http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/ en Thu, 17 May 2012 01:14:52 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/images/misc/rss.png http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/ http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30398-NJ-to-GA-Antique-shows-shops-fairs-flea-markets&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:10:51 GMT Hey all,

Will be leaving on a road trip from May 25-31 from NJ to GA. Looking for feedback on any stops we shouldn't miss, particularly antique shows (or shops), state fairs, or big flea markets. Any other landmarks or restaurants you feel shouldn't be missed, please feel free to share. This is our first time taking the trip and we don't want to miss out on anything. Already been to AAA, but nothing beats word of mouth.

Thanks in advance!!

Michelle ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips ElephantGirl http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30398-NJ-to-GA-Antique-shows-shops-fairs-flea-markets http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30396-Tioga-Pass-Prognosticator-14&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 19:56:00 GMT Advent of the Winter RoadTrip Season in the West
This is our fourteenth attempt at predicting future road conditions on one of our favorite mountain crossings in the American West. Tioga Pass which is found on California State Route 120 connects California’s Owens Valley with the Central Valley while crossing the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain range. When the snows of autumn descend on this alpine route, we know that winter in all of her majesty is about to close the high country for another summer road trip season and so this poll is a traditional rite of passage for the Great American RoadTrip Forum. (I know it just opened for the 2012 summer travel season, and the road isn't even dry from the snow melt, but time marches on...)

The current Reigning Chief Prognosticator, Jessica Beagles-Roos known on the Great American RoadTrip Forum as CAnative earned her title with back-to-back winning predictions for the opening date of the Spring 2011 season, (June 18th at 10:00 am) and the Winter 2011 closing date (January 17th, 2012 at 3:00 pm). She nearly pulled off a three-peat by correctly guessing (off-line) that the opening date would be May 7th, 2012. Unfortunately she didn't make that guess official and so her record-breaking three-peat performance came to an end.

George Carey, (glc on the Forum) is the current acting dcTPP (Which is also known as the official Darn Close -- Tioga Pass Prognosticator). George joins four other dcTPPs...Don Casey (CalOldBlue), Hotel Charlotte ( Lynn & Victor), Kinless, and Sheriff Dave, for their predictive skills in the winter of 2010 and 2009, and the spring of 2008 & 2007, respectively.

So, now it's a clean slate. Do you have what it takes to be the new Chief Tioga Pass Prognosticator?

************Forum Moderator, Dave Gomm, (Southwest Dave) is the official Sheriff and Chief Wrangler for this contest and his rulings as to the naming of the winner are final, (& they also could be arbitrary & capricious) Got a beef? Or a question? Take it up with him...

So here's official list -- as approved by Sheriff & Chief Wrangler Dave Gomm:
Prognosticators Extraordinaire To-Date:
Tioga Pass Prognosticator Winners:
Jessica Beagles-Roos (CAnative), Spring 2011 and Winter 2011 (although it actually closed in 2012)
Brian Shannon (Exodus) Spring, 2010
Phil Boardman, (PhilB) Spring 2009
weirj Winter 2008
******dcTPP (Darn Close -- Tioga Pass Prognosticator)
*************George Carey (glc), Spring 2012
*************Sheriff Dave Gomm (Southwest Dave), Winter 2010
*************Don Casey (CalOldBlue), Winter 2009
*************Lynn & Victor (Hotel Charlotte), Spring 2008
*************Joey (Kinless), Spring 2007

Official Tioga Pass Closings in recent years:
2011: January 17th, 2012
2010: November 19th
2009: November 12th
2008: October 30th
2007: December 6th
2006: November 26th
2005: November 25th
2004: October 17th
2003: October 31st
2002: November 5th
2001: November 11th

And here are the Yosemite NP's Official opening and closing dates for the last several years.

The "Contest"
You are welcome to use your predictive talents and if you manage to hit the correct date -- the RTA Editorial group will pay for a tank of roadtrip fuel in your personal roadtrip ride. Legal has suggested that we identify what this means.... So, for the record, the prize will be limited to $75.00 USD

* To win this prize, the date must be posted** on this Forum more than or equal to fifteen (15) days prior to the official Tioga Pass Road CLOSING date. (**Your "date" must be identified in a post on this thread...**)
* Further, you must identify a particular date in your post.
* Further, you must identify a particular time in your post (date and time is required for the winning entry).
*And if you manage to identify the correct opening time within 60 minutes.... you'll receive an additional surprise gift from RTA.
* A single calendar date can only be claimed by one member. If two or more members chose the same calendar date, and that date proves to be the "Winning Date", the prize will go to the member who "claimed" the date the earliest in this contest period.
*The official date for this Tioga Pass Prognosticator contest tracks with Pacific Time (USA), so no matter what date it might be in your local neighborhood, the date used for this contest will be the same one used by the officials at Yosemite National Park for Tioga Pass.

