Please Help with First Road Trip

[grindstaff3]

4 of us are wanting to plan our first big road trip for 12-14 days in August. We will be leaving from NE Arkansas and will be pulling a camper. We are goign to stayin in KOA and want to take a southern route to las vegas then to L.A. then to San Francisco, then back with a northern route through utah, denver and such. Any tips on how to plan this please, we have no idea what to do. we want to spend a night in vegas, a night in san fran, day with wineries and plenty of time along the way to enjoy the sites.

Thank you

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

The first step is simply to decide what places you want to visit and what your priorities will be. You've already got a basic route idea, so now you can start going through those areas and decide what things along the way are your top priorities. Even skimming a map over the route is a great way to get a feel for the things you'll see along the way.

I will say that I think you're going to really have to keep this trip moving, and you might not have as much time as you think. You're looking at about 4000 miles for a rough round trip, so you're going to need to average about 300 miles a day. While that's not an impossible amount by any means, if you want to spend a couple days at any of your locations, you're going to have to drive more on your other days. Also keep in mind that you won't be able to go as fast while pulling a camper, and you'll have to factor in time to take down and set up each day you are moving.

[grindstaff3]

Ya I see what you mean about time. We wanted to see four corners and maybe shiprock, one night in vegas, see beverly hills, one night in san fran and do alcatraz and wineries, do arches, maybe a mining town in colorado. Are we pushing it here?

[Lifemagician]

Are we pushing it here?

IMHO..... "Yes!"

[grindstaff3]

Can anyone give some advice on an itinerary that would work? Like I said, we are leaving NW Arkansas and have 12-13 days to make it back there. We want to see as much as we can including Vegas, L.A., San Fran., and anything else. Please help, we have never attempted a road trip like this and don't know how to plan it right.
Thank you

[Midwest Michael]

As I mentioned before, you really just need to sit down and try to sketch out a trip and see if it works. Once you've done that, the come back with the outline that you've come up with, and we'll let you know what we think, if it is feasable, and what areas might need to be improved. No one else will be able to create an itinerary that fits your goals better than you, and if you really want someone to do all the planning work for you, then you might consider contacting a professional travel agent.

[Lifemagician]

Ye know... when I read your posts begging for an itenary, I keep thinking of how much you are missing out on.

During my first trip years ago, I made tons of mistakes. As a solo (senior) traveller I did not have anyone to discuss things with. I was not even a local!! I just fumbled along and sometimes ended up in the most unexpected - and magnificent - places. Places I may never have visited in a carefully planned itenary - like the lovely little coffee shop which had a gallery of all the local art and craft, in a room at the rear.

Why not just read as much of the relevant threads on this great site as you possibly can... and hit the road! Enjoy where you are, when you are there. Treasure the memories, take lots of photos, mark where you have driven on a map or in an atlas, keep a journal.....

And laugh at your mistakes.

[grindstaff3]

Here is my first draft of the summer road trip. Please make any suggestions.

Starting in Bentonville, Ar
Leave August 1 - 7:00 am
Arrive August 1 Amarillo, Tx - 3:30 pm
Leave August 2 Amarillo, Tx - 7:00 am
Arrive August 2 Farmington, Nm 3:30
Leave August 3 Farmington, Nm 7:00 am
See Shiprock and 4 Corners, meteor crater, winslow az, monument valley. (as much as possible) then off to Flagstaff, Az
Arrive Flagstaff, Az sometime August 3
Leave August 4 Flagstaff, Az 7:00 am
Would like to see Grand Canyone and Hoover Dam
Arrive Las Vegas, Nv sometime August 4 early enough to see show and have a little fun
Leave August 5 Las Vegas, Nv morning
Arrive Los Angeles early afternoon
Would like to see Beverly Hills and other neat things (please reccomend)
Leave August 6 Los Angeles 7:00 am
Would like to drive Pacific Coast Hwy
Arrive August 6 San Francisco with enough time to see alcatraz
Tour some wineries and visit around San Francisco on August 7
Arrive August 7 Reno, Nv
Leave August 8 Reno, Nv 7:00 am
Arrive August 8 Moab, Ut
Visit Arches
Leave August 9 Moab, Ut
Arrive August 9 Denver, Co
Leave August 10 Denver, Co 7:00 am
Arrive August 10 Kansas City, Mo
Leave August 11 Kansas City, head back to Bentonville, Ar

This is giving us 1 day not accounted for on this map and we want to be able to see things along the way. Please tell me what you think. We will have a camper so no hotels needed.

Thank you

[Midwest Michael]

You've got a few days in there where its just not going to be realistic to do everything that you've listed. Really, days 3-6 all need some work.

The worst of them, There's just no way that you'll be able to see Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam and fit in the 6-7 hours of driving (or longer pulling a camper) and get into Las Vegas in the early evening. LA is a huge sprawling city, and trying to see it in half a day, while pulling a camper just isn't realistic. Same with the Pacific Coast Highway, driving that road from LA to SF really needs 2 days. At the very least, you'd be looking at around 14 hours on the road, so you'd certainly not be arriving with enough time to do anything in SF.

This is giving us 1 day not accounted for on this map and we want to be able to see things along the way.

Even with one day, I think you're setting yourself up to have time to drive, and that's about it.

We will have a camper so no hotels needed.

Have you already found campgrounds, especially for your visits to the cities? And again remember, you're going to need to factor in time to set up and tear down your camper.

[grindstaff3]

What around the 4 corners is best and easiest to see? Would you recommend Grand Canyon or Hoover or neither? and in L.A. we really wanted to see Beverly Hills and the mansions and just see it. What is the best way to get from L.A. to S.F.? with enough time to see alcatraz. that is a must. I would love to say that we drove on PCH even for a little bit just to see it and see the houses in Malibu. I can see where that part of the trip is getting crowded. We want enough time to be able to slow down a bit in certain areas.