2 Month Cross Country Trip

Looking to plan a trip for myself and a few friends for this summer (after high school graduation). We will probably have around two months for the trip, likely June and July and possibly the late part of May or the early part of August.

This is in very early planning stages right now, but here is a list of what we definitely want to see, more or less in order travel-wise:

(Leaving from Atlanta)
Memphis
New Orleans
Austin
Rocky Mtns
Grand Canyon
Zion NP
Las Vegas
Yosemite
Redwood Forests
San Francisco
Stanford / Palo Alto / Silicon Valley
Crater Lake NP
Portland
Seattle
Islands off of Washington State (meeting a family friend who lives out there)
Vancouver
Yellowstone?
Chicago
Toronto
Boston
New York
Washington DC
Back to Atlanta

So it's sort of a circle / square around the country.

Questions:
Is this doable in two months, and about how rushed would we have to be?

Assuming we lived frugally, used our own car, etc. about how much would this cost per person?

Are there any must-see attractions in the areas I've mentioned?

I have some areas that are pretty empty - across Texas and Oklahoma and also from Vancouver to Chicago. Anything in these stretches that might be worthy of notice?

I appreciate everyone's responses - I'm sure I'll be back with more questions in the future. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

Looking to plan a trip for myself and a few friends for this summer (after high school graduation). We will probably have around two months for the trip, likely June and July and possibly the late part of May or the early part of August.

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Welcome to the Forum! Are your folks on board with the extent of this trip?

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and a few friends

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How many is a few friends? I am working on an article right now that discusses a few of the perils that can arise when you attempt to undertake such a mission with folks you haven't traveled with before.

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So it's sort of a circle / square around the country. Is this doable in two months, and about how rushed would we have to be?

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By the most direct route such a journey would cover a minimum of 8,700 miles and would require a minimum of 31 days of driving. It would be easy to spend 2-3 months covering the same distance.

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Assuming we lived frugally, used our own car, etc. about how much would this cost per person?

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This hard to estimate, because we don't know what you would constitute as frugal living. But I suggest looking here for some ideas on saving money on the road.

mark

My parents are fully supportive of this - they've sent me into worse unknowns before.

A few friends will probably be 2 to 3; these are people that I go to high school with and hang out with all the time. We've gone on trips together before to the beach and whatnot.

So 8,700 miles direct. I doubt we would venture far off that, but still I'll call it 10000 miles. We'll probably have about 60 days, so that would come out to an average of about 160 miles per day. Which is I guess between 2 and 4 hours depending on the speed of the roads we're traveling. That's not bad at all, in my opinion. Even if we stayed in one place for three or four days it would only take one or two long days to catch up (Right now we're looking to spend three days in Las Vegas, Seattle, New York, and DC and two days in a few other places.) That means that it wouldn't be very difficult to stay on schedule. And if we get down to it we can always decide to cut off part of the trip to go quicker.

Frugally for us I would expect to mean all sharing a room in the cheapest motel possible 80 to 90% of the time, with only an occasional more expensive night. Eating would be pretty basic too - some snacks and drinks from a cooler, and figure about $20 food per person per day, with a few exceptions. I know that through the South and Texas we'll probably eat breakfast and lots of lunches at Waffle Houses and diners. We'll probably get a national park pass ($50, right?) and bring a few hundred dollars each for miscellaneous attractions. Right now, living like this, we are figuring about $3000 per person. Is that analysis fairly accurate, or are we underestimating the costs?

Appreciate your help!

I wish that I had two months when I did my circle around the U.S.

I did over 12,000 miles in under 28 days, but that was more for a physical goal than enjoying your destinations, and I wouldn't recommend it. :)

If I were you, I would probably take the top 5-10 destinations you consider a priority, and spend 48-72 hours at those destinations. The next 5-10 destinations I would maybe do a full day (or overnighter). The rest of the destinations would probably be worth a few hours of looking around and not much more.

I spent about $3500 in a 30 day period. That included the van rental ($1100), hotels ($750), gas ($1200), food ($400), and souvenirs ($200). And that was being ultra-conservative. Your mileage will vary, espeically if you're taking your own car. :) Just remember instead of the rental, you will have maintenence costs on your car, and you'll want to have funds to repair the car if something breaks down. (And make sure your tires are in excellent shape!)