When you have identified your prediction in your post, please "Ping the Poll" at the top of page

Previous Predictive Efforts:
Spring Opening 2006
Winter Closing 2006
Spring Opening 2007
Winter Closing 2007
Spring Opening 2008
Winter Closing 2008
Spring Opening 2009
Winter Closing 2009
Spring Opening 2010
Winter Closing, 2010
Spring 2011 Opening
Winter 2011 Closing...
Spring 2012 Opening

And here you can monitor current conditions from 5 Web cams in Yosemite NP.

And this is a very cool page -- it lists the opening and closing dates for other high Sierra Nevada passes, which might give you an edge as predict this year's dates.... (Produced by Caltrans).

Happy Predicting!

Sheriff Dave and the Great American RoadTrip Forum Staff ]]> Mark Sedenquist http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30396-Tioga-Pass-Prognosticator-14 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30395-August-2012-So-Cal-to-WA&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 18:05:28 GMT My husband and I are trying to plan a road-trip to ultimately visit family in both Oregon and Washington this summer. I used to road trip a lot with my family when young, but he has never experienced it; so we are novices at best. We are trying to do it on a somewhat tight budget and are... My husband and I are trying to plan a road-trip to ultimately visit family in both Oregon and Washington this summer. I used to road trip a lot with my family when young, but he has never experienced it; so we are novices at best. We are trying to do it on a somewhat tight budget and are definitely not opposed to camping or sleeping in the car if necessary. Total trip time available is 10 days, from August 16 PM to August 26.

Does anyone have any suggestions on car rental (what type- we looked into costco which has pretty good deals), must-see places/landmarks, or to-die-for dines along the way? Only stipulation is that if we are going to sleep in the car, that the car be as comfortable as possible. My husband has a very bad back, so hopefully we can find a vehicle that will allow us to fold down the seats or take out the backseats completely since there are only two of us, and possibly put in an aero-bed or a memory foam topper to make it more comfortable.

Any and all suggestions are welcome, as i said, we are pretty much novices and can use all the help we can get:) We are also AAAplus members, not sure if this helps?

Thanks ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips akaligirl2011 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30395-August-2012-So-Cal-to-WA http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30394-Road-Trip-Out-West-from-NY-for-just-over-2-weeks&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 17:28:03 GMT Hi Everyone!

My friend and I are planning a road trip out west this summer (leaving New York August 1st). Our main goal is to hit the Badlands/Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, enter Yellowstone from the north and come south into the Grand Teton NP. On our way home we'll drive through the Rockies and continue on home from there.

Is 16 days enough to do all of this? I'm afraid we've maybe planned too much activity for our allotted time (we're both teachers so we need to be back in NY before school starts). If we still want to see everything the west has to offer what are the MUST SEE attractions?

Also, can anyone recommend a scenic route to take while we head back to NY from Colorado? We're not really sure of things to see or do on our trip home.

Thanks!! ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips clarinetist86 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30394-Road-Trip-Out-West-from-NY-for-just-over-2-weeks http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30393-Chicago-to-Billings-in-2-5-Days-via-Beartooth-Hwy-Pushing-too-hard&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 17:27:02 GMT Hello everyone! I live in central Montana and am in the process of buying a car from a private party in Chicago, and could really use some help planning the drive home. The plan is to pick it up on Friday May 25th and drive it home (solo) over Memorial weekend. If all goes well I will be leaving... Hello everyone! I live in central Montana and am in the process of buying a car from a private party in Chicago, and could really use some help planning the drive home. The plan is to pick it up on Friday May 25th and drive it home (solo) over Memorial weekend. If all goes well I will be leaving Chicago mid-afternoon Friday and would like to arrive in Billings by early evening on Sunday where I'll stay the night with family before driving the last few hours home on Monday. This seems fairly doable with one problem - I'd very much like to drive the Beartooth Highway (weather permitting) which forces me to maximize driving time on the previous day, which I'm not sure is wise.

So, without further ado, here is my tentative route...

Day 1: Friday 3pm - 8pm
Chicago, IL to La Crosse, WI (283 miles)

Day 2: Saturday 7am - 7pm
La Crosse, WI to Spearfish, SD (683 miles)

Day 3: Sunday 7am to ?
Spearfish, SD to Billings, MT via Hwy 212 (~500 miles)

Obviously the stretch across South Dakota is pretty long. My plan is to break the day up into multiple chunks, stopping frequently to stretch my legs, and not pushing myself too hard. If I start to feel fatigued I intend to stop for the night (Kadoka, SD or thereabouts) rather than push through. In all likelihood this would mean skipping the Beartooth section on Sunday and going straight to Billings.

