Sisters go from NY to CA & Back

[Jac]

My sister and I are planning going cross-country during June/July 2005. We are starting in NY driving to Georgia, then taking US-80 to San Diego. We will stay in San Diego for a little while and then head back to NY taking US-50 to Maryland. We would love and helpful advice or interesting things to see or do. We are planning on being away for about a month tops, does this sound about right? Also, how much money do you think this may cost?
Thank you everyone for your help.

[Robert Schaller]

It's hard to say how much your trip will cost -- each person has a different "style" of traveling. I mix camping and motels, and eat some food I take along and also some meals in restaurants. The only real "constant" is your gas mileage, and even that can vary (based on terrain and local prices)! <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/roadtripamerica_cfmfiles/calculator.cfm">Figure<a/> how far you will drive each day and the gas costs for that. Figure about how much it will cost for your food and lodging each day. Then add what you think you can take along for spending money. Don't forget to plan a reserve for vehicle maintenance and unforeseen repairs -- and think about what things you need to purchase just to make the trip -- an ice chest? A sleeping bag? Etc. My own rough estimate for rule of thumb is $150 per day for roadtrips for me as a solo traveler. This <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/travelplanning/Cheap-Road-Trips.htm">link<a/> will take you to information on "cheap" roadtripping.

You do realize that US80 does not exist west of DFW, yes? You can still follow many sections of the old road west of there, but they have state or county designations, although quite often the number 80 is still used. In AZ and NM, old US80 is now SR80 -- in CA, they use 80 as a county road designator for some stretches. I-20, I-10 and I-8 follow the basic route -- you can find information on the route (and what roads it has now become) by searching on the web.

If it were me, I'd go a little south of the 80 route and visit New Orleans, the Texas gulf coast, San Antonio, The Texas Hill Country and the Johnson Ranch, <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/journals/Number12.htm">Big Bend National Park and Terlingua ghost town<a/>, Carlsbad Caverns, then up to Lincoln County NM and the Ruidoso area, White Sands National Monument, <a href = "http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html">Kartchner Caverns<a/> (near Benson, AZ), the Chiricahua Mountains of SE AZ, Tombstone, Bisbee, <a href = "http://www.sanxaviermission.org/Index.html">San Xavier Mission<a/> at Tucson, then across to San Diego and Southern California.

On your return trip, be sure to take in as many of the national parks and scenic areas of the west as you can! Any route you take to US50 from San Diego is scenic -- but there are some great attractions on each route and you won't be able to see them all. I like US395 through the Owens Valley and up to the Reno area a LOT, but also I-15 to Las Vegas for a day or two, and then the southern Utah national parks would be great. Once you pick up US50, be sure to make a side trip to Moab and Arches/Canyonlands and also Black Canyon of the Gunnison in CO. In the midwest, your route isn't too far from Springfield IL and the Abraham Lincoln sites there -- his <a href = "http://www.nps.gov/liho/">home<a/> (the only one he ever owned), his tomb, his law office, etc. Well, there's a start -- you do all of these things, I'm sure you'll fill up a month. Perhaps others will have ideas as well, and you can pick the ones that interest you from the lot. Bob

that sounds like a great idea, i would do it a little differently though... i live in new york as well and would like to go on a road trip to loas angeles some time soon .... i would go down to Tennessee and get on the i40 all the way to California. On the way home i would drive up to san francisco and get on the i80 all the way to New Jersey. You could also stop along the way at mall of america which is in miniapolis,minesota. I hope i helped, i cant wait until i get my drivers liscense so i could take my road trip!!! :)