Roadtrip questions, Seattle, LA

[oldenberg]

Hey everyone.
My friends and I are planning to go on a road trip later on this summer, and were wondering how feasible a trip from Indianapolis, IN to Seattle, and then to LA and back is, and how long is a reasonable time period. We mainly want to visit these two places for a couple of days each, probably drive along the coast, and maybe see a couple of other things (i.e. Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwoods).

Also what sorts of things should we do while in these cities.

We were also wondering what kinds of vehicles are best, and any other suggestions that would be pertinent.

Thank you very much.

[glc]

The type of vehicle depends on how many of you there are.

A reasonable time period depends on how much you want to see. Just driving point to point on Interstate highways, don't drive more than about 550 miles a day.

[oldenberg]

Yeah I guess I needed to clarify some of this a little bit more.

It's looking like there would be 5 of us in the vehicle, plus our stuff and some camping equipment because we would rather camp and not stay in a hotel every night.

We really want to focus more on what there is to do in each of those cities because we'd spend a couple (3?) days in each place, but we want to see those places that I mentioned and probably not too many more.

We were thinking maybe around 14-16 days?

We have people to stay with in Seattle, as well as in northern California and Colorado which will keep cost down on housing. And we plan to get most of our food from the grocery, with the occasional restaurant meal.
I guess I should ask for a guess at what you think the cost will be too.

I think we are going to try a short trip earlier in the summer as well to make sure we understand what we're going into, because it's a pretty long trip.

[glc]

First thing you need to do is take the compatibility quiz.

5 of you, a minivan at the minimum, otherwise a medium or large SUV, with the 3rd seat folded or removed. Even a large sedan is going to be a bit cramped with luggage and camping gear.

14 to 16 days is doable, but won't let you spend much time in Seattle and LA *and* see a lot of sights on the way.

Point to point on Interstates with no sightseeing, Indy to Seattle to LA and back to Indy is 10 days right there - 5500 miles. You need to get together with your friends, take the quiz, then decide on priorities.

100 bucks a day per person would be a prudent amount to have available.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the R.T.A. forums !

As glc has pointed out you really need to have a group meeting and make sure you are all on the "same page". 14 days is pushing the boundaries and it would be a real test of how well you know each other and can get on in close quarters for long periods of time. To cover 5500 miles in 10 days would mean 5 of you in a vehicle for around 10 hours a day, other than short stops for gas and food etc. A couple of days in both Seattle and LA your time has gone. This will then be plus any other time such as taking the coast road, Redwoods Golden Gate etc, so even with 16 days I think you need to cover less ground, find more time or take a flight to the West coast or somewhere like Salt lake city and rent a car from there.

Mapping programs are very optimistic about travel times and as they are machines do not allow time for food,gas and bio breaks, never mind sleep. Add to that the fact they presume you can be close to the legal speed limit from door to door non stop isn't practical. For travelling on main highways with the required stops we reckon on 57mph to be a good average distance to cover.

I would of thought that with 5 of you sharing the motoring costs and camping out and you don't mind doing some cooking you could get by on a lot less than a $100 a day but it's better to have to much then to little.

Have a good search around the forums and road trip planning pages for ideas to help you plan your trip.

[Jilly in WA]

It'll take some time out of your trip, but you won't want to miss the Oregon coast--much more scenic and cheaper to stay than the California coast. If you're taking I-5 South, cut over to the coast on Hwy 26 West (in Portland) There's a lot of oceanside campgrounds in Oregon (check www.oregonstateparks.org) but they usually get booked up months in advance. The Oregon coast motels are pretty reasonable, but also get booked up fast.

Hey everyone.
My friends and I are planning to go on a road trip later on this summer, and were wondering how feasible a trip from Indianapolis, IN to Seattle, and then to LA and back is, and how long is a reasonable time period. We mainly want to visit these two places for a couple of days each, probably drive along the coast, and maybe see a couple of other things (i.e. Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwoods).

Also what sorts of things should we do while in these cities.

We were also wondering what kinds of vehicles are best, and any other suggestions that would be pertinent.

Thank you very much.