The Ultimate American Road Trip

*EDIT: I've decided that I would actually like to see and do things besides drive on this trip, so I've narrowed it to a decision of two trips:<BR>

1) New England, East Coast, Appalachians, The South<BR>
2) The West, Route 66, California, The Great Plains<BR>
* <BR>

In August of '06, my friends and I want to take a road trip that could possibly cover all 48 contiguous states. We're looking at about a month and a half and trying to do it as cheap as comfortably possible.

We want to hit all the great Western natural wonders and all the historical sites of the East, to put it generally. A couple of places per state, experiencing all the culture of this nation before college starts.

My list so far includes:
Alabama<BR>
Arizona<BR>
- Grand Canyon<BR>
- Four Corners<BR>
- Petrified Forest NP<BR>
- Indian Reservations?<BR>
Arkansas<BR>
California<BR>
- Yosemite NP<BR>
- San Diego: Sea World, Zoo<BR>
- Hollywood<BR>
- Sacramento?<BR>
- Los Angeles?<BR>
- Redwood Forest NP<BR>
- Death Valley NP<BR>
- Joshua Tree NP<BR>
Colorado<BR>
- Rocky Mountain NP<BR>
Connecticut<BR>
Delaware<BR>
Florida<BR>
- Cape Canaveral / Kennedy Space Center<BR>
- Everglades<BR>
- Key West<BR>
Georgia<BR>
- Atlanta: Coke Museum, CNN<BR>
- Savannah (historical)<BR>
Idaho <BR>
Illinois<BR>
- Chicago: Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium<BR>
Indiana<BR>
Iowa<BR>
- Amana Colonies<BR>
Kansas<BR>
Kentucky <BR>
Louisiana<BR>
- New Orleans<BR>
Maine<BR>
Maryland<BR>
- Antietam<BR>
Massachusetts<BR>
- Boston: Old North Church, USS Constitution, etc. (Boston NHP)<BR>
- Plymouth Colony<BR>
- Minuteman NHP<BR>
Michigan<BR>
Minnesota<BR>
Mississippi<BR>
- Vicksburg<BR>
Missouri<BR>
Montana<BR>
Nebraska<BR>
Nevada<BR>
- Las Vegas<BR>
- Hoover Dam<BR>
New Hampshire<BR>
New Jersey<BR>
- Trenton (battle)<BR>
New Mexico<BR>
- Roswell<BR>
New York<BR>
- NYC: Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Broadway, Ellis Island<BR>
- Niagara Falls<BR>
- Saratoga NHP<BR>
North Carolina<BR>
- Roanoke Colony<BR>
North Dakota<BR>
- Theodore Roosevelt NP<BR>
Ohio<BR>
- Dayton: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Museum<BR>
Oklahoma<BR>
- Indian Reservation?<BR>
Oregon<BR>
Pennsylvania<BR>
- Gettysburg<BR>
- Valley Forge NHP<BR>
Rhode Island<BR>
South Carolina<BR>
- Myrtle Beach<BR>
- Hilton Head Island<BR>
- Ft. Sumter<BR>
- King's Mountain SP<BR>
South Dakota<BR>
- Mt. Rushmore<BR>
- Black Hills<BR>
- Indian Reservation?<BR>
Tennessee<BR>
- Shiloh<BR>
Texas<BR>
- San Antonio - Riverwalk, Alamo<BR>
- Route 66<BR>
- Free 72 oz. steak<BR>
- Cadillac Ranch / Slug Bug Ranch<BR>
- "The Border"<BR>
- Houston<BR>
- Crawford: W's ranch<BR>
- El Paso?<BR>
Utah<BR>
- Arches NP<BR>
- Promontory Point<BR>
- Salt Lake City<BR>
- Bonneville Salt Flats<BR>
- Lake Powell / Glen Canyon<BR>
- Bonneville Salt Flats<BR>
- Dinosaur NP<BR>
- Bryce Canyon<BR>
- Park City: Alpine Slide, Park City Silver Mine Adventure<BR>
- Union Station, Ogden<BR>
Vermont<BR>
Virginia<BR>
- Washington, DC<BR>
- Mt. Vernon<BR>
- Monticello<BR>
- Yorktown NHP<BR>
Washington<BR>
West Virginia<BR>
Wisconsin<BR>
Wyoming<BR>
- Yellowstone NP<BR>
- Flaming Gorge NP<BR>
- Grand Teton NP<BR>

Now, what do you all suggest adding/subtracting on this itinerary?

EDIT: inserted breaks

I suggest that you add a minimum of one and a half more months to the time.
It is a great trip idea but you don't have enough time. I am only guessing that including Alaska you are going to be over 15,000 miles and probably closer to 20,000; that excludes HI (you did say all 50 states). For your scheduled 1 1/2 months this will require 400-500 mile driving days. You will have no time to see all the great things included on the list.

Thanks for the response, BlueRa.

Yeah, AK and HI aren't included, so that helps I guess. :)

We're looking to have about 5 people, so that we keep off-road time (motels/camping) to a minimum (e.g. rotate drivers).

You'd say it takes 2.5 months to get "the best of the (48 contiguous) United States"? We're most likely limited to a max of 1.5 months... what places can't we hit, or, what sorts of things will we have to forego?

With the time restraints that you have I think I would concentrate on the "natural wonders". Those sights that are not indoors and subject to not being open when you arrive. If you haven't already done so I would then suggest that you plan a day by day trip plan to see what milage your going to have to cover each day. This may eliminate some of the sights or maybe allow others to be added.

I actually plan to do something very similar...even in the same month/year.
Where will you be starting from? I"ll be leaving from Mass.
I'd be interested in your routes/plans cause I'm in the process of figuring it all out now too.

&gt; I actually plan to do something very <BR>
&gt; similar...even in the same month/year. Where <BR>
&gt; will you be starting from? I"ll be leaving from <BR>
&gt; Mass. I'd be interested in your routes/plans <BR>
&gt; cause I'm in the process of figuring it all out <BR>
&gt; now too. <BR>
<BR>
That's pretty cool! Gotta see America before life sets in...

Edit: I'm from Ft. Wayne, IN!

OK, I'll see about working a rough plan up. May take a while though.

Hello,
I've had the pleasure of visiting all 50 states in 2001 in 43 days with my family and visiting all 50 states in 8 days in 2003 with my son. I'd be glad to pass along details, routes, and ideas. Feel free to email me at opticalil@aol.com

Gary

Looking at your list, I see a couple of locations that will eat up gobs of time and keep you from being efficent. Key West, Florida is will cost you 3 days just to get there and back from the state border. Alaska needs to be by air if your making time. Seattle, Wa or Vancouver, BC are good airports to make Hawaii and Alaska connections. The Four Corners area looks like your trying to catch all of the National parks, pick a couple that are within an hour or so of an interstate. Zion,Grand Canyon, and Arches would be my choice. 4 corners is interesting, but not as efficent to access as most people think.

yeah id also say if youre tight on time dont go to alaska it is a long way out their and if you drive up youre definitely going to need to buy a new windshield by the end

as for some other things u mentioned well kennedy space center is neat to look at but for around 50 bucks a person its really not worth it.....four corners again is also away from everything and while its cool to say youve been its not the most impressive....same with bonneville salt flats youre just driving down a highway and it looks like anything else except the surroundings are white-ish....but definitely you have to go to yellowstone, grand canyon, zion national park, arches.....oh and while youre in the black hills/mt rushmore area you should go see crazy horse monument its incredible and right near both.....also if you have the time glacier national park in montana is beautiful

hope thats helpful