NYC to LA via Chicago, Vegas & SF
Hi guys, first-time poster, long-time reader. Thanks for a great site!
Me and a friend are planning a May (2015) trip from NYC to LA. We have a very strict 21 days to complete, minus 2 days for the flights, minus 1 day in NYC and 1 day LA. So that leaves a total of 17 days for the actual drive. We would also like to spend a non-driving day in Chicago, Denver, SF and Las Vegas, so that would bring the driving days down to 13. We are planning not to follow the I-80 all the way through; rather after Nebraska we would like to go via Denver and through the Rockies into Utah, followed by Monument Valley and Arizona, and then Las Vegas.
My questions please, if anyone would be kind enough to consider them, are:
1) Is it reasonable to expect to do all that in that time-frame? And more importantly, will it be enjoyable or will the driving days simply be too long and always stretching into the night?
2) Is it boring driving on the Interstates? In particular, the I-80, which will be around half of this planned trip? This is one of my concerns. A lot of people here seem to suggest following the smaller highways, but we would surely not have enough time for that. On this trip, we would be on smaller roads for only a tiny amount of the time - would this make the whole experience less desirable?
3) Is the Pacific Coast highway from SF to LA worth it, scenery-wise?
4) Would you recommend driving through/visiting the Death Valley in California?
Thank you for your time!
Also be aware of conditions.
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Yosemite NP definitely, it sounds/looks great!
One thing worth mentioning here is that Spring comes late high uo in the mountains and the route I described previously would need to be checked out before travelling towards Tioga Pass. This typically opens sometime from Mid May to June when they have cleared the pass of winter snow. If it were closed you can still visit Yosemite valley it would just mean you would have to go south around the mountains via Lake Isabella/Bakersfield. The waterfalls are usually around full flow this time of year and will make a spectacular site !
If you had intentions of going into Rocky mountain NP near Denver you might face similar issues with the Trail Ridge road although much of the park will be open and offers great Alpine scenery.
Boredom and Pacing Yourself
All the advice you've gotten so far has been pretty much spot on, particularly regarding maps and GPS, but there is one concern you raised which I haven't seen addressed and that is whether Interstates are boring and whether you'd have time to do significant 'back road' driving instead. The Interstates are just a tool. They are essentially the same as British Motorways. If used properly, they can be used to travel considerable distances in a fairly short period of time. But if misused, they can become boring death traps due to the relatively high traffic volume and speeds. Besides the obvious misuses like speeding or driving while intoxicated, there is another misuse that people can fall trap to. That is simply driving for hours on end in a vain attempt to 'make good time'. This can lead to boredom or in its worst form, highway hypnosis, a situation where you're not really seeing the big picture, the traffic or the scenery any more, just the few feet in front of you. The easiest cure and the way to avoid it in the first pace is simply to get off the freeway every few hours for a quick break. Besides being a safety measure, this is a great chance to see a bit of the country you'll be driving through.
You can also, of course, mix and match Interstates and some of the older back roads to vary your driving experience. Another way to avoid boredom. But this will have to be planned out in advance using paper maps which will give you the best overview of major routes and alternatives. Here are a few suggestions of places where the old US highways or even state roads will be a good scenic choice without costing too much in the way of extra driving hours.
Between Youngstown OH and Chicago, I-80 is a series of toll roads which not only cost money, but have limited opportunities for getting on/off. Take a look instead at using I-76 to US-224 to Van Wert OH, US-30 to Valparaiso IN and then reconnecting with I-80 via IN-49. You'll have had a more interesting drive that's a good bit cheaper, and not cost yourself too much time since for much of their lengths those highways are near-freeway quality anyway.
Another place to get off the Interstate is through western Nebraska. I-80 is a fine road, but you'll be following the basic route of the old Oregon Trail which was used by pioneers headed west. There are lots of historic sites and landmarks along the Platte River and US-30 provides a good alternative that lets you top and see those that pique your interest.
