Road trip, California to Georgia.

[edwardseddie]

Hi gang,
Looking at taking an approximately 4 week journey from LA to Atlanta.
Setting off from Los Angeles first week of March wanting to arrive in Atlanta March 3 for the Brave v Cubs baseball game then on to Augusta on the 4th for the MAsters Golf.
I’m interested in looking at some National Parks, hiking, Mountain Biking ( novice to moderate trails)
I will have my golf clubs with me so will want to have a hit along the way.
I will be mixing up camping, sleeping in my car, hostels, mom and pop hotels and truck stops.
I am looking at doing this on a budget.
Oh, I’m not a kid, late 40’s Aussie out to fulfill a lifelong wish to do something like this.
Happy to meander off the beaten path and on the lookout for some quirky sights on the way.
All information gratefully received.
Regards,
Eddie

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

I would say your first step is to do a load of research and look over the maps and see what your own personal 'Must see's' and Must do's' are. Once you have a few dots on the map you can see how to join them up and a route will appear. With a 4 week Roadtrip that takes you across a big part of the country, your options literally run into their thousands which makes it difficult for us to kick things off. You could take a direct route, head south or North and mix it up in between. I would start by searching the forums and other road trip planning pages such as the Map centre where you can pick up ideas. For scenic beauty and National parks it's almost impossible to find better than the Four corner States combined, (AZ,UT,AR, NM) although in March you still may see snow and cold at higher elevations. Also be creative with your mapping, don't just let Google maps guide you. In my opinion you can't beat getting off Interstate and driving through small towns and on scenic byways at a slower pace.

[DonnaR57]

Welcome to RTA!

First thing that jumped out at me was "first week of March" into LA and the need to be in Atlanta on Day 3 of March. Um....that's a no, unless you are flying from LA into Atlanta? At 2200 miles from LAX to Atlanta, that's *at least* a 4-day drive.


Donna

[glc]

The ballgame and the Masters is in April, I think March was a typo.

I'd advise you to rethink sleeping in your car.

[edwardseddie]

Sorry April 3 in Atlanta

[DonnaR57]

I will be mixing up camping, sleeping in my car, hostels, mom and pop hotels and truck stops.
I am looking at doing this on a budget.

Bear in mind that March can be "iffy" for weather. For camping, you'll want a good 4-season sleeping bag and a small tent. Hostels and mom-and-pop places will be a better bet. As was stated above by glc, rethink sleeping in your car because few of them are made for sleeping, for a really good rest! Truck stops means sleeping in your car, because most states don't allow overnights in the rest area. They may have a 6 or 8 hour limit. Then you should also be thinking about showers, as one shower in a truck stop can set you back $12 or so.

Once you get your itinerary together and decide approximately where your overnights are going to be, you can figure out your accommodations in a couple of different ways. We have a motel-finder right here on the website (scroll down to "Hotels and Motels"). While you're traveling, stop at the Visitor Information Centers for each state, usually located right after you cross a state line, and pick up a hotel/motel coupon book. Sometimes these are also available at a rest area or truck/travel center, usually in a little free vending machine type thing. Bear in mind that the coupon deals are going to be easiest to use if you get off the highway before the dinner hour, and on weekdays (Sun--Thurs).

We have a regular member here who knows the hostel scene and would be better to advise you, so I hope she sees this post!


Donna