NYC to LA via Chicago, Vegas & SF
Hi guys, first-time poster, long-time reader. Thanks for a great site!
Me and a friend are planning a May (2015) trip from NYC to LA. We have a very strict 21 days to complete, minus 2 days for the flights, minus 1 day in NYC and 1 day LA. So that leaves a total of 17 days for the actual drive. We would also like to spend a non-driving day in Chicago, Denver, SF and Las Vegas, so that would bring the driving days down to 13. We are planning not to follow the I-80 all the way through; rather after Nebraska we would like to go via Denver and through the Rockies into Utah, followed by Monument Valley and Arizona, and then Las Vegas.
My questions please, if anyone would be kind enough to consider them, are:
1) Is it reasonable to expect to do all that in that time-frame? And more importantly, will it be enjoyable or will the driving days simply be too long and always stretching into the night?
2) Is it boring driving on the Interstates? In particular, the I-80, which will be around half of this planned trip? This is one of my concerns. A lot of people here seem to suggest following the smaller highways, but we would surely not have enough time for that. On this trip, we would be on smaller roads for only a tiny amount of the time - would this make the whole experience less desirable?
3) Is the Pacific Coast highway from SF to LA worth it, scenery-wise?
4) Would you recommend driving through/visiting the Death Valley in California?
Thank you for your time!
Also be aware of conditions.
Quote:
Yosemite NP definitely, it sounds/looks great!
One thing worth mentioning here is that Spring comes late high uo in the mountains and the route I described previously would need to be checked out before travelling towards Tioga Pass. This typically opens sometime from Mid May to June when they have cleared the pass of winter snow. If it were closed you can still visit Yosemite valley it would just mean you would have to go south around the mountains via Lake Isabella/Bakersfield. The waterfalls are usually around full flow this time of year and will make a spectacular site !
If you had intentions of going into Rocky mountain NP near Denver you might face similar issues with the Trail Ridge road although much of the park will be open and offers great Alpine scenery.
Boredom and Pacing Yourself
All the advice you've gotten so far has been pretty much spot on, particularly regarding maps and GPS, but there is one concern you raised which I haven't seen addressed and that is whether Interstates are boring and whether you'd have time to do significant 'back road' driving instead. The Interstates are just a tool. They are essentially the same as British Motorways. If used properly, they can be used to travel considerable distances in a fairly short period of time. But if misused, they can become boring death traps due to the relatively high traffic volume and speeds. Besides the obvious misuses like speeding or driving while intoxicated, there is another misuse that people can fall trap to. That is simply driving for hours on end in a vain attempt to 'make good time'. This can lead to boredom or in its worst form, highway hypnosis, a situation where you're not really seeing the big picture, the traffic or the scenery any more, just the few feet in front of you. The easiest cure and the way to avoid it in the first pace is simply to get off the freeway every few hours for a quick break. Besides being a safety measure, this is a great chance to see a bit of the country you'll be driving through.
You can also, of course, mix and match Interstates and some of the older back roads to vary your driving experience. Another way to avoid boredom. But this will have to be planned out in advance using paper maps which will give you the best overview of major routes and alternatives. Here are a few suggestions of places where the old US highways or even state roads will be a good scenic choice without costing too much in the way of extra driving hours.
Between Youngstown OH and Chicago, I-80 is a series of toll roads which not only cost money, but have limited opportunities for getting on/off. Take a look instead at using I-76 to US-224 to Van Wert OH, US-30 to Valparaiso IN and then reconnecting with I-80 via IN-49. You'll have had a more interesting drive that's a good bit cheaper, and not cost yourself too much time since for much of their lengths those highways are near-freeway quality anyway.
Another place to get off the Interstate is through western Nebraska. I-80 is a fine road, but you'll be following the basic route of the old Oregon Trail which was used by pioneers headed west. There are lots of historic sites and landmarks along the Platte River and US-30 provides a good alternative that lets you top and see those that pique your interest.
If you use I-70 through Colorado, I'd also suggest that you seriously consider using US-6 over the Continental Divide via Loveland Pass rather than staying on I-70 between Exits 216 and 205 and going under the mountains through Eisenhower Tunnel. Guess which route is more scenic! Having done that, you'll be a bit far south to use I-80 across Nevada, but US-50 is a good alternative. You'd pick it up in western Utah, then in Ely NV you could choose to stay on it (It bills itself as the "Loneliest Road".) or you could switch over to US-6 to head for Tioga Pass (CA-120) and Yosemite. As noted by Dave, you'll need to make sure that Tioga Pass is open before heading that way.
AZBuck