Family Road Trip - Summer 2012

Hi -

We are a family of 4 (kids 14 and 12) looking to travel cross country (next summer) starting in VA. We are mostly interested in outdoor activities and history.

What specific route would you take out and back? What stops would you make along the way? We have about 6 weeks. Would you drive both ways or fly then drive?

Any advice on making the driving part easier/less boring for the kids.

Thx.

Scott

====>>>>

Hi Scott & Family --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and I hope I can help you plan a fantastic family road trip next summer.

6 weeks is a perfect amount of time for driving across the country and back, and if you feel brave enough for such a big adevnture I think you'll all have a blast.

There are a number of ways to keep everyone from getting bored on those occasional long stretches of empty highway -- though to be honest, once you get into the right frame of mind, in my experience road tripping is the opposite of boring. With sounding too much like some bubbleheaded California Zenster, I do believe that once you start appreciating the many many little things you can find along your way -- getting out of the car as often as possible, wandering around oddball historic sites and small-town downtowns, going bowling or stopping for a piece of apple pie. All these things make road trips fun -- and the key to all this is to drive along pleasant, littler roads like those I cover in Road Trip USA, as opposed to the anodyne Interstate highways.

Interstates are great when you need to get your self 500 miles further down the road, but when you are not in hurry, driving the Route 66-type highways lets you actually enjoy the freedom and mobility of a family road trip.

For your trip next summer, I would suggest you head west along what I call the "Loneliest Road" along old US-50 -- from DC, via Cincinnati and Louisville, St Louis and Kansas City, then following the Santa Fe Trail and Pony Express route west to San Francisco. No matter what you like -- history, baseball, mountain climbing or sifting thru junk shops for old Hot Wheels -- it's all here , waiting for you to enjoy it.

Then I'd suggest a road trip up the Pacific Coast, from SF to the "Avenue of the Giants" in the Humboldt County redwoods, and then on to the Oregon Coast, which is gorgeous. Then Portland, and then back east, via the Oregon Trail, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore and Chicago. Depending upon your tastes and how much energy you have left, you could set aside some time to see and explore the brave old "Rust Belt" cities (like Cleveland and Detroit), and wind your way back home again.

I'd suggest you make some accommodation arrangements in advance (for cities and national parks lodges, especially), but if you can leave enough dates open so you can "follow your noses" and have the freedom to stay longer if you like a place along the way.

Also, to keep the kids involved, I would encourage them to use their native Internet skills and plan the trip THEY would like to take , rather than one Mom 7 Dad drag them along on. They are likely to find some great places you've never heard of, and making everyone a "stakeholder" in the success of the road trip will make them participants rather than passengers.

(And by the way, I am planning a similar trip with my own twin 13-year-olds for next summer, so I do sympathize if you ever feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities!)

Hope these ideas help you, and please keep in touch and let me know how things shape up.

With best wishes,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

PS: Earlier this year I contributed to a Travel + Leisure magazine story called "Great Family Road trip Tips", which you can find here:

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-blog/carry-on/2011/3/8/7-great-family-road-trip-tips

New England to the Northwest - in Novermber?

Hi Jamie,

My wife and I loved your book, and have had a lot of fun on the Pacific Coast Route. Thanks for that!

Right now, we are planning a roundabout trip from New England to the Pacific Northwest in early November. There's so much to see, and a number of ways to go. Everyone tells us we're crazy to cross the mountains at that time of year. Is there a route
that you would recommend? Any extra precautions to take?

Thanks,

Pat

==

Hi Pat --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and I hope I can help you plan a fun safe trip "across the mountains" next month.

The route I'd recommend would start across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, for some fabulous "fall color" -- I cover this in my Great Northern road trip along US-2 (from Vermont via Montreal and Ottawa, both of which are great cities to explore!)

Of course, if the weather looks threatening, you may want to have a Plan B -- heading further south, perhaps along old US-50 (and I-80, if serious storms are on the horizon.) But chances are good that you'll have some great weather -- and the western mountains should have lots of golden aspens to brighten your days. I notice there is already a lot of snow on the ground, and roads in Yellowstone were closed last week, but have mostly re-opened, so do take care!

As far as precautions, I think paying attention to weather forecasts is the best thing you could do -- and if things look iffy, alter your plans, and if you absolutely have to brave some bad weather, be prepared for blizzards etc with tire chains, extra blankets, some snacks and especially some bottled water.

Good luck, and Happy Trails,


Jamie

Seattle in September = Road Trip

Dear JJ,

My girlfriend and I are considering a roadtrip to Seattle in September next year for our honeymoon. We've been to Seattle last year for three weeks and we adored it. The cultural life as well as the beautiful suroundings. I was thinking to plan a roadtrip that lasts 2 weeks and afterwards spending 2 weeks in Seattle. I want to find the right route that combines great urban cultural experiences with wonders of the nature.

Do you have any suggestions?

We're from Belgium so we have to rent a car as well, what do you consider to be the best price-quality you can get to get from one point to another by rental car?

Kind regards,

Wieland and Evi

==

Hi Wieland and Evi --

A trip to Seattle sounds like a fantastic way to start off your married life -- congratulations, and good luck!

Because you already know and like the place, and because of all the complexities of travel, I am tempted to suggest you start and finish you trip with a flight in & out of Seattle. Then you can get the best deal on a rental car, and not have any worries about making it to a distant destination. Seattle is just about the best place to start a trip, because you can reach all the best places -- Yellowstone, Yosemite, San Francisco, Portland, even the high deserts of the "Wild West" in Arizona and Utah and New Mexico, without having to drive all the way across the USA.

A long-distance, one-way rental is more complicated, and more expensive -- so I think this is the best plan. And in September, you can plan on starting with a weekend at Seattle's fabulous "Bumbershoot" festival over the Labor Day weekend.

