USA: Coast to coast
Discussion
Has anyone done a coast to coast US roadtrip? If so, what route did you take? I want to do it next year (maybe in May) and am struggling to pick the route.
So far it's looking something like:
NYC > Pittsburgh > Indianapolis (Indy 500) > Chicago > Badlands NP > Denver > Moab > Page AZ > Phoenix > San Diego (approx 3,500miles, so easily 5k+ when it's actually done)
That's far from a fully thought out route, and will no doubt change a lot. If anyone has any thoughts on the route they would be appreciated
So far it's looking something like:
NYC > Pittsburgh > Indianapolis (Indy 500) > Chicago > Badlands NP > Denver > Moab > Page AZ > Phoenix > San Diego (approx 3,500miles, so easily 5k+ when it's actually done)
That's far from a fully thought out route, and will no doubt change a lot. If anyone has any thoughts on the route they would be appreciated
Edited by Matt.. on Thursday 20th December 18:36
Kilometres? That'll get you shot out west. They don't take kindly to metric. 
Personally I'd stay north - I70 out of Denver and try to follow US6, the route Kowalski took in "Vanishing Point"; It's quite pretty. Drive through Yosemite, down into SF and then down the PCH to LA or San Diego.
Personally I'd stay north - I70 out of Denver and try to follow US6, the route Kowalski took in "Vanishing Point"; It's quite pretty. Drive through Yosemite, down into SF and then down the PCH to LA or San Diego.
davepoth said:
Kilometres? That'll get you shot out west. They don't take kindly to metric.
Personally I'd stay north - I70 out of Denver and try to follow US6, the route Kowalski took in "Vanishing Point"; It's quite pretty. Drive through Yosemite, down into SF and then down the PCH to LA or San Diego.
Haha, good spot Personally I'd stay north - I70 out of Denver and try to follow US6, the route Kowalski took in "Vanishing Point"; It's quite pretty. Drive through Yosemite, down into SF and then down the PCH to LA or San Diego.
I've done most of what you suggest already. So far i've been to:
- Parks: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Capital Reef, Grand Escalante, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Valley of Fire, Death Valley, Devils Postpile, Yosemite, Grand Canyon
- Cities: NYC, Boston, SF, LV, LA, SLC
- Other: Pacific coast highway (SF > LA)
Matt.. said:
davepoth said:
Kilometres? That'll get you shot out west. They don't take kindly to metric.
Personally I'd stay north - I70 out of Denver and try to follow US6, the route Kowalski took in "Vanishing Point"; It's quite pretty. Drive through Yosemite, down into SF and then down the PCH to LA or San Diego.
Haha, good spot Personally I'd stay north - I70 out of Denver and try to follow US6, the route Kowalski took in "Vanishing Point"; It's quite pretty. Drive through Yosemite, down into SF and then down the PCH to LA or San Diego.
I've done most of what you suggest already. So far i've been to:
- Parks: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Capital Reef, Grand Escalante, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Valley of Fire, Death Valley, Devils Postpile, Yosemite, Grand Canyon
- Cities: NYC, Boston, SF, LV, LA, SLC
- Other: Pacific coast highway (SF > LA)
Interstate 66 out of DC to Front Royal VA, south through the Shenandoah National Park to Harrisonburg, VA42 to US250 and then up over the mountains to Clarksburg WV. Take US50 through Parkersburg, and then cross over into Ohio where you turn onto OH32 to Athens, on to US33 to Columbus, and then hit the interstate to Indy.
After you leave Chicago I think I'd go way south, following I55 to Bloomington and then take Highway 51 or 61 down to Memphis (really worth a visit if only for the fried food). From there cross into Arkansas, and then I guess you can work out the rest of the route from there.
Hey mate,
I did coast to coast this summer on a bike. Was six weeks and about 6000 miles.
I started in NY, rode up in to Pennsylvania (a pretty leafy state) to Lake Erie, and around the southern shoreline of it 'til I got to Detroit (a messed up place which was interesting to see) then across to Chicago, which when you enter by local roads is equally messed up, especially Gary, where Michael Jackson was born.
I took the old Route 66 down from Chicago to St Louis, intending to take it all the way, but decided there wasn't that much on it, so cut due west from St Louis across Kansas, which is a bit of a curtain-twitching state, with not much there but nodding oil donkeys and windmills.
