Cross-Country, Ohio to California

Hi Jamie!

I just recently bought your book, and have been poking around on the
website, too. My sister and I are cooking up a plan for a grand US
road trip for August 2011. It actually all started out with me winning
tickets to take a zeppelin flight in California, and has now ballooned
into the quintessential American road trip that we've both always
wanted to take.

We live in Ohio, and want to drive to California and back in August.

Looking at some of your routes, it looks like Route 66 and US 50 hit
all the places we want to go (I want to hit up St. Louis, the Cadillac
Graveyard, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco,
and my sister really wants to add some sites in Utah, and also
Denver).

We'll be on a pretty tight budget, but will be taking our own car. If
we were to do this loop, how much time would you recommend allotting
for it, without it being ridiculously expensive? (And, would budgeting
roughly $1500 per person be reasonable?)

And, if I can throw in a second question -- if we were to substitute
US 50 for your Oregon Trail route on the way home (hitting up
Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore), do you think that would add more
time/money to the trip?

Thanks so much for any advice you can give!

Amanda

====>>>

Hi Amanda --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for sharing your plans for what sounds like an incredible trip!

Route 66 is a great trip, for sure, and if you want to add some Utah sights I would recommend veering to the north rim of the Grand Canyon and touring the amazing scenery of Monument Valley and Zion on your way to Las Vegas. Then you can bomb across to LA, head up the coast to SF (for your zeppelin ride? )

Or if you didn't really want to see LA, you could go from Las Vegas across Death Valley and enter California via Yosemite National Park, which is perhaps the most beautiful place in the whole wide world.

On the way back from California, I'd recommend heading easy from SF on the US50 "Loneliest Road" trip via lovely Lake Tahoe and Great Basin National Park, then maybe doing the gorgeous big loop north (via US93) across Idaho (which is stunning and pretty), then turning east, via US20 or I-90, to Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore and maybe the unexpected beauty of the "Sand Hills" region of northwest Nebraska.

You could then drop back south to Denver, and make your way home from there.

This is a fabulous trip, and to save money I'd suggest you try to: A. spend as little time as possible in expensive California and and B. do some camping and/or hostelling -- there are especially good hostels in California, all with private rooms, which make SF _almost_ affordable.

I think you could have a great time doing this trip in about 2 weeks, without going over budget -- so long as gas prices don't head over $5/gallon, and you don't get too tempted by all the food and fun of Las Vegas & Hollywood & San Francisco.

Hope you have a great time -- let me know how it turns out (photos of your blimp ride greatly appreciated!)

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Loneliest Road - Cleveland to SF & back!

Hi Jamie,

This upcoming summer I plan on embarking on a ambitious road trip in which I would start in Cleveland and end up in San Francisco. My plan is to take I-80 West until I get into Nevada at which point I will hope on route 50 and get a taste of the "Loneliest Road in America". After that I will proceed to take I-80 West until San Francisco. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to give a first time cross country road tripper some helpful tips and tricks for surviving and getting there in back without falling behind schedule. Thanks much and keep up the good work!

Jonah

==

Hello Jonah --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- heading west is a great way get to know the USA. I-80 is a pretty good route -- especially if you let yourself off the freeway every once in a while, to explore some of the back roads, small towns and scenic highways. US-50 across Nevada is definitely a road to drive -- I also like the stretch of old US20 across Nebraska, which can take you to such road-trip icons and must-sees as Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons.

On your way back home (or is this a one-way trip!?), I'd recommend you explore a little of the "Four Corners" region, which has a wide range of natural scenery and amazing history and cultural variety.

My main "practical" advice would be to recommend that you do as much reading and research as you can bear, before you go -- hanging out in libraries or bookstores, checking out the Road Trip USA website, and the book version, too.

And once you are out there "on the road", don't be shy about asking questions and talking to people. Another good habit for staying sane on the road would be to find a place to sleep each night before the sun goes down, then get up as early as you can and eat a big (usually good value) breakfast at as local a diner / cafe you can find -- this will help prevent exhaustion, and will also put you in touch with local people along the way, who are every bit as important to the "road trip experience" as the sights you will see.

Hope you have a great trip,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Outback Australia to Out West, USA !

Hi Jamie,

Found your web site, which is the best I have seen and very informative. I hope you can be of assistance to us.

We are 4 Aussie country folk – myself, husband (farmer), his agile & healthy 75 yr old dad (farmer, a national park enthusiast, not a ‘city’ person, but wants to do San Fran) & my 16 yr old son (who wants ‘to do America’). So quite a mix. But all get on well & excited about our quickly organised road trip.

Arriving Los Angeles 17th Jan 2011. Leaving LA 30th Jan. So 13 nights.

Hiring a car from LA.

Don’t mind early starts & a few long distance days. Driving not a problem (2 drivers -experienced & confident. Have driven some of Europe).
Would like to see some ‘farmland’, countryside, a few National Parks, travel more ‘country’ roads, keep away from most cities.

Plan a circle trip-must do’s San Francisco, Death Valley, Las Vegas. Like to keep clear of McDonalds, but feel the real character of a US road trip eg Diners, majestic landscapes etc

I would love to do Yosemite. Been told Yosemite not drivable in winter but read on one of your blogs that OK & of course beautiful with snow.

