Tennessee to California...

[DyLAn]

My cousin and I was planning on taking a roadtrip from our hometown here in TN and end somewhere in CA just so we can say we've seen the west coast and be able to put our toes in the Pacific. I myself haven't ventured any further west than St. Louis MO, and I don't think my cousin has been past Memphis! I'm really just looking for any helpful advice on possible sights to see or cheap safe hotels to stay in along the way. We would really like to take Rt. 66 most of the way there, but as far as coming back any ideas on routes to take would be greatly appreciated. We don't really have a set plan on how long we'll be gone we're estimating no longer than a month. Any ideas from any experienced travelers out there will be appreciated...

[glc]

Welcome!

For "cheap safe" hotels, you generally can't go wrong with budget chain hotels such as Motel 6 or Super 8 at Interstate exits, and not in large cities. They may not be all that well maintained or comfortable, but they will be safe.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

There are parts of the original route 66 remaining but the road was decommissioned years ago. One of the most popular sections runs through Seligman to Kingman and on through Oatman and Amboy.

As for things to see and roads to travel, there are literally thousands of options to choose from and you would need to do a little research to see what it is that appeals to you. One of the things I love about the Southwest [other than the magnificent scenery] is the diversity. You have the Ocean views, Glacial valleys like Yosemite, the largest living things on earth, being the Giant Sequoia trees, the Deserts like Death valley and the Mojave, the red rocks of Monument valley and the Alpine scenery of Colorado. As well as those mentioned above there is a high concentration of National parks in Southern Utah such as Zion and Bryce canyon, Arches and Canyonlands and in Arizona one of the wonders of the world, the Grand canyon. Between all this and much more are fabulous drives and small towns with friendly folk.

With a Month and one route out and another back you could choose from many options, so for now I would search the forums and other RTA pages [in tool bar above] with a good map to hand and start placing some dots on it. As you build your trip keep asking questions and we can help you to "fine tune" it.

Enjoy the planning, it's a great part of the trip as a whole.

[Foy]

Howdy DyLAn,

I just returned from an out and back from my NC home to Montana. If you've never seen the West, get ready for a great, great trip. Couple or three thoughts:

Consider a membership to AAA. Most motel chains offer a 10% discount for AAA members, and you get some free towing, jumpstart, and similar benefits if needed, too.

I'm 100% with glc on the overall mode of "chain motels at exits outside of major cities". That works great, and while I've stayed at nicer motels & hotels, I've always felt safe, never had an incident, and have had all the TV, air conditioning, and hot water I needed. Most offer some sort of rudimentary breakfast, too, although I'm usually an hour up the road by the time they start at 0600 or 0630.

Go right ahead and purchase a big highway atlas before you do much more planning and thinking. There is no complete substitute for a "big picture" like the national and regional maps therein provide, and all the GPS units and smartphones in the world won't give you updated travel tips and discount coupons like the major atlas publishers will.

If you're thinking you'll visit some national parks, get the annual pass. It costs around $90, is good for a the vehicle and up to 5 or 6 occupants, and it lasts a full year.

If you think you'll do some camping, get a national campground guidebook like Woodall's. Like the highway atlas publishers, Woodall's usually has some discount coupons inside, and it provides good reviews of commercial and larger federal and state government-owned campgrounds.

If you think you'll do a LOT of camping, get a guidebook to National Forest campgrounds. There you'll find detailed descriptions of the almost limitless campgrounds within our nation's National Forests. The great majority of forested mountain land in the West is within the National Forest system, and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of cheap or free campgrounds within the National Forests.

Continue to read, research, study, and ask questions. That's what the RTA Forums are for.

Have a great time planning and taking your RoadTrip!

Foy