3 week USA Road Trip - Help

[No_More_Larchide]

Hey guys,

My fiancé and I were going to do Greece for our Honeymoon in Sept until recent political events forced us to rethink that decision.

We are now looking into a 3 week USA road trip taking us all over the country in lieu of the European honeymoon.

There are a ton of sites that help build a trip like this, but I am looking for genuine experiences and recommendations that I can discuss with you rather than just read them off a travel site. We are both very into hiking and doing things like Yosemite park is a must.

Open to all recommendations, and "must-do's" keeping in mind this will be mid September. I have read that the heat/views of some areas, especially Utah/Arizona are the best during this time of year.

Thanks!

[Offensive Threat]

Hey guys,

My fiancé and I were going to do Greece for our Honeymoon in Sept until recent political events forced us to rethink that decision.

The crisis started in 2009....

The road trip: Are you really prepared for spending a large percent of your waking hours in the car driving? On an almost daily basis ( if you really plan on going all over the country in 3 weeks).

Are you in Vancouver/lower mainland/BC for a starting point? A west coast US road trip with a dart over to the grand canyon and las vegas would be more reasonable for a 3 week trip where you can actually spend time in each stop. One place I recommend full on for everybody is Balboa Park in San Diego. We have spent a week in San Diego 2 times because of the park and will go back again soon. It has the San Diego Zoo in it. 17 museums. 9 performing arts centers. Its just impressive top to bottom.

[No_More_Larchide]

Im aware this isn't a new issue, but its getting worse and worse...

That said, the more research I do the more sticking to the west coast/mid west areas make sense.

[LaBamba]

http://www.castatefair.org

Promise me you won't miss this. It's second only to the Texas state fair in size, the food will take years off your life.

I have been to both the Texas and California state fairs, California's isn't as awesome but it's California man, California.

[Down by the River]

Laguna Beach is a nice spot for a couple. Was there in October/November. How LB is portrayed on MTV is not reality. It is quite quaint, nice places to walk, lots of coffee shops, book stores, etc. Might not be what you are looking for, but I really enjoyed it.

Rented a place with AirBnB.

[No_More_Larchide]

http://www.castatefair.org

Promise me you won't miss this. It's second only to the Texas state fair in size, the food will take years off your life.

I have been to both the Texas and California state fairs, California's isn't as awesome but it's California man, California.

Well...I may have to, since I said we were going in September, and that runs in late July... lol, thanks for the attempt though

[Baer.]

If you're in California, go to Venice. Small town in Santa Monica. Lots of stuff to see and do. Search it on Google.

[NucksPatsFan]

3 weeks isn't really quite enough time to go all over the USA, and if somehow you do go all over the USA in 3 weeks, you sure won't be enjoying the sites as much as you will be driving through them in a rush to get to the next one.

Like someone suggested, make it a coastal trip with more time enjoying the sites.

Drive down the Oregon coast and spend a night or two at a beach hotel/bed and breakfast. Oregon coast beaches are awesome, some you can drive your car right on to the beach, the hotels/BnB's are right on the sand so when you enjoy your meals, they're romantic and on the beach.

If you and your spouse are sports fanatics, you can spend a day or 2 in San Francisco and maybe catch a 49ers game at their new stadium. Even though you may not be a fan of the 49ers/their opponent, going to an NFL game for any sports fan is quite the experience.

Once you get to southern California, there's too many romantic spots to fit into a 2-3 week window, which will be awesome for you. So many options. The vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Malibu, Santa Barbara, etc.

Want to bring the inner child out of your fiance? Take them (Sorry, don't know you so don't know if your fiance is a guy or girl) to Universal Studios, or Knotts Berry Farm, or 6 Flags, or Disneyland for the day.

West Hollywood can be romantic along Santa Monica Blvd. It's got a "small town" feeling on that few blocks stretch of road with a lot of small shops and restaraunts and it doesn't have the LA feeling to it.