Our research has confused us, as there's so much info out there (some differing opinions) & the USA is such a big country & so much to see.

Can you suggest a rough road trip starting & finishing in LA, that is feasible in the time frame & weather conditions.


Also any hints appreciated.
Looking forward to your reply.
----
PS: I forgot to say that we are taking a notebook computer so we can book online as we go. I’m a amateur photo enthusiast. Husband would like to go to Texas.

Is that too far in the time frame we have?
Regards

Kathy

===

Hi Kathy & Co -

Many thanks for your message, and your nice words about Road Trip USA -- if you like the website, I think you'll love the book, which has a lot more ideas and maps and other info, plus many dozens of color pictures and old postcards and more...

I just noticed you are nearly on the road, so thought I ought to get back to you asap. Hope you are having a good start to the New Year (and that you are not affected by the Brisbane floods!)

First off Yosemite -- yes, Yosemite is open and lovely in winter! The one main part that is closed in winter is the drive over Tioga Pass, across the mountains from Yosemite to Mono Lake, but the rest of the park is fabulous in winter (especially the lovely waterfalls). There is even a small ski / snow play area, called Badger Pass, which is the oldest on the West Coast. A snow shoe tour is a lot of fun -- and Yosemite is definitely worth seeing. There's also a grove a Giant Sequoia redwood trees -- one of which you used to be allowed to drive thru (see picture above!)

There are some other national park areas south of Yosemite, at Sequoia and Kings Canyon, which are great if you like massive old trees (the biggest in the world!), and the foothills area near Yosemite is where the 1849 "California Gold Rush" occurred, with lots of well-preserved, very characterful towns and historic sights to see, if you like that sort of thing. Sonora and Columbia are two good places to see, and they are easy to reach along Hwy-49, the main "Gold Country" highway.

If you want to see Death Valley and Las Vegas, you have two realistic choices. One way would be to go there and back, direct from Los Angeles; my preferred option would be to visit Death Valley and Las Vegas on a loop, on your way from San Francisco via Lake Tahoe. The main road from Lake Tahoe to Death Valley is Highway US-395, which is spectacular -- your photography enthusiasm may recognize some of the scenery from Ansel Adams photos (besides famous photos of Yosemite, he also took some great pictures of Mt Whitney as seen from the town of Lone Pine, the western gateway to Death Valley.)

So, for a rough itinerary, I would say land in LA, relax and recover from the long flight, then get a car and see the sights (museums and/or Disneyland!) Then head north, along the coast, via Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle and Big Sur, Monterey and Carmel -- maybe 4 days?

Then San Francisco -- a wonderful city. One great walk heads west from the touristy center of Fishermen's Wharf, winding along the waterfront past Fort Mason, all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge (which you can walk across -- stunning!). Alcatraz is a good day out, too, and if the weather is dry you may want to drive north across the GGBridge to Marin County, maybe even up to the "Wine Country" of Sonoma and Napa. Sonoma is especially nice -- historic, and peaceful, and onetime home of writer Jack London, if that appeals.

Then do the Yosemite / Lake Tahoe / Death Valley / Las Vegas loop, then make your way back to LA (perhaps via the desert areas of Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park, if you have any time after the rest of your trip.)

I do think Texas is too far -- it would add 4 days driving -- but you can get a feel for what it looks like by seeing Death Valley and Nevada and Joshua Tree.

Doing the California / Las Vegas tour makes a good, fun 2-week trip -- hope this note finds you well, and helps you on your way!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Model T Road Trip

Hi Jamie

I graduated from Cushing Academy, Ashburnham,Ma. class 56'. This year we celebrate our 55 year anniversary.

In 1969 I drove my Model T Ford sedan on a 10 day cruise through out New England. Ever since then I have wanted to drive a model T across our country.

In April we will announce this trip as a fund raiser for the school. I have taken your trips and somewhat condensed and combined the routes to do an approximate 25k mile trip. This will take several years time and in stages as well. One question I have is this: from western Montana, around Glacier National Park, would you recommend heading south down to the Oregon Trail route, or continuing west all the way to Seattle?

Another would be;in what area's will I need to carry gasoline? The car is equipped with a 10 gal. tank at about 16 to 18 MPG. I don't like to drive over 100-120 miles w/o filling up. The car has a duel speed rear axle, and Rocky Mt brakes. When I start the trip a newly rebuilt engine will have been installed. The car is a 1927 Model T runabout roadster. Also, what maps do you recommend?

Any help and assistance you may offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much, CW

===

Hello CW --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for sharing your plans for a Model T tour across the country.

The older roads I follow in Road Trip USA are ideal for the sort of travel you are envisaging -- 25K ! ? That's a lot of driving -- I'm glad to hear you taking your time to plan it, and do it. I don't know much about the mechanic of keeping old cars on the road, but I suspect your will be a mammoth undertaking. I hope I can help!

