Advice -- Part 4 Memphis to New Orleans!

Great River Road Trip

Dear Jamie

I'm coming over to the USA in early July for a friend's wedding in Richmond, KY. Several of us will then be driving south. We're hoping to do the following:

Sunday afternoon: Leave Richmond for Nashville (three hours' drive)
Monday night: Leave Nashville for Memphis
Wednesday: Memphis to New Orleans via (part of) The Great River Road
Saturday: New Orleans to Atlanta

We'll be driving all of those links. Any suggestions for things to see and do along the way? Do you think the trip is feasible? We are flying out of Atlanta on the Saturday night and we'll need to be there at 7pm at the latest to be in time to check in. I know you're not a traffic advisor, but do you think the suggested driving time of seven hours from New Orleans to Atlanta is likely to be about right?

Thank you in advance. If you're able to answer our questions on your blog we'd be really grateful.

Thanks again,

B

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Dear B --

Thanks for checking out Road Trip USA, and I hope you like the book.

Your trip sounds great -- just in time for the 4th of July! (maybe ?)

First off -- yes, 7 hours seems about right, but Atlanta area traffic is awful, about the worst in the USA, so err on the early side, if you can.

Now, on to the road trip:

Richmond and Nashville are both very interesting places, but if it's alright I'll focus on the parts I know best -- the Great River Road, from Memphis to New Orleans. This is truly one of the great American road trips, and I'm pleased to see you're giving yourself enough time to enjoy it. I suspect you'll want at least one night in New Orleans -- which leaves Wednesday & Thursday for the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

With Elvis, Stax Records and Sun records, not to mention the Civil Rights Museum, Memphis is fascinating and great fun. However early you manage to set off after a night of Beale Street blues and BBQ, you'll be in the Delta within an hour's drive down legendary Highway 61 -- Memphis, though it's in Tennessee, is really the capital of that part of Mississippi. In the past 15 years or so the upper Delta has been under assault from huge casinos, which now line up along the Mississippi in and around Tunica. I'm not a gambler, and don't see the attraction of slot machines, but there is a great breakfast here (the Blue and White, right on Highway 61 at the south end of Tunica), and once you get past Tunica, the fun begins.

First stop: Clarksdale is Ground Zero for Delta Blues fans -- and would be a funky, intriguing place even if it didn't have attractions like the Delta Blues Museum (in the old train depot, naturally enough). Count on spending at least a couple of hours here --

Next stop: for a look at an idyllic all-American small town, head a little way east from Highway 61 to Oxford MS, home of Ole Miss university and also to the late great (nobel Prize winning!) writer William Faulkner. At least a couple of hours here -- maybe an overnight, if you've lingered getting out of Memphis.

And to get a sense of deeper past of this region, on your way south try to stop by and take a walk up Winterville Mound -- it's not huge or impressive, but walking through the lush forests and climbing kudzu vines gives a sense of Delta fertility, and you may well sense the ghosts of enigmatic "Moundbuilder" Native Americans who lived here way before Columbus and Co "discovered" America.

Another main stop: Vicksburg. Civil War history, many grand antebellum mansions, and good food and true Southern hospitality at Walnut Hills restaurant

Thursday/Friday, depending on your progress: explore the moody battlefield around Vicksburg, then hit the road -- ideally following the Natchez Trace Parkway to Port Gibson, perhaps my favorite little town along the way. Beyond here are two numinous landmarks of the old south: the ruins of Windsor, and a Emerald Mound (another ancient archaeological site)

Natchez is the next main stop -- a great place for history or architecture buffs -- and if it suits your taste, this is the place to stay overnight in a historic Bed-and-breakfast inn housed in one of Natchez's many antebellum mansions. Natchez is also home to Mammy's Cupboard, a photogenic piece of roadside Americana -- a small cafe tucked away in the skirts of a 30-foot-tall woman. Right on Highway 61 -- you can't miss it.

Next: into Louisiana (if you have time, detour to St Francisville; if not, burn on down the road to Baton Rogue.) Baton Rogue is not as pretty a place as Natchez or Port Gibson, but it's a bustling, energetic city, and also makes a good base for exploring the "Cajun Country" areas across the river.

Beyond here is Plantation Alley, a series of historic mansions along the Mississippi River and the meandering Great River Road -- or if you're pressed for time, you can race into Big Easy via the high-speed Highway 61 freeway.

