travelling across the US, where to visit

[downtown]

I think you can spend 3 days in the B'more/DC region andl see and do a lot of pretty cool stuff....and the public transport is really nice...if you plan it right, you can stay in the same hotel, and not drive in either of those cities.

I'm also a big fan of Chicago, New Mexico, Salt Lake, San Fransisco, the UP, Savanah Georgia, and Austin Texas

 

[Leonel]

I would simply say drive through the lonely highways of America. I remember I drove with my dad from Portland to Minneapolis and we just saw a gorgeous array of environments.

 

[SoCalian]

When you are in California, and don't feel like going to any of the big 3 cities(LA,SD,SF), then the central coast is really nice. There are a lot of cool little towns in San Luis Obispo County. I always like to go to Morro Bay and Cambria when I'm there. If you decide to got there, i'd be happy to tell you more if you like. There is also a really tiny zoo in Atascadero, that's kinda hidden away, that's really worth the visit. It's only about 2 acres big, and cost like $5 to get in, but there is a suprising variety of exotic animals. There's a bunch of other stuff, like Hearst Castle, to check out too. Another fun thing to do is take a day and drive the 1 from LA to SF. The views are absolutely gorgeuos, especially the father north you go.
http://www.sanluisobispocounty.com/

 

[The Fjonis]

Hi guys! I'm also planning to drive around in the US! Me and my family are going to rent a car in Seattle, WA, and drive around for 3 or 4 weeks before returning to Seattle. So, I figured I'd join this thread, and I'd appreciate it if someone comes up with any nice suggestions that are within reach for me too!

 

[MjM]

San Diego is the best place to go in Cali.

 

[kingjoshi]

Thanks for the many good suggestions.

I'm visiting Chicago (again) in a couple weeks because my friend is getting married. So it's not on my list of places to visit for the trip.

I think you can spend 3 days in the B'more/DC region andl see and do a lot of pretty cool stuff....and the public transport is really nice...if you plan it right, you can stay in the same hotel, and not drive in either of those cities.

I will not stay in any hotel throughout the whole trip. Might sleep over with friends and family here and there, but will mostly sleep in my car. I am going very cheap on the whole thing because I don't have much money to begin with. But I do have time.

I have family in the DC area, but I might visit Annapolis instead. I've been to Baltimore and DC before, but not there.

@SoCalian: That sounds like an cool idea. I briefly surveyed the site and some of the paid attraction sites aren't my thing. Hearst Castle is expensive, but a cheap zoo sounds great I will definitely drive down the Pacific Coast Highway. That area seems like a good place to do so.

 

[SoCalian]

@SoCalian: That sounds like an cool idea. I briefly surveyed the site and some of the paid attraction sites aren't my thing. Hearst Castle is expensive, but a cheap zoo sounds great I will definitely drive down the Pacific Coast Highway. That area seems like a good place to do so.

It really is. but Like MjM said, San Diego is the place. There is so much there, and just in balboa park alone. You can skip Hearst Castle, unless you're really into that sort of thing. It's $40, and 3 hours of walking around and looking at a house, that you can't touch anything in, or go swiming in the pools. Other than that, there isn't much in San Simeon, though the motel 6 there has kareoke.

 

[Cuchullain]

I think you're missing out on the some of the really fun stuff. Anyone can say they've been to the tourist traps, but it's the weird stuff that gives each state its character.

Jersey has no shortage of bizarre people and places. That's one of the reasons I love living here. You can't find a finer collection of weirdos and whack-jobs than Jersey.

Check out this famous link:
http://www.weirdnj.com/

 

[The 777 Hoax]

Anywhere but Ohio.

 

[downtown]

Ahh, dont be such a hater. There is all sorts of great stuff in Ohio. However, since Kingjoshi is *from* Ohio, chances are, he's seen most of it.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Stone Mountain, about 10 or 15 miles east of Atlanta, is an interesting historical sort of place to visit. Because if you'll be seeing Mount Rushmore, you should see the Confederate version, too.

And I would like to re-recommend the Taste of Chicago.

 

[The 777 Hoax]

However, since Kingjoshi is *from* Ohio, chances are, he's seen most of it.

Really? My bad.

 

[Neomega]

shoestring budget = more natural wonders, less city time

devils tower, Wyoming, and of course Yellowstone

the badlands of South Dakota

there is NOTHING in North Dakota. NOTHING! (the home of Lawrence Welk, and the geographic center of North America, that's it)

In Washington/Oregon State the Colombia river gorge.

That's 5 states.

 

[kingjoshi]

I'm heading to North Dakota the day after tomorrow. Please someone tell me there's something in North Dakota! Thought of going to Pembina (border of Minnesota/ND and USA/Canada) just to see it. And then heading to Fargo from there.

Yes, there has been very little city time. Basically I've gone to state parks, free museums and the like. But Harley-Davidson and Miller give free tours of their plants and that was interesting.

 

[SoCalian]

I saw this guy two weeks ago, who tours doing a performance as Thomas Jefferson, and he's from North Dakota. Thats all I know about that.

 

[kingjoshi]

Worst case, I'll just talk to some people and then move on to Montana. But the people at the Travel Information Center are very helpful.

My main problem on this trip has been finding places to take showers. Many showers at beaches don't open up their waters until Memorial Day I might have to go old school and just wash in the river. But I've managed other ways to stay relatively clean.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

There would probably be more fun to be had in South Dakota...

Looking at the government website, you could go to Mount Rushmore, and it will only cost you $8 for parking. Free access.

 

[SoCalian]

out of curiosity, how much money do you have for this trip?

 

[kingjoshi]

out of curiosity, how much money do you have for this trip?

How much I have in the bank or how much I'm willing to spend? I'm not sure of the latter. But (I think) I hit some animal on the freeway last night in Duluth and it busted my right head light. They didn't have any parts in the city so I had to drive to Minneapolis and fix the thing myself. Set me back $150 in parts (not including gas and time) and here I am trying to save money on food and lodging. First accident since I got my license. Such is life.

I was willing to go up to $2K but I don't think that'll be enough. So right now, I'll go up to $3k.

I'm getting about 11 miles a $1 in gas costs right now. So I figured for $1K, I could travel across the country and back a couple times. Then, I could spend $1k on food and misc expenses. But some mismanagement and bad luck has hurt me. But it's been a great trip overall.

 

[SoCalian]

well, you might want to try to avoid getting gas on Memorial Day weekend. Prices always go up at that time.

You could also look at farmers markets for some cheep food. Be prepared to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables if you go that route.