Scottsdale, AZ to Brooklyn, NY the first week of January

[dianawesome]

Hi there! My boyfriend and I are taking the first week of January to drive from AZ to NYC, and we proven to be less-than-great at planning—we don't know where to start! This is the route we've chosen (out of 3 that Google Maps suggested), but we're open to other suggestions: http://g.co/maps/x8mey

Would love tips for towns to stop in, roads to take, attractions, restaurants, etc....anything you've got! Thanks in advance :)

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Although Google has given you 3 options, there will be hundreds of combinations of route numbers that you could choose from and you should base your trip on your personal interests, not ours or by following a mapping program route. Make it your own. As we have no idea what your interests are it is impossible to make meaningful suggestions. It's close to a 5 day drive without any delays or weather disruption, so you have a bit of time to explore, but not a whole lot !

I put your route into the RTA Map centre program and it came up with more than 100 attractions. You can zoom in on the map and click on the icons to see if anything appeals to you.



That should help get you started, then when you have a couple of dots on the map, share a little more info [like your interests] and ask more questions, I'm sure someone will have the answers and more suggestions.

Enjoy the planning !

[ShelleyW8]

Hi there,

Sounds like a great trip. If you end up staying on RT 70 an coming through Columbus, OH a bit to the north of where mapquest wants to send you, we have the #1 zoo in the country. Almost everyone knows Jack Hanna because he is always taking animals on David Letterman and other shows, but he has really done amazing things with our zoo. You could easily spend an entire day. We are world famous for the gorillas, polar bears, bonobos and other animals. Made news last year with a baby elephant birth. Maybe your thing, maybe not, but it is an excellent park. Its open year round and there is lots to see in the winter, along with fewer crowds. The Air Museum in Dayton, OH is also excellent if that is up your alley.

Shelley

[dianawesome]

Thanks for the suggestions thus far! Re our interests when it comes to this trip, I suppose it's been hard to plan because we're looking for more "slice of life" type of spots rather than museums, Civil War monuments, etc. (though we may have to check out that zoo!). Every time we take mini road trips to PA, the most fun for us is just wandering around small town (we love New Hope) and spending way too much time discussing how nice everyone is outside of NYC. :)

So...something a little off-center or quirky, like:
- the best antique shop or flea market in West Virgina (I hear there's plenty off good ones there?)
- the best BBQ in Texas (we're passing through Amarillo, specifically)
- the best fried chicken in Kentucky
- a cute "walking town" (like New Hope, PA...not sure I'm describing it right!) in one of the states
- best view in [any state]
- best drive-in movie theater

Some things on our list so far:
- the Mystery Hole in WV...anyone been? http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10971
- a couple of restaurants from the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...Dives_episodes

Finally, another question...do you think it'll be fairly easy for us to find a motel or inn without finding one ahead of time? I've read varying opinions. My boyfriend thinks it'll be fine, especially since most of the trip is taking place on a weekday. I'm more of a planner. Any opinions from the experts here? :)

Thank you all SO much!

[glc]

I can't help you with the best BBQ in Texas, but for a great steak dinner in Amarillo, I can recommend the Big Texan. This is the place where if you can eat a whole 72 oz steak dinner in an hour you get it free. For people with normal appetites, the rib eye steaks are excellent and offered in different sizes. There is also a motel on premises that's done up in an Old West decor, and as a motel it's pretty decent.

I highly doubt that you would need to make any hotel reservations anywhere unless your preferences and/or requirements are pretty specific. All the Interstate highways have a decent selection of hotels at major interchanges. I prefer to remain flexible and stop when I want/need to, and I've never been completely shut out. If you have a smartphone, hotels.com does have an app that could come in handy.