Help with planning a roadtrip down the westcoast

[DanishGuy]

Hi guys,

My girlfriend and I, are planning a roadtrip down the westcoast next summer, but we have never been to America and would like some help planning.

We thought about picking one of the already planned trips from the travel agency, but it was alittle to packed and seemed to stressfull.
We have 3/4 weeks to spend and we want to see what America really is like. We have been thinking about starting our trip in Seattle and ending up in Las Vegas and we really want a couple of days or 3 in vegas.

So what would you guys surgest we see and what route? What kinda car would be best suited for this trip(SUV/Convertable/xx)? And is 3/4 weeks enough to do this trip?

Hope you can help us

Christian (25y) and Rikke(22y) from Denmark

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

The best thing about planning your own trip and not using a travel agency is that you get to make your trip individual to you and your interests. With 3/4 weeks you literally have thousands of options, so what I would suggest you do is start searching the forums and road trip planning resources in the tool bars above with a good map to hand and start putting some dots on the map, as you find places that appeal to you.. Once you have an outline of your route that join the dots we can help 'fine tune' and make suggestions along the way.

Again the best car to suit you is down to your personal choice and budget. You niether need an SUV or a Convertible and the extra costs they bring. A normal Mid size sedan is probably the best compromise for comfort and space, but again it's what suits you and your needs.

Enjoy the planning and as new questions crop up just keep asking and your trip will start to come together.

[AZBuck]

Velkommen! Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Three to four weeks is a ton of time, and should allow you to see many of America's best natural sites as well as take many 'roads less traveled'. So what would I suggest as a basic outline? First, explore the Puget Sound and Olympic Peninsula near Seattle for a unique combination of urban, maritime, and wilderness. Then follow the coast down to Astoria/Portland, Oregon and then head inland up the Columbia River Gorge, using old US-30 wherever possible. While in this general area, you can also make side trips to Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood. Next, cut across northeastern Oregon into the Snake River Valley and follow that up past Bruneau Canyon and the Thousand Springs area to Craters of the Moon and on to the jewel of North America, Yellowstone National Park. From there, follow US-89 down through the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, and Bear Lake into the Great Salt Lake area. Between there and Las Vegas, you'll have ample opportunity to visit Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks as well as a host of national monuments and state parks. That takes care of what Americas is really like physically. As for what the people are really like, that takes time and interaction. You have plenty of time, and you will be going to some sites that draw people from all over America and the world. Just take the time to talk to them. Ask for directions. Ask, especially, for restaurant recommendations from local citizens. Stop at local visitor centers and ask what they are most proud of about their area. The rest will flow easily.

Dave is right in that you should get a comfortable and serviceable sedan rather than wasting money on an SUV (your contract will forbid going 'off road' in any event) or a convertible (of limited use in the rainy northwest and with limited trunk/boot space in any event). Note that your girlfriend would be an 'underage driver', and it will be very expensive for her to do any of the driving (an extra $700 over a four week rental), but that you can sometimes get this fee waived if you set up the car hire through a European consolidator - we have seen carhire3000 mentioned favorably in some reports.

AZBuck

[DanishGuy]

Thanks guys.

AZBuck:

Thanks, i've been researching those places you mentioned on google and it looks perfect for us. But i have been having a problems finding stuff to do in vegas besides Casino's.
I have heard about shooting ranges, does that exist? What would be fun and exciting for young people to do?

Im sorry for the bad english.

[Lifemagician]

Im sorry for the bad english.

No need to apologize... you are doing quite well.

Lifey

[Southwest Dave]

You can get some insider tips from RTA's sister site here at 'Living Las Vegas,. There is so much more to Vegas than casino's and you will realise that immediately you are there. The Hotels are a destination in themselves, the gondola rides through the Venetian, the Pirate ships doing battle outside 'Treasure Island', erupting Volcanoes and the dancing water fountains as you make your way down the Strip. Lot's of shows, shopping and visiting different parts of the world [Paris and the Eiffel tower for example] are all waiting, it will blow your mind !! If you want to see where a lot of it started, check out 'Fremont street'.

[DonnaR57]

Great link there. I didn't find a mention of the Red Rocks region, outside of town, but that's a wonderful place to visit. Also, one of the casinos - Circus Circus - has an amusement park within, circus acts and the best video arcade for kids in town. Young adults like it too.


Donna

[Southwest Dave]

Some great RTA day trip recommendations from Vegas can be found here.

Thanks Donna !

[AZBuck]

While it's not my cup of tea, I did a quick search on the terms "Las Vegas gun ranges" and had no trouble finding several, including some that rent out machine guns for your sporting pleasure.

AZBuck