About your Pacific Northwest tour, I would lean toward doing the "Great Northern" drive along old US2, mainly so you can visit some of the fantastic old (1920s) lodges of Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park areas. I can just see the fund-raising photo opportunities for your classic car at the Paradise Inn and Lake Crescent et al.

About maps, I too have a collection of old atlas books -- which are fun but probably not as useful as a modern, current (GPS?) map set like those in Rand McNally Truckers Road Atlas. I like these because they show the steepness / grade of most roads -- which I would think matters if you're contemplating traveling in an old Ford (even one with Rocky Mt Brakes!).

My Road Trip USA roads are all still major, but sub-Interstate, roads -- and most date from around 1927, so they should all be able to provide enough gas station options to keep you on the road. The sole exception I can think of would the US50 Loneliest Road trek across Utah and Nevada -- I think this road has a gap of 90 miles with "No Services. " Otherwise, I think Road Trip USA should be a good match for your Model T road trip -- let me know when you get close to hitting teh road!

Good luck, and please keep in touch.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Cross-Country on a Motorcycle - 10 Days in April / May

Hi Jamie,

I love your book, and have been using it to plan my longest-ever motorcycle trip.

I'll be riding to Las Vegas from my home in Maryland, leaving on April 26 and hoping to be in Vegas by the first week in May -- when my wife (she will be flying in) and I will then start on a guided bike tour of the Grand Canyon and other places.

We will ship my bike home and fly home, so all my touring will be done east-to-west.

I've developed a rough itinerary, on which I solicit your comments & suggestions.

Thanks, Michael

====>>>>


Hi Michael --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and I'm very glad you like my book. I've often envied motorcycle riders when I see them out cruising down the highways, but I'll set aside my jealousy and try to help you have a great trip west. (And while I agree with bypassing the Rockies, I have to say I've got hit by 12inch of snow in April in Arizona -- at Flagstaff, high up in the mountains, but it _can_ happen. Hope it doesn't this year.... )

Weather worries aside, I like the route you have planned -- lots of characterful places.

Day 1 out of DC seems like your toughest day -- the run over the West Virginia Appalachians on US50 is as twisty and steep as any road I know. I'm sure you know it all much better than I do, but I really like the look of the Antietam/Harpers Ferry area, which is sort of on your way out of town... Winchester VA is a quaint little place, too -- car-free downtown, and when you go it'll be apple-blossom time (I think they have a big festival.)

Day 2 -- Do set aside a little time for Chillicothe, which has my favorite County Courthouse building, at the heart of a wanderable old downtown district -- great place to stretch those legs. The Mound City park is fascinating, but an even bigger better ancient ruin -- Serpent Mound -- lies further west, down a very scenic stretch on Hwy41 south from Bainbridge, so maybe that's a better option? You could wind down Hwy-41 to the Ohio River, then cut across northern KY -- avoiding the urban chaos of Cincinnati (but missing out on the chance for some 4-way Chili at Camp Washington!)

Kentucky has some lovely landscapes, and I don't come close to doing them justice in Road Trip USA. Sins of ommission, rather than otherwise. :-)

Day 3 - Madison IN is a nice town, and there is a lot to see and enjoy in southern Indiana -- I am still shocked by the scale of the dome at the impressive West Baden Springs hotel, which is about midway along your route today -- a good lunch stop? (especially if you have any fondness for Larry Bird!) Then west via Vincennes -- which has a George Rogers Clark monument that looks like it belongs in DC. It's not in my book, but I've always wanted to detour south of here to visit New Harmony, one of the idealistic communities that cropped up in early America.

New Harmony is also the burial place of anti-Nazi theologian Paul Tillich... (I may be meandering here, but it's fun to think about.) Then west to Ste Genevieve ( I think there is a ferry.)

Day 4: Now the fun really begins: heading to Memphis! Old US-61 is pretty close to the Interstate, which if I recall is actually pretty scenic along here. Not to mention faster, with fewer stoplights and used car lots. I find Cairo fascinating, though there is very little to "see", apart from everything. The rest of the way I think I might recommend either I-55 or even US-51 -- the Mississippi meanders so much, there's no real good road anywhere within sight. Even if you have to bomb thru Memphis on US-51, be sure to pay your respects to Graceland and everything else in town (Sun Records, Civil Rights...

Memphis has way too much for a day, for sure -- especially with Clarksdale at the end of your ride. Hope there is some music on, when you are there.

Day 5: Morning in Clarksdale, then second breakfast at the Blue & White Cafe in Tunica? Then across the Delta. Vicksburg is fascinating (esp re the Civil War era history...), but on a bike you might want to spend more time exploring the Delta, and then maybe cut across Arkansas -- from Greenville MS to Jefferson? Otherwise you're stuck on the Interstate, all the way across Louisiana.

Day 6: Most of the riding today will be pretty flat, but Dallas and especially Fort Worth will more than make up for the lack of interest. Albany is tiny, after the big DFW metropolis. The rest of it is all very "Last Picture Show" -- ghostly, almost.