Since it's a honeymoon, maybe avoid over populated tourist beaches like Santa Monica, and Venice. Try to find a nice bed and breakfast in Malibu or further down south, like someone suggested in Laguna Beach. Newport Beach is pretty nice too and not as over populated with tourists.

From Southern Cali, Vegas is only about 3-5 hours away east, and then the Grand Canyon isn't that much further from there. There's companies in Vegas that do day long tours to the Grand Canyon where you drive over in an open roof Jeep.

[ShakyWalton]

Get your kicks on Route 66...

Since 1926, driving down Route 66 has been the experience of a lifetime for travelers, adventurers, desperados and dreamers. Being the oldest Route 66 resource on the web, the Historic 66 web site is dedicated to provide information for all those who want to learn more about the legendary Mother Road.

While officially Route 66 no longer exists, a great deal of it remains to be driven and enjoyed. The turn-by-turn road description will guide you on your journey through all eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles. Not only will it help you to stay on track, but you’ll also find some background information on the hundreds of roadside attractions that dot the landscape.

The Route 66 community can gather in our forum, which is available for discussions regarding Route 66: Asking questions, sharing travel stories, recommendations, announcing events, etc.

In the picture gallery, you can find tons of inspiration for your upcoming voyage or take a trip down memory lane. Thanks to the preservation organizations, the volunteers and the business owners, a lot of these landmarks can still be admired in real life. Some treasures, however, have disappeared and can only be explored through pictures.

Are you ready for the big adventure and want to start building your own memories? As old Route 66 is not indicated on current roadmaps, you will need a detailed map and guide before hitting the road and getting your kicks on Route 66!

[Fanuck]

Unlike others, I don't like driving as part of vacationing.

There are other places in Europe you know;).

If you must do US by car, I recommend a California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada loop (or some combination thereof ?. Possibilities with these destinations are limitless!

[Langdon Algur]

If you are going to Cali it is worth checking out this guys Blog, lots of great hiking spots and a few strange random roadside attractions worth checking out.

http://californiathroughmylens.com/

Also if you are going through Oregon try staying at any of these hotels or just having a pint at one of the Micro-brews on site.

http://www.mcmenamins.com/

[Mainly Mattias]

if you're not afraid of heights, see if the cables are up still for half-dome at yosemite during that time. permits to hike it are by lottery though. Had a couple of friends do it and man, were they freaked but they did it.

also, road trip for a honeymoon..? yeah, just take a plane. save the time.

[tybarber]

I'm from a little town called Oakhurst, right next to Yosemite, and have frequented the park a lot, and this is everything you should try to do while you're there:

- It's unfortunate that in September the waterfalls will not be running, not even close. I was there on the 2nd and it was pretty dry, they're just trickling over. However, if you're late enough in September the trees in the valley might be starting to change colors, and that is a great sight to see.

- Hike half-dome. It's technically permit only, but in years past they only have a ranger checking in the morning at the cables, so you do a midnight full-moon hike and get up there to watch the sunrise, that's the best way to do it in my opinion, even if you are able to get a permit.

- If you are unable to do half dome, still hike the mist trail and go into little yosemite valley, this trail can then loop back around onto Glacier point. Also Cloud's Rest is along the same trail and worth the time. You could literally spend 3 weeks just in Yosemite, but I'm biased.

- Glacier point offers the best view for sure of everything. However, it is crowded and full of tourists and Taft point is only a short distance away and there are these rock "fissures" where water froze and cracked the rock and you can sit on the edge and literally look down 3000 ft to the valley floor, and it is SIGNIFICANTLY quieter/more peaceful. I would say just drive up to these locations, however there is a hike you can do from the valley floor to the points. While you're there, Sentinal dome is in the same area and is just a short hike away.

- A longer hike in the same area is Ostrander lake, and it's well worth it.

- Buy a couple inner tubes from a sporting good store before you get to yosemite, then you can float the Merced River and not pay ridiculous prices to rent something. It leads to a nice relaxing afternoon, however, due to the low flow you don't float very fast.