One last thing: have you looked into flying from New Orleans to Atlanta? I believe you can get flights (check AirTran) for less than $100, and you'll arrive home (in the UK? you didn't say where you are coming from... ) in much better shape than if you take a transatlantic flight after an anxious and exhausting 7-plus-hour drive.

:-)

So, there are some ideas -- the great thing about this part of the country is that so much variety is packed into such a small region -- the entire Memphis-New Orleans drive is less than 500 miles, so you could spend anywhere from 7 hours to 7 days (or more...) getting from one to the other.

Let me know what you think -- and Happy Trails!

all best,


Jamie Jensen

Two Great Road Trips -- travel advice, Part 3

I'm finally getting in gear with these travel tips -- if you have any additional suggestions you'd like to make, please feel free to add them using Blogger's "comments" feature.

Here are some ideas for two very different trips. One, a historic tour around Virginia and Maryland. The other, a long-distance family road trip for 2 parents and 3 young kids, moving from New York to Seattle.


Historic Virginia and Maryland

Hello Jamie --

My husband and I (ages 62,65) live in the Kansas City area - our daughter's family, with our only grandchild, lives in Jacksonville, FL. In addition to lots of airline trips we have made that drive too many times to count - and will be back on the road May 18 for a month - the first 2 weeks getting to Jacksonville and then babysitting. We'll be ready to leave Jacksonville about June 3 and need to be back in KC on June 17. We've spent a lot of time in the FL panhandle and winter months on the Gulf side of FL. We've been the Memphis-Vicksburg-Natchez route. We've rattled around TN - Chattanooga, Nashville, Gatlinburg, and chasing ancestors through Bledsoe County. We've spent time in Asheville, NC, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway in that section of the state. Last year we spent time in Myrtle Beach then Hickory, Salem, Hendersonville, NC, and the Lexington, KY, area. We've been to Savannah and Charleston, along with the other barrier islands of GA and SC, several times. We spent one Memorial Day weekend at Callaway Gardens, GA. We're looking for something new and interesting.

We've been reading your book (haven't got the new edition yet) but can't decide whether to try mountains or shore - or how far North we can go. We've not spent much time in VA, except daytripping out of D.C. so have considered Jamestown, Williamsburg, etc. We've also considered trying to get up to the Jersey or Maryland shores - we're not sure which is more easily accessible or the better route (Ocean City boardwalk in either place). We've looked at barrier islands along the VA coast but

We really enjoy history and historical sites, interesting small towns, locally owned restaurants or diners, farmers' markets or festivals, the oddities of boardwalks or similar situations, interesting architectural sites. We are not interested in theme parks.

Do you have any suggestions for us?

-- Bonnie

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Hi there Bonnie --

Many thanks for looking at the Road Trip USA website and for writing in -- it was a while ago, I'm sorry to say, but I hope I can help with your quest. I think I share your taste in travel fun, and have to say I'm jealous of your times "rattling around" Tennessee and the Carolinas.

Now that you're heading north, I'll try to point you toward some memorable places. First of all, though I don't really cover it in my Road Trip USA book, the Williamsburg area is brilliant, especially since you enjoy history. The preserved and recreated "Colonial Williamsburg" community is truly great -- definitely worth a couple of days to take it all in. The more commercial "resort" aspects are kept at a distance from the historic area, which preserves and interprets some of the finest early American architecture anywhere -- all in a lovely setting with gardens aplenty.

And the "road trip" connections are made by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, who in the late 1920s and early 1930s funded the whole Williamsburg shebang.

Nearby Jamestown and Yorktown are also well worth visiting (though you may have to turn a blind eye to a few "theme park"s along the way. And if you really like early American history, the James River plantation homes between Williamsburg and Richmond (another great place to explore!) are fascinating -- estates like Shirley, off Hwy-5, have been in the same family since the early 1600s!

Further inland, one of my favorite places to spend time is the Shenandoah Valley, and Shenandoah National Park. You can experience the wilds of the Appalachian Trail , enjoy some characterful small towns like Lexington Virginia.

And Harpers Ferry, too, which stands in an amazing setting, rising above the Potomac River.

Once you've sated your history hunger, the beaches or Maryland and Delaware are a mixed bag -- some glorious stretches of undeveloped shoreline in Assateague Island, mixed in with classic vacation towns like Rehoboth (this is my favorite, with great local cafes and restaurants!) and bustling Ocean City MD (where a great old amusement park, Trimper's, has stood on beachfront boardwalk since the 1880s.)

