Baltimore to Berkeley -- via the Loneliest Road!

Hello Road Trip USA --

I am thinking of driving from Baltimore MD to Berkeley CA -- would you recommend US 50, which you call the "Loneliest Road" ?

I am a female, from Spain, driving alone (or maybe with a friend), I hope it is safe. Please let me know. The South is appealing, but not sure if too far out of my way, I need to be in Berkeley CA at the end of the month.

So basically I am looking for food (I am a chef), and some sightseeing. I was thinking of getting into Route 66 but I think I prefer to gain confidence and do that route another time, maybe when I go back from California to NY in December.

I don't think am going to be hiking, and see good stuff I will drive early hours in the day; I usually wake up super early.

I have got your book -- I am very excited and a little bit afraid but well... I need to do it. This trip will be in my mind forever.

Thanks / Muchas Gracias


Begona

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Hola Begona --

Many thanks for your messages, and I'm glad you are enjoying reading through my Road Trip USA book -- I included just about everything I know in the book, but in this letter I will try to point out some real highlights, and give you some extra ideas and nuance, so you have a really great trip. I'll sketch out a 7 to 10 day itinerary -- there are some places you may want to linger, and others you may decide to race through. That sort of flexibility is part of the fun of the road trip -- you can do what you want, when you want!

OK, on to some trip suggestions -- you are setting off soon, from Baltimore, right? To give you a sense of how much driving time is involved, let's say it's 3000 miles all the way, and at 75 miles per hour "cruising speed", that takes 40 hours or driving.

And to stay sane, you will want to get out of the car and walk and soak up the scenery with all of your senses -- it's a good thing that you are an early riser, as you will have much more daylight to enjoy things.

And by the way, if you want to get a feel for the "middle of nowhere" places you will be passing through, when you get up early, go eat a big American breakfast -- cafes and diners are probably the quintessential US eating experience, and you'll meet real locals rather than fellow visitors, which is why I tend to focus on these so much in my books. Try to go to locally run places -- hotel/motel staff will have suggestions, I'm sure, and I include the best ones I've come across ones in my Road Trip USA books.

And if you (or your travel partner -- glad to hear you have a friend along for the ride!) haven't traveled much in the US before, be prepared for people in America to be super friendly -- saying "Oh Wow , you are from Spain -- how interesting! Do people speak Spanish there? how interesting! What do you think of Kansas?..." etc etc . It can seem a little invasive of your privacy, but it's "nothing personal", and in my experience usually totally sincere.

Also, Americans tend to be BIG, and big eaters -- portions are huge, especially at breakfast, where you can get a plate full of biscuits and gravy and sausages and eggs and pancakes and toast, and endless cups of thin watery coffee -- for almost no money. If you are a coffee fanatic, you may do what I do and carry your own coffee, and maybe a small kettle to boil water -- though most motels / hotels will have coffee making machines in the room, the coffee they give you is pretty dull.

Right, I got distracted again. Sorry. Here goes:

Day One, leaving Baltimore, you'll probably want to avoid the suburban sprawl of DC & northern Virginia, so take the Beltway and freeway west. (The main road from DC is labeled I-66, but it is not in any way related to the famous Route 66 of "get your kicks" songs.) After you race west on the freeway, take a tour of "Skyline Drive" in Shenandoah National Park, and if you want a nice first night "on the road", I am told that the dining room of the 5-star "Inn at Little Washington" is fantastic (it's around $500 a night, inc food, however, which is way out of my price range...).

Further west, Winchester Virginia (RTUSA p 727) is quaint and interesting, and a good first taste of small town America; also nearby, if you like history, the town of Harpers Ferry (RTUSA p 347) is very pretty and very interesting. It's also a good place to leave the freeway and get on to old US50, my "Loneliest Road" route.

Day Two: though it's only a few hours drive away, West Virginia is about as far from the rich and powerful world of Washington DC as you can get. Long notorious for being "backwards", West Virginia is a coal-mining, God-fearing state -- full of very proud but mostly poor people. The landscape is really pretty -- if you like mountains and forests and rivers -- and there are many semi-abandoned-looking old towns like Grafton and Parkersburg (RTUSA page 723-724). Enjoy the drive, but I'd suggest you keep driving as far as Ohio, which used to be the western edge of the USA. For a 2nd night place to stay, I think you'll enjoy Athens Ohio, a college town with some nice 100-year-old buildings (ancient by US standards!). I've stayed at the Hampton Inn here, which is probably the best "nice" motel chain (costs around $120 a night, which is more than some but not outrageous) .

Day 3: A good reason to come this US50 route is to experience the forgotten history -- all over central Ohio you can see remains of pre-European, Native American culture -- especially at Mound City, also known as Hopewell Culture National Park, in Chillicothe Ohio (west of Athens). I am fascinated by these enigmatic remains -- I write about them on pages 719-721. Magical, if you let your imagination run.

Afterwards, continue west to the next big city: Cincinnati, which is another interesting, ignored place. Lots of history here -- and some great modern architecture -- also some unusual food options: Cincinnati is famous for its "5 Way" chili, which gets you a bowl of meaty chili, served up over spaghetti, with added option of beans and/or cheese. Not exactly gourmet, but very filling and hearty. I like Camp Washington Chili ( http://www.campwashingtonchili.com/ ), which is open 24 hours every day except Sunday. They also do a good "chili dog" -- a classic American dish (though pretty far removed from your Berkeley / foodie fare).


Day 4: While the drive along US50 across Indiana is interesting, if you want to speed up a little, here is a chance. Also, if you take the freeway (I-70), you can visit another great mid-sized American city, Louisville, Kentucky. (I cover Louisville briefly on RTUSA page 712 -- it is a very interesting place. Especially if you like bourbon whiskey, which comes from here!) Depending upon your schedule, stay overnight here or continue along the freeway as far west as St Louis, on the Mississippi River. St Louis is also fascinating, is an abandoned, once majestic sort of way. St Louis is also a chance for you to drive along Route 66, which passes right through the heart of town. I cover St Louis in RTUSA pages 258-259.

One essential stop, especially if the weather is hot and humid as summer is in St Louis: Ted Drewe's, for unforgettably rich ice cream : http://www.teddrewes.com/Drewes.asp

Day 5/6/7 ? Enjoy St Louis (which has a fabulous garden, and great museums -- and is home to rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry!) Then, because I know you don't have a ton of time, take the I-70 freeway west, to Kansas City (in RTUSA page 702-703), and across the Great Plains to Denver.

One definitely worthwhile detour: the Garden of Eden (in RTUSA page 695), 15 miles north of the freeway, which gives a really fascinating alternative look at the dull monoculture of the Midwest.

From Denver, I think you might want to stay on the freeway across the Rockies. as far as Grand Junction and northern Utah. The drive I describe in Road Trip USA along US50 is very pretty, but so is the freeway route, and the freeway is lot less demanding and still very pretty.

