USA travel from NY to LAX in car 2 months to do it

[Fatcat]

Hi Forum

Nothing related to watches today 😀)))

covid as also good things , HR are tracking people to get the vacation saldo used, if US members have some advise it will be appreciated .

The plan is to move around the US for 2 Months next summer , landing in NYC and…. , going north a little bit to Niagara and later Chicago , and maybe a single flight south to Washington south, tenesse , florida , louisianna, texas i have to pass to the oshkosh air show also , vegas , california.

We are not a familly of museums of big historical stuff of course a couple of days ,and some big cities ( chicago, washington, nashville, Florida ( orlando) , we will drive easely in beetween 4 to 5 hours every day.

if you have any advise or maybe already done some kind of trip ,we will do car and hotels.

Many thanks for any hints

PAUL

 

[abrod520]

Oshkosh is in Wisconsin, which is closer to Chicago and Niagara Falls so you may want to schedule your trips to that part of the country around EAA.

Washington, DC can be easily reached by car from NYC (~2.5 to 3 hours) or by our best attempt at high-speed rail, Acela. Simple day or weekend trip.

Tennessee is south of NYC, but Louisiana and Texas are in the opposite direction from Orlando so they will most likely require separate trips.

Driving from the East coast to Las Vegas would take at least a few days in itself (even at 10hrs/day in the car), and even driving from Texas would be a significant time commitment - so I would recommend flying to Las Vegas, then driving from there to southern California (~6 hours) and then driving north up the coast of California over a day or two.

 

[BlackTalon]

Grand Canyon is worth a visit. Maybe the redwood forest in northern CA. And x2 on the CA coast -- very nice scenery. Can combine that with a drive through Sonoma and/ or Napa valleys.

New Orleans is a fun place to visit, but not sure if summertime is the best time to go.

 

[arturo7]

New Orleans is a must if you like music.

For an incredibly scenic drive, Denver to Vegas, 70 West to 15 South.

 

[time flies]

Key West Florida can be amusing.

have fun
kfw

 

[pdxleaf]

This is tough. The states are huge and varied. Also depends on where you are living now and used to seeing. Planning your route will be difficult.

Wash DC is a must for Americans. Although you aren't looking for museums, the Smithsonians are fantastic. Air and space, national art gallery, etc. The monuments are great, especially at night. It's surreal the first time you go.

Boston and Philly have a lot of American history.

Vermont has beautiful rolling hills and calendar worthy farm land. Nyc has high energy and is a kick for driving around, shows, shopping. Manhattan alone is worth the trip. Eating and getting lost.

Tennessee and smoky mountains will take you south through great scenery. Charleston is supposed to be beautiful but haven't been yet. Keys in Florida were fun. Birmingham Alabama has great ribs. Memphis has Elvis Presley's house. It is like walking into the 70's. Poor misunderstood country boy. Blues. Austin Texas has great music and food.

The West is unusual for most Europeans. Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park are pretty unique. Crowded so you have to plan ahead. Palm Springs has a better vibe than Vegas. I personally hate Vegas. Santa Fe New Mexico is nice, Durango Colorado and the Rockies are beautiful. Some of areas get really hot too so you have to plan for that.

The teton mountains and Yellowstone are great. The Pacific Northwest is awesome. Seattle is one of the most beautiful American cities. Victoria BC is not far from there and worth a visit. Southern Oregon Nd northern California have Redwoods and Sequoias, which if you haven't seen you will remember the rest of your life. Trees bigger than you can imagine. Driving down the Oregon coast to California is beautiful. Big Sur in California is great. Monterrey in California is beautiful and the aquarium is worth visiting. San Diego zoo is great, as is San Diego.

There's alot of driving in between. Most major highways get you there quicker but you miss the towns and don't see as much. Prepare for more trash and trailers than England.

You will miss alot. But you have to save something for next time.

Alaska! Way out of the way but you can fly there from Seattle. One of the few places on Earth where you can be eaten in the wild. Just going to Ancourage and driving to Seward for a boat trip is worth it.

Not a great help but your question is pretty broad.