Perfect, yes?

And as you may have noticed on your first trip, the Pacific Northwest is heaven for good beer (which is something Belgium is famous for, right?). There are great breweries all over Washington and Oregon (and up in Canada, too)

:-)

I've got lots of good destination ideas in the Road Trip USA book, and here on the website, so I hope all this helps you have a very happy honeymoon.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

Western US road trip -- April 2012

Hi,

Was just looking at your website and thought you might be able to give me some advice.

My boyfriend and I are both 24 and from Australia and after working in Canada for 4mths from Nov. we are heading to the USA mid April for just under 4 weeks. We want to Los Angeles, San diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and San Francisco. Would this length of time be long enough to see everything? Can you recommend how long we should stay in each area and if there are any must see places we should not miss.

Right now we are tossing up between hiring a care and purchasing a grey hound ticket. What would you recommend?

Any advice would be great.

Thank you!

Katie O

===>>>

Hi there Katie --

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

For sure, 4 weeks is plenty of time to explore the western US -- you won't be able to "see everything", no one can, but you certainly won't need to rush around like most manic Americans do with their 10 days of annual "summer vacation".

:-)

April is a great time to be on the road in that part of the world -- the deserts are ablaze with wildflowers, while the peaks are still capped by snows. Perfect.

And you may be in luck in another way: since April is the end of the Arizona "tourist season", car hire companies often offer great deals to people who will take their cars from for example, Phoenix, to say San Francisco, where the summer is prime time for rentals. I have seen one-way, no "drop-off" fee, deals for as little as $5 a day from Hertz -- which will save you $200 a week or more.

And car rental is a million times better than trying to explore via Greyhound -- buses in the US can be really grim & depressing, and only good for getting from city to city. And about how long to spend in each place, I'd say each city , and the Grand Canyon, are worth at least a couple days -- SF even more.

Another option is to do some Greyhound inter-city, and rent a car for a day in each city once you've seen what you can on foot -- you can get a "Rent-a-Wreck" for around $25 a day.

If you do decide to save your hard-earned $$, or prefer to let someone else do teh driving for you, one "alternative" bus company to look into is Green Tortoise , who run low-cost, youth-oriented guided trips to all the places you want to see.

Here's their URL: http://www.greentortoise.com/adventures/best.west.grand.canyon.zion.html


Have Fun!

Thoughtful Travel - PA to CA

Hello Jamie,

I would appreciate your advice on my upcoming road trip.

This trip is serving a few purposes: moving some of my previously stored possession from the east to west coast, where I plan to live for the next year and a half; serving as a kind of "fieldwork" for my dissertation on meaningful travel experiences; while also allowing me a little fun and adventure during the transition into a new life phase.

My time is shorter than would like (7-8 days or so)---so it seems doubtful that I will be able to take secondary roads for the entire trip. I am starting in Emmaus, PA and stopping in Ames, IA, Denver, Glenwood Springs, CO, and possibly Las Vegas before arriving at my new home on the southern CA coast. Other than that, I plan on trying to camp in a tent most other nights. Thanks in advance for any suggestions that you are able to give.

Kind regards,

Darla

===>>

Hi Darla --

Thanks for writing n to Road Trip USA, and I hope I can help you with your big adventure. SoCal is a nice destination for some contemplative fieldwork -- I drive thru there ever Thanksgiving, on my way down Pacific Coast Highway from SF , and often wish I could linger longer on the beaches...

BUT - As I started writing I realized I didn't notice when you are taking this trip -- so I'll make it quick and hope you can get back to me if you want more ideas.

Since your time is fairly tight for the 2800-mile trek; you're looking at 400 miles a day, so I think you are right to count on freeways for a lot of your driving. Taking your more northerly route (via Iowa and Colorado) has one big advantage: you'll pass through the gorgeous red-rock country of central Utah, via Arches and Canyonlands and all sorts of amazingly beautiful scenery. I'd say save what "free time" you have to explore this area -- waking up in the clear high-desert air after a night under the stars will certainly clear your head before you have to deal with the insanity of Las Vegas !

:-)

Vaya con Dios + Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen

Pennsylvania to Colorado - Summer 2012

Hi Jamie,

My husband and I and our three children are planning a two week road trip (next summer) to visit my brother in Cotopaxi, Colorado. We live in Pa. We would like to stop at a few places along the way. This will be our first major road trip and we are clueless!!!! When in Co. we plan on taking a two day trip to the Grand Canyon. Any suggestions for sites from Pa. to Co.?

Thanks!!

Marcel

===

Hi Marcel --

It took me a while longer than I wanted to write back to you, but I have some suggestions for your big road trip next summer.

Hope you're still looking forward to the great adventure!

Cotopaxi CO is right on my "Loneliest Road" road trip, so old US-50 should definitely feature in your trip planning -- especially if you have any interest in the Santa Fe trail and pioneer American history. US-50 follows the old trail all the way from Kansas City to Santa Fe, and there are "trail ruts" and frontier forts the whole way. And near Cotopaxi is one of the best "living history" experiences anywhere: Bent's Fort, which gives a great sense of what America looked like (and how people lived...) 200 years ago.

It's great for kids, too -- especially when they have special activities and events (I learned how to throw a tomahawk!) Here's a URL: http://www.nps.gov/beol/index.htm

So factor US-50 into your route, one way or the other, or both. US50 takes a very interesting route in the east, too -- from the Washington DC environs, via lovely and historic Harpers Ferry West Virginia, then via Louisville and Cincinnati and across the forests of southern Indiana to the Mississippi River.