Day 8: Utah! Depending on how quickly you've made your way across the country so far, you may want to make an overnight in Grand Junction, Colorado, which is the last semi-big city before you hit the wide-open Wild West. The next stage of the trip takes you across what's known as the Colorado Plateau, an otherworldly landscape of red-rock deserts and extreme beauty -- straight of a Clint Eastwood western (many of which I believe were filmed near Almeria in Spain?)

People spend weeks -- or entire lifetimes -- exploring this area, which includes many national parks, the easiest to see are Arches and Capitol Reef. An interesting base for touring is the town of Moab, Utah; I've stayed here at the Apache Motel -- where John Wayne stayed! There are also some surprisingly good restaurants; I cover the area in RTUSA pages 674-679.

Next stop: the Loneliest Road! From Utah, to California, the best route is the oldest -- US-50 straight west, following the route of the old Pony Express. Just to be safe, full your gas tank along I-15 freeway, or at the town of Delta Utah -- and maybe buy some big bottles of water, just in case. Then be prepared to be on your own -- there is a big amazingly empty world for the next few hundred miles. If you want to linger, make plans to stay overnight at the funky / friendly ("very Berkeley") Silver Jack Inn, which has rooms, a cafe, and access to the splendid wilderness of Great Basin National Park.

Here is a URL : http://www.silverjackinn.com/ I cover this in RTUSA pages 669-670.

The next town is Ely, which is pretty big (and has plenty of gas stations etc. The real "Loneliest Road" starts at Ely and heads west, up and over a series of mountain ranges, past ghostly old mining towns (Eureka, Nevada is very cool !) This is all in RTUSA, too.

If you get an early start, you can do the whole "Loneliest Road" and make it to Reno for your overnight -- this is a crazy, busy big gambling city -- Reno was Las Vegas, before Las Vegas was invented.

Day 10 ?: From Reno, head a little ways south and enter California past lovely Lake Tahoe, then make your west (via US50 to Sacramento, then the I-80 freeway) to Berkeley.

3000 miles in less than 10 days! Quite a trip !

OK Begona -- hope all this helps, and hope you have a great time -- espero que tenga un viaje fantastico!.

Drop me a line along the way, and let me know how it goes.

Vaya con Dios,




Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

PS: Before you go, buy yourself a nice big road atlas book of maps of the entire USA -- I really like one National Geographic Society puts out called "American Road" (but I'm not sure if this is still in print...) . Old-fashioned paper maps are great to have, even if you have mobile maps / GPS on your phone.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula -- US-2 Road Trip

Hello,

My husband and I are planning to drive from Georgia to Montana to see our son in late August. He has made this drive several times and has suggested that instead of crossing the U.S., we should take I-75 to Michigan, then get on US 2 which would take us straight to him. We are retired, so time isn't an issue. What do you think about this route?

Thank you,


Jan and Terry

==

Dear Jan & Terry --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and I am sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

But if there's still time for me to help with your trip, let me just say, YES -- that's a great idea. Make your way north to the Upper Peninsula, and I think you will be amazed at the scenery. Visuallly, it's about as close to Montana as you can get, until you make the drive west. I'd be interested to hear what you think, since I feel Michigan's Upper Peninsula is an under-appreciated wonder of the USA -- it's at least as beautiful, if not quite as full of the "Big Sky" you get out West.

There's also a lot of fun roadside oddities, like Ironwood's giant "Hiawatha" statue, seen above. So, go for it!

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

South by Southwest / Coachella Road Trip - 2011 !

Hi Jamie,

We're 4 British girls looking to embark on our first American road trip, in spring 2011. We're 27-29 yrs old and have been talking about this for about 5 years!

We hope to base this around starting or finishing at the South by South West Music festival, or Coachella.

We'd like to cover California or Southern California/Las Vegas & possibly Texas areas.

We have just 2.5 weeks!

We'd like to see some 'real america' & have some fun. But also view some typical bits, Palm Springs (old hollywood), Grand Canyon, retro Motels & bars etc posb route 66.

Do we need/should we book accommodation in advance?

Should we book a car in advance; we want an open-top car. Can you recommend a car rental company / service?

Also, can you recommend a route for us to follow, and any 'must dos' along the way?

Many Thanks for your help in advance!

Laura

==>>

Hello Laura --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA -- I hope I can help with your quest for musical road trips. As far as I know, SxSW is in March, and Coachella is mid-April -- so you start in Austin and end up on the edge of Hollywood -- sounds like an All-American Dream.

:-)

I'm sure you'd need to book accommodations in advance for either/both festivals, but for the time and places in between you should have a lot more freedom. I'm not anything like an expert on the festivals themselves, but I do know you could do a great big road trip in between them -- visiting the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Las Vegas, or the Wild West areas of Arizona (which are gorgeous in March/April wildflower season!)

It all sounds like great fun.

I could see you wanting a convertible / soft top car for swanning around Palm Springs, but to be honest they are not ideal for long drives -- they are noisier, and a lots less secure than a "normal" car. (Not to mention much more expensive.) You could get one for a day or two in Southern California and/or Las Vegas, and get a "real" (bigger?) car for the 4 of you to haul yourselves around in.

About routes, Route 66 is definitely a good way to go -- at least for the Grand Canyon part, and to the "real" London Bridge, which has been moved from the Thames and re-constructed out in the middle of the Arizona desert, at Lake Havasu (which is itself a real "Spring Break" party place, if that appeals to any of your 20-something personalities).

Besides Route 66, there are lots of other great roads to drive, like the Pacific Coast Highway -- at sunset, in a that dreamt-of convertible. I also really like the US-80 route -- what I call the "Southern Pacific" route in my books. This goes through some lovely landscapes -- and thru Wild West landmarks like Tombstone Arizona.

Your plans sound all very manageable -- hope these random thoughts, and my books, help you have a great time!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

*** On Sale Now ***

Amarillo to Anaheim -- New Year's Road Trip

Dearest Jamie -

I'm so glad you're giving out road trip advice because I'm practically lost. In January, I want to make a trip from Austin, Texas to Anaheim, California and back. I know for the way out, I'm going to drive up to Amarillo, Texas and catch Route 66 and take it to Anaheim. I'm stuck as to what to see on the way back though. I want to come home a different way. I'm a photographer so scenery is a plus and I'm an aspiring travel writer so places you can leave with a story are a plus plus, for practice purposes. :)

I'll have about two weeks. How do-able is this? Any help is very appreciated!

Thanks,

Marina

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Hi Marina --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- if you want to drive between southern California and Texas through a landscape that has lots of history and some great scenery, there's no better road than what I call the "Southern Pacific" route, following the Old Spanish Trail / US-80 from San Diego east across southern Arizona and New Mexico.

I cover this -- and all of your westbound Route 66 tour! -- pretty thoroughly in my Road Trip USA book, which has tons of info and some nice photos and maps (though the maps and photos don't show up on the website version, which you can test-drive at roadtripusa.com ). The image above is one I took years ago at the Route 66 icon, Jackrabbit Trading Post, in Arizona.

