I’m starting in Vermont, stopping in Baltimore, Ponte Vedra in Florida, and finally the northern part of Miami. I don’t have a particularly strict time limit for this trip and want to see some cool things and eat at some fun places.
It wont be until the winter, but I may meet up with some family in Vegas. They don't live there. They will be flying there. As someone who is afraid of flying I was thinking it could be fun to drive there. I started thinking about planning out hotels, but I have no idea how long things will actually take. Google maps times are not realistic times.
I was planning on just driving as long as I can and just stopping around 9pm. So basically 12-14 hours of driving. I will not be able to sleep in my car. It's just not something I can do. Not even a nap. I do understand there are often hotels all along the way so I'm not too worried about that either and I don't mind paying extra for last minute rooms. I also understand that some random festival may be in town and may have to drive a bit further which I'm okay with too. I have already done that on another much shorter road trip.
I guess my question is how many days should I plan for? I would like to get to the grand canyon and spend a day there before vegas and seeing how it's only a few hours away I would just leave early the next day. I really don't even need a day there. Like an hour. I just want to walk up to the edge and stare out into the expanse while I blink in awe and then I'll be over it. It's going to be winter so there may be snow and it will be cold af as well.
My family isn't going to be in Vegas for more than a few days so I'd rather be earlier than later. TIA for any tips or help.
sorry if I post incorrectly… first post but kind of desperate for insight. I am extremely scared of going down mountains 8% grade and the route that all maps are taking me lead to 199 and I think I see there is another no guardrails going down a mountain on that stretch. Is there any way to avoid that route and get out of the mountains and still get to crescent city? I almost keeled over going from Nevada to Lakeview and am thinking of just living here instead of traveling there. So panicky and anxious. Any help or suggestions are appreciated! I am willing to go out of my way to avoid going down a mountain like that again! Thank you!! 🏔️🚫
We might end our trip back in PA or alternatively in east Jersey. I’ve never been to Maine, Vermont, or New Hampshire. Only been to Provincetown in Massachusetts. Last 2 falls we did a week long road trip in New York exclusively, so while I’m open to making stops in New York if its somewhere I’ve never been it’s not my main priority for this trip. Tho I do loove NY in the fall. I really don’t know where to start with this one. I know a week isn’t long enough to cover all these states so please give me your greatest hits. We will probably spend half a day to 2 days in each spot. We may not cover each state listed, but definitely Maine and/ or Vermont.
Interests:
- nature
- cute small towns
- cafes
- vegan food
- animals
- farmers/ local markets
We are about a month out from our RV trip from lv to co.
We are planning
- a golf day in the st. George area.
- Bryce canyon
- fly fishing excursion.
- likely moab or arches
-...
Anything else you folks would recommend?
I will be heading north from Cheyenne, and Fort Laramie National Historic Site. It looks like Gillette is a possible stopping point with plenty of hotel options (I'm not camping, please don't recommend it) before going to see Devils Tower. But DT is an hour's drive away from Gillette. That may be fine, but I thought I'd see if anyone knew of other options. In case it matters, after Devils Tower, I will be heading east through Spearfish and on to Rapid City.
Coming up from the south, is there a better option than Gillette for where to spend the night?
Side question: do you recommend Devils Tower in the morning or late afternoon?
Thanks!
Hi!
Im thinking on taking a little long weekend getaway in the Fall in Michigan and am looking for some great locations and ideas. I’m told Traverse City is nice? I would like somewhere along the lake(s), cute or nice fall activities including farmer markets/outdoor/attractions/bonfires/heated water, cider + wineries, etcetera. I would be coming from the Chicagoland area. Any suggestions or recommendations would be great!
I've spent the last handful of years building up an old station wagon specifically to be a fun way to road trip the 49 continental States in (a couple/few per year). It's nowhere near done, but mechanically I think it's finally ready for its maiden voyage, as I go to see my parents near where I grew up in Sioux Falls, at the end of September and into early October. My girlfriend also has friends to see in North Dakota, so it's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of.
Before I begin planning the more precise timing of the trip, where/when to sleep, etc, I'd like to double check with the community that I'm not leaving anything big off the table. Bonus points for car-related stuff, since I'm obviously an enthusiast there. I've also been gaining an interest in American history lately. My gf is big into marine biology and shares my interest in natural history. We've got a week to a week and a half to work with; I won't know if I got a couple bonus personal days off work for another couple weeks yet. Driving alone is basically two days, plus another two days if we average every stop out to an hour and a half; some will take far less, some more. Some of these sites may be cut if necessary for timing, but we'd prefer to make quick stops to at least see them. Free car camping as much as possible - big thanks to someone shouting out ioverlander.com/explore in another thread!
Starting from home in northern Colorado...
