2 Weeks DC to SF

[max105]

Hi everyone. First of all, I just want to say these forums are great. I just starting reading through a few threads and I've learned more in 15 minutes than I have in 2 hours reading a book on road trips.

I'm going to be working in Conway, NH the first week of August. I'm flying down to NYC at the end of the week to visit some friends on Friday and will probably spend the weekend there. At the end of that weekend, I'm going to be driving with a friend down to Washington DC and help him move back to California. I would like to spend a day or so in DC just to see the Smithsonian and the monuments again.

We've got about 10-12 days to go from DC to San Francisco (Bay Area). I'm still not sure what cities/sights we want to hit...that's why I'm here. Since my friend has done the cross-country thing before, he's letting me choose all the stops. I'd like to see as much of America's beauty as possible. I live in the Bay Area and travel down to Los Angeles frequently, so I want to limit my stops and travels to outside of CA. We'll probably be stopping in Denver and Chicago to visit friends, but I'd also like to see stuff like Mt Rushmore and Glacier Park. What place and/or routes would people recommend for me given my time frame?

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

The way I see it, 10-12 days should give you plenty of time to see pretty much whatever you want, as long as you are always heading towards your destination. Basically, as long as you don't zig-zag too much, you should be fine.

Unfortuantly, however, that might make it difficult to fit both Denver and Rushmore or Glacier into this trip.

I'd say you should go one of two ways. After visiting your friend in Chicago, either stay on I-90 and see the Badlands, Rushmore/Black Hills, Yellowstone, and Glacier, before making tracks back Southwest. Or continue on to Denver, and spend some time exploring the mountains and parks in Colorado and Utah. Either option is a good one, but I think you'll have to make a choice in which one sounds most appealing to you.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I would like to spend a day or so in DC just to see the Smithsonian and the monuments again.

There are so many cool musuems to see in Washington, DC it really would take over a week just to get in the front doors of them. Two that you may not be familiar with and are certainly worth a look would include the National Museum of Health and Medicine (you will not believe some of those exhibits!) and the National Museum of the American Indian.

We've got about 10-12 days to go from DC to San Francisco (Bay Area). I'm still not sure what cities/sights we want to hit...that's why I'm here

Gotta go up in the Arch in St. Louis, eat some BBQ in Kansas City, Boulder, Colorado is pretty fun. But it is hard to beat the Going-to-the-Sun highway and here is an excellent field report about South Dakota.

Mark

[max105]

There are so many cool musuems to see in Washington, DC it really would take over a week just to get in the front doors of them. Two that you may not be familiar with and are certainly worth a look would include the National Museum of Health and Medicine (you will not believe some of those exhibits!) and the National Museum of the American Indian.Gotta go up in the Arch in St. Louis, eat some BBQ in Kansas City, Boulder, Colorado is pretty fun. But it is hard to beat the Going-to-the-Sun highway and here is an excellent field report about South Dakota.

Mark

Ooooh, those sound like excellent ideas. They're probably obvious ones, but I don't know anything about middle-America and what's out there (aside from Mt Rushmore). Please, feel free to suggest more things like this even if you think they're obvious destinations. Chances are, I haven't thought of them yet since I don't know anything about middle-America.

[max105]

I'd say you should go one of two ways. After visiting your friend in Chicago, either stay on I-90 and see the Badlands, Rushmore/Black Hills, Yellowstone, and Glacier, before making tracks back Southwest. Or continue on to Denver, and spend some time exploring the mountains and parks in Colorado and Utah. Either option is a good one, but I think you'll have to make a choice in which one sounds most appealing to you.

How mountainous or hilly are these passes? Is it any easier to go through the Rockies in Montana vs Colorado?

[Mass Tim]

Welcome to the RoadTrip America forum!

How mountainous or hilly are these passes? Is it any easier to go through the Rockies in Montana vs Colorado?

Going through the Rockies in Colorado is something I will never forget. For a New Englander, I was just impressed as all get out how far up we were. If you travel through on the Interstate, you'll be fine. The secondary roads can make for more of an adventure, however.

Still, I have to recommend seeing Yellowstone as a priority. The unearthly environment is just incredible, and to think all of this is on top of a giant volcano, surreal.

I just starting reading through a few threads and I've learned more in 15 minutes than I have in 2 hours reading a book on road trips.

Threre really is no replacement for experience, and this forum is more dynamic than any book can be by its nature. I ALWAYS learn something new when I sign on. Maybe you'll find something unique out there and add it to our ever-expanding list of interesting finds.