Day 7 & 8: If the weather cooperates, this should be some glorious riding country. Winds could make it quite the opposite -- it's all high plains drifter scenery, then you get the glorious Guadalupe Mountains. Which are well worth a hike! Aross southern Ne Mexico, I have long wondered what Hwy-9 looks like -- it would look like a great alternative to the I-20. Further west, I would recommend the old US80 / Hwy-80 loop, past gorgeous Portal and west thru fascinating Bisbee and famous Tombstone. You could still loop back to Willcox (for some birdwatching, or to see The Thing!?) -- I really like the Chiricahua National Monument, if you find an extra day to explore around here.

Day 9: Send as much time as you can in Saguaro Nat'l Park -- and maybe at Kartchner Cavenrs and Collosal Cave, too. I like Tucson (despite recent events...), and there is a fascinating / funky old downtown (around the Congress Hotel, with lots of art galleries). Take the Hwy-79 backroad up to Scottsdale -- and pay respects to Tom Mix (unless someone has stolen the marker, again...) Huge prison at Florence -- pretty scary -- no hitchhikers!

Day 10 -- again, depends on weather. Sedona area is amazing, and you can stop for tea at Arcosanti on the way.

Of course, US-93 is the quickest way, and it has some pretty stops but is very busy (lots of long-distance trucks, at least there whee when I last was there.

One fun detour, not too far out of the way: Oatman is really interesting, and the road there will give you respect for early RT66 drivers -- steep and twisty!

Enjoy the new Pat Tillman Boulder Dam bridge -- looks impressive (from the web, which is as close as I have got to seeing it.)

Phew -- that's some trip. I don;t really have any eat / sleep recommendations that aren;t in my book -- but if you get stuck, I'll have a look at my library of travel books.

Hope all this helps -- and thanks for spreading the word about Road Trip USA!

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

California with Kids + Las Vegas?

Hi Jamie,


My wife and I will be travelling from Melbourne, Australia with our 2 daughters (6 and 2) arriving early morning at LAX around 15th April and departing around 5th May. The places we definitely want to visit are Disney, Legoland, San Francisco and Death Valley.

We did think about including Las Vegas, not for the gambling more for the experience/lights but don’t know if would be suitable with young children or not.

Would appreciate any advice for the upcoming trip.


Thanks

Jamie

===>>>


Hi Jamie (great name, by the way!) --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and hope you have a great trip. I think you have enough time to see Las Vegas, and a lot more -- with the Grand Canyon, Sedona Arizona, Zion National Park in Utah, there are a huge number of great places to see in the southern Utah / Arizona region, which can be a great place to travel in April and early May.

Las Vegas is a surreal place -- worth seeing for all the lights and crazy architecture, and a very affordable destination, too, since hotel room rates are kept low so people stay longer and gamble more. Along with awesome light displays outside the big hotels -- one of which (The Mirage) has an exploding / erupting volcano! -- Las Vegas is a very convenient place, which to my mind makes it pretty good for young kids -- with nice swimming pools and lots of food, 24hrs a day, what more could you want?

Las Vegas also makes a good base for exploring Grand Canyon and Death Valley et al. Death Valley in particular should be lovely in late Spring -- and there are a lot of other pretty desert areas to enjoy (like Joshua Tree National Park, near the resort community of Palm Springs.)

Along with Disney and LegoLand (which should be a big hit with your 6 year old!), I'd also recommend you consider the pair of animal parks in and around San Diego -- which has the best "zoo" in the USA, plus a Savannah-like "Wild Animal Park". And there's also Sea World, which has some great trained-animal performances and "touch pools" and up-close sightings of creatures (like the Walrus seen above!) .

When my kids were little we did a lot of traveling with them, so I applaud your bravery in making such a big trip. In my experience to key to happiness when traveling with small kids is not to over-reach or over-plan things -- rather than worry about getting behind schedule, just kick back and enjoy the time together.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

California Road Trip - 3 weeks in August

Hi Jamie,

I have been reading your book and I am getting very excited for our trip next summer.

We fly into Las Vegas for 2 nights, 2 nights grand canyon, another night Vegas, 1 night tonopah, 2 nights tahoe, 2 nights yosemite then head over to San Francisco.


My problem is San Francisco to Los Angeles? I want to do it all but can't! Where do you suggest to stop? We have two weeks in the middle of August to do the coastal drive, and we would like to include Big Sur, Santa Barbara, a couple of days on a beach maybe with a surf lesson and possibly San Diego before flying out of LA.

We have planned 4 nights in San fran then hire a car????

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Donna

===

Hi Donna --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for reading my book -- hope you are having a happy New Year, planning your great road trip adventure!

Your plans sound like great fun. After reading your outline itinerary, my main suggestion might be to swap Tonopah for a tour of Death Valley -- even in August, just to say you've been there. Or if the August heat would be too much, consider spending some time at Mono Lake and Bodie Ghost Town and maybe Virginia City in Nevada, on your way to Tahoe and Yosemite. There is more than enough to see and enjoy in that stretch, it is worth spending a little more time so you can enjoy it more fully. (Am I right in thinking you have 3+ weeks for this whole trip -- that's very lucky!)

