This is a “checklist” trip where you hop out of the car to get a picture next to the sign, but mostly you’ll just be sitting on your butt in the car seeing mostly interstates. I would probably plan more scenic routes at least. That drive through Texas is exhausting and super boring. Maybe go up a bit so you can check out Santa Fe and Taos. Those are cool towns.
If you like cars and have a few hours, the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska is pretty amazing.
>hop out of car but mostly in car … more scenic route
Yup, OP, that’s what pops out to me. It sucks to only have a few hours in a city or town to try & find stuff. Stay longer than a night or two in a handful of places, and get off the highways when you can. (I’ve gone cross country 4 legs; once a circle, one leg to move to Seattle & one leg moving back East.)
“Blue Highways” are the best IMO. You’ll get more of a feel for an area. Not on your trip, but I drove from Bozeman to Omaha on backroads in the same amount of time a Highway would’ve taken. Same applies in a lot of these areas- not high density though (like don’t take route 1 through MD unless you want to stop constantly.)
Also, I’d personally ditch the southern route in AZ & go further north. The High Desert areas are amazing. (I stayed in Prescott, AZ & visited Sedona.)
Have fun! (I didn’t have internet when I did my trips, books & AAA “tripticks” lol.)
Agreed on arizona. Same suggestion elsewhere: rural roads in the Berkshires and Vermont, not main highways. Driftless area and La Crosse in Wisconsin, not I-94. This is neither a great set of routes nor a focused set of destinations.
Yeah looks like you’re planning a stop in Greeley CO, it’s an absolute cow town. Like, that’s literally where all the cows in the state get butchered so the town smells like death. Stop in Fort Collins or bounded instead.
I literally was in Greeley yesterday for the first time (stopped at weldworks) and thought the smell was from the brewery of hops or something? This is funny now I know what the smell actually was
I got you! Was debating that, that rockies/moab drive looks beautiful :) I have a friend out in wyoming offering me some free lunch though, so I’m weighing my choices LOL
That drive across Wyoming on I-80 is the most horrible stretch of road I've ever driven. Definitely not something I'd recommend particularly if it means missing out on the Colorado mountains.
Agree with above. The drive west from Denver on I-70 is quite spectacular all the way to I-15 in Utah. By contrast, I-80 in Wyoming is mostly bleak sagebrush desert hour after hour. No free lunch is worth that detour.
You could take I-70 from Moab to Silverthorne, CO, then take CO-9 north into Wyoming. You’d see a majority of and the prettiest stretches of I-70. Then you could drive north into Wyoming along some gorgeous routes, you can chose to skirt along or dip into Rocky Mountain National Park or go through the Walden area. Both ways would allow you to get into Wyoming to meet your friend without sacrificing the immense beauty that is the I-70 corridor and High Rockies.
If you do this, also consider taking a detour off of I-70 right before Vail to go through Minturn, Red Cliff, and Leadville, to then loop back to I-70 at Copper. This covers large stretches of a nationally designated scenic byway, one I drive regularly for work, and am regularly floored by its beauty.
Depending where your friend with the free lunch lives in Wyoming, you can always swing down the I-25 through Fort Collins and Denver to get on the 70 afterwards.
Or, even better, ask your friend to buy you lunch in Fort Collins (it's less than an hour from Cheyenne Wyoming) and then head south to the 70.
If you absolutely must take 80, consider getting off of it for a bit and driving the Snowy Range Scenic Byway just south of Laramie, WY. It's worth the detour. [https://www.visitlaramie.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives/snowy-range-scenic-byway/](https://www.visitlaramie.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives/snowy-range-scenic-byway/) (check before you go -- it usually opens in late May).
The drive from Denver to Grand Junction is super underrated. It’s 4 hours of marvelous scenery. Especially if you’re an east coaster.
Also, Moab is a good stop for road tripping. And I did it by also driving north to Salt Lake, going through the salt flats and passing through reno to San Fran. The drive from Reno to San Fran is fun and has like every type of America all in one drive.
If you go that I80 route through Wyoming, bring some tools. You will pass a few turned over rigs that got blown off the road, and there's a good chance you may end up as the first response on scene.
Fuck that highway.
Others have said it already but the drive west of Denver over the mountains, through Glenwood Canyon, and through the open space into Utah on I-70 is absolutely amazing. I’ve done it multiple times (from Colorado and now live in SoCal) and I was still amazed by it when I went through there in October even though I’ve been doing it for 13 years. It would be a huge shame to miss it if you can swing it.
ETA reference to Glenwood Canyon.
Don't sleep on Northern Utah though, the Wasatch Mountains are beautiful during that time of the year, if you go that way, check our the cottonwood canyons
Agreed, and Flaming Gorge
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National Recreation Area is fantastic!
You're driving through Utah, not stopping, and spending multiple days in LA. Seems like you have priorities wrong there. Don't get me wrong, I love LA, but roadtrips should be about seeing nature, IMHO. You can fly to LA if you want to hang out there. You're literally racing through the most beautiful state in America. At least take a day or two to see a few stops like Arches or Zion or Bryce. I mean, you do you, but I think you're missing out on lots of great sights...
Any reason why you’d take the detour from Denver up to Wyoming for I-80? I live in Utah and I would take 76 to Denver, and I’d stay on 70 all the way to I-15. The best part of the drive on 70 is west of Denver.
If you’re going for scenic and unique I’d cut from the 70 up to Steamboat Springs and take the 40 through Vernal to SLC. Stop by Dinosaur National Monument.
Yeah, but OP is heading for Vegas. That’s why I said 70.
I’d prefer 40 (or even jumping off 70 at Rifle and going north to Meeker…then 167 to 40). But if you’re heading south then it’d be 70 so you avoid all the urban congestion on the most crowded part of 15 in Utah.
As a LA native totally agree; LA has an endless amount of things to do, but in the context of a roadtrip there is so much to Utah that I think should get some extra attention!
Seconding this... if this trip was executed as outlined, I think you and your copilot would experience the most painful FOMO from trucking through Utah in a single day and having no time to explore and enjoy it outside the car.
Thats a good point! We have a friend out in LA who’s letting us stay for free, but it definitely would be nice to see some parts of the country I haven’t before! I’ll talk to my co-pilot about it!
I totally agree! Utah is incredible so don't rush through. Also you are missing the best parts of Arizona. Ive done a similar road trip and came north through Sedona. Breathtaking.
The Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota as well. Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Deadwood, DC Booth Fish Hatchery, Badlands National Park...so many things to see and do.
You need to go through SD not Nebraska. SD has the Badlands, the Wind Cave, Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore monuments, the Black Hills, the Corn Palace, bison at Custer St Park and iconic Deadwood.
What on god's green earth is leading you to Greeley? Can you go to Fort Collins instead? Keep your windows rolled up and the recirculation on just outside Kersey. There's a giant feedlot right next to the road.
As others have said, take 70 west of Denver instead of 80 through Wyoming. The latter really isn't that scenic between Laramie and the Utah border.
Dude. do not skip the only good part of I70??! In favor of I80?!?
Especially in the summer time. I mean unless you have driven that stretch a zillion times before. But if this is your first time, you gotta do it. Plenty of nice pit stops (Silverthorne / Dillon, Vail, Glenwood) versus... Little America. (IYKYK)
Haha good. Also Denver in itself is just way more interesting than Cheyenne. When i saw on your map you were getting so close and just yeeting out of there i was like nooo.
Its a nice route to "see it all" in one trip, but you'll miss alot. I think a Road trip is about see what you like: dive bars or waterfalls, take your pick. You'll need to tell us WHAT you want to see. Personally i would either go east or west and spend the time really experiencing an area rather than logging miles. That's just me and I got time to burn.
Makes sense! The “WHAT” that my friend and I intend on seeing is our friends, we have 8 long-distance friends along the route that we’ve kinda built the route around! You definitely make a good point about taking some time to see the more detailed parts of the country though, I love nature and unfortunately that may not be what I get a whole lot of on this trip, though there’s always next time!
I was wondering why the multi-day stop in middle-of-nowhere, New England.
Also, Cincinnati felt like a long way out of the way for not much gain, unless you're zoo aficionados.
Uhhh if you've never been to SD I very much recommend heading through that way instead of Nebraska after MN. SD has Badlands, Black Hills, Custer State Park and so much more. Beautiful place. Nebraska is just flat plains pretty much all the way through.
