I might have some free time this summer. I always wanted to drive around the USA and visit as many places as possible. Its kind of hard to narrow it down. I'm looking for the best of the best places to visit. Any suggestions? Please keep in mind I would be starting in NJ. This thread is probably more hypothetical than anything else:( Things always pop up and ruin a potential good time.

route 66

I live three blocks from Route 66. Give me a shout if you do it.

I live three blocks from Route 66. Give me a shout if you do it.

Make sure you set up your spikes on the day he's passing by your area then he'll definitely give you a call. :rofl: J/K.

Rte 66 will be an ideal way to see America. Also the PCH in California is a good scenic drive too. Make sure you take lots of pics if you do this during the summer.

route 66

Let me know if you travel the Mother Road---it passes about a mile from me.

Certainly include Zion and Yellowstone National parks in such a trip. Also Muir (sp) Woods (north of San Francisco, prettier than Redwoods/Kings Canyon IMO). Olympic NP in Wash State also rocks, and what see it all trip across the US would be complete without going thru Death Valley:) If you really have time and money include a side trip through Banf to Alaska, see Denali NP, the Coppr River Basin and go Halibut fishing at Homer :) (this would likely be a full summer trip by itself however).

You should leave nj 1. See washington dc
2. See Va (shenandoah, skyline drive)
3. Drive to va beach
4. Go to outer banks
5. Go to Florida

Basically go along the east coast. Good luck

My cross country plan was going to be Route 66 starting in Chicago, to the West coast, North to Seattle along the coast and take 90/94 back to Chicago.

I still haven't done it, mostly because when I had the time off, I didn't trust my old car. Now I have the car, but no time off... :tap:

One of these days though. Take pics if you do it.

Route 66. And then kick it in So Cal. 8)

mall of america in bloomington mn

I might have some free time this summer. I always wanted to drive around the USA and visit as many places as possible. Its kind of hard to narrow it down. I'm looking for the best of the best places to visit. Any suggestions? Please keep in mind I would be starting in NJ. This thread is probably more hypothetical than anything else:( Things always pop up and ruin a potential good time.


Mountains in Maine. Everglades. Washington, D.C and the Smithsonian. Coastal Carolinas. Bourbon Street. Cape Kennedy. Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Bad Lands in South Dakota are worth the drive. Devils Tower in Wyoming is pretty cool too.

These all sound like great ideas.
I've been to The Mall of America, The Keys, Texas, San Diego and Sacremento. If I do this i might have 2 to 3 weeks. I wonder if this enough time to do all this?

3 weeks should be prett good if you only stop for little while at each location (depending on how many locations)

Tango from NOVA SE drove her xB all the way from virginia to california for the SE 2 year celebration. Only took her like 2-3 days i believe to do coast to coast.

If your gonna be driving all around and stopping then id say 2-3 weeks should be pretty good if you stop at like 10-15 places along the way.

umm... from mexico to san diego to Los Angeles to portland to seattle to vancouver, BC Canada - all on basically Interstate 5.... u know u wanna see the space needle...

You can't see it all in 3weeks but you can take out a section of the country. Grand Canyon, PCH, Red Wood Forrest, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Bad Lands, Rushmore, Chi-town ect if you want a loop. You'll run out of time though because there's other stuff between. I took a lot of vacations as a kid, usally 3 weeks at a time and still have 6 states to go.

IMO skip the grand canyon (maybe stop and look quick and head on) as there is noy much to see unless you are going to spend time and dollars going down in it. Believe me Zion NP (near Grand Canyon) is far more imprseeive and can be day hiked for little to no cost.

Although it can be a huge tourist trap and there is a lot of CRAP to waste your money on, check out the grand canyon. If you can time it that you arrive at sunset, then wow... When I visited we got there just in time for the sun to be above the canyon and watched it fall. BEAUTIFUL! Also, the stars are to die for.

Death Valley also. Just fun... Lots of empty roads around that area too... See how fast your xB can go.

;D

Although it can be a huge tourist trap and there is a lot of CRAP to waste your money on, check out the grand canyon. If you can time it that you arrive at sunset, then wow... When I visited we got there just in time for the sun to be above the canyon and watched it fall. BEAUTIFUL! Also, the stars are to die for.

Death Valley also. Just fun... Lots of empty roads around that area too... See how fast your xB can go.