Our average driving time per day was 6-8 hours (sometimes up to 14!), so only having to drive an average of 3-4 hours is patty cakes. It's easily doable between friends. I would probably recommend a budget of $4000-5000 if it's going to be 2 months. You'll be surprised how fast your gas money goes. If you're under budget, then great. It's better than running out of money 80% of the way through the trip and bailing out on the rest. Just have a bank account with $4000 in it, take $1000 with you, and bring along your ATM check card and/or credit card.

This is based off my personal virgin experience on the road. Hopefully it helps.

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

I doubt we would venture far off that, but still I'll call it 10000 miles.

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I did my first 10,000 solo road trip shortly after I graduated from high school. I still have vivid memories from that experience. So, it is certainly a doable and excellent adventure to look forward to.

I should add that this 10,000 miles was a round trip journey that only touched on eight states -- it is real easy to drive twice this distance when doing a trip on the scale of what you are describing.

Mark

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

A few friends will probably be 2 to 3; these are people that I go to high school with and hang out with all the time. We've gone on trips together before to the beach and whatnot.

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Not to be too discouraging, but there's a very big difference between hanging out all the time and taking trips to the beach and living with someone in very close quarters for 2 months.

The biggest challenge of a trip like this is finding friends who you'll be able to stay friends with after the trip. You'll essentially be with your friends 24/7 for the length of your trip, with very little time or space to have all to yourself. That can get uncomfortable in ideal situations, much less when you're driving hundreds of miles a day and living out of hotels.

I can say from my own experience, I've got a group of friends I go on a roadtrip with every year. We've been friends for a decade, we've even been roommates without any problems, but even though our trips only last a week or two, there's always at least one point during the trip where I want to start tearing heads off (and I'm sure they'd feel the same way about me).

I'm not saying these problems can't be overcome, but before you go make sure you realise that you will have situations like this, make sure you and your friends can cool off without holding a grudge, and start thinking about how you'll decide when you and your friends have different ideas of what you want to do (having at least a 3rd person helps here to be a tie breaker).

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

The biggest challenge of a trip like this is finding friends who you'll be able to stay friends with after the trip.

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I couldn't agree with Midwest Michael more. Sadly, I have to be an example, as I lost a best friend after our month-long roadtrip.

I won't get into details here (if you want them you can read my roadtrip blogs if necessary) but it is possible that one of your friends will get upset over something you may consider to be a petty issue, or there may be simple disagreements can turn nasty and full of accusations. It is a totally different ballgame on that open road, so just be prepared and try to keep an amicable atmosphere.

I can understand the potential issues in getting along over the course of a roadtrip, and obviously we would need to sit down and discuss the basic structure of the trip prior to leaving. (IE sleep schedules, eating preferences, a few "must see" attractions that everyone has in mind, etc.) I think that so long as we address most of these issues before hand, and are patient with whatever problems we encounter on the road, we would be alright.

Is this being too naive? If so, what would you all reccomend doing to heighten the chances of success?

And also I would still love suggestions about routes, attractions, costs, etc.

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone.

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

Is this being too naive? If so, what would you all reccomend doing to heighten the chances of success?

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Take a week trip with these friends -- chances are the challenges will become apparent sometime in that period.

Mark

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

Is this being too naive? If so, what would you all reccomend doing to heighten the chances of success?

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It doesn't matter, just plan it, do it and try to adapt, it's part of life's experience. At just about 50 I've almost figured it out myself... (I like to travel alone but stop with others - not easy to arrange)

Since you are graduating high school I'm wondering what you are going to spend 3 days in Las Vegas doing? Many of the, erm, "more interesting" activities will be off limits.

What a fabulous trip you are planning. I did a six week trip around Europe with two people that I didn't know and that went much better than a ten week trip with one of my best friends.
My best advice to you is to realise ahead of time that the going will get tough some times. One of the best ways to break things up and have a little breathing space is to take some alone time - and cities offer the perfect opportunity. As long as you feel comfortable split up for the day - it also makes for some interesting conversations over meals.