If you use I-70 through Colorado, I'd also suggest that you seriously consider using US-6 over the Continental Divide via Loveland Pass rather than staying on I-70 between Exits 216 and 205 and going under the mountains through Eisenhower Tunnel. Guess which route is more scenic! Having done that, you'll be a bit far south to use I-80 across Nevada, but US-50 is a good alternative. You'd pick it up in western Utah, then in Ely NV you could choose to stay on it (It bills itself as the "Loneliest Road".) or you could switch over to US-6 to head for Tioga Pass (CA-120) and Yosemite. As noted by Dave, you'll need to make sure that Tioga Pass is open before heading that way.
AZBuck
Think of a dollar buying the same as a pound.
I agree, your budget is pretty healthy. Fuel is really cheap compared to the UK and if you think of other expenses in dollars being equivalant of the cost in pounds here in the UK you should get a rough idea of costs. For example a £70 hotel here will cost you $70 there for similar quality and the same with food, we just have the advantage of the exchange rate making it better value. Our recent trip came out at about $100 per night for lodging in a double/twin room and lots of them came with a continental breakfast and included quite a few nights in or around National parks where lodging is more expensive. The most expensive was a $155 and the cheapest around $49.
A Mix - But Mostly Cashless
When I travel in the U.S. I start out with about $200 in cash. That is mostly for tips and small purchases. And I never go through even that amount when traveling for weeks at a time. Almost all my purchases - lodging, petrol, food (both restaurants and groceries), and entrance fees - go on the credit card. There really are very few businesses in the U.S. that will not accept major credit cards. Visa and MasterCard are the most common with Discover and American Express somewhat less commonly accepted.
The advantages to putting most of your spending 'on the card' are obvious: You don't have to carry cash. You get a record of all your purchases. If you've got a card like ours, you're spending earns you points toward free airline tickets. And if stolen, a simple call to the card issuer will make it useless to the thieves and severely limit your liability.
Now, what about the "unnecessary bank charges" you mention. The fact is that those are bank/issuer dependent and far from being universal. My own two major cards charge no such fees, even when we're traveling abroad. So, it looks as though it might be a good time for you to go shopping for a new credit card. I'm not sure about the UK or Europe, but here there are several issuers who will be more than happy (if your credit rating is good) to give you a card that earns points or cash-back, has no foreign transaction fees, offers supplemental rental car insurance, is part of a network that lets you withdraw funds from ATMs almost everywhere, etc., etc., etc.
At worst such a card should cost you about $100 (£60-65) per year or less. If you shop around you could very well find such a card that waives that fee for the first year. There's absolutely nothing stopping you from using that card for 360 days and then canceling it. As you shop, remember that all Visa and/or MasterCard programs are not the same. Terms are set by the issuing bank, not the credit card company. So if you don't like the terms and conditions from one bank, try another.
One last thing. Before departing for the US, be sure to call all your credit card companies and tell them that you plan to be traveling abroad - where and when. Otherwise you might find that your card has been canceled due to 'suspicious activity'.
AZBuck
What May Really Be On Offer
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Originally Posted by Charlie H
Oh a tip: as a European, don't waste time on e.g. supermarkets trying to "sell" you a credit card: they do a credit check and can't complete that as you have no credit history they can consult. "no thanks" is what makes you waste the least time."
I'm not at all familiar with grocery store credit cards. To be honest, they're just not in that business. What they will offer is what is called an 'affinity', or 'loyalty', or 'club' card. this is not a credit card and requires no background checks or verifications. You can sign up for and receive one immediately upon entering most chain supermarkets in the US. Just ask for their Customer Service Desk. All you give them is your addresses (postal and email) and a telephone number. In return for basically letting them track your purchases (Who cares?) you get the 'discounted' member price on most items in the store. It costs nothing and saves you money. What's not to like?
AZBuck
Yes, Yes, a hundred times Yes!
The part of the Grand Canyon you are talking about is the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park, and it is absolutely worth it!
