Philly to Seattle & Back in 4 Wks!

[Tony]

Please help me to plan a trip across USA departing from Philadelphia PA through Cleveland, Chicago onto Seattle. I would like return on a more southern route to Philadelphia. I can allocate about 4 weeks for this and advice if this is possible with a suggested route and stops along the way.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Tony,
That is quite an adventure you have outlined. It is certainly possible to cover that much ground in the four weeks but you will need to average over 200 miles per day. It is possible to have a truly grand road trip adventure without trying to see everything in one trip.

[Tony]

Thanks for info but can you advise of an itinerary for a four week trip of
interest?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Tony,

What do (YOU & YOUR BRIDE) like to do? Do you like to hike, soak in hot springs, hang-out in funky bars, climb mountains, listen to folk music, ride horses, paddle rapids? RTA is working on tools that can assist in planning ultimate roadtrips, but we have a ways to go before we can offer them.

This is your honeymoon -- give me two parameters of how you would like to spend your time (besides driving 200 miles per day) and I will provide a couple of suggestions.

I could easily spend 4 weeks exploring the Adirondack park (in upstate NY) and three months in Maine. One of my favorite roadtrip locales is the 4-corners area of AZ, NM, CO & UT. North coast of California and the Eastern Outback of Oregon also rank high.

There are professional outfitters who can provide detailed itineraries for roadtrips (for a fee). But it really comes down to --- what are you looking for?

Mark

[Tony]

Can someone please advise about a trip for 3-4 weeks that would not be too
arduous. Perhaps staying in the Midwest?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Tony,

How does wandering along the mighty Mississippi River grab you? The Great River Road (GRR) travels through 10 states from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the mouth near New Orleans. You could easily travel along as much or little as you wish in the 3-4 weeks.

Jaimie Jensen wrote "Road Trip USA" and details one such trip along the GRR. Along the way be sure and check out the town of Metropolis, Illinois.

Mark

[Tony]

Thanks for the response and I think that I have adjusted my thinking to
limit plans to perhaps have a driving trip through Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio,
etc,? Any ideas ?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Tony,

Very pleased you are embracing the concept of quality over quantity! Some of our favorite haunts -- in no particular (certainly not logical) order:

For biggest collection of odd sporting gadgets -- The Bass Pro shop in Springfield -- it is huge! The 2nd Best Margaritas in the world are served in the upstairs cellar of Vivian's Vineyards in St. Charles (http://www.roadtripamerica.com/eats/vivians.htm) . The ride up into the Arch at St Louis is very cool. Nearby are the Cahokia Mounds -- interesting.

Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, KY (http://www.roadtripamerica.com/eats/lynns.htm) Plus just drive around some of the hidden valleys in KY -- great place names like Rabbit Hash, RubberTit, Big Bone Lick -- you get the drift. Plenty of romantic hide-aways too.