- Play golf? Hit the course in Wawona, it's a good course and close to Mariposa grove (the big redwood trees). Don't let them sucker you into getting a ride on the tram, it's not that far of a hike to the top and you can also stop at the Wawona lookout. Also, Wawona offers a cool historic town, with a blacksmith, etc. You can see how they did it in the old days. Don't go on the horse ride though, total waste of money, unless you really like riding horses.

- Have dinner in the Ahwahnee hotel.

- Don't limit yourself to just Yosemite valley, that's only 10% of the entire park. Try to make your way to Tuolumne meadows, top of El Cap, Tenaya lake, Hetch Hetchy reservoir, etc.

- If you're there during the week, Camp 4 may have some open spots and offers the cheapest campsites. Otherwise Yosemite Lodge and Ahwahnee hotel are expensive, but solid locations.

And if you have time, other points of interest that I enjoy, I went to school in San Luis Obispo and that is an awesome little town. Check out Pismo and Avila beaches. If you drive north from there along hwy 1, there's Hearst's castle and a spot shortly after where hundreds of elephant seals go to mate. Then beyond that spot is Big Sur, ton of hiking in there as well.

I tend to stay away from Cities, if that wasn't apparent. But I thoroughly enjoyed Alcatraz, and as a kid the whole D-land, Knott's berry farm, and California adventures were fun, along with Universal Studios. I didn't go to "SoCal" that often though, so I'm not super familiar. Don't go to SeaWorld though, those guys suck. You can pay a fraction of the price in BC and see something 1000 times better.

Also, Vegas is good, I don't know about for a Honeymoon though, maybe more Bachelor Party. If you are on the East side of the Sierras, you can go up the 395 and hit Mammoth and Mono Lake, it'll be hot, but also good hiking around there. You can actually cut across the Sierra's via hiking from Mammoth and end up very close to Yosemite, it's only like 16 miles or so, and you see Devil's postpile, 1 of only a few rock formations in the world that are of this nature.

Anyways, there's a billion things to do. But have fun!!

[No_More_Larchide]

I'm from a little town called Oakhurst, right next to Yosemite, and have frequented the park a lot, and this is everything you should try to do while you're there:

- It's unfortunate that in September the waterfalls will not be running, not even close. I was there on the 2nd and it was pretty dry, they're just trickling over. However, if you're late enough in September the trees in the valley might be starting to change colors, and that is a great sight to see.

- Hike half-dome. It's technically permit only, but in years past they only have a ranger checking in the morning at the cables, so you do a midnight full-moon hike and get up there to watch the sunrise, that's the best way to do it in my opinion, even if you are able to get a permit.

- If you are unable to do half dome, still hike the mist trail and go into little yosemite valley, this trail can then loop back around onto Glacier point. Also Cloud's Rest is along the same trail and worth the time. You could literally spend 3 weeks just in Yosemite, but I'm biased.

- Glacier point offers the best view for sure of everything. However, it is crowded and full of tourists and Taft point is only a short distance away and there are these rock "fissures" where water froze and cracked the rock and you can sit on the edge and literally look down 3000 ft to the valley floor, and it is SIGNIFICANTLY quieter/more peaceful. I would say just drive up to these locations, however there is a hike you can do from the valley floor to the points. While you're there, Sentinal dome is in the same area and is just a short hike away.

- A longer hike in the same area is Ostrander lake, and it's well worth it.

- Buy a couple inner tubes from a sporting good store before you get to yosemite, then you can float the Merced River and not pay ridiculous prices to rent something. It leads to a nice relaxing afternoon, however, due to the low flow you don't float very fast.

- Play golf? Hit the course in Wawona, it's a good course and close to Mariposa grove (the big redwood trees). Don't let them sucker you into getting a ride on the tram, it's not that far of a hike to the top and you can also stop at the Wawona lookout. Also, Wawona offers a cool historic town, with a blacksmith, etc. You can see how they did it in the old days. Don't go on the horse ride though, total waste of money, unless you really like riding horses.

