I'm taking 2 weeks off work in may, and thinking of driving out west (yes, i know gas will be $texas). I've never been west of Texas (rarely west of the Mississippi), so anything that way will be new.

I'm open for sights to see or destinations. What I definitely want to see/do are
- Grand canyon
- Pacific ocean
- drive on the golden gate bridge



Where have you been that you would recommend?

3/24/2008 10:47:34 PM

the wind farms outside of LA are impressive.

seattle rules if you make it that far north.

standing next to a cactus taller than you in the southwest rules.

3/24/2008 10:50:59 PM

Glacier National Park in Montana.

Little Big Horn is pretty cool too.

3/24/2008 10:52:48 PM

Glacier is cool
Grand Teton is cool
if you do Grand Canyon do the North Rim (v. Southern touristy rim)
Bryce Canyon
Zion Natl Park
Jackson Hole is a neat little tourist spot
Las Vegas obviously
Yellowstone (obviously)

I guess if you make it to Washington, Mt. Rainier
and if you plan on going into N. Cali, Yosemite

i dunno. i've done 2, 2-week trips out west. i can't remember which things we did on what trip. they were all amazing. i'd really really recommend glacier and grand teton. Zion was awesome too.

3/24/2008 11:02:20 PM

Joshua Tree
Zion
Glenn Canyon
Yellowstone (although you really need to spend about a week there to make it worthwhile)
Arches
Monument Valley
Bryce Canyon
Badlands
Devil's Tower

[Edited on March 24, 2008 at 11:06 PM. Reason : adf]

3/24/2008 11:02:50 PM

the gas really isnt that bad when you consider how far you're really going. and if you're going to the grand canyon, you might as well go to vegas

3/24/2008 11:16:22 PM

San Antonio Riverwalk
Gruene Hall

San Diego Gaslamp District

Golden Gate Bridge

Alcatraz

just generally see the western US...it's impressive as hell just to drive through.

3/24/2008 11:20:49 PM

agreed. but you better bring some cds, cause once you get to new mexico you're not gonna have a cell phone or any radio or anything.

3/24/2008 11:21:49 PM

def do the going to the sun road in glacier. CRAAAAZY. it was july or maybe late june when i went and the road had JUST opened. still had huge snow drifts at the top and it flurried while i was there. it is a narrow road with the mtn on one side and a very long drop to the other.

3/24/2008 11:26:12 PM

Zorthage, stop in Boerne, TX. My folks will give you a nice home cooked meal.

3/25/2008 12:53:10 AM

some random thoughts from my out west travels-
avoid denver, I was just there, place sucks.
hit up the 4 corners area, my favorite part of the country.
try to get passes to raft a river
if you're into it, rent a jeep and go wheeling for a day in moab
2 weeks just won't be enough, and you'll find yourself not wanting to come home. go for 2 months instead and take your time. enjoy things at a slower pace. get out of your car and go hiking. you see and feel more that way.
take good books, magazines, cd's etc.
take someone to travel with. it makes long boring stretches easier, and someone to share the adventure with is always good. plus splitting costs is cheaper.
go one way out west and come back another.
don't have too much of a plan. a loose one is good, but go where the wind blows you.
don't eat common fast food, or stay in chain motels, do small town stuff.

some cheap tips-
don't know where you plan to stay but camping is a good, cheap alternative to hotels, and a lot of campgrounds have showers and stuff.
make as many meals as you can, sandwhices and stuff, cuts down on the eating out.
I like to travel in a cheap truck with a camper top. throw a foam mattress back there, and you're set. walmart parking lots are free to stay in over night and generally pretty safe.

you'll have a great time. meet cool people, go to neat places, etc. if you're anything like me, you'll only want to go back.

[Edited on March 25, 2008 at 1:08 AM. Reason : ..]

3/25/2008 1:04:14 AM

Stop in Amarillo. That entire town is one big shitty truck stop.

3/25/2008 1:06:50 AM

^haha I was just through there. stayed in the shittiest motel ever on route 66. don't forget the cadillac ranch or free 72 oz. steak.

