I need experienced ppl's opinions of my plans please.

[sarafinna]

I am taking my 80 yr old dad on a roadtrip. We will be leaving Western Ky and driving Rt 66 to L.A.. I would like to do a bit of sightseeing such as the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, the beach, Sequoia's , Laguna Beach (where my dad lived in the 60's) and other things that catch our interest. I don't plan on spending an extended amt of time in any place. Anyway-I would love to drive to Northern Cali and drive a different route home through Colorado and the middle U.S.. I have 16 days set aside for this trip. Is it going to be possible to do this? Also I have $3000 alotted for the trip and need to know if this sounds like a reasonable amt. to cover the trip. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. We are leaving June 9th.

[RedCorral]

Hi,

Good questions, all. And the answers depend on several things.

1. Your car's mileage. 2. Your collective appetite. 3. Your choice of accommodations. 4. And finally, your 80 year old father's stamina.

Here is how I'd look at it.

First, lets say your itinerary, to get in all the things you mentioned, is roughly SW KY to Laguna Beach - to San Francisco - to Denver - to SW KY. If that is approximately true, then the mileage is at least 5,000 total (virtually all freeway driving). That is an average of about 312 miles, or 5.6 hours per day. Keep in mind that the reality is that you'll drive as much as 10-20% more miles than you predict.

If your car averages 20mpg and the cheap gas is about $3.35 per gallon (it is more in the west than it probably is in KY), your gas bill will be in the neighborhood of $800-$900.

If you eat mostly at inexpensive restaurants, you should be able to keep food to $80 per day for the two of you. That is a total of $1,280.

That means you've got between $800-$900 left for lodging. That is $50-$56 per day for that all important good nights sleep.

If your car gets better than 20mpg average (mountains have a nasty effect on mpg), and you love salads or picnics, you might be able to afford decent enough places to stay. So, I'd say logistically, it can be done.

The #4 question is the big one. Can your father handle 5-6 hours per day in a car for two weeks? Mine couldn't and I don't know many who could. Add to that the challenge of spending any time at all at the places you want to see and still have time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and biology breaks. I'd love to hear someone else's evaluation, but my read is that you probably need to do some editing of your ambitions.

I hope you find a way to make it work. I'm sure your dad will love it, if it isn't to much of a strain.

Craig

co-author of America's Living History-The Early Years

[sarafinna]

dad is in excellent shape and health. i am very confident that he has plenty of stamina, actually maybe more than me! lol. gas mileage is app. 20 mpg, we plan on eating 1 meal per day out of the cooler and eating cheaply otherwise and staying in reasonable hotels as much as possible. i hadn't figured the miles per day so that is very helpful. thx.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I am taking my 80 yr old dad on a roadtrip. We will be leaving Western Ky and driving Rt 66 to L.A..

Following Route 66 can be a little challenging, but several members have done it. Here is one thread that discusses such a trip and here is Guy Randall's site, which is just about the best site I know for pre-planning Route 66 trips. Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! I took my Dad back to his home town of Havre, Montana a while back and while his stamina is also pretty good -- days in the saddle can be fatiguing and the fatigue shows up in unexpected ways and so I would suggest you build some more "down-time" into the schedule if you can.

Anyway-I would love to drive to Northern Cali

Here is a list of our favorite threads discussing such routes and I-70 is one of my favorite roads in the west -- here is a field report.

Mark

[RedCorral]

Hi,

Glad to hear your dad is in good shape. I did a little more figuring and if you go from Laguna Beach to Sequoia National Park, then back south to Bakersfield before heading east, then catching I-15 in Barstow and heading northeast through Las Vegas, to I-70 through Colorado you can shave maybe 350 miles, which is only about 20 miles per day, but hey, every little bit helps. As you'll find, there are lots of things to see along the way, but you'll have to pick the absolute must see's for your self.

Some sights that are close to the route are:
Acoma Pueblo Indian Village, east of Albuquerque
Petrified Forest National Park, eastern Arizona
Zion National Park, southwest Utah
Arches National Park, east/central Utah

There are many others, of course, but this will get you started.

Be sure to keep water (not sodas), healthy snacks in the car. If he can drive an hour out of every 2 or 3 or 4 it will be of a great help to you.

Other than that, be sure to have a good road emergency service. You don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a blown radiator hose and no idea who to call on your cell phone.

Let us know how it went.

Craig