MaxieMan98 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Next year after I graduate from high school, a couple friends of mine (6 of us altogether) are planning on going on a road trip to LA. I made this thread for a few reasons. I have a lot of questions and worries and would like to get input. Is this a smart idea? All 6 of us plan on attending university in the fall of the following year. I can’t speak for my friends, but I am planning on heading out east for school and don’t want to burden my family. How much money should I put aside for this trip? As of right now only one of us has an N. By that time next year 5 of us should have an N. When we get to the border will we undergo any type of questioning that could send this trip downhill? Are what we are planning to do is legal? Another question I have is in terms of accommodation. What would be the best plan in terms of accommodation? This trip is probably going to be anywhere from 7-10 days. We have a buddy who is living in San Fran( a place we want to go) and his parents said we could crash there for a night. Aside from that we are clueless. Hostel, Motel or Hotel? Which would be the safest and cheapest? The second reason why I made this thread is that I would like to hear any stories that people might have had by doing something like this. Also any cool places that are along the I-5 or not too far of it that might be worth checking out. Don’t hesitate to share your opinions or stories, good or bad. Thanks!! EDIT:What I failed to tell you guys is that my buddy with the N had his test in January of this year and should have his full license by the time we leave. (Knock on wood) Link to comment
Gstank29 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 IF you have your N you can only take one person with you. If you are under 18 and crossing the boarder with friends then you need written consent from that persons parents and you will probably be searched at the boarder You can always tent your way down to SanFransico or rent a motor home (i think they are like 200-300 a day but you need to find Walmarts or camp sites which can cost up to 60 a night). Also to rent one you need to have your full license and be a certain age. Sleeping in your car or camping is your best opinion. Also don't count on your friend for accommodations, I would get a hotel room in your final destination. I doubt this persons parents would be happy having 6 18 year old boys over at their place for a day or two. Link to comment
riffraff Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Try go for a bit longer ...that's a short trip to drive that far. Don't get me wrong it's totally doable but you may feel rushed. My brother, a buddy and myself once drove in shifts all the way to San Diego with stops only for coffee. We I5'd it down then 101'd it all the way back which as an awesome route if you have the time. I've driven this trip twice myself/buddy/friends same route each time. Weed, California is a funny place to stop and get a tee shirt. The purpose of my trip was to surf so I took My time on the 101 on the way back....I slept in the car/truck anywhere I stopped. I've camped and once in seaside, Oregon we ended up at a party and people said that all the seasonal homes were empty and sometimes unlocked....we played that one safe though. My first time I was 18 too. I just finished restoring a vw beetle in shop class and couldn't wait to christen it with a roadie....so my best friend and I drove to Cali....didn't even have the wipers or working signal lights yet as it was just out if the spray booth.... I highly recommend this trip.... Just do it....don't think about it too much....crank the tunes, pound the red bull and drive dude. Link to comment
MaxieMan98 Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Try go for a bit longer ...that's a short trip to drive that far. Don't get me wrong it's totally doable but you may feel rushed. My brother, a buddy and myself once drove in shifts all the way to San Diego with stops only for coffee. We I5'd it down then 101'd it all the way back which as an awesome route if you have the time. I've driven this trip twice myself/buddy/friends same route each time. Weed, California is a funny place to stop and get a tee shirt. The purpose of my trip was to surf so I took My time on the 101 on the way back....I slept in the car/truck anywhere I stopped. I've camped and once in seaside, Oregon we ended up at a party and people said that all the seasonal homes were empty and sometimes unlocked....we played that one safe though. My first time I was 18 too. I just finished restoring a vw beetle in shop class and couldn't wait to christen it with a roadie....so my best friend and I drove to Cali....didn't even have the wipers or working signal lights yet as it was just out if the spray booth.... I highly recommend this trip.... Just do it....don't think about it too much....crank the tunes, pound the red bull and drive dude. Thanks for your input, would definitely be interested in taking a similar trip that you did. Two of my favorite places in Oregon are Seaside and Florence, so I will definitely keep that in mind!! Link to comment
riffraff Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thanks for your input, would definitely be interested in taking a similar trip that you did. Two of my favorite places in Oregon are Seaside and Florence, so I will definitely keep that in mind!! Yeah Oregon is underrated.... Florence is awesome... The beaches are beautiful with spectacular scenery.... The only downer is it's often overcast..... A little jewel I found is pacific city, Oregon. Link to comment
