On the Road Again, Again -- More Road Trip Advice!

Just when you thought it would be safe to go back online -- here comes another selection of (long overdue) road trip travel advice, with suggestions of things to see and do along the Great American Highways! By the way, I don't know if it's the weather, the Internet, world finance and US economic uncertainty, or what, but the numbers of travel queries and emails I get from Americans have been shrinking while those from around the world have been increasing. Whatever it means -- hello to our far-flung international readers (from Brazil, China, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Czech Republic, Germany and more -- even Canada. Welcome Aboard!

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Hi Jamie.

My husband and I are planning to do a road trip this year to stay close to home and save some money. I was looking at the routes and wasn't quite sure how to go about our trip. We're looking to travel starting October 12th.

We're not sure whether we'll have one week or two yet at this point in time, but was wondering if you have some suggestions on how to go about this if we were to do one week vs two weeks. We live in NY/Northern NJ. We've done the drive from here to MD, DC and VA several times. Now trying to see more of the US...as much as we can. And we love taking photos!

Thanks.

-Rita

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Dear Rita --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA.

October is a great time to travel -- crisp air and "fall color" can make for fantastic photos, too. From the NJ NY area, one trip I have enjoyed is the cruise west along old US-6, stopping by Lackawaxen for Zane Grey and Brooklyn Bridge homage, then winding west past the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania", enjoying all the roadside scenes that seem straight out of Walker Evans / WPA-era photographs.

(Seeing as you are a photographer, you may know that one of Evans's most famous images was shot in Bethlehem PA -- an under-rated Road Trip / Industrial Heritage destination that may well appeal to you.)

The nearby PA "Dutch Country" is also lovely in October, with all the harvest festivities going on -- I cover both of these places in my Appalachian Trail route.

On the other hand, you may be thinking of a longer trip -- so please feel free write me again when your plans start taking shape. In the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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Birthday ++ Anniversary in the Ozark Mountains

Hello Jamie,


My name is Joe and I am a road trippin' fool. Nothing better than a great road trip. I am going to be on vacation from 9/25-10/1. In the middle of that is my anniversary and my b-day. I'm looking to take my wife who has barely traveled at all on a nice road trip somewhere but I am really drawing a blank. We will be driving so I was poking around on the Internet found this wonderful site and I can really use your help. Here's my conditions:

Vac is from 9/25-10/1 of 2009.

I will have $1000 bucks to spend

Looking to avoid tacky and expensive tourist traps like Gatlinburg, TN

We live in KY an hour south of Louisville and would like to head west of the Mississippi River

Naturally we would like to stay off the Interstate as much as possible

Looking for a nice scenic route

Looking for some very well maintained and clean mom and pop motels

Since this is the fall and it gets cold early up north….looking to avoid going too far north

With all that being said….any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


Joe L

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Hey Joe --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- here's to a Happy Birthday, and a Happy Anniversary, too.

The end of Sept / early October is my fave time to hit the road -- not so much traffic, lower motel and gas prices, crisp air and some "fall color" in the trees. From where you are, nr Louisville, I would suggest you consider taking a cruise down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, paying respects to Elvis in Memphis and (if you like Blues music) maybe hitting the Delta region, where towns like Oxford MS are a step back in time.

If you want to put on some more miles, west of the Mississippi you can see some very pretty countryside in northern Arkansas, which is gorgeous at that time of year -- Eureka Springs in particular is lovely, and then you can head home on that classic Road Trip road, Route 66, which winds along the northern Ozark Mountains btwn Tulsa OK and St Louis.

Those are some "off the top of my head" ideas -- if any of this appeals to you, please feel free to write me again and I'll try to come up with specific spots for your celebrations.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and have a look at my book, Road Trip USA, which has lots more ideas, maps and pictures than are "up" on the website.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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Doggy Road Trips

Hi Jamie -- I'm thinking about taking a road trip from San Diego to the east coast and back, with my small dog. I'd stay with friends across the country whenever possible. What are your tips for a (young, healthy 60-year-old) woman traveling alone? how about finding dog-friendly motels?

Thank you -- Cindy


Dear Cindy --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA. Your trip sounds very interesting, and very adventurous -- I hope it goes well for you. The most helpful tips I can offer would be

1 -- don't be in a rush, enjoy the drive, and stop as often as you feel like. Though the inertia of hurtling down the highway at 70 mph is powerful, if you stop every 90 mins or so it is easy to get going again, and your body and soul will be grateful for these breaks along the way.

2 -- start as early as you can manage, and find a place to sleep _before_ the sun goes down. Again, keeping driving is tempting, but after dark you won't see anything (except headlamps).

To help with pet-friendly accommodations, I would suggest contacting a favorite chain motel -- most have nationwide policies about accepting dogs as guests. Also, here is a website I came across, which has listings across the USA: (I'm sure Mr Google can help you find others!)

http://www.petswelcome.com/milkbone/map.html


Please feel free to write me again as your plans start taking shape -- and in the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book Road Trip USA, which has lots more info and ideas and images than we've managed to post on the website.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen


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Brazilian Road Trip

Hello Jamie!

I´ll get married here in Brazil next year, and me and my fiancee are planning a road trip on our honeymoon at the US. Basically, my future wife dreams to visit NYC and I would love to meet Mickey Mouse at home personally at Orlando, so can you help us put it together to do a Atlantic Coast Road Trip?

Ok, the idea is great, but we have a lot of questions, tons of them... And searching at the internet I found your site that seems to be the best of this kind. So please help meeee!! :-)

My first considerations are:
2 people
Period: 20 days
Departs from: NYC, NY
Arriving at: Key West, FL
Desired stops (so far...): Atlantic City, NJ; Washington DC; Wilmington, NC; Orlando, FL; Cape Canaveral, FL; Miami, FL, Key West, FL.