As for your destinations? As a Vancouverite (I am guessing in BC, Canada - you can ignore this if you mean in Oregon) I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit. The best way to break up the trip btw. there & Chicago would be to drive through the southern part of BC (Hwy #3) - its is gorgeous (be forewarned though that this is a meandering 2 lane highway, you won't be able to go much faster than 65 mph for most of the trip), then in Southern Alberta cut south through Waterton National Park (AB) into Glacier National Park (MT), which puts you in a good position to access Yellowstone (and the NW entry to the park is supposed to be spectacular).

I appreciate the tip about highway 3 through BC - that sounds like a great idea. Originally we were just thinking of heading back down to Seattle after Vancouver, but I would love to travel through more of Canada.

As a native, are there any specific activities or destinations in Vancouver that you would reccomend?

With everyone talking about problems between friends, I've been thinking more about going with people I don't know. Are there any websites / forums dedicated specifically to that? And if anyone else has had experiences along those lines I would be interested in your opinion.

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

With everyone talking about problems between friends, I've been thinking more about going with people I don't know. Are there any websites / forums dedicated specifically to that? And if anyone else has had experiences along those lines I would be interested in your opinion.

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I am working on such an article/column now -- it will be published ~ February 10th -- I will post a link to it when it is. I think you will find it useful, in fact, I decided to write such an article after reading your posts. and those of some of our other roadtrippers.

Mark

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Originally Posted by crazycdn

The best way to break up the trip btw. there & Chicago would be to drive through the southern part of BC (Hwy #3) - its is gorgeous (be forewarned though that this is a meandering 2 lane highway, you won't be able to go much faster than 65 mph for most of the trip), then in Southern Alberta cut south through Waterton National Park (AB) into Glacier National Park (MT), which puts you in a good position to access Yellowstone (and the NW entry to the park is supposed to be spectacular).

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I took this drive a few years ago, and it is spectacular. It took us a solid day and a half to get from the Vancouver area to Glacier, but it was well worth it. The drive across the pass as you enter Alberta is wonderful, however I would recommend dipping back into Idaho or Montana and taking the "going to the sun" road through Glacier. We would have taken it, but it was still closed at the time - in late June - because of an unusually late snowstorm.

That "Going to the Sun" Road sounds cool - we'll probably make sure to travel that.

Jimi, I am new the forum and relatively new to travel, but I love it! I would think the starter for deciding what are "must see" attractions really depends on your interests. I am a huge baseball fan, so seeing Cooperstown was a huge deal to me. On the contrary, a garden lover might find no interest in it and bypass upstate NY altogether.

Are you into sports at all? If so, are there any stadiums you would like to catch a game in? I assume from your username you are a music fan - what about halls of fame, famous theaters, birthplaces, etc? Do you appreciate history? The Northeast is loaded with historical places, many sites pertaining to the fascinating Revolutionary War. If you can give more of an idea of what you are into, I think people can push you in the right direction (of course there are those "can't miss" monuments that appeal to everyone).

I know Boston and NYC fairly well. I can also give you a few tips on the NE in general. While I'm far less experienced than many posters in here, I can emphasize two things: the country is huge and don't underestimate that even though two places may be in the same state, that doesn't mean they aren't hours apart (this goes for even the smaller states). The second is to give yourself enough time without overdoing it. If you think something will only take an hour to see, try to allot 90 minutes or two hours in your planning. That way, you stay on pace.

Let me know how I can help.

Greetings, Traveling Wilbury, and welcome to the forum!

I love the way you think. Great advice. I look forward to your contributions to our discussions.

Thank you, Judy!

Thanks for the advice Traveling Wilbury - I can see from your name that you're a music fan too.

I really have so many interests that they're hard to list. In answer to your specific suggestions, sports, music and history are check, check, check. I'm looking forward to seeing the Hendrix museum in Seattle, as well as other musical monuments. I spent last summer in Boston doing school and saw a lot of the history, caught a Sox game at Fenway, etc. but I have to say that my favorite attraction in the area was Walden Pond. Even seeing the 4th of July from the MIT bridge didn't compare to it. I plan to stop by Walden again during my trip.

