Road trip around the entire US

Hiya! Me and a friend are planning a road trip for next summer. I've planned many trips, but none quit as big as this one. We want to travel around the border of the US. Starting in Dallas over to Southern Cali, up to Seattle, back over to Boston, down to Miami, and back to Dallas. With many stops in between of course. We've got about 7 weeks to do this in August/September. Is this doable? Or is it absolutely mental? I've got only about a million more questions, but I thought this would be a good starting point!

Thank ya,

the yankee brit

Welcome to RTA!

Yes, it's possible. If you just drove, and only stopped overnight and for food-fuel-rest room stops, you could drive this in about 21 days. So with 49 days at your disposal, you would have time to stop and do sightseeing. However, depending on what you want to actually see, they may not be long stops.

My husband and I have done three long road trips of about 6 or 7 weeks. One was back in 2000, when I was not a member of RTA, so it's not documented here. We went up the Alaska Highway and back. Another was in 2014 - it's documented here. It was San Diego - Houston - Missouri - Gettysburg - Chicago area - northern Wisconsin and Minnesota - North and South Dakota - Yellowstone - Grand Tetons - back home to San Diego via the San Francisco Bay area. A different trip in 2012 took us from San Diego to Orlando FL via Phoenix and Dallas, then up to Acadia in Maine, then back to Missouri. It is documented here. Our more recent trip was only 33 days. Hubby retired permanently in 2011, and I'm a teacher, so we have our summers.

As you are planning, do take into consideration the American Labor Day weekend. Labor Day is the first Monday in September. Wherever you plan to be, you will need reservations, especially if you are in a tourist or beach area.



Donna

Thank you so much! I will take a look at your trips. I know we won't have a lot of time at each stop. I've been to a lot of the cities, not as an adult, but it's more about the road trip for me. And the national parks. But my friend is from the UK and hasn't seen anywhere outside of Disney World. So, she will get to see bits and pieces of different cities through out the country.

Also, we are college students, so obviously on a budget. We were trying to keep it under $6,000. Is that doable? Or is that insane? Or could it be done for even cheaper. We're willing to camp when we're not stopped in a big city..

Thanks again!

the yankee brit

At the end of each of my trip reports, I posted an expense report. My husband and I would budget $1000 per week, but we weren't including a car rental in that, since we travel in one of our own vehicles.

We have an entire forum called Saving Money on Your Trip. There are some great threads in there. But the basics:

* If you decide to camp, use state and national forest and park campgrounds for a lower price. Bear in mind that these do not always have shower facilities, and those that do may have coin-op or buy-a-card-to-use system of some sort.

* Keep eating out to one meal a day for a big savings. Stop at a grocery store or big box store along the way, pick up cereal and sandwich makings. Buy your drinks/water/whathaveyou there as well. The more you stop at a restaurant or convenience store, the more you spend. At least, that's been our experience.

* In a city, you may find that staying in the suburbs is less expensive than in the downtown of the city. I know that's true of Albuquerque, Denver, and Oklahoma City, anyway.


Donna

A couple of things you may like to consider, while planning this trip.

Firstly, it would be a great benefit to both of you if you both took this quiz - independently, and discuss how you responded. Just to make sure you are both on the same page. Seven weeks is a long time to spend in a car with one person, so it would pay you to plan regular free days, where you each go your own way.

In 2007 I drove from Atlantic City to Key West down the coastal road the whole way, and I can highly recommend it. It was a most enjoyable trip, with much to see, and ferry trips along the way. There are a couple of roadtripping books which give more ideas .

So now you can ask the other 999.999 questions.

Lifey