Coming to the USA from the UK

[ceejayt]

Update on progress at this link http://www.annie-and-chris.com/2016/12/30/american-road-trip-update/

 

[SeilerBird]

When you go to Page Utah (#52) I recommend taking a trip rafting down the Colorado for a half day:

http://raftthecanyon.com/raft-the-river/half-day-raft-trips/

At Big Sur (#8) I recommend visiting the Elephant Seal colony.

At Monterey CA (#10) I recommend the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I recommend visiting Yosemite in between #7 and #8 and make sure to get reservations in at Yosemite 5 months in advance if you want to stay on the valley floor. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm

After leaving the Hoh Rainforest I recommend continuing around Olympic National Park in a clockwise manner and visiting Hurricane Ridge on the way.

At Grand Teton be sure to spend your evenings at Oxbow Bend for one of the best wildlife shows anywhere. It is like a zoo without bars.

In Minnesota revisit highway 61 if you are a Bob Dylan fan.

From Milwaukee (#30) I suggest going north and driving around the lake clockwise to get to Mackinac Island. UP is stunning.

Looks like a fun trip. I wish I was going with you.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

On trips where my wife and I are on the road for a couple months our average cost is $100 a day. That includes food, fuel, RV park, tours...everything.

I agree with SeilerBird...skip Alaska.

Are you going to tow a car? 

 

[Isaac-1]

Given the winter starting date I would certainly do the southern part of the route first.  Generally speaking all of the southernmost states (Georgia across to Texas) are completely free of snow and ice except for a few days per year most years, even then it is only a concern for a day or two and only at higher elevations and the northern parts of those states, however as you move west snow and ice can be a problem even as far south as New Mexico until about March, and can be real concern any farther north.  There are a number of secondary mountain pass roads in southern Wyoming and even in Colorado that do not open until June 1st, and its any ones's guess about Montana.

As to a rough route I would take starting in Baltimore before picking up the RV, I would suggest spending a day in the Inner Harbor area (google the tourist attractions there), then I would start out be trying to get away from the dense population centers that define the eastern seaboard from coastal Virgina to Boston.  This route would go south down the western parts of Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley, into the Carolinas, possibly tour Biltmore estate.  The pace for this section will depend on the weather.  From here I would cross the Smoky Mountains  (this area was recently hit by severe forest fires so google for exact route) then down to Chattanooga (like all the signs say, see Ruby Falls) .  Cross over to Lynchburg and tour the Jack Daniels distillary then pick up the north end of the Natchez trace about 20 miles south of Nashville and follow it all the way down to Natchez stopping at points of interest along the way.  The Natchez trace parkway is sort of like a national park that is only a few hundred feet wide, the speed limit is 50 mph and no commercial vehicles are allowed.  There are numerous places to pull off, state parks and other items of historical interest along the way (more to the southern end than the northern end).  When you get to I-20 take a side trip to Vicksburg and tour the civil war battlefield park, this is mostly a drive through with places to stop every few hundred feet.  Rushing through takes a couple of hours, without rushing you can get a good feel for it in about half a day, then cut back 20-30 miles and do the last 90 miles of the Natchez trace ending up in Natchez, Mississippi.  From here go south to Baton Rouge, Louisiana  then decide if you want to see New Orleans.  I live in Louisiana and have real mixed feelings about New Orleans, for the most part I try to avoid it.  I am sure there are similar sorts of places in the UK, lots of romance and and tourism hype, but also one of the cities with the some of the highest violent crime rate in the country.  Just don't judge the rest of the state by New Orleans, if you do go there, and I suspect you will take some time to see Cajun Country which can generally be defined as west of the Mississippi river and south of I-10 until you get to Texas (the food in New Orleans is not Cajun it is Creole, big difference).  From here I would suggest going north west across Texas avoiding the major cities and picking up your route 66 journey in the Texas panhandle. and then continue along the route you had generally plotted out.  As a rule of thump there is not much worth seeing between Texas and the Dakota's north to south, or from Missouri to the Rocky mountains east to west.  In other words there is a lot of nothing that goes on and on and on.  Having said that the great expanse of nothing between say Wichita Falls Texas and Denver Colorado if you follow highway 287 the whole way may just be something that would impress someone that is used to European population density.  So if you are game for a side trip, give it shot.  I will say there are some nice road side rest areas along that drive, nearly 700 miles of driving and only one city over 10,000 people anywhere near the path Amarillo, Texas population 196,000 and it seems like the local industry is roadside motels, at one point there was a Best Western brand motel across the road from a Best Western brand motel.

 

[ceejayt]

On trips where my wife and I are on the road for a couple months our average cost is $100 a day. That includes food, fuel, RV park, tours...everything.

I agree with SeilerBird...skip Alaska.

Are you going to tow a car?

Thanks for this - no, not towing a car.