How's that for a start? Hope it leads you somewhere sufficiently "... new and interesting... "

Keep in touch, and Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

========

Family Road Trip Across the USA -- New York to Seattle

Hey Jamie --

My dad turned me on to your book. We are planning a cross-country move from New York City to Seattle. We thought it is a perfect opportunity to drive across country. With three kids (10 yr old and 4yr old twins), we may be crazy but we thought it would be fun (and memorable). I would love to get your thoughts on the trip. My initial thoughts on a route seem to cross 4-5 of your itineraries. Here are the details.

Leave late June. Want to arrive in Seattle in 8- 10 days. Need to find activities/events/points of interest that work for children to keep them preoccupied. I love rodeos and my husband loves baseball so those added points of interest are a plus but not required. The key places we want to visit are:
St Louis (have friends there)
McCook and North Platte (Grandparents buried there)
Mt Rushmore
Devil's Tower, WY
Yellowstone (maybe) - we have spent a lot of time there so it is a nice to have

My initial thoughts were to:
- Head down the Blue Ridge mountains
- Cross over to St Louis (through Louisville)
- Head to Kansas City and across
- Up North through McCook/North Platte to South Dakota
- Across S Dakota and Wyoming
- Hit Cody and Yellowstone
- Then up through Montana and across to Seattle

Would love your thoughts on must see routes. I would assume we would do some two-lane highways and some interstate depending on the points of interest.

I would love any of your or your readers thoughts. I think the kids attractions are going to be most important as 8-10 days in a car with three kids will be challenging.

Thank you for your help and keeping the American Family Vacation alive!

Jennifer

=======

Dear Jennifer --

Many thanks for your message -- I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you, and I salute your bravery. (And your understatement -- 8-10 days in a car with three kids is sure to be challenging, to say the least.)

You've set me quite a challenge -- Keeping the American Family Vacation alive! -- but I will try to live up to your ambitions.

Here goes:

The route you outlined sounds pretty good -- here are my thoughts on kid-friendly attractions, baseball teams and other things that come to mind, along the way:

Day One -- west from NYC:
To set the right tone for the trip, my recommended first stop for your cross-country adventure is right along I-78, your likeliest "Escape from New York" highway: the miniature village of Roadside America, an absolute gem, 8000-square feet of wonderful, handmade, mechanical charm.


Added bonus in the Allentown area: Yocco's Hot Dogs, the rollercoasters at Dorney Park, and baseball aplenty -- the Class AAA Lehigh Valley Ironpigs play near Allentown, while the AA-level R-Phils play in Reading. Both are farm clubs for the defending World Champion Phillies.

Day 2: Louisville Visit the home of Louisville Slugger baseball bats (there's a real factory out in the 'burbs, and a more kid-friendly visitor center right in town, complete with a 75-foot-tall baseball bat!). The local team, naturally, is called The Bats, Class AAA farm club for the Reds.

Day 3?: St Louis: Your friends will probably show you the sights, but be sure to spend time at the fabulous Missouri Botanical Garden (which many people rate as the best in the USA). They have great kids programs, a "Climatron" dome full of exotic plants, and St Louis' poet laureate Chuck Berry is doing a concert (not until July 24th, alas!)

Day 4 -- Kansas City : Before you cross the country, be sure to set aside some time for the unhyped but fascinating National Frontier Trails Center in Independence. This city-run museum vividly tells the story of pioneers -- many of whom were young children being dragged to a new life in the west by their parents (some things never change, right?!).

Tracing the routes of the Oregon Trail and other routes, this may well captivate your kids, and give you some themes to follow on your way west. Independence is a pretty neat place, too -- and the kids will probably enjoy a milk shake in Clinton's Soda Fountain, the drug store where Harry Truman used to work!

Baseball: The Negro Baseball Leagues museum is great, but sorry to say, the success-challenged KC Royals are the only game in town. However, their stadium is pretty nice (in a 1970s municipal sort of way..)

Day 5-6? From here for the next 1000 or so miles west, you'll probably want to take advantage of the Interstates.
Along the way, following the I-80 freeway in the tracks of the old Oregon Trail, North Platte is interesting thanks to the larger-than-life figure of Buffalo Bill Cody, who lived here at what is reserved as "Scout's Ranch", and is pretty much central to anything and everything we think about cowboys, Indians, and the Wild West.