I got to Colorado Springs, which is a nice city, then west, over the Rockies and through Colorado, which is spectacular and the people really friendly. I dropped down from there to Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Vegas, and to be honest that entire region is that stunning it makes you wonder why you just rode through 2000 miles of nothingness to get there, instead of just starting there in the first place.
Death Valley was stunning, a must-see in my opinion, then I went west to the coast, hitting it just above LA. I rode from there up San Francisco, along the famous Route 1, which in my opinion isn't as nice as the road north of San Fran, which I took all the way up to Seattle. That 900 mile stretch of coastline, through Oregon, is just stunning.
I'll be honest, coast to coast America means travelling through some pretty tedious hum-drum places (the east and mid-west) to get to the good stuff in the west, but I guess that's what makes you appreciate it more.
In my opinion, Route 66 is over-rated, and ensures you miss loads of other cool stuff by blindly sticking to it. Either way the mid-west - whichever route you take - is a long old slog. But I sympathise with you; when you stand in NY and look west there are just so many options, so many routes you can take, and it is quite daunting. I tried to map out a route before I went, but ended up just making it up and going with the flow when I got there.
One option if you don't like that approach is to take Route 50 - the Lonely Highway - all the way across. That starts in Washington and finishes in San Fran... I think. Or the Lincoln Highway, which takes a more northerly route, but also finishes in San Fran.
Hope that helps.
I did coast to coast this summer on a bike. Was six weeks and about 6000 miles.
I started in NY, rode up in to Pennsylvania (a pretty leafy state) to Lake Erie, and around the southern shoreline of it 'til I got to Detroit (a messed up place which was interesting to see) then across to Chicago, which when you enter by local roads is equally messed up, especially Gary, where Michael Jackson was born.
I took the old Route 66 down from Chicago to St Louis, intending to take it all the way, but decided there wasn't that much on it, so cut due west from St Louis across Kansas, which is a bit of a curtain-twitching state, with not much there but nodding oil donkeys and windmills.
I got to Colorado Springs, which is a nice city, then west, over the Rockies and through Colorado, which is spectacular and the people really friendly. I dropped down from there to Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Vegas, and to be honest that entire region is that stunning it makes you wonder why you just rode through 2000 miles of nothingness to get there, instead of just starting there in the first place.
Death Valley was stunning, a must-see in my opinion, then I went west to the coast, hitting it just above LA. I rode from there up San Francisco, along the famous Route 1, which in my opinion isn't as nice as the road north of San Fran, which I took all the way up to Seattle. That 900 mile stretch of coastline, through Oregon, is just stunning.
I'll be honest, coast to coast America means travelling through some pretty tedious hum-drum places (the east and mid-west) to get to the good stuff in the west, but I guess that's what makes you appreciate it more.
In my opinion, Route 66 is over-rated, and ensures you miss loads of other cool stuff by blindly sticking to it. Either way the mid-west - whichever route you take - is a long old slog. But I sympathise with you; when you stand in NY and look west there are just so many options, so many routes you can take, and it is quite daunting. I tried to map out a route before I went, but ended up just making it up and going with the flow when I got there.
One option if you don't like that approach is to take Route 50 - the Lonely Highway - all the way across. That starts in Washington and finishes in San Fran... I think. Or the Lincoln Highway, which takes a more northerly route, but also finishes in San Fran.
Hope that helps.
My current thoughts are:
- San Diego (x2) - Somewhere near here. I'd prefer beach side town than big city though. Thoughts?
- Phoenix (x1) - Quick stop to break up driving
- Grand Canyon (x2)
- Page (x2) - Antelope Canyon, the Wave (maybe!), etc...
- Monument Valley (x1)
- Moab (x3) - Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, etc...
- Denver (x3) - This is not likely to actually be Denver, but parts of CO
- Badlands (x2)
- Sioux Falls (x1) - Quick stop to break up driving
- Chicago (x3)
- Indianapolis (x2) - Indy 500
- Pittsburgh (x1) - ? Quick stop to break up driving
- NYC (x3) ?
- (x2) ?