Questions:
1) Please give us another indications of must-see cities/places along this route. (Tip: I´m an enthusiast of military history, and I heard that there´s a lot of Civil War places to visit in this area)

2) The one way charge for a car rental is extremely high! I found it from 300 to 500 USD, do you know some other way to minimize it?

3) Is the weather going to be a problem? We´re thinking on going on late november. Which I assume that it´s the end of the hurricane season. Am I right?

4) How much cost a budget hotel at the highways? Is there some kind of an average price of it?

Sorry for so many questions, but for a Brazilian is even more difficult to find the appropriate support. Look at the bright side, if want to come to Brazil one day I´ll be more than happy to give some tips for you.

Thanks and best regards.

Rodrigo

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Hello Rodrigo --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and congratulations!

The Atlantic Coast route is great, though you are right to think November may present some weather issues. I personally like a little stormy weather, which is more exciting than day after day of sultry sunshine. Hurricanes, which can occur that time of year, are another thing altogether, though these big storms come with plenty of warning to head inland, to higher ground etc.

The easy part of your questions is about car rental -- car rental prices are quite high these days, but by November, prices should have dropped considerably, and you may be able to take advantage of seasonal "one-way" deals, where you get a very low rate to drive a car from the northern USA (where there is little demand for them) to southern winter vacation spots like Miami. Avis used to run offers for these sorts of deals -- keep checking when you get closer to your trip.

And about motels -- in November, which is low season, rates at highway motels should run around $50 a night, a little more in cities and considerably more in Key West (though the economic downturn has made US travel more affordable than it has been for a long time)

Along the way, there is a ton of stuff to see -- especially if you like military history. I love the old coastal forts -- Fort Fisher on Cape Fear, east of Wiilmington NC, is very atmospheric, as are Fort Macon (near Morehead City) and of course Fort Sumter (in Charleston harbor).

The Richmond Virginia area is also packed with historic sites, though I don't have room to cover them in Road Trip USA...

Further inland, if you go to Dc as planned, I strongly suggest visits to some very evocative Civil War battlefileds -- Manassas, on my US50 route, and Gettysburg and Antietam, which I cover in the Appalachian Trail route. You may even catch teh last of the autumnal "fall color", which is especially nice in Harpers Ferry WV and the Shenandoah National Park, an hour west of DC.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA


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Great Western Road Trip

Hi!

I am reading you book again now(more likely in 2010). Looking into doing a second "road trip" to the states (I live in Norway), did the first one in 2008 and really liked it!

Last year we started out in LV and drove a circle and ended in LV. This time I been thinking about starting in Minneapolis and head west for a while before I need to go back(in a circle).
The trip is about 10-14 days, so not sure how far I can make it before we need to turn around.
Any good ideas what to do and see (I am already set on rushmore,yellowstone,badlands maybe glacier)? Like to get to see some small towns/old towns,lonely roads and also have some fun (atv,jet skies, exploring).
Last year we rented ATVs in the rockey mountains in a small town called Silverton and it was a blast. Not into big cities, fancy hotells or fancy food, but it would have been fun to catch a football/baseball game and maybe try a drive in movie if they still exist :) ..

So any good advice or ideas are welcome...

Thanks

Lars


Hi Lars --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply.

Your trip sounds very interesting -- Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, Glacier are all amazing places! I would suggest looking at the rest of the Rockies, too, up in Canada where the landscape is (perhaps...) even more spectacular.

Just make sure you get the right visas for multiple entry into the USA.

And yes, there are still a few drive-in movie theaters open for business, though nothing like as many as there were back in the "good old days". I can only think of one in the area you are planning to visit -- in Columbia Falls MT, where US2 and US93 cross -- though websites like www.driveinmovie.com
should be able to point you toward some more.

Please write me again when your plans start taking shape -- and in the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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First American Road Trip

Hi,

Thanks for sparing the time to read this.

My husband and I live in the UK. We’ve visited American on 3 occasions over the years - once to Florida when we were with our first partners, our second trip was to New York for New Years Eve 2006. The last time was to get married in Las Vegas in April last year.

We really fancy having a self-drive, 3-week holiday in May next year and would be delighted to have your suggestions for a route.

Places we thought about that we’d like to see (which we realise may necessitate an internal flight) include:

· San Francisco
· San Diego
· Grand Canyon
· New York
· Atlanta
· Boston

We know the above locations may not be viable to fit in on one trip. We thought it would be good if we could fly in to the west coast and head back home from the east coast so we’ve got a shorter trip back to the UK.

We’d love to hear any suggestions you can offer.

Kindest regards,

Karon & Mervyn


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Dear Karon & Mervyn --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and I hope I can help you plan a fun "2nd Honeymoon" road trip.

The month of May can be a great time to travel in the western US -- before schools let out and all the RV-ing families hit the highways! As a native Californian, I strongly recommend having SF and the central California coast on your itinerary: Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Barbara and so many more places are all lovely places to spend your time. The Grand Canyon is also fantastic -- and the nearby national parks of southern Utah are if anything even more overwhelming (and a lot less "touristed")

You could have a great week to 10 days, traveling on a loop down the coast from SF, cutting across from LA to the Grand Canyon on old Route 66 (?!), meandering north thru Zion and Canyonlands then winding back to SF via US50, the "Loneliest Road" also the route of the old Pony Express, which comes back into California at lovely Lake Tahoe . (Detour south via Yosemite National Park, if time permits...)

The other leg of your trip sounds more "up in the air" -- an internal flight makes a lot of sense, and in May (when southern gardens are at their peak) I personally would opt for a Deep South road trip tour rather than New England (or NYC again).

From Atlanta, you can easily visit old American cities like New Orleans, Charleston and Savannah, as well as historic small towns like Natchez and Oxford Mississippi, places whose charms and "Olde Worlde" character often come as very pleasant surprises to overseas visitors. (And to my fellow Americans as well !)

