minneapolis to orange county ca

[MnateyN]

i'm trying to get in a road trip this summer still before i go back to school in august! I'm starting just north of minneapolis and i was thinking of going out to the West Coast! maybe northern California maybe Eureka or Southern Oregon Coos Bay or Brookings area. Any info on that would be deeply appreciated! i'm Prob going to take about a week maybe week an a half for this. not to big cause i'm still saving for My trip after i graduate in the spring.
Thanks for reading!!

Nate

[MnateyN]

Hey all,

i'm planing a road trip to the west coast and i think i have found where i want to go. Orange County CA. i want to leave twin cities on July 1st. and want to be gone for 2-3 weeks. i hear the surf is pretty decent northern cali this time of year!! i want to hit some NP on the way though which ones are really worth the stop? .. Suggestions?? It will be just me. and plan to stop in at least 4 states on the way down and 2 on the way back. Most likely truck stoppin the nights. Unless i find somewhere i would like to crash for the night. Most likely truck stops though.
please advise!!

-Nate

[Midwest Michael]

There's plenty of national parks to choose from between MN and Southern California, and I've yet to find one that wasn't worth visiting. Since your time is fairly limited, I'd stick to the ones that are directly on the path there. That would be places like Rocky Mountain, Arches, Canyonland, Bryce, and/or Zion.

Here's some information on California Beaches, and the Los Angeles Area in General. Also look at this article about Truck Stops.

[PNW Judy]

Welcome to the Roadtrip America forums.

ETA: Your first post said 1-1.5 weeks. Your second post said
2-3 weeks. I missed that when I first responded. My advice still holds true if you're doing the shorter time-frame. But if you have longer, ignore.

You will need about 4 days to just drive to Coos Bay, OR. And then you have to get home again. So that's 8 days and you didn't even get to explore Oregon's Coast. It's a minimum of 4000 miles and, with the gas prices now, that's a lot of driving for someone who is saving for school and another, hopefully bigger/longer, trip after graduating.


I'm thinking that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of options closer to home that will be every bit as enjoyable.

Of course, if you really want to do it, it's do-able. But it's going to be virtually all driving. If that's cool with you, go for it anyway. Just understand what you're getting yourself into so you're not disappointed by the lack of exploring.

[MnateyN]

i am not 100% sure on where i am going i just threw some names out there. and i understand what your saying, but prices/gas/money are not a problem judy judy, i am excited. and what your saying is that i need more time. not money.. so how much more time do you think i need for 3 nights in where ever i am going. and what if i drive through the night.. ? AND I am going to go on a road trip after school and it will be at least 3 weeks most likely more. that trip will be one for the books..."

-nate

[PNW Judy]

What's the point? A big part of the fun of a roadtrip is seeing the sights. Even those just from the road. And you can't see anything at night.

Also, there is no way that you will be sharp enough to drive safely and enjoy yourself the next day, too. If you're driving at night, you're sleeping during the day.

Even professional truck drivers limit their time on the road in order to be able to travel safely. Follow their example and don't over-push yourself.

Basically, we suggest that you keep your driving to a maximum of about 500-550 miles per day. This gives you about 9-10 hours on the road, including brief stops for fuel/food/bio breaks. And this means that you're going to have about 4-6 hours per day to stop and explore. It's a nice mix. But, of course, you can drive less and explore more. this is just the maximum recommendation.

Now, it is possible to drive farther in a short speed run. But multiple days takes a toll and will really make you unsafe on the road. We suggest alternating longer driving days with either short driving days or days where you don't drive at all.

So, basically, if you only have a 10 days and you want to spend 4 days in and around your destination, then plan for driving 3 days each way. This means you can go about 1500-1650 miles comfortably.

I hope this gives you some ideas on what you need to do to have the type of trip you want.

[MnateyN]

thanks judy you helped put that in perspective. :)
-nate

[PNW Judy]

Once you considered your options, please come on back and let us help you plan a trip that is a fun time for ya!