After Indianapolis i have 6 nights to get to the coast. This is the bit i'm most unsure on. Does anyone have any thoughts? Ideally less city based, and more outdoorsy, but this doesn't seem so easy on the east coast.
Also, i'm somewhat unsure of going in May. The primary reason for May is the Indy 500. I'd also rather go east > west, not west > east, but it may have to be this way as i have other commitments in early June. South Dakota (Badlands) looks like it could either be really good, or a washout with tornados!
- San Diego (x2) - Somewhere near here. I'd prefer beach side town than big city though. Thoughts?
- Phoenix (x1) - Quick stop to break up driving
- Grand Canyon (x2)
- Page (x2) - Antelope Canyon, the Wave (maybe!), etc...
- Monument Valley (x1)
- Moab (x3) - Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, etc...
- Denver (x3) - This is not likely to actually be Denver, but parts of CO
- Badlands (x2)
- Sioux Falls (x1) - Quick stop to break up driving
- Chicago (x3)
- Indianapolis (x2) - Indy 500
- Pittsburgh (x1) - ? Quick stop to break up driving
- NYC (x3) ?
- (x2) ?
After Indianapolis i have 6 nights to get to the coast. This is the bit i'm most unsure on. Does anyone have any thoughts? Ideally less city based, and more outdoorsy, but this doesn't seem so easy on the east coast.
Also, i'm somewhat unsure of going in May. The primary reason for May is the Indy 500. I'd also rather go east > west, not west > east, but it may have to be this way as i have other commitments in early June. South Dakota (Badlands) looks like it could either be really good, or a washout with tornados!
I have slightly amended the above as i did costings and it comes out over £5k 
4 San Clemente (fly in and pick up car... maybe Corvette?)
5 San Clemente
6 San Clemente
7 Las Vegas (change to cheap car!)
8 Grand Canyon
9 Grand Canyon
10 Page
11 Page
12 Monument Valley
13 Moab
14 Moab
15 Moab
16 Denver
17 Denver
18 Denver
19 Badlands
20 Badlands
21 Sioux Falls
22 Chicago
23 Chicago
24 Chicago
25 Indianapolis
26 Indianapolis (Indy 500)
27 Pittsburgh
28 Washington DC (drop off car)
The last 2 days are obviously a big rush, but they're there so i can make it a full coast to coast trip. It would feel wrong leaving from Indy and not getting all the way to the coast!.
Car rental seems to be an issue. If i keep the car in Chicago (which will be annoying) it saves me quite a bit of £ (even with parking fees). If i drop off at the start of the Chicago stay, then pickup after to take me to Washington, the Chicago to Washington bit is £250+ for a basic car (it's only 3 days!)!
4 San Clemente (fly in and pick up car... maybe Corvette?)
5 San Clemente
6 San Clemente
7 Las Vegas (change to cheap car!)
8 Grand Canyon
9 Grand Canyon
10 Page
11 Page
12 Monument Valley
13 Moab
14 Moab
15 Moab
16 Denver
17 Denver
18 Denver
19 Badlands
20 Badlands
21 Sioux Falls
22 Chicago
23 Chicago
24 Chicago
25 Indianapolis
26 Indianapolis (Indy 500)
27 Pittsburgh
28 Washington DC (drop off car)
The last 2 days are obviously a big rush, but they're there so i can make it a full coast to coast trip. It would feel wrong leaving from Indy and not getting all the way to the coast!.
Car rental seems to be an issue. If i keep the car in Chicago (which will be annoying) it saves me quite a bit of £ (even with parking fees). If i drop off at the start of the Chicago stay, then pickup after to take me to Washington, the Chicago to Washington bit is £250+ for a basic car (it's only 3 days!)!
Matt.. said:
Car rental seems to be an issue. If i keep the car in Chicago (which will be annoying) it saves me quite a bit of £ (even with parking fees). If i drop off at the start of the Chicago stay, then pickup after to take me to Washington, the Chicago to Washington bit is £250+ for a basic car (it's only 3 days!)!
What rental company are you going with? Budget shows up as £81.51 for three days for the cheapest car, and only £15 more for full size.davepoth said:
What rental company are you going with? Budget shows up as £81.51 for three days for the cheapest car, and only £15 more for full size.
It was with Hertz.Yes, Budget are cheaper so i will take a look at that
Thanks.It shows as £160 for me. 25 May to 28 May, ORD to IAD.