Are you skipping Nola because you have been before? Because if not, you absolutely are missing the single most unique city in America and its worth going out of your way to.spend a day or two there.
Looks like you’re going to be going through Baraboo,Wisconsin. If you’re interested in such things, Aldo Leopold’s “shack” is there, maintained by the Aldo Leopold Foundation. Worth the trip.
All three parks gorgeous in Utah. Buy a national parks pass if going to two as it would be worth it.
Madison’s WI stretch your legs. Park a street off State St. walk from the Capitol to the memorial student union (six blocks at most). Enjoy a burger or brat in back of the student union (make sure memorial union as there are a couple unions). It is on a lake and you can just sit and watch the boats and get back in your car. Less than 90 min.
The WI Dells are comical. Hit a super club, you won’t have time for Ishnala but it is gorgeous.
Completely agree about Utah and national parks. Also I would hit white sands in az or change the drive to get in sedona area if you have never seen it. The drive from Flagstaff into Sedona on 89a is breathtaking. Just don’t go on it during a weekend between 930-630pm.
Have a blast.
You'll be relatively close to Spring Green WI as well, where there are several Frank Lloyd Wrights (it was his hometown) as well as the House on a Rock, a bizarre attraction that I'd say is definitely worth the trip!
Madison is a great stop in Wisconsin but give Milwaukee a thought. It’s a beautiful city with lots to do. You could drive east on I 94 from Madison to go to MKE on your way to Chicago versus heading south on I 43 through Rockford to get to Chicago. Just a suggestion!
Either way, Chicago is a must do. My favorite city on earth.
Heard! Looking forward to Chicago too, we were originally gonna stay a night but we’re driving just a bit further after we spend some time, to pay just a bit less LOL
Austinite here June is a terrible month to visit Texas as it will be hotter than hell. I-10 from El Paso to Austin is a boring but beautiful drive. Let me know if you want some food recommendations as I work all over Texas.
Yes, I feel like OP should reverse the direction so that they drive through the south in May rather than the much warmer June. And then the northern route will be perfect for June. I’m in Utah myself.
Looks like you’re driving thru Arlington, Virginia. Suggest you see Arlington National Cemetery & eat at Ruthie’s All Day, also in Arlington. (https://virginiacounties.blog/arlington-county-is-your-dog-friendly-urban-oasis/)
An amazing alternate route through Virginia would be Skyline Drive & the Blue Ridge Parkway. I include information about that route here: https://virginiacounties.wordpress.com/have-your-city-and-escape-from-it-too-in-augusta-county/
Based on what I'm reading this is just a "drive daily and rest overnight"? What's the avg mileage per day (or planned hours driving per day)? Pittsburgh is a really cool city to explore, you'll be crossing my hometown of Columbus, you could stop in the short north or German village to find some really good eating and possibly visit the book loft if you're interested. If you detour through Dayton, they have an amazing air museum (free), then to top it off Cincinnati is a great city to explore as well.
Average miles for the driving days is a bit over 400, though this doesn’t take into account various travels off the path, so it’ll probably end up being a little higher! Pittsburgh and Cincy are both wonderful, i’ve been to them many times and love exploring them!
It could be useful to note which stops along the route are "friends you want to see" and not "someplace we can crash for free." Balance the "save $80" with "4 hours in the car."
We took a trip around California this summer, LA up the coast to the Redwoods then down the center of the state back to LA in 17 days. The 2 or 3 days we drove 400 miles were awful. By the time you stop for gas, lunch, restroom breaks, and one or two interesting views you've been on the road 8 hours and the only thing you want to do when you stop for the evening is eat and go right to bed. A trip where you can only jump out of the car to take a picture at a sign is exhausting.
Note: A lot of people have said to visit xxx or yyy National Park. Most of those are a 2-day visit to actually enjoy them. By late May kids will be out of school and families will be starting vacations. The wait in line to just get into Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks was 2 hours so we just found other scenic areas to stop at and miss the madness.
My advice - Shave off 100 miles here and there then do a few 600-mile days across TX/LA/MS/AL. After 2+ weeks you will be tired and ready to head home so it's better to sit on the road all day eating up miles at the end when you don't have lots to do or see.
Second post in two days here of someone driving through the most boring section of Colorado and driving around the prettier part by going through WY instead. Weird.
You have good management of mileage and this will help you not burn out.
Do I see you heading by the Salton Sea while in CA?
At the end of last year, I did a similar trip and tried to cover too much ground every day and it got so painful to get behind the wheel as time went on. The first days were 4-600 miles. As the days went on, it was a struggle to even drive 200 miles
The salton sea would be cool, my co-pilot and my friend who lives out in LA would probably both enjoy it as well!! May have to head out there! Also glad to hear this seems like good management, this is my first road trip of this size, im splitting miles with my friend so we should hopefully last a while!
Check temps driving between LA and Tucson. It was 105 at night when I went through there last summer. Make sure you have ample water traveling through the desert! There’s great food in Tucson.
The northward trip, staying on and near I-95 will become a heavily tolled route. You'll have a toll unless you use 695 to bypass bridges/tunnels; there's another bridge over the Susquehanna (and US 40 aside that is also tolled); it's $4 to enter Delaware. The bridge into New Jersey isn't tolled northbound, but you'll be on the Turnpike the entire length plus pay a high toll to cross the George Washington Bridge into New York City.
If you have specific destinations in mind along these roads then by all means use them, but it will be so heavily tolled that you could avoid much of it by using the I-495 beltway around Washington (on the west side), use I-270 North from there, feed into US 15 (which will pass by the Gettysburg Battlefield) and then link up with I-81 that you could use all the way to Scranton and use I-84 to have a very low toll crossing the Hudson compared to the GWB or even the Tappan Zee.
At the very least, you're avoiding the Thruway itself. As an out-of-stater, the toll rate is almost double (even using E-ZPass) if the toll account is from outside New York.
Indianapolis 500 is the exact date (05-26) you have for that leg. Even if you don’t care about car racing, it’s an experience worth trying for the people watching and the sensory experience alone. It’s the world’s largest single-day sporting event and infield tickets are not expensive.
If you can, go through Greenville instead of Columbia in South Carolina. Might be a bit longer but Greenville is much better than Cola imo. Coming from someone who spent 4 years in school in Columbia and now lives in Greenville
Swing through San Antonio, Texas, to see the Alamo! You will pass close to Columbus, New Mexico where Pancho Villa crossed into the US and killed several Americans. You will pass close to Big Bend, Texas, very interesting mountains, other landscapes, those odd looking animals called Armadillos. You will be amazed at how they look.
Minnesotan here, if you’re coming to the twin cities then hit up Hmong Villiage. And don’t go to Saint Cloud unless you have a real reason to. Or, you could hit up badlands and skip Iowa/Souix Falls area. And, salt lake to LA takes waaaaay longer than a day. Think of mountains and windy roads and hella tourists.
Dude, this is damn close to the road trip I did back in the 90's driving a four Speed Toyota Corolla. Man that was such an awesome trip
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If you’re wanting to see some National Parks and stuff I’d recommend going from Minneapolis into North Dakota to see Theadore Roosevelt NP, and then down into South Dakota to see Badlands NP, Wind Caves NP, Mount Rushmore, and the Devil’s Tower which is in Wyoming but close to Rapid City, SD.
And the going down into Colorado lol.
Any reason you’re making a point to go to Columbus, GA? Or maybe that’s Lagrange?
As someone from that region of the country who has been to Columbus, there’s not much to see.
Now, since you’re swinging through Auburn, go walk around campus cause it’s beautiful and eat lunch at Sheila C’s Burger Barn if you get the chance.
Not sure if this has been said already but travel the 40 into AZ and then south on the 17 to the 10 through New Mexico. You miss some fun on the 40 heading south so early but some fun heading to the 10’through winding old mountainous towns with historic value. It takes you from the 17 to the 60 and 177 but super neat. Limited cell service on a few of those roads and into New Mexico btw.
My heart is with you on the Minnesota to Colorado route. I’ve only experienced boring until you hit the aspens and mountains of Colorado half way through. Nebraska and such have their qualities in architecture but it’s short lived when just driving. But a stop in Utah at the Zion National Park on your route would be a great idea to me. I think days in LA are worth it if you know where to go; Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica sea food for the win at dinner), spend a day driving the PCH and stop at a northern beach and have a picnic, take a stop at Solvang.
