Alright, Some friends %26amp; I plan on taking a US road trip. We currently live in Tampa Bay, Florida. We were thinking maybe going out west...but it's not certain. Anyways, What state do you recommend stopping in, and what is your favorite US spot?
Thank you!Road trip in america... need some advice!?
We did a road trip a couple summers ago and were headed from CA to Montana. I bought a National Parks Passport book, kinda as a lark. It has turned out to be the best thing...
It is fun! You may, but are not required to buy the picture stamps that show the park/historic site/ etc. that you visit. These cost under $4 for a page and have a park of each region, plus a big ';special'; one. I only put in the places I have gone to. I file away the ones I want to go to. Then when you go to the park, most have stamps (like the cancellation mark the P.O. puts on letters) that show the park and date that you stamp into your book in each parks' section. You can get these books at the parks, or online.
That's why this is so cool. Knowing all of these places are there with the best things to see is just an adventure waiting to happen! It comes with a US map showing all of the parks/sites/etc. We picked the route to take and found all of the parks along the way. We saw the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Ft. Vancouver, Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, Redwoods, Muir Woods, John Muir House...all on one trip. We live close enough to Yosemite, so we included that later.
Since the road trip we have gone to many around us and made destination stops to add more. The great thing about the national park system is you can buy an annual pass for $80 and you can use it for a year and that pays for all admittance fees into the national parks and national forests. ';Free'; admittance, or reduced by how many you go to.
If you want to take a trip up the east coast, you could pick a zillion places to go to see, or have a theme. Lots of parks you can camp in, and that is such an inexpensive way to go. You don't have to 100% camp either...the scenery is gorgeous and we could not believe all of the wildlife we saw...eagles, bison, mountain goats, bears....it was the best trip!
So, I would recommend stopping a lot along the way...looking at what you find interesting...(I love the Native American cultures the best), and enjoying what you see. My favorite US spot is Crater Lake. It is nestled in the Cascade and Sierras, and the most breathtaking lake I have seen. And then there is Glacier....the Going to the Sun Road.....Mt. Rainier on a sunny day (it DOES happen...in Sept. we were there)....the Columbia Gorge on a sunny fall day....Yellowstone in the early morning when animals are out and the vents are all steamed up.....Glacier Bay in Alaska....Muir Woods on a Sunday afternoon.....Yosemite when the kids are in school....the Mendocino Coast....oh, goodness any beach......America the beautiful is such an understatement!
Plan well. But don't stick to your itinerary so much that you cannot find a gem that you stumble upon. Take lots of maps....AAA gives them out to members for free. Ask locals lots of questions....where the best burger place is, where to find the best whatever you want. The public library is a great place to use the internet for free (usually) and it is usually filled with things you could find handy....local newspaper, checking in with reality, a map check, etc. One of my favorite things to do is go to the grocery store. We find all sorts of things available in places we visit that we love to try out. We also save money by buying foods and picnicking. A great place to meet locals and get to know the places. Grocery clerks are always such interesting and nice people...
Hope you have fun and have the best road trip ever! Take lots of pictures and I always buy lots of postcards....I actually began making (non) scrapbooks when we went on the road trip and now I have books for my own enjoyment....who REALLY wants to see your road trip, but you will never forget it! Happy travels! Road trip in america... need some advice!?
I live in Tampa Bay too, and I've done numerous long road trips. A lot is going to depend on how much time you have because it's a huge drive to go all the way out west - but totally worth it if you can take the time to do it.
More direct route I would take I-10 until you hit I-55 then go north until you hit I-40 and take that as far as you wish. This route would put you in good locations to see:
New Orleans (Bourbon Street, history tours, ghost tours, cemeteries)
Memphis (Graceland, Beale Street)
Little Rock (Hot Springs National Park - get a spring bath, it's nice:)
Amarillo, TX - cause Texas is just cool.
New Mexico has some pretty mountains
Arizona - Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park
Las Vegas: Hoover Dam, Area 51, great shows, Bonnie %26amp; Clydes death car, and about 5 billion slot machines (if you are into that kind of thing)
If you still have time, drive North on I-15 for the day and check out Zion National Park %26amp; Bryce Canyon National Park. You can spend a couple of days at each one, or do both in one day (depends on how much into hiking and stuff you are - but the photos you'll get are worth the trip here, it's so beautiful.
Then catch I-15 south and work your way through the desert into Los Angeles. La Brea Tar Pits, Disneyland, Hollywood Blvd, Manns Chinese Theater. It's fun.
Good luck to you and have a blast!
I'd like to mount a campaign to encourage people not to go anywhere. Travel has become so expensive and unpleasant that it's hard to understand why people don't stay home.
Why are we crowding our highways and airports to get someplace else? Newspapers and magazines are filled with ads trying to get us to travel. They want us to go somewhere - anywhere but home.
I will recommend you to go to Los Angeles
I know it is very far by road
but do go
it will be long and good experience
uoiru
i'm living in tampa too...my son loved california...good luck on whatever you choose...
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