This would be the time to detour north to Mount Rushmore (via Carhenge!), but at the risk of outraging all of South Dakota, I'd like to suggest that while the Black Hills are astoundingly beautiful, Mt Rushmore itself is not likely to impress your 4-year-old twins. (In my experience, long-distance views and scenic overlooks don't really appeal to young kids -- my own precocious and sensitively appreciative twins have only just begun to appreciate the appeal of things like Mt Rushmore at the ripe old age of 10-and-a-half...)

Back on track: Buffalo Bill's North Platte museum is worth a visit, but the main event is further west, in the town named for him: Cody Wyoming, where the world-class Buffalo Bill Museum is fantastic -- and huge; you could easily spend a full day or more.

For rodeos, one of the most memorable moments of my own (long ago..!) childhood road trips was a visit to the Cody Night Rodeo. Well worth planning your trip around, for sure.

But then Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are just up the road, and those are pretty tempting places to see, too.
For an unforgettable overnight -- or at least a meal in an unforgettable setting -- go to Old Faithful Inn, next to the iconic geyser.

Day 7-8?: You suggested driving across Montana, but while Montana is a beautiful place, the Rocky Mountains can make for slow-going, so I humbly recommend cruising straight across Idaho instead. After the lush forests, raging rivers and wild thermo-geology of Yellowstone, your next stop could be the arid volcanic plains of Craters of the Moon National Park -- which kids usually get a kick out of (there are lava tubes and caves to explore, if the weather gets hot). Overnight in family-friendly Boise, where you can float down the river (rafts and innertubes can be rented in Barber Park, near downtown) and generally stretch your legs.


Day 9-10. Almost there! On your way west be sure to stop at the National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, off I-84 near Baker City, Oregon. The rolling expanses east of the Cascades are a good place to make up time if you've been having too much -- but one last great place to stop and enjoy is Mount Rainier, the iconic peak of the Puget Sound region.

Celebrate your trip by staying overnight at the newly restored, mile-high rustic Mt Rainier National Park lodge at Paradise, a fitting end to what I hope will be a great trip.

Hope these tips help you have a safe and happy adventure, and let me know how it goes!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

RoadTripUSA@hotmail.com

Road Trip USA -- Travel Advice, part 2...

I'm slowly but surely figuring out how to deal with all this -- thanks for your patience and please keep in touch!

Here are some more of the letters and queries we've received so far, followed by my best efforts to help:


Subject: Motorhomes?
To: RoadTripUSA@hotmail.com

Hello Jamie,

I was wondering if your roadtrips take into account places that motorhomes can travel.

Because bridges sometimes have a height requirement on 2 lane highways, some are not negotiable for motorhomes.

Your book about special places to visit sounds so interesting and we like exploring but do need to know if there are roads to avoid.

Thanks so much.

Paulette L

--====>>>

Hi Paulette --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA. I feel pretty confident in saying that at least 99.99% of the roads in my book are suitable for RVs -- the one height restriction I know of for sure limits height to a pretty accommodating 13'3" , on a stretch of US-2 in Washington State (because of a railroad bridge, I think.)

I also know that the Going to the Sun Road across Glacier National Park is not recommended for vehicles longer than 21 feet (including bumpers), wider than 8 feet (including mirrors), or over 10 feet in height. But there is a free shuttle to take you along the Going to the Sun Road, and an easy alternative driving route along US-2, which lets you cross the Rockies w/o any restrictions.

In New England and such places, a lot of the really quaint old roads (especially over covered bridges etc) are limited to smaller, lighter vehicles, but these are well-signed and always provided with an alternate route.

A good proportion of Road Trip USA readers are RVers, and in over 15 years of writing (inc the new, April 2009 edition!), I've never heard of any motorhome driver having a problem driving any of the 35,000 miles worth of scenic highways I cover in the book. In my experience, most RVers make sure the roads are OK by carrying a good road atlas, which all mark any height, weight or width restrictions.