Prepare for crowds. People are sick of being cooped up. Maybe you'll be lucky and all the Americans will be visiting somewhere else.

 

[Fatcat]

Thanks for all the hints already, will focus a little bit the things and come back .

paul

 

[lillatroll]

That is a lot to cram into such a small amount of time. I think internal flights are quite reasonable in America, especially if your suitcase is able to fit in the cabin. ( You won’t wear or use 3/4 of what you take) NYC, Boston and Washington DC are easily accessible by train and dont take long to travel to by train. I don’t know how much car hire or fuel etc cost in the US, but it might be more economical to hire a car in state then fly to another state and hire a car there, etc etc. Its a fantastic country to visit and what ever route you choose, I am sure you will love it.

 

[Donn Chambers]

Fatcat

Hi Forum

Nothing related to watches today 😀)))

covid as also good things , HR are tracking people to get the vacation saldo used, if US members have some advise it will be appreciated .

The plan is to move around the US for 2 Months next summer , landing in NYC and…. , going north a little bit to Niagara and later Chicago , and maybe a single flight south to Washington south, tenesse , florida , louisianna, texas i have to pass to the oshkosh air show also , vegas , california.

We are not a familly of museums of big historical stuff of course a couple of days ,and some big cities ( chicago, washington, nashville, Florida ( orlando) , we will drive easely in beetween 4 to 5 hours every day.

if you have any advise or maybe already done some kind of trip ,we will do car and hotels.

Many thanks for any hints

PAUL

Unless you are a huge fan of Disney or amusement parks, there are a lot nicer places to visit in Florida than Orlando! For instance, St. Augustine (oldest city in US), Kennedy Space Center, and on the Gulf Coast side: Tampa (Ybor City), St. Petersburg, Sarasota.

This is from a current Florida resident (living in St. Pete), but also someone who detests Disney parks!

 

[time flies]

Hershey Park in Hershey Pennsylvania is a nice amusement park. Smaller and easy to walk with some wonderful roller-coaster and a water park element. Chocolate World tells you more than you ever need to know about the development of Hershey Chocolate. Plus...the ACCA Antique Automobile Museum. Not to mention Three Mile Island nuclear generating facility. The site of a almost real China Syndrome. It's being decommissioned. See it before they tear it down. Then there's the whole Interactive Amish experience in Lancaster County. Check out Bird in Hand, Blue Ball and Intercourse. All a short buggy ride to Paradise. OK...enough.


have fun
kfw

 

[STANDY]

Traveled to the US from Aus a bit for work over the years.

Don’t eat for a week before you go.
Take the least amount of cloths and stuff you need and buy as you see fit. Things like clothing and toiletries are cheap compared to the UK ( think your from the UK IIRC )
Some of the best days out to big attractions (Grand Canyon type stuff) are pick up and drop back at hotel even if you have a car. Pay the tour guide that knows the ropes
The 5 star thing doesn’t work the same as the rest of the world hotel wise. You will work it out. There is 3,4 and 5 star rooms in a 5 star hotel 😉

 

[arturo7]

Donn Chambers

Unless you are a huge fan of Disney or amusement parks, there are a lot nicer places to visit in Florida than Orlando! For instance, St. Augustine (oldest city in US), Kennedy Space Center, and on the Gulf Coast side: Tampa (Ybor City), St. Petersburg, Sarasota.

This is from a current Florida resident (living in St. Pete), but also someone who detests Disney parks!

Gotta agree on Orlando. The whole town is tourist trap. The restaurants are bloody horrible. They don't care about quality because they know you won't be back.

 

[Dan S]

Definitely don't come to Colorado. Nothing to see here. Actually, if you're coming in the summer, the whole western part of the country will probably be burning anyway. 👎

 

[MRC]

abrod520

Washington, DC can be easily reached by car from NYC (~2.5 to 3 hours) or by our best attempt at high-speed rail, Acela. Simple day or weekend trip.

But would mean missing out on seeing the New Yorkers packing the Jersey Shore and the scenic Pine Barrens.


Mmmmm, see your point. Do Jersey in the winter, much better. Fewer mosquitoes too.


