CT to LA, August, about 10 days

I am going to graduate school in the fall near LA, so I need to drive cross-country. I wanted to make it a fun experience and this seemed like a great place to get some advice. I am thinking I-80W is the best route, especially in August...going through Colorado and Utah. So I was wondering about good places I should hit on the way. Thanks!

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

First thing to note, I-80 could be a fine choice of a route, as could a route through Colorado and Utah, however I-80 doesn't go through either of those states.

Really, there is never a one sized fits all best route, and the best advice I can give is to pick a route that takes you to the places you want to go. If that is Colorado and Utah, which have more than a dozen great national parks, and tons of great places to go and things to do, then that's where you should go! 10 days for this trip is a nice amount of time, as you're looking at about 5-6 full days of driving, leaving you another 4-5 days just to explore and have fun.

Having said that, we really don't know what you'd be interested in doing, and no one really can know that better than yourself. With millions of possibilties on a cross country trip, you need to take the first step to figure out your top priorities (which is really the fun part anyway). Once you've established a few ideas, then we can help you sort things out and perhaps offer some additional ideas that would compliment your goals.

Well I am just beginning, but some of the things that I want to see are
-Ballparks
-National Parks, Hiking Areas
-Landmarks

I have alot of research to do =)

Well, you'll have plenty of options to pick from. Some of my favorite ballparks could certainly be on your route. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and St. Louis are my 3 favorite of the "new" parks, the classic park, Wrigley Field, could be worked in. KC's park is neat in that it is an older park but has many of the same features as the newer parks. Cleveland and Denver also have decent newer parks, although they are a step down, in my opinion, from the other ones on the way.

The national parks website is filled with great information for you to work through, and of course, simply be looking at a good map which will show other state parks and other points of interest along the way.

Thanks! I was looking at a nice series between the Cards and Cubs in mid-August.

Here's my first draft
Western Connecticut Leave early August 10th
Drive August 10th end hotel near Cincy
Cincinnati August 11th 12:35 game vs Cardinals
Cincinnati/Indianapolis/St. Louis 11th-13th
St. Louis 13th 7:35 game vs Cubs
14th driving, ending somewhere in Kansas
15th driving, ending near Rocky Mountain Park
16th rocky mountain park, night part of the way to Utah
17th drive to Zion National Park arrive hotel near park
18th Zion National Park, night drive to Vegas
Las Vegas 18th night
Southern California 19th

Tempted to add my Yankees against the Royals on the 14th but I don't know if that's possible.
Also considering skipping Cards and Cubs and getting more time in Colorado/Utah

You are getting a pretty good handle on it. Just try not to plan on driving more than 500 miles a day. If you use computer mapping programs, add 20% to the predicted drive times. Between RMNP and LV, there's a LOT more to see other than just Zion. Pick and choose carefully. Defer stuff close to LA if you need to, you can always do those on weekend trips out of LA if you are going to be out there for a while.

Thanks for the advice. I am using google maps...I want to keep to the 500 mi max, but I need to find places between some of the areas I have planned
Need to find somewhere between Western CT and Cincinnati
Kansas City and Rocky Mountain Park
Rocky Mountain Park and Zion National Park

First one needs to be just a hotel, the other two I could put in time if there is something interesting I am missing, but the time is tight. Here is what I have now, still working on it...still need to redo the Colorado/Utah section...just realized I cut off a day by mistake at the end, needed that extra day!
Western Connecticut August 10th
Drive August 10th to hotel 3.5 hrs before Cincy 9AM EST-7 PM EST 8 hr drive 2 hrs. breaks
12-1pm
5-6pm
August 11th Hotel between CT and Cincy
Leave 8 AM EST-1130 AM EST
Cincinnati August 11th 12:35 CST game 11th vs Cardinals
end 330pm EST
Drive to St. Louis 11th after game
Arrive 9pm CST in St. Louis (5.5 hr drive, gain 1 hr time difference)
St. Louis 11th night, 12th day…drive to KC
4 hr drive leave by 2 pm
Kansas City 12th night 7:10 CST vs Yankees
13th driving, ending near Rocky Mountain Park
10 AM CST-1 PM
1 PM-2PM Break
2PM-5PM
5PM-6PM Break
6PM-8PM (3 hrs. driving gain 1 hr mountain time)
9 hrs driving 3 hrs break
Arrive 2 hrs before rocky mountain park
14th driving, arrive rocky mountain park
7 AM MST-9 AM MST
Arrive Rocky Mountain Park
15th rocky mountain park
16th drive to Zion National Park
17-morning 18th Zion National Park late afternoon drive to Vegas
Las Vegas 19th night
Southern California 20th

