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Hollism

All-American road trip

By Hollism, in General Chat

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stripeyfox

stripeyfox

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Hollism said:

 

Oh absolutely. I didn't mean to post it here as if to say "Ha look at these pussies, I'll show them!" I asked on there because it will be populated with people who enjoy travelling enough to seek out a forum dedicated to discussing it.

 

I think the reply that made me realise how much I need to change it up was the one about European's assuming all cities are good just because they're cities. When I think of cities I think of places like London, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Vienna, Amsterdam, etc. I didn't realise it until I read that person's comment, but I naively assumed the likes of Salt Lake City and Dallas would have just as many things to see and do...

They may be great in their own right if you are staying in each one a few nights, but you're literally just driving in, grabbing some food, sleeping and then clearing off again

 

 

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MC Prussian

MC Prussian

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I did a US/Canada road trip in 2008/2009 - San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, back to Chicago, across Wyoming back down to Reno, then San Francisco again, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver (BC), then back down to San Francisco.

 

Loved every minute of it, being able to drive around freely, with those vast & everchanging landscapes around me, met some lovely and some rather weird people along the way (LA is full of cunning folks). Favorite part was seeing SF (road architecture on the way down to the bay - Bullitt-style), driving down Hwy 1 from SF to LA via Santa Barbara.

Santa Monica was lovely, the best part of the molokh that is LA.

 

Wouldn't recommend Chicago in winter lol, hardly anything compares to the ice-cold winds coming up from the lake.

 

PM me if you need any advice on that part of the world.

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Hollism

Hollism

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15 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

I did a US/Canada road trip in 2008/2009 - San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, back to Chicago, across Wyoming back down to Reno, then San Francisco again, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver (BC), then back down to San Francisco.

 

Loved every minute of it, being able to drive around freely, with those vast & everchanging landscapes around me, met some lovely and some rather weird people along the way (LA is full of cunning folks). Favorite part was seeing SF (road architecture on the way down to the bay - Bullitt-style), driving down Hwy 1 from SF to LA via Santa Barbara.

Santa Monica was lovely, the best part of the molokh that is LA.

 

Wouldn't recommend Chicago in winter lol, hardly anything compares to the ice-cold winds coming up from the lake.

 

PM me if you need any advice on that part of the world.

Thanks mate. How long did you take to do it?

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Jattdogg

Jattdogg

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Just make sure when you come into canada you dont have any illegal drugs or undeclared  fire arms or illegal aliens etc lol

 

If you are coming into canada with lots of cash just want to make sure you declare it. I know whenever i come back they always ask if you have over $10000 in total currency (gbp, usd, canadian etc) when converted to cdn dollars. Might get dinged for going over but ive never been in that situation. Who walks around with that much cash if you arent ballin' like drake making it rain over strippers large bootys?

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Posted
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I quite like watching freight hopping videos on YouTube (ie. climbing onto a freight train and travelling across the US and Canada). There's an English guy called Brave Dave who did it across Canada and an american guy called Stobe The Hobo who does it across the US. Interesting videos though I wouldn't do it myself. 

 

Brave Dave https://www.youtube.com/user/bravedaveempire/featured

Stobe The Hobo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4aku2ppFzy9Z3iwfVOAGTg

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Izzy

Izzy

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Me and the wife did a US West Coast road trip years ago before we had kids.

 

We drove down 'Big Sur' and took in the beautiful scenery - it was amazing.

 

Being a bit of a golf nerd, I got very excited about doing the 17 mile drive and stopping at the world famous Pebble Beach golf club to take a few pics, visit the pro shop and have a few drinks in the club house - a true 'once in a lifetime' experience for me.

 

As we got closer to the exit I asked the wife to get the camera and check we had enough film (no digital in them days - good old fashioned 35mm roll) only to discover we'd left the camera in San Francisco :@

 

Of course I blamed her and she blamed me and it resulted in a massive argument that carried on for ages. I was trying to look out for the Pebble Beach/17 mile drive exit but was distracted by the wife constantly gobbing off at me.

 

It eventually dawned on me that we'd missed the exit and it was too late to turn back as we had to check-in at another hotel.

 

So not only did I miss Pebble Beach and will probably never get the chance again, but we also lost all of our photo's of SF and the Golden Gate bridge/Alcatraz etc.

 

Apart from that it was a great trip.  

 

 

 

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stripeyfox

stripeyfox

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8 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Me and the wife did a US West Coast road trip years ago before we had kids.

 

We drove down 'Big Sur' and took in the beautiful scenery - it was amazing.

 

Being a bit of a golf nerd, I got very excited about doing the 17 mile drive and stopping at the world famous Pebble Beach golf club to take a few pics, visit the pro shop and have a few drinks in the club house - a true 'once in a lifetime' experience for me.