Any suggestions you might have I would more than appreciate. Thanks for the response!

Hi Jimi,

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I'm looking forward to seeing the Hendrix museum in Seattle

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Are you talking about the Jimi Hendrix House or about the EMP? There are plenty of music museums in the US, like the Country Music Hall of Fame in Neashville, TN, Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, TN, the International Bluegrass Museum in Owensburg, KY, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS just to name a few.

Gen

Hi Jimi,

I hope that your planning is coming along well – the summer is going to be here soon. Just to touch on travelling with friends again – I definitely recommend it, just be aware that time apart is a necessity when you are travelling together for more than a few days. As I said before it is amazing what an 8 hour break can do for your head space, it also makes for interesting conversations when you get together in the evenings.

Okay. Now for some Vancouver suggestions. It all depends on your interests, but these spots could be a good place to start.

1. Stanley Park. A fabulous park just off the tip of downtown Vancouver. Walking or biking around the 10 km park is a great way to view the inlet, take in the ocean, mountains and islands. It is also the site of the city aquarium – it has a good reputation, but probably isn’t as impressive as some of the ones in California.

2. Museum of Anthropology. Dedicated to the presentation of arts/handicrafts/products of aboriginals, in particular the first nations people of British Columbia. A fantastic place to check out some really old totem poles and new carvings. They have an “open storage” concept that allows you to see masks/weapons/clothing/etc. that is not currently part of an exhibit. The best time to go is on a Tuesday evening when admission is by donation.

3. Grouse Grind. A favourite of the local folk. You spend about an hour hiking from the parking lot up to the top of the gondola line. You can continue to hike higher on the mountain if you like (great views of Vancouver) – or just enjoy a drink at the lodge. As far as I know there are still two grizzly bears in a holding area up there (its quite large – I don’t think you are guaranteed to see them) – naturalists are trying to find ways of re-integrating grizzly bear pups into the wild using these two.

4. Granville Island. A great spot with a farmer’s market, lots of artisan shops (everything from guitars to wood carving to jewellery) and the site for one of the cities best known art school (Emily Carr).

Some of the special festivals that might be on while you are there are:
Celebration of Lights. A brilliant fireworks show that happens for 2 weeks in late July every year (Wed/Sat/Wed/Sat). Three nations compete for a prize by setting fireworks to 30 minutes of music. The best spot to watch from is on the beach at English Bay – it affords a great view of the barge from which the fireworks are launched.

Bard on the Beach. I never appreciated Shakespeare until I started going to this show a few years ago. The actors are great, the costumes are great & the setting is unique. The city, ocean & mountains are the backdrop against which the scenes are set. It is a pretty memorable experience.

If you are really into the outdoors then I suggest heading up to Whistler. It is a pretty happening place year ‘round. The glacier is open for skiing usually late into the summer if you feel like skiing in your shorts. The other alternative is to rent a mountain bike & some protective gear, then head to the top of the mountain (using the ski lift) and enjoy the ride down. Good times.

A couple of sites I would encourage you to give a miss to:
1. Capilano Suspension Bridge. WAY too expensive for walking across a bridge. Save your money.

2. Vancouver Art Gallery. Has some great art by one of BC’s best known artists (Emily Carr) – but their $12- admission rate is ridiculous.

Finally, depending on what age you are, the attraction for most Americans is our younger legal drinking age: 19 in BC, 18 in Alberta. If you can get into a club & like jazz then I would recommend Bar None on a Monday night – otherwise the best bet is to ask for suggestions at where you are staying. If downtown accommodations seem expensive UBC (the closest university to downtown) offers lots of rooms for rent during the summer in the residence halls.

Good luck with your trip planning :)

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Originally Posted by crazycdn

Okay. Now for some Vancouver suggestions. It all depends on your interests, but these spots could be a good place to start.

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Excellent post -- I am sure we will all use these tips in the months and years to come!

Mark

Wow, those are some great suggestions.

Drinking is 19 in BC, 18 in Alberta... I guess I'll have to wait until Alberta then.

Of what you posted, the Festival of Lights, Grouse Grind, and Granville Island all sound very interesting. Is there a website with dates and/or times for the fireworks festival?

Which brings me to another question - are there any other activities that have different restrictions or ages in BC/Canada than in the US?

Thanks for your help!

The fireworks details are at http://www.celebration-of-light.com/fireworks/ but it doesn't look like they have updated the site for 2006 yet. But I would expect it to be the same two weeks this year.

Are there any activities that you can think of in particular (re: age restrictions)? I'm not too sure about rental equipment - but I think as long as you have a driver's licence & a way to put a down deposit you would be safe.

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Originally Posted by JimiHendrix

these are people that I go to high school with and hang out with all the time. We've gone on trips together before to the beach and whatnot.

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Just in time for Valentine's Day I have prepared a roadtrip compatibility quiz for you to test on your friends and trip mates...BEFORE you leave on that multi-week adventure. Click here, take the quiz and let us know what you think of this tool!

Thanks,

Mark

My friends and I are planning a very similar trip, but not as wide scale as your seems to be. We plan to spend 2 to 3 weeks and cover about 6000 miles. But that's cool. Good idea. About the friends thing...I mean, I have 2 or 3 best friends that I get sick of sometimes but still...they're my best friends. I wouldn't let the idea that you guys could fight a lot deter you away from taking the trip.

Im just a few years older than you are and I took my frist cross country road trip just before I graduated from high school with two friends. What I found with my road trip is that we were able to do a lot more than what my mother or grandmother, a travel agent, thought that we could do. When youre younger staying in a good hotel doesnt really matter all that much. I was able to travel almost 9000 miles in about 12 days and see 11 national parks and monuments like the grand canyon, zion, bryce, arches, four corners, monument valley, etc. I loved driving all night and looking at the parks all day, being 18 I was totally fine with that and had no problems. It was the best experience Ive ever had without a doubt. If you need any suggestion of where to go Id love to help.

Hi Jimi. The roadtrip you are decribing sounds incredibly exciting and I wanted to just tell you a few things about Austin, Tx if you decide to come to Texas. Austin is absolutely amazing for all ages, but I think (considering your chosen username) that you will be very interested in all of the awesome live music that 6th Street has to offer, check out: http://www.6street.com At this same site you can find out information about "the drag" of Austin on Guadalupe St. The drag contains local street artist, fun and unique shops, and all kinds of interesting folks. Also, you must see the bats under the Congress St. bridge. There is a colony of bats (1.5 million of them at their peak) that makes the Congress St. bridge their home. I do not not have a direct link about the bats, but you can do a search for them online. My husband and I live 45 minutes north of Austin and visit frequently. The last time we went we checked out the bats and it was a sight to see. Anyway, just a few suggestions from a girl who loves Austin. Also, the cool thing about everything I've mentioned is that it's all located in downtown Austin and most of it is a short cab ride or walk away from any dowtown hotel/motel and you should be able to find a reasonable place to stay. Also, our state capitol is downtown and looks very impressive and beautiful at night. I hope this has helped, at least for the Austin stretch of your trip. Have a blast and safe driving!

Jimi - Sorry it has been so long between replies. Work and life in general has been crazy. I wanted to put some time in my reply, not just a few lines. So, I'll do my best to give you some advice and options.

Considering I am a lifelong New Englander, I have not gotten to see nearly enough of my surrounding area as I should have. This is something I hope to work on. For me, Maine and New Hampshire are virtually unknown (been to Maine once and NH three or four times). I do know VT, CT, RI & MA fairly well.

First thing is not to be fooled by the size of the states. Despite how small some of them are, navigation can be difficult due to winding mountain roads (in the cases of VT & NH) and heavy traffic (MA, CT, RI). If you hit the big cities around rush hour, you could sit for a while (kind of an obvious statement, I realize).

I was lucky to have a friend attend UVM, so I was able to visit Burlington, VT twice. WOW! What a beautiful city. I swear the air is fresher, sky bluer, and mountains greener up there. The landscape is beautiful. As a city, it is constructed around one blocks of shops, restaurants and bars, which is said to be one of the nicest Main Streets in America. The city is located between Lake Champlain and the Winooski River, and has the backdrop of the Green Mountains. I hope to head back for a weekend in the near future (although my friend has long since graduated).

As for some things to see while there, you can visit the original Ben & Jerry's, stop in at the Magic Hat Brewery (try the #9 pale ale!!!!!!), have a drink at Nectar's where Phish played their first bar gig together, or stroll around Shelburne Farms - constructed by the same landscaper artist who laid out Central Park.

If you are up in the northern corridor of the states, I really suggest visiting Burlington. I like it a lot more than some of the other cities/larger towns in Vermont (although I haven't been to Montpelier), and I think you would as well. Even if you just give it an afternoon - that should be plenty to stroll around downtown and maybe check out the historic farm.

I'll follow with what I can offer for MA, CT & RI. Hope this helps and I wasn't too long-winded.

I appreciate the VT tips, Traveling Wilbury. Look forward to the other states.

Jimi - I apologize for the long gaps between writing. Things get so busy at work that I only think/get to stop in here once in a while. I have some free time tonight so I'm going to try to give you a few more bits of info. Looking back at my VT post, I realize it isn't as informative as I had wanted it to be. I didn't realize how uneducated I was about my surrounding New England states until I tried to sit down and type a thorough breakdown. It just goes to show that there are endless amounts of things to learn and places to explore. So my apologies ahead of time if I prove not to be as helpful as advertised!

While Vermont is my neighbor to the north, Connecticut is about twenty miles south. And, thanks to my employment in Hartford, I drive through it every day! Located right off of I-91 S and along the Connecticut River, Hartford is a city on the up. Millions of dollars have been poured into renovating old buildings, erecting a convention center, building a new grand hotel, condos, and eventually a science center. Despite these improvements, Hartford is still mainly a suitcase city. Once rush hour subsides, the streets are relatively quiet considering it is a capital city. But, I see this improving in the next few years as well.

Depending on your agenda and time constraints, I think Hartford would make a nice place to grab lunch and walk around. Take an hour off the road and walk around Bushnell Park with a sandwich or small meal from any one of many nice delis and restaurants in downtown. You could always walk by both the old and new state houses or visit Mark Twain's home and museum. Don't forget Hartford once was/possibly still is the Insurance Capital of the World! If nothing else, it has an impressive skyline.

I can't speak much for the rest of the state. There are many other large cities (New Haven - home to Yale U, Waterbury, New Britain, Bridgeport), but nothing that I know of that would cause you to seek them out on a national roadtrip. Of course, as you get closer to NYC, you hit some of the richest towns in the Northeast,if not the U.S. Greenwich's cost of living is far, far above the national average. Again, fun to drive through and catch an eyefull, but probably nothing you are going to put down as a main place of interest.

One last paragraph. It's been years since I went with my parents, but Mystic is very, very nice! There is a museum and aquarium, and the seaport is beautiful. If you appreciate fishing-town Americana, I think you'd love an afternoon in Mystic. Then again, you may want to go about an hour northeast of there to see one of the gems of the New England Coast. Stay tuned...

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Originally Posted by Traveling Wilbury

Once rush hour subsides, the streets are relatively quiet considering it is a capital city.

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Thanks for the insider's tips about this area. Great post.

Mark

i agree with killer. i'm from los angeles and have often frequented vegas growing up. granted, it's definitely a place to go and experience but i found it really boring growing up, even after i was 18. now that i am 21, it's much more fun for me. and yes, they are strict about carding and age. i suggest you stay a night there at most. have some good food and hit up the arcades.

also, note that cali is incredible so you'll definitely want to stay some time there. but, since you are trying to be frugal.. take into account that vegas, los angeles, and san francisco are all extremely expensive... to eat in and to stay in... much less to play in. keep that in mind. there are ways to get around it but you might feel the pressure to spend money when you are at these places. i'd say hit up places that are free like beaches (venice, especially is quite an experience), the getty museum in santa monica, and fisherman's wharf in san francisco.

happy trails and good luck to you!