Any town of any size at all along an Interstate highway will have motels near the exit. I wouldn't worry about it - just drive till you feel like stopping and start looking. NOTE: Add 20% to Google drive times to be safe!

Akron is about 3.5 to 4 hours from Cincy. If you stop there, you would have to get on the road at the crack of dawn to make the day game. Another hour would get you to Ashland or Mansfield, and another hour after that would get you to Columbus. I'd get out of CT as early as you can and see how far you can get.

A full day's drive from KC will get you to Limon CO. It has a few motels. That's your 500 mile target. Another hour and a half would get you into Denver.

Thanks, I will be able to leave on the 9th now due to a change of plans, so that should make getting to Cincy much easier. I can see zooming in on google maps that there are indeed a bunch of parks in Utah that I should look into...Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Glen Canyon, and Bryce Canyon. Something to look at during work tomorrow.
Limon looks like it is right along the route, thank you for the suggestion. I am putting in an hr break for every 3 hr of driving although adding 20% seems like a good rule of thumb.

That would help a lot - that way on the first day you wouldn't have to bust your butt trying to get well into OH. You could spend the night somewhere on I-80 in western PA and then go all the way to Cincy on the 10th. That way you could sleep in a bit and get yourself together before you head to the game.

If you add in one hour downtime for every 3 hours driving, you can use Google's drivetimes fairly safely. Just be aware of possible construction and traffic delays. The 500 mile rule is still a good one to try to follow.

Hello, looking for comments and suggestions on my cross country trip to graduate school. I posted about a month ago, but I thought a new thread would be good. It was a great help before and I am sure it will be a great help again. Thanks!
I have 2 questions embedded in there,
1. Should I drive through Indianapolis or Louisville on the way to St. Louis from Cincinnati? Both are about the same driving time.
2. What would be a good place to stay between Grand Canyon and Long Beach, CA? Looking for a town near Long Beach but before the Friday night LA traffic.

Western Connecticut August 9th
Drive August 9th to hotel near Akron, OH
9 hrs. 23 mins estimated total
I-80 W and I-71S

Drive August 10th to Cincinnati hotel
4 hrs 27 mins estimated total

Cincinnati August 11th 12:35 CST game 11th vs Cardinals
end 330pm EST
Drive to St. Louis 11th after game
Arrive 9pm CST in St. Louis (6 hr drive, gain 1 hr time difference)
Through Louisville or Indianapolis?
St. Louis hotel

St. Louis 11th night, 12th day…drive to KC
5 hr estimated drive leave by 1 pm
Kansas City 12th night 7:10 CST vs Yankees
Kansas city hotel

13th driving, ending in Limon, CO
8 hr 47 min estimated driving
Limon hotel

14th drive to Denver, CO
Estimated 2 hrs
(morning/afternoon)
Drive to Estes Park, CO near RMNP 1 hr 45 mins

15th rocky mountain park

16th drive to Moab, UT
Estimated 8 hr 24 mins

17th Arches National Park/Canyonlands National Park

18th Drive to Grand Canyon National Park
7 hr 42 mins estimated driving time

19th Grand Canyon National Park

20th Drive to somewhere between Grand Canyon and Long Beach, CA
6 hr+
Where would a good city to stay be along 1-605S but before LA traffic?

