The LA to NY thing ....

[AlongTheBeatenTrack]

Me and a friend will be turning 21 this July and when another friend proposed going to the US for the summer our overly ambitious imaginations soon went to work.

Immediately my childhood ambition to go from NY to LA came into the forefront. My friend had proposed going from D.C. to NY he has a girlfriend in Washington and has basically already come up with a plan for that part of the journey.

So I quickly flipped it around and thought LA to NY, I've read the posts of other people who have thought about this trip but there are some specifics that I wanted to clear up. It looks like its gonna be me and my other soon to be 21 year old friend doing the LA to Washington part, as I'm the only one with a drivers license and there's no way I fancy doing all that driving we're considering getting a 30 day greyhound discovery pass (we're almost certain on taking a month to get to D.C. from the day we leave LA). Is Greyhounding gonna be a real chore? I may consider the freedom of a car if there are lots of horror stories, but like I said driving it all on my own doesn't sound appealing.

The other thing is routes (where to visit):

We're certain of these bits

LA - Vegas

Louisiana - Miss - Alabama - Georgia

the different options from Vegas to Louisiana are:

- Arizona - New Mexico - Texas -

or - Utah - Colorado - (then do a long jut back down to see the south)

Getting from Georgia to Washington we're not really sure of, I'd love to go through Tenessee then maybe take a long drive direct to Washington, but that means cutting back a little .... any other suggested routes??

I think for the D.C. to NY bit we're going to go D.C. - Philli - Atlantic City - NY (Another 18 odd days but that includes a longer stay in D.C.).

We're gonna be travelling very cheap, but that's no problem, I've been in the army so roughing it is something I'm used to. Was just wondering if there were any glaring holes\suggestions to our plan etc. it's in the extreme preliminary stages but I'm already crazily excited.

Thanks

[Quebec Gen]

Hi!

Is Greyhounding gonna be a real chore? I may consider the freedom of a car if there are lots of horror stories, but like I said driving it all on my own doesn't sound appealing.

I never really took a long bus ride, but personally I'd use a car even if it means going slower. If you have a whole month, you can easily drive for 6-8 hours a day, visit attractions and parks along the way and still have time to make it to NY and back. It depends on how much time you want to spend in NYC and Washington. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy driving at all, Greyhounding may be a good option if you don't mind being "organized".

LA - Vegas

From I-15, take the Baker exit and drive through Death Valley National Park. Be sure your A/C is working!

Las Vegas has very cheap lodging during the weekdays. (25-40$)

Don't miss the Light and Sound Show on Fremont St.

Try the rides at the top of the Stratosphere Tower if you're into that kind of scary stuff. If you're a chicken like me:-), at least take the elevator to the top. The view is incredible.

I'm sure our Editor has plenty of fun Vegas suggestions for you guys!

Louisiana - Miss - Alabama - Georgia

Here's an interesting article and a post you might find useful. Despite what people say or what you heard on the news, New Orleans is worth a visit, even after Katrina. The French Quarter (Vieux Carré) is still pretty intact, the music's good, the food is tasty and the people -- the ones who came back -- are so friendly.

- Arizona - New Mexico - Texas -

Whew, so much to see in those 3 States! Here are a few suggestions :

AZ : Grand Canyon, Monument Valley (on the border of Utah), Antelope Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Red Rock Canyon and more

NM : Very Large Array, White Sands NM, Roswell, Central Avenue (formerly Route 66) in Alburquerque

TX : El Paso and Ciudad Juarez (Mex), The Alamo, the Riverwalk and Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Space Center in Houston, Big Bend National Park, Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo - home of the 72 oz steak, Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo

Lots of hot springs in those states too, some wild, some developped.

I suggest you search this forum, you'll find lots of other useful infomations and tips on the places you plan to visit.

We're gonna be travelling very cheap, but that's no problem, I've been in the army so roughing it is something I'm used to.

Here are some tips to keep it as cheap as possible while on the road. You should check out this post as well regarding NYC cheap lodging. In July you should be able to camp almost everywhere but reservations might be necessary in some places (ex. : popular National Parks such as Grand Canyon).

Gen

[AlongTheBeatenTrack]

Thanks a lot for the info. I've decided I definitely don't want to miss out on Memphis after reading that article. Also looked at all the places in AZ as well as Death Valley which has made me rethink the whole car\no car thing as none except for the Grand Canyon are accessible without a car I think?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Thanks a lot for the info. I've decided I definitely don't want to miss out on Memphis after reading that article. Also looked at all the places in AZ as well as Death Valley which has made me rethink the whole car\no car thing as none except for the Grand Canyon are accessible without a car I think?

By far it is easier to drive a personal vehicle when on road trip, because of the relative ease of getting around (and stopping when you want to) but just about ever major destination in America can be reached by using a combination of public/private transportation options. In fact, in many all of the national parks, private cars are not allowed (or strongly restricted) during the peak visiting periods. I would counsel that you keep the Greyhound pass and augment with local rentals as you have resources to reach those areas that could prove more challenging with regularily scheduled bus and train routes.

Mark

[lhuff]

Remember this is all pre-Katrina. I used to be able to drive to New Orleans from Shreveport in 5 hours (6 if I ate lunch or shopped in Gonzales). Via Greyhound it was an 11 hour trip. I didn't have a car in college until the last semester of my senior year, therefore I took Greyhound a lot. We stopped in every little town in Louisiana. Even the express run left Shreveport at 3:00 am and didn't arrive at the N.O. airport at 11:00.

But, you meet an interesting group of people on Greyhound. I met everyone from sleazeballs to some very nice people taking US roadtrips using Greyhound.

Just a thought from a former Greyhound traveler. I'll stick to my car.

[Mark Sedenquist]

We stopped in every little town in Louisiana.

That is a problem with commercial bus and train routes -- unless one wants to see all of that stuff. I agree that such a mode of travel is far different than doing it in one's own car, but most road trips are about the journey, not the destination.

Mark