There are some fun if oddball attractions along old US-80 (today's I-8 freeway) in southern California (I really like the Desert Tower, and the Center of the World), and once you cross the Colorado River there are plentiful stories, starting in Yuma (home of the hardest Wild West prison), all the way thru Tucson and Tombstone AZ. Las Cruces and Mesilla in New Mexico are very interesting, too, and there's some beautiful scenery at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, just over the NM / TX border.

This whole southern tier was (and still is!) home to native Apache Indians, and if you use even the tiniest bits of your imagination, the ghosts of Geronimo and Cochise are never far away.

January will be bit early for the desert wildflowers, but so long as the weather cooperates you should have a great trip.

Say "Hi" to Cadillac Ranch for me, please!

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

** On Sale Now **

Midwest Road Trip -- Around Wichita

Hi Jamie

What a great site!!! Thank you very much for all the great routes.
I’m from Zurich, Switzerland and will fly to Chicago on Tuesday. From there I’ll drive to Wichita, KS. I planned 5 days for my road trip and would like to ask you for a great route. I also have 5 days to drive back from Wichita to Chicago. Could you please suggest two ways to go back and forth to Chicago? I’m interested in nature, scenic routes, history, fun…

Do you know great places to stay? I’m travelling alone and am on a short budget ;). Are there any interesting things around Wichita, as I’m there for a whole week but attending a conference and have only limited time.

Thank you for your fast reply and the great tips!

Fabs


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Hi there Fabs --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry I didn't get back to you before now. Are you on the road around Wichita? My main route around there, which I call the "Loneliest Road", follows the old Santa Fe Trail, east to west across Kansas, with a small detour to enjoy the "Tallgrass Prairie" around Cottonwood Falls (just west of Emporia KS).

July is probably a bit late for the best wildflowers, but the "Flint Hills," as that part of the Great Plains is also known, is very pretty, in a midwestern kind of way.

The Santa Fe Trail route has some other good sights, especially at Council Grove, which I cover in my book and (less so) on the website:
http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/loneliestroad/kansas/lon_councilgrove.html

Very different, but also in the Wichita area, is the Kansas Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson.

If you want some great Great Plains reading material, I'd suggest you check out the book PrairyErth, by "Blue Highways" author William Least Heat Moon. It's very interesting: http://www.amazon.com/PrairyErth-Deep-Map-History-Tallgrass/dp/039592569X

And as far as way back to Chicago -- if you didn't come this way, I'd suggest you go back via Oklahoma City (a fascinating place!), and take old Route 66 all the way back to Lake Michigan. I cover this great route on the roadtripusa.com website, and more accurately in my books.

Hope this helps -- and that my reply gets to you in time.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA ** On Sale Now **



==

Dear Jamie

Thank you for all the information. I had a great road trip so far. I drove down the great river road and also went to the tallgrass prairie state park. It was great!
Up north to Chicago, I’ll take the old Route 66. Thank you so much for your great books.

Cheers,

Fabia

Oregon Steam Punk Road Trip - Ashland Bound

Howdy Jamie,

Due to time constraints I need to use I-5 (for the most part) to get from Portland to Ashland and back again when I go in late August.

I know it's not a route you cover in your book (which I plan to buy), but do you have any random tips/recommendations or links/referrals to other good travel guides that would cover that area?

Imagine you are a steam-punk loving countercultural aged-out-of-hippie with a camera and a lust for all things old and crusty.

Bless you!

Sheila

====

Hi Sheila --

Thanks for your nice note -- and it definitely doesn't stretch my imagination for me to think like a "steam-punk loving countercultural aged-out-of-hippie with a camera and a lust for all things old and crusty." I might just borrow that job title and put it on my business cards (if I had any business cards...)

Portland to Ashland -- nice part of the world. I come from California, so I'll start in the south and head north (and you're right -- I don't much about this area, though I do love the Cascades hot springs -- excellent for experiencing some real steam.)

I haven't been down I-5 for a while, but I know Jacksonville OR is very cool -- if you like 1880s buildings, which I suspect you do. Almost the entire town is a national historic landmark.

North of there, off I-5 in the hills above Jacksonville/Medford , there's the Oregon Vortex: http://www.oregonvortex.com/

And further north, Cottage Grove has a lot of nice covered bridges -- look here: http://www.cottagegrove.net/history/covered_bridges/ (The bridge shown above has been moved and rebuilt on the Oregon State campus at Corvallis...)

Thinking of Oregon college towns, Eugene is fun (though I haven't been there for 20 + years, so I can't offer many tips of where to find it).

Not much help, am I??

:-)

Hope you have fun, nevertheless.

Happy Trails, and thanks again for writing,



Jamie Jensen
-----
Road Trip USA

Honeymooon Road Trip -- 10 weeks plus!

Dear Jamie,

I am getting married next May and for our honeymoon my fiancée and I are driving around the country for 10 weeks. We are starting in central PA heading west to Chicago and hitting the Badlands, Yellowstone, and Seattle on our trip west. We are going to stay along the pacific coast and head as far south as LA.

On the trip back east we want to hit the Grand Canyon, the southern Utah national park area, Santa Fe, San Antonio to New Orleans. We are meeting some friends 6 weeks into the trip to spend a few days in Disney World. Then the last 4 weeks Savannah to Nashville to St. Louis and finishing in DC.

We are going to be doing a lot of car camping and outdoor camping.

My question for you is what are some interesting spots between our stops that you would recommend? It will be a lot of highway driving, but what kind of scenic routes are along the way? Thanks for your help, your book has been an invaluable resource in planning this trip, but I just couldn't resist emailing you personally.

Thanks for all the help

Tony

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Dear Tony --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and I hope I can help you plan a great honeymoon road trip. 10 weeks driving around the country? I'm jealous!

I cover quite a few of your planned roads in my book, Road Trip USA, and on the website -- I guess you've checked these out. For the Chicago and west section, I have many good suggestions in my "Oregon Trail" chapter, which follows old US20 and some of the even older Lincoln Highway (which is especially good across Pennsylvania). I also cover the whole Pacific Coast Highway, as well as Route 66 (for your LA / Grand Canyon / Santa Fe tour).

I have tried to include lots of good recommendations in the book -- squeeze them in , is more accurate. There is so much to see and enjoy along these routes, I am sure you will have fabulous time.

In addition to the places you listed, I definitely recommend you explore Portland and the Columbia Gorge / Mount Hood area (Timberline Lodge would be a good splurge, for a meal or an overnight, or even just to see it. ) I also really like the Olympic Peninsula area west of Seattle, and the San Juan Islands / Port Townsend area.

You didn't mention Las Vegas, which is honeymoon central -- and despite the inevitable tackiness, it does offer some opportunities for indulging yourselves; if you've been car-camping in the desert, you'll appreciate luxuriating in a huge marble bath...