21st drive to Long Beach, CA
2 hr max

Personally, I'd drive through Louisville on your way to St. Louis. I've found the drive through southern Indiana is actually a lot more scenic than you might expect. Plus, after a day at a ballgame, taking a tour of the Louisville Slugger factory, and taking a few swings in their batting cage could be a nice stop long the way.

If you're hoping to find a town before traffic and on I-605, you're asking for the impossible. You are very much knee deep in LA traffic well before you even get to I-605. Pretty much any place after Barstow can start seeing traffic, especially on a Friday night. But somewhere near the Ontario airport should be along the lines of what you are looking for.

As you note, there is minimal difference between I-74/I-70 (Indianapolis) and I-71/I-74 (Louisville) in terms of either miles or time. But having driven both, I would give a slight nod to the Louisville route simply because you are likely to see a shade less traffic and the route suits my tastes better. Your tastes may be different.

By the time you hit I-605, you'll already be well within the L.A. basin and the attendant traffic which you should start to notice near the intersection of I-15 and CA/I-210 in Rancho Cucamonga. If you really want to avoid all traffic, I'd pull up as soon as you get to this area.

AZBuck

I'd spend that last night in Victorville/Apple Valley/Hesperia. There are plenty of hotel choices and it's less than 2 hours from there into Long Beach with minimal traffic delays - it's 95 miles.

Thanks, so Louisville and a bit farther from LA. I am all set then.

Hello again, I was wondering if there were any routes that are recommendable on this trip, besides taking the interstates that is. Thanks.

Not sure if you're a BBQ lover, but my friend and I just came back from a 17 day road trip and I would recommend stopping at Arthur Bryants BBQ in Kansas City, KS. Best BBQ around, definitely worth it.
We took a different route though..leaving from Minnesota and roadtripped out west through SD, WY, UT, NV to California. We visited the Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and Arches on the way back. Depending on what you're planning to do at the Grand Canyon, it is quite possible to see it in one day--primarily because they provided buses to take you too all the vistas and famous views. Arches is really nice too, I think we spent well over an hour looking at the "Delicate Arch."

I will definitely need to checkout BBQ in Kansas City, I met someone in a diner driving cross country and that is the first thing he mentioned as well.

I've changed the tailend of the trip and added a few days, the trip is now 15 days!
Interested in comments/suggestions.

19th Drive to Escalante, UT
4.5 hrs driving, stop at Capitol Reef National Park on the way
Stay in Escalante 19th

20th Drive to Kanab, UT
Stay in Kanab 20th, 21st, 22nd
3 hrs driving
Visit Bryce Canyon National Park on way

21st Zion National Park
22nd Grand Canyon North or South Rim
23rd Drive to Las Vegas
4 hrs from Kanab, UT
24th 5-7 hr drive to Long Beach, CA

The South rim isn't really a great option from Kanab as you will spend over 8 hours of the day driving, leaving you short of time to experience the canyon area, Cameron or Flagstaff would be better options with Flagstaff offering a wider range and more budget friendly.

If you decide on the North rim you will be OK as you are, but you could visit GC first and then look at lodging options in Springdale or beyond, to save coming back on yourself.

I guess I am undecided over whether or not the south rim is worth going down to over the north.
I have been to Las Vegas before...and I am sure I will be there again. Grand Canyon on the other hand, a bit on the far side.
Saving Zion for the last day and staying in Springdale is a good idea.

Only you can make that choice but a lot of people prefer the North rim because it has less visitors, the South has more amenities [which you really don't need for a day trip] which equals more visitors..

Just to clarify as I wasn't that clear, the South rim isn't a great option if you base yourself in Kanab and make it a return day trip, but if you were to visit Zion, stay in Kanab and then head to the South rim and stay in Tusayan/Flagstaff for example, that would work.

If you head to the North rim and onto Zion, Springdale is a lovely little town and in a great location.

This was a great trip, thanks for all the help!