Most places I went in the USA & Canada were airport - hotel - office - hotel - office - airport, but the scenery is truly spectacular and it's true about the Sequoias. Saw a bobcat there too (but none in 3 years on the Jersey Shore or another 3 years in the Boston suburbs 🙁 )

 

[JPE.88305]

Fatcat

Hi Forum

Nothing related to watches today 😀)))

covid as also good things , HR are tracking people to get the vacation saldo used, if US members have some advise it will be appreciated .

The plan is to move around the US for 2 Months next summer , landing in NYC and…. , going north a little bit to Niagara and later Chicago , and maybe a single flight south to Washington south, tenesse , florida , louisianna, texas i have to pass to the oshkosh air show also , vegas , california.

We are not a familly of museums of big historical stuff of course a couple of days ,and some big cities ( chicago, washington, nashville, Florida ( orlando) , we will drive easely in beetween 4 to 5 hours every day.

if you have any advise or maybe already done some kind of trip ,we will do car and hotels.

Many thanks for any hints

PAUL

If you are going to Niagara and need to get to Oshkosh for the airshow, I strongly recommend making your way through Northern MI/WI (and/or Canada if the COVID travel laws don't restrict it) to see some of the northern great lakes...it is a truly beautiful part of the country and not particularly touristy except for local tourism. Mackniaw Island, the upper peninsula of Michigan, along the shores of Lake Superior (north shore is akin to Maine/east coast, while south shore--Pictured Rocks National Lakesore in the UP, or Sleeping Bear Dunes--is akin to southern US beaches (though with colder water).

https://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

https://i.redd.it/5hq1o0qdh8tx.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/75/1b/bf/751bbf96fdd4ec2917c1e67cde205016.jpg

 

[Syzygy]

You have two months, which may seem like a lot of time, but my advice would be to pick a few places and slow down...you won't be able to see it all. If you try to jam too much in, you'll miss much of the true flavor of each location, and you'll spend most of your time looking through the windshield of your car at the back side of tractor trailers (aka 'lorry').

Great suggests in previous posts. Pick a couple regions and spend some true time exploring rather than blasting through.

Happy travels!

 

[MRC]

Further sugestions -- avoid hotel chains and restaurant chains. Yes you'll know exactly what you'll be getting but worse you'll be getting almost the same wherever you go. When exploring I always tried to find local places to stay or eat. But be warned if you are used to finding eating places open after mid-evening unless in the big cities you won't find any. I used to joke with my boss that when I was sent to some "remote" place I wanted food parcels sent in regularly because I knew I'd be working until late most days. Hard liquor I could carry enough myself, and thankfully I'm told there is a much better choice of beers than when I was there.

 

[gatorcpa]

MRC

When exploring I always tried to find local places to stay or eat

A little hint about the above. When you are travelling through smaller towns, you want to find out where the police hang out. This has nothing to do with the crime rate, but everything to do with the quality of the food. Cops know where the best food is. If they are all at the local chain restaurant (McDonalds or Appleby's for example), then that is the best place and you should skip over to the the next town.

Good luck with the trip!
gatorcpa

PS - I agree with what was said about Orlando. Not much there outside of the theme parks. If you come down to SE Florida, I would also avoid South Beach like the plague, unless you like getting gouged for parking and overpriced food for tourists.

 

[140dave]

California- Yosemite and Big Sur; drive through San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey/Pebble Beach between the two.
Agree with all that say avoid Orlando, I'll take it a step further and just say skip Florida altogether and spend that time out west. If you really need a Disney Park we've got one here too.

 

[mjb]

Paul, you don't mention where you are from or your interests. Some of my suggestions, some are duplicates of above:

- Charleston SC
- Key West (specifically, go to Miami and drive down)
- Kennedy Space Center (Titusville, Florida) if you're into that stuff
- New Orleans is overrated, but probably worth seeing for the experience. Ditto Las Vegas.
- San Francisco.
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Spend enough time in NYC to enjoy it
- Los Angeles if you like that kind of thing. If you do, I strongly urge you to travel by car via PCH between LA and San Fran.

Places to avoid, I agree includes Orlando.