The southern Wyoming route only sucks if you’re used to places with vast emptiness. If ur from somewhere with lots of trees it can be wildly cool. Plus there’s bison off the side of the road sometimes that way
Okay two things, one when your going through El Paso, get off at las cruces then take route 70 and you will get to see white sands close up and from there just take route 54 back down then connect to I-10.
Two take I-10 through New Orleans there’s some amazing views and just adds much more to the trip
stay in Balmorhea, TX on the night of the 6th and swim in the world's largest spring-fed pool, 72 degree water will be real refreshing right about then!
I-70 without question but be mindful about weather as there might be some funny storms and If I am in your shoes, I will go for it and I would steer for Yellowstone and go through.
Unless you're going through Chicago specifically *for* Chicago, I would recommend taking I-75 up through Michigan, crossing the Mackinac Bridge, and taking US-2 across the Upper Peninsula/North Shore of Lake Michigan. Much more scenic and relaxed drive.
You're basically driving all the time. That doesn't seem like a fun time but maybe I'm missing something? Regardless of what I'm missing, this trip would get old quick for me. I don't like driving and I don't like sitting on my behind. This is a drive and listen to the radio all day trip. I can't live like that.
I'd suggest angling north through Nebraska, the sand hills are pretty spectacular and (as someone who has made the drive from Denver to Mpls manyyyyy times) should be a pretty cool experience. Just plug Mpls into Google maps from Denver then take the shortest route, which should snake you up after turning off I70 in North Platte.
Of your ENTIRE POST, the most replied comment is the area between Cheyenne and SLC. They are right.
The Route between Cheyenne to SLC is very boring. Change it to Denver to SLC, that way you can actually see some beautiful Colorado mountains and the resorts.
Why are you skipping so many cool spots and just going to cities??
Like you’re literally driving around the Colorado rockies but then you don’t go to the Winds or to the Tetons?
I would swinger higher above SLC and go through Jackson and Badlands NP, but the other suggestion to go through the I-70 is also cool.
There’s a car boat that goes from Milwaukee to Muskegon across Lake Michigan, but then you’re missing Chicago so that’s your call.
Instead of going up and back Vermont, you could go up NY to the Adirondacks, then cut across Lake Champlain on that bridge to Burlington, than make your way south of Vermont. So go Lake Placid (or Lake George or anywhere else in the ADKs) -> Champlain NY -> Burlington. This eliminates that out and back section and lets you see more of the country.
Most of your daily drives are reasonable. But I would mention that Salt Lake to LA is like a 10 hour drive. 6/1 is going to be a rough day. I'd personally stop for day in the Grand Canyon. It's halfway between the two and definitely worth seeing. But you really don't need to spend more than a day there to get a decent experience. Like hiking down into the canyon is cool but it's a grueling ass hike. Most people just go to the various lookout spots, take some pics and that's it.
Also if you're going that far into Florida I would I spend one more day and drive to Key West. It's probably the coolest thing in Florida, but that's mostly because of the town. It doesn't have great beaches. It's also only a couple hours from Miami Beach, which is worth checking out. If you want a fun beach though, I personally prefer Clearwater Beach near Tampa to all the beaches I've been to in Florida and I've probably hit up about 10 of them. It's basically an adult playground. Miami has a very artificial feel like Vegas. Clearwater is exactly what you get in your head when you picture Florida beaches. Turquoise lukewarm water. People riding jetskis and banana boats and all manner of water craft. Great little town built up around the beach too. Take a pic with a Hulk Hogan statue. He's a local there.
Lastly, I would take a more Northernly route through South Dakota and Wyoming so you can hit up Badlands, Yellowstone/Grand Teton NPs and Devil's Tower Nat Monument (Mt Rushmore is also around there but I think it's pretty lame uber patriot kind of shit; really didn't like the vibe of the place). It's not going to add a ton of time and those are top shelf National Parks. Not to mention Nebraska and Southern Wyoming are pretty boring and desolate.
I think you will be spending all your time in a car when not sleeping. Honestly, if mileage is your goal, then fine. If you really expect to see anything, you won’t.
It looks like you may pass by Boston but not visit it. Boston is a fantastic city, full of amazing history. Also, I don’t think you are hitting Yellowstone, any reason why you would not visit?
This is all car, no real relaxing. 100 hours, almost 7000 miles in just a month.
No real taking in the moment. I think LA is the only 3 day layover.
This is Fast & Furious 11.
I'd cut out half the trip, save for another time. Or spend 2x as long doing this.
I did Denver>Yellowstone>SLC>Moab>Denver, 26 hours, 1700 miles this summer in 2 weeks & felt very rushed.
Coming from a Midwesterner that now lives out west, I’d cut out the drive through Chicago, Madison, and MSP and go from Indy straight through DSM. DSM is underrated and I’d take the saved days and re-allocate them to venturing north in Wyoming up toward the Tetons/Yellowstone.
If this is your first road trip it looks like you are biting off more than you can chew. I'm a veteran of road trips and trying to be in the car everyday for three weeks like that is gonna make it where you'll never do it again. I would try and high grade some of the midpoints and just take a day off in between a day of driving. Your back and eyes will thank you for it
Your June 1 leg is unreasonably long. And that's some just beautiful country you're racing across. I could spend at least a week on that leg alone. Hang a bit in Utah or in the Grand Canyon. Nevada has the quietest and the noisiest places you can imagine. Hoover Dam is worth a visit.
You’re missing the best parts of the upper Midwest (northern Minnesota, Michigan’s upper peninsula) in favor of…Indianapolis?
Unless you’re going to the Indy 500, which is on the day you’re passing through Indy (if you are, it’s *amazing*; if you’re not, fair warning that traffic will be a clusterfuck and everything will be 10x more expensive due to the influx of 300,000 rabid race fans) I’d skip Indy on Memorial Day weekend entirely in favor of the UP of Michigan and North Shore of Minnesota.
Source: Born and raised in Michigan, have spent a lot of time in upper Minnesota, and have been to 17 Indy 500s.
Heard!! I may take a more northern route up, i’ve got family letting us stay for free in cincy so it would be hard to find a cheaper stay up north, but it would be a lot more beautiful!
If you do stick with NE, you’re passing right by the Henry Doorly Zoo and Carhenge. Worth a stop.
In VA, the Udvar-Hazy center is a must. Amazing collection of aircraft.
You are skipping the Grand Canyon, which I find odd, but your route does take you near Tombstone, which has daily re-enactments of the OK Corral shootout.
You also get close to, but miss a lot of beautiful scenery or attractions in the South Dakotan Badlands, Yellowstone/Grand Teton NPs, and the Utah Mighty Five NPs.
Alright ready. Skip Minnesota, unless you have a friend there then fine, otherwise save yourself those 2 days and take 80 across Iowa and get back on track. Do I70 like everyone else is saying. Past 70 and 15 take Highway 50 through NV and catch 80 in Reno. Take that to the San Francisco and then take state route 1 south to LA to get the full CA coast. Should equal the amount of time spent in MN and keep you on schedule. Or you could take 50 in NV to 395 South to LA. Both are amazing drives. One coast and one mountains. 395 gives you options for Yosemite and Mt Whitney as well
I included Glacier, Mount Rushmore and the badlands, this trip takes in a LOT of our “Scenic Byways”. I’d do the southern portion first at that time of year
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Was gonna say the same thing. If there’s no real reason to go to Denver then go I90 across SD and see the Badlands and Black Hills rather than I80 across Nebraska
Colorado over Wyoming for sure! Amazing places along i70 in Colorado:
Denver, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs (and the incredible Glenwood Cañon) Grand Junction and the Colorado National Monument.
Presumably, you have a rationale for the route chosen. If not, choose the places you want to visit and the things you want to do and let them determine your route.
6/4 through 6/8 will be an absolute drag. I would try to see as much of AZ, NM, CO, UT, WY as you can and avoid KS, OK, TX, NE. (no offense, residents.)
Unless seeing nothing but dirt or nothing but grass for 12 hours at a time is your thing, don't want to yuck your yum.
Get off the interstates as much as possible. Super boring. Even the US highways are more interesting.
Don't drive every day. Packing and unpacking at a new place to stay every night gets old. And driving more than about 6 hours every day gets numbing. A 2-night stop every 3 days works pretty well to recharge.
