May/June Road Trip (6 weeks)

[artoxian]

Hi All,

My wife and I (27yo) will be flying into LA around the 15th of May, and have 6 weeks to see the USA! The only restriction we have is we need to be in Manchester TN on the 13-16th of June for Bonaroo.

So far the very basic plan is:

Los Angeles 2
San Francisco 3
Yosemite National Park 1
Sequoia & Kings 0
Las Vegas 2
Grand Canyon 1
Route 66 to North Texas 2-3 (Stop at random places)
Austin 2
San Antonio 1
Houston 2
New Orleans 3
Nashville 2
Manchester 3 (Bonnaroo June 13-16th)
Great Smoky Mountains NP 0
Blue Ridge Parkway 2 (stop at random spot)
Washington DC 1
New York 5

This plan gets us to Manchester 7 days early. So basically we have a week to spend elsewhere. We would really love to see Seattle so were thinking we could fit that in that week, but I am open to suggestions for spending more days elsewhere.

Is the best spot to hire a car in the above plan in San Francisco? We would probably need it until Washington/New York. Is it difficult to park/drive into the US cities I have listed?

We were thinking about attempting to camp as much as possible as well, but also want to see quite a few cities. Is it possibly to camp outside cities and drive in, or would it be easier to stay at cheap hotels. We would like to keep it cheap :)

One final thing we would really love is to see a basketball, baseball and/or NFL match during our stay. Any recommendations on the best places for each?

We are very open to anything suggested and appreciate any information given.

Thanks,

Scott

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

A roadtrip is all about where you want to go and yes Seattle would be an option, but you might be underestimating the distances and sizes of the NP's. Trying to see Yosemite, Kings canyon and Sequoia with just a one night stop between SF and Vegas, is all but impossible to do. With just one extra overnight your time in each place would be rushed. You could also consider taking a detour to Death Valley NP on the way to Vegas There are also plenty of great options in the Four corners region that would fit into your trip a lot easier than a drive north to Seattle. The National parks and great scenery of southern Utah is not far from Vegas or GC, places such as Zion, Bryce canyon, Arches and in Arizona, Sunset Crater, Monument valley tribal park, Canyon De Chelley etc.

So many things are possible, but perhaps you haven't got as much time spare as you think.

San Fran isn't particularly car friendly and being compact it's easy enough to get around without a car. However one of the worlds finest scenic drives can be found between LA and SF, in particular the section from Cambria to Monterey around Big Sur. This would be another good place to add a night or 2 to your travel plans. There are some Motels in SF that include parking in the hotel costs, reasonable ones can be found around the Lombard/Gough St area and the one I know of is the Buena Vista Motor Inn.

Camping is an option, but not ideal if you arte planning on spending a lot of time in the Citys. Cheap hotels might be your better option or perhaps a hostel.

[Midwest Michael]

Is the best spot to hire a car in the above plan in San Francisco? We would probably need it until Washington/New York. Is it difficult to park/drive into the US cities I have listed?

If you're starting your trip in LA, then I think you'll need to have a car from day one. San Francisco is a place where you can get by without a car, but LA really isn't. Plus, I'd think you'd want to make the drive up the scenic coast highway, although that's another spot where you'd need another day that you don't have in your current plans.

It will generally be much cheaper just to rent one car for your entire trip, since you'd avoid multiple drop fees and could take advantage of long term rates. You could drop the car in DC, and take the train to NY, however.

We were thinking about attempting to camp as much as possible as well, but also want to see quite a few cities. Is it possibly to camp outside cities and drive in, or would it be easier to stay at cheap hotels. We would like to keep it cheap :)

This really is a case by case basis. There are some cities where you can find camping or a state park within a relatively easy commute. However, even in a best case, you're usually looking at a 30 minute or so drive, which can be a little problematic if you're planning to go out drinking at clubs. You also have to be careful of quiet hours and campgrounds that close their gates at night if you're going out on the town.

One final thing we would really love is to see a basketball, baseball and/or NFL match during our stay. Any recommendations on the best places for each?

You'll be traveling during the middle of the baseball season. Of the places you've listed, You'd have options to see games in LA, SF, Houston, DC, and NY. San Francisco is considered to have one of the nicest fields in the game, and that's where I'd go if I was going to see one game.

The NFL will not be in season during your trip, and the NBA and NHL will both be in the playoffs, so getting tickets could be a bit tough for those games.

[artoxian]

Wow! Thank you everyone for your super comprehensive replies.

A lot to go through here. I think the biggest change I might make is to skip LA, and add quite a few more days between towns.

Back to the drawing board for a bit. Will let you all know my revised plans.

Keep the suggestions coming, I am open to anything.

Thanks again,

Scott