Going up the west side of Nebraska (more of the state to be revisited on a later trip):
- Scotts Bluff
- Chimney Rock
- Carhenge
- Agate Fossil Beds
- Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Bed
- Toadstool Geological Park
Into South Dakota, west-to-east:
- Wounded Knee
- Red Shirt Table Overlook
- The Mammoth Site
- Crazy Horse
- Needles Hwy (intentionally zig-zagging through the Black Hills for the good driving roads)
- Mt. Rushmore
- Peter Norbeck Scenic Bwy
- Rushmore Cave (or Wind Cave; probably don't need both, so is one clearly more interesting than the other?)
- Reptile Gardens
- President statues as we pass through Rapid City
- Saab museum in Sturgis (out of the way, but such an odd thing to expect in SD, and Saabs are cool; I have to see it)
- Wall Drug
- Badlands Loop
- 1880 Town
- ADDED: Dignity of Earth and Sky statue
- Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls (probably staying in town for a couple days)
- Butterfly House & Aquarium
- St Joseph Cathedral (might look into a mid-week mass just to see the interior, as it was remodeled since I moved to CO, then drive over that short stretch of cobblestone street nearby I remember loving as a kid)
- Old Courthouse Museum
- Falls Park
- Devil's Gulch
- ADDED: Laura Ingalls Wilder homes tour in De Smet
Up to North Dakota:
- Fargo (walk around down town or something...)
- Bismarck (again, probably just walk around for a bit to get a small feel for the place)
- Enchanted Highway
- Dakota Dinosaur Museum
- REMOVED: The Merc at Long X (interesting, but too far out of the way to be worth it; 3hrs round-trip drive, plus whatever time inside)
- Painted Canyon Rest Area
- Petrified Forest Trail
Down the eastern border of Montana:
Another state to be more thoroughly visited later. I'm not seeing much in this area on Google Maps, though I'm sure there will be plenty of scenic pull-offs along the way.
- St. Peter's Catholic church in Wibaux. Super cool looking "Gothic Revival" style from 1895, later completely covered in lava rock.
- Medicine Rocks State Park to get out of the car for a bit.
Wyoming:
Another state to revisit, but down the eastern border, trying to avoid most of I-25 since I've taken it all the way up to Casper before and it's boring:
- Devil's Tower
- Fort Laramie Historical Site
- ADDED: Register Cliff
- ADDED: Oregon Trail Ruts
- ADDED: Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility
And then back down to home in CO.
*EDIT - Well, it's a good thing I have reason to keep visiting SD, with my parents being out there. The worthwhile scenery in the parks around the Black Hills is more dense than I thought... probably should have expected that, given the Rockies near home. Thanks for the awesome recommendations so far, guys!
Full galleries here on Imgur:
[pt. 2](https://imgur.com/a/new-york-to-northernmost-point-of-contiguous-us-back-pt-2-kWO0NZ1) (Imgur glitched out on me and I had to do a second album for the last few pictures)
Even my "highlights reel" of this grand trip was apparently too many pictures for Reddit.
What an incredible trip, you see so much of the world from the road versus from the sky.
The NW Angle is my second extreme point of the contiguous US- I also visited Easternmost in Lubec, Maine, last summer. For those who don't know, the Southernmost is in Key West, FL, and the westernmost is at Cape Alava, Olympic Nat'l Park, WA. Hitting those 4 corners seems like a pretty easily attainable goal.
Ontario is so huge and so beautiful, I wish I could have spent more time. I absolutely adored the UP (all of Michigan, really, and it seems...kind of slept on? East coast/northeast destinations I've been to the last few summers like Maine (Acadia), New Hampshire (White Mountains), New York (Adirondacks), Virginia (Shenandoah) are mobbed by comparison. Felt like I could truly slow down mentally out by the Great Lakes.
I'm also dropping a comment below with more nuts and bolts details about the route and the trip, be sure to read that too if you want to hear more than just this simple recap!
Hello any advice appreciated, I am currently living in my car have been for a month, I am in Reno nv I’m looking to work a few more weeks get new tires new brakes and alignment done and head out to see every state and I want to DoorDash in each state to get a feel for it while making some money. (I have heard about tax issues but I don’t plan to make much in each state maybe a tank of gas and some coffee money)
If I leave at the start of September I will be ahead of my car payment so I have a few months to do this and circle back to get working again. I do want to spend October in the PNW though so I may leave the middle to end of September.
