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Driving from Boston to San Francisco

B

brikis98

Diamond Member
I'm considering driving from Boston to San Francisco at the end of August with one or two friends. Does anyone have suggestions for the best route to take and sights to see along the way? We'll have 7-12 days to make the trip, will be in a tightly packed '99 Toyota Corolla (so no off roading), and are willing to occasionally camp out. Any tips, suggestions, experiences and advice are appreciated.

Update

I've put together a very preliminary itinerary:

Aug 21: depart from Cambridge, MA via 90W.
Aug 23: arrive in Chicago, IL (984 miles).
Aug 24: explore Chicago.
Aug 25: depart Chicago, IL via 90W.
Aug 26: arrive near Badlands National Park, South Dakota (845 miles).
Aug 27: explore Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore and Black Hills Forest.
Aug 28: depart from South Dakota via 90W and arrive at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (572 miles).
Aug 29: explore Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and Craters of the Moon.
Aug 30: depart Wyoming via 93S to 80W
Sep 01: arrive in Stanford, CA (793 miles).

Google map of trip: 3547 miles.

I just threw this together and still have plenty to figure out: if my time estimates for driving & site seeing are reasonable, if I'm missing any cool sites along the way, and where we'll be staying at night. Please share any advice, suggestions, corrections, etc!
 
From DC to Seattle I took I90 for most of the country. Not sure if that helps but it was damn fast.
 
Buffalo, Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, Salt Lake City, Lake Tahoe, SF

Edit: 1.5-2 days in Chicago and 1.5 days in Tahoe
 
When we drove cross country we took I-90 and stopped in Chicago, Yellowstone, San Fran, LA...took the southern route on the way back and stopped by Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Austin. Most of the stops were to visit friends on the way.
 
Originally posted by: Doodoo
When we drove cross country we took I-90 and stopped in Chicago, Yellowstone, San Fran, LA...took the southern route on the way back and stopped by Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Austin. Most of the stops were to visit friends on the way.
Click to expand...

Badlands were my favorite on that route, maybe cause the weather was perfect, but that place is unbelievable.
 
Get to Pittsburgh and take I80 across.

How you get to Pitt is your choice - South to Phili and I80 west or I90 west to Buffalo and south.

Once you clear Chicago, it will be flat & boring until you clear Reno.

If you drop to I70; you have the St Louis Arch and then flat to Denver.

You can take I80 to I76 (Nebraska / Colorado line) to I70

For scenery, I70 (Denver to Salt Lake City) will be nice - then back to flat high desert along I80.
 
Originally posted by: Doodoo
When we drove cross country we took I-90 and stopped in Chicago, Yellowstone, San Fran, LA...took the southern route on the way back and stopped by Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Austin. Most of the stops were to visit friends on the way.
Click to expand...

How did you stop in Yellowstone, SF, and LA on I-90? I'm only 270 miles from the western end of I-90 and I'm pretty sure I'm not near any of those places. But who knows?
 
best way to drive across the country...

your house to boston logan international airport
san francisco international airport to avis/budget/enterprise counter
rental car to final destination.



suggested routes... I80

 
I did the trip several years ago in August and did it in 5 days. Took I90 out - checked out the Baseball Hall of Fame in NY, Chicago, Spam Museum in MN, Wall Drug in SD, Corn Palace in SD, Badlands in SD, Mt Rushmore in SD, Yellowstone in WY, Grand Tetons in WY, Craters of the Moon in ID to I80 thru Salt Lake City in UT, Lake Tahoe in CA then SF.

edit - thinking about it now, it may have taken 7 days.

I also had wireless internet access on my laptop which made things so easy. Finding motels, information on tourist sites, uploading photos during the trip, etc...
 
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: Doodoo
When we drove cross country we took I-90 and stopped in Chicago, Yellowstone, San Fran, LA...took the southern route on the way back and stopped by Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Austin. Most of the stops were to visit friends on the way.
Click to expand...

Badlands were my favorite on that route, maybe cause the weather was perfect, but that place is unbelievable.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: Though Craters of the Moon was pretty surreal.
 
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: Doodoo
When we drove cross country we took I-90 and stopped in Chicago, Yellowstone, San Fran, LA...took the southern route on the way back and stopped by Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Austin. Most of the stops were to visit friends on the way.
Click to expand...

Badlands were my favorite on that route, maybe cause the weather was perfect, but that place is unbelievable.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: Though Craters of the Moon was pretty surreal.
Click to expand...

Damn, I totally missed that because I spent too much time at big sky in Montana (snowboarding the final days of spring). That place looks sick!
 
Originally posted by: compman25
Originally posted by: Doodoo
When we drove cross country we took I-90 and stopped in Chicago, Yellowstone, San Fran, LA...took the southern route on the way back and stopped by Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Austin. Most of the stops were to visit friends on the way.
Click to expand...

How did you stop in Yellowstone, SF, and LA on I-90? I'm only 270 miles from the western end of I-90 and I'm pretty sure I'm not near any of those places. But who knows?
Click to expand...

We probably went over to I-80 after Yellowstone. I think I was asleep for that leg of the trip. There were three of us and we pretty much never stopped to sleep unless we were at one of our destinations. Driving through some of those states at 3 am is boring as hell. I don't know why we didn't stop by the Badlands...looking back we should have. There was a lot we missed. We were kind of strapped for time..only had two weeks for the whole trip.
 