- Have dinner in the Ahwahnee hotel.

- Don't limit yourself to just Yosemite valley, that's only 10% of the entire park. Try to make your way to Tuolumne meadows, top of El Cap, Tenaya lake, Hetch Hetchy reservoir, etc.

- If you're there during the week, Camp 4 may have some open spots and offers the cheapest campsites. Otherwise Yosemite Lodge and Ahwahnee hotel are expensive, but solid locations.

And if you have time, other points of interest that I enjoy, I went to school in San Luis Obispo and that is an awesome little town. Check out Pismo and Avila beaches. If you drive north from there along hwy 1, there's Hearst's castle and a spot shortly after where hundreds of elephant seals go to mate. Then beyond that spot is Big Sur, ton of hiking in there as well.

I tend to stay away from Cities, if that wasn't apparent. But I thoroughly enjoyed Alcatraz, and as a kid the whole D-land, Knott's berry farm, and California adventures were fun, along with Universal Studios. I didn't go to "SoCal" that often though, so I'm not super familiar. Don't go to SeaWorld though, those guys suck. You can pay a fraction of the price in BC and see something 1000 times better.

Also, Vegas is good, I don't know about for a Honeymoon though, maybe more Bachelor Party. If you are on the East side of the Sierras, you can go up the 395 and hit Mammoth and Mono Lake, it'll be hot, but also good hiking around there. You can actually cut across the Sierra's via hiking from Mammoth and end up very close to Yosemite, it's only like 16 miles or so, and you see Devil's postpile, 1 of only a few rock formations in the world that are of this nature.

Anyways, there's a billion things to do. But have fun!!

Those are great idea, and mirror some of what I have researched already. I already have the rough draft of the trip, here is the template/itinerary:

Day 1) Leave --- head to Portland

2) Drive to Redwood National Forest, camp/hike there for 2 days.

4) Drive To Napa Valley - BNB and Wine tour - 2 days

5) White water rafting in Folsom , undecided if 2 or 1 day trip right now.

6) Drive to Laguna for 2 days

7) Disneyland

8) 6 Flags - Im a big Coaster nerd, never been here...

9) Yosemite for 3-4 days.

10) Point Reyes 2 Days

11-17) Drive home over HWY 101, various stops for hiking, sleep, Sand Dune ATV, Whale Watching tours, etc...

Should be fun, I know its not a conventional honeymoon. But its stuff we like, so who cares. The expensive days in Laguna and Napa will be offset by cheap camping most of the other days, we already have full camping/hiking gear.

Im also stocking on as much Russian River Pliney the Elder/Younger I can find / bring back...

[CanuckGAME]

If you somehow make it to Willows, California. DO NOT STOP. KEEP DRIVING. Unless feeling like you're going to get eaten by a bunch of inbred hillbilly canibals is your thing. Creepiest place ive ever been in my life. My car broke down and i had to spend the night at a motel there. Didnt think i was going to make it through the night.

I wish i was exagerating, i really do, but i woke up at 3am to the sounds of someone playing the banjo so hard like their life depended on it.

[Kragar]

Those are great idea, and mirror some of what I have researched already. I already have the rough draft of the trip, here is the template/itinerary:

Day 1) Leave --- head to Portland

2) Drive to Redwood National Forest, camp/hike there for 2 days.

4) Drive To Napa Valley - BNB and Wine tour - 2 days

5) White water rafting in Folsom , undecided if 2 or 1 day trip right now.

6) Drive to Laguna for 2 days

7) Disneyland

8) 6 Flags - Im a big Coaster nerd, never been here...

9) Yosemite for 3-4 days.

10) Point Reyes 2 Days

11-17) Drive home over HWY 101, various stops for hiking, sleep, Sand Dune ATV, Whale Watching tours, etc...

Should be fun, I know its not a conventional honeymoon. But its stuff we like, so who cares. The expensive days in Laguna and Napa will be offset by cheap camping most of the other days, we already have full camping/hiking gear.