I would like to see the national parks but I’m worried about dog restrictions? Ran into that issue with some beaches out in bodega already
-I am 20 years old I drive a 2018 Toyota Corolla 137k miles
-I will be bringing my red heeler with me
-I took out my back seats and made a plywood bed
-I have triple A
- I have roadside assistance with my insurance company aswell
- also got extended warranty on the car with Route 66 Main Street plan
Denver airport - 14 Sep
Colorado Springs - 14 Sep, Garden of the Gods
Alamosa - 15 Sep, Pike Peaks - with train and Great Sand Dunes NP
Durango - 16 sep -- mesa verde NP
Ouray - 17 Sep: Ouray - Telluride for Gondola
Montrose - 18 sep BLACK canyon NP
Grand junction - 19 sep arches NP
Grand lake - 20 sep
Trail ridge road - rocky mountain NP - Denver airport - 21 sep - Cant Change
Denver Airport - Home - 22 Sep
Please give your suggestions - if anything needs to change RMNP and Alamosa already booked so i cant change it
Hi all,
I am flying from Vancouver, Canada to San Francisco for a road trip to Los Angeles. I want to ask if anyone is willing to join me and also which is the best one way rental car?
Also my itinerary is as below: Let me know if you have any suggestions in this
Sep 27
🌉 San Francisco
Arrival + Lombard + Cable Car + Pier 39
Sep 28
🌉 San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge + Palace of Fine Arts + Painted Ladies + Twin Peaks
Sep 29
🌉 San Francisco
Chinatown + North Beach + Marin Headlands + extra SF
Sep 30
🌊 Big Sur
Carmel → Point Lobos → Garrapata → Bixby → Big Sur
Oct 1
🌴 Los Angeles
McWay Falls → cliff views → Elephant Seals → Morro Bay → LA
Oct 2
🌴 Los Angeles
Hollywood Sign → Walk of Fame → Beverly Hills → Rodeo → Sunset Blvd → Santa Monica → Malibu
Oct 3
🌴 Los Angeles
Extra LA / Malibu / Venice / relaxed day
Oct 4
Fly back
✈️
Fly home
I was a first time campervan renter. My daughter and I were travelling cross country (San Francisco to Chicago) and I thought that it might be fun! I wasn't expecting inexpensive. I have rented things before, so I wasn't expecting perfect either. I WAS expecting functional.
First, when I arrived at the SF depot, they tried to flog a 6 person class C vehicle on me. Uhhhhh...nope. We had returned our car. We had campground reservations. We were stuck waiting as they scrambled. There were 2 other people at the depot who the workers were trying to talk out of the vehicles they had rented and into others. One was another Solis rental and the other was one of those jeeps with a tent on top. It took almost 2 hours to get us the right vehicle.
No one walked us through it. I think they just wanted us gone. They told me I couldn't take the vehicle unless I approved everything in the email. Sun was getting low. I pointed out a missing window cover and was told it was with the windshield covers above the driver cab. First time renter, not knowing what else to do, I did all of the approvals and tried to get to camp before sunset. Didn't quite make it.
Getting set up, I figured out why they rushed us. Every single door screen was broken. We had to buy binder clips the next day to hold both the side and back screen doors closed. The pop top? The real selling point of this trip? Someone had cut the entire front screen out and slashed the side screen.
There was no additional window cover above the cab as we had been told during our truncated walk-through.
The back table beneath the murphy bed? It was held on with gaffing tape and it came crashing down as we were driving.
When I went to empty the grey water tank the entire valve assembly fell off and ruined a pair of my shoes. At least the grey water tank was empty when I returned it!! Unfortunately, we could not use the shower or sinks for the rest of the trip.
The "Whatsapp" help we were promised was useless. It was AI. When I requested a real person, the person was able tonoffer me sympathy and nothing else. That was nice, but it did not keep the mosquitoes out of the camper.
This was all documented day by day for an 8 day trip. We paid over $4k for that shitshow. There were photos sent. A claim opened. An email chain that is now up to 15 or 16 emails.
They generously (/s) offered to refund me exactly $81.33.
So. Damn. Insulting.
I told them no because I would rather warn other consumers to avoid this crap company and their stooges. Their "settlement" wouldn't even cover a single day of the rental.
Camp in your car. Camp in a tent. Go to a cheap motel. Do not rent from this company.
So far I have put reviews on Yelp and Google. Lmk what other sites to hit up.
Happy travels.
I am more inclined to take the north route and spend less time in Missouri. If I did that I would be adding three hours by going North to Effigy Mounds NM and then back down to KC.
I(28M) currently work as a GC building apartments in Florida. I have decided after this project to quit, buy a pull behind camper, and take my dog and myself on an epic journey.
Plan is to start in Congaree and end in Hot Springs. I have already been to the 3 in Florida. Haven’t decided if I’ll hit those after Hot Springs or not. Really depends on the time of year I leave Hot Springs.
I’m also going to hit Niagara Falls and drive along the PCH.
I have no planned duration and my estimated start is April-May 2027.
I’m thinking I’ll spend roughly a week at each park.
Based on my route, does anyone have suggestions for places I should detour to? Open to anything really.
Also, any tips or wisdom to share for this extensive journey would be much appreciated.
Told myself if I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it. So I’m taking a leap and just doing it. Kind of scared because of the uncertainty of the future but I know I can always fall back and make good money with the career I’m in now.
Fucking excited though.