Out west there are too many scenic routes to mention -- in southern Utah, almost every road is scenic. For a couple more great stops, I'd suggest you look into visiting the ancient cliff palaces in Mesa Verde and Canyon de Chelley national parks -- I really get a kick out of these beautiful and enigmatic structures. Same goes for the "mound cities" you can find all over the eastern US, in Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia -- these are pretty thought-provoking places, and usually very pretty to look at, too.

I'm not sure if these are the sorts of ideas you were looking for, but I am sure you will have a fantastic time on your trip.

Happy Trails, and congratulations,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Chicago - Southwest - Route 66!

Hi Road Trip,

Me and my wife just booked our flights to Chicago today for a 3 week trip to the USA in mid September. We were thinking of doing a loop out of Chicago and back via Las Vegas. What routes would you recommend for the best experience. Vegas is not written in stone as we have been there before.

We will be hiring a car, and do not plan on staying in any place longer than one night. We just want to make the most of the time we have over there.

Thanks in advance for you help.

Damion

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Hi Damion --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- I hope I can help you plan a great trip.

3 weeks is a nice long time for a road trip around the western USA; do you want to go all the way to the Pacific? If so, I would recommend following some of my "Oregon Trail" route west from Chicago along old US-20, which takes you past Mount Rushmore through Yellowstone National Park and on through the Columbia Gorge to Portland and the beautiful Oregon coastline.

This is a truly gorgeous trip -- ideal for a week in September. (I cover this in pretty complete detail in my Road Trip USA book, pages 540 to 590).

From there, I'd suggest a few days down the Pacific coast into California, as far as San Francisco, then a trip east to see amazing Yosemite National Park (a real Wonder of the World), then east over the mountains (perhaps via Lake Tahoe?), then heading east to Las Vegas via Death Valley -- which shouldn't be too painfully hot in September.

From Las Vegas (which changes every year -- and is always worth revisiting), I'd recommend maybe taking a tour of the Grand Canyon (North Rim) and the national parks of southern Utah -- Zion National Park is gorgeous to see, its 1000-foot high walls of brilliant red-colored sandstone. And in September the leaves on the trees should be changing, making the scenery even more spectacular.

For the final leg of the road trip I'd follow my "Loneliest Road" route from Utah across Colorado and the Great Plains to St Louis, then return to Chicago via a great stretch of historic Route 66 -- where you can "get your kicks", and all that jazz!

I cover most of these roads on the Road Trip USA website, and even more in my books, so I hope this helps you have a great trip.

Happy trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

East Coast road trip

Hi Jamie,

I purchased your Atlantic Coast, Road Trip USA book a couple months ago to start planning a road trip for the summer. I am originally from NJ, but have been living in Germany now for over a year. I will be visiting the States this summer for three weeks with my fiance (he's German and this will be his first time seeing the US, other than the tri-state area), but our road trip can only last about 6 or 7 days. We plan to do a road trip from NJ to Savannah, Georgia, with my mom (48) and my little brother (13).

I thought to drive down to Savannah the first day (using the interstate) then spend the whole next day in Savannah, then the next day in Charleston, possibly do a detour to check out Congaree National Park and then continue working our way up the Atlantic Coast route you mapped out, with stops in Myrtle Beach, driving along the Barrier Coast Strip (Kitty Hawk) starting from Ocracoke, Virginia Beach and finally taking the Lewes-Cape May Ferry back into NJ.

My question is, do you think 6-7 days is enough time? How would you work a road trip if you only had 6-7 days to do it?

Thank you so much!

Diana from Deutschland

==

Hello Diana from Deutschland --

(Or should I say, Guten tag!)

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for buying my book -- I hope I can help you plan a great trip!

I think you've got a good plan for the return half of your trip, but I wonder whether you (and Mom and little brother) really want to do the entire NJ-Savannah haul in a single drive. That's a solid 12 hours of driving, on a very dull freeway (I-95 is as boring as roads get.). The one good thing about I-95 is an oddball tourist attraction, called "South of the Border," on the North/South Carolina border (this is home to the World's Largest Sombrero, and a reasonably cheap motel, and a humungous gift shop that may appeal to a 13-yr-old's sense of humor...)

If you want an insight into the crasser side of Americana, maybe break your long drive here on your way down, then appreciate the refined charms of Savannah all the more?

However you get there, I think you will love Savannah GA and Charleston SC -- these are two of the most attractive small cities in the USA; stay the night in each one, preferably within walking distance of the historic areas. I've found Wilmington NC to be surprisingly charming (at least if you compare it to Wilmington DE!), while Myrtle Beach is a bit overwhelmingly commercialized, to my eyes.

Both Ocracoke and Cape Hatteras are pretty special; the Kitty Hawk Wright Bros. monument is also great, but the beachfront development is pretty disturbing (the roadside is lined by factory stores...) If you like history, a trip to Manteo and the site of the Raleigh's Lost Colony is pretty intriguing, too.

If you get a chance to write me back, I'd be interested to hear what you think of Congaree Nat'l Park -- I've never been (to be honest, I hadn't even heard of it!) and wonder what it's like.


OK, hope that you and your extended family have a great tour of the Atlantic coast. Please do let me know how it goes!

Happy trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

==

Hi Jamie --

Vielen Dank! Thanks a lot, and Congaree is very cool (well, very hot & sweaty, actually -- which is how a swamp should be!)


-- Diana

Full-Time RV = Road Trip Dream

Dear Jamie,

We have already been to USA 3 times, a total road trip drive time of about 14 weeks, and travelled in more than 18 states. Up till now our preference has been to hire a car and travel 2 lane roads .... we discovered a strong dislike for Interstates and only use them when there is no other way. We have also made a rule for ourselves, which we broke many times due to time constraints, to drive no more than 3 hours on any day, so we would have plenty of time to explore and rest.

Currently we are working on an adventure to live in USA for 2 -3 years or until we can do so no longer for health/family reasons. We are from New Zealand so our time in USA is subject to Visa restrictions and maintaining our NZ eligibility to receive Superannuation. We are 70 plus. At this point we are planning to stay in USA 24 weeks at a time, returning to New Zealand for a couple of months before going back to USA again.

We are going to purchase an older Motorhome and small car to be towed. This, of course will need to be stored while we are home in NZ. At this stage we are thinking our home base will probably be Redding, CA because we have some personal connections there which should make it easier to establish an US address.

We don't have a date of arrival although we are hoping to start in March 2011.

Our question to you is this .....

Do you have any advice re dividing up USA into 6 segments?

Our plan is to stay in anyone destination for a month or more and generally explore from our Campsite. We will be spending as little as possible on Campsites as we plan to Boondock about 75%

We do hope to join up with some volunteer groups or even do some unpaid Workamping depending on what is available in our chosen area and time frame. We are also researching vehicle sales and Full time RVing, reading personal Blogs to prepare ourselves as much as possible.

This is a little different to following your Road Trips but you are the best person I have found to answer our question. I've just been told we can work this out for ourselves but I wonder what you advise.



