Massive Tour De America with four freshmen college students

Hello anyone reading this,
My name is Matthew Reate and I am a freshmen in college in San Diego California. I am a media communications major which means I want to be a director. Recently I started to notice something about comedy movies, many roadtrip comedies do great in the box office. People love them. Which made me think why? Because of all the different unique things that can happen any minute. I wanted to make one, but unfortuantley I am not great at writing comedy for film. I am however pretty good at documentaries. I started thinking, where should I go? Who should I go with? How am I going to get there? Answers: Vanburen Maine, three other college guys, a pick up truck. Since i live in the bottom left hand corner of the united states it only seemed natural to go as far as I could, which is the Van buren Maine, the top right hand corner. Four college guys are bound to make a trip interesting and especially if we rough it in a car. So thats the plan. Make a documentary about our trip from the bottom left to the top right corners of our country and back. One way going along the bottom, coming back through the top. The only question is, has this ever been done before? Im crunching numbers and it seems like each of us is going to need 1k saved up for the trip to be a success. Let me also tell you that were only staying in a hotel twice, the other 24 days are going to be either somewhere random or in a campgorund. Somehow the trip got named "Project Mango", sounds like a teen flick cliche to me, nameing anything with the word "project" but hell it stuck. The mango part I have no clue, I think it just sounded good. We need your help, we need suggestions on gas money, food money, extra expenditures. Please understand that we are not rich college students, but have the desire to still explore this great land. Thanks for reading if you got this far down the page.

-Matthew Reate

You don't say specifically - but it looks like you have 24 - 26 days? You mention 2 hotel nights, & other 24 camping.

YES - each person take your $1,000.00. Also, have some extra emergency money in a bank account you can access if needed.


You won't be able to do the WHOLE loop & still get any "comedy" out of it in only 3-4 weeks.

Here's a suggested itinerary that is still "NUTS" !

Day 1 - San Diego to EL PASO Texas or OKLAHOMA CITY

Day 4 - start out towards ATLANTA Georgia

Day 8 - to CHARLESTON South Carolina

Day 10 - to WASHINGTON D.C.

Day 12 - to VAN BUREN, Maine

Day 15 - to NIAGARA FALLS, New York

Day 17 - to CHICAGO, Illinois

Day 18 - to BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, South Dakota (near Wall, SD)

Day 20 - through DEADWOOD & LEAD to DEVIL'S TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT (near Sundance, Wyoming)

Day 21 - to YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming

Day 24 - leave this area from Jackson Wyoming (south end of Grand Teton Nat'l Pk which is attached to Yellowstone) to PORTLAND, Oregon

Day 25/26 or 26/27 - getting back to SAN DIEGO


You won't have time to enjoy any of the above. I've suggested long days of driving, mixed with at least a one day stop once you arrive somewhere. You'll need the break. Plus you'll be missing so much of the amazing country if you just keep driving.

Get a NATIONAL PARKS PASS ($50 for the vehicle - no matter how many are in it). This gets you entry into all the national parks. Campgrounds are extra - about $15 - $20 per night. Showers at the national parks are about $2 - $3.

Bring a cooler for snacks. Stop at grocery stores in small towns to get fresh fruit, or other easily eaten / prepared foods. Always have drinking water with you. Be smart with keeping your gas tank filled - especially across the desert.

Ok, I know once you look at this itenerary your going to say "By god this man is mad!'. But please keep in mind that I have to start school again in August so there really isnt that much more time for longer stays. I also understand that we will miss TONS of things, but hopefully each person will get to experience at least two or more things they wanted to see. This film will be about endurance which we will need lots of to get through. Were not rich and can not afford many more days, possibly one or two stops if someone wants to suggest a place worth while to stop for more than a day. Keep it cheap, remember this whole film is about surviving on a low budget. Thanks for the tip about the National Park Pass, I will definatley get one.

I started writing and forgot to post the link. Here it is.

http://www.geocities.com/mattreate/corner.htm

I assume you'll all have your PASSPORTS to slip across into Canada?

Also - please always ADD AN HOUR per every 7-8 hours estimated travel times you get off these internet maps. They are NEVER right.


AUG. 1 - Jump across to Canada right from Van Buren - Canada hwy #2 to #185 to Riviere-du-Loop to #20 through Quebec City to Montreal. (6-1/2 - 7 hrs)


Aug. 3 - from Cooperstown - go back across Canada (ONTARIO) - see Niagara Falls (Canadian side view) - to Chicago.

The full distance (Cooperstown to Chicago) ends up about the same 13-14 hrs.

#403 to London Ontario to #402 to Sarnia border crossing. USA - through Flint & Lansing, to Chicago.



AUG. 6 - Coon Rapids to BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK (Wall, SD area) is 8-9 hrs (545 miles). Leave at 6 a.m. as planned. The drive through Badlands is about 2-3 hrs max. "one-way" right off I-90 & brings you out at Wall (still continuing west).

You don't want to miss going through this national park on your way since you go right past it. That then puts you at 11 hours or so to come out at WALL.

It is then only 1-1/2 hours to MT RUSHMORE.

This can all be done in one long day.

If you are still awake, Mt. Rushmore is open right till dark (9 or 10 p.m. in summer) & you can view it in the dark with the lights shining on it.


We stayed in a TEEPEE at THE ROOST RESORT near Mt. Rushmore. Same price as "camping" but you don't have to put up your own tent - just stay in their HUGE teepee (all 4 of you will fit in one teepee).

http://www.blackhills.com/roost/rates.htm

Your trip sounds like one of the "hypertours" from the Roadside America site. There are a couple that go coast-to-coast in 6/7 days, including sight-seeing (of a sort). You might check those out to get an idea or two: roadsideamerica.com

Thanks for that tip about roadside america. Is it really absolute neccessary to all have passports? I have one and I think one of the other guys does. Will drivers liscenses be enough?

Not driver's licences ----> BIRTH CERTIFICATES.

If you are crossing the border at all, and do not have a passport, you'll need your BIRTH CERTIFICATE (original copy) and photo I.D. (which can be your driver's licence).

Good to know, ill let the guys know that they need to get the original copies. Are there any sort of tolls for crossing?

Depending where you cross - for example at all the Buffalo / Niagara Falls area crossings there is about a $2 or $3 bridge toll.