Places I'd recommend you look into for "overnight stops" along the way between PA and CO would include Louisville KY and the nearby Ohio River town of Madison, Indiana. Maybe a quick cruise along Route 66, southwest from St Louis to Meramec Caverns? And / or a cruise up the Mississippi River from St Louis to Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri (where they have a very fun, kid-friendly 4th of July!)

I also have enjoyed exploring Independence Missouri, where many of the "pioneer trails" set off west, and where Pres. Harry Truman grew up and lived for most of his life.

I'd say you'll need at least 3 days driving each way if you want to avoid getting exhausted (depending upon which end of Pennsylvania you're from!..)

You'll probably want to take advantage of some Interstate Freeways on your way there and back, since you have a pretty big trip ahead of you -- I-70 is a godsend for saving time across the Great Plains. And make sure you have plenty of time in Colorado, as that whole "Four Corners" region is spectacular -- besides the Grand Canyon, check out Mesa Verde in Colorado, Monument Valley on the Utah/ Arizona border, and the dozens of other parks (I especially like Zion and Arches). Once you've made the long haul west from Pennsylvania, all these places will seem very close, and they are all worth your time and attention.

OK, there are some ideas. Hope it helps you and your family to have a memorable adventure.

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

=====


WOW!!! Thank you so much Jamie!!! You are amazing!!! I will be sure to pick up your book and will refer you to all my family & friends!!!
Marcel

Road Trip in November -- Midwest? Far West??

Hi Jamie,

My name is Kalpana, and we live in New Jersey. We have a 1 month long vacation for the entire month of November, and we are planning on doing a roadtrip across US. We haven't seen much of mid-west and West, and since we have such a long break, we would like to see the maximum we can and make this lifetime roadtrip memorable. Since November is late fall/early winter period we are not sure, which parts of US will be interesting to cover?

Could you please help give us some tips and help us plan a memorable road trip?

We will really appreciate your help and guidance.

With Best Regards,

Kalpana

==

Hello Kalpana --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you. Because of the weather turning wintry, November can indeed be a challenging time to travel, but if you follow the birds and head south, there are some great places to explore. My "Southern Pacific" road trip, following old US-80 and other roads between Savannah Georgia and San Diego California, would seem like the best bet as a main route, with lots of opportunities for detours and diversions, since you have such a nice long amount of time to spend traveling. New Orleans, San Antonio Texas, The Pueblo Indian cultures of New Mexico (like Taos, shown above), and the red-rock deserts of Arizona and Utah, all await you!

November is still "fall color" season in the southern Appalachians, so maybe you could kick off your trip with a drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway, and along the Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park?

Keep an eye on higher elevations, even in North Carolina, and be prepared to make some changes to your plans if a winter storm comes through (like at the Grand Canyon, which is 7000-feet above sea level!). The great thing about a road trip is that you have a lot of flexibility, and the good thing about "off-season" travel is that most motels etc will have plenty of rooms and be glad to see you. (Rates are often a lot lower, too.)

I cover all these places in my big "Road Trip USA" book, and I think you'll have a great time.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

NYC to Savannah, via the Appalachian Trail

Hi Jamie,

We are Australians who have 10 days to travel between NYC to Savannah Georgia and back we would like to take the Appalachian Trail route on the way south and the Atlantic coast on the way back to New York. I have looked at your website and got a reasonable idea of what the routes are like - thank you!!!

However, we know we only have a short time, we like to hike and are interested in culture and food - not into touristy towns (and not so much the Civil War).

We would love to hear your recommendations as we know there is a lot to see and our time is limited.

Thank you for your help in advance!

Van and Prabha

==

Hi Van & Prabha --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- that sounds like a great trip! You don't have a huge amount of time, but enough to have some great experiences -- especially if the weather cooperates.

Even avoiding Civil War sights, there is a lot to see and do. And depending upon what you mean by "culture", you'll probably want to add in some of the bigger cities which I tend to miss out in Road Trip USA -- Philadelphia for one has a couple of great art museums, great food, and tons of "culture", and of course the nation's capital, Washington DC, has even more of all the above.

As the focus of your trip, Savannah (and nearby Charleston, too) are both great places to get to know, so you'll want to have a few days for each of them. A few other towns you might like include Harpers Ferry, a historic town in Appalachian foothills, Charlottesville VA, home of US President Thomas Jefferson, and Asheville NC, where the Biltmore estate shows off the highpoint of upper crust American "culture", and the Maggie Valley / Great Smokies area shows off some lovely scenery.

The food options are pretty good all over this "Mid-Atlantic" region, so you should be fine, and again Savannah and Charleston has everything you could want (Conde Nast Traveler just rated Charleston the "Best City" in the USA for visitors...!).

And since time is tight, while my Road Trip USA "scenic routes" are highly recommended, don't worry too much about using the fast freeways like I-95, which can get you between NYC and Savannah in 12 hours or so. Charlottesville VA would make a good "halfway" stopover on the way down, and if you feel like seeing some "natural" beauty the Outer Banks are a great place to get away from it all -- I love the small town of Ocracoke NC, which is a good half-way point for your return trip.

Hope you have a great trip,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Antebellum Deep South - in October ?

Hi Jamie,

We are planning a road trip in October, we live in Ontario, Canada and want to come down thru the states.

We aren't exactly sure where we want to go. We can take up to 2 weeks for this trip, We have been to Nashville before, would love to go again, but only for a few days, can you suggest what route, places, attractions,etc. we could take that would incorporate Nashville on our trip. We love driving thru little towns, checking out the shops, staying over if interested or just movin' on to the next place...

We are also interested in seeing the old plantations of the South etc. so any advice , tips you could give would be most welcome..

Jan

==

Hi Jan --

Many thanks for your message, and I hope I can help you plan a great trip. Depending upon where in Ontario you start and finish, there are a number of places I suspect you'll enjoy. In October, the "obvious" place to head would be the Appalachian mountains, where the hardwood trees should be in their full "fall color" glory at the end of the month, up thru the first week in November.