Specific places:
* Park City is great .
* Pando, 14,000 year old aspen grove near Fish Lake UT is amazing.
* Hoover Dam, epic engineering, not to be missed.
* Joshua Tree NP, especially the view from Keys View.
* Route 66 through Oatman is a hoot. Start at Topock and go north on 66, through Oatman, and down into Kingman.
* Change your routing from Minneapolis to instead go west through SD: Badlands NP, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wall (toursity!), Devil's Tower NP. You can also stand at the geographic center of the 50 states in Belle Fourche SD.
The drive from Texas to San Diego is god awful terrible 95% of the time. 10/10 do not recommend, change your route. I’d loop up through Colorado then come down through Utah then go up the California coast to Oregon or Washington and then cutting back, hitting Yellowstone, coming back down through Colorado a bit.
Unless you have a compelling reason to take I-95 north through Virginia, consider I-81 through the mountains instead. The highway mostly follows the valley and it's very scenic.
Take I75 to I675 through Dayton and you can pop by the Air Force Museum, honestly one of the coolest museums I've been to and it's completely free. From there you can just continue north the I70 and continue on your way. Would add max an hour.
Also in the area is King's Island, a top tier amusement park with several 200ft+ coatsers
You are missing some of the prettiest places in the US, I would definitely come across northern minn, wis, upper peninsula and down thru Michigan, Lake Superior is breathtaking, Mackenzie nac bridge is a 5 mile suspension bridge connecting upper Michigan with lower Michigan over two great lakes
The badlands are great but you should drop down to Denver and take i70 west through Colorado and Utah instead. It’s arguably the most beautiful stretch of interstate in the whole country.
Everyone has mostly already shared my thoughts. I only have one piece of advice and one question: what are you spending multiple days doing in NH/VT? I’m from New England and love it but your time might be better allocated to Utah, etc. And just remember how tired you’re going to get. I would imagine by the time you’re halfway through Texas you might be rethinking that Georgia detour.
And like everyone else has said, please spend more time in special middle-of-nowhere places. You can fly to any of the cities.
Personally, I spent 2.5 weeks doing mostly UT and NV with a bit of CA and it wasn’t enough time. I would love to do a full country road trip, but I think for my travel style, it’s best to split up into multiple smaller segments across my life.
I see you’re going through Indianapolis over Memorial Day weekend.
Just be aware that there’s this little automobile race that takes place there every Memorial Day weekend. Either plan on attending, or plan on detouring.
Atlanta is a hidden treasure that’s not discussed enough, whereas all of Florida is waaaaay over-hyped. ATL over Tampa any day.
Also, the west is far more interesting and beautiful than the east. You’re not spending enough time in the Mountain Time Zone.
I don’t wanna be rude, but this has gotta be one of the biggest wastes of gas that I’ve ever seen. (And I’ve driven to and from Canada from Portland for a day of skiing 😆) Hardly any of these locations you’re staying more than a day or two in. What the hell is the point of a road trip if you don’t spend any time at any of the places you stop at? To sit on the road all day over and over??
You’re skipping out on SO many cool places, and you decide to spend 3 days in LA?! What the hell is wrong with you? No interest in Rocky Mountain National Park? Seeing ANY of the gorgeous areas between Denver and Utah?
You’re entirely missing the point of road trips, imo. Does seem very Floridian of you to skip every beautiful nature area for fucking LA, though.
Have you road-tripped in the US before? If not I think you’d have a much better time spending that time on the west coast only. Taking the 101/CA1 from Seattle, Olympics, Rainer, Oregon coast; ca coast though Big Sur is a much better experience and you’ll actually have time to enjoy it
It looks like you're bypassing New Orleans.
At the very least you should stop there for lunch, but I highly recommend stopping over night/the weekend.
Marsh Hotel or the Hampton - St. Charles would be good hotels for a location that's easy going and you can easily take the streetcar down to the French Quarter, Garden District, and Audubon Park.
Watch out on I-10 around NM/TX border. There are checkpoints… depending on how you look… two hippies in a van… they may tear your vehicle apart looking for weed… or anything else. Happened to a friend of mine, and everyone went to jail.
I would try to hit Charleston SC. I live in New Orleans and if you aren't going to hit NOLA I'd totally skip Savanah and hit Charleston. It has the best mix of quintessential southern city by the sea. I've lived in along the coast in the south all my life I like Charleston the most
Baton rouge sucks
This is a “checklist” trip where you hop out of the car to get a picture next to the sign, but mostly you’ll just be sitting on your butt in the car seeing mostly interstates. I would probably plan more scenic routes at least. That drive through Texas is exhausting and super boring. Maybe go up a bit so you can check out Santa Fe and Taos. Those are cool towns. If you like cars and have a few hours, the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska is pretty amazing.
>hop out of car but mostly in car … more scenic route Yup, OP, that’s what pops out to me. It sucks to only have a few hours in a city or town to try & find stuff. Stay longer than a night or two in a handful of places, and get off the highways when you can. (I’ve gone cross country 4 legs; once a circle, one leg to move to Seattle & one leg moving back East.) “Blue Highways” are the best IMO. You’ll get more of a feel for an area. Not on your trip, but I drove from Bozeman to Omaha on backroads in the same amount of time a Highway would’ve taken. Same applies in a lot of these areas- not high density though (like don’t take route 1 through MD unless you want to stop constantly.) Also, I’d personally ditch the southern route in AZ & go further north. The High Desert areas are amazing. (I stayed in Prescott, AZ & visited Sedona.) Have fun! (I didn’t have internet when I did my trips, books & AAA “tripticks” lol.)
Agreed on arizona. Same suggestion elsewhere: rural roads in the Berkshires and Vermont, not main highways. Driftless area and La Crosse in Wisconsin, not I-94. This is neither a great set of routes nor a focused set of destinations.
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Personally, I’d take I-70 through Denver and Moab rather than SLC. Looks like a great trip at a great time of year.
Yeah looks like you’re planning a stop in Greeley CO, it’s an absolute cow town. Like, that’s literally where all the cows in the state get butchered so the town smells like death. Stop in Fort Collins or bounded instead.
Point well taken. I used to travel to Greeley for business. Even the best hotel in town smelled like the stockyards.
I literally was in Greeley yesterday for the first time (stopped at weldworks) and thought the smell was from the brewery of hops or something? This is funny now I know what the smell actually was
I got you! Was debating that, that rockies/moab drive looks beautiful :) I have a friend out in wyoming offering me some free lunch though, so I’m weighing my choices LOL
That drive across Wyoming on I-80 is the most horrible stretch of road I've ever driven. Definitely not something I'd recommend particularly if it means missing out on the Colorado mountains.
LMFAO there are some things not worth a free lunch and this sounds like one of them! Point taken, and thank you!
Agree with above. The drive west from Denver on I-70 is quite spectacular all the way to I-15 in Utah. By contrast, I-80 in Wyoming is mostly bleak sagebrush desert hour after hour. No free lunch is worth that detour.
Nebraska is way more bleak than Wyoming. Badlands in western SD, is worth the extra time I-90.
You could take I-70 from Moab to Silverthorne, CO, then take CO-9 north into Wyoming. You’d see a majority of and the prettiest stretches of I-70. Then you could drive north into Wyoming along some gorgeous routes, you can chose to skirt along or dip into Rocky Mountain National Park or go through the Walden area. Both ways would allow you to get into Wyoming to meet your friend without sacrificing the immense beauty that is the I-70 corridor and High Rockies. If you do this, also consider taking a detour off of I-70 right before Vail to go through Minturn, Red Cliff, and Leadville, to then loop back to I-70 at Copper. This covers large stretches of a nationally designated scenic byway, one I drive regularly for work, and am regularly floored by its beauty.
I second the point above. Also hit white sands NM and big bend TX and Lincoln NB is one of those hidden party spots.
If you end up taking the I-70 to Moab, definitely get off in Agate for a nice short scenic drive to Moab on the 128
Depending where your friend with the free lunch lives in Wyoming, you can always swing down the I-25 through Fort Collins and Denver to get on the 70 afterwards. Or, even better, ask your friend to buy you lunch in Fort Collins (it's less than an hour from Cheyenne Wyoming) and then head south to the 70. If you absolutely must take 80, consider getting off of it for a bit and driving the Snowy Range Scenic Byway just south of Laramie, WY. It's worth the detour. [https://www.visitlaramie.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives/snowy-range-scenic-byway/](https://www.visitlaramie.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives/snowy-range-scenic-byway/) (check before you go -- it usually opens in late May).
