Another newcomer thread =]

Me and the girlfriend want to pack our bags and hit the road for a while in the later spring/summer, from about May-June maybe. We have about a month of time off from work and school and we want to take a nice long trip.

Now, I remember from roads trips when I was younger with my dad (I'm only 20 now) we'd always go to Rapid City, SD, Black Hills, and Mall of America. I would like for my girlfriend to see those place, excluding Mall of America because it does get old after a while. Also, I have been up north (I'm from Chicago), to Mackinaw Island, Michigan.

What I guess I'm asking is where could we go, beside Rapid City, Black Hills, etc? We like the open country a ton after growing up in a huge city.

Also (and sorry I don't know if this is the place for this question so please move the thread if I'm posting in the wrong topic) I have a 2D 1997 Toyota Tercel. It runs perfectly, but how would you say taking a road trip in a such a small car would be? I think the longest one way trip in this car was 70 miles maybe at the most and it was comfortable but how about a 3-4 thousand mile road trip? Would I be endangering us driving cross-country in such a small car?

Thanks guys =]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

If your car is in good reliable condition and you have it checked/serviced by a competent mechanic who is informed of your intentions prior to leaving and is given the all clear then there is no reason not to take it and I am not sure why you would feel "endangered." [?] As you are only 20 years of age there is a very good reason to take it as you could have problems getting a rental and if you did there would be a hefty "young drivers fee" which over the course of a month could amount to $750 or more plus normal rental costs. It might be worth joining a roadside recovery Co such as AAA.

As for the trip itself you really need to get a good map and have a look around the RTA pages for some ideas as to what appeals to you and start putting some dots on the map as there are thousands of options ! As you are heading towards Rapid city, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons would be a couple of obvious choices and for more great scenery of a different sort, I would consider heading South to Southern Utah and visit places such as Zion NP, Bryce canyon, Arches and Canyonlands and back through Colorado where there is an abundance of great scenery, small towns and great driving roads. Heading as far South as the Grand canyon wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibilities with a Month long trip. You might want to head for the West coast as an option, there are just so many options so
have a good look around and start building a "wish list" and then we can help you to put it all together.

Enjoy the planning !

Yes, my car is in near perfect condition so I guess it would be ok.

I have another question. Has anyone taken a trip up through Canada to Alaska? Is it feasible to drive there?

It is not only feasible, it's easier to do now than ever before. The Alaska Highway is now fully paved (except for some construction zones). Chicago to either Fairbanks or Anchorage is about 3500 miles, and will take you a whole week of steady driving. If you decide to do it, buy a copy of the Milepost. What you may want to do is take the highway in one direction and take the ferry to/from Seattle the other direction. You will need passports.