La To Ny In 7 Days- Need Help Please :)

[rebecca]

Hi! I'm planning a road trip leaving July from LA to NY. I need to complete the trip in seven days. I am driving in a jeep 20mpg. I don't want to spend more than $2000. I could really use some tips on the top attractions along the way that I shouldn't miss and could fit into 7 days, so I can mapquest them all out etc... There are two drivers. Also where can I look to find lodging along the way? I am planning to also pack the jeep with my belongings (all in sealed boxes- I am moving it is just clothes though) I would like to plan all this before as we are also travelling with a two year old. This is my first road trip :) and I have hardly seen anything along this route so all your help/ tips are greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!!

[luckyigol]

I have no experience with road trips either. I am in the middle of planning my first, so I don't know how realistic your idea of driving with a 2yr old from LA to NY is... but I have a bit of information to share. I was planning a trip from NY to Yellowstone and then the Grand Canyon and back to NY. I believe the route we were going to take home, would be a direction you can start with. We were going to go via Rt 40 most of the way. And then start heading North via RT81. It would take us from the Grand Canyon, to TN, Memphis- Beale St, BBQ, Alex Haley home, Graceland Chattenooga- Look Out Mtn, Near Whitwell - Paperclips Museum; Knoxville- Dollywood Great Smokey Mtn Nat’l Pk or go Blue Ridge Mtn Pkwy Charlottesville, Monticello, Jefferson Home, Up to Lurey Caverns, PA- Amish Country or Hershey
That is not necessarily in the correct order of appearance, it is from memory. Again, I don't know how realistic your plan is but I hope you make it and have a great time. I hope I have helped give you a direction, I know I needed it myself and still do.

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA forum!

If you've got 7 days for this trip, your time for siteseeing will be fairly limited. Plan for about 5 full days just to cover the distance, that leaves either 2 days to explore, or you could scale back your pace a little and scatter a few more things stoping more and driving less each day.

Of course the what to see is really endless with possibilities. You've got virtually all of the US between points A and B, so the potential things that you "shouldn't miss" will depend upon which way you go and what your interests are. I can tell you that there will certainly be more great things to potentially see then you could possibly fit into this trip.

Money wise, you really should be fine. Even with a moderate budget, you shouldn't have any problems keeping this trip under $2k.