 

As we got closer to the exit I asked the wife to get the camera and check we had enough film (no digital in them days - good old fashioned 35mm roll) only to discover we'd left the camera in San Francisco :@

 

Of course I blamed her and she blamed me and it resulted in a massive argument that carried on for ages. I was trying to look out for the Pebble Beach/17 mile drive exit but was distracted by the wife constantly gobbing off at me.

 

It eventually dawned on me that we'd missed the exit and it was too late to turn back as we had to check-in at another hotel.

 

So not only did I miss Pebble Beach and will probably never get the chance again, but we also lost all of our photo's of SF and the Golden Gate bridge/Alcatraz etc.

 

Apart from that it was a great trip.  

 

 

 

 

I'd love to do this trip. We'd planned a couple of road trips but the kids came along and ruined our plans for that! Guess we'll have to wait a few years now until they are a bit older (so we can leave them at home!).

 

We also planned to fly to Calgary and drive across the Rockies to Vancouver. But even in two weeks, it's crazy driving distances if you want to see all the sights!

 

And although it's hardly the same thing we did the West Coast of Scotland about 15 years ago (not long after we'd been together - first holiday in fact) - just drove each day until we found somewhere to stop - huge variation in quality of accommodation (the best and worst hotels I've ever stayed in on consecutive nights!) but it was great.

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stripeyfox

stripeyfox

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Me and the wife did a US West Coast road trip years ago before we had kids.

 

We drove down 'Big Sur' and took in the beautiful scenery - it was amazing.

 

Being a bit of a golf nerd, I got very excited about doing the 17 mile drive and stopping at the world famous Pebble Beach golf club to take a few pics, visit the pro shop and have a few drinks in the club house - a true 'once in a lifetime' experience for me.

 

As we got closer to the exit I asked the wife to get the camera and check we had enough film (no digital in them days - good old fashioned 35mm roll) only to discover we'd left the camera in San Francisco :@

 

Of course I blamed her and she blamed me and it resulted in a massive argument that carried on for ages. I was trying to look out for the Pebble Beach/17 mile drive exit but was distracted by the wife constantly gobbing off at me.

 

It eventually dawned on me that we'd missed the exit and it was too late to turn back as we had to check-in at another hotel.

 

So not only did I miss Pebble Beach and will probably never get the chance again, but we also lost all of our photo's of SF and the Golden Gate bridge/Alcatraz etc.

 

Apart from that it was a great trip.  

 

 

 

You're supposed to leave your heart there, not your camera!

 

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stripeyfox

stripeyfox

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15 hours ago, Hollism said:

 

Oh absolutely. I didn't mean to post it here as if to say "Ha look at these pussies, I'll show them!" I asked on there because it will be populated with people who enjoy travelling enough to seek out a forum dedicated to discussing it.

 

I think the reply that made me realise how much I need to change it up was the one about European's assuming all cities are good just because they're cities. When I think of cities I think of places like London, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Vienna, Amsterdam, etc. I didn't realise it until I read that person's comment, but I naively assumed the likes of Salt Lake City and Dallas would have just as many things to see and do...

Seriously though mate, I'm not being all negative for the sake of it. I would absolutely love to do somthing like this, but I'm more of a country guy than a city guy so for me the National Parks would be what attracted me. Quite fancy the Pacific Northwest area, or maybe New Engand. The Rockies, Grand Canyon etc would be on my hit list. But everyone is different - but this is something you're probably only going to do once in a lifetime so you want to get it right. Look on Pinterest (I posted a link for American Road Trip Routes). Be sure about what you really want to get out of the experience and go for it. But have plenty of flexibility. No point in just going to Denver because it is "on the way" - maybe one of the smaller towns in Colorado would give you a better "feel" for the experience -for example:

 

http://www.colorado.com/articles/7-unforgettable-rv-parks-colorado

 

Good luck with is and keep us posted. For those of us stuck in boring jobs and restricted to holidays with the kids, it's a nice feeling to be a little bit involved in someone else's dream road trip!

 

 

https://uk.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=america road trip routes&eq=america road trip&etslf=8934&term_meta[]=america|autocomplete|undefined&term_meta[]=road|autocomplete|undefined&term_meta[]=trip|autocomplete|undefined&term_meta[]=routes|autocomplete|undefined

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FireFox

FireFox

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15 hours ago, MC Prussian said:

Wouldn't recommend Chicago in winter lol, hardly anything compares to the ice-cold winds coming up from the lake.

Wouldn't recommend half the country in winter. Especially for a road trip in which you'd end up waiting then driving through the aftermath of snow storms. Only Florida and the SW are probably decent in the winter. Maybe Colorado for skiing.

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MC Prussian

MC Prussian

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58 minutes ago, FireFox said:

Wouldn't recommend half the country in winter. Especially for a road trip in which you'd end up waiting then driving through the aftermath of snow storms. Only Florida and the SW are probably decent in the winter. Maybe Colorado for skiing.

