|
|
Fatherof4
NJ
New Member
Joined: 08/07/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
 Offline
|
I will be traveling from Los Angeles to NJ on August 24, and have around 10 days to make the trip. I'd prefer to travel no more than 350 to 400 miles per day. Any opinions on the best route that will give us "bang for the buck"? Kids are 10 and 5. I mapped out a route making stops in Phoenix, Las Cruces, NM, San Antonio, TX, Galveston, TX, New Orleans, LA, Pensacola, FL, Tybee Island, GA, Myrtle Beach SC, and Ocean City, MD.
I'm wondering if anyone has made this trip and can offer any suggestions on an alternative route. Prefer some stops to have educational value, but this is a vacation. On the flip side, the kids are young, so a purely "scenic" route won't cut it either.
We are traveling in a 24' Class C and are open to all suggestions.
|
Dick_B
Palos Heights, IL USA
Senior Member
Joined: 07/10/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Is that 10 days out and back or 10 days each way?
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2003 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two bikes (both Electric Schwinn's with motor assist)
|
lane hog
Tucson, AZ
Senior Member
Joined: 07/06/2003
View Profile
|
Tucson is a good 7-8 hour drive from LA. Old Tucson (old movie studio lot turned tourist attraction) might be interesting if they want a taste of the old west as it appeared on TV and in movies... You can get the same thing in Tombstone, but without the admission price, but that's a slight detour off I-10.
Can't think of much worth seeing in southern NM for the kids...
Entering TX, if you detour a little at El Paso, it only adds about 60 miles of driving to head over to Carlsbad Caverns, and then back down to Fort Stockton to pick up I-10 again. Might even be flatter that way. Good roads the entire way, and a lot more impressive than Karchner. About 30 miles before the caves is Guadalupe National Park's Pine Springs campground. Small without hookups, and can fill up, but it works as good halfway point for us in both directions, and was a great place to start out from to do the cave tour in the morning.
From there, the drive to SAT is our longest day of driving (not much to see, so best to just push on and change drivers at some point...).
Bring personal DVD players and lots of movies for the rest of the stretch to San Antonio. It's all scenic for the adults...
In San Antonio, good break point at either Fiesta Texas (especially if you have Six Flags seasons passes) or Sea World. The Alamo is interesting, as is the river walk.
I'll leave the rest of the route to someone else. We drive between TX and AZ quite a bit, but haven't gone past New Orleans in a long time.
- 2005 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C (was a three-time Jayco owner)
- 1997 KarTote Dolly pulling a Honda Odyssey or Jeep Cherokee (had Ram 2500 CTD, Durango, Liberty...)
- Onan Microquiet 4000, plus 130W solar and Honda EU2000i twins for backup
|
WTTCS
freedom , U.S.A.
Senior Member
Joined: 07/28/2003
View Profile
|
Allow me to play devil's advocate , hoping it might help you decided. I see you are from NJ, and are leaving LA to return home. Working on that assumption, and that your kids are the ages you posted.
LA to Phoenix, first day. arrive 3pm ish, now what are you gong to do there until the kids go to bed and how long will you have to do it?
Phoenix to Las Cruces NM unless u have family there, I cannot imagine stopping there except to fuel.
Las Cruces to San Ant. one hard days driving and then you can go to the riverwalk at night, cause it will be too late to see or do anything else.
San Ant to Galveston again you will arrive after noon, and you can sit on the beach for a hour or so before dark, as there aint nothing else to do in that town.
Galveston to Nola.........another day of driving and a few short lhours of sightseeing, but no worry , it will be late enough for the kids to go to bed and you and her can go get a drink on the bourbon street.
Nola to Penscola..... another day of driving , by that I mean if you leave at 9am you will get there, check in and set up , just in time to make supper and get the kids ready for bed.
Penscola to Tybee island, same as above.
Tybee Island to MBch, not too bad and after parking etc, you can get in a game of min golf with the kids.
Tybee Island to Ocean Beach. You gonna be tired.................
Personally I think that you are killing a good vacation with too many miles, too many must see places and too little time with too much driving.