NucksPatsFan Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 My buddies and I did a road trip to LA after graduating from high school as well. We drove in shifts and got down to LA in about 19-20 hours. Book your hotel through hotwire, we got a hotel for 8 nights near the Sunset strip for about $65 a night. Since we were fresh out of high school and cared more about cost cutting than personal space, the 4 of us all stayed in the same room since it was only gonna be used to sleep at night. It came to about 17 bucks a person per night and we had sleeping bags and switched up who got the bed every night. Before you book on hotwire, make sure you pick a hotel where a person who is 18 can check in, since a lot of hotels are 21+ to check in. When you're there, definitely go see all the sights that you've heard about (santa monica pier, venice beach, go surf at huntington, drive up the PCH to Malibu, etc. If you're a TV show/movie fan, go do the warner brothers studio tour. Universal studios tour isn't as good, but they have rides at universal. Hollywood BLVD is over rated and kind of gross. Just set aside an hour or two for it. If you're into celeb spotting, go hang outside Katsuya on the corner of Vine and Hollywood and you're guaranteed to see someone, especially on a weekend night. Or go hang outside one of the many popular clubs. Also just walking up/down Sunset on most night's you're bound to see someone (we ran into Kevin Hart, among others, on the sidewalk across from Sunset plaza on our way to a convenience store lol). You can also do the TMZ tour or the starline tour, they're "meant" for celeb spotting, but they take you around Hollywood to a lot of places you normally wouldn't go. For example, they take you for a drive in an open-roofed van/bus through the Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Rodeo Drive, the hollywood sign etc. It's a good way to see a lot of Hollywood. Go see a show at The Laugh Factory, you can buy tickets online, though you might not be able to if it's 21+ (We didn't go to laugh factory in our post-grad trip, we went a few years later when we went back to LA). Link to comment
Gstank29 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Anywhere on the Oregan Coast is a good place to stop. Link to comment
thejazz97 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I hear Rosecranz is a good tourist attraction /s Link to comment
brilac Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 That sound likes fun! I'd love to take road trip, and/or go camping! For the border, who knows, maybe. I used to have an old passport, and everytime I crossed the border, both sides, it was some Q&A time. When the new passport arrived, the Q&A time cut down to 10-30 seconds, both sides. My last border experience was amazing, I was thinking - woah, how did you know that was my luggage?! In Toronto, at the airport, your picture is taken by a machine and then printed, and your passport is out all times when going thru Immigration for my US flight and checked many times. I got up to the Agent, and he asked me what I did in Montreal, and it's one of those things where you cannot say while thinking - what do you think I did.. with the Habs logo shaved on the side of my head.., but say, I went to a Canadiens game. Then the Agent asks me how much checked luggage I have, and I say one, and he turns around his monitor, and says - is this your luggage? And I am thinking - woah, it is, woah, everything is tied to the passport, boarding pass!. Anyhow, they don't do that at the US border while driving across. Maybe a few questions if your passport, other documentation, whatever they accept is current. I use a passport, and I also have an Ench ID card for those spare of the moment occassions. Link to comment
Lillooet_Hillbilly Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 if you get into a american strip joint and they say throw dollar bills, dont be flicking loonies at them they really hate that Link to comment
YEGCanuck Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 As mentioned driving south on Highway 101 along the Oregon and northern California coast is simply the best. Checkout the Big Sur and the Redwood forest. If you have the time travel some of the secondary highways in California vs the I-5 to get a true taste of the diversity of the Golden state. Link to comment
LuckyLuciano Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Don't get shot breh! Make sure yer packn some serious heat! Link to comment
Offensive Threat Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Did Victoria to San Diego and everywhere in between the summer between grade 11 and 12. A little over a month sleeping in tents and the car. 4 of us in a $500 POS Honda Civic (no AC in LA in July is not a good idea). Oldest one of us was 17. The car didnt make it all the way back. Crapped out in Eugene Oregon and we sold it to the guy at the gas station for $50. Bused it the rest of the way home. My budget was somewhere around $20 a day including gas. Nobody had a problem with our age at the border but that was back in 1984... It seems to be a lot more fun if its on a shoestring budget for some reason. My Dad didnt want us to go but since he missed the first month of his grade 12 due to a summer driving from Toronto to Vancouver to LA to Miami and back with his buddy he didint really have much of an argument against it. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.