Trip with Cleveland, Seattle and LA

[Morris]

Hi,

I am planning a 6-8 week trip summer 2006 and I would like to visit 3 friends, one living in Cleveland OH, another in Seattle, and the last one in Los Angeles. I will be leaving from Montreal, QC in Canada.

I was thinking of either renting a car (in the US) or buying a cheap car (in Canada), driving first to Cleveland, then accross to Seattle and finally down to LA. After that, I was thinking of driving back up via the historic route 66 or somewhat farther up north.

I have budgeted about 1000usd a week (or 140 a day) for car rental, gas, lodging, food and the odd site or museum. (I actually made an excel spreadsheet to be able to play around with the figures...)

Any specific recommendations of sites to visit? Does my budget seem reasonable?

One of my concerns about Route 66 is that I would be in Arizona and New Mexico around August or September? How hot should I expect it to be? Would I be better off delaying by a month?

Anyhow, thanks in advance for any ideas or recommendations.

[Quebec Gen]

Morris,

driving back up via the historic route 66

Actually route 66 isn't a "recognized" highway anymore. You can still see and drive on some original parts of the road but it was "de-commissioned" years ago. I-40 and I-44 follow more or less the path of the original Route 66. Personally, I particularly enjoyed the parts in NM and AZ where you can tons of old motels and diners with neon signs. There are a few organizations that exist to support the preservation of Route 66, they could give you more info on how to find the remaining stretch of the old highway.

I would be in Arizona and New Mexico around August or September? [...] Would I be better off delaying by a month?

Well, if you buy or rent a car, make sure it has A/C. A/C or not, I'd personally do the trip anyway, but I'm a heat addict, I guess it depends on your level of tolerance for the heat. Bring plenty of water for you and your car, and drink it even if you're not really thirsty just to prevent dehydration. Also, put on sunscreen regularly to avoid sunburns, especially on your left arm...Don't forget the ears!:o) Make sure your engine coolant system and all your fluids are ok before you leave. Have a charged cell phone with you all the time along with your AAA (or CAA) membership card.

How hot should I expect it to be?

The average temperatures for Phoenix, AZ for August and September are :

August
Average high temperature: 103
Average low temperature: 79
Warmest ever: 116
Coldest ever: 60
Average precipitation: 1.0

September
Average high temperature: 99
Average low temperature: 72
Warmest ever: 118
Coldest ever: 47
Average precipitation: .7

The average temperatures for Alburquerque, NM for Aug and Sep are :

August
Average high temperature: 89
Average low temperature: 63
September
Average high temperature: 82
Average low temperature: 56

Good luck and happy planning!

Gen