Driving across the U.S.

[CardMinger]

I will be driving from Virginia to Southern California. Our plan is to buy a tent and some air matress's and stay mostly at camp grounds along the way if possible. We are looking for some ideas of what to see/do along the way.

Work your magic Travel forum!

Thanks for the tips!
CM

[CardMinger]

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I will be driving from Virginia to [b]Southern California.

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[Jim Kuhn]

The Grand Canyon is awesome! Mesa Verde and its associated indian ruins is also pretty cool! Las Vegas (of course) and Tunica I think had a campground that was $7.77 per night.

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
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[vegasbob]

i am doing the same but leaving from las vegas to massachusetts i am taking 3 weeks to get there. Have fun
bob

[Custer]

I-70 through Utah, then North to Grand Canyon Best scenery in the country IMO.

The Arch in St. Louis has a great Louis and Clark Museum at the base. I also recommend the Budweiser Brewery tour.

A place called Boss Hog's in Topeka, KS has the best BBQ ribs I've ever eaten.

Denver has some pretty cool bars in the neighborhood near Coors field (I forget the name).

Vegas Bob

Baker, NV has Great Basin National Park. Much of its allure to me was its remoteness, but it also has nice caves. There's some neat little old towns on the way from Las Vegas, too. Pioche has a cool little museum at the top of the hill. Its an old courthouse that looks like it hasn't been touched since 1920. Ask to look through the old documents.

If you enjoy religion from a sociologist's perspective, you'll like the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City. Not only is there great architecture and a well done museum, but you'll be pampered by your guides as they attempt to convert you. All free. Skip the Brigham Young house.

Grand Teton National Park doesn't get the crowds of Yellowstone but I like it better. There are some extraordinary hikes, and plenty of wildlife. The best part to me is that its the only National Park where you can stay at a 4 star hotel. Jackson hole is just outside the park, and you'll get good rates off-season. There's a very good informal restaurant with excellent views at the North Entrance (the one near Jackson Hole).

Deadwood sucks, but Mt. Rushmore is worth a visit.

Chicago. If you're a classic SNL fan, go to Billy Goat's Tavern under Wabash (I think). I've also enjoyed 2nd City, Wrigley (of course), and the Museum of Science and Industry.

You could spend 2 days at the Rock and Roll HF in Cleveland.

[gusmahler]

I went from DC to Phoenix. We took the 66 to the 81 to the 40 to the 17. OP would merely continue on the 40 into SoCal. Unfortunately, mine wasn't a sightseeing vacation, as we did it in two days.

But there are some sites worth a visit on that route. Shenendoah would be good for camping. Memphis is really interesting for music fans.

If you're a Troy Aikman fan, his hometown of Henryetta, OK is just off the I-40. We happened to stop by a McDonalds in that city that was full of Aikman memorabilia.

You get to pass through the Petrified Forest also. Old route 66 is probably worth a visit too. And, of course, the Grand Canyon. Might as well go to Vegas while you're out there, before getting to SoCal.

I-70 seems like it would be a more interesting trip. Lots of big cities, plus beautiful areas of Utah. If you're going to go to Cleveland, recommended above, and you're into roller coasters, you have to go to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH (60 miles west of Cleveland). Probably the best roller coaster park in the country. If you're REALLY a roller coaster fan, you'll make sure to go to Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA, probably the second best roller coaster park in the country, so you can compare the two parks.

[Fishhead24]

Hit the casinos in IOWA..........and view farmland at its very finest........not to mention the nicest people in the U.S.

[cbloom]

Your main decision is to go the 70 or the 40.

I've never done the 70, but it looks like it goes through good stuff in Colorado and Utah.

Either way you can hit the Grand Canyon.

Lots of cool desert areas in Arizona. There's this rock chutes thing near Prescott & Sedona which is really cool. Also Painted Desert and Canyon de Chelly are awesome. I thought Petrified Forest was super underwhelming.

Northern New Mexico has lots of rad forest land around Santa Fe, great place to camp.

I think White Sands is super interesting but that's kind of far off the 40, better as a detour of the 10 or 20.

If you do the 40 you can sample each of the major types of barbecue in the US which would be fun.

Oh yeah and old route 66 is pretty cool.