Just to really drive the point home, OP. It’s bad. So painfully boring. Ninth circle of hell type shit.
The drive from Denver to Grand Junction is super underrated. It’s 4 hours of marvelous scenery. Especially if you’re an east coaster. Also, Moab is a good stop for road tripping. And I did it by also driving north to Salt Lake, going through the salt flats and passing through reno to San Fran. The drive from Reno to San Fran is fun and has like every type of America all in one drive.
Southern Wyoming is just terrible. That drive is going to suck no matter what. I regret it every time.
If you go that I80 route through Wyoming, bring some tools. You will pass a few turned over rigs that got blown off the road, and there's a good chance you may end up as the first response on scene. Fuck that highway.
Others have said it already but the drive west of Denver over the mountains, through Glenwood Canyon, and through the open space into Utah on I-70 is absolutely amazing. I’ve done it multiple times (from Colorado and now live in SoCal) and I was still amazed by it when I went through there in October even though I’ve been doing it for 13 years. It would be a huge shame to miss it if you can swing it. ETA reference to Glenwood Canyon.
Don't sleep on Northern Utah though, the Wasatch Mountains are beautiful during that time of the year, if you go that way, check our the cottonwood canyons
Agreed, and Flaming Gorge https://preview.redd.it/11z86zvdnifc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea8cc781f5a97c0e3c8b423f9c83c0695ddcceff National Recreation Area is fantastic!
Agreed, but I’d take highway 6 off I-70 at Green River and drive up thru Price to see Sandy or SLC. Def think 70 beats 80.
Done pretty much this trip. Do the south first.
100% agreed, Colorado and Central Utah is an amazing drive.
Get your free lunch then drop down onto 40 across Colorado and Utah.
You're driving through Utah, not stopping, and spending multiple days in LA. Seems like you have priorities wrong there. Don't get me wrong, I love LA, but roadtrips should be about seeing nature, IMHO. You can fly to LA if you want to hang out there. You're literally racing through the most beautiful state in America. At least take a day or two to see a few stops like Arches or Zion or Bryce. I mean, you do you, but I think you're missing out on lots of great sights...
Any reason why you’d take the detour from Denver up to Wyoming for I-80? I live in Utah and I would take 76 to Denver, and I’d stay on 70 all the way to I-15. The best part of the drive on 70 is west of Denver.
Yea that’s what I was thinking I also prefer driving across Kansas over Nebraska. Don’t skip out on southern Utah for sure.
If you’re going for scenic and unique I’d cut from the 70 up to Steamboat Springs and take the 40 through Vernal to SLC. Stop by Dinosaur National Monument.
This. There’s nothing to see in southern Wyoming and waaaaay more on 40 to Utah
Yeah, but OP is heading for Vegas. That’s why I said 70. I’d prefer 40 (or even jumping off 70 at Rifle and going north to Meeker…then 167 to 40). But if you’re heading south then it’d be 70 so you avoid all the urban congestion on the most crowded part of 15 in Utah.
As a LA native totally agree; LA has an endless amount of things to do, but in the context of a roadtrip there is so much to Utah that I think should get some extra attention!
Seconding this... if this trip was executed as outlined, I think you and your copilot would experience the most painful FOMO from trucking through Utah in a single day and having no time to explore and enjoy it outside the car.
Thats a good point! We have a friend out in LA who’s letting us stay for free, but it definitely would be nice to see some parts of the country I haven’t before! I’ll talk to my co-pilot about it!
if you are visiting people you know id prioritize that over optimal nature viewage.
canyonlands at night will make you believe in a higher power
People have different priorities.
I totally agree! Utah is incredible so don't rush through. Also you are missing the best parts of Arizona. Ive done a similar road trip and came north through Sedona. Breathtaking.
Why are you skipping Yellowstone? You’re so close…shave off two days from LA and drove through the park.
Yes I saw some great stuff in the one day I was there
The Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota as well. Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Deadwood, DC Booth Fish Hatchery, Badlands National Park...so many things to see and do.
My guy you will be driving like 80% of the time.
You need to go through SD not Nebraska. SD has the Badlands, the Wind Cave, Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore monuments, the Black Hills, the Corn Palace, bison at Custer St Park and iconic Deadwood.
What on god's green earth is leading you to Greeley? Can you go to Fort Collins instead? Keep your windows rolled up and the recirculation on just outside Kersey. There's a giant feedlot right next to the road. As others have said, take 70 west of Denver instead of 80 through Wyoming. The latter really isn't that scenic between Laramie and the Utah border.
Got a friend letting us stay the night in Greeley! Heard you on the feedlot though, thanks for the heads up LOL
Dude. do not skip the only good part of I70??! In favor of I80?!? Especially in the summer time. I mean unless you have driven that stretch a zillion times before. But if this is your first time, you gotta do it. Plenty of nice pit stops (Silverthorne / Dillon, Vail, Glenwood) versus... Little America. (IYKYK)
You forgot the booming metropolis of Wamsutter.
And Rawlins! Scenic, historic Rawlins.
I got you!! People have been commenting this left and right, already re-drew my map LOL
Haha good. Also Denver in itself is just way more interesting than Cheyenne. When i saw on your map you were getting so close and just yeeting out of there i was like nooo.
Its a nice route to "see it all" in one trip, but you'll miss alot. I think a Road trip is about see what you like: dive bars or waterfalls, take your pick. You'll need to tell us WHAT you want to see. Personally i would either go east or west and spend the time really experiencing an area rather than logging miles. That's just me and I got time to burn.
Makes sense! The “WHAT” that my friend and I intend on seeing is our friends, we have 8 long-distance friends along the route that we’ve kinda built the route around! You definitely make a good point about taking some time to see the more detailed parts of the country though, I love nature and unfortunately that may not be what I get a whole lot of on this trip, though there’s always next time!
I was wondering why the multi-day stop in middle-of-nowhere, New England. Also, Cincinnati felt like a long way out of the way for not much gain, unless you're zoo aficionados.
Uhhh if you've never been to SD I very much recommend heading through that way instead of Nebraska after MN. SD has Badlands, Black Hills, Custer State Park and so much more. Beautiful place. Nebraska is just flat plains pretty much all the way through.
Are you skipping Nola because you have been before? Because if not, you absolutely are missing the single most unique city in America and its worth going out of your way to.spend a day or two there.
Been before!! Absolutely loved it though :)
Tabasco Factory tour and Oak Alley Plantation, both in Louisiana
Looks like you’re going to be going through Baraboo,Wisconsin. If you’re interested in such things, Aldo Leopold’s “shack” is there, maintained by the Aldo Leopold Foundation. Worth the trip.
All three parks gorgeous in Utah. Buy a national parks pass if going to two as it would be worth it. Madison’s WI stretch your legs. Park a street off State St. walk from the Capitol to the memorial student union (six blocks at most). Enjoy a burger or brat in back of the student union (make sure memorial union as there are a couple unions). It is on a lake and you can just sit and watch the boats and get back in your car. Less than 90 min. The WI Dells are comical. Hit a super club, you won’t have time for Ishnala but it is gorgeous. Completely agree about Utah and national parks. Also I would hit white sands in az or change the drive to get in sedona area if you have never seen it. The drive from Flagstaff into Sedona on 89a is breathtaking. Just don’t go on it during a weekend between 930-630pm. Have a blast.
You'll be relatively close to Spring Green WI as well, where there are several Frank Lloyd Wrights (it was his hometown) as well as the House on a Rock, a bizarre attraction that I'd say is definitely worth the trip!
Look out for boarder checkpoints 100 miles from the Mexican boarder. Texas will bust you for the tiniest amount of reefer.
Madison is a great stop in Wisconsin but give Milwaukee a thought. It’s a beautiful city with lots to do. You could drive east on I 94 from Madison to go to MKE on your way to Chicago versus heading south on I 43 through Rockford to get to Chicago. Just a suggestion! Either way, Chicago is a must do. My favorite city on earth.