Hope that answers your concerns, and that you give us a test-drive.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

===== === ===

Jamie,
Good morning, my name is Brian and I am an avid fan of your book and site, it must have been exciting to visit so many places around North America. I am writing about my planned trip for this coming summer (in mid-August). My friends and I are planning on driving across the U.S (from NY to California) for about 9 days and we are trying to find the best roads and stops to make on our route. The trip is planned to be one way (we are renting a car and going from NYC to San Diego and up to San Francisco), but we are looking to maximize our trip’s fun. Our initial intentions are driving from NYC to St. Louis (probably through NJ, PA, WV, OH, IN, and IL). After spending one day in St. Louis and then traveling from St. Louis to New Mexico and Arizona(through KS, OK, TX) in order to visit the southwest, especially the: Grand Canyon, 4 Corners, Monument Valley, Sedona NP, and any other suggestions you might have for the southwest. We also would like to travel through nice sections of Colorado (i.e. Colorado Rocky Mountains) and Utah, but we want to keep these routes close to the four corners/Arizona area. We plan on going to the “Heart Attack Grill” in Phoenix and then proceeding to San Diego. In order to reach the southwest area, my friends and I are interested in using Route 66 and the scenic areas of the southwest. What sites, stops, food, and parks (national/camping) do you recommend? What route(s) do you recommend for travelling from Phoenix to San Diego? Once we are in San Diego, my friends and I intend to visit for at most one day (What sites, stops, and food do you recommend?), but then proceeding up the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to LA, where we intend to stay for one or two days (What sites, stops, and food do you recommend?). We then intend to continue travelling up the PCH to San Francisco in order to do more site-seeing and adventures, but we also intend to travel up to the Avenue of the Giant/Redwood section of California in order to experience these areas. What sites, stops, and food do you recommend? We then intend to end our trip by going back to San Francisco and site-seeing more for a day or day. We have nothing set in stone but I would like to get your input about recommended sites, parks, stops, food, and everything in between for the trip that we are planning. In addition, please recommend some routes that we could use, especially along Route 66 and the PCH. Thanks for the help and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Brian

---++++====

HEY BRIAN !

Thanks for writing, and sorry it took me so long to reply.

Your trip sounds like a blast, and I hope I can help make it as fun as it can be.

It sounds like you will be packing a lot into a fairly limited time -- 9 days to cross the country, with a day or two in St Louis, Phoenix, San Diego and LA doesn't leave much time for sightseeing and exploring along the way, but with your friends along to share the driving, you should be able to pull some safe all-night-drives ad still have time to enjoy yourselves.

My first question is: have you looked into the costs of what sound like a pair of one-way trips, both for the rental car and the flight back? In my experience one-ways. especially for rental cars, cost a lot more than when you return the car to the place you rent it. Be sure you ask about "drop off fees", and make sure there are no surcharges for extra drivers or drivers under age 25.

Also, have you looked into doing a "driveaway" -- where you drive someone else's car, and deliver it for them? These are not uncommon, esp between NY and SF or LA.

Now, on to the fun stuff: a coast to coast drive will take you around 40 hours of driving time, at 65-75mph (whatever the legal safe speed limits happen to be). So if you really really want to get across the USA in 5 days, you are going to end spending a lot of time behind the wheel. The more time you have, the better.

You have chosen some great routes -- Route 66 is a classic cross-country route, and the stretch across the Southwest is fantastic. Considering your time constraints, especially after dark you'll probably want to avail yourselves of the Interstate freeways (like I-44 and I-40) that run alongside old Route 66, but there are a number of stops along the way you won't want to miss. (Chicago for one, which is a truly great American city, if you can set aside any NYC-centric prejudice.)

Once you're on RT66, take time to see Springfield Illinois (stop for a Cozy Dog, and to respects to Abe Lincoln!), and in St Louis enjoy a "concrete" ice cream at Ted Drewe's. Heading west, enjoy the light show at Meramec Caverns, and set aside a couple of hours for "might pretty" Oklahoma City -- esp the OKC bombing memorial, and maybe a baseball game. (You could do a whole cross-country tour stopping for baseball every day!)

Other must-sees: the Grand Canyon, and on your way to Phoenix, the red rock canyons and sculpted rocks around Sedona, AZ.

I won't spend too much time suggesting city sights (for STL, PHX, LA SD or SF...), since that is a subject unto itself, but if I were you I would plan to race across the Arizona and SoCal deserts -- by night, since it will be very hot, and following dull but safe freeways (like I-8 or I-40).

Finally, I'm sorry to say it but I don't really think you have enough time to do the PCH trip along the coast, much less to make it to the Avenue of the Giants and the Redwoods of Northern California.