Hope these quick suggestions help you plan a great trip -- and again, sorry for my delay, and please feel free to write me again when your plans start taking shape. In the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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Singapore to USA

Hi Jamie

My friends and I are planning our first USA road trip next year around aug/september. the four of us are from Singapore and we would like your advice on which route would be a good start for us. We will plan to be away for 14 days and would fly into the US from Singapore to start the trip. None of us have driven any of the 11 road trips listed in your book and any advice from you would be greatly appreciated.

Regards/Jennifer

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Hi Jennifer --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me until now to reply.

Your trip (first time to the US? or first time doing a US road trip?) sounds very exciting -- I hope I can help you have a good time.

To be honest, deciding which trips are "best" is something only you and your friends can do -- all of the trips and places in the book (and on the website) are fascinating and fun in different ways, and it really depends on what you enjoy.

History? Culture? Scenery? Food? Each trip has something special, so it's up to you to decide what sounds like the most suitable adventure.

Fortunately you have lots of time to plan your trip -- so please write me again as your plans start taking shape.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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Baseball playing-Jazz pianist-turned-economics major-turned campaign field organizer-turned health care policy reformer Road Trip along RT66


Hi Jamie,

I've been living in DC for the past two years, but my car has been stuck out in Arizona with the folks. I'm finally in a situation where having a car in DC is doable and am going to drive my car (2000 Honda Accord) from my parent's house in Phoenix, AZ to Washington, DC.

Unfortunately I really only have about 3-4 days for the trip so it's going to be some serious driving between myself and my roommate. We're both young (24) so can handle long days and long nights, but I was wondering if you might have any "MUST STOPS" that we should try to check out on our route. I would love to eventually take the time to really explore, but I still didn't want to completely miss out on the opportunity for such a trip - even if it has to be short.

Thanks for any and all help you might be able to provide!!

Justin
(Baseball playing-Jazz pianist-turned-economics major-turned campaign field organizer-turned health care policy reformer currently working in DC...)

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Dear Justin --

(You Baseball playing-Jazz pianist-turned-economics major-turned campaign field organizer-turned health care policy reformer, you!...)

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply.

Your trip sounds great -- I hope you haven't left. (If you did -- hope you had a blast!)

Phoenix to DC, in 3 days?! Here are some suggested stops / photo ops / places to stretch your legs and re-awaken your brain so you don't crash. You probably know Arizona pretty well, but the Painted Desert area along Route 66 is fabulous at sunrise / sunset. Ditto for western New Mexico -- Inscription Rock & Acoma Pueblo are two unforgettable scenes.

Into Texas: for a quick taste of highway humanity stop for food (and a slice of "ugly crust pie" at Fran H. 's Midpoint Cafe (so-named because it is halfway between LA and Chicago.) Neat sign outside. Next up, for kitsch value: Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo.

Day Two?: Oklahoma. As you sound a bit thoughtful and political, make a stop at the very poignant memorial to the Oklahoma City bombing -- I have stopped here every time I'm passing thru, and it never fails to have an effect on me. Also good, AAA-baseball in the Bricktown Ballpark (Rangers farm club -- )

Or maybe race along I-40 / I-44 to St Louis, for better baseball, an homage to ragtime/jazz pioneer Scott Joplin, and an ice cream at Ted Drewe's (the one on RT66 - Chippewa )

From St Louis -- east along I-64, via Louisville (where there's an annual "Big Lebowski Festival"), easing yourself back into DC via the Shenandoah Valley and Skyline Drive.

That should be enough for a crazy few days...

:-)

Please feel free to write me again as your plans start taking shape -- or if you write up a blog detailing your adventures. (Hint, hint...)

And when you find the time for future travels, I hope you'll check back with my website, and my book.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

====>>>

OK -- enough for now!

On The Road, Again : The Return of Travel Advice

I can't remember why I stopped posting up my correspondence with readers wanting some help with their road trip planning -- but here it comes again. I have about 6 months worth of messages to sift through, from late summer until yesterday, so I apologize in advance for the time delay and any informational overload.



Lonely Roads

Jamie

Hi! I am so excited to have run across your website!

I currently live in Sacramento CA and will be making a move to Arlington VA next month. I have decided to make a memorable road trip out of the move to take advantage of the opportunity to see the great US! I've never done a move this great before or really driven cross country. After looking at your site, I think "the lonliest road" is the most direct to where I want to end up. I like stopping to see quirky "random" places and really want to take in as much as possible in the time I have. I want to take 5-7 days to make the drive. Do you have any advice for my trip?

Thanks so much,

Shannon S


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Dear Shannon --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply.

Your trip sounds very interesting. I used to live in Sacramento myself, and have followed that "Loneliest Road" route many times but still love it. US50 is definitely the best way to cross the country, especially if you want see some of what America has to offer.

If you only have 5-7 days, the main advice I'd offer is get up as early as possible, so you can drive during daylight hours. Not only do you get to see so much more this way, but I think it must be 100x safer than driving at night. Also, find a room before the sun goes down, while all the vacancy lights are still shining.

And if you do need to make up time (perhaps so you can enjoy the sights of Utah's Canyonlands or maybe tour a museum or three instead of simply driving all day, every day...) take advantage of the Interstates: I-80 across the Great Plains, maybe from Colorado to Illinois, can save 12 hours or more of mountain and rural driving, compared with US50.

And at the risk of doing a "hard sell", I'd like to suggest something else: check out my book! It's got even more ideas than what's on the website, and lots of pictures to entice you along the way. Please write me again when your plans start taking shape -- and in the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book, and that you have a great trip and a great time in DC.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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GREAT RIVER ROADS


Hello!

I found your great site through Google. You mentioned some road trip advice. Well, I could use some!

A friend and I are planning on taking a trip out to the midwest with our children. My kids are two boys (ages 7 & 4) and her two are girls (ages 7 & 5). We will be traveling from Vermont out through much of the Great Lakes, Chicago and on to Madison, WI.

From Madison our plan was to take at least part of the Great River Road down to St. Louis, then from St. Louis head up part of our old Route 66 and cut off sometime before Chicago to start heading back east and to friends in Ohio.

I'm hoping you might be able to offer some advice on the most scenic and/or interesting parts of both drives for the kids. We aren't looking for amusement parks or anything like that, but probably the more interesting of the historical sites (the Mark Twain cave sounded interesting) and/or the more quirky slices of Americana along the way. A good place to stop and swim is always welcome!

We don't have much up yet, but we will have a travel blog while we are on the road. Here's the start of it.

I truly appreciate any advice you can offer and will be happy to add a link to your site from my blog!

Thanks!

- Meghan



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Dear Meghan --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply.

I've been following the first parts of your trip via your blog posts, and I'll try to help with the Great River Road and Route 66 sections to come. But before I do, let me say: you are very brave, all of you, to set off on such a great adventure. And I am very pleased to hear (read?) that you are having such a great time.

OK -- from Madison, your first stop has to be the House on the Rock, right? Unmissable (though in August thunderstorms, who knows?) I also really enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin at Spring Green, though touring 100-year-old cutting-edge architecture probably is not top of your boys' list of fun things to do. You never know unless you try, right?

More likely you'll be heading toward the Dells, Wisconsin's summer fun mecca. From there, I'd say head west to La Crosse and meet a real river: the Mississippi, your companion for the next few days if you follow the Great River Road as planned. La Crosse is the sort of place that makes road trips fun: it may not be an internationally famous destination, but if you are fond of all-American treats (like drive-in burgers & milk shakes -- I've got some good suggestions on my website), enjoy a walk down a quaint downtown Main Street, swim at Black River beach, or simply want to hop a riverboat and see the scenery, La Crosse is the place to be.

The drive south is leisurely, and the next stop I'd suggest is south of the border in exotic Iowa. Not the place you'd expect to find an ancient civilization, but there it is: Effigy Mounds National Monument, where 2500 acres of rolling woodlands surround the remains of a Native American city that stood there since 500 BC. (For a more contemporary connection, your boys might be interested to know that the "Ringling Brothers" of circus fame came from nearby McGregor, Iowa.)

Continuing south, you might like to visit the Dickeyville Grottos, which are unlike anything else you likely to see, and to get there you can cross the river on a tiny ferry, from Cassville. Either way, another transportation treat awaits you in Dubuque, the world's shortest, steepest railroad: Fenelon Place Elevator, a funicular railway that has been trundling up and down the hill since before any of us were born.

That should see you through a couple days on the road -- and there are more to come, re Mark Twain, St Louis, Route 66 and more, if you want. For now I'm pleased to hear you've been enjoying my website, and my book.

Please feel free to write me again, and in the meantime I'll follow your progress via your very nice blog.

Have fun, and Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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Michigan to California

Hi Jamie,
Its really nice to have found your blog. I am planning a road trip from West Bloomfield, MI to San Francisco, CA and your blog has very nice information.

Can I check the route and the overall plan with you for your comments and suggestions?

We will be 3 people travelling (me, my wife and my brother). Because of the time constraint we are only driving the one-way journey. So the plan is to rent a car for this and take flight on the way back.

The rough plan
>
> 1. Day 1: Leave on 08/28, Friday early afternoon around 1pm. Travel to and overnight stay in Iowa city.
>
> 2. Day 2 (08/29): Hit it the road again in the morning and travel all the way upto Chamberlain or Murdo, SD. Overnight stay.
>
> 3. Day 3 (08/30): Travel to Mount Rushmore and spend the day there. Overnight stay somewhere in Rapid City area.
>
> 4. Day 5 (08/31): Travel to YellowStone or somewhere close to it.
>
> 5. Day 6 & 7 (09/01 and 09/02): Spend 2 days in YellowStone. On the second day if possible stay overnight on the west side of the park.
>
> 6. Day 8 (09/03): Hit the road early in the morning and travel all the way to Reno, NV or closer to SF. This is the biggest driving day from the distance point of view.
>
> 7. Day 9 & 10 (09/04 and 09/05): Spend 2 days in SF. Travel to big Sur if possible.
>
> 8. Day 11 (09/06): Take a flight back to MI.
>
> Can you provide your valuable insights on the plan, itinerary, sights on the way, any other suggestions, etc?
>
> Thanks in advance,

> Anand
>
----


Dear Anand --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply. From your message I think I still have a week before you set off, so I hope this reply gets back to you in time.

Your trip sounds very interesting, and sensibly plotted out to maximize fun on the road. The one long drive (Yellowstone to Reno) is the least eventful, for sightseeing etc, so that is a good day to make up time. If you have a chance, consider making the detour off I-80 to see Lake Tahoe, which is truly pretty, and easy to appreciate from the car. Yosemite, also on the way, is more time-consuming, but also worth seeing. (Maybe more so than your possible trip to see Big Sur, after SF?)

The one main thing I would suggest is that you make reservations asap for Yellowstone; the in-park accommodations are very popular, especially the magnificent Old Faithful Inn, which is unforgettable. If those are not available, I would suggest having one night before Yellowstone in the town of Cody (which also has a truly wonderful Wild West Museum), and a night afterwards in West Yellowstone Montana, which is a old-fashioned all-American town.

Another thing: while Mount Rushmore is a definite must-see sight, you probably won't want to be there all day (an hour is probably enough). But there are lots of nice things to see and do in the great Black Hills area (such as the maniacal statue of Crazy Horse, currently being carved out of another nearby mountainside.)

Please feel free to write me again -- and in the meantime I hope you continue enjoy my website, and my book (which has tons more info and ideas and pictures than the website).

Happy Trails, and have a great trip,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

===========

Historic Road Trip

Hi Jamie --

I am trying to plan a couple of road trips (I'm from the UK) . Looking to purchase your book but need to know if it includes the southern route and can you tell me if this a classic route?? we would like to combine it with the Zephyr Rail Trip
last year we followed the Lewis & Clarke Trail by car and would enjoy another trip that has American History attached to it.


anita


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Dear Anita --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and yes, the Southern Pacific road trip is a true classic. It's also known as the Old Spanish Trail, and takes in all the great historic stuff across the Deep South and Wild West, inc Texas and Tombstone Arizona.

This Southern Pacific trip along old US-80 would make a great companion trip to the railroad California Zephyr (is this the one you are thinking of?..) You could add in a little bit of the Route 66 road trip along the way, to get to Chicago -- or follow the Pacific Coast road trip, and link up with the Zephyr near San Francisco. Endless possibilities, really!

Please write me again when your plans start taking shape -- and in the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book (which has tons more info and ideas and pictures than what is "up" on the website).

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen

Road Trip USA

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Atlantic Coast Road Trip

hey jamie, I am taking a 5 day trip in late august from atlantic city, new jersey to tampa, florida. Im going to take the atlantic coast route i found on the website, but im not sure where i want to stop. I want to see some beach towns and some historic towns as well, so i was thinking i would stop in ocean city maryland, virginia beach, the outer banks nc, myrtle beach, charleston, savannah, and daytona beach. where do you think i should stop? what places should i avoid? what and where are cheap places to stay? what should i be sure to bring on a trip like this. i have never been to any of thesse places or in a car for this long before. im 19. i would appreciate any suggestions/advice. thanks -mike

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Hi Mike --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply. Your trip sounds fun -- hope there's still time for me to help you have a good time.

you asked: >>"i was thinking i would stop in ocean city maryland, virginia beach, the outer banks nc, myrtle beach, charleston, savannah, and daytona beach. where do you think i should stop? what places should i avoid? what and where are cheap places to stay?"

Much depends on what you like -- for tacky seaside fun, Ocean City MD is hard to be, but for amazing wild scenery (and waves, and lighthouses...), there's no place on the East Coast better than Cape Hatteras.

The other places you mention, Charleston and Savannah in particular, are wonderful -- not so much for summer fun, but they are rich in architecture and history (and food!)

I also really like the Georgia coast -- it feels calmer than SC or FL, but it really special -- and the offshore islands (Sapelo, Cumberland...) are as close to "unique" and unspoilt as you're gonna find. Bring bug spray if you go, though.

One place you didn't mention that I really like is St Augustine, in north Florida -- it has nice beaches, fascinating history, and enough tacky tourism (the "real" Fountain of Youth, Alligator Farm, etc) to satisfy any road tripper.

In terms of places to avoid, I personally find Myrtle Beach to be way over-developed (and they tore down its one redeeming feature, a neat old amusement park, replaced by a shopping mall...). Daytona is also pretty tacky and grungy, but that's what people like you and me go there for...

:-)

Finally, almost anywhere along the coast, in the peak of summer, "cheap" places to sleep are as rare (if not extinct.) There are some campgrounds here and there, if you have a tent and sleeping bag, but otherwise accommodations will likely be your biggest expense -- esp in the prime beach resorts (I've had trouble finding motel rooms in Ocean City MD for under $125 a night...painful. If you go in December, on the other hand, prices are not such a problem!)

Let me know what you get up to -- and hope this helps point you toward some fun. Drive safe, and in future I hope you enjoy my website, and especially my book. In fact, if you can wait till spring / summer 2010 I'lll have a "new" Road Trip mini-book out, covering all of the Atlantic Coast from NYC down to Key West!

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen

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Midwest, Mid-Summer -- Springfield MO to Santa Fe NM

Dear Mr. Road Trip --

My husband and I have decided to take a road trip to from Springfield, MO to CO, in early August. We plan to be gone only 7 days (this could be negotiable). We are in our early 50's with no younger children, and will be making the trip in our personal vehicle. What route would you recommend, and what are the MUST SEE'S for a trip such as this. Additionally, we have heard that we can return via a southern route which could include Santa Fe.. what are your thoughts and advice?

Thanks,
Barb

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Dear Barb --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply. I hope I catch your before you head off, or if you're on the road I hope I'm not too late to help with your travel plans.

Your trip sounds very interesting -- you say Springfield MO to Colorado in 7 days, and I assume you're making this a round trip (it's not a one-way, is it?) .

From Springfield the obvious Road Trip route west would be Route 66, which crosses some of its best stretches in nearby Oklahoma -- I really like the Will Rogers country east of Tulsa, where the old road is still the main way to go. (And where Vinita's fantastic Will Rogers Rodeo kicks off around Aug 25th!)

If you wanted to take Route 66 all the way to Santa Fe (or maybe use this as your return route...), it is easy to veer north into the lovely parts of SW Colorado -- the San Juan and Sangre de Christo Mountains on the NM/CO border are some of the wildest and prettiest parts of the whole USA.

Another great drive in this region is the famous Million Dollar Highway, which runs north from Durango and Silverton, over some of the highest passes in the country. All safe and easy to drive, but spectacular to see.

Another favorite place of mine in Colorado is the town of Manitou Springs, at the base of iconic Pike's Peak. From here you can head back east to Springfield -- via US50, which follows in the path of the historic Santa Fe Trail.

This Road Trip route works equally well going counterclockwise -- Springfield MO to Kansas City then west on US50 (my Loneliest Road chapter, in Road Trip USA) to Colorado, then back east via Santa Fe and Route 66.

Please write me again if there's still time for me to help -- and once again accept my apologies for my slow response. I hope you've enjoyed my website, and that you get a chance to look at my book.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA

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60th Birthday in a '57 Chevy Bel-Air



Hello Jamie,

Just cruising thru the internet for inspiration and found your magic site.
Mary and I live in England and have enjoyed several US 'mini - tours' over the years. Boston to Maryland the long way round, Harper's Ferry to Asheville on Appalachians, Atlanta and Nashville via The Carolinas and the Outer Banks and cross country by the side roads to Niagara.

However, next year is Mary's 60th and we're both keen to go the whole hog and to plan for a 10/12 week round trip of The USA. We (whimsically) thought of getting a Harley for the job, then thought better of it. We have now bought a Chevy 57 Bel Air! The car is in excellent condition and is being primed as we speak for a trial trip up to New Brunswick.

I wonder if we could prevail upon you to take up your offer of a suggested route plan for us. It is no doubt a daunting challenge and we would understand if your valuable time was spoken for. To assist in your deliberations, I shall outline a few basic parameters and wish-lists for our journey.

Return journey must be within our legal stay period of three months.
Interstate and 'big' roads to be avoided.
The Chevy has got to go to the levee !!
We must see Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, parts of New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, N.California, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Oregon, Washington State, Montana, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Kansas, Missouri. Phew!!

We have not yet decided which period to travel and would appreciate your suggestion. The Chevy is currently being fitted with air-con, so not as crucial as it could have been.

We do hope that you will find time to make some suggestions for our trip, and would like to contact you periodically as new thoughts arise !

With many thanks and kindest regards,

James & Mary

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Dear James & Mary --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and sorry it took me so long to reply.

Your trip sounds very interesting -- as does your bi-national life! I am a (Northern) Californian married to a (West) Yorkshire lass, and we have managed to spend at least a month every year down in deepest Cornwall England, so I think I share your appreciation of beautiful places. (Ditto the '57 Chevy Bel-Air -- a friend's Dad has been restoring one forever, and it is indeed a thing of beauty, comfort & joy!) .

About your trip: Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans -- all great. How about Memphis (and Elvis's Graceland!) -- the drive up the Mississippi River, across the Delta, is really truly unforgettable (esp if you "dig" the Delta Blues). Even if blues music is not so much your thing, there are plenty of levees for your Chevy (and none have run dry...quite the opposite, most of the time.)

Re parts of New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Colorado -- sounds like there's a Route 66 cruise in your future. The trouble is, Texas is HUGE -- more than 1000 miles across via US80 or US83, though the RT 66 section is mercifully short, traversing from Oklahoma (great state!) via Amarillo's sculptural Cadillac Ranch to the scenic Four Corners "Native American " lands of New Mexico and Arizona (and southwest Colorado, where you can explore the magical ancient cliff palaces of Mesa Verde et al).

From the Four Corners desert Southwest area around the Grand Canyon, you can cut across via Las Vegas (ideal place to cruise in the Chevy!) and Death Valley to N. California & Yosemite, then cruise up the coast to Oregon, Washington State (the area around Seattle is absolutely splendid), before heading back east via Montana, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Kansas , Missouri (are you sure about KS & MO? -- they're nice enough, but for this sort of all-American tour I would take Chicago and Detroit any day!)

As for an "ideal" time for such an odyssey, for the best weather I'd say September, even October, though Spring is nice (lots of wildflowers, not so hot...) in the Deserts, and early summer gets the best waterfalls in Yosemite and Glacier National Parks.

Choices, choices -- anyway, sounds like you've got a great trip ahead of you. :-)

Please write me again when your plans start taking shape -- and in the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, I hope the Chevy behaves, and I also hope you get your hands on my book, which has tons more info and ideas and pictures, and will make the prospect of extended road wanderings even more appetizing than the web can do.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA


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Mid-Atlantic Autumn

Dear Jamie,
My husband & I are plannig a roadtrip holiday in the USA with another couple end of Sept/ start of Oct 2009.
I was in the States on honeymoon last Sept and we did an amazing roadtrip in New England which we loved. We are from Dublin, Ireland. We will be hiring a car from DC.
I stumbled across your website this year while trying to plan something a little more ambitious which hasn't been as easy.
We have 10 days to play with, we are starting our vacation by spending 3/4 nights in Washington DC, then we wish to travel for approx 10 nights and
we definately want to take in Charlston, South Carolina and Savannah Georgia for say 2 nights each before heading back to DC.
We would also love to go back via the mountains, ( I am unsure of the difference between the blue ridge and smoky mountains). We would really like o stay a night or so in the mountains but would not be too keen on camping.
I think it might be an amalgamation of your routes 6 & 5?
I was hoping you could give advice on a good loop, we enjoy scenery, history and would like to see some civil war heritage and some Plantation heritage.
We have a midrange budget and would like to stay in B&B/ Historic Inns rather than motels.
On the route at some stage my friends would like to play a round or 2 of golf.
I have read the helpful information on your website and feel we would like more authentic towns / stops on the coast as oppossed to places like Myrtle Beach which I feel would be too commercial.
In New England we loved towns like Camden and Bar Harbour.
So the States I guess we are interested in are North & South Carolina, Georgia, and back via Virginia.
We are unfamiliar with these states and are finding the amount of information on the internet overwhelming.
Any help would be greatfully received,
Many thanks

Ellen


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Dear Ellen --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- a loop trip along the Atlantic coast and back up along the Appalachian Trail will be a blast, and late Sept / early Oct is just about the best time of year to be out there. (So long as you are lucky to avoid any hurricanes!) The "fall color" of the mountains is justly famous, and the coastal areas are usually still warm but without all the summer crowds -- good timing.

Both routes offer an abundance of characterful inns (in the USA, B&Bs are definitely upscale and much more comfortable than their UK/Irish equivalents -- I list a few in my book, and towns like Charleston and Savannah have some of the nicest inns in the country, along with an abundance of Civil War sights.)