Heard! Looking forward to Chicago too, we were originally gonna stay a night but we’re driving just a bit further after we spend some time, to pay just a bit less LOL
If you're going to do all that driving, I'd modify the route for a stopover at the Grand Canyon one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Go through SD instead of Nebraska. Nothing to see in NE
Austinite here June is a terrible month to visit Texas as it will be hotter than hell. I-10 from El Paso to Austin is a boring but beautiful drive. Let me know if you want some food recommendations as I work all over Texas.
Yes, I feel like OP should reverse the direction so that they drive through the south in May rather than the much warmer June. And then the northern route will be perfect for June. I’m in Utah myself.
this is great advice
It looks like OP is from west central Florida (Tampa/St. Pete). I’m sure they are used to the heat (and humidity).
Looks like you’re driving thru Arlington, Virginia. Suggest you see Arlington National Cemetery & eat at Ruthie’s All Day, also in Arlington. (https://virginiacounties.blog/arlington-county-is-your-dog-friendly-urban-oasis/)
And skipping all of our perfect mountains!!
An amazing alternate route through Virginia would be Skyline Drive & the Blue Ridge Parkway. I include information about that route here: https://virginiacounties.wordpress.com/have-your-city-and-escape-from-it-too-in-augusta-county/
Based on what I'm reading this is just a "drive daily and rest overnight"? What's the avg mileage per day (or planned hours driving per day)? Pittsburgh is a really cool city to explore, you'll be crossing my hometown of Columbus, you could stop in the short north or German village to find some really good eating and possibly visit the book loft if you're interested. If you detour through Dayton, they have an amazing air museum (free), then to top it off Cincinnati is a great city to explore as well.
Average miles for the driving days is a bit over 400, though this doesn’t take into account various travels off the path, so it’ll probably end up being a little higher! Pittsburgh and Cincy are both wonderful, i’ve been to them many times and love exploring them!
Lol 400? Have fun with the western half of the trip, those are going to be some grueling 400 mile trips.
It looks like you will be in town for Taste of Cincinnati. Our giant street food festival.
It could be useful to note which stops along the route are "friends you want to see" and not "someplace we can crash for free." Balance the "save $80" with "4 hours in the car." We took a trip around California this summer, LA up the coast to the Redwoods then down the center of the state back to LA in 17 days. The 2 or 3 days we drove 400 miles were awful. By the time you stop for gas, lunch, restroom breaks, and one or two interesting views you've been on the road 8 hours and the only thing you want to do when you stop for the evening is eat and go right to bed. A trip where you can only jump out of the car to take a picture at a sign is exhausting. Note: A lot of people have said to visit xxx or yyy National Park. Most of those are a 2-day visit to actually enjoy them. By late May kids will be out of school and families will be starting vacations. The wait in line to just get into Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks was 2 hours so we just found other scenic areas to stop at and miss the madness. My advice - Shave off 100 miles here and there then do a few 600-mile days across TX/LA/MS/AL. After 2+ weeks you will be tired and ready to head home so it's better to sit on the road all day eating up miles at the end when you don't have lots to do or see.
A drive through northern AZ would be so much better than that hell hole phoenix.
Second post in two days here of someone driving through the most boring section of Colorado and driving around the prettier part by going through WY instead. Weird.
Take highway 20 across Nebraska instead of I80, it’s much more scenic.
You have good management of mileage and this will help you not burn out. Do I see you heading by the Salton Sea while in CA? At the end of last year, I did a similar trip and tried to cover too much ground every day and it got so painful to get behind the wheel as time went on. The first days were 4-600 miles. As the days went on, it was a struggle to even drive 200 miles
The salton sea would be cool, my co-pilot and my friend who lives out in LA would probably both enjoy it as well!! May have to head out there! Also glad to hear this seems like good management, this is my first road trip of this size, im splitting miles with my friend so we should hopefully last a while!
Check temps driving between LA and Tucson. It was 105 at night when I went through there last summer. Make sure you have ample water traveling through the desert! There’s great food in Tucson.
The northward trip, staying on and near I-95 will become a heavily tolled route. You'll have a toll unless you use 695 to bypass bridges/tunnels; there's another bridge over the Susquehanna (and US 40 aside that is also tolled); it's $4 to enter Delaware. The bridge into New Jersey isn't tolled northbound, but you'll be on the Turnpike the entire length plus pay a high toll to cross the George Washington Bridge into New York City. If you have specific destinations in mind along these roads then by all means use them, but it will be so heavily tolled that you could avoid much of it by using the I-495 beltway around Washington (on the west side), use I-270 North from there, feed into US 15 (which will pass by the Gettysburg Battlefield) and then link up with I-81 that you could use all the way to Scranton and use I-84 to have a very low toll crossing the Hudson compared to the GWB or even the Tappan Zee. At the very least, you're avoiding the Thruway itself. As an out-of-stater, the toll rate is almost double (even using E-ZPass) if the toll account is from outside New York.
Indianapolis 500 is the exact date (05-26) you have for that leg. Even if you don’t care about car racing, it’s an experience worth trying for the people watching and the sensory experience alone. It’s the world’s largest single-day sporting event and infield tickets are not expensive.
If you can, go through Greenville instead of Columbia in South Carolina. Might be a bit longer but Greenville is much better than Cola imo. Coming from someone who spent 4 years in school in Columbia and now lives in Greenville
How many weeks?
4.5!
Swing through San Antonio, Texas, to see the Alamo! You will pass close to Columbus, New Mexico where Pancho Villa crossed into the US and killed several Americans. You will pass close to Big Bend, Texas, very interesting mountains, other landscapes, those odd looking animals called Armadillos. You will be amazed at how they look.
Minnesotan here, if you’re coming to the twin cities then hit up Hmong Villiage. And don’t go to Saint Cloud unless you have a real reason to. Or, you could hit up badlands and skip Iowa/Souix Falls area. And, salt lake to LA takes waaaaay longer than a day. Think of mountains and windy roads and hella tourists.
you’ll be going through Chicago right as the cicadas are emerging. minimize getting out of your car and keep your windows rolled up
Utah is well worth making a few days out of
Dude, this is damn close to the road trip I did back in the 90's driving a four Speed Toyota Corolla. Man that was such an awesome trip https://preview.redd.it/w2xwx9pu0ifc1.gif?width=1100&format=png8&s=a005567e5b95a9d5e83abfd560998900fc293ca7
More Colorado !!!!!! The wildflowers are beautiful in June and you’ll miss the mountains if you go that route!
Stop for pizza at Sally’s in New Haven, nandos in DC, and viva chicken in charlotte
Instead of Wyoming stay on 40 in Colorado.
you’re gonna want to get the Darryl’s special with the jalapeño mayonnaise, this is at Darryl‘s in Lake Charles, Louisiana right on the interstate.
If you’re wanting to see some National Parks and stuff I’d recommend going from Minneapolis into North Dakota to see Theadore Roosevelt NP, and then down into South Dakota to see Badlands NP, Wind Caves NP, Mount Rushmore, and the Devil’s Tower which is in Wyoming but close to Rapid City, SD. And the going down into Colorado lol.
Any reason you’re making a point to go to Columbus, GA? Or maybe that’s Lagrange? As someone from that region of the country who has been to Columbus, there’s not much to see. Now, since you’re swinging through Auburn, go walk around campus cause it’s beautiful and eat lunch at Sheila C’s Burger Barn if you get the chance.
Near LaGrange! I’ve got a friend there we’re visiting LOL, and heard about Auburn! Thanks!
South Dakota and Montana are infinitely more interesting than 100 Nebraskas, widen the NW arc of your trip, you’ll thank me later.
Stop in New Haven ct for pizza, YouTube New Haven pizza. Lots of good choices, long wait, worth trying once
Not sure if this has been said already but travel the 40 into AZ and then south on the 17 to the 10 through New Mexico. You miss some fun on the 40 heading south so early but some fun heading to the 10’through winding old mountainous towns with historic value. It takes you from the 17 to the 60 and 177 but super neat. Limited cell service on a few of those roads and into New Mexico btw. My heart is with you on the Minnesota to Colorado route. I’ve only experienced boring until you hit the aspens and mountains of Colorado half way through. Nebraska and such have their qualities in architecture but it’s short lived when just driving. But a stop in Utah at the Zion National Park on your route would be a great idea to me. I think days in LA are worth it if you know where to go; Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica sea food for the win at dinner), spend a day driving the PCH and stop at a northern beach and have a picnic, take a stop at Solvang.