If you travel via Niagara Falls, you could join what I dub the "Appalachian Trail" (a driving tour, not only for hikers!) around the pretty little town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, about 2 hours west of Washington DC.

And if you do a big loop, you could also tour thru the splendid landscapes of the "Upper Peninsula" of Michigan, west of Sault Ste. Marie (the town of Marquette Michigan is very pretty, and there are hundreds of miles of delightful country roads).

A 2-week trip would let you see al this, and also explore the many great small towns along the way -- I like Charlottesville Virginia, and La Crosse Wisconsin, and Madison Indiana, just to name three possibilities. Charlottesville will give you a great sense of antebellum America, but if you really want to see plantations there are a two other places you should also look into:

The "Plantation Alley" stretch of the Great River Road in Louisiana, near New Orleans, is truly magnificent (and if you make it that far south, also check out Natchez Mississippi, which is a lovely small town with fantastic old homes -- not plantations exactly, but from that era.) I cover this in my Great Rover Road book and chapter.

Another area to look at is eastern Virginia (along the James River, downstream from Richmond), and there coastal areas of North and South Carolina. Savannah Georgia and Charleston South Carolina are perhaps America's most beautiful cities, and all around them there are many preserved plantations in the old indigo and rice-growing coastal lowlands - which are very very pretty, with fine beaches, as well. This is all covered in my "Atlantic Coast" sections of Road Trip USA.

Hope this helps -- let me know what all you decide to see and do!

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

1950s USA -- UK Nurses on a Road Trip -- new book!

Hi Jamie

Have just been reading about your books and they sound great, and also love the website. I'm a Brit and in UK but love America and have done quite a bit of travelling there. I think a road trip beckons!

I just wanted to share with you the tale of my own book, which might interest you due to its subject matter. My mother, Gwenda, now in her 70s, spent 18 months on the road in 1950s USA in an old banger with four fellow nurses. The women - four British and one Irish - met while working in Cleveland, Ohio, and after a year there set off in Gwenda's 1949 Ford to work their way round the rest of the country, having all sorts of adventures on the way.

The book, which I wrote using Gwenda's letters home to her parents, was published in the UK earlier this year as 'Bedpans and Bobby Socks: Five British Nurses on the US Road Trip of a Lifetime'.



Best wishes

Barbara Fox

==>>


Hello Barbara Fox --

Many thanks for getting in touch, and for telling me about your Mom's adventures and your book. I've added it to my wish list, so when I get myself a Kindle I'll give it a read. I'll also put a link on my blog

I suspect Hollywood will be wanting the film rights to your tales -- have you dreamt up a cast list?

:-)

I am married to a Yorkshire lass and have spent a number of years living in England, so am particularly interested in the stories.

Thanks for letting me know!

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Chicago to California -- late October 2011 (like, now!)

Greetings Jamie,

I plan on leaving Chicago mid to late October and I am heading to Tahoe. What will give me the biggest bang / most fun for for my ahh.. gallons?

Do you suggest Hwy 20 or 50? I have done many trips from the midwest to west coast, pretty much all on interstates, so I have seen most of the big sites going west and back. Any advise on a better choice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Comrade FZ

==>>

Greetings Comrade FZ --

Thank you for getting in touch, and I hope I can help with your trip west.

Rather than decide between US20 or US50, I think I'd like to suggest a combination of the two. (With maybe a little bit of Interstate 90 thrown in, to get you across the Great Plains...)

The best parts of US20 and US50 are midway between your start and your finish, so maybe you'd do well to spend as much time there, in Yellowstone + Grand Tetons + Craters of the Moon + Sawtooths + Arches and Canyonlands.

Those are places that give the most "bang" -- or if you want something less famous, try Nebraska via US20, and see for yourself how wild and scenic the Niobrara River can be. I've posted a picture of the Niobrara, near Valentine NE, at the top of this note

And to get you in the mood, I'd also suggest a little prelude closer to home -- maybe cruising from Galena to La Crosse along the Great River Road, following the Mississippi River through what is likely to be some pretty "fall color" scenery.

Then hop onto I-90 and bomb west to Mt Rushmore / Black hills?

Depending on weather reports, Yellowstone may then beckon, but if snows are forecast you can slip south to Utah for Arches _ Capitol Reef scenery, then make your way to Tahoe via the "Loneliest Road" and Great Basin Nat'l Park, along US-50.

Hope this helps you have a great trip. Keep in touch, and Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Art Colleges / Best Road Trip Blogs

Hi Jamie,

I’m writing to let you know that your blog is featured on Art-Colleges.com’s list of the 50 Best Road Tripping Blogs, which can be found here: http://www.art-colleges.com/road-trip. Here I have compiled a list of my favorite blogs and why I find them distinctive. Please let me know if there are any notable blogs that I have missed! I always appreciate any feedback!

I created a badge that you are welcome to use anywhere on your site. It’s a great way to let your readers know about you achievement! Simply copy and paste the HTML at the bottom of the list into to a post on your blog. I hope to hear from you soon! Congrats!

-Tracy

==

Thanks Tracy !

Oklahoma to the Outer Banks, in October ?

Hello Road Trip USA --

I understand you give free travel advice.

We would like (two couples) to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway about mid to late October (up to 10 days round trip from Oklahoma City). We would probably stay one night on the road between home and Asheville, visit the Biltmore Estate, stay four nights on the parkway (2 nights minimum required at two different places, we try to rent the vacation homes; however, they are pretty booked up by now). Any way, was wondering about the two places along the way to get lodging and spaced out so they would afford us time to see things we need to be sure and see before and after each stop for lodging. Then we want to go back through Somerset Kentucky and will probably spend 2 nights on the road on the way home after we leave the Parkway. I realize this is just 7 nights but might could even go on to drive the Outer Banks if that would be feasible with this route.

