Around the USA - 2009

the idea of taking a short camping trip here is a good one, i might just have to do that, either go to wales, or the the lake district in the north of england, or even down south, to cornwall or devon, some nice places down there.

i havent plotted out each and every day, all i know is that what i want to see asnd do in each town/city or place i visit, so i sort of know how many days i can allow myself in each place. i didnt want to plan mile by mile, because i just dont think it'd work because a) its less fun b) there's always unforseen things such as getting lost and traffic jams, and c) i might change my mind about things when im there, or i may find something else id rather do. im hoping this is the right way of going about it.

I tend to get as much information as I can about the things to see along the way but that doesn't mean I actually do them all. It's nice to know the options ahead of time. Prioritize and see the ones that thrill you the most. The rest are options. As you're traveling, you'll probably see information about other places you didn't know about. Exploring an unexpected find might mean you have to not visit someplace on your list. That's cool and makes your trip more spontaneous and fun.

As long as you're comfortable knowing you're never going to see it all and just enjoy those things you do see, and don't get bummed out if you miss something, you'll be fine.

Feel free to share more details of your trip so we can give you better advice individualized for your trip.

im getting as much info on all the places i want to see as i can, how close they are to each other and all that. i cant wait to just be driving along and see something really worth seeing that i hadnt found on any website.

i know ill never get everything done, and im ok with that, as long as i get the most important things done ill be happy.

ok, well, from a list ive written out with a load of places i want to see, ive got, atlantic city, philadelphia, Gettysburg, baltimore, washignton dc, see the monuments etc, luray caverns in VA, Knoxville, Nashville, memphis (im a guitarist, I couldn’t not go to these places), six flags, Universal studios, sea world, I love going to theme parks. Miami, the everglades, route 66, (one of the most important things, ill be getting a bike license before I go, so renting a harley Davidson for a day is MUST!!!) tombstone, the grand canyon, hoover dam, vegas, LA, san fransisco, cant go there without driving across the golden gate bridge, hell’s canyon, Yellowstone. Deadwood, rapid city, mount rushmore, I really enjoy the old west thing. I also want to do some white water rafting, I head Colorado was a good place to try it. Chicago, Indiana (one of my favourite bands, the guitarist owns a store called spirit of ’76, lots of stuff about the civil war) the rock and roll hall of fame, the pro football hall of fame, (big nfl fan!!) and Niagara falls. Sorry for the length of the list. It’s a lot, but it’ll be worth it when I see it all.

As has been said, it's do-able in 90 days but you'll need to keep moving. On a trip of this scope, I suggest having weekly goals instead of daily goals. Meaning, break your trip down by the week with an idea of where you need to be at the end of each week to not get too far behind schedule causing you to rush at the end. You also don't want to find that you rushed the first part of your trip, zipping past things of interest, fearing you would run out of time and then have more time on your hands at the end of your trip. So figuring out the pace you want to set is handy.

Also, at least once a week, it's nice to have at least one day where you don't drive much, if at all. Two is better. While I love to drive, it is nice to get a break from it. Especially with the length of trip you're taking. Obviously, you'll want to plan these for places that have many places you want to visit close-by.

I think you're on track to have a great trip and you seem to have just the right attitude about it, too. Let us know how we can help you further.

hey, still haven't gone ahead with the trip yet, lets just say money issues. im going to re-plan the whole thing, not completely, still wanting to do all the things i listed the first time round, just add a few things in. as ill probably be doing this next year (money providing) ill be over 25, so the cost of car rental will come way down, so ill have more to spend on the trip.

but the main reason for bumping this thread now before i have had time to look at all my old plans and re-think a few things, i wanna know what people know about visas. i filled out the form for the free waiver programme a while ago (as i was planning a holiday to new york), but i was thinking maybe i could extend the trip to over 90 days. if i did that, what visa would i need, a tourist visa maybe? how long do they last for, and how in the hell do i get one, i had a quick look at a couple of websites, and i get ill have to fill out some complex forms i cant find and go down to london for a visit at the US embassy.....in other words, im mega confused and need help.

Yes, you will have to visit the embassy in London. The visa you want is a "B-2". You will need to schedule an appointment. You need to fill out a DS-160, print out the confirmation, and bring it with you to the interview.