So what do the experts think? Am I crazy to even attempt this? I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, and am definitely a road trip enthusiast, but it's been a good many years since I attempted anything quite this long. I did recently drive a moving truck from San Francisco to Montana with my wife and our three year old, which was an awesome trip, but we only drove about 6 hours per day. I'm afraid I might be overreaching based on how well that trip went. ]]> Spring RoadTrips BigSkyDad http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30393-Chicago-to-Billings-in-2-5-Days-via-Beartooth-Hwy-Pushing-too-hard http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30391-Road-trip-from-grand-canyon-to-Mesa-verde&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 14:41:54 GMT Hey guys! I need advice on the best places to stay on my trip from the grand canyon to southern Colorado. We plan to go to the 4 corners museum and Mesa Verde. So suggestions of must sees would be appreciated! Thanks Hey guys! I need advice on the best places to stay on my trip from the grand canyon to southern Colorado. We plan to go to the 4 corners museum and Mesa Verde. So suggestions of must sees would be appreciated! Thanks ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips rproxxy http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30391-Road-trip-from-grand-canyon-to-Mesa-verde http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30388-Los-Angeles-gt-San-Francico-gt-Death-Valley-gt-Las-Vegas&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 09:25:34 GMT Hi everyone.

Fantastic forum you all have =]

Could anyone advise me if my trip is do-able

I am landing in LA from New Zealand on the 21st May. I will be there 2 nights at Venice Beach.

I then plan to drive to SF via the coastal route, leaving the 23rd & arriving the 24th. I am then thinking of driving early on the 27th to Las Vegas via Death Valley, arriving that night.

Could anyone advise where to stay on the way to SF?

Also, can you just turn up and do the Alcatraz tour or do you need to book in advance? I saw one website saying you need to book weeks ahead!

Thanks! ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips Bruiser http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30388-Los-Angeles-gt-San-Francico-gt-Death-Valley-gt-Las-Vegas http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30385-6-8-Week-Trip-for-Summer-13&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 22:34:53 GMT Hey Guys,

I'm a new member to the forum but I have been reading old post about trips and such. So I'm hoping maybe y'all can give me some tips or advice as to the trip I'm planning.

I know it might be a bit early to already start asking for help but I just want to plan ahead as much as possible. This trip first started as a while idea as "just getting on the road and drive". Even though I love the idea, it seems a bit unrealistic and irresponsible.

There is going to be four of us going in this trip, on my Grand Cherokee 2001, that I'm rebuilding at the moment. I'm trying to make this jeep as comfortable (suit our needs) as possible for us four since we will be out for quite a while. We all want to have about $2,500 for the trip, while I personally want to take $3,000. We pretty much already have the layout as to what cities.

Phoenix, (room for free)
Fontana, Ca (room for free)
Las Vegas (room for free)
Moab
Salt Lake City
Grand Teton National Park
Devil's Tower - Mt.Rushmore
Arthur Iowa (room for free)
Milwaukee (possible room for free)
Chicago (room for free)
Niagara Falls (Canada Side if possible)
Boston
Maine (room for free)
Either Philadelphia or New York
Virginia Beach (possible room for free)
Jacksonville Florida
New Orleans
Austin (room for free)
San Antonio (room for free)

We will ending our trip in Fabens, Texas which is 30 miles away from where I live, but most of my friends live out there and we will be having a welcome home party! :D

Now with most of these cities we are planning to stay up to three nights. So as you can see we do have friends and family in a lot of cities which will cut our lodging cost.

So what do yall think? Does this sound like a possible trip? Is our money budget good enough, even for some drinking, maybe a baseball game? Any attractions yall recommend us? Any meals idea since we will be camping in some cities where we dont got friends or family members? Anything else that I might of missed.

Thanks for taking your time to help me out.

Greetings from El Paso

-Raul

P.S I have gone on camping trips with 2 out of the other 3 before., also our ages by then will be 23,24,26 and 28, with me being the youngest. But I have known these guys for about 9-11 years. One of em I met when I was 11, and we used to be roommates in phoenix as well. ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips 2aul1642 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30385-6-8-Week-Trip-for-Summer-13 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30384-Road-Trip-to-yellowstone-National-Park-from-Minneapolis&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 22:09:51 GMT Hi Everybody, I live in Minneapolis, MN and I am planning to have a road trip to Yellowstone National Park on memorial day weekend (May 24 - May 29). I would be driving along with my wife but she doesn't drive. So it's all me for driving. I have broken down the journey while going into two days. I would be having smalls breaks of couple of hours while coming back. We would drive for 9 hours and stay in Buckboard Inn, Beach, ND. Let us know following things to make our journey memorable please...

• would it be good to stay at Beach, ND considering safety and all or is it usual to have a break at that place.?
• Which route should we be taking the next morning to drive all remaining way to West yellowstone, MT. We have cabin booked at west yellowstone, MT...I read somewhere that it's best place to cover all good places in yellowstone national park in such short days...?
• Is there road closure notices we should be careful of or looking into some sites to know about it all. I am kinda person to travel with GPS...does it work fine there...?

]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips pawashnitjsr http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30384-Road-Trip-to-yellowstone-National-Park-from-Minneapolis http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30383-2-day-trip-Joshua-tree-amp-Salton-Sea&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 21:05:10 GMT Hi, I'm travelling to LA next week and have 2 days to kill before I need to be in San Diego for work. I'd planned on taking a slow route via Joshua Tree and Salton Sea to do a spot of photography. I've briefly been to JT before, and have very fond memories but is Salton Sea worth the trip?

I would be grateful if anyone would have any advise specifically for a lone traveller with a camera. Being from a wet and green island, I don't get much of this desert stuff.

Another option I wanted to consider was if it was worth taking a stab up to Amboy before back tracking.

Thanks in advance. ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips Ciaran http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30383-2-day-trip-Joshua-tree-amp-Salton-Sea http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30382-DC-to-Chicago-Via-Niagara-Falls&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 16:22:32 GMT We have two weeks in late June, early July. I am thinking of spending a week getting to Chicago. Three days in the Finger Lakes, a day in Niagara Falls, and then three days coming down the Canada side to Chicago. Does this make sense, and can anyone give me some great sights to see along this... We have two weeks in late June, early July. I am thinking of spending a week getting to Chicago. Three days in the Finger Lakes, a day in Niagara Falls, and then three days coming down the Canada side to Chicago. Does this make sense, and can anyone give me some great sights to see along this route? We love history, hiking, the water, art and antiques and food. Two kids, 12 and 13. ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips Bardo http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30382-DC-to-Chicago-Via-Niagara-Falls http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30380-Jacksonville-FL-to-Denver-CO-via-Memphis-in-2-days-with-a-dog-need-help!&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 14:41:15 GMT Hello all, I am moving from Florida to Denver, CO this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. I will be traveling with a friend and my yellow lab and need advice on the best and quickest route to take. We will be leaving from Jacksonville Friday around 4pm and would like to travel via Memphis to stay with... Hello all, I am moving from Florida to Denver, CO this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. I will be traveling with a friend and my yellow lab and need advice on the best and quickest route to take. We will be leaving from Jacksonville Friday around 4pm and would like to travel via Memphis to stay with my brother. I think the next overnight might be in Kansas but am not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Which way to go that is quick, and safe?
Where to stay that is safe?
Any things to see along the way? ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips ashly1021 http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30380-Jacksonville-FL-to-Denver-CO-via-Memphis-in-2-days-with-a-dog-need-help! http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30378-Hamilton-Ontario-to-New-York-New-York&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 00:43:07 GMT At the end of June 2012, my wife and I are looking to do a road trip from Hamilton, Ontario to New York City, New York. We're thinking of doing it for a week in length, and a moderate budget.

Does anyone have any tips to keep costs down, and some interesting places to go? Any input would be appreciated. ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips terran.mccall http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30378-Hamilton-Ontario-to-New-York-New-York http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30377-Summer-rv-trip&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 00:23:15 GMT Need some help planning our first rv trip from Florida to Oregon Just got rv and want to leave end July stay on road maybe two months prefer national parks, state parks Need some cooler weather out Florida Thinking. About north up mississippi to Dakotas across to Seattle down Oregon then back... Need some help planning our first rv trip from Florida to Oregon
Just got rv and want to leave end July stay on road maybe two months prefer national parks, state parks
Need some cooler weather out Florida
Thinking. About north up mississippi to Dakotas across to Seattle down Oregon then back to florida
I know we are late in planning but rv just came to us.
Thanks ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips Lazy dazer http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30377-Summer-rv-trip http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30376-Quiet-Camping-Spots&goto=newpost Mon, 14 May 2012 22:29:41 GMT Hi,
I just moved to seattle and am thinking of taking a road trip or two this summer. Unfortunately I have a dog that doesnt like other dogs so I am hoping to go to places that aren't extremely crowded. Was thinking of going down the coast, and checking out some of the forests in California, and/or heading further inland to wyoming/utah/colorado area. Love to go for the scenic hikes. Can anyone make some suggestions of less-busy camp sites, or general areas that wont be packed with people all summer?
Thanks. ]]> Planning Summer RoadTrips skf http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?30376-Quiet-Camping-Spots