Thanks, Judy

===>>

Hi Judy --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and I hope I can help you plan your trip. Seeing as mid - to late October is very much the "peak season" for Blue Ridge Parkway travel, I'm not surprised vacation homes are booking up. There is not a lot of accommodations along the Parkway at the best of times, and since it is so popular, Fall foliage season can be a bit frustrating.

I might suggest finding a longer-term base (like Asheville), and doing the Parkway and surrounds as a series of day -trips. Besides being handy for the road itself, from Asheville you can get to a lot of other great places -- like the Great Smokies National Park, or Mount Airy if you are an Andy Griffith / Ron Howard / Mayberry RFD fan (and who isn't?)

:-)

But I think the Outer Banks might be a stretch -- it's an extra 500 miles each way. That said, it's gorgeous at this time of year (so long as no more hurricanes come blowing through!)

Hope this helps you plan a great trip --please feel free to write me again, if there's something I can help you with.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

Speed Traps on Route 66

Hey Jamie

Thanks for a great book. My cousin and I just finished an amazing 12k mile road trip across the country using it as a guide.

But: In future books you should put in warnings about speed traps - it would make for a much more pleasant and less expensive trip. We got pulled over at Luther Oklahoma and it was quite unpleasant and costly. Below is a letter from the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association who also acknowledges this problem.

On brighter news, we had a news story written about our drive on Route 66. Overall a fun time except for that stretch. Thanks for all the hard work.

Cheers,

Gil

Thank you,

Gil

===


Here is a copy of the letter I wrote:

Dear Route 66 --

I'd like to complain about a Speed Trap in Luther, Oklahoma. It cost me $150 and has turned me off from driving in this stretch of Route 66. And I'm not alone.

http://www.speedtrap.org/city/8933/Luther



and here is their reply:

Sir,
I am so sorry you had a bad experience in Luther. Luther and Arcadia are both known to be speed traps. I assure you that these areas are the exception, not the rule for the Oklahoma Route 66 towns.

Marilyn E
Executive Director
Oklahoma Route 66 Association

California to NYC in 9 Days - with Dog (and a Blog!)

Hi Jamie,

My hubby and I are relocating to New Jersey from Sacramento and are taking our dog for a road trip while the movers are moving our stuff.

I thought you might have some good ideas of places to see and where to eat on our travels. We're thinking about doing the reverse Oregon Trail and stopping in Yellowstone, Minneapolis (to visit family) and see friends in Chicago. Are there any must-see spots?

Since we have to cover about 3200 miles in 9 days we think we should plan our route and doggie friendly hotels and restaurants ahead of time. Do you know of any online tools or applications that make road trip planning easier? Or do you just use Google maps? Are there any cool iPad apps for the road?

Thanks for your time!

Kristen


==

Hi Kristen --

Thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and sorry I took so long to write back. I wish I'd read your "PS" before today...

If for some reason you delayed your trip or still need some advice, please write me back. I used to live in Sacramento, and have the done that "Loneliest Road" drive a number of times. Yellowstone + Chicago too -- sounds like a great trip.

Sorry I was so useless this time, but next time we should have our own Road Trip USA iPad app (or at least an eBook) to help you across the country.

With best wishes,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

PS: is there such a thing as a "dog friendly" restaurant? I thought that's why we have so mnany drive-thrus...

:-)

==


Hi Jamie,

Thanks for your reply, and we wanted to let you know we had a fabulous trip!

I actually blogged about it here:

And yes: there are some doggie friendly places to eat (usually consisting of an outside patio, complimentary treats and water bowls.)

Thanks for your thoughts -- looking forward to your iPad app!

Best,

Kristen

Denver - Monument Valley - Four Corners -- and home!

hi Jamie --

Just got your book on Amazon as four of us are planning a Denver to Denver road trip from The UK next June .The roughly planned route is Denver 1 night unless there is a concert on we would like at Red Rocks maybe 2. Then up to Cody as I have a keen interest in anything native American/ Wildwest and would like to visit the museums.

then 4 days in the Yellowstone area for obvious reasons. On from there to Salt Lake 2 nights.

Then to Moab 2 nights so we can do Monument Valley.From there on to Cortez 2or3 nights for Mesa Verde and then head up to Denver maybe a might at Colorado springs for a night on the way back .then fly home.

This is just a rough sketch but were talking about 16 17 days altogether.
any thoughts o r tips would be most appreciatted.

enjoying the book by the way.


thanks
Martin

===>>>

Hi Martin --

Many thanks for your message. You said you are thinking of this trip for next June, so I hope I am not too late to help.

Basically, it sounds like you have a great plan. The Cody museums are indeed amazing, and I think you might want to add in a detour down to Grand Tetons and the town of Jackson, which is very Wild West and played a vital role in the old fur-trapping frontier days (the pre-railroad era is about my favorite period of US history).

My one tweak to your plans would be to add more time around Moab (for Canyonlands / Arches / Capitol Reef), maybe cutting back on Cortez. Mesa Verde is amazing, but it won't really fill 3 days (unless you cruise down to Canyon de Chelley and/or Chaco Canyon, across the border in New Mexico.) The thing about Mesa Verde is that visits to the cliff palaces are pretty much by tour and ticket, so you can't really linger at your own pace.

The whole Four Corners region is just about my favorite place on earth -- apart from certain stretches of the Cornish coast -- and if you are inclined to read more on the subject, a friend and sometime Road Trip USA contributor, Julian Smith, wrote a great book (it came out in 2009, but is still v good!: Moon Handbooks Four Corners: Including Navajo and Hopi Country, Moab, and Lake Powell).



