cross-country trip?

[Christien]

My wife and I were talking about possible doing a cross-country trip, from here in southern Ontario (about an hour northwest of Buffalo NY) to California. I've got my 911 up for sale in the hopes of buying a 3.2 cabrio, and when I suggested the possibility of doing a trip like that with the top down, her eyes lit up like they never have for anything to do with cars before

We google mapped it, and it's 41 hours of driving. We would have a week to 10 days for the trip. My concern is that the drive out would be fun, but once we're out there, we'd be dreading the drive home.

Has anyone done this before? What did you think?

[Heel n Toe]

I've never had the opportunity to do a long road trip, but I've heard that the trip back isn't something to dread if you take a totally or mostly different route.

[vash]

it would be great! do it!

bring it to my place for the oil change and carwash before heading back.

[Tishabet]

Sounds like a great idea to me!

[imcarthur]

Chris

With or without kids?

Ian

[The Gaijin]

If you drop south on the way west and then go north and go around the great lakes on the way back it is a great journey. Lots to see if you plan your trip.

Interstate highways are just plain boring. Even in the Dakotas - secondary roads have lots of good scenery.

[Tishabet]

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

Interstate highways are just plain boring. Even in the Dakotas - secondary roads have lots of good scenery.

I've heard good things about the old route 66...

[pete3799]

Sounds like a fun trip however if you drive 12 hours per day thats about 7 days of driving. Won't leave much time to sight see.

[Christien]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Chris

With or without kids?

Ian

No kids. For Stef's 30th birthday I gave her a choice - a motorcycle or a trip. She chose the trip, even though I was pushing her towards the bike. So this is just a her-and-I thing.

Originally Posted by Tishabet

I've heard good things about the old route 66...

We looked at that, but it's a LONG way south. Not saying we won't, but it would add at least a day.

Originally Posted by pete3799

Sounds like a fun trip however if you drive 12 hours per day thats about 7 days of driving. Won't leave much time to sight see.

Yep, that's what we figured - 3-4 days each way. We'd like to spend around 4 days in CA. We could probably swing 2 weeks if necessary. It just sucks coming back to work with 2 weeks piled up. When you run the show, nobody covers for you when you're gone

[imcarthur]

In 1995, I took the family for a road trip to Florida. Straight down I-75. Returned via I-95. The thing that I cursed for the whole trip was tree-lined interstates. You see very little countryside, just a tunnel of trees.

Heading west would be pretty boring until you hit Denver imho. I have driven a lot of parts of it but never in a straight run.

Ian

[Rufblackbird]

DOOOOOO ITTTTTT!!!

keep a log and post pics as you go along!

I did mine almost 6 years ago...from MD to CA to WA to CA, week and a half, 8k miles. Would love to do it all over again!

East to West Coast Roadtrip!!!! Captain's Log

[Rot 911]

10 days is no where near enough to do an around the U.S. trip. Why not just do half the U.S.? Would be more relaxing and you would have more time to actually see and do things.

[Rufblackbird]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

10 days is no where near enough to do an around the U.S. trip. Why not just do half the U.S.? Would be more relaxing and you would have more time to actually see and do things.

very true. after i did mine I wish I had more time to stop and see the sights, instead of constantly haulin' butt to make a deadline (flight back home).

[jpk]

Even if just get as far as the Grand Canyon, then start heading back north up along the Rockies and back you'll have a trip to remember.

In my younger days, some friends and I had 6 days to make a trip like that - from Detroit straight through to the Grand Canyon (36 hours non-stop), a full day there, then heading back, half a day in Bryce canyon, up to the badlands, Mt. Rushmore, then across to the UP of Michigan and back down. I still fondly remember many parts of that trip...

If you can. head further north along the Rockies to Lake Louise, Banff and Jasper, then you can head back home on the Trans-Canada. The North shore of Lake Superior is definitely worthwhile as well.

[Christien]

I've already done the drive through Canada to the west coast, then back home through the northern states. Once past lake superior, it's boring as absolute hell until you hit the rockies. "Hey look, there's Calgary! I thought we were 3 hours away" 2 hours later "hey look, Calgary looks closer, and the sign says 100kms still left to go"........

The goal of California is to do San Francisco and the Napa Valley, plus maybe visit friends in the LA area, though that may be pushing it. The other option was New Orleans - it's half the distance, and there are way more interesting stops along the way, but for some reason my wife isn't really interested in it. I sure am, but it *is* her birthday present!

[imcarthur]

You could beeline to New Orleans, spend some time there (and in the swamps around), drive to Mobile, visit the redneck Riviera on the Gulf Shores & head north to the mountains of Tennessee & North Carolina & drive the Dragon. Then up through the back roads of West Virginia & Pennsylvania.

You would need working AC however.

Ian

[911boost]

I have done the cross country trip twice. Granted both times I was moving, but I didn't really have fast deadline.

Have you thought about flying out to CA and renting a convertible, and driving around the state? You'd have plenty of time, and get to enjoy the driving part more.

Bill