Obviously if just ORD, all rental places are about £80.
Edited by Matt.. on Sunday 23 December 16:29
Why not chuck the itinerary in the bin and go with the flow? You don't know what you're going to encounter, or feel about the places you'll be passing through. You might want to stay longer, shorter, or hear about another place along the way and want to go there instead but you have this itinerary hanging around your neck. So many motels in America. So many places to go. Just explore. Go with the flow.
Matt.. said:
davepoth said:
What rental company are you going with? Budget shows up as £81.51 for three days for the cheapest car, and only £15 more for full size.
It was with Hertz.Yes, Budget are cheaper so i will take a look at that
Thanks.It shows as £160 for me. 25 May to 28 May, ORD to IAD.
Obviously if just ORD, all rental places are about £80.
Edited by Matt.. on Sunday 23 December 16:29
As an example, I wanted a Crown Vic for two weeks in New York. From JFK the rental would be $900. One hour on the subway and PATH to Jersey City, and I paid $350 with the same company.
jumpingloci said:
Why not chuck the itinerary in the bin and go with the flow? You don't know what you're going to encounter, or feel about the places you'll be passing through. You might want to stay longer, shorter, or hear about another place along the way and want to go there instead but you have this itinerary hanging around your neck. So many motels in America. So many places to go. Just explore. Go with the flow.
This.Just a few thoughts.....
I'm sure you're aware but this is a vast country, and distances can be enormous between real cities, especially in the west. If you're in Denver, for example, then the next major city going east is Kansas City at better than 500 miles away and going west its Salt Lake City, also at 3-400 miles of memory serves. Fine dining and fancy hotels aren't exactly common in the middle of nowhere.
Snow is also not uncommon as late as May in the Rocky Mountains so bear that in mind. And when I mean snow I don't mean "oh no we got 2" of snow so the world is ending" I mean snow measured in feet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGlqmJfFsPQ. That's from May 9th, 2009! Not saying that its the norm but do bear this in mind when driving through the Rockies, especially if you're planning on staying off of I-70 and taking the scenic route.
Also, rent a car with Sirius or XM radio.
I'm sure you're aware but this is a vast country, and distances can be enormous between real cities, especially in the west. If you're in Denver, for example, then the next major city going east is Kansas City at better than 500 miles away and going west its Salt Lake City, also at 3-400 miles of memory serves. Fine dining and fancy hotels aren't exactly common in the middle of nowhere.
Snow is also not uncommon as late as May in the Rocky Mountains so bear that in mind. And when I mean snow I don't mean "oh no we got 2" of snow so the world is ending" I mean snow measured in feet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGlqmJfFsPQ. That's from May 9th, 2009! Not saying that its the norm but do bear this in mind when driving through the Rockies, especially if you're planning on staying off of I-70 and taking the scenic route.
Also, rent a car with Sirius or XM radio.
Yeah I'm very aware of distances. This is not my first US roadtrip (this is my last one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthoulb/collections...
Snow is a big concern and one thing that makes me doubt whether May is really an appropriate time to do this.
(this is my last one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthoulb/collections...Snow is a big concern and one thing that makes me doubt whether May is really an appropriate time to do this.
Edited by Matt.. on Monday 24th December 09:10
Edited by Matt.. on Monday 24th December 09:11
Matt.. said:
I am a planner and don't like the whole unplanned free trips thing. This is also a photography based trip, and I need to know where I'm going so I can properly make use of all the time available.
If your trip is pic based you absolutely must do Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Zion and if possible Lake Powell. Did them this Summer on road trip from Wyoming to Arizona. Remarkable everything. I think you're trying to do too much. Lower Yellowstone alone is a full day (Yellowstone in full is 2 million acres). If photography matters to you, visit the US several times.
You mention Washington DC. It has some of the finest museums around. And if you're into the history of flight, the two Smithsonian Air and Space museums are must-see (their Udvar-Hazy musuem at Dulles airport is jaw-dropping). From Washington you can travel South through Virginia along the back of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Epic.
But your schedule is way too tight. Even if it takes several years, do the trip in stages. You will enjoy it much more (and your pictures will be way better). Have fun and Merry Christmas.
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