LA to NY

[K-Shah]

Hi,

My husband and I are planning to take a road trip from LA to NY sometime around mid-April... we've got about 3 weeks to do the road trip. what would be the best route for us, how long would it take and how much would it cost? also, would it be better for us to drive to NY and fly from NY to LA or just drive LA-NY-LA? are there any festivals at that time of the year that we should try and include?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Don Woodmancy]

If the entire three weeks, or most of it is dedicated to travel, I'd start north from California through Las Vegas and into central Utah. Then I'd head east toward Denver. The Rockies are gorgeous anytime of year. Coming out of Denver, I'd start on a southeast bearing with the goal of traveling through the deep south (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia). The south in spring is a delight. I would then continue east to Savannah and then head up the coast to Wilmington, SC. From there, it's a pretty straight shot through Richmond and Washington to NY. Whichever route you choose, have a great trip!

[Erik Plesset]

Mr. Woodmancy,

That was a nice reply to the "other" LA-NY seekers, although my interest is in a shorter trip focusing on hitting 3 - 4 major national parks and a couple fossil sites as part of the National Parks System. I'm thinking maybe a drive through the parks, lunch stops or a couple hour detours at "choice" spots, etc. Sleep in hotels as needed.

The distance across US by Air is about 3K miles. By car across roads as suggested above I'm guessing 3.5K miles.

I have three young kids - 2,4,6 yrs old and have the following questions:

- What do you think is a comfortable distance per day with / without youngsters?
- Do you know of any reports, joournals, or other links, with a National Park Itinerary that might be publicly available?

Thanks,

Erik Plesset

[imported_Don Woodmancy]

It's been so long since I've had young kids, I would not hazard a guess about their tolerance for long trip legs. As far as links, the US National Parks are at www.nps.gov. Some of my favorites along the suggested route are Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah and Rocky Mtn National Park in Colorado. I wouldn't ignore National Monuments or state parks, either. I like Valley of Fire State Park about 60 miles NE of Las Vegas and you can make a convenient loop off I-15, through the park, and then back to I-15 through Overton and Logandale. I also like Kodachrome State Park a few miles east of Bryce Canyon and the entire Grand Staircase National Monument in the same area. If you get further north in Utah, Dinasaur Nat'l Monument is just north of US-40 straddling Utah and Colorado. If you are going in the late spring or summer, the kids will probably enjoy a ride on the Heber Creeper, a short narrow guage excursion train in the town of Heber, UT. If you were going to be further south, the area around Durango, CO, is great. Our editor also highly recommends Monument Valley and I enjoy visits to Mesa Verde, just west of Durango. Slightly east and north of there, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison has to be seen to be believed. Further east in Kansas, the kids will probably enjoy a visit to Dodge City. Have a wonderful trip.