God Bless :):):)

Anne
====

Dear Anne --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- it sounds like you have a wonderful adventure ahead of you. (And quite a few in the past, as well!)

The international nature of your road trip makes planning more complicated, for sure, but it sounds to me like you have thought it through. Having a US base will definitely make things simpler, and I hope you find a way to sort out insurance policies etc, without too much trouble.

Lots of Americans do a version of your trip -- mainly people who want to avoid winter in the northern USA, who every year travel south (to Arizona and Texas mainly, and also to Florida), where they are known as Snow Birds. I have met many of these travelers around Lake Havasu and the lower Colorado River, on the California / Arizona border.

Snow Birding seems like an interesting life -- mobile communities of sometimes 1000s of RVers.

One program I think might be of help to you is called "campground host" (aka Workamping, I think...) This lets people stay for extended periods of time in a national park or national forest or state park campground -- but instead of paying the nightly rate, you act as "host" and make sure the campground runs smoothly. Because I don't usually stay in one place that long, I don't know much about it, but I have met many "hosts" over the years and it seems like a "win win" deal. Alas, it may not be an option for non-US Citizens .

I'd also like to point toward a good book that helps people make the move to "full time" RV-ing: it's called Live Your Road Trip Dream. (Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/Live-Your-Road-Trip-Dream/dp/0975292838 )

To answer your "red letter" question, I think it makes sense to find a base and then do some regional exploring. Not sure about how to make 6 regions -- but however you divide up the USA, weather would have a lot to do with where you go and when -- Great Lakes and New England would really only be an option in summer, for example (which is NZ winter, right??) I like the desert Southwest in Spring (Arizona in March + April), and the Deep South is also nice in April May, before it gets too hot and humid. Northern California and the Pacific Northwest would be good almost anytime, best for September October.

And the Rockies (Colorado, Wyoming, Montana...) would realistically be a summer time spot as well.

That makes 6 regions, I think -- does that help??

I hope this all works out for you & John. Please keep in touch and let me know how your plans shape up.

With very best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA





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South Carolina to the Pacific Northwest -- Mom + Kids!

Hi Jamie,

I'm so glad I ran across your website! What cross country route would you recommend for a one-way trip to Mukilteo, WA from Greenville, SC ? I will be traveling alone with my 7 year old daughter and 9 year old son. We plan to stop in Houston and Austin to see family. We have made two cross country trips before, but my husband was always with me. We relocated from Houston to Mukilteo, WA three years ago via I-40 and I-5. We took about three weeks and had some great side trips. Last summer we relocated to Greenville and took two and half weeks hitting Glacier, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, etc. I would really love to make this a great learning experience for the kids. I plan to take 3-4 weeks for the journey. We have never traveled through Utah, Oklahoma, or Colorado. Nor have we experienced Alabama or Mississippi. I would love to visit Moab, Zion, the Grand Teton's, and the Crater's of the Moon National Monument. What places would you recommend as "Do Not Miss" locations.

All my best,
Amanda

===>>>>


Hi Amanda (and family!) --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry it took me a while to write back. I hope I can still help, so if you haven't made the trip, write back and I'll do what I can.

Or if you already on the road (and still checking email), I hope you're having fun in all those "don't miss" locales -- Moab, Zion, Grand Tetons, Mount Rushmore -- all the way to Mukilteo.

Let me know if I can still help -- and sorry again for being so slow to reply to your message.

Happy traveling,



Jamie

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Hi Jamie,

We've had a great trip from Greenville to Austin so far! We hope to depart in about a week for Mukilteo. I would love some assistance on this part of the trip.

I've considered going through Oklahoma City to break up Texas some. I would also love some help on the best route to take through Utah and the Columbia River area in Oregon. We have never been to either place. We did visit Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone last summer, but we missed the Grand Tetons. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you so much!!!

Amanda

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Hi again Amanda --

Glad you're having a good trip, and good to hear back from you. Oklahoma City is nice enough (especially if you like minor league baseball!), but scenery-wise I'm not sure it offers a huge change from the plains of Texas. From Austin, I think you'd have more fun, and the kids could learn a lot more, by taking a trip on to San Antonio -- to see The Alamo, which is a real American icon. Even though the tales of Texas heroism can be a little overwrought, The Alamo is a truly historic site. Plus there's a great old hotel right across the street, and some surprisingly fun (car-free, kid-friendly!) walks along downtown San Antonio's leafy and cool "Riverwalk".

To my mind the nicest part of Texas is west, rather than north --- the Hill Country, especially the area around the wonderfully named town of Utopia. I really like Lost Maples State Park, where there are some nice hilly hikes (manageable for 7 - 9 year olds, I'm sure), and great swimming holes, ideal for hot afternoons. There's also a nice drive along US-83, what I call "The Road to Nowhere" in my book -- the Frio River and Garner State Park has great swimming, lots of shade, and some pretty scenery.

I cover this in the Road Trip USA book, around pages 209-213, and there's a slightly older version on the website in the "Road to Nowhere" section.

Heading north, just before you leave Texas, think about stopping at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park right across the border in New Mexico. Carlsbad is perfect for kids -- the huge caves are totally cool (literally and figuratively!), with lovely limestone formations and every evening, a free "Bat Flight" with thousands of bats swirling up into the sky. Unforgettable, for sure.

Across Utah, it is hard to find a bad drive, but my favorite route for your trip would probably include a stop at the Four Corners monument (where AZ, NM, Utah and Colorado all come together), and maybe a trip over to the ancient cliff palaces at Mesa Verde National Park (in Colorado) and/or Canyon de Chelley National Park (in Arizona). In my experience (and I have twin boys who are now 11, but who used to be 9, and 7...), kids love the mystique and mystery of these amazing, 1000-year-old palaces, some of which you can walk through.

The whole Four Corners region is pretty , and offers some great star-gazing, too (no city lights for miles).

A little ways west of Four Corners is Monument Valley, which is also worth thinking about -- to me, it looks like a life-sized Roadrunner cartoon, with all those huge red sandstone towers. North from here, I'd suggest you follow US-191 past Canyonlands National Park (huge but amazing -- the "Needles" section is the most accessible, but even this may be a little bit much for young kids (the desert around here is genuinely harsh and unforgiving, so carry lots of water, even if you are planning to stay in your car.) Nearby Arches National Park is, to me, even more amazing -- lots of bright red sandstone arches, reaching hundreds of feet across the high desert landscape). The town of Moab makes a very good base for this area -- I cover Moab, Canyonlands and Arches in my Road Trip USA book, in the US50 Loneliest Road chapter (around page 676).

Continuing on, Salt Lake City and Boise are both big, pleasant cities, along the I-84 freeway which takes you on through Columbia Gorge. Before you get there, I'd recommend at least one more stop, at the national Oregon Trail visitor center, in Baker City Oregon. This center tells all about the families who crossed the continent nearly 200 years ago -- on foot, without the comforts of cars and air-conditioning. Kids can walk along actual wagon ruts , and it's a pretty memorable experience.

