2013 Lap around the USA

[john.waters]

Looks like we will now start out trip in early to mid May and finish in late June or early July. Probably start in LA and head to San Diago for a couple of days defore heading to Tuscon, Tombestone and from there who knows. My wife has a list of places so I need to start planning again.Hopefully loop around and end up in San Francisco before Yosemite and over through Death Valley to Las Vegas before heading back to LA and home.

John

[Lifemagician]

I'm hoping 8 weeks will be enough time. We can always have trip #3.

John, you know that no matter how long you have, it is never 'enough time'. Good excuse for trip #3.

Make a note in your planning that Monday 27th May is Memorial Day, usually quite a busy weekend.

Lifey

[john.waters]

John, you know that no matter how long you have, it is never 'enough time'. Good excuse for trip #3.

Make a note in your planning that Monday 27th May is Memorial Day, usually quite a busy weekend.

Lifey

Lifey I think there could be a trip #4 too.

Memorial weekend last year we were in Las Vegas. Room rate at Flamingo on Thursday $55 Friday $ 120. Still a good weekend. Holiday share presentation gave us 2 free flights over the strip, $75 gift vouchure and freee lunch. The presenter was more interested in our trip and didnt try to sell us anything.We said no once and that was it.
The flight over the strip was Friday night and the Pilot pointed out the lights coming from LA,one line of lights for as far as you could see. Definetly going back to Vegas.

John

[Lifemagician]

I can assure you that my experience of Memorial Day is very different. This was on my third visit, and long before I knew about Memorial Day... or RTA.

I turned up at the Grand Canyon South Rim... with nowhere to park, long queues, unable to get on the shuttle and a general nightmare. Since then I have been particularly sensitive about where I am over any public holiday.

Lifey

[john.waters]

I can assure you that my experience of Memorial Day is very different. This was on my third visit, and long before I knew about Memorial Day... or RTA.

I turned up at the Grand Canyon South Rim... with nowhere to park, long queues, unable to get on the shuttle and a general nightmare. Since then I have been particularly sensitive about where I am over any public holiday.

Lifey

Lifey, we left Las Vegas on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend and got as far as Williams. Went to the Grand Canyon on the Sunday morning, as we headed to the Grand Canyon I could see all the cars starting to catch os. It was early morning and by the time we left it was the same.Long waits for the shuttle and place packed.It was windy and left about 3pm and headed towards Page to Antelope Canyon. It was very windy at the Grand Canyon so no helicopters or planes going over.

Im at the moment putting the video together that my wife shot, so reliving a lot of the trip again.All it does is make me want to get back sooner.

[john.waters]

Hi All, still around and still planning. Just spent a few weeks in beautiful Tonga on a very small island.

Just happened to be staying there were a couple from Alaska. From their stories and description of the place I seem to have been bitten by the Canada and Alaska bug as well.
Im looking at Alaska and Canada on the next trip as well. Maybe it should be a seperate trip but would I need to add a month or so to cover a trip to Alaska. We like to keep moving and look around with a day or so here and there.
Any ideas.
John

[Lifemagician]

Would you need to add a month to the upcoming trip?

No, definitely not! You will need to add about six to eight weeks, if you are really going to see the place, and experience all the wonders up north.

My first trip in 2004 was in a rental vehicle, which Budget would only let me have for a maximum of 28 days. I drove from Seattle up and a different route back to Seattle. Six and a half thousand miles. No where near enough time. I had to skimp over so many things, but it whet my appetite for future trips.

Of course you could always fly into AK, but half the experience, I think, is the drive from the lower 48. Western Canada is as spectacular as the areas you covered last year.

My second trip was in 2009. Part of a longer trip, it was a little more than 7 weeks - not counting the time in the lower 48.

Still not satisfied, and always wanting to see and experience more, I made another eight week trip earlier this year.

Yeah, make it a separate trip. Plan well. Get The Milepost (why not pick up a copy when you are over next year), it is an essential, both in the planning and during the actual trip.

Lifey

[john.waters]

Thanks Lifey.
I have ordered a copy of The Mile Post and a few maps etc. Id love to get to Alaska next year. I can see what time I would really need.
Driving and looking is what I really love so Id have to do the drive. Maybe do my original plan next year and Canada Alaska the following year when I save a few more dollars and accumulate more annual leave.
Ill go back to the planning board and see what I can come up with.
Thanks again
John

[john.waters]

Well Im back at the planning table again. Alaska has been put back a year or two as we want to save it for a full 2 months on its own.
I promised my wife we would finish off the from last year and now back to the original plan.

About 8 weeks to do an anti clockwise trip starting in early May and finishing around the mid to end of June. We have cut out a few places where we spent time last year.So places Phoenix and Tucson are off limits this trip.

I have a bit of a list I put together and is here for the picking. I know roughly where we want to go but not sure of the time needed.
this isnt concrete but would like some help with it please. It might seemed to rushed for one trip but we really want to do this as it might be our last chance for some time.
These distances are in Kilometers

Day km
1 Arrive LA
2 LA Sedona 790 Route 66
3 LA Sedona
4 sedona Albuquerque 600
5 Albuquerque Sand Springs 1065 Visiting friends
6 Sand Springs
7 Sand Springs
8 Sand Springs Dallas 440
9 Dallas Houston New Orleans 1000
10 Dallas Houston New Orleans
11 New Oleans
12 New Oleans
13 New Oleans Memphis 636
14 Memphis
15 Memphis Lynchburg Nashville 518 Jack Daniels
16 Nashville
17 Nashville Louisville 282 Bourbon Trail
18 Louisville Lexington Cherokee 518
19 Cherokee Blue Ridge Parkway
20 Blue Ridge Parkway Allowed 4-5 days for the Blue Ridge Parkway
21 Blue Ridge Parkway
22 Blue Ridge Parkway
23 Blue Ridge Parkway Skyline Drive Front Royal Allow 2 days for a look around.
24 Front Royal Niagara Falls 603
25 Front Royal Niagara Falls
26 Niagara Falls
27 Niagara Falls Rapid City 2300 Not sure of best route.
28 Niagara Falls Rapid City
29 Niagara Falls Rapid City
30 Badlands
31 Badlands
32 Badlands Glacier NP 1200
33 Glacier NP
34 Glacier NP
35 Glacier NP
36 Glacier NP Calgary 300
37 Calgary Lake Louise Jasper 423
38 Calgary Lake Louise Jasper
39 Calgary Lake Louise Jasper
40 Jasper Port Angeles 1000
41 Port Angeles Olympic NP
42 Olympic NP Portland 500
43 Portland The Dalles Portland 300
44 Portland Mount Hood Union Creek 542
45 Union Creek Mount Shasta Avenue of the giants 650
46 Avenue of the giants San Francisco 450
47 San Francisco
48 San Francisco
49 San Francisco Yosemite NP 350
50 Yosemite NP
51 Yosemite NP Tehacapi 542
52 Tehachapi Los Angeles 169
53 Los Angeles
54 Los Angeles
55 Los Angeles
56 Los Angeles Home
57

I have a few spare days at the ned but really wanted to go from Yosemite to Vegas via Death Valley but not sure of road closures in June.
We had Denver in there as well on the way to Rapid city and Mount Rainer on the way to Porland. But we can leave that for the Alaska trip from Seattle.

Any guidance would be appreciated. Positive or negative , all taken in
Cheers
John

[Lifemagician]

Alaska will still be there.... might just go back myself then, too. lol

You're becoming a real pro at this.

Lifey