The Canyon within the National Park is about twice as deep as the "West Rim" on Indian Lands, and standing on the edge really is a different experience than taking a helicopter tour. Your experience is why most regulars on this forum don't recommend taking a helicopter tour from Vegas - or at least not doing one instead of actually driving to the National Park.
It will likely be busy in Mid-May, but not so busy that it is hard to enjoy. The Park is huge, so as you get away from the Village area to the other viewpoint, the crowds will get much smaller, even during peak season. I'd also recommend walking down into the Canyon a little ways, if you are up for it. Even walking down a half mile provides even more perspective on how huge the Canyon is. Also make sure to take advantage of the viewpoints as you drive into the park from the East, as there are lots of places to stop as you are entering the park.
Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, and Old 66
It's important to understand the status, and the differences, between those two parks in order to get the most out of them. Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park. It is not maintained to the same standards as US national parks. In particular there are no paved roads through the park. There is a 17 mile scenic drive (graded dirt) through the heart of the park, but it will be slow going, services will be minimal to non-existant, and it is not recommended for low-slung sports cars.
The Grand Canyon is a national park with all the good (well maintained) and bad (large crowds in the summer) that that entails. AZ-64, also known as the East Rim Drive (along the South Rim of the Canyon) between Cameron and Grand Canyon Village offers the best views, following the Canyon's edge for about 20 miles and offering numerous parking and scenic overlook opportunities. Up until about 20 years (give or take) ago it was possible to take flights into the Canyon areas within the national park. But the noise from these flights became a problem and all air traffic today must stay a minimum or 1,500 feet above the rim within the national park boundaries. It is still possible to take scenic flights out of Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Tusayan just south of the park, but these will not fly into the Canyon. Flights from Las Vegas which bill landings in the Grand Canyon fly instead into the 'West Rim' of the Canyon where the land is part of the Hualapai Indian Reservation. As you note, this area of the Canyon is not as spectacular as the national park, and quite a large portion of the flight is spent just getting from Las Vegas to the Canyon. The North Rim of the Canyon, accessible by a single two-lane road from Jacobs Lake AZ will still be closed due to snow in May.
I can't really advise you on how to split up your time between the Canyon, Flagstaff, and old Route 66. It is possible with your time frame to do a bit of justice to all three. If I haven't noted so previously, my favorite sites in and around Flagstaff are the Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory, and three national monuments: Wupatki, Sunset Crater, and Walnut Canyon. The longest remaining section of the old US-66 roadbed is between Seligman and Kingman Arizona, through Peach Springs. This is the part of the road and the countryside that provided the visual inspiration for the animated movie "Cars". Since it would cost so little in the way of extra time to take this detour, it is certainly worth consideration. Just make sure that you gas and stock up before leaving Seligman.
AZBuck
So much more we could go on and on.
The Million Dollar Highway is a spectacular drive with wonderful scenery and mountain towns such as Ouray and Silverton. It is also part of the San Juan Skyway which is a scenic loop that includes the popular town of Telluride. As well as the other excellent suggestions already made, if you keep looking you will find another million and one possibilites and so many of them can be found between Denver and The Grand canyon. In fact if you were to travel the Million Dollar Highway you could cut down to Poncha Springs and take US50 over the Continental divide at Monarch Pass, through Currecanti National Rec area and stop at the Black canyon of the Gunnison before Montrose. After headsing south to Durango you will then head west to Cortez and in between you will find Mesa Verde NP. You should be fine in May on the highway but of course it's always wise to keep an eye on conditions, especially high up in the mountains.
Following on from a couple of ideas from Charlie; If you visit Goosenecks State park instead of heading north from Mexican Hat you could turn off 191 earlier onto the 95 after Blanding and then take 261. This will take you down the Moki Dugway, you can see more scrolling down this page.
You almost certainly won't be able to drive your rental on the Monument valley scenic drive without violating your rental agreement but there are jeep tours on the go all day.
As I said, so much more to see. It doesn't appear that you plan to spend much time in NY, so out of interest, have you considered flying into Denver or Vegas and doing a loop trip that would save you one way drop fees and save a lot of miles driving across country ?