Another great experience awaits you in the Columbia Gorge, which is cool and green and full of water -- a nice change after your last few days of desert landscapes. There are many beautiful waterfalls within a quick walk of the road -- Multnomah Falls is the biggest and most beautiful -- just make sure you take the scenic route, not the freeway! I cover Mount Hood and Columbia Gorge in my "Oregon Trail" chapter, around page 549, but It's all very well signed and hard to miss -- the best sections run west from Hood River toward Portland (which is also very nice, with a great big science museum along the riverfront.)

From Portland you can probably find your way north to Mukilteo -- hope you all have a great time!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Photographic Road Trip - Florida to Ohio, and back

Hi Jamie

My wife and I need to go from Boca Raton FL to near Cleveland Ohio and return. I’m looking for photographic opportunities on the trip. We can take a week going there and another week back (need a few days in Cleveland).

We’d like to take a combination of two lane roads along with the interstate. I was thinking of catching the Mound City area and the Amish country in Ohio on the way to Cleveland (based on what I read in your book) and the Roanoke VA area on the way back. I know this is very vague but we are really flexible and if there is something you think is good, we’ll follow it.

Regards,

Jim

http://jmlphotography.smugmug.com/


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Hi Jim --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- sounds like a great trip! Both the "Mound City" and the Shenandoah Valley / Blue Ridge Parkway areas are lovely, so I think you are definitely on the right track.

As far as photogenic landscapes, I really like the Harpers Ferry WV area, west of DC, and the nearby battlefields at Antietam and Gettysburg.

Southern Indiana (especially Madison, along the Ohio River) is also pretty neat, and for me Savannah GA is one of the most visually intriguing places in the country -- nowhere more so than the Bonaventure Cemetery east of town, which was featured in the moody book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

And there are lots of two-lanes roads in all these places, so you should be alright. Hope these ideas help point you toward some good photos (and if you get some good shots, maybe I can run some in the next edition of my book?).

Please let me know what all you find out there, and thanks again for writing.

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

** On Sale Now **

Upstate NY to San Francisco -- via Mount Rushmore

Jamie,

I have a 3-4 week space where I am planning on driving from upstate NY to San Francisco - possibly through Seattle. I will be making the return trip (minus Seattle) in December/January and am trying to maximize summer sites knowing that I will be weather constrained on my return journey.

I have lived both in NY and CA. I have spent two months camping from SF, up the coast and through the Canadian Rockies. I have also spent time in the South West and in the Great Lakes. Based on what I have seen and the wonderful information from your website, I plan to head down to Atlanta, then west to Abilene Texas, where I have friends, then head up to Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, Seattle, and on to the Bay Area.

I chose this path mostly because I have family/friends to stay with in all of these places, leaving me with motels and camping for the remaining stops. I have no agenda or time frame to get between points and I can change destinations/stopovers as I go.

Mostly I am just looking for advice. Are there alternate routes you would suggest? Are there places that I really should see that I am forsaking for the comfort of staying with family/friends? And mostly, are there any concerns that a relatively young, female traveling alone should be concerned with along the way? I am an avid camper, hiker and driver. I am also looking to make this journey a bit of a ritual - an experience that will change me and mark the change that is this new phase of my life. It's a lot to ask of a road trip and yet - a beautiful moon over foreign terrain can change the most stoic of men.

Please don't feel it necessary to duplicate information in your book - I have already ordered it. I also plan on spending some quality time in the library between now and Aug 3rd (my departure date). I really am just looking for opinion - and maybe a little affirmation. I have been known to say that a road trip is *always* a good idea - this is just a little beyond the magnitude that I usually undertake.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Gretchen

====>>>>

Hi Gretchen --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- I am impressed (and a little jealous!) to hear about your fearless plans for a massive cross-country road trip. I hope you are still enthusiastic, and planning to take the trip!

I've checked your proposed itinerary, and have one main suggestion -- dip down a bit further south, so you can explore the Great River Road journey down thru Natchez Mississippi, across into "Cajun Country" of Louisiana, then down into New Orleans. If you haven't been, this is a great part of the country to see and enjoy.

And while you're down in the south, I'd encourage you to check out what I think are the most interesting parts of Texas -- San Antonio and Austin, and especially the "Hill Country" region west of there. Along with the Cajun areas of Louisiana, Austin & the Hill Country has perhaps the most mind-boggling mix of food + music + culture. (When they came over in the 1850s, German immigrants brought their accordians and their polkas, which got picked up by Mexican musicians to make Tejano/Conjunto music . Best served up with Tex-Mex food...)

Then, after a visit to the Alamo, you could hop back onto your planned route, which all sounds pretty fantastic.

Please keep in touch, and let me know how it all shakes out.

Happy Trails,

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

====>>>>

Lonely Road Memories

Hi Jamie:

A year or so ago, my wife bought me "Road Trip USA." The book is great, and we've taken some of these trips. To tell you a story: Quite a few years ago, a friend and I traveled highway 50 from Salt Lake to California. We just wanted to take a road that cut across Nevada and seemed faster. We didn't know it was the loneliest road. Well, it was. There were quite a few hours that we would see one car. This was in the days before cell phones and GPS. If we had broken down out there, we would have been in trouble. But, we had a great time. We made it across safely, and we still talk about it. And, this was in the days before speed limits in Nevada. We made some good time, but talk about lonely.

Thanks again for your book. It's a great reference book.

Sincerely,

Robert

==

Dear Robert --

Many thanks for your very nice note -- I am very pleased you have enjoyed my book, and I too have fond memories of the days before GPS and cell phones. The Loneliest Road is one of my favorite drives -- hope to see you out there, some day.

In the meantime, "Happy Trails," and thanks again for writing in!


-- Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

SF to Vancouver -- 10 day road trip

Hey Road Trip USA --

We will be traveling from San Fran. to Vancouver on a road trip. Have 10 days. Can you give advice as to where to stay and what to see?

thanks much,
Pat

==

Hi Pat --

Thanks for writing in to Road trip USA. 10 days is an ideal amount of time for your trip -- there's plenty to see and do, and no need to rush.

My specific suggestions would depend on your tastes -- if you like wine tasting, you'll want to spend time in Napa, and Sonoma, visiting the many great vineyards and wineries. But if you prefer hiking or mountain biking, you may prefer to spend time on Mount Tamalpais, or around the Point Reyes National Seashore.

That said, there are quite a few "must see" places to visit between SF and Vancouver. To start with, you'll want to see Mendocino, on the coast about 4 hours north of SF, a lovely old town with great restaurants and historic B&B inns, all surrounded by gorgeous scenery.

Next stop is the Humboldt Redwoods, where the famous "Avenue of the Giants" runs through a forest of ancient redwood trees -- followed by an overnight in either Eureka or Arcata, twin towns with very different personalities. And if you like wilderness, one of the few stretches of California coast you can't reach by car is around here -- called the Lost Coast, it offers great hiking (and fishing, from the port of Shelter Cove.)

