Toronto to LA through the 4 corners back

Hello all,

Just found this site....very interesting and great.

I am planning a road trip on June 1st to LA from Toronto, Canada and plan to be home by the 23rd of June. 4 days in Vegas from June 4-7th and one week in LA after that.

Check out the link below.

I am looking for any suggestions, sites along my route, alternative routes etc.

My girlfriend and were planning to leave Monday June 1st and drive to Omaha NE for 17 hours straight. That might be a bit much, so we decided to leave Sunday around 3am instead and take it easy. Plan to be in Vegas by Thursday.

Merriman, NE was a random blind choice on the map of the USA one day. Being close to Mount Rushmore was a plus ,I guess. Then we have a mammoth dig to check out.

Tryin gto get the Sandiego zoo in, and grand canyon, but probably won't fit it in.
I wanted to check out the Mesa Verde National park on the way home too.

Salt Lake city on the way there was the Google maps default as was Denver on the way home. Lincoln NE is where I finished off, but back to Toronto is the goal.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...,40.517578&z=5


Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks
Dave

TO to Omaha is a full 2 day drive. You have some other legs on there that are pushing it too. Point to point, figure 500 to 600 miles a day max if you are taking Interstate highways, less on secondary roads and if you want to do any sightseeing.

Hello and welcome to the R.T.A. forums.

It's hard to make suggestions when we really don't know what your goal is or your interests. At this point it would suggest you want to get out West as quickly as possible and spend a reasonable amount of time in LA so at this stage I would ask if you have thought about flying to the West coast and maybe flying back out from SLC or Denver for example to allow you more time exploring the West.
As you are at the moment you are going to spend 11 long days on the road, 2 in Vegas and 7 in LA so it doesn't leave a lot of room to get off your main route and see some of the amazing scenery the West has to offer.

Hello,

Thanks for the comments. I think we might leave Sat. or Sun morning now (May 30-31st). Omaha is a bit much for one day, what was I thinking?

Any place to stay between Omaha and Toronto? Chicago might be too expensive? Does anyone have any suggestions for hotels along my route? Motel 8's should be good enough.

The goal is to hit Vegas for Thursday the 4th and stay until Monday, and then spend the rest of the time in LA at the beach.

My girlfriend and I will be taking 3-4 hour shifts so 700 miles/day might be possible.

I believe that route is the most efficient taking into account Mt Rushmore.
If there is anything beautiful to see on or close to that route please let me know. If there is a must that might be a couple of hours away I would love to know.
Flying is not an option.
We'll be leaving LA on the 15th to be back on the 21st.
Is the Grand Canyon a must?
Passing through Mesa Verde National Park to see the Anasazi houses.

Thanks
Dave

Chicago is the logical stop, but if you go just a bit farther west on I-80, you should be able to find a reasonably priced budget hotel off the Interstate. There's a Super 8 in Morris, rates are in the $50 to $60 range. Morris is only about 50 miles west of the IN-IL state line, and that would be a 550 mile day. I would not recommend staying in Joliet.

Does any one know any good but cheap hotels near the beach in LA, Santa Monica...trying to stay away from hllywood and the airport.

Santa Monica and cheap is an oxymoron. Staying anywhere near the beach starts at around $130 a night for a dump. It's $150 plus for something that's decent. If you go inland a couple miles, there's a $85 Days Inn.

Thanks GLC for all your advice.

Two more questions...

I am passing through Cheyenne Wyoming on the way down...any where to check out a ranch and do some horseback riding? Or should I do it on the way home through the desert?

Second, we will have alot of bags, would it be advisable to bring them all in everynight?

Thanks

I think it would depend on what you were driving. If you have a sedan with a trunk, you would *probably* be okay leaving stuff in it, but if anything is visible from outside the vehicle, it would be worth thinking about it. It would also depend on the type of area you are in and how secure the parking appears.