OT: Roadtripping the USA Here and Now!, Travel updates on the last pg.. Options

[ConeDodger]

While in Salt Lake City be sure to meet up with Eric Shea and others who are local. In Las Vegas be sure to make time to see Renegade's operations. Lots of 914 "options" to be seen there. In LA meet up with the NARP (Not A Real Porsche) gang.

In New Orleans be sure to ride the street cars and go to Bourbon Street. The Garden District is great for old mansion viewing. You are pretty safe on Bourbon Street, well except for your liver. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) I have personally never seen so much drinking going on with out a fight in my life. Watch the girls walking down the streets because they show their titties for beads thrown from the balconies. You don't say when you will be there but Mardi Gras is around that time. The music is amazing. Blues, jazz, zydeco, it is all there. Be sure to go to a cemetary. New Orleans is at or below sea level so bodies are buried above ground. The monuments and gargoyles are truly amazing. As someone has already said, be sure to stay in the tourist areas. Before Hurricane Katrina it was pretty safe to walk around especially in the daytime but the devastation from the hurricane has made for some desperate people who will do things they might not have thought of before the hurricane.

Take a tour at NASA when in Houston. I was assigned for a time to NASA while I was in the military and if you guys are engineers you will appreciate the amazing tour at Johnson Space Center.

[johnnie5]

You guys are driving I-15 south from Salt Lake to Vegas, via Beaver? You must know someone in Beaver? A must stop and see is Zion National park. Leaving Beaver, you will drive through Cedar City. Between Cedar City and (just before you get to) Saint George is the turn off for Zion National Park. It is only a 50 mile detour off I-15 and back, and well worth the stop. I would highly recommend staying a day or two and doing some of the hikes in the park, such as the narrows...very impressive. March should be late enough in the season for the snow there to be minimal. At very least, stop there for lunch and drive through the park, you guys will not regret it.

[IronHillRestorations]

I'm halfway between Memphis and Nashville, and have a spare room. We are about 15 miles south of I 40 which is a main east/west interstate, if that works out for your travel route.

You can do a very easy 300 miles in six hours. I did 600 miles and picked up a car two weeks ago using primarily state two lane roads in 13 hours, if that gives you any point of reference.

[johnnie5]

I'm halfway between Memphis and Nashville, and have a spare room. We are about 15 miles south of I 40 which is a main east/west interstate, if that works out for your travel route.

You can do a very easy 300 miles in six hours. I did 600 miles and picked up a car two weeks ago using primarily state two lane roads in 13 hours, if that gives you any point of reference.

600 miles in 13 hours? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I do San Diego to Salt Lake and back several times a year. Its 750 miles each way, I do it in 11 hours regularly (with stops).... going 5 mph over whatever the posted speed limit is.

[effutuo101]

Wow! What a trip you have planned.
I will put a plug in for Seattle.

300 miles is only 4 hours of driving. So, depending on where you are at, you might want to up that. Like, oh, Nebraska and Wyoming and South Dakota. traverse much at night and wake up to some great views.

Wyoming. Gran Tetons. Devils Tower, Yellowstone.

Utah. Vast beauty. Check out
http://www.utah.com/stateparks/coral_pink.htm
a short drive through Zion National park, then off to Vegas for you.

If I was driving, it would be:
Colorado: I 70 through the mountains.

Utah. MOAB, Salt Lake. Stop in Windover and check out the salt flats.
A night drive through the desert to San Francisco. You won't miss anything.

California, S.F to L.A on the 1 (hwy 1). Overnight in Montery or by Hurst castle.
Pismo beach, Santa Cruz (fish and chips on the pier)

Nevada. Vegas, then a day trip north to Utah again.

Utah for Zion National park and the Coral Dunes.

Arizona. Grand Canyon, Flagstaff then west on Rt 66 to New Mexico. (my wife loved this drive)

[hot_shoe914]

I am in Memphis and have room for you to stay if you feel the need to go visit the home of Elvis. Dinner is on me if you make the stop.


Shoe

[Dr Evil]

I am in Hershey, PA where the Hershey factory is. Its a tourist trap of sorts and not far from NYC, Philly, Baltimore. I even have a place to crash, maybe. Need help purchasing a car? I am sure one of us can help. Mini vans are pretty cheap in my area and are recycled often and in good shape. There is also Amish country not far from here if you wanna see how the technologically unhampered live. Too bad you wont be here in April for the largest Porsche only swap meet. PM me if I can be of any service. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[pillay2k]

Wow.
Thank you so much, i think we will be taking you up in the offers of a meet or place to crash! Our budget is a bit limited but it is one of those once in a lifetime trips before we settle down to our careers so you guys really would be helping us out and it is uber appreciated!

Car wise we are hoping to purchase one around NY as that is where we are starting, insurance is still the big unknown but we have budgeted about $1600 for it so hopefully a few calls today should get that sorted/ outlined. (insurance over here is very expensive if under 25 and works very differently so we'll see what happens
)
Nick and i are having another 'trip planing meeting' (read: few beers with laptop +google) next week adding in all these details so there will be a thorough plan added soon!