One more thing: you didn't say what your accommodation plans are, but I hope you're planning to hike and camp! Staying in motels will cut you off from all the best scenery, and it's expensive, while camping out is a winner in every way.

And finally, if you like movies, watch "127 Hours", which does a grand job of capturing the wildness of this part of the world.

OK, hope this free-association barrage helps you plan and have a fantastic adventure next June! Let me know how your plans shape up.

Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

Family Road Trip -- Seattle to San Diego ?

Hi Jamie ,

I recently bought your Pacific Highway 1 book and it's inspired me & my family to make the trip from London UK . We are regular visitors to Florida & the east coast but have never gone west . Originally we planned to fly into San Francisco & drive to LA & San Diego . But talking to other people & reading your book I really fancy Seattle/Portland as well . We've set aside 3 weeks next summer for the trip . Is this enough time ? I fully understand this will incorporate a lot of driving but having driven from Charleston SC to Key West before I think I'm ready ? .

I would like to start in Seattle and finish with a few days on the beach in San Diego . Any advice you could give me with must do , must sees & must stops etc would be greatly appreciated . My children are 11 & 12 so I think/hope they are old enough for a road trip ? My son & i are mad keen sports fans so a bit of west coast baseball advice wouldn't go a miss .

My ruff first draft for our trip :
Seattle
Portland
Eugene (crater lake)
Shasta
San Francisco
Santa cruz
Monterey
San luis obispo
LA
San Diego
Well like I say this is just a starting point and open to change
Im really excited about planning this trip as the west coast looks amazing . u probably know Florida is a little flat and way too many bugs on the windscreen :-) .....
Hope to hear from u soon
Tim

==>>

Dear Tim --

Many thanks for your message, and sincere apologies for my sluggishness in replying. You said you were thinking of a trip next summer, so I hope I am not too late to help.

Basically, I think you are on to a winner -- the PCH drive is amazing, all the way from Seattle to San Diego (though you might want to time your travels so you drive across LA sometime between midnight and 5am, to avoid the traffic!)

The West Coast landscape has infinitely more variety than Florida, for sure -- and as far as spectator sports Seattle, Portland, and all the other cities have a lot to offer -- there's lots of baseball for sure (major league in big cities, plus "minor league" in smaller cities, up and down the coast). Plus there's a game we call soccer. (The US professional season runs March to November, almost opposite to the "proper" game you call football. You may even be able to catch David Beckham at the LA Galaxy.. There are "MLS" teams in Seattle and Portland and San Jose, south of SF, -- the Seattle team has the best fans, I hear.)

Crater Lake (see picture above!) is a great detour, and I'd recommend another "must see": Yosemite National Park, east of San Francisco. The Columbia Gorge / Mt Hood area east of Portland is lovely and green, and to my eye the coastline of Oregon is the most fun stretch of Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. Also, the ancient redwood trees along the "Avenue of the Giants" in Humboldt County are definitely unforgettable; they are also easy to reach, just a few minutes off the freeway.

From Monterey (great aquarium!), I highly recommend the trip down to Big Sur, ending up maybe with a tour of Hearst Castle, a megalomaniac monument that's actually pretty interesting (even for jaded pre-teens!)

Finally, the San Diego area has some great animal-related attractions: the world-class SD Zoo, plus the much more "natural" Wild Animal Park, and the original Sea World (which you may have seen in FL).

Three weeks sounds like a perfect length of time for this trip -- you'll have enough to get out and enjoy these places without feeling in a rush.

It all sounds great -- feel free to write again, once your plans start firming up.

Hope you're still aiming to make the trip -- Happy Trails,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

===>>>

DC to SF -- on the "Loneliest Road" ?

Jamie,

I found your web site while researching driving across the USA...
something I really fancy doing, and it seems like it would be a great
way to mark my 60th birthday.

I notice you don't have a book on the "Loneliest Road" route (yet? Is
there one coming?) so here's a question - how long would you allow for
that route, if you don't hang about too much on the way? I'd be
planning to do it in reverse, partly because I work on the East Coast
a lot (so that's makes a sensible starting point for me) and partly
because ending up in SF seems more romantic than DC :-)

Thanks,

Julian

===

Hi Julian --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and I think you're on to a good idea. The drive from DC to SF is a fantastic adventure, and I agree with you that SF is much more appetizing destination than DC.

I used to do the drive pretty often, when I lived in California and had family in DC. In a rush, you could do it in a week, even less if you race along I-70 between St Louis and Denver and cross the Great Plains on Cruise Control. But 10 days is a more reasonable minimum, and 2 weeks would be ideal if you want to spend some time and enjoy the languid delights of Louisville, cruise the "Million Dollar Highway", or explore the environs of Arches National Park.

(And by the way, the "Loneliest Road" route is the centerpiece of my big Road Trip USA book -- a new edition of which is coming out April 2012! )

And if you haven't toured California, you may want even longer for this birthday road trip -- Yosemite National Park is amazing, as is the coastline north and south of San Francisco (in Mendocino and Carmel / Big Sur, respectively...).

Hard to think of a better way to celebrate reaching 60! When is the Big Day?


With best wishes,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

====

Wow Jamie,

Many thanks for your reply - that's really helpful.

The big day isn't till next September, but the trip is going to be sometime in June 2012, because that's when I finish working in NY and can take a few weeks off from work.

I'm currently undecided between the longest road and Route 66... a difficult decision!

So it looks like I'll be booking two weeks on a one-way car rental. Oh, and one other thing - when you make these trips, do you just travel from night to night, or do you book ahead at all?

I think this is going to be a wonderful holiday!