Imagine my culture shock when I drove from Las Vegas to Denver in a day, turns out shorts aren't your best friends in Colorado in winter. :D

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Smudge

Smudge

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I don't think you'll be driving along the Big Sur in the near future. A landslide has wiped out a chunk.

 

I have driven from Virginia to Denver several times and it's a 3 day trip without any sightseeing. Once you cross the Mississippi, there's little to see until you reach the Rockies, even Eastern Colorado is boring. I also drove from Las Vegas to Virginia via Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana then due East. between the Rockies and the Alleghenies it's just a flat expanse of nothing. I would definitely split the country into separate trips trying to do it in one would be brutal, for me at least.

 

If I was planning that trip I absolutely wouldn't rent an RV. You can't use it as a runaround, they are expensive to rent and the fuel consumption is horrendous (8 mpg).

 

I'd stay in fairly inexpensive motel chains like Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden or Courtyard by Marriott. Stick with one chain, sign up with their membership program and you get frequent stay points which will give you free stays for the future. Also get a frequent flyer membership with the airline you will be using. Often they will be linked to one of the hotel chains and car rental companies. Finally get a credit card that is related to one of the hotel chains. I use IHG (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza etc.) from Chase, which increases your points. All three memberships plus the credit card will give some great rewards but think it through so you maximize your points. If you need any advice pm me.

 

 

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Izzy

Izzy

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Has anyone else been to LA and found it all to be a bit sort of 'underwhelming'?

 

I remember being really exited when we drove down there on our trip about 20 years ago, but when we arrived I found it all to be just a big sprawling mass of land with no real focal point.

 

Driving around Beverley Hills was O.K. but the rest was bang average I thought. Hollywood Boulevard was dirty and scummy to me and the traffic everywhere was just horrendous. The people seemed to be mainly posers and the smog was ridiculous.

 

If I ever did a US road trip again (which I probably won't) I don't reckon I'd do LA again. Vastly overrated IMO.

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stripeyfox

stripeyfox

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27 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Has anyone else been to LA and found it all to be a bit sort of 'underwhelming'?

 

I remember being really exited when we drove down there on our trip about 20 years ago, but when we arrived I found it all to be just a big sprawling mass of land with no real focal point.

 

Driving around Beverley Hills was O.K. but the rest was bang average I thought. Hollywood Boulevard was dirty and scummy to me and the traffic everywhere was just horrendous. The people seemed to be mainly posers and the smog was ridiculous.

 

If I ever did a US road trip again (which I probably won't) I don't reckon I'd do LA again. Vastly overrated IMO.

LA has no appeal to me. I'd more interested in going across the country, taking in some of the fabulous national parks and smaller towns.

 

 

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Posted
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59 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Has anyone else been to LA and found it all to be a bit sort of 'underwhelming'?

 

I remember being really exited when we drove down there on our trip about 20 years ago, but when we arrived I found it all to be just a big sprawling mass of land with no real focal point.

 

Driving around Beverley Hills was O.K. but the rest was bang average I thought. Hollywood Boulevard was dirty and scummy to me and the traffic everywhere was just horrendous. The people seemed to be mainly posers and the smog was ridiculous.

 

If I ever did a US road trip again (which I probably won't) I don't reckon I'd do LA again. Vastly overrated IMO.

I spent 4 days there when I was backpacking around the world back in my youth. Very overrated, smoggy and hot. I was in a hostel in West Hollywood, did a movie stars homes tour, went to the universal theme park, the chinese theatre in hollywood,,, that was me done so got on the train to San Diego... much nicer place.

 

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Legend_in_blue

Legend_in_blue

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In terms of time, 31 days to do the whole of the US?!?!

 

We spent 21 days on Route 66 alone and could have done with another week.  This included detours to the canyon and Vegas amongst others.

 

We also did the East coast of New England in 3 weeks and needed longer.

 

The US is huge.  There's no comparing it to here, distances are vast.  

 

I would plan a shorter trip and put the money on a decent hire car if there's only two of you.  You can't beat a Mustang convertible.  Pulled a few looks whilst we had it.  Fuel and hotels are dirt cheap.

 

 

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foxoffderby

foxoffderby

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4 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Has anyone else been to LA and found it all to be a bit sort of 'underwhelming'?

 

I remember being really exited when we drove down there on our trip about 20 years ago, but when we arrived I found it all to be just a big sprawling mass of land with no real focal point.

 

Driving around Beverley Hills was O.K. but the rest was bang average I thought. Hollywood Boulevard was dirty and scummy to me and the traffic everywhere was just horrendous. The people seemed to be mainly posers and the smog was ridiculous.

 

If I ever did a US road trip again (which I probably won't) I don't reckon I'd do LA again. Vastly overrated IMO.

Not been there, but I must be the only one who didn't enjoy New York. It stinks of raw sewage, garbage and has rats everywhere. The wife enjoyed it though. I found the locals overly opinionated and aggressive. Been to many other States and had a great time. Won't be going back to NYC.

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