Originally posted by: sao123
best way to drive across the country...

your house to boston logan international airport
san francisco international airport to avis/budget/enterprise counter
rental car to final destination.



suggested routes... I80
Click to expand...

That was going to be my suggestion. 5 days in a car with your friends will get real old real fast. There's only so much farting you can stand from 3 guys in a car, especially one as small as a corolla.
 
Do you want to do any sightseeing along the way?

I-80 and I-90 are both your most direct routes, (drop from 90 to 80 no later than Wyoming....otherwise it turns northward and it's farther to 80.)

Both highways have a few places that are horrible drives...Nebraska on I-80 seems to take a lifetime...with not much to break up the miles and miles of corn...90 is a bit better...or at least, you get to change states more often...Minnesota and South Dakota don't offer a lot of enjoyable scenery, but IMO, it's a better drive than 80 across Nebraska.

I've driven coast-to-coast on both roads, and I prefer most of I-90 for the trip...but it also takes you through Chicago, which I avoid like the plague...it's ALMOST as bad as driving through SF...or Bahston. 😀
 
Originally posted by: brikis98
I'm considering driving from Boston to San Francisco at the end of August with one or two friends. Does anyone have suggestions for the best route to take and sights to see along the way? We'll have 7-10 days to make the trip, will be in a tightly packed '99 Toyota Corolla (so no off roading), and are willing to occasionally camp out. Any tips, suggestions, experiences and advice are appreciated.
Click to expand...

The BEST way to do it it to drive to Ocean City, Maryland and hop on US50 and take that all the way. The quickest way is to get on I-80 outside of New York and stay on that.
 
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Do you want to do any sightseeing along the way?

I-80 and I-90 are both your most direct routes, (drop from 90 to 80 no later than Wyoming....otherwise it turns northward and it's farther to 80.)

Both highways have a few places that are horrible drives...Nebraska on I-80 seems to take a lifetime...with not much to break up the miles and miles of corn...90 is a bit better...or at least, you get to change states more often...Minnesota and South Dakota don't offer a lot of enjoyable scenery, but IMO, it's a better drive than 80 across Nebraska.

I've driven coast-to-coast on both roads, and I prefer most of I-90 for the trip...but it also takes you through Chicago, which I avoid like the plague...it's ALMOST as bad as driving through SF...or Bahston. 😀
Click to expand...

You from Wiscansin?
 
Originally posted by: videogames101
You from Wiscansin?
Click to expand...

Nah, but I grew up in western Mass and know the proper way to say it...you pahk yeh cah then go drink dahk beah...It costs a dollah and a quatah...😀
 
Thanks for all the replies so far folks. Please keep them coming 🙂

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
That was going to be my suggestion. 5 days in a car with your friends will get real old real fast. There's only so much farting you can stand from 3 guys in a car, especially one as small as a corolla.
Click to expand...
I'm actually doing this trip because I'm moving from Boston to San Fran and driving is probably going to be the best way to get all my stuff (including the car) across the country. I do agree that the corolla is crappy for such a long trip, but that's all I got.

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Do you want to do any sightseeing along the way?
Click to expand...
Yup, definitely. I've been all over the east coast and west coast, but I've never explored all the land in between, and I figure this will be a great way to do it.
 
Originally posted by: G Wizard
looks like I-80 / I-90 is the most direct route
Click to expand...

avoid this at all costs. the last thing you want to do is waste away on the drudgery that is the midwest (Kansas, Nebraska, whatever)

stick to the northern route: SD, Wyoming, Salt Lake City, Nevada, etc.

GF and I moved from Chicago over the summer and did just that.

I-80 is hell. avoid at all costs 🙂 (at least delay entering as long as is reasonable)
 
Originally posted by: brikis98
Thanks for all the replies so far folks. Please keep them coming 🙂


Originally posted by: BoomerD
Do you want to do any sightseeing along the way?
Click to expand...
Yup, definitely. I've been all over the east coast and west coast, but I've never explored all the land in between, and I figure this will be a great way to do it.
Click to expand...

IMO, I-90 offers closer access to some great sightseeing. Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, etc. While both roads take you through Chi-Town, 90 heads north from there, while 80 goes straight west...through some of the most boring driving there is...Nebraska.
Yellowstone isn't very close to I-90 itself, but as you cut south, you can make your way through Yellowstone, then down to Jackson (and the Grand Tetons) then on to I-80 and west to Kahleeforneeya. Driving through western Utah and most of Nevada is bleak and boring as well...but, staying on I-90 will add several hundred extra miles to your trip.
 
Update

I've put together a very preliminary itinerary:

Aug 21: depart from Cambridge, MA via 90W.
Aug 23: arrive in Chicago, IL (984 miles).
Aug 24: explore Chicago.
Aug 25: depart Chicago, IL via 90W.
Aug 26: arrive near Badlands National Park, South Dakota (845 miles).
Aug 27: explore Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore and Black Hills Forest.
Aug 28: depart from South Dakota via 90W and arrive at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (572 miles).
Aug 29: explore Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and Craters of the Moon.
Aug 30: depart Wyoming via 93S to 80W
Sep 01: arrive in Stanford, CA (793 miles).

Google map of trip: 3547 miles.

I just threw this together and still have plenty to figure out: if my time estimates for driving & site seeing are reasonable, if I'm missing any cool sites along the way, and where we'll be staying at night. Please share any advice, suggestions, corrections, etc!
 
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