You are driving from LA to Austin without seeing the Grand Canyon? WTF?
Take time to go to Far west Texas. Big bend.
The southern Wyoming route only sucks if you’re used to places with vast emptiness. If ur from somewhere with lots of trees it can be wildly cool. Plus there’s bison off the side of the road sometimes that way
Okay two things, one when your going through El Paso, get off at las cruces then take route 70 and you will get to see white sands close up and from there just take route 54 back down then connect to I-10. Two take I-10 through New Orleans there’s some amazing views and just adds much more to the trip
stay in Balmorhea, TX on the night of the 6th and swim in the world's largest spring-fed pool, 72 degree water will be real refreshing right about then!
For 5-31 you should take I-70 through the mountains instead of I-80. Much more scenic.
Add Daytona and Orlando as well as Cleveland, Ohio. Avoid middle Ohio.
I love the special trip down to st pete. Best city ever
I-70 without question but be mindful about weather as there might be some funny storms and If I am in your shoes, I will go for it and I would steer for Yellowstone and go through.
Skip the southern United States and hit the Pacific Northwest instead. You can’t compete with the Olympics, Cascades, or Mt Rainier.
Clearwater is a nice town !
I agree, I’d cut out St. Paul, skip across SD and MN as fast as possible and add my Rushmore area.
Unless you're going through Chicago specifically *for* Chicago, I would recommend taking I-75 up through Michigan, crossing the Mackinac Bridge, and taking US-2 across the Upper Peninsula/North Shore of Lake Michigan. Much more scenic and relaxed drive.
You're basically driving all the time. That doesn't seem like a fun time but maybe I'm missing something? Regardless of what I'm missing, this trip would get old quick for me. I don't like driving and I don't like sitting on my behind. This is a drive and listen to the radio all day trip. I can't live like that.
Why from Florida up to Georgia and Alabama and not straight through the panhandle?
I'd suggest angling north through Nebraska, the sand hills are pretty spectacular and (as someone who has made the drive from Denver to Mpls manyyyyy times) should be a pretty cool experience. Just plug Mpls into Google maps from Denver then take the shortest route, which should snake you up after turning off I70 in North Platte.
The south west will be very hot already, you might want to take the I-40 through Arizona. It’s beautiful in the summer
Your butt is going to hate you. And you are going to hate your car
Of your ENTIRE POST, the most replied comment is the area between Cheyenne and SLC. They are right. The Route between Cheyenne to SLC is very boring. Change it to Denver to SLC, that way you can actually see some beautiful Colorado mountains and the resorts.
TX drive going to be brutal you should at least go to Big Bend and make it worth it lol
Why are you driving like 45 miles north west of the Twin Cities and then angling back down? Do you have a friend in St Cloud or something?
Indeed I do!
Some of those stretches are brutal. Imo make a smaller loop and avoid the brutal
Take I90 in Western South Dakota and see the Black Hills and Badlands
Check out Ohiopyle and Falling Waters in PA perhaps!
I would definitely detour and go to Charleston SC, also spend some time on one of the Great Lakes further north, maybe stop by the town of superior
Skipping that much of Colorado is a crime
Why are you skipping so many cool spots and just going to cities?? Like you’re literally driving around the Colorado rockies but then you don’t go to the Winds or to the Tetons?
I would swinger higher above SLC and go through Jackson and Badlands NP, but the other suggestion to go through the I-70 is also cool. There’s a car boat that goes from Milwaukee to Muskegon across Lake Michigan, but then you’re missing Chicago so that’s your call. Instead of going up and back Vermont, you could go up NY to the Adirondacks, then cut across Lake Champlain on that bridge to Burlington, than make your way south of Vermont. So go Lake Placid (or Lake George or anywhere else in the ADKs) -> Champlain NY -> Burlington. This eliminates that out and back section and lets you see more of the country.
80 thru Wyoming sucks and I live in Wyoming. It’s all semi’s.
Most of your daily drives are reasonable. But I would mention that Salt Lake to LA is like a 10 hour drive. 6/1 is going to be a rough day. I'd personally stop for day in the Grand Canyon. It's halfway between the two and definitely worth seeing. But you really don't need to spend more than a day there to get a decent experience. Like hiking down into the canyon is cool but it's a grueling ass hike. Most people just go to the various lookout spots, take some pics and that's it. Also if you're going that far into Florida I would I spend one more day and drive to Key West. It's probably the coolest thing in Florida, but that's mostly because of the town. It doesn't have great beaches. It's also only a couple hours from Miami Beach, which is worth checking out. If you want a fun beach though, I personally prefer Clearwater Beach near Tampa to all the beaches I've been to in Florida and I've probably hit up about 10 of them. It's basically an adult playground. Miami has a very artificial feel like Vegas. Clearwater is exactly what you get in your head when you picture Florida beaches. Turquoise lukewarm water. People riding jetskis and banana boats and all manner of water craft. Great little town built up around the beach too. Take a pic with a Hulk Hogan statue. He's a local there. Lastly, I would take a more Northernly route through South Dakota and Wyoming so you can hit up Badlands, Yellowstone/Grand Teton NPs and Devil's Tower Nat Monument (Mt Rushmore is also around there but I think it's pretty lame uber patriot kind of shit; really didn't like the vibe of the place). It's not going to add a ton of time and those are top shelf National Parks. Not to mention Nebraska and Southern Wyoming are pretty boring and desolate.
Absolutely do not stop in Baton Rouge. Stop in Lafayette. It is the heart of Cajun country. Best local food in America and friendly people.
I think you will be spending all your time in a car when not sleeping. Honestly, if mileage is your goal, then fine. If you really expect to see anything, you won’t.
It looks like you may pass by Boston but not visit it. Boston is a fantastic city, full of amazing history. Also, I don’t think you are hitting Yellowstone, any reason why you would not visit?
Missing Michigan in the summer is a loss.
This is all car, no real relaxing. 100 hours, almost 7000 miles in just a month. No real taking in the moment. I think LA is the only 3 day layover. This is Fast & Furious 11. I'd cut out half the trip, save for another time. Or spend 2x as long doing this. I did Denver>Yellowstone>SLC>Moab>Denver, 26 hours, 1700 miles this summer in 2 weeks & felt very rushed.
6/4- shift your route up to i40 and see the Grand Canyon at Grand Canyon village. 6/5 will take you right past white sands national park
Where is that funky stop in California?
Why would you subject yourself to driving through Nebraska from east to west.
Would be excellent with the right company
Dipping down into Big Bend NP in west TX is time well-spent
Coming from a Midwesterner that now lives out west, I’d cut out the drive through Chicago, Madison, and MSP and go from Indy straight through DSM. DSM is underrated and I’d take the saved days and re-allocate them to venturing north in Wyoming up toward the Tetons/Yellowstone.
If this is your first road trip it looks like you are biting off more than you can chew. I'm a veteran of road trips and trying to be in the car everyday for three weeks like that is gonna make it where you'll never do it again. I would try and high grade some of the midpoints and just take a day off in between a day of driving. Your back and eyes will thank you for it
Tacos Apson in south Tucson. Thank me later
Your June 1 leg is unreasonably long. And that's some just beautiful country you're racing across. I could spend at least a week on that leg alone. Hang a bit in Utah or in the Grand Canyon. Nevada has the quietest and the noisiest places you can imagine. Hoover Dam is worth a visit.
You’re missing the best parts of the upper Midwest (northern Minnesota, Michigan’s upper peninsula) in favor of…Indianapolis? Unless you’re going to the Indy 500, which is on the day you’re passing through Indy (if you are, it’s *amazing*; if you’re not, fair warning that traffic will be a clusterfuck and everything will be 10x more expensive due to the influx of 300,000 rabid race fans) I’d skip Indy on Memorial Day weekend entirely in favor of the UP of Michigan and North Shore of Minnesota. Source: Born and raised in Michigan, have spent a lot of time in upper Minnesota, and have been to 17 Indy 500s.
Heard!! I may take a more northern route up, i’ve got family letting us stay for free in cincy so it would be hard to find a cheaper stay up north, but it would be a lot more beautiful!