Accommodations in the mountains are also very nice -- there are some rustic lodges in the National Parks (Smokey Mountains and Shenandoah), and many more along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a fantastic part of the trip.

If you really only want one night in the mountains, I'd suggest aiming for Asheville, North Carolina, which has a lot of charm and offers very easy access to glorious mountain scenery -- there are also some very nice hotels and restaurants (and golf courses!). And if you find you have more time, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia has some nice towns (like Lexington), and abundant Civil War heritage.

Please write me again when your plans start taking shape -- and in the meantime I hope you enjoy my website, and my book (which has a lot of info and ideas and photos which don't appear on the website).

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA (the Book!)


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Honeymoon Road Trip--Yellowstone + Niagara Falls

Jamie,

First-let me say I love your website, your interactive map is very cool and informative. My fiance and I spent some time last year on Route 66 in Arizona, and absolutely loved it. Now we are planning on taking our honeymoon the last week of September. We will be flying out to Jackson Hole, WY and spending a couple days there. We are planning on taking the Oregon Trail Route back east (we live in S. eastern Massachusetts) definitely want to spend some time in Yellowstone and Niagara, do you have any interesting or offbeat sights for us to see along the way. We really love retro-feeling/kitschy places. Please help!

Thanks,

Kate

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Dear Kate --

Thank you for your nice note, and for taking the time to write in to Road Trip USA.

Your honeymoon road trip sounds fantastic -- the Grand Tetons / Yellowstone region is full of amazing scenery, and well provided with old-time Americana. (Long live Jackson Hole's "Million Dollar Cowboy Bar", while West Yellowstone has another photogenic collection of old motels and a great Main Street!). Heading east, you can shop for his 'n' hers cowboy gear at Lou Taubert's in the heart of Casper (very near a great old movie theater and some slightly unloved 1920s/30s shopfronts.) How's that for retro-kitsch?

One stop I strongly recommend across the Great Plains stretch of US20 is northwest Nebraska, with lots of real history and one essential piece of kitsch car culture art: Carhenge, outside the town of Alliance. The Black Hills to the north hold Mt Rushmore, that even more gigantic Crazy Horse, and lots of mountain scenery. And Wall Drug is not too far away (on I-90, which may work as way to save time crossing the Midwest.)

Iowa is another long flat stretch, with some pretty near Lincoln Highway-era buildings along old US30, and just west of the Mississippi River is another odd attraction: the Field of Dreams, where that surreal Kevin Costner film was "lensed" as they say in Variety et al. The same small Iowa town, Dyersville, also holds a very intriguing basilica -- full of Catholic kitsch, if you are so inclined. Dyersville also used to have a great toy tractor (and mini-muscle car) museum, too, but I think the spirit of the place faded when the factory moved to Mexico.

East of the Mississippi, Galena is a very neat little town, and for 1920s architecture Rockford IL is also worth alook (it was also the home of pop band Cheap Trick, if that means anything to you!)

Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and other urban Great Lakes places are packed with too many things for me to choose from, but if you have time they are all very rewarding places to explore. A couple of less-famous stops along the way are the college town of Oberlin (nice central square) and the old Mormon Temple in Kirtland. And just before you hit the PA border, Conneat OH has a great roadside cafe: the mostly outdoor, summer only White Turkey Drive In, serving up turkey sandwiches and root beer floats (though I think they close for the season in early Sept...)

New York State has some great stretches. Needless to say, Niagara Falls is one of those must-see places, but most of the fun, and the best views too, are on the Canadian side, so bring your passport! I love Buffalo but accept that it is something of an acquired taste, but Skaneatles in the Finger lakes area is a very pretty place, as is Cooperstown. Albany, and neighboring Troy across the Hudson, are both packed with characterful diners and other travel essentials.

Closer to home, you probably know all about the Mohawk Trail (Route 2 from the Berkshires) but if you haven't shopped for rubber tomahawks there amongst all the characterful old towns and villages, have a look -- just keep an eye peeled for a 20' tall "Big Indian", right around Shelburne Falls (which is itself well worth a visit.)

Well, there are a few days worth of fun, retro-feeling/kitschy places things to see. Hope you have a great trip (and a nice life together...)

Congratulations & Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA the Book

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Much more to come -- for now, travel safely and keep in touch!

Road Trip Holiday Treats

Season’s Greetings!


October’s pumpkin patches have turned into Christmas tree lots, and as the return of Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole tunes to muzak soundtracks makes audibly clear, yet another year is coming an end. It may seem that summer ended only last month, but now it’s time to get into the spirit of the season, and go shopping.

So, full of hope for Peace on Earth, and with goodwill to all men, women and children, here are a few ideas for gifts and offerings for all your road-tripping friends and extended family. Most take the form of books, mainly since 1. I like books, and 2. in recent months I’ve been spending way too much of my time unpacking the boxes and boxes of books I’ve had locked away in storage units. Apart from the dust, my book-sorting been a surprisingly positive experience, allowing me to reconnect with well-thumbed old friends, and to find a few (well, lots actually) of other books which I'd picked up here and there but until recently never got around to reading.

For those whose shelf space is already stretched, I’ve spiced up my road trip book club with some other potential stocking stuffers: magazine subscriptions and memberships, plus a few great films to watch while huddled around the plasma / LCD hearth, all guaranteed to bring joy into the receivers’ * heart.


* Guarantee is limited to nice people with open minds—anyone who doesn’t like these products and gift ideas is not covered by the aforementioned promise.