3/25/2008 1:09:59 AM

memphis tennesee has some really famous festival in may

[Edited on March 25, 2008 at 1:13 AM. Reason : only safe time to visit]

3/25/2008 1:13:23 AM

^^ The only good thing about the one time that I spent the night there was that I found a liquor store that sold cheap bottles of vodka that were all shaped like full size firearms.

3/25/2008 1:17:55 AM

i drove from NC to Seattle less than a month ago. I highly recommend that you avoid the northern route at this time of year. I had a lot of fun skiing in Utah and hiking in Colorado. The Budweiser brewery north of Colorado Springs was cool.

3/25/2008 1:34:33 AM

one night, sleep out under the stars. No tent, just you, a bag, and the stars. If you don't see the stars out west, you might as well never have gone.

Bring a warm bag though, it still gets mighty cold this time of year.

3/25/2008 7:21:54 AM

look, if you are in colorado, go to the new belgium brewery in fort collins, not some shitty budweiser brewery.

3/25/2008 8:24:14 AM

new mexico is one of my favorite places in this country... sample the local new mexican food. it is very good (and it's not the exact same as mexican or tex-mex.)
also try hiking around some of the "desert" area out there... ghost ranch new mexico area is awesome. (they've filmed several movies in that area.)

3/25/2008 8:26:40 AM

pm coronakid. He did this last year in a '55 chevy. He'd be a good one to talk to.

3/25/2008 8:38:38 AM

I took a 10 day road trip out west 2 summers ago, and had a blast. I went by myself and that made it so much fun. I met new people, got into adventures, and was free to wander wherever I wanted.

3/25/2008 8:38:47 AM

10 days just doesn't seem like enough. Hell 2 weeks isn't even enough. I would love to take a sabattical type leave of absence and travel out west. I've been to Vegas, but other than most western i've been is St. Louis

3/25/2008 9:15:44 AM

heh, I'm planning essentially this same trip...

I was planning on hitting the grand canyon, yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore...

lots more places to consider now...

3/25/2008 10:44:19 AM

^^it's not. I had to do a lot of driving and not a lot of sleeping along the way. I drove from here to the middle of new mexico in one run, stopping only for gas/food. (about 26-27 hours maybe?)

3/25/2008 11:18:37 AM

If you go to Zions, the try to do the full 2 day narrows trip. I think you repel down into the narrows, and then hike/camp for 2 days.

3/25/2008 11:22:09 AM

The Petrified Forest and painted dessert are cool places to visit and usually aren’t as crowded with tourist families as the Grand Canyon. White sands is also fun.

3/25/2008 11:45:19 AM

Quote :

"the wind farms outside of LA are impressive."

I had no motivation to head to LA, but this might be something. I've always wanted to see large wind farms.

Quote :

"Glacier National Park in Montana."

Thinking of taking 40 (or that general area) to Calinfornia, and head back through Montana. My dad is in Chicago, so swinging through there on the way back (last day probably) is the plan.

Quote :

"Las Vegas obviously"

Of course

Quote :

"Alcatraz"

Ohh good call.

Quote :

"just generally see the western US...it's impressive as hell just to drive through."

I love driving, so thats one of the main reasons for this trip . Once I get out west, I'm going to try to avoid interstates too, take the more scenic roads.

Quote :

"but you better bring some cds, cause once you get to new mexico you're not gonna have a cell phone or any radio or anything."

Sirius radio FTW

Quote :

"2 weeks just won't be enough"

If I could get away with taking more time off of work, I would

Quote :

"go one way out west and come back another. don't have too much of a plan. a loose one is good, but go where the wind blows you."

Was already planning on that. I'd like to hit as many states (even if its just driving in one for a few miles) that I can

Quote :

"camping is a good, cheap alternative to hotels"

Quote :

"one night, sleep out under the stars. No tent, just you, a bag, and the stars."

