Trip across USA?

[Ilya]

@Cossey

I’d hit up every possible place to make you appreciate America more. Tons of stuff to see. I’d also use a different route there and back. Pretty much on the way there, hit up a lot of the southern attractions, all the way to Hollywood/LA, then up California to San Fran and hit the northern part of America on your way back, which would include Mt. Rushmore.

That’s basically the route I’m taking, just the other way around. North > West > Southwest > South > Southeast > Northeast.

@Vovchandr

Notes to consider:

Sleep, gas and food will take away more time than expected.

Unexpected things will happen, whether its traffic, people you meet, places you see, losing a key, getting sick or mechanical difficulties.

Expect to averse around 600-700 miles a day after everything is said and done - stops, gas, towns etc.

Highways suck but are faster. Won’t have anything to be excited about on them though other than occasional city overview. Often try to find a scenic empty country path.

Random people you meet will be half the trips value.

You can’t ever plan enough nor can’t you ever plan for everything.

Hotels suck, consider camping in places, especially far out west. Nobody ever remembers average hotels but a camp night with a buddy in the middle of the desert where no city pollute the sky and you can see the milky way are easily remembered.

That’s a few for now.

I’ll add some other notes and destinations when I get back home.

Try to take a convertible if you can for a more pure experience.

The trip in the link I posted is about 9000 miles and includes some of the ‘main’ attractions. I figure if I can do everything (side trips, etc.) in 10,000 miles…I should be right around $2k in gas (based on NY prices). I do about 380 miles per tank on the highway, so that’s about 27 fillups @ $75/fill up.

As for lodging, if we need to drive a couple hours extra to reach the next destination, we will just switch drivers. But, believe it or not, I have friends in almost every major city in the US in the North East, North West, and the South.

Convertible would be nice, but I’d need to rent that.

@d. gage

Do it! I had a whole trip planed with all of my routes memorized and was sooo pumped then the economy took a dumper (2009) and lost all of my vacation time at work. Within 3 years I had a new house, new baby girl and a whole new ball game of responsibilities. Do it while you can without hesitation, and if work won’t let you take 3 full weeks off, fuckem.

Yeah that’s why I decided to do it. Always wanted to, but now that I’m back on the market so to speak and have no ties to anyone person and can afford to disappear for a few weeks…I’d love to do it. My friend and I are trying to find another person or two to help split the costs, but we really want to do it.

@capitalcrew

I’ve been across the country once. Went to montreal.

:rofl

@MGs4me

2 weeks will not be nearly enough to do what you want. You might want to consider just blowing through the first half of the US and concentrate on the Westen half. Your chances of getting to the West again may be few and far between, as opposed to taking smaller trips to see stuff this side of the Mississippi.

Way back in 1981 (yeah, I’m old), a friend of mine and I drove to Ca and back. We drove 30 hours straight to Amarillo Tx, then to the Grand Canyon for 2 days (awesome! Pictures can never do it justice), Malibu and L.A. for 4 days (beach, bars, TV and film studios), 3 days in Las Vegas, had school pals that lived there(Gambling, saw a show, strippers…Time of my life!). Then we decided to average 500 miles a day coming back. 30 plus years later I still smile thinking about that trip! Everyone should take off and look around the country when they can!

Our route was 90 to 70/77 through Indianapolis to I40 west to Ca. On the way back we basically took I80 to 90. I’d consider hitting up parts of Rt 66 going out, very scenic with tons of history(It used to be the main route to the west from Illinois). No matter, You will have a Hell of a time, and remember it for the rest of your life!

Yeah, that’s what I’m kind of thinking now. My friend wanted to hit up some of the east cities like Philly as well and that’s what I told him…that we can make separate smaller road trips to the cities closer to home.

Me, his brother (who’s now married) and him took a trip to FL last spring break and that was one of those trips you can ‘smile about’ years later. Had a freakin blast.