Roadtrip- Sarnia, Ontario to wherever the roads take us!

Hey there! My friend and I are leaving for our roadtrip in less then week and we don't have much of anything planned and really, we didn't want to. She wants to stop in Nashville for a day and I would love to make our way up the coast of the Carolinas but we are open to anywhere and anything. My goal is to make it to as many states as we can in 10 days. Ditch the highways and take in the gorgeous scenery and history.
That is where you come in, all you avid roadtrip travellers out there who have been through all this before! To be honest, I am a roadtrip virgin! I would love to know all about the hidden gems out there! The lovely parks, restaurants and historic sites that may not be on those busy tourist areas and are secluded and beautiful.
We are also watching out for a budget so are looking to spend a few nights sleeping in the car. Where are the best places, camp grounds? walmarts? truck stops? And also, is it worth getting temporary CAA for (knock on wood) if the car breaks down in the middle of Alabama?
I just want to hear all about your stories, experiences, tips and favorite towns/cities and beaches! And also, are we crazy? Should we plan this alittle better what we have or should we just go for it?
Thanks!

Welcome to RTA!

To be perfectly honest, we could all throw ideas at you, but perhaps they wouldn't interest either of you. My advice would be to dig through this website then open up a map to see what type of routing you could take. Once you get some better ideas of the things that interest the two of you, you can come back here and we can help you fine tune.

Personally, staying in the car overnight is neither safe nor a good idea unless it's an absolute emergency. You just won't get a good night's sleep in your car in a parking lot someplace! It would be better to borrow a tent and a couple of sleeping bags, grab a cooler and some food, and do a little primitive camping. Your body would much prefer sleeping on the ground to sleeping in a car.

AAA/CAA is *always* a good idea. The price of the membership will be paid for two or three times over if you need a tow or a battery jump-start in the year you have the membership. Besides, you can also get maps and materials free, that will help you plan your trip.

BTW, a planned trip or a "go as you please" trip can be just as much fun. It all depends on your traveler profile, which as beginners, you are just developing! Ten days can get you about 1500 miles before you'll need to come home, trying not to have marathon driving days.

Oh - - you're not crazy. Because if YOU are, all of us who love the road are crazy!



Donna

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

The main thing to keep in mind on your first major RoadTrip is that there will be many, many more IF you enjoy this one enough to repeat it. So don't try to jam too much into this initial effort or you will simply turn yourself off to future endeavors. A simple, basic plan would be to use the old US highways that have been superceded by Interstates which often run parallel to the old roads just a few miles away. In your case, the 'direct' route would involve US-24. US-25, US-42, and US-31 down to Nashville. Because of the pace set by these roads, which is what you say you want, you'll need t budget at least two full days for the drive plus stops which might includeGreenfield Village, Wright Brothers locations and the Air Force Museum in Dayton, and Mammoth Cave National Park.

You could easily head east after your time in Nashville and take similar roads on the way home while following the Appalachian Mountains northeast through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, New River Gorge in West Virginia, and maybe even the first producing oil well in the world in Titus City, PA.

In the same vein, trying too hard to save money on overnight stays by sleeping in the car in truck center parking lots is not going to add to the pleasure of this trip. Decent motels can be had for $50 a night or less. Do a rough itinerary for your trip and figure out approximately where you'll end up in the evening and then do some on-line shopping to find a good rate. Often your best bets are out in the countryside near major highways rather than in cities or towns.

AZBuck