Road Trips

[MonaLittle]

Have you taken many? Tell me about them. If in the U.S. - which would you recommend?

 

[MonaLittle]

I want to drive Route 66 from beginning to end. From Chicago to Santa Monica Pier.

 

[MonaLittle]

I’ve done highway 101 in California. From top to bottom. I’d like to extend that trip and drive the entire west coast from Seattle through Oregon and into California

 

[HisArpy]

I've done a lot of driving over the years. Most of it was for a purpose instead of just a road trip though. Last trip was from home to Salt Lake City and back again to pick up a 1900's era flat-belt C-frame bandsaw that weighs something like 400 lbs.

I think that trip took something like 12 hours each way. Best part was driving straight at the escarpment that the Virgin River gorge cuts through. You can't see the opening from the desert floor so it looks like you're driving at a 2000 foot cliff. That you go through 3 states in 30 miles on the way through the gorge is kinda cool - NV, AZ, UT. Still haven't figured out which State's highway patrol polices that section, but the part that blows my mind is how the hell did they get Conestoga's down that grade?

I've been in every one of the lower 48 states at one time or another. Usually just passing through on my way to somewhere else.

 

[Adre]

Have done many medium length road trips over the years.

In a rented Mustang convertible from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, then up through Lassen Volcanic Park to the dunes of South Oregon (including some badass dune buggying) down though Mendocino and the Redwoods Park back down to SF. That was a memorable one.

One I never tire of is a circular jaunt through New England. Usually starting in NJ up the coast to Mt. Desert Island in Maine, then west and back down through NH, Mass or the Hudson Valley.

 

[MonaLittle]

That’s awesome. That’s the kind of scenery and landscape you can only experience when driving.

Utah is high on my list. I’ve never driven through that state for the mere purpose of exploring it. I’ve hiked the Rio Grande Gorge Trail in Taos and it was breathtaking. The gorge you speak of interests me. I’d love to see it and experience it the way you have. Thanks for the tip.

 

[MonaLittle]

Have done many medium length road trips over the years.

In a rented Mustang convertible from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, then up through Lassen Volcanic Park to the dunes of South Oregon (including some badass dune buggying) down though Mendocino and the Redwoods Park back down to SF. That was a memorable one.

One I never tire of is a circular jaunt through New England. Usually starting in NJ up the coast to Mt. Desert Island in Maine, then west and back down through NH, Mass or the Hudson Valley.

Oh Adre! I love the east coast. I’ve only been to Maine and Vermont. I would absolutely LOVE that road trip. I assume you’d recommend doing it in October? That would be beautiful. Maybe stay somewhere along the way in the White Mountains.

 

[Adre]

Oh Adre! I love the east coast. I’ve only been to Maine and Vermont. I would absolutely LOVE that road trip. I assume you’d recommend doing it in October? That would be beautiful. Maybe stay somewhere along the way in the White Mountains.

Late Sept or early October for max leaf peeking. Berkshires in western Mass is beautiful area. Lovely little town of Stockbridge. Lake Champlain area in NH.

 

[MonaLittle]

Late Sept or early October for max leaf peeking. Berkshires in western Mass is beautiful area. Lovely little town of Stockbridge. Lake Champlain area in NH.

I'd love to visit Fingers Lake area in Upper NY, too

 

[NemoNautilus]

I like the drive up Pacific Coast Highway from Morro Bay, through Big Sur, and to Monterey and Santa Cruz

 

[silver gurl]

Late Sept or early October for max leaf peeking. Berkshires in western Mass is beautiful area. Lovely little town of Stockbridge. Lake Champlain area in NH.

Lake Champlain is nice, more in Vermont and upstate NY. In Vermont, stop in Burlington and head over to Church St. Cross over to NY and go to Lake Placid. NH, be sure to drive thru the White Mountains, especially around the 1st and 2nd week of October, which is peak foliage.
I am available as a tour guide!

 

[Adre]

Another Pleasant little circular road trip:

Start in beautiful Charleston, SC. A few hours northwest to Asheville NC and the Blue Ridge Mountains. A little side trip just west to the Great Smokies Park. East through NC to the beaches, on to the Outer Banks if you want, than back down the coast to Charleston.

 

[AlotLikePsyche]

I like the drive up Pacific Coast Highway from Morro Bay, through Big Sur, and to Monterey and Santa Cruz

Me, too. Love that drive.

Also love Show Low/Pinetop to Phoenix in AZ. Really gorgeous drive.

 

[islandman]

Drove from NYC to DC last year to hop on the Amtrak Auto-Train to Orlando. We booked a sleeper car and it was great to watch the lovely countryside go by.

