Hello - From AZ to MD

**Andy** · 07-22-2008, 04:57 AM

Hello fellow road trippers,
I am graduate student moving from Tucson to Maryland. I hope to cover the distance in three days and two nights. Any suggestions as to where to stop for the nights? Besides, any suggested visits along the way?

Full disclosure - have never done a road trip this long before; am an Indian graduate student (been here a couple of years) and would love to see and learn driving through the US.

**Midwest Michael** · 07-22-2008, 05:13 AM

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I'm sorry to tell you that not only will you not have time to see anything if you attempt a trip at this pace, but you will be driving far beyond the miles we recommend for multi-day cross country travel. The shortest possible route puts this trip at nearly 2400 miles, and driving 800 miles per day for 3 days in a row just isn't safe, unless you've got multiple drivers with some experience in shift driving.

If you want to see and learn by driving through the US, then developing a new plan should be your first lesson. You should give yourself at least one more full day, and even that leaves very little time to do anything other than driving.

If adding more time simply is not possible, then I would strongly recommend looking into plane tickets and shipping anything else you might want to bring with you.

**Andy** · 07-22-2008, 07:27 AM

Thank you for an early caution and the prompt posting.
Although I do have a schedule in Maryland to meet - I have bumped up the travel time as suggested. I now propose to do the trip from Tucson to DC in five days and four nights - is that safer?

Will it now be possible to put some road-trip fun in it?

**PNW Judy** · 07-22-2008, 03:03 PM

You will need to average about 475 miles per day for the 5 days (to cover the 2400 miles total). We generally recommend that people limit their driving to 500-550 miles per day so you are under that. Figure that you will be on the road about 8.5 hours to cover 475 miles. This includes brief stops for food, fuel, and allows for some traffic congestion and construction. This should give you 5-8 hours per day for sight-seeing, etc. depending on what time you hit the road in the morning and decide to stop at night.

You won't get to linger in any one place very long but you should be able to mix up a lot of driving with some sightseeing in a safe and reasonable manner.

We also recommend that you stop every 2 hours or so, even if just for a few minutes, to prevent road fatigue.

Just track your miles and don't let yourself stop before you've done about 475 miles each day or you will start getting jammed up at the end of your trip.

**Andy** · 07-22-2008, 04:18 PM

Thanks Judy!

I feel much better after the go-by from experts.

Now that the trip from Tucson to DC will be done in 5 days and four nights - any suggestions as to stopovers for sights along the way.

I will be traveling with a friend - both interested in getting as much of US history along the way, besides local culture and food. Any recommendations for natural history and landscapes will be great.

Anand

**Andy** · 07-23-2008, 11:45 PM

Hi All,
Thank you for the earlier suggestions.
We propose to head out of tucson and hit Sante Fe on Day One.

The next day halt for the night at Oklahoma City or Tulsa.

The third night at St. Louis.

The fourth at maybe Indianapolis.

And arrive the fifth evening at Maryland, College Park.

Santa Fe surely promises to be quite interesting with its history lessons. Can you suggest any smaller city or town stops instead of these bigger cities,
which would offer more natural wonders and history? Maybe food?

Anand