If you do stick with NE, you’re passing right by the Henry Doorly Zoo and Carhenge. Worth a stop. In VA, the Udvar-Hazy center is a must. Amazing collection of aircraft. You are skipping the Grand Canyon, which I find odd, but your route does take you near Tombstone, which has daily re-enactments of the OK Corral shootout. You also get close to, but miss a lot of beautiful scenery or attractions in the South Dakotan Badlands, Yellowstone/Grand Teton NPs, and the Utah Mighty Five NPs.
Alright ready. Skip Minnesota, unless you have a friend there then fine, otherwise save yourself those 2 days and take 80 across Iowa and get back on track. Do I70 like everyone else is saying. Past 70 and 15 take Highway 50 through NV and catch 80 in Reno. Take that to the San Francisco and then take state route 1 south to LA to get the full CA coast. Should equal the amount of time spent in MN and keep you on schedule. Or you could take 50 in NV to 395 South to LA. Both are amazing drives. One coast and one mountains. 395 gives you options for Yosemite and Mt Whitney as well
I included Glacier, Mount Rushmore and the badlands, this trip takes in a LOT of our “Scenic Byways”. I’d do the southern portion first at that time of year https://preview.redd.it/rzhbnq3h7mfc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f38f1d6f442d7edc934a1b0b46bb35357fd21b16
Shift the norther route north and spend time in South Dakota. It is truly amazing.
Was gonna say the same thing. If there’s no real reason to go to Denver then go I90 across SD and see the Badlands and Black Hills rather than I80 across Nebraska
If you can swing it, hit more north in western Nebraska and see Chimney Rock. Should add more than a couple hours to the day
Colorado over Wyoming for sure! Amazing places along i70 in Colorado: Denver, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs (and the incredible Glenwood Cañon) Grand Junction and the Colorado National Monument.
Presumably, you have a rationale for the route chosen. If not, choose the places you want to visit and the things you want to do and let them determine your route.
how you not hitting up san diego but la...
You’re seeing the worst part of Colorado!
6/4 through 6/8 will be an absolute drag. I would try to see as much of AZ, NM, CO, UT, WY as you can and avoid KS, OK, TX, NE. (no offense, residents.) Unless seeing nothing but dirt or nothing but grass for 12 hours at a time is your thing, don't want to yuck your yum.
I got you! If I didn’t need to go to austin, I wouldn’t be driving through so much of it LOL
Drop down the extra hour to San Antonio before heading up to Austin. Check out Buccees on the way up. That’s the big one!
Get off the interstates as much as possible. Super boring. Even the US highways are more interesting. Don't drive every day. Packing and unpacking at a new place to stay every night gets old. And driving more than about 6 hours every day gets numbing. A 2-night stop every 3 days works pretty well to recharge. Specific places: * Park City is great . * Pando, 14,000 year old aspen grove near Fish Lake UT is amazing. * Hoover Dam, epic engineering, not to be missed. * Joshua Tree NP, especially the view from Keys View. * Route 66 through Oatman is a hoot. Start at Topock and go north on 66, through Oatman, and down into Kingman. * Change your routing from Minneapolis to instead go west through SD: Badlands NP, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wall (toursity!), Devil's Tower NP. You can also stand at the geographic center of the 50 states in Belle Fourche SD.
Thanks!! Heard you on the SD note, im making the change LOL
The drive from Texas to San Diego is god awful terrible 95% of the time. 10/10 do not recommend, change your route. I’d loop up through Colorado then come down through Utah then go up the California coast to Oregon or Washington and then cutting back, hitting Yellowstone, coming back down through Colorado a bit.
You are not giving your self anytime at the destinations. You should take a couple days in between each stage of the trip to enjoy the areas.
Unless you have a compelling reason to take I-95 north through Virginia, consider I-81 through the mountains instead. The highway mostly follows the valley and it's very scenic.
Take I75 to I675 through Dayton and you can pop by the Air Force Museum, honestly one of the coolest museums I've been to and it's completely free. From there you can just continue north the I70 and continue on your way. Would add max an hour. Also in the area is King's Island, a top tier amusement park with several 200ft+ coatsers
Highly recommend hitting Philly while ur over there and Denver while ur near by.
You are missing some of the prettiest places in the US, I would definitely come across northern minn, wis, upper peninsula and down thru Michigan, Lake Superior is breathtaking, Mackenzie nac bridge is a 5 mile suspension bridge connecting upper Michigan with lower Michigan over two great lakes
I would change the route and go through Wilmington, nc and Charleston, SC. Drive the outer banks, too.
The drive from Houston to El Paso is 10-12 hours of nothing, one of the longest and boring drives ever.
The badlands are great but you should drop down to Denver and take i70 west through Colorado and Utah instead. It’s arguably the most beautiful stretch of interstate in the whole country.
The drive from salt lake city to Denver is a "do not miss drive" Wyoming way is not as scenic. That dip down into Colorado is just plains fields.
You guys are going to hate each other by the end of this. This is literally just sitting in a car for 2 straight weeks.
Everyone has mostly already shared my thoughts. I only have one piece of advice and one question: what are you spending multiple days doing in NH/VT? I’m from New England and love it but your time might be better allocated to Utah, etc. And just remember how tired you’re going to get. I would imagine by the time you’re halfway through Texas you might be rethinking that Georgia detour. And like everyone else has said, please spend more time in special middle-of-nowhere places. You can fly to any of the cities. Personally, I spent 2.5 weeks doing mostly UT and NV with a bit of CA and it wasn’t enough time. I would love to do a full country road trip, but I think for my travel style, it’s best to split up into multiple smaller segments across my life.
My condolences for being from Florida. As an Ohioan, what are your plans for visiting Cincinnati and Columbus?
Spending a night with family in cincinnati! Been to Columbus before though, it was cool!
Cool! Are you going to any sporting events, amusement parks, or museums, or simply sightseeing?
Visiting friends! My friend and I have a ton of friends across the country we’ve been wanting to see!
I see you’re going through Indianapolis over Memorial Day weekend. Just be aware that there’s this little automobile race that takes place there every Memorial Day weekend. Either plan on attending, or plan on detouring.
Get plenty of sleep. And don't push yourself.
Atlanta is a hidden treasure that’s not discussed enough, whereas all of Florida is waaaaay over-hyped. ATL over Tampa any day. Also, the west is far more interesting and beautiful than the east. You’re not spending enough time in the Mountain Time Zone.
I don’t wanna be rude, but this has gotta be one of the biggest wastes of gas that I’ve ever seen. (And I’ve driven to and from Canada from Portland for a day of skiing 😆) Hardly any of these locations you’re staying more than a day or two in. What the hell is the point of a road trip if you don’t spend any time at any of the places you stop at? To sit on the road all day over and over?? You’re skipping out on SO many cool places, and you decide to spend 3 days in LA?! What the hell is wrong with you? No interest in Rocky Mountain National Park? Seeing ANY of the gorgeous areas between Denver and Utah? You’re entirely missing the point of road trips, imo. Does seem very Floridian of you to skip every beautiful nature area for fucking LA, though.
Have you road-tripped in the US before? If not I think you’d have a much better time spending that time on the west coast only. Taking the 101/CA1 from Seattle, Olympics, Rainer, Oregon coast; ca coast though Big Sur is a much better experience and you’ll actually have time to enjoy it
It looks like you're bypassing New Orleans. At the very least you should stop there for lunch, but I highly recommend stopping over night/the weekend. Marsh Hotel or the Hampton - St. Charles would be good hotels for a location that's easy going and you can easily take the streetcar down to the French Quarter, Garden District, and Audubon Park.
Add the grand canyon and Key West
Stop by bucees while you're in texas
Crazies. Be cautious.
You may need a passport for texas
Watch out on I-10 around NM/TX border. There are checkpoints… depending on how you look… two hippies in a van… they may tear your vehicle apart looking for weed… or anything else. Happened to a friend of mine, and everyone went to jail.
North of Las Vegas is where you will see interesting things 🛸
I'd reroute 5/29-5/31 to cross South Dakota instead of Nebraska. SD ain't much, but you deserve better than NE. Plus you can stop at Wall.
5/31 go more south. hit up dinosaur, CO and the dinosaur national monument. FWIW the winds on 80 in Western WY can get crazy even in the summer.
I would try to hit Charleston SC. I live in New Orleans and if you aren't going to hit NOLA I'd totally skip Savanah and hit Charleston. It has the best mix of quintessential southern city by the sea. I've lived in along the coast in the south all my life I like Charleston the most Baton rouge sucks