Im also stocking on as much Russian River Pliney the Elder/Younger I can find / bring back...

If you are going to Disneyland, I recommend going mid-week to avoid the crowds, especially if you are trying to do it in one day. There are two parks, Disneyland and California Adventure. Disneyland has considerably more rides, but CA Adventure has some amazing ones (Radiator Springs is great, Soaring over CA is pretty cool... same concept, older but not as good as Flying over Canada at Canada Place). 2 days should be fine without kids... learn how to use Fast Passes to make the most of your visit there.

Coasters at Disney don't measure up to Magic Mountain (6 Flags) if you are into the rush, so maybe 1 day at DLand is sufficient. But if you or your fiance are into all the Disney and haven't been there before, 1 day will be tough to see it all.

An earlier poster recommended the San Diego Zoo. It is good, but the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is much better, IMO. It's like Jurassic Park, with lots of wide open spaces for non-carnivores to wander. There are smaller enclosures too, and good lion and tiger exhibits. It just feels so much better at the Safari Park. If you can, see both, assuming you are interested in that kind of thing.

You've made some good choices! Enjoy

[No_More_Larchide]

If you are going to Disneyland, I recommend going mid-week to avoid the crowds, especially if you are trying to do it in one day. There are two parks, Disneyland and California Adventure. Disneyland has considerably more rides, but CA Adventure has some amazing ones (Radiator Springs is great, Soaring over CA is pretty cool... same concept, older but not as good as Flying over Canada at Canada Place). 2 days should be fine without kids... learn how to use Fast Passes to make the most of your visit there.

Coasters at Disney don't measure up to Magic Mountain (6 Flags) if you are into the rush, so maybe 1 day at DLand is sufficient. But if you or your fiance are into all the Disney and haven't been there before, 1 day will be tough to see it all.

An earlier poster recommended the San Diego Zoo. It is good, but the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is much better, IMO. It's like Jurassic Park, with lots of wide open spaces for non-carnivores to wander. There are smaller enclosures too, and good lion and tiger exhibits. It just feels so much better at the Safari Park. If you can, see both, assuming you are interested in that kind of thing.

You've made some good choices! Enjoy

Weve both done Disney many times as kids. Im 100% aware of fast pass, and the diff bwtn Disland and Cali Adventures, but I appreciate the tips! I think ive been to Disneyland 5x as a kid, so has she. Were planning on going on a Tuesday, to avoid crowds.

Im good at planning, I just wanted to get some ideas for stops/ must sees that I would miss from a google search.

[mcgillnuck]

I just finished a 2-week roadtrip starting from Vancouver. We did:

Vancouver-->Kelowna-->Yellowstone-->Grand Canyon-->Las Vegas-->Disneyland-->San Fran-->Oregon Dunes-->Portland-->Home

It was a lot of driving over 2 weeks, but 3 would be a lot more comfortable.

[Hobbes!!!]

I love love love roadtrips. But, man, this does not sound like fun at all. Sounds more like a chore to try to get through all of the U.S. in 3 weeks. Even the thought of a roadtrip for a honeymoon isn't appealing. After the wedding you'll both be so wiped and then you'll have to drive around for 3 weeks. Gross.

Just fly to an all inclusive resort somewhere and sit on the beach all day. Or go to another country - ie Turkey, UAE

[No_More_Larchide]

I love love love roadtrips. But, man, this does not sound like fun at all. Sounds more like a chore to try to get through all of the U.S. in 3 weeks. Even the thought of a roadtrip for a honeymoon isn't appealing. After the wedding you'll both be so wiped and then you'll have to drive around for 3 weeks. Gross.

Just fly to an all inclusive resort somewhere and sit on the beach all day. Or go to another country - ie Turkey, UAE

Obliviously you didnt read more of the thread, based on research and opinions, were limiting it to a west coast / oregon/cali trip. There are no days on the itinerary that were driving more than 4-5 hours, and its a month after our wedding, as that happens to be when we were able to get time off together... I also have 2-3 day stops along the way with no driving all over the place...