 

[ceejayt]

When you go to Page Utah (#52) I recommend taking a trip rafting down the Colorado for a half day:

http://raftthecanyon.com/raft-the-river/half-day-raft-trips/

At Big Sur (#8) I recommend visiting the Elephant Seal colony.

At Monterey CA (#10) I recommend the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I recommend visiting Yosemite in between #7 and #8 and make sure to get reservations in at Yosemite 5 months in advance if you want to stay on the valley floor. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm

After leaving the Hoh Rainforest I recommend continuing around Olympic National Park in a clockwise manner and visiting Hurricane Ridge on the way.

At Grand Teton be sure to spend your evenings at Oxbow Bend for one of the best wildlife shows anywhere. It is like a zoo without bars.

In Minnesota revisit highway 61 if you are a Bob Dylan fan.

From Milwaukee (#30) I suggest going north and driving around the lake clockwise to get to Mackinac Island. UP is stunning.

Looks like a fun trip. I wish I was going with you.

Thanks again...

Feedback - half day rive trip added, Elephant seal colony added, aquarium now on the list at Monterey, Hurricane Ridge now on the itinerary along with Oxbow bend.

Brill, thanks

 

[ceejayt]

Given the winter starting date I would certainly do the southern part of the route first. ....

As to a rough route I would take starting in Baltimore before picking up the RV, I would suggest spending a day in the Inner Harbor area (google the tourist attractions there), ...  This route would go south down the western parts of Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley, into the Carolinas, possibly tour Biltmore estate.  The pace for this section will depend on the weather.  From here I would cross the Smoky Mountains  (this area was recently hit by severe forest fires so google for exact route) then down to Chattanooga (like all the signs say, see Ruby Falls) .  Cross over to Lynchburg and tour the Jack Daniels distillary then pick up the north end of the Natchez trace about 20 miles south of Nashville and follow it all the way down to Natchez stopping at points of interest along the way.  The Natchez trace parkway is sort of like a national park that is only a few hundred feet wide, the speed limit is 50 mph and no commercial vehicles are allowed. ...

Thanks fr the suggestion - I am sure your route would be interesting but it misses out many of the things we want to see by doing Route 66.  It is also over 2,000 miles of driving so time would be an issue - have attached a screenshot of google map I think which shows roughly what you intend.

We have two weeks in Florida and one week in Baltimore to explore before we pick up the motorhome.  So currently, have decided to stick with my current plan which involves the whole of Route 66 and I think can be managed time wise.

We are not starting in the winter - it will be beginning of May so hoping the weather will be reasonable by then..

Thanks again

Chris

 

[ceejayt]

I am thinking of bringing a drone with me to the US but I think you have some licensing rules and registration. Would I be better buying a drone there rather than bringing with me?

Chris

 

[SeilerBird]

I don't know about the drone but I am wondering why you are so interested in Route 66? We have much better routes in the US.

 

[ceejayt]

I don't know about the drone but I am wondering why you are so interested in Route 66? We have much better routes in the US.

It's the mother road we want to travel. I am sure there are many, many amazing places and routes but 66 is on the bucket list and we can't do everything 

 

[SeilerBird]

It's the mother road we want to travel. I am sure there are many, many amazing places and routes but 66 is on the bucket list and we can't do everything

The glory days of route 66 ended thirty years ago. It is now just a shell of it's former self. I rode the entire route in 1959 when we moved from Chicago to LA. The most boring week of my life.

 

[ceejayt]

The glory days of route 66 ended thirty years ago. It is now just a shell of it's former self. I rode the entire route in 1959 when we moved from Chicago to LA. The most boring week of my life.

You should watch the Billy Connolly Route 66 documentary - just three episodes - the route has been reinvigorated in many parts. Just look at the number of attractions we intend to see/visit in three weeks. Over 50 places on the list just between St Louis and Los Angeles

 

[SeilerBird]

I have watched many Route 66 documentaries. It pales compared to the Pacific Coast Highway, Route 2 across the top of the country and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

[ceejayt]

I have watched many Route 66 documentaries. It pales compared to the Pacific Coast Highway, Route 2 across the top of the country and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Well, we are certainly doing the West Coast highway, taking in the National Parks and some of the best scenery the country has to offer so I am sure we won't be disappointed in our 12000 mile trip

 

[SeilerBird]

I don't think you will be disappointed either, you have a wonderful route planned.

 

[ceejayt]

I don't think you will be disappointed either, you have a wonderful route planned.

Thanks, and plenty of input from people on here which has been great.

 

[ceejayt]

I thought I should give an update as we are now three weeks into our grand tour and Ian writing this from Fort Gibson about 40 miles outside Tulsa.

Shipping and collection all went relatively smoothly and we are enjoying our time.

I have maintained a daily blog of our travels for those that are interested (link in profile).

 

[LarsMac]

Great to hear from you. I was just wondering how y'all were getting along. Thanks for the update.

 

[ceejayt]

Just camped up at Arcadia lake for the night nearIklahoma city

Attached shows our campsite stops so far since leaving Baltimore