Happy Holidays,



Jamie Jensen

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Road Trip Gift Ideas: Great Books


Designs on the Land: Exploring America From the Air, by Alex S. MacLean

For anyone who enjoys staring out of airplane windows at the abstracted jigsaw puzzle unfolding below, this bountifully illustrated full-color photography book will bring hours of pleasure. The more than 400 thoughtfully framed low-altitude images, which show off in intricate detail the inner and outer beauty (and lack thereof…) of our natural and man-made landscapes – family farms and central pivot irrigation circles, country roads and cloverleaf interchanges, big-box parking lots, housing subdivisions and more – are complemented by a range of short interpretive essays.


Out West: American Journey Along the Lewis and Clark Trail, by Dayton Duncan.
The best travel book since Blue Highways, this marvelous tale retraces the route blazed by the Corps of Discovery on their epic adventure. With a combination of concise history lessons, captivating storytelling, and wry humor, Duncan vividly points out what has and hasn’t changed in the 200-odd years since the captains first trekked across the country and back. The author later retraced these steps to help make Ken Burns’ magnificent TV program on Lewis & Clark, and another of Duncan’s projects includes the companion to the recent Ken Burns “National Parks” PBS series.


Roads to Quoz, by William Least-Heat Moon.
Thinking of Blue Highways, the latest effort by the café-loving author of that roadside classic is this collection of avuncular essays, which capture in prose the timeless allure of backroad wanderings – chancing upon stories great and small, looking for those ineffably odd but endearing qualities the writer dubs “Quoz”… .One of my favorite tales describes the efforts of “Victory Highway” and ‘National Road” US-40 expert (and longtime Road Trip USA supporter !) Frank Brusca to document and share the wealth of history and culture along that great old highway.


The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America, by Bill Bryson.
Iowa-born British transplant returns to America in search of material for his sarcastic commentary on contemporary life. Hilariously funny in parts, mean-spirited in others, and packed with trivial truths about life in the land of liberty. This is the book that started Bryson’s enviably prolific career.


Flattened Fauna: A Field Guide to Common Animals of Roads, Street and Highways, by Roger M. Knutson.
Lighthearted look at that under-studied ecosystem, the highway. Besides being a helpful guide to identifying the sundry dead objects along the roadside, the book also details the natural life and habitats of the unfortunate road-killed creatures.


Travels with Charley: In Search of America, by John Steinbeck.
Rambling around “this monster of a land” in his camper Rocinante, accompanied only by his eponymous French poodle, Steinbeck returns to his California haunts from self-imposed exile in New York to find that, even if you can’t go home again, there are many intriguing things along the way. Written 50 years ago, but still vivid and insightful, Steinbeck’s memoir is a timely reminder of how Interstate car culture has changed contemporary America.



Finally, here are two new books I haven’t read but have heard (mainly on NPR, as both authors are NPR contributors) great things about. First up: Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen by David Sax. The extended title pretty much sums it up, and Reuben lovers may well enjoy every slice.


The other, Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo, describes an unimaginably unpretentious retirement of the 33rd US President, who from 1945 to 1953 lead the country into the Atomic Age, thru two ferocious wars and one Cold War. What did he do? Hit the highway and see the country, eating at diners and staying at roadside motels, accompanied only by wife Bess – without a single Secret Service agent or (at first...) a reporter in tow.

Those were the days....


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Road Trip Movies

Wild Strawberries. OK – it’s in black and white, and is not about the USA, but this late 1950s Ingmar Bergman masterpiece is a subtle cinema classic that still knocks the socks off those sentimental road trip “journey of discovery” movies. In Wild Strawberries, a taciturn old man ponders eternally difficult questions about the meaning of life, and raises thought-provoking themes about self-awareness and shared humanity as he journeys from feeling pangs of regret and anxiety to possessing a refreshing sense of peace and reconciliation, all in a weekend’s drive.

For some less cerebral, all-American movie-going road-tripping fun, check out such varied flicks as Mad Max (Prescient? Let’s hope not!); Thelma and Louise; the Coen Brothers Homeric saga "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"; and the oddball classic, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. And if you can bear a bit of irony, black humor, and naked wrestling, you might also enjoy Borat, the cross-country travelogue by the creator of Ali G. and Bruno.

For more ideas, there’s a pretty full list of road-related movies on Wikipedia.

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Magazines and Memberships

Saveur Magazine – Though the name aptly suggests a gourmet orientation, this foodie favorite covers all aspects of making and enjoying great food around the world, from family farms preserving heirloom tomatoes to the finest Oregon Pinot Noirs. This month, for example, the magazine includes a vivid coverage of road food along Route 66 in Albuquerque NM. Available at most newsstands, though the $20 a year subscription will save you more than 60% off the cover price.

The Society for Commercial Archeology is a non-profit all-volunteer organization working to preserve and interpret roadside culture. Efforts cover everything from diners to giant roadside dinosaurs, and the enterprise is geared toward appreciation and enjoyment of quirks and crannies of the highway environment. Anyone interested in the cultural landscape lining America’s highways and byways will want to join; dues are $45 a year, and members receive a full-color magazine and a quarterly newsletter, which details preservation efforts as well as get-togethers for annual tours of different American regions.

Especially at this time of year, when cars refuse to start and batteries stop holding their charge, the American Automobile Association is an indispensable resource, and no traveler in his or her right mind should be on the road without a membership card. Besides the free roadside assistance, 24 hours a day across the country, they also offer free maps, useful guidebooks, and tons of related information. As a valuable bonus, each regional organization publishes its own magazine related to regional roads and road trips.


The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable, and fighting to save historic buildings and the neighborhoods and landscapes they anchor. They also help support more than 200 Historic Hotels of America, and for $20 a year you get a wonderful bimonthly magazine, Preservation. A recent issue of Preservation highlighted an unexpected upside to the credit crunch and economic downturn – property developers are slower to flatten aging roadside landmarks like the “doo-wop” neon motels of Wildwood NJ.

OK -- here's to a happy Christmas / Channukah / Solstice !

Drive safe, and have a wonderful rest of 2009.


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