If you can give yourself another week, maybe...

:-)

Hope this helps as a start -- and please let me know how you get along.

Email a virtual postcard or travel photo to me c/o RoadTripUSA@hotmail.com !

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

=============================

To: roadtripusa@hotmail.com
Subject: FW: Your suggestions for a west coast road trip

Hi Jamie,


My family (wife, and kids 9 and 11 years) have never done a “road trip” greater than a weekend getaway. I know that the kids would get a kick out of one and even stopping at some campgrounds along the way would be great. As long as it was not ALL campgrounds. We were thinking 1-2 weeks, late June and early July, would make for a really memorable trip. We are located in California, just inland of Laguna Beach.


Any suggestions? Camping, hoteling, B&B’ing, moteling, great food spots, places to see, places for the kids to have fun at, as well as educational places would be great. We are open to suggestions…


Thanks for anything you would suggest.


John B & Family

=========

Dear John B --

Many thanks for your note, and I hope I can help you and your family discover the joys of road trip travel.

I'm a California boy myself (LA born, SF Bay resident), and now travel with a pair of 10-year-olds, so I think I know some of what you all might like.

First off, despite what seems like endless bad news on the economy etc, let me say you are incredibly lucky to be living in a place most people dream about: California has a fantastic range of natural beauty and good old fashioned fun, so the challenge is to find the right balance for grown-ups and children to all have a good time.

I usually try to do a mix of camping and comfort, which I think suits the California summer perfectly.

Here's a rough draft of a suggested "Grand Circle" tour of California (by the way, I wrote a Road Trip California guide a few years ago, which you might be able to find on EBay for around $1...)

You can go clockwise or otherwise, but here are some of my personal favorite must-see places and must-drive roads:


Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) -- You could easily spend a week enjoying leisurely drives between LA and SF -- more if you have an interest in the many historic Missions along El Camino Real, today's US-101 (For California schoolkids, the Missions are a fantastic "living history" lesson). Along the coast, Big Sur is breathtaking, and the kids will love the Monterey Bay Aquarium in idyllic Pacific Grove (I like to stay overnight at Asilomar, an historic state park lodge right on the Pacific). Also worth seeing along PCH: Santa Barbara, with its beautiful mission and glorious beaches. It's an expensive place, however, so maybe camp beneath the palm trees at nearby Refugio State Beach! And of course Hearst Castle, near one of the quaintest towns in California: Cambria. San Luis Obispo is very nice, too, and kids may get a kick out of the kitschy rooms at the Madonna Inn.

If you and the kids haven't been, San Francisco is essential. And even if you've been before, think about planning a trip to see the new Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. It is fantastic.

OK, that's one week sorted out. Other places to see: Yosemite National Park -- at least two days for the spectacular Yosemite Valley (camping is possible, though hard to get campsites). Then drive over the Sierra Nevada to Mono Lake and Bodie Ghost Town, cruising north to lovely Lake Tahoe, then south to Death Valley (yes, it will be HOT!)

If you like mountain roads, there are some spectacular winding drives over the crest: the old Donner Pass Road north of Lake Tahoe, plus Hwy-88, Hwy-4 and others -- most of which are only open during summer, when the snows have melted.

There are also a number of great towns along my longtime favorite road, US-395, which runs along the eastern foot of the mountains, offering spectacular views and access to untouched wilderness (like Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48.)

US-395 brings you into Southern California along I-15, and then you're nearly home.

Hope this helps inspire you -- write back and let me know how it shapes up. I just wish I could do the trip myself -- maybe next year!

For now, Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

RoadTripUSA@hotmail.com

Road Trip News

Road Trip USA -- on the road, on the web, in the news


I've been trying to write and post up some more of the road trip travel advice I've been promising -- thank you all for writing in, thanks for being patient, and I will get my act together soon, I promise!

While I've been thinking about the many different trips you're all planning and hoping to take this summer, I've also been busy talking to and writing for various other high-quality publications, trying to spread the word about the good value fun of hitting the road.

Check out the other fine travel web sites I've linked to below, and check back here soon.

For now, Happy May Day!



-- Jamie

ROAD TRIP USA "Blog tour" hits to date:
4/30: Perceptive Travel guest post:

4/27: LifeTwo.com review:

4/27: TravelMuse Q&A & giveaway:

4/22: Gadling Q&A:

4/14: Gadling review:

4/9: Budget Travel Q&A: