Seattle to San Diego - Pacific Coast Road Trip!

Hi Jamie,

I'm planning to do the Pacific Coast trip (Seattle to San Diego) in May. And I'm wondering if you could help me.

Considering:
- That I've already been to San Francisco and Napa Valley
- And that I have only 2 weeks

Do you think I will be able to go the whole way? Or do you think it's better for me to do just the California part?

Thanks in advance!

Looking forward to hear from you

Best,

Marcella


===

Dear Marcella --

Thank you for writing in to Road Trip USA. I think you could definitely have a great trip, traveling from Seattle to San Diego, in 2 weeks. Especially if you feel you've already seen San Francisco and the Napa Valley. (Though as a resident I have to say both places are nice to experience, no matter how often you get there!)

That said, and especially if you have not yet seen Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, I cannot over-state that the northern half of the Pacific Coast region is absolutely spectacular -- from Seattle, across the magical San Juan Islands, through historic Port Townsend, and around the sublime Olympic Peninsula, is truly magical. And that's just the Washington section!

The coast of Oregon is if anything even more inviting -- there are more enjoyable towns, lots of good cafes, and many many B&Bs and beaches to wander along.

I cover all of this in the Pacific Coast Highway: Washington and Oregon sections of my big book, Road Trip USA, and I also cover Portland in my "Oregon Trail" chapter.

(Though you didn't mention it in your message, Portland is a very agreeable city, well worth the hour's drive over the coastal mountains!)

The question the comes to my mind is whether, perhaps, you might want to turn your one big trip into two smaller, more enjoyable trips -- doing one loop trip out of Seattle, along the coast, over to Portland and back up via the lovely Cascade Mountains? Followed by a 2 hour flight down to LA or San Diego, for another, very different road trip around Southern California?

Just a thought -- but I think it's worth considering all your options. Let me know what you decide, and what you get up to "on the road" !

Vaya con Dios, Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Mother + Daughter Road Trip -- time and distance?

Hi Jamie --

I would like to drive cross country with my daughter sometime this summer. How much time do you think we should plan to drive to California and back to Maryland. I know this will depend on where and for how long we want to stop but if you could advise how many days you think it would take without stopping going one way I can better plan on how much time to take and where and when to stop.

Thanks for any guidance you might send,

Kathy

===

Hi Kathy --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry it took me a while to reply to you. I used to live in Sacramento CA, where a sign at the edge of the city says enticingly: "Ocean City MD, 3073 Miles". I've done that drive many times, and I've found the longer I spend, the more I enjoy it.

10 days each way would be my ideal for a pleasure trip, but when I was in a hurry, I've done it solo in 5 days.

If your daughter can help share the driving, you can go even quicker. The fastest possible time, not breaking any speed limits, is 40 hours non-stop.

Here's my high-tech calculation: (40 hours) x (75 mph speed) = (3000 miles).

Hope that helps, and hope you find the time to make the trip fun, since there's so much to see and do along the way.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

2-Month Road Trip, with Toddlers!

Hi Jamie

I have found your website very inspiring whilst getting our road trip ideas together. We are planning on a big 75 day trip exploring the USA with our two preschoolers, before heading to New Zealand .

As it stands, our trip is divided into three parts, and any thoughts, or advice you may have would be appreciated.

Part 1: Arrive New York, then hire a car to travel down to Washington DC via Lancaster, Amish country, etc.

Part 2: Fly to Florida and spend time down there with a hire car.

Part 3: Fly to Colorado Springs, and hire an RV. Travel across country: Moab, Monument Valley, Tuba City, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Las vegas, Yosemite NP, Morro Bay. Take coastal route up to San Francisco and beyond. Possible end point Portland?

It is Part 3 that we are not sure of.... Our main problem is we do not know where to finish so that we don't have to do much travel to either get to LAX, or Vancouver to fly to New Zealand? We have been recommended Colorado Springs, so thought that could work as the point to fly to from Florida, but you might be able to suggest something else? Thinking possibly cutting out Las Vegas (maybe not the best place to see with preschoolers in tow!?) and taking a more direct route to the coast? Any advice about doing this in a RV would be great to!

It is all very exciting and we have a huge USA map on the wall with post-it notes stuck all over it!

I look forward to your reply.

Best wishes,


Nichola, United Kingdom

===

Hi there Nichola --

Many thanks for your message -- that is one big trip you are contemplating !

First thought -- what time of year do you anticipate taking this trip? Summer I hope, for the most reliable weather -- though Florida would probably be nice any time of year.

I think your outlined RV route sounds pretty good -- is there a rental RV company in Colorado Springs that makes you want to start there? Otherwise I think Denver is easier to get in and out of by airplane -- from Florida, and/or flying on to New Zealand. One thing I have noticed is that round-trip rentals work out cheaper than one -ways, and since you have so much time it might be easier to work out a loop that brings you back to your RV starting point. You also get the benefit of being a little more familiar with your locales, rather than always heading to somewhere new.

I'm recommending this loop option for another reason -- if you come back to the Rockies, you could see the very spectacular sights of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons national parks, as well as perhaps some of Montana. In a 3- or 4-week trip you do all you describe, at an enjoyable pace, and then from Oregon head east via the Columbia Gorge into Idaho and Yellowstone (which I think would be fun for the little ones -- Old Faithful geyser is a real wonder of the world, and it goes off like clockwork - just about every hour on the hour!).

And not far from Yellowstone is the wonderful town of Cody, Wyoming, which has a world-class Wild West museum and one of the most popular rodeos in the USA. Again, great stuff for a 6-year-old's imagination, and future memories.

Las Vegas, too, is fine for kids -- there are plenty of family-friendly attractions (circuses, roller-coasters, and theatrical pirate ship extravaganzas staged right on "The Strip"! ), and it can be a good place to take a break from the RV. 24 hours is probably enough time to spend there, but if you're nearby it is definitely something to see. (Also, Las Vegas has huge, and sometimes very affordably priced, resort hotels convincingly designed to recreate or at least evoke the splendours of Venice, Paris, New York City and the Pyramids of Egypt.

Hope this helps -- and I hope you get a chance to check out my 900-page book version of Road Trip USA as well. It has a lot of info and ideas that aren't "up" on the website (and last time I checked the book is on sale at Amazon.co.uk -- 35% off! Free Shipping! Hard sell over... )

:-)

I also wanted to ask -- will you be returning from New Zealand after this great adventure? And has the big earthquake down there altered your plans at all? Living in California, recent events in NZ and Japan have made me fear the next "Big One" is coming our way. Sorry to end on a downer note -- I hope your trip comes together and that you have a great time! I still have fond memories of my own family RV road trip along pretty much the same route you outline -- and that trip was nearly 40 years ago.

Have fun, and Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

--
Road Trip USA

April in the West / Wisconsin to California

Hello Jamie,

Thank you for your website and for making yourself available to answer questions.

My husband and I will be traveling to Malibu, CA towards the end of April. Our stay there will be short and so we would like to use this opportunity to
visit sights yet seen, going and coming back home to Wisconsin. We are still mulling over whether or not to take Amtrak or drive ourselves, though I think we are both leaning towards the most freedom possible; getting on and off the road at our leisure.

So, I would love to visit a few places in New Mexico, my husband has his sights set on some stops in Arizona. We may give up to two weeks to this trip. Besides beautiful places to see along the way, do you advise traveling through the Rockies in May? I confess my absolute fear of edge of your seat driving...nothing between me and the edge of a mountain but a rail, but I may overcome my fear if you advise it. In other words, going to CA through the south, home through a more northern route.

Enough. Help!

And thank you!!!

Jacqueline


===

Dear Jacqueline --

Many thanks for your message -- hope I can help you plan a great trip west.

I've been thinking over your options, and wonder whether you might want to contemplate the best of both worlds -- leisurely Amtrak journeys across the Great Plains, joined by a wonderful road trip around the beauty spots of the Far West. What I'm thinking is that you could take the train (from Chicago to Albuquerque maybe?), then get a car there and cruise around Santa Fe, the lovely scenery of the Four Corners region and everywhere in Arizona (gorgeous wildflowers in April!), then cruise into Los Angeles along old Route 66.

You could have your time in Malibu, and hit the road again -- exploring California, Yosemite National Park and maybe Death Valley, on into Utah for all the national parks (Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands... the whole southern half of the state, really). Then see some May-blooming wildflowers (the Colorado state flower, columbines, are my favorites after sweet peas). It's pretty easy to avoid any vertiginous cliffs, to ease your fears, though if you feel you could bear it, the edge-of-the-world Million Dollar Highway from Ouray into Silverton and Telluride offers some pretty amazing vistas.

After Colorado, you could loop back down toward Santa Fe (via the cliff palaces of Mesa Verde National Park?), dropping the car in Albuquerque and hopping the train for the ride home to Wisconsin.

Amtrak train tickets are pretty reasonable (around $150 each way for the 24 hour, Chicago to New Mexico journey -- much more pleasant than flying, and much more restful than driving all that way!) And if you wanted to arrive in style, you could look into renting one of Amtrak's Pullman-type bedroom for the night (I think these run around $300 -- including meals.)

All this adventure would be very manageable in your two-week time-frame, for sure. Let me know what you think, and if you do decide to take the trip, I hope you'll get a chance to check out my 900+ page book version of Road Trip USA, which has a lot more info and ideas (and pictures!) than what I've managed to post up on the website.

Thanks again for writing,

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Southern Pacific Road trip - June or July 2011

Hi Jamie,

Hope you are well. I love the website and have bought the book. But I wanted your advice. I have 2 weeks vacation/holiday (15 days overall including weekends). I had originally looked at doing the Southern Pacific Route, but I think its probably too long to do it in the time we have. The states I am particularly keen to explore are LA, TX, NM, AZ and finishing in Los Angeles.

Do you have any advice on what derivative of the Pacific Coast Journey I could do within 2 weeks so myself and a friend don't end up spending too much time driving?

Or if you feel the South Pacific Route is do-able in 2 weeks then I will consider it. We will be hopefully staying in Motels etc. The things we are really keen to experience are the local foods (I love diners etc) and also to see as much varied landscapes as possible as I am an amateur photographer.

I appreciate its not easy but based on you great experience, any advice you would have for me would be greatly appreciated.

A couple of points worth mentioning. I live in the United Kingdom and hence would need to start from a major US city with an international airport. Also we would look to travel sometime in the summer June or July time.

Thanks again for any help

Kind regards

Francois

===

Hello Francois --

Many thanks for your nice note, and for your nice words about the website (I hope you like the book, too!)

Food and landscapes are perhaps the biggest attractions of a US road trip, and I think you are heading toward two of the best places. But because you don't have an endless amount of time, I wonder if I can offer a compromise option, that would give you the best of the Southern Pacific and Pacific Coast experiences?

Louisiana and east Texas are very good for food and photographic subjects, so why not start with a flight from the UK into a big city, like Houston? Houston is crazy, in good and bad ways -- chaotic, but full of character. And contrasts -- enormous wealth, obvious poverty alongside wonderful "high culture" (see the de Menil museum if you enjoy Mark Rothko paintings!), and lots of photogenic "low" culture -- roadside signs, and the unique "Orange Show" (URL: http://www.orangeshow.org/ )

And from Houston you can ease into exploring the bayous of Lousiana, which is about as far from the City of London as you can get (and still be in an "English-speaking" country. Fantastic food, and lots of moody scenery: old churches, graveyard draped in moss. Ideal road trip country. And if you ever feel the need for some urban energy, you can head down to New Orleans.

But it's at least 2 days drive from Louisiana to your other nexus, New Mexico. Nearly a whole week of driving, there and back. So why not fly -- maybe from Houston to Albuqerque, the nearest airport to Santa Fe?

And once you've had you fill of the "Georgia Okeeffe" cultures of Santa Fe, you could hop onto Route 66 and wind west through the photogenic Native American lands of the Four Corners (Monument Valley et al.). Visit the Grand Canyon? Or see London Bridge, stranded alongside the Colorado River?

You could continue on to Los Angeles, the west end of Route 66, and if you like continue on up the coast to San Francisco, then fly home to London.

I'd say you could have a fab time, with a week in Louisiana & the Deep South, then a week in the Southwest and California. Without a dull day, or too much driving.

Let me know what you think -- and have a great trip!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Cross-Country / Chicago to California

Hi Jamie,

Thank you for writing such a wonderful book! Me and my husband are planning for a road trip in the United States after 3 years we have been living in Chicago, working a lot and traveling so little. Unfortunately we will only have 13/14 days. What do you think is reasonable to plan? We'd like to cross the country til San Francisco and Los Angeles and come back, during March. We do not mind driving, but at the same time we'd like to take advantage of the travel and see as much as possible.
Thank you for your precious advice, cheers

Noemi

===

Dear Noemi --

Thank you for your lovely note, and I hope I can help you and your husband have a wonderful trip around the US.

I notice you are wanting to go "in March" -- does this mean NOW? If so, because of weather I suggest you start off by going south, perhaps heading west first out of Chicago to the wonderful little town of Galena, where you can get a nice first taste of "small town America".

Then I'd say drive south, along the mighty Mississippi River along the Great River Road. There are some neat small towns and some great old American cities -- and if you have a taste for history I strongly suggest a visit to St Louis, the former French! capital of the whole Middle America. In St Louis, underneath the landmark Gateway Arch, there is a great little museum which documents just how important French explorers and traders were to the development of the USA. And if you don;t loe history, you can simply watch the river flow by.

I'd recommend continuing down the river, to energetic Memphis, all the way down to New Orleans, which is a wonderful place, despite all its misfortune.

You could do all this in 3 or 4 days (I have a friend who frequently drives from Chicago to Memphis and back, just for a weekend of music & BBQ ribs!)

Then you get to drive across Texas, the biggest of the lower 48 states -- this is the day to listen to audiobooks and drive on autopilot.

But cross Texas gets you to a very pretty part of the country -- the desert Southwest, of New Mexico and Arizona. Must see Santa Fe, the ancient cliff palaces of Mesa Verde, and experience the Native American culture that for centuries pre-exist the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

March is a wonderful time to be in the Southwest, as all the desert wild flowers are blooming. Then you can continue to California, and see LA and San Francisco -- but don't miss Yosemite National Park, which is one of the scenic wonders of the world!

And I meant to ask earlier: do you own a car? If not, you have a better option for your big cross-country adventure.

Instead of trying to drive all the way, and back again, you could rent one car in Chicago, drive to New Orleans, then give back the car before exploring the French Quarter (on your feet!).

Then fly west, rent another car in Albuquerque for Santa Fe and Mesa Verde, then drive on to California and give back this car before flying home again.

Flying is not as much fun as taking a road trip, but flying will save you a week of driving across the middle of America!

Hope this helps -- have a great trip. Bon Voyage,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Maine to California?

Hi, my name is Kevin and I am planning on driving to California this summer from Maine. I was wondering which route has the best scenery and the best attractions? Of course when I check Google Maps for directions it just says to stay on the interstate the whole time and I would imagine that probably isn’t the best way to really see anything. I don’t care how long it takes me to get to California. I am hoping the drive will be the best part. I was just wondering if you had some recommendations on what high ways to take or what places to stop? Thanks!

===

Hi Kevin --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- sounds like you have a big adventure ahead of you.

You also have the entire country to cross, so needless to say the possibilities are just about endless. Depending upon where in Maine you start, and which places you already know, I would suggest you kick off your trip by heading west, exploring the Presidential Range of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont, starting out along old US-2 from the Bethel ME area.

This is some of the prettiest scenery in New England -- and since you are embarking on such an epic trip, why not have a symbolic start atop Mount Washington, a majestic peak on which you can drive all the way to the top!?

From New England you can run across (or around) the Adirondacks of New York, exploring some of the historic towns along the Erie Canal (Rochester an Buffalo are both worth a look). Not to mention Niagara Falls. which is a road-trip Must See. I cover this route in detail in my US-20 "Oregon Trail" chapter.

From here you have a big decision to make -- would you prefer to enjoy a rural ride, winding along the north shores of the Great Lakes (and passing into and out of Canada?) Or would you prefer the industrial experience of the "Rust Belt," the once mighty cities of Detroit and Cleveland. And still-mighty Chicago, which is perhaps my favorite American city to explore.

It's a big decision -- but then again you could opt for one on your westbound trip, and another route on the way back. You are coming back, aren't you?

The next stage of the trip offers even more possibilities -- national parks of the northern Rockies (Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are two more Must Sees, along with iconic Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota.)

Or the Spanish and Native American cultures of the Southwest? If you opt for New Mexico and Arizona, then Route 66 is your way to go.

So here are a number of suggestions -- I hope this helps, and I hope you get a chance to check out my book, which has 900+ pages of things for you to do when you're "on the road" this summer.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Florida to Seattle, by Motorcycle

Hey Jamie --

Greetings!

I'm trying out being a snowbird and am in Florida until June first. I am going to ride my motorcycle home to Seattle and plan to take two to three weeks, probably closer to two. I want to avoid interstates as much as practical. I've road tripped the west several times, highway one and 101. Also Vegas, Tetons, Yellowstone, Seattle so while I love that area I don't need to repeat unless you think that would be best. Any great ideas for me? Thanks, I love your website

-- Greg

==

Dear Greg --

Many thanks for your message, and glad you like the website -- and I hope some day you get your hands on a copy of the book, which has a ton more ideas and pictures and maps (the book is also more up to date, strange as that may sound...)

About your trip. Nice life, for starters. Winter in warmth, summer in a green and pleasant land. Sweet.

Two weeks, cross-country, avoiding Interstates. Good plan. Without knowing a lot about you, I have some suggestions for a route. Start by winding up the coast, checking out as many of the barrier island as you can. I really like north Florida, from St Augustine running into Georgia (Jekyll Island, and Savannah, are both very nice places).

Then head west. The old US-80 route is pretty nice, especially if you are anything of a fan of the Allman Brothers. Not only do a lot of the towns and roads around here feature in their songs (Ramblin' Man, was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus rolling down Highway 41, etc), but Macon is a mecca for all things musical. And the ride / drive is really nice -- classic two-lane, passing thru some nice small and mid-sized towns (Columbus is also worth a look). The old US80 road is pretty good all the way across Alabama (Selma and Montgomery are both intriguing places), and if you want you could veer south to explore New Orleans without going too far out of your way.

From Louisiana, rather than head west across Texas I would suggest you ride north, along the Mississippi River along the Great River Road. This is a fantastic route, winding across the Mississippi Delta and right into Memphis, another great stop. especially if you like BBQ ribs, or listening to Blues music.

(I have a whole book just on the Great River Road, and it really is a classic. The road I mean, not the book...)

From the Memphis area I might suggest you cut west, across the lovely winding roads of the Ozark Mountains, on the Arkansas / Missouri border. I don't cover these very much in Road Trip USA, but I know here are many "twisty" classics, if you like that sort of riding.

The next great road I would point you toward is the ultimate classic - Route 66, and its greatest hot, the route across Oklahoma. Route 66 verges on over-hyped in a lot of pats, but across Oklahoma it's the real deal. No signs of the Interstate for very long stretches -- and lots of small-town character. This road I do cover in Road Trip USA, all the way.

At some point you will need to move north, and get your self across the Rockies. There are a lot of options, but the one I like best is old US-50, which runs across southern Colorado, again far away from the Interstate traffic and tedium. The best thing about this route is that it drops you in Utah right in the heart of the gorgeous Canyonlands area, so you ride around Arches and Capitol Reef national parks. You could spend all your 3 weeks right around here, with never a dull moment.

Next up is the ride across the Great Basin, that big wide space that stretches across Nevada and Idaho. US-50 would still be my choice, mainly because I live in San Francisco (not Seattle!). For you I'd still recommend it -- this the famous "Loneliest Road" and the route offers a lot more topography than you 'd expect looking at it on the map. But it is lonely, with few service, so plan accordingly. And while you are in the neighborhood, check out Great Basin National Park -- you can ride to 10,000 feet and get an amazing panorama (and see some of the "World's Oldest Living Things", the 3000-year-old Bristlecone pines which live atop Wheeler Peak. I cover all this in Road rip USA, as well.

For the final stretch, since you know Hwy-1 and 101, I'd recommend one of my favorite roads, US-395 -- the trek along the eastern foot of the Cascades is really pretty, thru lovely Bend Oregon and on up toward Yakima, or down thru the Columbia Gorge, around Mt Rainier, and on to greater Seattle. You probably have your own fave roads to get you home from here, so I'll sign off here and wish you "bon voyage".

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Ireland to America -- summer Road Trip costs?

Hi Jamie,

This May I am flying into LA, renting a car, driving across to New York and then flying back to Ireland.

I have purchased a couple of your books but the advice I'm looking for is a rough idea of a budget. My trip will last one month, my concern is the fuel, motels, food etc as I am only a poor student :)

I am allowing 4000 euros as well as a seperate 1000 euros emergency fund, this is including flights and car rental accounting for 1600 euros so thats basically 2400 dollars for the month, I appreciate you cannot give exact numbers or anything but any advice you have I would really appreciate. I am using your suggested Route 10, The Southern Pacific route.

Thanks for any help from Ireland!!!

Take Care,

Chris

from Limerick in Ireland

====

Hello Chris --

Many thanks for your note -- I hope you manage to make the trip (and that neither of our troubled national economies falls into collapse in the meantime!)

:-)

I think you may be able to find a less expensive rate for your flights + car hire if you search around (though I have to ask: are you over 25? if not, you sometime have to pay a premium...)

The rest of your budget sounds pretty sensible (though fuel prices seem to have just about doubled since all this Middle East upheaval kicked off...).

The best way to stretch your travel budget is to stay away from big cities (on your trip, these would be mainly LA & New York). If you stay south, prices tend to be lower (and the food better, especially in Louisiana!). But the South can also get hot -- even in May, the daytime temperatures in places like Phoenix can be over 100 degrees (what's that in Celcius? -- like 40!?).

All that heat might be fun, as a change of pace from cool green Limerick, but you should know what you're getting yourself into.

Hope this helps -- have a great trip, and please let me know what all you get up to!

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

An African in America!

Hi Jamie,

My name is Jimmy and I am originally Eritrean but have lived in Sweden for more than 30 Years that is since I was 10 years old. My long time dream has always been to take a road trip through the USA. And now more than ever it feels like high time for it cause of one special person who lives in Minnesota. So my question is how can I combine driving from east or west cost and end the gurney at her door, after seeing the best sights the US has to offer or start at her door if she would be willing to travel with me on the road. Which ever way I would love to know the best & short route through this great continent and an info on what not to miss or recommendation on must see places that I can fit during my stay, I would love to get an idea on how much money I need to carry too make this dream happen. Considering: flight, car rental or buy an old one, food, where to stay in a sense I am speaking of 2-3 weeks of stay from the time I land till the time I get back home to Stockholm Sweden. Your answer is much anticipated!!

Thank you in advance!

Jimmy


==

Hi Jimmy --

Thank you for your nice note -- I hope your dreams, for love and road trips, all come true!

The best advice I can offer for your adventure to Minnesota would be to suggest that you travel in summer -- even someone from Sweden will find the Great Lakes to be challengingly cold in Winter! Autumn (October...) also be nice -- and traveling with someone will be even nicer, so I hope your special person is able to join you. Flights + car + food + lodging will probably run you $4000 for a 2 week trip -- though I don't what they adds up to in Swedish Kroner.

We Americans complain about high fuel prices, but I am sure what we pay is a lot less than the price in Sweden. Same for food and lodging -- these will add up to about $100 a day. America is a pretty inexpensive place to visit -- your main expense will be the flight across the Atlantic.

Hope this helps,

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Hey Road Trip USA

We are two Australians, heading over your way for a month and seeing different parts of America. We will be traveling from New York to Springdale Arkansas via car in 5 days. Wondering if you could suggest a route that incorporates Washington , Richmond , coastal areas and a look at the Mississippi ?

Earlier in our stay we will be driving from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park. We have two nights allowed and wonder what would be the best way to see the park ?

Thanks

Dave and Lucy


===

Dear Dave & Lucy --

Many thanks for your note, and I hope you have a great time on your Grand Tour!

For the first leg of your trip, I'd recommend heading west out of New York City, to avoid the dreariness of the New Jersey Turnpike / I-95 freeway and explore instead the lovely rolling green countryside of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country (around Lancaster, I cover this in my "Appalachian Trail" chapter in my Road Trip USA book.

This way you could approach Washington DC via Gettysburg civil war battlefield, and maybe the historic town of Harpers Ferry, which is fascinating and very pretty, too.

Having only 5 days doesn't leave much time to see Washington DC, but you could see all the main monuments and make it down to Richmond (and I'd recommend a visit to nearby Williamsburg, a restored colonial-era town that is one of the main attractions of the whole East Coast. From here you could get a glimpse of the coast, at Virginia Beach perhaps, but it's a long way to Arkansas, so you should probably head west -- to Memphis, and cross the Mississippi River there. Besides all the Elvis Presley connections, and fantastic food, Memphis also has a truly good Mississippi River museum, on what they call "Mud Island" right out in the middle of the river (it is much more appealing than that sounds, I promise!)

And about Yosemite -- once you are in Yosemite Valley, seeing the sights is easy as can be. Hop on the free shuttle buses and get off at every vista point and waterfall -- especially Yosemite Falls, which are stunning. Half Dome and El Capitan, the main walls of granite, are visible from just about anywhere, so you can't miss them. If you feel athletic, there is a nice half-day hike up to Vernal and Nevada waterfalls, starting from the delightfully named Happy Isles trailhead.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip!

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

NY to Florida Road Trip, May / June 2011

Hi Jamie.

I am in Australia and have had your book Road Trip USA for about 12 months and really enjoy reading about the numerous journeys.
Getting out on the road is my idea of a holiday experience.
In your opinion, would 14 days be enough time to do the Atlantic Coast trip justice?
My plan is to leave NY on the 21st of May, drive down to Key West then back to Miami for a departure around the 5th of June.

Additionally, is the weather at that time of year (generally) suitable for the journey?
As it’s only 2000 miles I’m guessing 2 weeks is enough, leaving time to be flexible but any assistance/thoughts you can give would be appreciated.

Best wishes and happy driving.

Glen

===

Dear Glen --

Many thanks for your message, and I am very pleased you have been enjoying my book.

Your trip sounds great, and you have plenty of time to enjoy your trip. May can be a beautiful time of year, as the weather is good and the crowds aren't yet out on their summer vacations. Many of the coastal towns are still sleepy in April, but wake up with a vengeance by the end of May .

(Seeing as you are not a fellow American, I feel I should let you know that May 28-30th is Memorial Day Weekend, our traditional start of summer, so you may encounter some crowds then, especially in big resort towns like Myrtle Beach SC or Fort Lauderdale FL.)

The Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the Florida Keys, are both very pretty parts of the world, so I hope you have a great trip!

I may in fact be making a similar road trip, around the same time but in the opposite direction, so for both our sakes I hope it's smooth sailing and fine weather.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Southwest for Spring Break

Hey there Road Trip USA --

Hello, I have two high school foreign exchange students and we are planning a trip over spring break. We live in Waco, TX, and are thinking of going to Sante Fe NM, then Colorado Springs CO, and then via Oklahoma back into Texas.

We have only a week and I don't want to be stuck in Texas since we live here and I don't want to drive every single day.

I was going to go to Amarillo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Pagosa Springs, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Jefferson Texas, then Marshall, TX, then back to Waco, but that's too much driving for 7 days and no time to see anything.

The boys want to pan for gold, see ghost towns, go geocaching and see Pikes Peak (weather permitting of course) and I'd like to find some Native American Indian places to visit.

What do you think, suggestions?

Thanks

LuCinda

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Hello LuCinda --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry it took me so long to get back to you. The first place that came to mind when I read you message was a nifty / tacky old theme park near Colorado's magnificent Royal Gorge. Called Buckskin Joe, it was a ghost town / mining camp / entertainment, but unfortunately Buckskin Joe closed down last fall, after something like 50 years in business. Bad luck, but fortunately there are lots of real-life ghost towns and Native American communities around the Four Corners region -- my favorite is probably Silverton, above Durango Colorado, along the famous Million Dollar Highway. Telluride is another lovely & fun former mining camp -- though I don't know of any places where they can "pan for gold", except out here in California (Columbia State Historic Park is a great destination, if you ever make it out West!)

For this Spring Break trip, besides Santa Fe, and Taos (and Taos Pueblo!), I would also recommend taking your visitors to Mesa Verde cliff palaces national park, which is a magical place, and gives a deeper sense of America than what many people think before they come here.

Unfortunately all of these wonderful places are a long day's drive from Waco, no matter how you go. Route 66 / I-40 is the most fun, and I also recommend Carlsbad Caverns, which could be right on your way. If you aren't dead set on Oklahoma City, you could come back via Tombstone Arizona, which is another appealing old Wild West town.

(I did look into saving you some time by suggesting you start off the trip with a Southwest Airlines flight-- from Dallas to Albuquerque? -- but these looked to run $300/person, which adds up to serious expense .)

Hope this helps, and hope you all have a great experience.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
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Road Trip USA