Hi,

I'm planning a road trip, leaving in a week or so. I'll be going from Los Angeles to New York, and then back. My goal is to be in New York a day or two before Thanksgiving. I also don't want to drive the same route twice. Timeframe is about a month at the most, back in Los Angeles maybe around the 2nd week of December.

I was thinking about trying to drive through Midwest part of America on the way out, and then swing through the South on the way back. Specifically, I was thinking about shooting up to Salt Lake City (via Vegas, Area 51, and Zion National Park) and then across I-80 for awhile. After that, I haven't found anything too compelling except for a show by a local band in Indiana that I want to see.

On the way back: Red Bank, NJ; Graceland; Jacksonville, NC (hanging with my buddy stationed there); Athens, GA, New Orleans; Austin, TX; the Makers Mark distillery in Kentucky; and some other stuff. Also, I want to go to the four corners where you can stand in four states at one time.

Will winter weather prohibit me from driving I-80? Would Route 66 or I-70 be better alternatives to avoid getting trapped in bad weather? Any recommendations or thoughts? I've already been to Death Valley and the Grand Canyon (although I'd love to stop in Flagstaff, I like that town).

Thanks for any advice. Can't wait to get out of town!