Between SF and Los Angeles there is also a lot to enjoy -- Monterey and Carmel are lovely, as are the many "old" mission towns (especially Santa Barbara, which is gorgeous.) There are lots of very pretty vineyards around Santa Barbara (as seen in the movie "Sideways"), and Big Sur is beautiful, too.

You can learn to surf in Santa Cruz (a funky old beach town, 75 miles south of San Francisco), though the water is much warmer down San Diego way -- here is the URL for what I understand is the best "surf camp": http://www.paskowitz.com/

Sounds like blast. I hope you have fun!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Solo Girl in a Mustang / Road Trip

Hi Jamie,

I'm a Singaporean girl going to Florida for work for 1-2 years and I was thinking that while I'm there I wanna do a couple of road trips... Well, maybe more than a couple. I've only ever toyed with the idea until the other day when I was going crazy on Google maps plotting routes. I've got one that stretches to the Air Zoo in Michigan, another that goes through NYC to West Point, and one that hits New Orleans, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and, finally, San Francisco (I've got family in LA and SF), and I'm thinking one up that will definitely go through Colorado Springs to end in Seattle (am also considering the possibility of fusing the last two into one mega trip).

I'm already planning on getting a Mustang; I'm just wondering here if it's a bit naive for me to think that I can accomplish all that solo. Time is not an issue I have to deal with now, but with regard to safety, etc., am I biting off more than I can chew? And how impractical is a Mustang as a road trip vehicle? Any tips for a single Chinese girl on her own on the roads?


Cheers,

Kelly

===>>>

Hi Kelly --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and thanks for sharing your enthusiasm for American road trips!

Having a car and lots of time -- those are the two main ingredients for a great trip, so I think you are well on your way to a fun adventure. To my mind the all of the locations you mention could be great places to explore; the key is to enjoy where you are, and not get worried about what you might be missing elsewhere. A Mustang is a great car, and so long as you keep in touch so friends and family know where you are, traveling solo is safe -- maybe you can take some shorter trips to start, just so you get the feel of America, before you set off across the country.

My one piece of advice is that, along with visiting the big cities like NYC and LA and New Orleans and Seattle, you also take time to enjoy the places in between -- smaller towns, state and national parks, anything nifty that shows up on your road trip radar while you are traveling. Though planning ahead is important, it's the unexpected experiences which usually end up being the most fun and memorable.

Drive safe, and have fun! Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA


PS: If you're going to get a Mustang, why not get a really special one, like the 1968 "Gone in 60 Seconds" version seen above. Cool, huh?

Southern USA Road Trip - July

hi jamie,

thanks for all the great info on your site. we are planning a road
trip in july 2011.
we would like to experience the south (passing through new orleans,
etc) and have about a week or 2.
is there a good route you can recommend?

thanks
lyall

===>>

Hi there Lyall --

Thanks for your nice note, and glad you like the website. I hope I can suggest some good places to visit and roads for you to drive next summer -- the Deep South is a very rewarding and enjoyable place to explore.

One great route is the Great River Road -- which follows Highway 61 and a number of other fine routes, right along the Mississippi River. This is one of my main "Road Trip USA" routes, and I also just did an updated "mini-book" which has a lot more ideas and info than the website does. The stretch between Memphis and New Orleans is a classic ride, and you could spend your whole two weeks looping around the Mississippi Delta, the Cajun Country of Louisiana, and following the footsteps of Elvis. Highlights for me are Natchez MS, a lovely riverside town with a ton of history; also Baton Rogue and Vicksburg, much bigger cities with even more to see and do. Plus the famous "Plantation Alley" of fine riverfront homes, just upriver from New Orleans.

New Orleans itself is a great place to get to know -- my brother lived there for nearly 10 years, so I got some good insights (and I get more and more every time I've been -- it's unlike anywhere else in the USA, for sure!). And for driving, I also really enjoy the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs from Natchez and Port Gibson diagonally across thru Jackson MS (a fine old city) and eventually to Nashville (which I don't really cover in Road Trip USA, but which is well worth a look, especially if you enjoy "country" music.)

For history and character, I have also enjoyed exploring the Alabama cities of Selma and Montgomery, which embody the story of the South, from before the Civil War thru the crucial years of the Civil Rights era. Montgomery also has a lot to offer in terms of food, and literature and yet more music -- Hank Williams is buried there.

Besides bustling Atlanta (which makes a good starting point if you're doing a fly-drive tour), a couple other cities to see are Savannah GA and Charleston SC, which I cover in my coastal tours in Road Trip USA. These are magical, beautiful cities with fine buildings and excellent restaurants -- and tons of character and personality.

You could visit just about all of these places in a 2-week trip, though a week would be a bit tight time-wise. Depending upon what you really want from your trip --- museums or BBQ? Baseball or Civil War sights?? -- there are 100 or so other places you might want to see, so please check out Road Trip USA, and feel free to write me again when you closer to hitting the road.

For now, Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Vintage Pontiac Road Trip - Florida to Washington

Hey Road Trip --

My dad and I are taking a cross-country trip starting on Sunday in a 1941 Pontiac from Jacksonville, Fl to Poulsbo, Wa. It would be fun to take one of the old highways but without ten million red lights the whole way.

Is there any particular way you suggest?