North of Arcata is one lovely state park, at Patrick's Point, then you have 100 miles of Redwood National Park, which collects together old-growth forests, coastal areas and some photogenic wildlife (including giant elk). There isn't much in the way of towns here, but Klamath is home to the region's biggest roadside attraction: the Trees of Mystery, fronted by a giant statue of Pal Bunyan. Klamath also has an excellent B&B -- the Requa Inn, a historic B&B on the Klamath River, where it meets the Pacific.

(I give details of B&Bs -- and everything else -- in my big book, Road Trip USA, in a mini-guide to the Pacific Coast Highway, and here on the website.)

Depending upon how much wine-touring and/or hiking you do, the trip up northern California could take 3-5 days; now, on to Oregon!

The Oregon coast is a bit more "civilized" than the wild and rugged California stretch, but the drive is still pretty and not too busy -- most of the through traffic turns inland, following I-5 up through the Willamette Valley (which is also very pretty, and more pastoral). A couple of my favorite places along Oregon's coast are the extensive Oregon Dunes (which inspired the Sci-Fi book, Dune), and the headland at Cape Perpetua. There are also some admirable old 1930s-era bridges along US-101, especially at Florence, one of the more attractive coastal Oregon communities. Bandon and Cannon Beach are also very pleasant -- when the weather's fine, and when it's stormy. And Astoria, just shy of the Washington border, is perhaps the most historic community on the West Coast.

One last destination along the coast is Olympic National Park, in far northwest Washington-- this has rainforests, and ice fields, and just about everything in between.

That could easily fill your 10 days -- and if you venture inland, there are some magic places to see in the Cascades (Mount Hood, Mount St Helens, Mount Rainier...), plus two great cities, Portland and Seattle.

Hope this helps, Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

** On Sale Now **



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MD to Maine -- in search of Giant (Chocolate..) Moose, and more

Dear Jamie,

A friend and I are planning a trip from Maryland to Maine (specifically the world's largest chocolate moose, don't judge). I was hoping to include some worthy sites along the way, any suggestions?

We're looking to spend up to a week and not a lot of $$$.

Thanks!

Julie


====>>>>>

Hi Julie --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- I'll happily try to suggest some sights for you to see between Maryland and Maine (world's largest chocolate moose "lives" in Portland ME, right? I think I heard about it while visiting Paul Bunyan in Bangor, so I am not one to judge, don't you worry...)

My main suggestion for your pilgrimage would be to get as far off I-95 as you can. I can think of a couple of possible detours for you -- depending on where in Maryland you are starting from, I think you might like the drive along the old Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania, where you can visit the Hallam Shoe House (they sell ice cream, and the house is shaped like a giant shoe -- remember, don't judge!) , and the many silly wonders of the PA "Dutch Country".

US 7 from western CT up across the Berkshires in western Mass and along the Green Mountains of Vermont is another lovely drive -- take it far north as Ben & Jerry's worldwide HQ, then head east to the Big Moose.

But if you find yourself having to track I-95, between Boston and Portland make sure you stop off in Salem Mass, which has enough oddball Witch Trial-related wax museums and silly souvenir stands to fill a fun afternoon (or spooky Halloween!). Salem also has a great old amusement park, Salem Willows, which has some ancient rides and was the birthplace of the Ice Cream Cone.

Hope these ideas are close to what you were looking for, and that you have a great trip.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

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Wow, thanks so much, Jamie!

This is a great help, I really appreciate it. A house shaped like a giant shoe.....it seems you truly understand the nature of this road trip. Thanks again!

Julie

Two Months (or more!) On The Road

Hi Jamie,

My husband and I have caught the travel bug and have been planning a large trip starting in August with a TBD end date sometime in November! We are quitting our jobs in New York and using our hard-earned but meager savings to see as much of the country (particularly the West) as we can before we relocate. We don't yet know where we will end up, but we have visions of working on a ski hill dancing in our heads!

We will be leaving NYC around August 20ish. Our broad outline is to hit Washington DC for a few days. We have to be in Port Angeles, Washington by September for my father-in-law's 60th, so we were planning on jetting over to Washington by way of Minnesota (another family visit). The "in between" for these places is totally up in the air, though we do want to hit Bellingham, WA and Seattle to visit with family and friends.

After Port Angeles, we plan to drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, camping and visiting family, then lastly heading over to Colorado to visit yet more family and search for work.

Any advice on this mammoth trip? I already have your book, but it is hard sometimes for me to narrow down our options when we have so much time and can do pretty much ANYTHING! We are worried that we are trying to do too much, but then I hear about people making it across the country and back in three weeks and figure we have all the time in the world! We plan to camp whenever possible (we are avid campers) and we are bringing our backpacking packs and tent, just in case! We have also invested in storage boxes for the back of our Subaru, to maximize organization! I'm a huge planner, but am trying to embrace the freedom of being on the road with few plans, lots of time and a full tank of gas!

We'd appreciate any advice... you seem to have been everywhere!

Thanks!

Katie and Zach

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Hello Katie & Zach --

Thank you very much for writing in to Road Trip USA -- it sounds like you have a great adventure ahead of you!

Though I bet you are alternately exhilarated and terrified by the prospect of all this, I suspect you will have a fantastic time -- if nothing else, September and October are an ideal time to be exploring the western US, when the weather's still warm and dry (a big concern if you are camping out in the Great Outdoors).

Having people and places to see along the way should help keep you sane, too -- when I travel I like to do lots of three-week trips, with time in between to get cleaned up, sleep in the same bed and act "normal" for a change.

OK, now for some more practical ideas. Starting off in DC in late August ? -- escape the heat and humidity by hanging out in the Smithsonian Museums (a great pre-trip lesson in American Studies). Then heading west, right? You say "jetting over" to Washington state, by which I assume you mean driving pretty quickly across the country.

Just west of Washington DC, I really like the Harpers Ferry + Shenandoah Valley + Blue Ridge Parkway region, which I cover in my Appalachian Trail route (pages 345 to 360 or so). There are some very nice camping places in the backcountry of Shenandoah National Park, and further south in the Great Smokies -- once you get away from the very popular areas, you can find solitude and peace (even within a half-mile hike from the highways.)

I should say that my first big cross-country trip kicked off in much the same way as yours: on the 5th of July, I hit the road from DC, traveling west along what I thought was Route 66 (the freeway was named I-66, and I was too young to know any better). I then had a good week hiking and camping out along the Appalachian Trail before heading west to Memphis and Oklahoma and onwards -- I was planning to get back to California by the start of school that September, but I didn't make it "home" for nearly 3 years. Crazy to think back on.

Anyway, back to your trip. Next stop, Minnesota? One place I think you'll think you'll like on the way there would be the "Upper Peninsula" of Michigan -- this (to me...) little-known region has some stupendous scenery, and is sort of on your way. I really like the town of Marquette MI, the rugged Porcupine Mountains, and the lovely Apostle Islands area of neighboring Wisconsin.