 

[AlotLikePsyche]

Oh, I just love this topic. Love a long drive alone. Love CA Highway 1. Love the Amtrak sleeper car. Love. Love. Love.

 

[Rightguide]

Have you taken many? Tell me about them. If in the U.S. - which would you recommend?

I've driven tens of thousands of miles. Mostly in every state between say Illinois and the West Coast. My favorite states are Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado,, Arizona, and New Mexico. All for their natural beauty, open spaces, and gracious people.

 

[jaF0]

Utah needs to be spring or fall. Summer is a blast .... furnace. Miserable hothothot heat.

Blue Ridge Parkway is OK, but kind of touristy. Same with the Skyline Drive: https://visitskylinedrive.org/

Natchez Trace Parkway is peaceful and quiet, but not many touristy type places: https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm

 

[AlotLikePsyche]

And you know what else is also great? Greyhound. Bus trips. Long distance, not local. Looking out the window for hours, watching the world pass by, alone with your day dreams and no need to pay particular attention to anything or anyone. Glorious.

 

[Rightguide]

Utah needs to be spring or fall. Summer is a blast .... furnace. Miserable hothothot heat.

Blue Ridge Parkway is OK, but kind of touristy. Same with the Skyline Drive: https://visitskylinedrive.org/

Natchez Trace Parkway is peaceful and quiet, but not many touristy type places: https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm

All of the states I mentioned I prefer to see them in the Spring or the Fall. If I have an interest in photographing massive weather systems I'll head out to the Great Plains during the last two weeks of May.

 

[thør]

I’ve done highway 101 in California. From top to bottom. I’d like to extend that trip and drive the entire west coast from Seattle through Oregon and into California

The Oregon coast is beautiful, but traffic is like LA in the summertime. Wait for a cooler season and wear a jacket.

The Alcan to Alaska is a beautiful drive though Canada and pretty easy now that most of it is surfaced. And then, once you get to Alaska there's a whole 1500 miles or so of paved highway to travel. But, the fun begins where the pavement ends.

I still have not found the time to travel the ITH in Canada. That's the next road trip on my wish list. I'll have to wait for the pandemic crap to be over for that.

 

[thør]

And you know what else is also great? Greyhound. Bus trips. Long distance, not local. Looking out the window for hours, watching the world pass by, alone with your day dreams and no need to pay particular attention to anything or anyone. Glorious.

Took the train from Geneva to Paris a couple years ago and from Frankfort to Berlin, a couple years before that. I enjoyed it.

 

[AlotLikePsyche]

Took the train from Geneva to Paris a couple years ago and from Frankfort to Berlin, a couple years before that. I enjoyed it.

Oh, I’d love to do that. Sounds romantic. I always dreamed I would have back-packed through Europe by now, but not yet. Some day.

 

[thør]

Oh, I’d love to do that. Sounds romantic. I always dreamed I would have back-packed through Europe by now, but not yet. Some day.

If you're waiting for "some day," it will never come unless you make it come.

When I happen to be where a pile of tourists from "outside" are visiting Alaska, it makes me sad to see that most of them are pretty old and not in good enough physical condition to actually enjoy Alaska other than from a tour bus or the boat. I hear "I always wanted to come to Alaska" from them. And they get to see what the tour company thinks is Alaska, and some extras, as long as they can pay for it. Herded on to buses and into hotels, these folks do get to see some things, but they don't get to have any real fun outside of where the herd driven.

 

[AlotLikePsyche]

If you're waiting for "some day," it will never come unless you make it come.

When I happen to be where a pile of tourists from "outside" are visiting Alaska, it makes me sad to see that most of them are pretty old and not in good enough physical condition to actually enjoy Alaska other than from a tour bus or the boat. I hear "I always wanted to come to Alaska" from them. And they get to see what the tour company thinks is Alaska, and some extras, as long as they can pay for it. Herded on to buses and into hotels, these folks do get to see some things, but they don't get to have any real fun outside of where the herd driven.

Ugh. There is almost nothing worse than traveling with a tour-group. Sounds excruciating. And expensive. I hear you. I want to make it happen soon, but someplace else keeps coming up first. Maybe if I stop going to Hawaii over and over... Plan is to make Cuba happen first. It’s my number one next destination. But, then Eurail is after that.

 

[spacekowboy]

Highway 395 is a favorite of mine. Long stretches through the desert that give way to mountains and pines.

In about a year out so I'm going to be purchasing a touring motorcycle to do more road trips.