Introducing myself and needing some tips!

[Felipe2707]

First of all, hello to all of you! My name is Felipe, i'm from Chile (You probably don't know where that is) and i believe i am the most frustrated american that exists. I've been to the US 7 times, i just love it. Everytime i go, i'm already planning the next one!

So here is were I may be needing a lot of tips.

We already have plane tickets to LA and we will be connecting to Seattle (we will be staying in the US plenty of time, like 25 days or so) and what we want to do is to pick up a car in Seattle and drive back to LA, of course we want to see as much as we can in the way. Here is when i need your help, what would you reccomend? Which places to stay? Mi idea was like 2 days in Seattle, then there is Portland i believe in the way, but from Portland to LA there is nothing i know. Are there national parks along the way? i'm open to all suggestions.

The places that we want to go no matter what are: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Seattle, Portland.

Best regards :) (and sorry for my poor english)

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

With 25 days in the US you can pretty much go where you want to, so it's a case of doing a bit more research and seeing what appeals to you. Between Seattle and SF you have the likes of Mt Ranier, Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake, plus the various Redwood locations and scenic drives down the coast.

From San Fran you could head inland to the National parks of Yosemite, Sequoia and Death valley on route to Vegas. Depending on how much time is still left a this point you could head direct to Grand canyon before going back to LA, or you could head into Southern Utah and visit National parks such as Zion and Bryce canyon and then head through Page AZ [Antelope canyon, Lake Powell, Glen canyon] and detour to Monument valley and then to the Grand canyon.

You can get from GC to LA in the same day, or you could go through Red rock country in the Sedona area and/or via Joshua Tree NP and Palm Springs area.

We will be able to help more once you have sat down with a good map and start to build a picture of the timeframe etc. You have put your trip in Fall and winter road trips, if you are travelling in late Fall or during the winter, weather may impact on your plans.

[Your English is fine ! ;-) ]

[Felipe2707]

Thanks so much for the short response time! I know my trip isn't common enough, but it is what it is! We will be arriving in Seattle in January 28, 2014 (I know, it's a long way, but that's good because i have a year to plan ahead!) and my biggest concern is what to do and where to sleep between Seattle and San Francisco, because it's a long way and we don't want to be driving the whole day. In your opinion, from Seattle to San Francisco, regardless of the places to visit as Columbia River, Crater Lake, etc. Which towns or cities should i be looking to stay the night (Or, if it is a big city, maybe 2 nights)? And Your reccomendation would be Seattle-->SF-->Parks such as Yosemite, Death Valley-->Las Vegas--> Southern Utah OR directle to Grand Canyon-->LA. Did i get it right? Thanks for all the help, i really appreciate it !

[Southwest Dave]

Your trip is not uncommon at all, you could do the trip from Seattle to San Francisco in 2 comfortable days. What I was trying to explain is that with the time you have, there are many many options from which you could choose. You will never have a problem finding somewhere to sleep, or be far away from a town or City. The towns and Cities you should be looking to stay for the night will largely depend on where exactly you want to go.

The places I suggested are just a small example of where you could go, and that's why I suggest you study a good map and do some more research to see what attracts you. Utah is nowhere near "between Seattle and LA" but you would have time depending on things such as how long do you want to stay in one place, how far do you want to drive and so on.

As I mentioned earlier, winter weather can play a part in your planning, as places like Crater Lake, Yosemite and Sequoia will have restrictions and road closures in place and you would have to carry snow chains and be prepared to use them in some areas as you aare travelling in the middle of winter. You will need to pay attention to the weather and road conditions when travelling and expect to see snow and ice. Of course winter weather could impact your plans just about anywhere, but the weather is totally unpredictable until you are there. Travelling at this time of year has the advantage of not having to book things in advance if you don't want to, therefor you have the option to hit the road and just see where you end up for the night. You already have a list of places you want to visit so I would start to break your trip into segments and look at what options there are between your main points of focus. Perhaps the Oregon and California coast will appeal to you and there are various seaside towns in which to stay, but until you have worked on which routes you want to take, it's impossible to say where to stay.

Like you said, you have plenty of time for planning and deciding on where you want to go and you should enjoy it, it can be fun ! You will need to work out how much time you want to spend travelling from Seattle to San Francisco, 2 days, a week, or longer [?] and then look for places to stay. Every roadtrip is unique to the individual as it gives you the choice and freedom to go where you want, and not have someone tell you where you should go and what you should do. We will be happy to help you with your planning and offer tips and suggestions when needed, but you need to work out the basics for us to help you. If we simply tell you where to go it won't be your trip and you might as well go to a travel agent. Make it your own!