Now, Westward Ho! The Great Plains are somewhat "scenically challenged," so after your stay in Minnesota you may want to speed across here, but do save some time for the Black Hills (Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the historic mining town turned gambling center of Deadwood..). Besides the tourist fun of Wall Drug, there are a lot of nice things to see here, and if you like Native American / frontier history, the Sand Hills of NW Nebraska are very interesting, too. I cover this whole area in my "Oregon Trail" route -- pages 576-580 in the latest edition of my book.

You're still in a bit of hurry to get to Port Angeles, so maybe you'll save Yellowstone for after Sept 8th? Don't leave it too late, because in my experience winter hits the northern Rocky Mountains pretty swiftly -- I think most of the Yellowstone national park lodges and campgrounds close up by the end of September.

After Port Angeles, you have lots of time to drive down the gorgeous coast (I hope you'll spend time in and around Olympic National Park -- I love Lake Crescent, though it has been a few years since I have been there. If you make it , I would be very interested to hear what effect all the "Twilight" book + movie vampire hype has had on the area -- I really can't imagine Forks WA becoming a major tourist trap.

:-)

Well, I hope you are still enthusiastic about all this, and if you have any questions please feel free to write me again. Best of luck with the trip, and with settling down to great new jobs in a great new town (in Colorado?), with all the fixin's, just in time for Thanksgiving.

For now, good luck and "Happy Trails,"


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

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Scenic Drive -- with no bridges?

Hi there,

My wife and I love to drive, but I have a fear of bridges and mountain roads with deep drop offs. I could never do the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway nor around the Hoover Dam. Where do I find maps, or how do I get info on where bridges are located. Is there any hope for people like me?

Russ J.

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Hello Russ --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA. Unfortunately, I have never seen a guide or map that highlights vertigo-inducing highways -- though in my experience fear of bridges would unfortunately rule out most of what counts as scenic drives.

The one great drive I know of that doesn't involve many cliffs or canyons is the "Loneliest Road" across the Nevada desert, following US50 in the footsteps and hoof-prints of the historic Pony Express. This drive does go up and over and number of mountain ranges, and while the scenery is pretty, I don't recall many bridges or sudden drop-offs.

I don't know if this helps, but I hope you find some suitable roads out there.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

===>>>

Cross-Country -- in 8 days?

Hello Jamie! --

Of the many websites available for guidance on traveling across country yours has been the best one. It give much needed information and steers one in making a good decision in which way to take. My girlfriend and I are planning the trip for the end of August and really need your advice. We will most likely be leaving from New York City and want to go across country. We only have about 8 days and will be returning to NYC by air. We want to know what is the best route to take we really don"t want to make major stops due to the time constraints but would like to see nice scenery and if your can recommend a route and some must see landmarks to see in each state. We leaning towards taking Route 66, however if your have other routes that we should consider please do make your recommendation.

Rup S.

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Hello Rup --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA.

About your August trip -- 8 days is not a huge amount of time to drive 3000 (or more) miles, so I would suggest you study a map and choose one or two parts of the country you really want to explore, and concentrate on them. Depending on your stamina, you may want to do some days with lots of driving, and others with more time to slow down and enjoy yourselves. No matter how quickly you go, make sure you stop often and get out of the car -- otherwise the road trip becomes a blur of images seen through the windshield.

To help you narrow down the immense range of options for a cross-country trip, because the weather is likely to be hot (and thunderstormily humid, like NYC), I would suggest staying up north, and doing as much cool mountain sightseeing as you can.

If you want my recommendation of a "best route", Route 66 is great (and has a great theme song!), but my favorite way to go would have be the stretch of US-50 across Colorado & Utah, following the Loneliest Road across Nevada before reaching California at Lake Tahoe, east of San Francisco. This US50 route is actually a great drive all the way across the country -- from Ocean City Maryland, thru Washington DC, Cincinnati and St Louis, then following the historic Santa Fe Trail across the Great Plains.

I cover all of the US50 route in the "Loneliest Road" section of the website, and in my Road Trip USA book (which has more info, and is more up-to-date!).

The scenery in the western USA is gorgeous -- Rocky Mountains in Colorado (Pikes Peak and the "Million Dollar Highway"), national parks in Utah (Arches, Canyonlands and many more) -- and you can jet back east after a day in San Francisco. And if you're not heart-set on doing the whole cross-country drive, you could fly out to Denver and do the drive from there, allowing you much more time to enjoy the most jaw-dropping sights and great drives.

I hope these ideas help you plan a great trip -- please keep in touch, and let me know where you end up going.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

** On Sale Now **

West Texas to West Coast road trip

Hi Jamie,

We are Hungarian students in Lubbock, and planning to go on a road trip. We found your website while we were searching on the net on road trips, and think it is very helpful and entertaining. We would begin our trip on the 8th of August, and we will have 3 weeks to go. This will be the last 3 weeks for us in the States, so we would like to try make the best out of it.

Our original plan was something like the following: Lubbock-Denver-Mount Rushmore-Yellowstone-Portland-San Francisco-Los Angeles-Lubbock

Do you think it is realistic in 3 weeks? Or should we cut out something? We are interested in nice cities, cultural things, but we are more into scenic views/parks/ nice sites. (We would like to drive along the coastal road in California, and we found some scenic routes in Oregon which we might drive through.)

Is there anything what you would recommend along our way? Maybe any events/festivals or just a good restaurant? Any recommendation, suggestion or advice would be very helpful to us.

Thanks a lot, looking forward to hearing from you,


Judit and Gergő

==>>

Dear Judit and Gergő --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Hope you're still planning to make the trip!

Your plans sound very manageable and enjoyable, perfect for a memorable 3 weeks, for sure. In my books (and on the website), I cover quite a lot of the territory you'll be visiting. I give lots of ideas for the Yellowstone-to-Portland section in the "Oregon Trail" chapter of Road Trip USA, and if you find you have the time on your way west from Yellowstone, I would suggest you make the scenic detour up into the Sawtooth Mountains (north from Boise Idaho), along what I cover in the US-93/Border to Border route.

Stanley Idaho is a fabulous little place, and the whole drive is pretty stunning!

Further west, Portland Oregon gives you easy access to the beautiful coastline -- the whole drive from Astoria down into California is fantastic (when the sun shines, at least...). And I think you'll like the Humboldt Redwoods area around Arcata and Eureka in northern California, where there is a lot of music and culture and good food in a very pretty coastal forest setting.

Then, on your return from LA to Lubbock, you can travel along famous old Route 66 as far as Amarillo -- where you can take photos of yourselves at Cadillac Ranch.

I recommend restaurants and hotels as well as great hiking trails throughout the Road Trip USA books, so I hope you can check it out -- and let me know what you find on your trip! Thanks again for writing, and

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

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