Thanks for all the input so far! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[lotus_65]

good luck on the trip- i'm sure we'll have the welcome mat out when you swing through minny-stp.
it would be a capital investment, but i'd add yellowstone after seeing mt rushmore from the window of the car. then across to san francisco and down the pch to l.a. then up to vegas. you could hit beaver if it's vital, then come back down (good luck seeing everything...) to flagstaff and points east.
i would also skip chicago, but the lake michigan ferry's aren't running yet, so speed around... actually speed across the north after leaving pennsylvania/ohio, and save time for california and across to the southeast states.

[pillay2k]

I getting a bit too excited about this trip now... can i go pack my bags... better not still 2-and-a-bit months away! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif)

[bbrown]

Bass Islands in Ohio, near Toledo. Good side trip. Go to the Boardwalk in Put in Bay. Post your pictures, please.

[pillay2k]

Happy New Year everyone! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Well it's on like Donkey Kong... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Flights are being booked Wed and we will be in the US having the time of our lives by 9th March!

The route has taken a bit of a battering since the original post... Now starting in LA as we have an address for getting the auto insurance (thank you progressive!) and finishing in NY.
Mileage is now 7000miles but planned stay is now up to 7 weeks!

Car of choice is now late 80's Mercedes Benz 420SEL or any V8 variation. They seem to be going really cheap and will make for effortless cruising and fun. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

(IMG:http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs191.snc3/19844_217402689813_507499813_2941275_4820064_n.jpg) (IMG:http://www.usedcars.com/imageserver/inventory/500x375/139A06/633765783.jpg)

[SirAndy]

Car of choice is now late 80's Mercedes Benz 420SEL or any V8 variation. They seem to be going really cheap and will make for effortless cruising and fun.

The Benz is a great choice IMHO ...
Spacious, comfortable, cheap.

Here in the US, we consider them gas-guzzlers.
But with the gas prices you guys are used to, this will seem like a Renault Twingo to you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Gas here is still less than half of what you pay.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) Andy

[Kirmizi]

Quite the trip plan!
Just a suggestion, you may want to re-evaluate your driving stretch from Salt Lake through Wyoming, to the Black Hills.
March/April can be a bit iffy with snow and it's looking like your map will take you across I-80 to Rawlins, north to Casper and Sheridan, then east on I-90.
Do you have an alternate route, a "plan B" per se?
Mike

[rick 918-S]

I just missed this thread somehow! It looks like you'll miss the Mall of America in Minneapolis. I was thinking as I was reading this I would drive the Alien down to meet you guys'.

What a great trip! You will love the US. I agree about staying away from the corperate food joints. Find the mom and pop places.

[pillay2k]

SirAndy:
Yeah, i love the thought of the Merc. I currently drive a 190e over here but it does 30mpg being a 1.8! But you touch on a good point... want to cry a little? Our current gas price is roughly £1.20/Ltr and US price works out at £0.46/Ltr.... Yes, really! Fuel cost is our smallest budget.

Kirmizi:
No current pan b for that part of the route... will snow chains and slow progress be a issue? Any suggestions welcome!
(We are stopping in Park City area to meet up with a friend working a ski season hence the route up that way.)

rick 918-S:
Shame we can't stay for longer or get everywhere but i think if we keep adding to the trip we'll be very broke and won't want to leave! We are already up to 7 weeks from what was planned to be a month away... :-)

Thanks again for the encouragement and kind comments! See many of you soon i hope!

[underthetire]

While heading in from the east to SF, might as well stop at Lake Tahoe or Yosemite. I really suggest taking HWY 1 down to L.A. like was mentioned. Takes a little while longer but it's a way nicer drive. Remember, Northern CA and Southern CA are almost like two different states. I wouldn't live in Southern Ca for nothin ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

And try and avoid L.A. during the week, and S.F. bay area during commute times. That will add A LOT of time on the road.

[rick 918-S]

While heading in from the east to SF, might as well stop at Lake Tahoe or Yosemite. I really suggest taking HWY 1 down to L.A. like was mentioned. Takes a little while longer but it's a way nicer drive. Remember, Northern CA and Southern CA are almost like two different states. I wouldn't live in Southern Ca for nothin ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

And try and avoid L.A. during the week, and S.F. bay area during commute times. That will add A LOT of time on the road.

Ya, Along the Ocean! You won't regret it!

[poorsche914]

(IMG:http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs191.snc3/19844_217402689813_507499813_2941275_4820064_n.jpg)

Since your route brings you so close, from Atlanta might try to run up US 441 north through Cherokee, NC and into Great Smoky Mountains Park to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge TN I live near Pigeon Forge so we could meet up.
The towns are MAJOR TOURIST TRAPS but the Smokies are awesome! Then take I-40 east to Asheville, NC and you should be able to pick up at your point V without much problem.

[Madswede]

As the token Albuquerque member these days (which pretty much makes me the token New Mexico member, though I probably just don't know anyone from the southern parts of the NM), I would like to at least meet up with you folks and perhaps pick up a dinner tab and a pint at my favorite locally-owned (and 914 fan/owner as well as Atomic Ramble 2007 sponsor) brewpub / restaurant.

PM me and let me know when you think you'll be in the Santa Fe - Albuquerque area and I can help make recommendations if needed or possibly even put you up myself, if you don't mind roughing it a bit. (i.e. your own room but on a futon).

Cheers, and hope it's a great trip! Love it when people tour my part of the country!

- Nelson