Was planning on bringing my tent and sleeping bag and camping at least some of the nights. Good call about under the stars though



Thanks for the suggestions so far, I have more reading up to do

3/25/2008 9:09:21 PM

Quote :

"I had no motivation to head to LA, but this might be something. I've always wanted to see large wind farms."

i think there's a large wind farm east of livermore, CA (~40mi east of SF) if you truly wanted to avoid socal -- i'm pretty sure you can see it on 580 as you come west, insanely windy stretch of freeway...

alternatively, you could see one of the socal wind farms on your way to the 101, then take the 101 north up to SF or wherever (and still avoid LA for the most part)

(not that i necessarily think seeing a wind farm should be high on your list, just throwing out suggestions)

3/26/2008 10:37:37 AM

If you go to the grand canyon...

They charge you like 25 bucks for a car to enter... I bought the pass, took a few pictures, but then had to jet, so I just waited out in the little parking area before the main gates, and sold my pass for 20 bucks to an incoming car. They were good for 7 days or so, so they were happy to buy my pass at a discount, and I was happy to get most of my money back.

3/26/2008 12:40:51 PM

DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH KANSAS!!! You will regret it for the rest of your life. Especially western Kansas - there is not anything to see.

3/26/2008 4:54:43 PM

Pretty much the same with all of Missouri too. Either way, if you stay up North, you're gonna have to hit Kansas or Nebraska, both sucking pretty much equally.

3/26/2008 5:03:13 PM

be prepared to pay ab $6 to cross the golden gate bridge--both ways

go see the redwoods while you're out there

park your car & rent a bike at fishermans wharf and you can ride to golden gate and cross it for free on your bike

san fran is in my top 2 fav cities of all time (chicago is the other)

hit up napa valley

grand canyon is awesome of course. i'd go to whatever part is most convenient-- its the same hole in the ground no matter which angle you look at it. i wouldn't spend a lot of time going to some "untouristy" part-- save as much time as possible and hit the easiest spot for you to get to.

last recommendation-- keep a daily journal! write down as much as you can remember and take tons of pics. my memory isn't fabulous but when i read my travel journals it all comes back to me!

kansas DOES suck-- i lived there. the eastern part on 70 is really pretty because it's in the flint hills but the west is dead. if you're into something quarky stop in wamego, ks off highway 70 (about 90 miles west of kansas city) you'll go 9 miles off of 70 to get to it. its the "home" of the wizard of oz and there are some themed shops and a muesum. thats the small town i lived in when i was out there. it's obviously not a must do but if you need to stop around that area, might as well see something different. also, eat at totos tacoz on main street. closed sundays & mondays but its the only thing i miss about kansas! best tacos evar!

3/26/2008 8:46:45 PM

drive through the napa or sonoma area of california

[Edited on March 26, 2008 at 8:48 PM. Reason : the redwoods aren't that cool]

3/26/2008 8:47:59 PM

Quote :

"be prepared to pay ab $6 to cross the golden gate bridge--both ways"

It's $5 and only inbound... same with the Bay Bridge.

Napa is alright, but I like the town center of Sonoma better. It's got a nice little park and a pub down a back alley that I really like... Don't hit up the wineries on 29 in Napa. If you do, go drive down the Silverado Trail... less touristy and better tastings IMO..

Quote :

"think there's a large wind farm east of livermore, CA (~40mi east of SF) if you truly wanted to avoid socal -- i'm pretty sure you can see it on 580 as you come west, insanely windy stretch of freeway..."

That's right. It's just pass the pass on 580 near Tracy.. and it's not really all that impressive. I definitely recommend hitting up South Lake Tahoe... they have some beautiful scenery of the lake (Heavenly gondola) and casinos...

[Edited on March 26, 2008 at 9:08 PM. Reason : x]

3/26/2008 9:05:35 PM

ah ok-- i must have read an article that they were thinking of adding another toll the other way.. either way-- bring money for tolls!

i know taking 70 though kansas will cost you $2 once you get past lawrence-- not sure after that

i thought the redwoods were cool-- guess it depends on what you're into

3/26/2008 9:08:08 PM

fucking hell, is there anywhere in the world more badass than the western united states?

i'd never be able to pull something like this off. there is too much good stuff out there for one 2 week trip

3/26/2008 9:10:39 PM

If there are two cities on the entire west coast to see, they are definitely San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver is awesome, but I doubt he'd want to go up there... It has more bars/restaurants per square mile than any other city limit in the world other than Manhattan and the island itself is pretty freaking cool..

