Moving from Los Angeles to Missouri...

[bluechalice]

Hi Guys....how is everyone...I am new here...so glad to have found this website...
In a couple more weeks...we'll be moving to back to Jefferson City, Missouri(end of august)...and we've never driven home before...
At first we thought of renting a u-haul and drive that plus our small car across country...but then we found this moving company and we will have our stuff shipped...so now we can just drive cross country and enjoy ourselves along the way...In the car will be my wife, son and my cousin and I...
I know theres two main ways to get there...northern route and the southern route...
I'd like to get some advise from you guys...advise like the safest route...easiest/ shortest etc...
Also...which route has the most interesting attractions...things like the Giant Skillet or the biggest ball of twine...
One of my main concern is how to breakdown the drive...I checked yahoo and it shows around 1700 miles and 26hrs of drive...my wife was saying we'd probably take 3-4 days driving there...since we have a kid...so that means lodging...This is where I need some help too...also the weekend during my move is Labor Day weekend...so I am afraid that the motels will be very expensive....cause as of now..we are on a really tight budget as we just quit our jobs to move back...so no moolah till we find some job in missouri...
I'd also like to know how I can get discounts on motels etc...thanks in advance...

[Mark Sedenquist]

Hi Guys....how is everyone...I am new here...so glad to have found this website...

Welcome to the Forum -- There is a lot of talent and ideas on this board and we hope you find it helpful.

In a couple more weeks...we'll be moving to back to Jefferson City, Missouri(end of august)...and we've never driven home before...
At first we thought of renting a u-haul and drive that plus our small car across country...but then we found this moving company and we will have our stuff shipped...so now we can just drive cross country and enjoy ourselves along the way...

A much saner way to move across the country!

I know theres two main ways to get there...northern route and the southern route...I'd like to get some advise from you guys...advise like the safest route...easiest/ shortest etc...Also...which route has the most interesting attractions...things like the Giant Skillet or the biggest ball of twine...

Where are you starting from? I could guess the location based on a radius of 1700 miles, but... One thing you have to know is that mapping programs that provide drive time seem to operate in a parallel universe and unless you are a) a professional driver with lots of discipline or b) able to employ a police escort, over a 8-10 hour driving period, you will rarely exceed an average speed of 53 mph. So the actual driving time for your trip is actually closer to about 32 hours. In order to maintain a 65 mph average you would have to either never stop for fuel, food or breaks or drive very close to triple digits much of the day. Since this trip will probably entail driving reasonably quickly, be sure to read Judy Carter's tips about the Art of the Speed Run.

I'd also like to know how I can get discounts on motels etc...thanks in advance...

Just about all of the state entry/Welcome Centers profide coupons for discounted lodging in the area. We also have some tips and suggestions for inexpensive travel here. And some there were some good tips about traveling with a family in this recent post and you might find Chris Epting's thoughts helpful as well.

Mark

[bluechalice]

Hi Editor...we are gonna be driving from Los Angeles...probably using the 10 or 60 pomona Frwy?...I know its gonna be a long trip but I also want it to be fun...it'll be cool to stop at attractions along the way...how long does it usually take? we were thinking 3 days but now that you mentioned...its seems like it will take longer...

[AZBuck]

Well, the easiest and shortest route from LA to Jefferson City is I-15 north into Utah and then pick up I-70 east to MO. It's also one of the more interesting and scenic combinations of Interstate in the country. You're going to need a minimum of 4 days with a child (how old?). But having multiple drivers will help everyone maintain their sanity and stamina. Plan on stopping every 2-3 hours for at least a half hour to hour out of the car. This can include meal breaks, but should also include stops to hike through some parks or small towns along the way.

The Labor Day weekend should not put a big premium on motel prices, but to be sure, you can surf the web using sites such as hotel-guides and tripadvisor to find prices and reviews. Also note that AAA membership is often good for a 10% discount. You can also consider camping for 1 or 2 nights at state parks along the way - these can be incredible bargains, and will add to the sense of adventure. You will get various advice on this site as to whether it is better to reserve motel rooms ahead or find them as you need them. For my part, I strongly prefer to pre-book, and know the price I'm going to pay and how far I have to get each day rather than start looking at the end of a long day's driving.

As far as that goes, I'd suggest that you make this trip in 4 days of about 450 miles a day. There's a lot to see along the way and such a schedule will allow you some time to stop and at least taste, if not linger over, the best of them. Two good web sites that list off-beat road side attractions are Roadside America and Back on Track. These should get you started on things to see. But don't forego the obvious web searches starting with (for example) 'Utah tourism' and follow the links wherever they take you. Be sure to let your son have some say in the choices of where to stop too.

This should be a fun trip - take it easy and enjoy.

AZBuck

[bluechalice]

Hi AZBuck thanks for replying...my son is 4 now...he turns 5 in December...we are thinking of even stopping at Las Vegas for a while etc...I will check into the websites you gave me...it will be of great help...4 days sounds good...we might even take 5 days...only my wife and I drive...my cousin doesnt...so we'd probably have to rest a lot more...

[RoadTripper Brad]

A much saner way to move across the country!

Yee! I've been deemed officially Insane! heh heh heh. In all fairness though, If you can afford it, do it. Although there is nothing like loading all your stuff up and trucking it along yourself... I've been doing it all my life!

