Driving accross the country next week

[Stifko]

I am flying into LA on Friday and driving back to NYC next week. What route is the best to take? I wanna stop by Minnesota to see a friend so I guess 90 is the right way? Anything that I should see on the way? Any places I can crash? I will be in a UHaul w/a friend.

thanks

 

[minendo]

US 15 to US 80. Then US 80 all the way to NYC.

 

[PlatinumGold]

hehehe.

my parents just made the driver from LA to NJ. they will be arriving in about an hour. they left monday.

 

[toant103]

XM radio would come in handy.

 

[BillGates]

I just drove from Wisconsin to Ohio - 500 miles each way - last week.... I can definitely say that you'd want to hit Hwy 80 and pretty much continue on it forever...

The drive is horrible in my opinion, I don't think I went up or down one hill, or turned one curve, through the entire state of Indiana....

Taking a little side trip through mountains would be cool and liven up the scenery a bit.

The time alone was nice, and I got to have 2 days off my 7 day a week work schedule, which was nice.

I downloaded a bunch of audio books (Dean Koontz books, and Hannibal) and burned them onto a CD - an mp3 cd player is nice to have in the dash. I could have listened to one CD that entire 500 mile drive and not repeated a song. Crazy...

Anyway, good luck!

 

[minendo]

<< The drive is horrible in my opinion, I don't think I went up or down one hill, or turned one curve, through the entire state of Indiana.... >>


Tell me about it. I live there and all it is is 200 miles of farm. Except for Notre Dame which is exactly halfway.

 

[Stifko]

I am not really lookin forward to this, and you guys aren't helpin any. I am doing this guy a huge favor by doing this, but thats what friends are for I guess. Kinda doubt a rental truck is gonna have an mp3 player or XM radio. We gotta pack up a whole apt worth of stuff too and unload it too!

 

[BillGates]

Hehe, we could give you encouragement that it's going to be fun... Maybe rent a second truck and set up a bed and refrigerator in it, then you can sleep the whole trip. Make some hitchhiker drive the truck.

Glad I could help.

 

[flavio]

<< I am not really lookin forward to this, and you guys aren't helpin any. I am doing this guy a huge favor by doing this, but thats what friends are for I guess. Kinda doubt a rental truck is gonna have an mp3 player or XM radio. We gotta pack up a whole apt worth of stuff too and unload it too! >>



Don't base your opinion on some guy driving from Wisconsin to Ohio, your drive will be WAY cooler. If you're hitting Minnesota you can switch from 80 to 90 somewhere around Wyoming and then check out the the Badlands in South Dakota. Before that you got Medicine Bow mountain in Wyoming, Salt Lake desert in Utah,

 

[MereMortal]

Good luck with your trip. I will also be starting a drive in a U-haul from MI to SF sometime next week. I am not looking forward to this.

Maybe I'll pass you somewhere along the way!

 

[RayH]

<< If you're hitting Minnesota you can switch from 80 to 90 somewhere around Wyoming and then check out the the Badlands in South Dakota. Before that you got Medicine Bow mountain in Wyoming, Salt Lake desert in Utah, >>



If you're headed that way you can also check out Devil's Tower in Wyoming. If you camp in the Badlands you may get to hear the wolves at night. Also if you're not in the habit of doing so, you may want to check your gas levels every once in a while. Some places out west you need to start looking for gas at half a tank.

 

[flavio]

<< Good luck with your trip. I will also be starting a drive in a U-haul from MI to SF sometime next week. I am not looking forward to this.

Maybe I'll pass you somewhere along the way! >>



I don't understand being such a wuss about it. I've made the drive from back and forth from Ohio to California about 6-7 times now taking 70, 80, and 90 just to see different areas. I absolutely love the drive and wish I could do it more often. If you're not in a huge hurry stop and check out the sites for a little bit. The only thing I wouldn't like so much is doing it in a big U-Haul, mostly a problem in the winter though.

 

[Stifko]

Well I kind of lied. I am looking forward to it and will make the best of it. Nothing like a road trip!!!

 

[notfred]

If you want to actually enjoy the drive, try this: Instead of just taking 80 striaght across the country, follow a more interesting route.

From LA: I-15 through Las Vegas, up through the corner of arizona and through western Utah. Take I-70 East to Denver. I-70 is like 10,000 Times more scenic than I-80 in that part of the country. The speed limit is 75 on both of them. You'll want to do this part of the drive during the day, it'll be the most fun part to watch. My suggestion is to spend the night in LV, and get up and out early the next morning. If you like driving, Denver in 1 day should be fine. You will be driving over vail pass on this route. I doubt you'll need chains this time of year, but it'd be a good idea to have them.
Spend the next night in Denver, then head out 25 North through Wyoming the next day. you want to avoid the plains states as much as possible Kansas is 420 miles of straight, flat, corn fields. I'd take 25 to 94 East, across the northern part of the country. This does kinda take you out of the way, but it may very well be worth it. Stop somewhere along the way in a motel 67, stay the night and visit your friend in MN the next day. After leaving MN, You can head down towards Chicago, and then take 80 east to NYC. This should take you two days.

Total travel time: 1 day to NYC, 1 more to Denver, 2 to MN, and 2 NYC. ^ days, not too bad, but not too fast to miss everything. You don't get a lot of chances to drivbe across the country.

I did the California Coast to Palm County Florida in 4 Days. It was too fast.

 

[flavio]

94 East would be fairly out of the way. 25 to 90 would be faster and it goes through the Badlands and Black Hills. There's no reason to spend two days driving from Minnesota to NYC, I've made it from San Fran to Cleveland in two days.

 

[The Stigenator]

My friends did Anahiem CA to Charlotte NC in 37 hrs straight..

The only tip I gave them and I will give you is .. gas up as often as you can.. espicially in AZ, NV and other deserted states.. you dont want to run out of gas. Carry as much water as you can on you in bottles and some food just in case something goes wrong. And take breaks often.. well gas up every 200 miles or so you will do fine..

TGG

 

[Bleep]

UHH los vegas to denver is 1000 miles. to much for one day. stop at Grand Junction. If you dont want to stop in Vegas the first stop probably Green Rliver Utah. That is about a 8 hour drive from LA,
It is really a nice drive over the pass in Colo.
Bleep

 

[Stifko]

Thanks for the suggestions, I dunno which way we are going yet and its not really my call. Thanks though !!!