1997 chev crew cab 454, 5 sp. 4.10
2000 Fleetwood Caribou 11.5
2006 3500RL Montana
|
newk
Gillette, WY
Senior Member
Joined: 08/18/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
For an August trip, I'd hightail it out of the hottest parts of the country just as fast as I could. Colorado has lots of interesting places to see and plenty for kids to do. So does Missouri with the Ozarks -- not that it'll be cool, but by the end of August it should be almost tolerable.
|
|
|
Happy_Trails
Fulltime, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 11/21/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Fatherof4 wrote:I will be traveling from Los Angeles to NJ on August 24, and have around 10 days to make the trip. I'd prefer to travel no more than 350 to 400 miles per day. Any opinions on the best route that will give us "bang for the buck"? Kids are 10 and 5. I mapped out a route making stops in Phoenix,
I'd go with a more northern route, Phoenix has been having RECORD HIGHS for the longest time in recorded history. Temps have hit over 110, you do not want to arrive there around 3pm... If you go that way, drive at night and sleep in the day.
I'd take them to see some things in CA first, if you have time. Go North, to Yosemite, San Francisco, to Tahoe, then head east...
Bob & Nadine
1984 Allegro 23 feet, always at home!
Living Life With a "Golden Age Passport"
and Thousand Trails VIP Membership, Priceless!.
|
Fatherof4
NJ
New Member
Joined: 08/07/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Thanks for the responses. First, it is a one way trip. I mapped out the southern route only because it would eventually get me to to an area that I am familiar with (the southeast). My experiences in the west have been Los Angeles over 30 years ago (haha) and a few trips to Las Vegas by air, never leaving the city itself.
The kids are young, and this is a work in progress. I looked at the old Route 66...any comments?...but again, it looks like long segments without much to see. I've heard that a last minute visit to the Grand Canyon is out of the question, as almost all accommodations are booked over a year in advance. Is that true or urban legend???
The plan of 350 to 400 miles is a rough target. I generally start moving at 5am and would prefer to not drive past noon.
Have I bit off more than I can chew???
|
Busskipper
Arnold,Md
Senior Member
Joined: 11/25/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Fatherof4 wrote:Thanks for the responses. First, it is a one way trip. I mapped out the southern route only because it would eventually get me to to an area that I am familiar with (the southeast). My experiences in the west have been Los Angeles over 30 years ago (haha) and a few trips to Las Vegas by air, never leaving the city itself.
The kids are young, and this is a work in progress. I looked at the old Route 66...any comments?...but again, it looks like long segments without much to see. I've heard that a last minute visit to the Grand Canyon is out of the question, as almost all accommodations are booked over a year in advance. Is that true or urban legend???
The plan of 350 to 400 miles is a rough target. I generally start moving at 5am and would prefer to not drive past noon.
Have I bit off more than I can chew???
For the Kids you should really look at the Northern Route
Utah; Zion – Bryce -- Rt 12 – Kodachrome SP – Capital Reef – Goblins – Colorado – Vail – Colorado River – RMNP – Estes -- Rapid City then hustle home – ( just not enough time to try YNP) You may have some issues with reservations but school is starting and the competition should be light.
While not cool the entire route it should be much better than anything in the south.
JMHO,
Busskipper
Maryland/Colorado
Travel Supreme 42DS04
MDX-FMCA--M&G Brake
States traveled in this Coach
|
WTTCS
freedom , U.S.A.
Senior Member
Joined: 07/28/2003
View Profile
|
350 to 400 miles per day @ 50 mph is roughly a 7-8 hr driving per day. Thats pretty tough going . One day maybe 2, but more than that and I think you are just making it worse. I suggest you pick 3 places for the kids to see and make arrangmeents around them. I think they would enjoy it a whole lot more that way .
|
Happy_Trails
Fulltime, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 11/21/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Fatherof4 wrote:
The kids are young, and this is a work in progress. I looked at the old Route 66...any comments?...but again, it looks like long segments without much to see.
No matter which route you take cross country there are segments without much to see. Miles and miles of desert or farmland, etc... but in my opinion it would be of more interest to adults. Parts of the route are sharp curves, coming out of Oatman especially, in a Van or towing a smaller trailer it might be doable, but I'd not do it in Motorhome.
Fatherof4 wrote:I've heard that a last minute visit to the Grand Canyon is out of the question, as almost all accommodations are booked over a year in advance. Is that true or urban legend???
Urban Legend.
It depends on how you are going and where you want to stay. Even in the Lodges, they are not as busy today as years ago, but advance reservations are advised. Attendance in National Parks is down over 30%, some over 60. Many times lodges and motels have cancellations days before that are available. IF in an RV, the N.P. says make reservations at least 5 days in advance, especially if you want a site with full hookups. We got space in Mather Campground in the Grand Canyon twice this year on a weekday, the same day. Weekends are busier, so definitely make reservations for them. No hookups, restrooms with showers available. Real nice campground...
A Visitor to our campsite in Mather:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
