Hardly. We're in three different time zones on two different continents! We hardly synchronize our responses!Quote:
Originally Posted by iLLiCiT
AZBuck
Hardly. We're in three different time zones on two different continents! We hardly synchronize our responses!Quote:
Originally Posted by iLLiCiT
AZBuck
Philadelphia-Lancaster-Front Royal-Skyline Drive:-:Blue Ridge Parkway:-:Tail of the Dragon-Nashville-Tupola-Natchez Trace Parkway-Baton Rouge/New Orleans-Houston-San Antonio-Carlsbad-Silver city-Flagstaff-Las Vegas-Los Angeles-Pacific Coast Highway:-:17 Mile road, Carmel-Santa Cruz-San Francisco.
Map update will follow later
Hi
You are seriously underestimating traveltime, distances and time you'll need at your destinations. In 26 days you're only scratching the surface and you'll have no time to explore.
We have made many of trips like yours and I can tell you our average speeds on those trips was no more than 45 mph. Even on interstates you'll have to drive fast to get an average of 60 mph but 55 is more realistic. Blue Ridge Parkway is awesome but slow. Driving from Philly to Lancaster is also slow. If you like Staphorst you'll enjoy Amish Country also but to us it's far too touristy. We much more prefer Amish in Ohio but that's not on your trip. If you head from Lancaster you should not miss Gettysburg, that's worth the visit for sure imo if you are interested in American History or try Antietam.
You'll need your time in NOLA also. 3 days already will be short and between Memphis and NOLA are places like Vicksburg and Natchez.
San Antonio is a fantastic city and 2 days there already will be short. Austin is very worth visiting also.
As my fellowposters have said, never miss Carlsbad Caverns NP and White Sands. (not sands but gypsum, bring water and sunglaces) On your way to Grand Canyon NP (I guess you don't want to miss....) you can drive from via Las Cruces to Tucson (Sonora Arizona Desert Museum, Saguaro NP, Mission San Xavier del Bac etc etc and on your way is the town too tough to die called Tombstone) and via Sedona www.visitsedona.com If you decide to drive via Silver City don't miss City of Rocks and the Catwalk north of Silver City.
From Flagstaff via GCNP to Las Vegas but stay at least one night at the rim www.grandcanyonlodges.com From Las Vegas there's another gorgeous route via Death Valley NP and Yosemite NP to San Francisco.
Las Vegas-LA will be 5 hours. Technically spoken Pacific Coast hw is just north of LA to Oxnard on your route and its Cabrillo hw from there but it's all called hw1. You'll need at least 2 days between LA and SF and Cambria is about halfway. Instead 17 miles drive, I'd check out Point Lobos SR. You also need at least 2 full days in SF imo.
Buy a cooler for this roadtrip. It will come handy.
Buy an America the Beautiful pass at $ 80,-- valid for a year for car and passengers.
Yeehaw
I can see how you might think that -- given the linear nature of the responses on the first page of your thread, but it really is an unlikely scenario that you'd find all of the Moderators on the forum at the same time and even less so responding to the same post! Most of the Moderators active on this Forum rarely seem to sleep... Day-in, day-out they're on-duty providing expert ideas and advice.... In the decade that this forum has been active, I can only remember 5-6 times when all Moderators were logged in at the same time... So.... you should count your experience on this Forum as very rare indeed!Quote:
Originally Posted by iLLiCiT
Mark
I'm aware time is of the essence here and I'm going to make every hour in the day count for sure!
Some project management is needed here. Let's split the route in four stages for now:
1. Philadelphia-Lancaster-Front Royal-Skyline Drive:-:Blue Ridge Parkway:-:Tail of the Dragon => 9 days?
2. Nashville-Tupola-Natchez Trace Parkway-Baton Rouge/New Orleans => 4 days?
3. Houston-San Antonio-Carlsbad Caverns:-:White Sands-Silver city-Petrified Forest/Tonto NP-Flagstaff => 5 days?
4. Las Vegas-Los Angeles-Pacific Coast Highway:-:17 Mile road, Carmel-Santa Cruz-San Francisco => 8 days?
-Left out Washington D.C. and replaced it by Lancaster, but only as a pitstop on our way to Front Royal to do some of the Skyline Drive before checking into a hotel/lodge.
-Memphis replaced by Tupelo
-New Orleans, maybe replaced by Baton Rouge?
-Petrified Forest or Tonto NP? Not sure yet which roads to choose to Las Vegas.
-Pacific Coast Highway: you're right let's reserve enough time for it (2 days).
I've got 3 months to work this plan out, so I've got enough time to make something great.
At the moment I'm using the wonderful 'Roadtrip routes' to plan the 1st stage in more detail.
Natchez Trace Parkway is 450 miles long and a max speed of 50 mph. Replace New Orleans by Baton Rouge??? Are you kidding?
Okay, I get the point about my time planning and are trying to optimise my route.
But I'm afraid I need some more detailed advice. Distances and average speed are good indications for experienced travellers, but I'd rather have some more advice how many days to divide per segment, since I haven't planned such a big roadtrip before.
I've done a trip in China -3000 miles in 28 days- but that included, two nighttrains and one flight.
I've read the article about the Southern section of Natchez Trace PKW; I noticed that Jamie didn't follow the whole route on the trail itself. Maybe I should do the same to win some time?
You can look around sites like this NPS one on the Natchez for more detailed advice. I think your sections are all doable and you need to work on where you want to spend your time and how.
I'm not sure if you misunderstood Yeehaw's comment of "Are you kidding". That was with reference to replacing New Orleans with Baton Rouge, not your trip down the Parkway or any other particular part of your planning. LOL..Quote:
Okay, I get the point about my time planning and are trying to optimise my route.
Yes, I've understood Yeehaw correctly concerning New Orleans.
It's the time planning about the Natchez Trace that needs some more time planning.
I've reserved 4 days for the 2nd segment:
Nashville-Tupola-Natchez Trace Parkway-Baton Rouge/New Orleans
From the distance 450 miles and average speed 50mph, I understood that 4 days maybe aren't enough. So if I add 1 extra day to the 2nd segment, I have to substract it from another segment:
1. Philadelphia-Lancaster-Front Royal-Skyline Drive:-:Blue Ridge Parkway:-:Tail of the Dragon
=> 9 days?
2. Nashville-Tupola-Natchez Trace Parkway-Baton Rouge/New Orleans
=> 4 days => 5 days
3. Houston-San Antonio-Carlsbad Caverns:-:White Sands-Silver city-Petrified Forest/Tonto NP-Flagstaff => 5 days?
4. Las Vegas-Los Angeles-Pacific Coast Highway:-:17 Mile road, Carmel-Santa Cruz-San Francisco => 8 days => 7 days
I don't want to plan every day in detail. Maybe I want to stay a little longer in one place and only pass through another place (like Lancaster).
I don't see any problem taking 4 days to get from Nashville to NO. You could actually do it easily in 2 days, so 4 days would give you plenty of time to sightsee and linger.