Seeing The US before settling down... lil help please :)
Next summer, after i graduate from ucsd i plan on taking a roadtrip around the US with my younger brother who will be 16 and a half and a junior in high school... I'm hoping it'll be one of those life memories, so im starting to plan it out now so that we'll be well prepared when the time comes (2 summers from now). Here's what I've figured out so far...
We live in San Diego, And we're going to driving through arizona and such to texas. In texas, we're going to check out a couple universities for my brother, and also hit up all the six flags (we're both into rollercoaster) which brings me to my first question... Is there some special deal with six flags in which if you have a season pass to one theme park you can go to any of the other ones? if so we could make it a theme road trip :)
from texas i wanna drive down to new orleans... when's mardi gras? last i checked it wasn't in the summer... but it would still be fun just to say that i've been there right?
from new orleans we'd drive thru those southern states and go down to orlando... spend a couple days at walt disney world.(gonna be expensive)
from orlando we're gonna go up the east coast, is there a beach highway? (like the 5 on the west coast)
hit up all those old ivy leagues... visit boston, DC, NYC Philly... from there we're gonna go to montreal to visit my aunts, and then where? yellowstone? and mount rushmore? is there anything else to do up in the northern states? wheres old faithful? then back down thru cali and finally back home...
i was hoping to do this trip in 3 weeks in my honda accord... is this wise?
we're planning on sleeping at least every other day in my car... and then showering when we could...
is there anywhere i can get free maps of landmarks and places i should see at least once in my life? am i missing anything? how much money should i allot for the entire trip for the two of us? What are some tips on how to save money? how many miles is it from coast to coast? and width? will the weather be too bad? are there any unforeseen things that i havent mentioned/thought about?
insight would be greatly appreciated :)
oh ya... when we sleep in our car... where should we sleep? where would it be safe?
good to see another SD roadtripper!
I just returned home to San Diego from a 4 month roadtrip through the US. As for the other post concerning AAA, I strongly recommend it. We had to be towed 3 times. Check out the AAA RV service or the AAA Plus Memberships. The cover more towing than the standard ( 5 free miles then $2.50/mile ... yeah, ouch ). Also with that card, you have access to tons of free maps, hotel guides, and camping directories. I have AAA book up the wazoo right now leftover from my trip, along with guides for all over the US.
I would highly recommend staying in a hotel or a tent as opposed to your car. You can get discount hotel coupons at Denny's, McDonalds, and State Welcome Centers. If you do stay in your car, I THINK you can sleep at truck plazas such as Flying J or Love's. They also have access to showers.
The highway you are looking to take on the East Coast is the 1 or 1A, although it isn't always scenic, it is about as coastal as you are going to get. I really don't know if you'd be able to fit much of it in, with the timeframe you have given.
In Arizona, don't miss the Grand Canyon if you haven't seen it before. Unless you have a National Park Pass, it will cost you $20 whether you stay for an hour or a week. Check into the Park Pass at www.NPS.gov . You get access to all the National Parks for one year for $50. I'm not a big fan of Texas. I've crossed the panhandle and the lower portion. Plan to spend at least a whole day just driving if you take the 10 or the 20 through Texas. New Orleans is fun, but not exactly for someone underage. A hotel discount guide can get you rooms near Bourbon Street at discounts up to 50%.
In Orlando, Disney World is an experience if nothing else. You won't find a lot of roller coasters in some of the parks. Before you purchase tickets, ask around in the city. We found someone with a step father who worked there and he got us 2 park hopper passes for free ( saved about $200).
In Boston, get a good map. In DC, make time for Arlington Cemetery (nearby) and for all the monuments. Philly is a cool town. I wished I could have stayed longer. Get a hotel in NYC around 54 and Broadway which will put you in walkind distance to times square and Central Park. Be prepared to pay up to $20 for parking. Check out hotels online at somewhere like www.hoteldiscounts.com
On your way back to Cali, Yellowstone is a must. Thats where you'll find Old Faithful, Paint Pots, Geysers, Cauldrons, and a ton of wildlife. It takes about a whole day to see it all, but its well worth it. If it comes down to time, I would choose Yellowstone over Rushmore. PS... you can see Rushmore without ever stopping, it is visible from the highway. If any time is left, drive through Yosemite in Cali. It's beautiful. Again, that National Park pass is going to save you at these places. Yellowstone and Yosemite are each $20 without the pass. Rushmore is $8 to park but no fee.
You are looking at a lot of miles for 3 weeks. Make it longer if you can. I did Cali to Florida to New York to Washington and back 2 years ago and it took tons of driving and 4 weeks. Plus we all hated eachother by the time we got home. Gas will cost you at least $30 a day. Take a cooler and shop at grocery stores to save on food cost.
Anything I missed? Our trip is posted on www.thelongroadtovegas.com if you want to see pics. (Rushmore, Yosemite, Yellowstone are all on there).
Drop me an email if you need any other info!
Good Luck