San Francisco is really awesome... and you can get around the city really easily. Good Italian in North Beach, awesome nightlife in the Marina District (well depends on what you're used to... it's kind of yuppie), interesting and very different neighborhoods like Chinatown, Haight-Asbury (if you're a hippy), downtown, North Beach, Marina, etc.

If you need any info about Northern California I've lived out here for over a year and can help you out..

3/26/2008 9:14:05 PM

both of those are a good time

I really, really like San Diego, though.

3/26/2008 9:23:09 PM

In assessing whether or not I could financially swing a trip out west with a friend, I came across some of the following, helpful information.

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/roadtripamerica_cfmfiles/calculator.cfm
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16540
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7872

Quote :

"TRUCK STOPS are havens for travelers in the US : they sometimes rent rooms, or you can just sleep in your car in the parking lot, they have clean showers, cheapest gas, cheap food, souvenirs, camping supplies, maps, private phone cabins, laundromats, 7/24... note : I know Flying J has a frequent fueler program, you can order a frequent fueler card for free that gives you rebate on gas and products, I'm sure other truck stops have that kind of program too. Don't forget to ask for a free directory it's always practical to have it on the road."

I found this website INCREDIBLY helpful

4/7/2008 7:59:38 PM

My only advice from driving across the country a few times....stay the hell out of Kansas. That state fucking sucks.

4/7/2008 8:20:38 PM

Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knotts Berry Farm are in my opinion the best theme parks. Vegas is fun if you want to spend money, don't go if you don't because you WILL spend money. If you're into historic stuff I'd say check out the Reagan Museum. Huntington Library has some really nice art and gardens.

[Edited on April 7, 2008 at 8:41 PM. Reason : check out some ghost towns too]

4/7/2008 8:39:11 PM

yellowstones!

4/7/2008 8:47:48 PM

I would LOVE to do a huge road trip like this so if anybody is looking for another person to split costs, I'd totally be down for that this summer. Preferably towards the end of summer though so I can work to save up enough money.

4/8/2008 12:34:27 AM

rocky mountain nat park is also a really cool drive. it gets over 11k feet

if you do go there, near the very top at a stop point, get out and look down....way down there. plenty of people will get out, look over the edge, not see anything, and peace out. if you really look though, or better, bring some binoculars, you will see plenty of wildlife

4/8/2008 12:43:28 AM

you have gotta see Arches National Park. after living on the east coast my whole life, that place was like Mars

4/8/2008 9:14:35 AM

Quote :

"rocky mountain nat park is also a really cool drive. it gets over 11k feet if you do go there, near the very top at a stop point, get out and look down....way down there. plenty of people will get out, look over the edge, not see anything, and peace out. if you really look though, or better, bring some binoculars, you will see plenty of wildlife"

I live about 15 minutes from here. RMNP is about a half hour from Boulder, an hour from Denver, hour from Ft. Collins, 2 hours from Cheyenne, Wy. If you are planning to go to any of these spots it is well worth seeing. There will be elk everywhere in about a month. It's pretty far North, to get to Colorado you have to come through Kansas or Nebraska unfortunately.

4/8/2008 10:47:31 AM

do canyonland national park as well the whole grandstair case (grand canyon, zion canyon, and a few others i cant rember)

4/8/2008 5:21:56 PM

Rocky Mountain is crowded, but like every park you only have to walk for like 15 minutes before all the people disappear.

4/8/2008 6:24:53 PM

Knoxville.


haha

4/8/2008 7:34:45 PM

Quote :

"avoid denver, I was just there, place sucks."

haha, good joke. if you were in denver and thought it sucked you didn't get out much did you?

within ~1 hour of denver, you can go rock climing, hike a 14,000+ ft. peak, rafting, skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, cycling, red rocks concert, coors brewery, pike's peak (hike, cog train, hill climb), Rocky Mountain NP, boulder, 16th street mall, lower downtown, rockies baseball game, avalanche hockey game, denver nuggets game, sunny 300 days of the year, hundreds of parks

[Edited on April 8, 2008 at 8:00 PM. Reason : l]

4/8/2008 8:00:26 PM