;D

Grand Canyon is a cool place to stop for a few minutes. Sunset is best on a clear day, but unless you go down in it it is still just a big crack in the ground.....not alot to experience from the rim. Zion is best in the spring when the flowers are in bloom. 3/4 mile high flowering cliffs are really cool. Lot of wildlife, humming birds all over, hike to the upper emerald pools ( a bit over an hour), really picturesque. I have been to many of our parks, but, Zion is tops on my list. Bryce canyon is very cool also, lots of colors but very arid and not much wildlife. Zion is lush with vegitation.

The Bad Lands in South Dakota are worth the drive. Devils Tower in Wyoming is pretty cool too.

WORD

Badlands are the coolest.

Take I-90 all the way across to seattle and then come back on I-80.

here's a google map to show you what i mean.

google map (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=New+jersey&daddr=seattle+wa+to:Portland,+OR+to:Salt+Lake+City,+UT+to:st.+louis+mo+to:washington+d.c.+to:new+jersey&mrcr=5&layer=&sll=39.300299,-80.134277&sspn=10.571025,24.082031&ie=UTF8&z=4&ll=41.836828,-83.583984&spn=40.515702,96.328125&om=1)

Here's a link to our pics from the trip to seattle from missouri

pics of shorbegr's vacation (http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/shorberg/Seattle%20Trip/?start=all)

we did it in 11 days, with about 1,000 miles less than your trip would show. we spent two days in seattle and camped at KOA's the whole way. much cheaper and so much easier.

bring a cooler and fill it at grocery stores. i got one that takes about 1/2 of the back of my xB, then filled the rest with gear and clothes and stuff.

KOA's have laundry, pools, hot tubs, bla bla bla. you can call ahead for reservations and get hotels if the weather is terrible.

we spent less than $1000 for two of us and literrally did whatever we wanted the whole time!

gas went down 35 cents the day we got back, lol. our whole trip was like 5400 miles. you should do it! there is nothing more fun!!

your goal could be to watch the sun rise on one coast and set on another in one trip. that would be awesome!!

enjoy the pics! good luck!

oh and if you don't have one, go buy a portable nav unit.

I WOULD HAVE DIED WITHOUT MINE!!!

come to arkansas

Hmmm Campgrounds hmmmm. Last time I trekked cross country I also stayed in mostly KOA campgrounds. I also caught Gardia (beaver fever). We think it came from a KOA camp in Indiana that got its water from a well. For water from any unknown source it is an excellent idea to take some purification tablets or a device for same along and use it just to be sure. Sure beats 2 months with raging bowels while the docs figure out what the heck is wrong (actually I had to figure it out and tell them...they had no clue). Only good thing was that this intestinal parasite is easily dismissed with a pill in about 24-48 hours once the diagnosis is made. Better safe than sorry, take some water treatment stuff and use it if you are not sure of the source.

or just load the box up with bottled water

take the longest road in the nation. I-80 baby coast to coast. not as pretty as 66 but not as many people can say they've done it

take the longest road in the nation. I-80 baby coast to coast. not as pretty as 66 but not as many people can say they've done itMore interesting by far (Interstates tend to DRONE on and on and on ;^) is US 50, the longest non-interstate highway in the US http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50 . . . . I know several other motorcyclists that have gone coast-to-coast on 50 and it's a GOOD ride; especially the "Loneliest Road in America" section in Nevada. Plan well going through that part . . . .

US 50 thru Nevada is amazingly desolate:) With an xB you will not have to worry much about the 150 miles to next gas signs much:) Way more fun than an interstate tho.

I am all about 150 miles to the next gas station. That would be a great feeling, except I am pretty sure I would need a convertible to complete the feeling . . . anyone got a hacksaw?! ;)

Is it even worth while to go to new Orleans?

I havn't been since katrina, we went for our honeymoon, but honestly it was a bit overhyped . . .

kind of like mt. rushmore . . .i was expecting something HUGE, like the whole mountain . . . but it's jsut a tip of the side of a really big hill . . . let down.

I havn't been since katrina, we went for our honeymoon, but honestly it was a bit overhyped . . .

kind of like mt. rushmore . . .i was expecting something HUGE, like the whole mountain . . . but it's jsut a tip of the side of a really big hill . . . let down.

This is how I felt about the grand canyon...just a big crack in the ground...not to impressive from the rim. Rushmore I totally agree, it was barely worth the walk from the parking lot, the carvings on Stone Mountain here in Atlanta are more impressive to me.

being as my dad is from NO and how i have family down there i like it but i agree taht NO is overhyped. Its finally starting to rebuild and i think that it'll be back where it was in about 3 years or so. But like anything you always get out of it what you put into it. If you expect fun to just come to you then it wont happen you have to go make fun.