Thanks for any information you have.

Justin


===

Hello Justin --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for letting me know about your big (brave?...) trip. I hope the weather co-ooperates; from what I've been hearing the roads almost all over the country are pretty challenging -- maybe lots of red lights are just what you need to get there safe and sane.

From Florida I'd say you should start off with a short day trip down to St Augustine, to stage a "starting line" picture at the picturesque marker for the Old Spanish Trail, which used to run all the way across the USA, ending up in San Diego CA. Though you probably don't want to ride "two-lane" highways all 3000 miles, there are some regions I think you'll want to explore on something more intimate and personal than a 80-mph Interstate freeway.

Since you've got such a cool old car, the obvious road for you to drive is that living legend of a highway, Route 66. That offers a good mix of vintage experiences with modern-day convenience -- plus it has that fabulous theme song.

If you have more time, feel a little more brave or are concerned about weather, I cover a lot of other possibilities in the "Southern Pacific" route in my Road Trip USA book (and on the website, too).

One nice "old highway" alternative to I-10 is the loop that US-90 makes across southern Louisiana, from New Orleans (well worth a detour on any road trip!), through the scenic Cajun Country. where there are many little towns and scenic drives -- the area around St Martinville and Breaux Bridge is especially nice.

Because of winter weather, I think you'll want to avoid as much of the Rocky Mountains as possible, so I'll keep your route as far south as possible -- Interstate-10 will be the main cross-country road, with as many side loops as you want. After Louisiana, another nice place to escape the Interstate tedium is the famous "Hill Country" region west of San Antonio Texas (home of the Alamo, another great photo opportunity !) In the Hill Country and on to the west, US-90 is once again a good through route -- and if you have time, towns like Utopia, Marfa and Fort Davis will give a good sense of the range of life out here "on the range".

Continuing west, another good off-the-Interstates detour loops south from the New Mexico / Arizona border, following old US-80 to Bisbee and Tombstone, with some wonderful detours (to Chiricahua Natiional Monument, for example, or to Kartchner Caverns). If I remember right, there are only 2 red lights in about 200 miles.

From Tucson (which is worth exploring), I'd suggest a run north along US-93 to Las Vegas, stopping for another photo at Hoover Dam, which is very much a classic of late Art Deco styling. The Las Vegas Strip would also be a great place to show off your car! Unless you want to make the drive up the West Coast, I'd say you could follow US-95 north, or make the run thru Death Valley west of Vegas, then up US-395 (which makes a very scenic and red-light-free run along the eastern foot of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains).

The Oregon coast, along US-101, is another great drive with stunning scenery, very few stoplights and some fine old bridges that were all designed and made about the same time as your Pontiac.

OK, it's been fun thinking about your trip. I hope my suggestions help you & your Dad find some fun on your way west, and that you have a safe and enjoyable drive. Please let me know how it goes!

Happy Holidays, and Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

PS: Is the picture above anything like your car? Very very cool !

==



Hey there Jamie --

Thank you so much for the advice! We took Route 66 for as much of the way as we could. The old car did great with a few setbacks but there were plenty of old time mechanics along the way. The scenery was beautiful and the old motels and service stations were just as I hoped they’d be. I will try to send you a few pictures of the 41’ at vintage rest stops, etc. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to help plan the trip.

Justin


P.S. My car looks like the one you sent but it's an all original black sedan J

Car Rental / Big USA Road Trip for under-25 years old

Hi Jamie,

My boyfriend and I are seriously considering a road trip to the USA after our final year of university. We are hopefully going to save a fair amount of money this summer so we can go the following summer. One problem though - we will both be 21 and I have read that most car rental companies don't hire cars to under-25s and if they do they have a young drivers fee. I have looked at renting a car for about 2 months (June-August) and prices seem to start from £1000. We would probably be starting and finishing in opposite parts of the USA although we haven't planned our route yet, really like your website though as it makes things so much easier to start planning! We had an idea that we saw somewhere that we could buy a car drive around in it, then sell it when we were done with it, although the logistics of that may be a little difficult. Have you ever heard of anybody doing this or do you think it would just be safer to hire a car?

Many thanks!

Ana (student from London, UK)


===

Hi Ana --

Many thanks for writing in, and I hope you manage to make your big USA trip. The things you ask about -- renting cars when you are under 25 years old, and/or buying a car to drive around the country -- are indeed annoying problems.

I can't exactly suggest a way around them, but what I can suggest is a variable on your road tripping theme: find another way to make the big trips -- like buying some "internal flights" within the US, or taking a train (which are rare but do exist!), or even a Greyhound bus (which is cheap, but sometime unsalubrious), then once you covered the big distances by public transport, you can rent a car and travel around the extended area -- using smaller, more localized car rental companies which will rent to you even when the big companies (like Hertz and Avis) don't seem to want your business.

One example "local" company that will rent to you is called Rent-a-Wreck; their age policies vary from location to location, but I understand that most locations will rent you a car so long as you are 21 years old, and have a credit card, and a drivers license. They charge an extra $5 a day for drivers between 21 and 25, which doesn't seem like a "deal breaker", does it? (The name is attention-getting, but their vehicles are all new and in good shape -- not wrecks, for sure!)

This way, with the aid of Rent-a- Wreck and similar companies, you could, for example, fly from London to LA, sleep off your jet lag for a few days in Venice Beach, then get a car for a few weeks to see the rest of LA, Las Vegas, and the southwest deserts. Then drop off the car and hop a train to SF and see that fine city (without a car!), then do the same in Portland and Seattle, and maybe get another car (from Seattle?) for a couple of weeks, and take a road trip through the forests and national parks of Montana et al, then hit Chicago and do Route 66. Then go to New Orleans, see the sights then pick up another car for a road-tripping cruise across the Mississippi Delta up to Memphis.

Then hop along to New York and Boston, getting a car to explore the back roads of New England. And so on, all the way across the USA.

Buying a car is indeed a huge hassle, because of insurance etc -- so unless you know someone in the USA who can help you with the legalities, it probably is not worth it.

OK, hope this helps you plan a great trip. Good luck with your studies and your road-trip money-saving. And a belated Happy New Year, too,





Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

California National Parks - in March?

Dear Jamie,

We need your advice. My husband and I are planning a road trip through California. The only time we can travel is in March. We are very interested in seeing the National Parks but we are a bit worried about the weather. We are going for four weeks. Either between mid Feb and mid March or the whole month of March. If need be we could include the first week of April if this made a huge change in temperature. Would you recommend California in March or would it be more clever to go to Florida, for example?

Greetings from Germany.


Nathalie and Jon

==>>>

Hallo Nathalie und Jon --

Sehr nett, von Ihnen zu hören! About your trip, don't worry -- March is a wonderful time of year to explore California! April is a little warmer, and maybe a little dryer, and you'd probably get to see more wildflowers -- but spring is definitely good for a road trip. And California is so superior to Florida, it is no contest (unless all you want to do is lie on a beach in the sun -- if so, Florida is pretty nice, too).

But California has many things Florida can only dream about. Like San Francisco... And Hollywood... And Big Sur... And Yosemite. Ancient forests, migrating gray whales (see picture) and thundering waterfalls! World-class concert halls & museums. And some nice beaches, too.

If you have four whole weeks, you could certainly see "everything" -- add Death Valley, and even Las Vegas, which is just a day's drive to the east of California. And the Grand Canyon, too -- and if you like National Parks, the Grand Canyon is one of the biggest and best.

The nice thing about March / April is that all the desert areas of California are at their "peak season" for travel -- so look into Palm Springs and Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego park, too.

Lots to think about -- let me know how your plans shape up.

Mit besten Wünschen,


Jamie Jensen
-----
Road Trip USA

Southwest Road Trip -- from Las Vegas

Hey Jamie,

My wife and I are going to be visiting Las Vegas for a week very soon and we are really interested in taking some nice day trips and possible over nighters. We love to visit national parks and see the sights in the area. We wanted to write to you to find out if you had any recommendations about national parks we could visit and other areas/sights that we should see.

We have seen the Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, and Death Valley on our previous trips to Vegas. We were thinking to heading a little more east and visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, and some others.

What do you recommend and what routes do you recommend? Thanks for the help.

P.S. Your book is amazing and we use it on all of our trips.

Sincerely,

Brian

==>>

Hi Brian --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and for saying such nice things about my book. I hope I can point you toward some great stuff outside Las Vegas -- and there is definitely a lot to see (even in winter!)

Zion National Park should definitely be top of your itinerary -- and you're in luck, because the rustic old 1920s lodge there has just been renovated, and is offering "winter break" packages at pretty good prices ($89 a night and up! URL: http://www.zionlodge.com/Zion-in-Winter-7345.html ).

The red rock sentinels of Zion look even more fabulous with a dusting of snow, and I suspect that Bryce and the other wonders of that part of the West will be amazing to see, as well. I once went on a ranger-guided "snowshoe" hike just under the rim at Bryce, and is was wonderful (and free, I think -- they still seem to do these, weekends and some weekdays). Bryce Canyon Lodge doesn't have rooms in winter, but nearby Ruby's Inn does.

If you had 3 or 4 days (or longer!), you could do a nice loop trip, heading east from Las Vegas to Zion, then along Hwy-12 to Bryce, Hwy-24 across Capitol Reef, then either up to Arches and Canyonlands, or (more quickly) down Hwy-95 (Natural Bridges is nice, too). Monument Valley stands along the Utah / Arizona border, and to get back to Las Vegas you can either loop back via Zion or take the longer way and follow old Route 66 (which survives in the shadow of Interstate 40) and come into Las Vegas via Hoover Dam and a new US93 bridge over the Colorado River.

That sounds like a great trip, doesn't it? Years ago I wrote a Road Trip USA: Southwest guide, and the Four Corners area was definitely my favorite part.

There are lots of possibilities, for sure, and the nice thing about a road trip is that you have more flexibility in the face of changing conditions. If you are indeed going "soon", be prepared because the weather will be cold, for sure, since most of the area is at a pretty high elevation (Vegas is about 2000 feet, Zion is about 4000 feet, and Bryce is about 8000 feet -- higher than the South Rim of the Grand Canyon!).