Just about all of the state entry/Welcome Centers profide coupons for discounted lodging in the area.

Be careful with those discount coupons... some of those rooms are TRUELY discount (example- On our way to Disneyland a few years ago, we picked up one of those guides at the visitors center in far Norther California. We decided to stop for the night in Redding, and went to this motel that had a coupon. At first, we spent 20 minutes trying to find this place, since it wasn't right off the freeway. Once we were there, the place wouldn't honor the coupon... saying the only room they had left was their "presidential suite" which had a small kitchenette with a coffee pot. Being we were tired and sore from driving all the way from Seattle in one day... we decided that we might as well just stay there, rather than get lost trying to get back to the freeway. Once we did get into the room, there was nothing "presidential" about it... the walls had cracks in it from the last earthquake (which was several years prior).)

My best advice, and a rule of thumb that has served my family well for countless cross-country moves is this. Motel 6 and Super 8 and other chains like that are great. They are reasonably priced and fairly consistant as far as amenities. And your kidlets stay free at Motel 6, so you won't have to fork over extra cash.

When moving, I try and stick with hotel or motel chains that I have become accustomed with. I know that if something is wrong, these places have a national office in which they must answer to, which helps a bit.

On my upcoming trip where I will be moving my friend down from Central Washington to Phoenix, you can bet we will be staying at either of these two places, or another reasonably priced national chain.

We've also stayed at some not-so-well known places in the past. I believe one was a Sixpense Inn or something to that effect outside of Grapevine, Ca. It was about the only thing out there, and when we pulled up the outside looked quite nice and clean, and the rooms were very nice as well.

As far as routes go, I would try and swing north along I-40, just to bypass the baren wastelands of far Eastern Riverside County, and the Blythe-Phoenix run... its really really hot here in Phoenix.

Try and have fun. I've spent most of my life on those 'very tight budget one way road trips with no employment at the end'... My family did it alot when I was young, and I have done it once so far... but you have to do what you have to do. Just be sure to have a good time, albeit on a dime.

Good luck with your move!
-Brad

[bluechalice]

Hi Brad...thanks for pointing out Motel 6...thats good that they dont charge extra for kids...right now we are contemplating on whether to book the motels first or just drive right up to them...
Seems like we are leaning more toward the 15 to Vegas...then to Utah and continue on the I-70....my wife really wanna check out Utah and Colorado...
Its been so hot here these few days...making me dizzy...as I am in my tiny apt trying to pack things up...the whole place is a mess...and we dont have air conditioning...so we have this big industrial fan helping to cool things down a little...
Seems like after Colorado I-70 becomes a little boring? Looking at the Map on I-70 all the way across Kansas seems like theres nothing around it...whats it like?
Right now we are getting more and more anxious...as we are just in the starting part of our packing...and we are planning to move on August 31st....yikes!!!!!

[Midwest Michael]

I-70 pretty much from Denver all the way to KC is all farmland, but its kind of hard to avoid the great plains when you're moving to the midwest. Think of it this way, you'll have a good 600 miles to get used to the surroundings you'll soon be calling home.

I've always really like the hotel coupon books, but you do have to be careful to read the fine print. The coupons typically offer substantial savings, but often only for rooms with 1 or 2 adults, on weekdays, when they aren't already booked up. I've stayed at many a motel 6 in my life, they are often the cheapest chain motel out there, but with a trade off. Kids do stay free, but I've yet to stay at a motel that charges extra for a child, and at Motel 6 You're going to pay about 5 dollars more for the second adult than the advertised rate, the rooms are tiny and often not the cleanest, and if you want things like soap or shampoo, be prepared to hit the vending machine in the lobby. Like I've said, I've stayed at quite a few of them because they are generally the cheapest, but you should know what you're getting yourself into.

As far as booking in advance, a lot of times I'll book my first night, simply because you can find nicer places for less money and I typically know how far I'm going to get my first day. But after that, I like the freedom of not having to get to a specific destination at the end of the day.

[PNW Judy]

As a Motel 6 devotee, I just want to add that I've never had a problem with a room at a Motel 6. They've always been clean and big enough, imho. No, they don't have tons of freebies like the teeny shampoo bottles some chains give you, but I think they are consistently good, inexpensive lodgings. I have also stayed a lot in various other inexpensive chains like Super 8, Days Inn, Econolodge, etc. I find more variablility in those chains than I do in Motel 6 but I have rarely found one that wasn't adequate for my needs.

Of course, anytime you rent a room you can request a refund if you don't like what you see and move on down the road. I know some folks don't even rent until they have previewed the room first. This is always an option if you are skeptical about the place you've stopped at.

Unless you are traveling on a holiday weekend in a touristy area, you are probably OK without getting reservations. I rarely do as I like the freedom not being tied to a reservation gives me.

[Robert Schaller]

I too like the flexibility of not having reservations, but I often make them if I know where I want to be at the end of the day and I'm not concerned that I won't make it there. The reason is, I like to drive into the evening, often very late; if you do that, you often find that rooms are mostly booked up when you want one (or you end up having to get one in the most expensive place in town). So if you don't want to make reservations, my advice is don't wait long into the evening to find your lodging. Mark did an essay on reservations -- check it out here.