All the best,

julian

Vanishing Point! B-Movie Road Trip

Hi there

One of my dreams is to take a route which Kowalski took in a classic movie Vanishing Point. And then I found your www page and thought to myself that my dream is shared.

All I want to say, that your site is brilliant. It will take a lot of time to save up some cash (I am from Poland) to buy your book and take the trip, but what-the-hell: I will do this!

Thanks man,

Best regards,

from

Lukasz Needszlotys

===

Hey Lukasz --

Muchas gracias for writing in to Road Trip USA -- and I hope you can make your dream come true!

I saw Vanishing Point when it came out in the early 1970s, and I'm sure that's what made me want to drive all over the country for the rest of my life! So dreams do come true.

:-)

Thanks for reminding me of a great film, and good luck saving up the zlotys!

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

History + beaches + quaint countryside = WHERE to GO ? ?

Hello Road Trip USA ! --

I am planning my 50th birthday celebration for next Spring. As I want to do a 2-3 week road trip in the States to make sure that none of my friends or relatives throw an old age party for me.

:-)

Can you suggest where the nicest place might be in May 2012?

I want a variety of driving past farms and beaches big and little towns and a bit of history.

Regards

Fiona from Canberra (Australia)


==

Hello Fiona --

Many thanks for writing in to Road Trip USA, and happy half-century!

:-)

I've been thinking about what part of the USA you might enjoy the most, and I think it might be in the old "Deep South", somewhere around the great little cities of Savannah Georgia or Charleston South Carolina (or maybe even St Augustine or even Miami + Key West in Florida, if you really want to "let your hair down" in a lively nightclub or similar.)

Atlanta is fun too, and could be a good "gateway" airport for your trip, since you are coming from Down Under.

For a main destination, the Savannah / Charleston area is gorgeous, and the nearby beaches are pretty lovely -- especially the wild strands along the "Outer Banks" of North Carolina, which a bit farther away from it all. There's oodles of history all around here, from Sir Walter Raleigh to the Wright Brothers, and towns are quaint (especially Ocracoke, which would probably be my choice, since I'm not a big fan of the big crowds you'll find in Myrtle Beach or Nags Head.)

Alternatively, for a really wild time you can't beat New Orleans, and if you want to relax the white sand beaches of Panama City Florida are gorgeous. I prefer waves, but these Gulf Coast beaches are beautiful, too.

Seeing as you have a couple of weeks, you could do all these places, and add in the music-rich Mississippi Delta and Memphis, too. Lots of possibilities -- it's what a great road trip is all about!

Let me know how your plans shape up -- and Happy Birthday!

with best wishes,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

West Coast Grand Circle -- from Norway, next summer!

Dear Jamie, thanks for a great site!

We are a Norwegian family of four (parents + grown up kids (18 + 21)), planning an American road trip for the summer of -12.
Your site is very informative, the only problem is that after having read it all, I really would want to make every one of the trips. But since out time is limited to ca. 1 month - I guess we'll have to choose one.

These are some of our interests:
art
music
literature
history
photography
food
fishing
biking
reading

Were would you have gone if you were us?

All the best!
Sigrun

===>>>

Dear Sigrun --

Many thanks for your nice note, and sincere apologies for being so slow to respond to you. I have been busy working on an all-new edition of Road Trip USA, which will be available next year, so I hope you will forgive me.

I'm glad to hear you like the sound of my Road Trips, and I am sure you would enjoy any or all of them. But if you only have time for a month's visit, I think the place to go is the West Coast -- California, Oregon and Washington. Maybe with a brief detour to Arizona and Utah, and even Wyoming, if you enjoy spectacular "Mother Nature" as well as your other interests -- art, music, food, books, etc etc .

The Pacific Coast Highway trip I describe is a very good focus -- with ample time allowed for enjoying cities like Seattle and San Francisco.

And since it usually is less expensive to start and finish your trip in the same city / same airport, I'll suggest you plan a big loop, taking in all these great places, listed north to south:

Seattle
San Juan Islands west of Seattle, and Port Townsend and the Olympic National Park
Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens and the entire Cascades Range (massive volcanoes, with great hiking + fishing)
Portland, Mount Hood, Columbia Gorge and the Oregon Coast
Northern California redwoods, Humboldt Redwoods -- towns of Arcata and Mendocino
Wine Country (town of Sonoma)
San Francisco -- and the amusement park at Santa Cruz
Big Sur coastline, between Monterey and Hearst Castle
Santa Barbara + Southern California -- wonderful art museums in Los Angeles, like the Getty, the Huntington, the Norton Simon
plus Disneyland (and maybe a day-trip to Catalina Island, off the LA coast?)

then east, across the deserts, to the Grand Canyon (maybe via Route 66!?), Monument Valley, Zion National Park (see postcard image above!) and the Four Corners region (including Mesa Verde cliff palaces and amazing ancient cultures, from long before Columbus (or even Leif Ericksson....) "discovered" America.

Santa Fe and Taos New Mexico

Arches and Canyonlands Utah

Yellowstone National Park (?)

Yosemite National Park (back in California)

Crater Lake National Park

and back to Seattle.

Such a loop can start or finish anywhere -- this just seemed easiest to describe. There is a lot of everything you are looking for, and the "Wild West" USA is really distinctive and special -- there's no place like it, anywhere else.

Hope this helps inspire a great trip, and thanks again for checking out Road Trip USA. Let me know how your plans shape up!

With best wishes,


Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

====>>>>






Hey there Jamie --

Wow, thanks for the reply -- that's a great plan. We'll definitely let you know how it all turns out!

-- S

75th Birthday : Road Trip to the Grand Canyon

Hi RTUSA ,

Love your website, its a GREAT service !