Because many of these very scenic roads (like Hwy-12) are quite treacherous in snowy conditions, you'd probably want to scale back the trip if the weather looks threatening -- maybe you could just "hole up" in a cabin at Zion, and simply enjoy that.

Hope this helps. Happy Trails, and Happy New Year!

with best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Road Trip weather

Hello,

I've just been looking at your routes because I am interested in travelling in a few years after I finish school. I'm interested in the Pacific Coast, Appalachian Trail and Oregon Trail and was just wondering what time of year would be best to go?

I was hoping to come in December sometime to spend Christmas/New Year's in New York but I'm thinking driving in the winter and snow might not be such a good idea.

Any suggestions?


Thanks,

Lindsey

===

Hi Lindsay --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and I hope you won't wait _too_ long to take your road trips. In my experience, the longer you wait, the harder it is to find the time to do anything -- especially something like a road trip.

About weather -- if you look at recent weather reports, I think you'll agree that winter is not really an ideal time to be on the road -- even in Florida, where there is danger of frost. Also, the days in winter are significantly shorter -- maybe 9 hours of daylight in December versus 16 hours of daylight in June. So your days are basically half as long, which means you only get to see and do half as much stuff.

(Unless you are a night owl...)

That said, a couple of the trips I suggest in Road Trip USA would be fine in winter -- I really like the California coast in November thru March, for example, while in New England and Great Lakes especially some roads offer great 'fall color" sightseeing.

May thru October are really the main road trip months -- and New York City is best seen on foot, so get there by plane or train, so you don't have to pay $50 a day for parking!

Good luck with your studies, and Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

Deep South in Winter?

Hi Jamie,

I have been checking out your site for a while now always hoping to do a road trip with my best friend. I graduate college in December and we are looking at January / February to go.

We had a few ideas in mind (New Orleans, Las Vegas, even L.A). We don't have much of a plan but will have about two weeks. One thing I am concerned with is the winter time frame dumping snow all over the trip, making it not an enjoyable drive. I'd love to do a loop starting and ending in Philadelphia but wouldn't want to take the same route twice.

Do you have any suggestions? We probably would stop at some sites but mainly be driving, not spending much time in cities.

Thank you!

Kayla

==>>

Hi Kayla --

Congrats on impending graduation -- hope you have a fun ceremony.

About the January trip, I can't forecast the weather, but I think you can still have fun, even in winter, and New Orleans sounds like great place to start. Doing a loop around the Deep South -- I also really like Savannah Georgia, and St Augustine Florida, where it rarely snows (or even gets cold!). Mid-winter temperatures in Savannah average around 60 degrees -- though this year has been colder than usual, as you've probably noticed.

If you drive from Philadelphia, I'd recommend at least one leg following the coastal route -- I love Cape Hatteras and the town of Ocracoke in the winter, when there's no one around. If you are prepared for some cold, you can have a lot of fun -- and if the weather looks nice, parts of my Road Trip USA Appalachian Trail are very interesting, too. I have enjoyed Asheville NC over the years, and there are a number of interesting towns up the Shenandoah Valley.

Charlottesville VA is a very interesting town, too, with tons of history (Thomas Jefferson lived here!)

Hope this helps -- and hope you have some fun, and a good start to post-college life, too.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

"Gap Year" road trip to SF -- at age 18?

Hey Jamie,

I´m a high school senior about to finish school at last and taking a sabbatical year before college. For a while now I´ve been thinking about taking a road trip to San Francisco ( I live in Mexico City) but I have no idea on how to actually make it come true, where to stay, how to get there, if I should go solo or not. I´ve got a little money saved but that's all, is there anything you could recommend?

Thank you -- muchas gracias!

Maria


===>>>

Hola Maria --

Many thanks for writing in Road Trip USA -- you have many big questions, but I'll try to give you some answers that help you make your road trip dream actually happen. One thing I know -- it would probably be better for you to bring a car and drive up from Mexico, because no US rental car company will want to rent to someone as young as you (the minimum age is often 26 -- muy vieja!)

I like the idea of taking a year off before college, so I don't want to talk you out of your plan. But maybe there are other ways for you to explore the US -- or maybe you could find a traveling companion who could drive you around?

And if it's just San Francisco you want to see, that's one American city where you definitely don't need or want a car -- it is very well served by public transportation. San Francisco also has many fantastic, inexpensive places to stay -- HI youth hostels, in old lighthouses and hotels and other interesting buildings -- try this: http://sfhostels.com/fishermans-wharf/

From SF, you can travel up and down the West Coast pretty easily, by train or bus . One very good, youth-oriented travel company has the unusual name of Green Tortoise:
http://www.greentortoise.com/adventure-bus-tours-california.html

Sound tempting? Hope so! One of my first travel highlights was a tour of Mexico (100 or so years ago, aged 19, I hitch-hiked for 6 weeks around Mexico, from Merida to the "DF", and had a blast!), so I hope my country will offer you a similarly exciting and memorable experience.

OK, buena suerte, and vaya con Dios,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA