East to West Coast in 2 weeks

Dear friendly travellers and sedentaries,

I am planning to travel with my car from Washington, D.C to San Francisco !

Seems like i have landed on the good forum for this sort of crazyness. What places would you recommend me to go to ? t I'd like to reach SF in 15 days. My initial plan is to go through the south, meaning:
- Smokey Mountains
- Nashville
- Windsor Ruins?
- New Orleans
After I'm not so sure, maybe continue through New Mexico. Or do you recommend going more up north ?

I would eventually like to reach Colorado, Utah and/or Arizona, and see the beautiful parks there (Grand Canyon, etc).

Thank you in advance for your tips!

And here's the good news : You can join in too !! I'd be leaving from DC westwards on Tuesday. I have 3 spots left in my car, so if you know anyoune who needs a drive, feel free to text me (number below). I am 24y old french-swiss, very easy going, curious, and for sure we'll have blast.

Hope to cya soon
Basile

Phone Number removed per forum policy (see below).

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I'm assuming this is a one way trip?

The where to go is really a question that no one here can answer for you. You're talking about a trip across the entire US, so the possibilities are endless and we have no idea about what things you are interested in seeing and doing. It takes about a week to drive directly from coast to coast, before you start adding in detours and stops, so with 2 weeks, you really aren't too limited on your options - as long as you understand you'll have to keep moving no matter where you go.

Once you have an idea about what you are looking for, we'd be in a much better position to offer ideas and suggestions, but you have to narrow things down a bit first.

Hi Michael,
You are right ! I just edited my initial post above. I have some better plans now after having looked at some websites.
And yes, it's a one-way trip. Thank you for your responses !
Basile

For future reference, it is considered very rude to edit your post after someone has responded to it - as it makes it difficult for others to then understand the thread. Please simply add whatever new information you'd like to include in a reply.

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Hi Basile, and welcome to the RTA Forum.

Now that I can see your interests a little better, here's a plan. If you want to visit the Great Smokeys, then start at Front Royal, VA (just west of DC) and take the Skyline Drive, which connects to the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way south to North Carolina. It isn't any interstate highway, but it does wind along the ridge of the mountains and provides plenty of access to towns and cities in the valleys below. You should allow at least two to three days to travel the entire length with lots of stops and side trips.

I'm not sure what you meant by Windsor Ruins, but maybe you referred to Biltmore Estate near Asheville, NC. If so, that is another full day's visit to see the manse, gardens and forest. But you're in luck; it is another access point from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

If you want to see the national parks in the Arizona and Utah, it can be done by driving from Asheville up to Knoxville and then taking I-40 over to Flagstaff. From there you can see Grand Canyon and Sunset Crater. Then head north on Hwy 89 to Page and visit Glen Canyon, Zion Canyon and possibly Bryce Canyon. All are doable in three to four days.

I can't help you much with New Orleans, but it would seem to be a little off-route to see NO and do the other activities in 15 days. You might have to make some hard choices and narrow your focus. I hope I have been some help to you, and have a good and safe trip.

Dear Friends,

I plan on going from Nashville to New Orleans very soon ! We thought it's better to do it a 1.5 day trip, so leave in the afternoon from Nashville, and arrive in NO the evening next day.

So I was wondering, what places do you recommend us visiting? Horseshoe Bend National Park seems like a place to see, right ? =) What's your take on the city we should sleep in ?

Thank you in advance for your recommendations ! Looking forward !
Basile

Moderator Note: Please keep all questions about this trip in the same thread.

At 530 miles, it's a full day's drive, but if you're going start in the afternoon one day, you will do well to stay 100-200 miles from home - perhaps Huntsville, AL? Going to Horseshoe Bend National MILITARY Park will add another 150 miles to your trip, but only you can decide if that's a place you want to see and add that extra 2+ hours to your drive.


Donna

Hi Again Basile,

I think you might have been mislead on Horseshoe Bend Military Park if you found it on Google Maps. The pictures associated with the park in Alabama on that map are all of Horseshoe Bend in Arizona, a completely different place. I doubt that you will find any scenery like that at the Horseshoe Bend Military Park, if that is what you are looking for. You probably will see some nice fall colors in the trees, but you can see that on the Natchez Trace, a much more scenic route.

Start the Natchez Trace at Pasquo, TN, its northern terminus just south of Nashville, and overnight at Tupelo, MS. Then drive the rest of the way to Jackson and pick up I-55 there on into NOLA. That should take you about 5-6 hours the first day and 6-8 the second day. with time for stops along the way.

This is just a suggestion, but it would provide the best FREE scenery you can see between Nashville and New Orleans. And if you get to Tupelo early, you can visit Elvis's birthplace there.

Hi Harry and Donna,

Thank you so much for your help ! It has been very useful. I just arrived in New Orleans. As you advised me on the Horseshoe Bend i did not follow this road, and i went to see Graceland instead =)

I was thinking of driving to Texas and New Mexico in the coming days. I though of going to :
- Dallas (a friend lives there)
- Austin, and the Hamilton Pool closeby
- San Antonio?
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Santa Fe.

I'd like to do all of this in about 4 days. If you have any suggestion to this plan, i would be very grateful for your input ! Thanks so much again. You guys are amazing.

Basile