We are taking a family vacation for my mother's 75th birthday, next July. There will be 19 of us, including 9 children between the ages of 13 and 6. We are going from New York to the Grand Canyon. We plan on flying into Las Vegas and spending a day or two there before heading to the Grand Canyon. We already have a nights reservation on the north rim at the Grand Canyon Lodge. We are thinking about going to Sedona for an extended stay before heading back home via Phoenix or Las Vegas.

The women in the group want to limit the driving as much as possible and we would want to limit the excessive heat conditions for my mom ( I know that's asking a lot). Could you give us any ideas to make this a very memorable trip for the kids?

Thanks again for all your help,

Jimmy

==>>

Dear Jimmy -

Many thanks for your nice note about your trip. Sounds great!

Staying out the mid-summer heat in Arizona makes good sense, so I'd suggest you stay as far away from Phoenix as you can. Fortunately the Grand Canyon, and Sedona as well, is high enough up in the mountains -- the South Rim elevation is something like 7500 feet -- so temperatures are moderate, even in July. And there's not much humidity, so the weather is not oppressive. Nothing like NY's "hazy hot & humid".

Even though it would add some driving miles, I do have one big suggestion: if you (some of you, or all 19 of you...) feel adventurous, you could make a truly memorable trip if you come back to Las Vegas by a much more interesting route via southern Utah: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley and Lake Powell are all pretty much "on the way", and all are spectacular places to see and celebrate being 75 years young. And there is a lot of "Native Americana" to keep younger people interested, since much of the land you pass thru belongs to the Navajo Indians. There's also quite a lot of Route 66 fun -- places where you can "Sleep in a TeePee", like the WigWam Village in Holbrook Arizona, near the Petrified Forest.

If that sounds like too much, Sedona is very nice, too -- and a lot more "civilized" than the wilderness areas.

Thinking of driving times, you could do the 300-mile, Las Vegas-to-Grand Canyon drive in a long day, then take a couple of more leisurely days to drive back around the North Rim of the canyon, getting back to Las Vegas via southern Utah (which I think is one of the prettiest places on the planet!). Not too many miles or hours behind teh wheel, considering all the amazing sights and experiences.

Hope this helps you all have a great trip -- Happy Birthday to yr Mom, and Happy Trails to all of you,



Jamie Jensen
---
Road Trip USA

===>>>>

Deep South = Cross-Country = LA to Baltimore

Hi Jamie,

Love your site, very interesting and helpful.

I'm looking into a drive across the states early to mid next year (April/May 2012). I'm from Australia, but will be traveling with my partner who is from Baltimore so I do have a little insight into the cool places to see in the US - but he hasn't been to many of these places/areas either, so I would love a little advice from a seasoned traveler!

My ideas for a route so far is...
We'll be flying into Los Angeles, then:
Las Vegas
Grand Canyon
New Mexico
Texas
New Orleans
Atlanta
Nashville
and onto Baltimore

A couple of questions regarding the journey...

- What do you think is the most interesting route from Nashville to Baltimore (as I'd love to see West Virginia?) but will Virginia give us the same experience?

- Do you have any must sees on or near this southern path that you'd recommend?

- Do you recommend any particular car rental companies for this sort of one way journey? I assuming renting is less painful than buying and re-selling a car?

- What would a good time frame for this journey be?

Thanks so much... I appreciate any advice or tips. This has been a long awaited dream for me, so I'm very excited.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,

Ema

===>>>

Dear Ema --

Many thanks for your nice words about Road Trip USA, and I do hope you're still planning to come over to the USA, and I think you've got a great trip planned. April and May are gorgeous months to travel in the southern states, and you may also catch the tail end of winter in higher elevation places (like the Grand Canyon and parts of New Mexico, which are more than 7000-feet / 2000 m above sea level).

And one great thing about traveling in April and May is that you can take advantage of some spectacular car hire / rental deals -- because April is the end of the prime "winter" season, in resort areas of Arizona and Florida, big firms like Hertz and Avis offer some very good money-saving deals, $5 a day, one-way, no drop-off fee rentals which are well worth looking into. Like this one, from Spring 2011:

http://www.hertz.com/rentacar/specialoffers/index.jsp?targetPage=floridadriveout.xml&Category=Q


So if you can be a bit flexible, you can save some big money. You might have to fly into Phoenix, for example, and pick up a car there then go on to LA -- but you'll save more than $1000, maybe as much as $2000. Which you could $$ spend in Las Vegas and other fun spots!

:-)

And yes, you are right to think renting a car is less painful than buying and reselling one -- that can be a nightmare, especially for overseas travelers.

As for must sees, yes there are many -- certainly enough that if you can spend 3 or 4 weeks, that'd be perfect. Give you time to get over jet lag too.

Two weeks would be a realistic minimum for a pleasant cross-country adventure, just so you can spend at least a night in the many great paces, like New Orleans and Nashville (not mention Memphis, and Zion National Park in Utah, and Austin and The Alamo in Texas, and Savannah GA and Charleston SC, too.) And maybe Washington DC, if you enjoy history and politics (2012 will be an election year.)

How long can you spend on this trip?

Baltimore is a fascinating old US city, too -- do you know the TV show The Wire? Or the films of John Waters?? Both v Baltimore.

Finally, you ask about a route between Nashville and Baltimore. I think the best route would head east to Great Smokies National Park, and take a cruise along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where the forests of rhododendrons and azaleas should be in full bloom. I think I'd stay along the Blue Ridge Parkway as far as Roanoke, then cut up north across the Shenandoah Valley to explore West Virginia, winding into Baltimore via Harpers Ferry, a very pretty and very historic small town, preserved as a national park.

I hope this answers some of your questions, and I hope you have a fantastic adventure. Please feel free to write me again if you have any more questions.

Happy Trails,



Jamie Jensen
--
Road Trip USA

===>>>>