West U.S.A. trippin'

[Telecolor 3007]

I know somebody who wants to make an West U.S.A. trippin' on the route:
Albuquerque-Grand Canyon (3 days)-Las Vegas (1 day)-National Yosemite Park (3 days)-San Francisco (2 days).
Any advices? Place to be seen?
A Romanian with a Romanian driving licence can rent a car?

 

[Donkey!]

Yeah they could rent a car as long they are 25 years old. Just let them know that know that the dessert southwest is really big. Maps don't do it justice.

 

[LBPete]

You can do that trip in 9 days but you will be driving a lot. It is some very pretty country to see. Are they going to fly into Albuquerque and fly out of San Francisco? It will take at least 3 days just to drive that distance with no significant stopping.

- Pete

 

[BridgedToMono]

Climb / hike Half Dome at Yosemite, if able... spectacular.

As far as car rental, as general rules...

If the country in which you are licensed is not English speaking, you will need an international drivers license (permit) along with your current one.

If you plan on paying a cash deposit for your car instead of with a credit card, you will need your passport. (most places require a credit card, however)

Hope this helps!

 

[Mark W.]

As mentioned by the others coming from Europe you can't possibly imagin the size of the USA. I am into photography and this type of question comes up all the time in Nature photography forums.

First take a very good look at the mileages between point you want to see. Then convert thos MILES to Kilometers so it's in something your used to dealing with. Then remember that we have a freeway system not an Audoban and 70 MPH is about it unless you like to collect tickets. And for travel I would figure distances at 50-55 mph.

Also our freeway system might a couple of hundred miles from your route or point of interest. So you may be driving on State Hwy's which would for the most part be 65mph or less.

For example using Hwy 40 from Albuquerque-to the south rim of the Grand Canyon is approx 450 miles or 725 Kilometers at 55mph with NO stopping that is roughly 8 hours of driving. in reality you will be lucky if sight seeing to make half that speed. stopping for fuel food what ever. So a straight drive from Albuquerque-Grand Canyon figure on allowing 12-14 hours. And depending on the time of year this will be a VERY hot part of the country with day time temps well above 90' F

What your planing is a kin to seeing 10 European countries in 10 days. You can do it but you will be pushing yourself to the limit.

 

[BridgedToMono]

True enough. Even I have underestimated these things out west here. You can almost give it a whole day just to get to San Francisco from Yosemite. Whatever it looks like on the map, you're actually twisting around the mountains at 30 mph for a lot of that, and stuck behind farm equipment on two-lane roads for the rest...

Not that it's not worth it, to be sure. Last summer we did an 8 day trip. Down the Pacific Coast Highway, all the way from the Oregon / Washington border down to the Mexican border. We went surfing in southern California, camping on the beach, did Disneyland, spent a couple days in San Francisco, backpacked Yosemite for a couple, and camped around Mt. Shasta.

Very very hectic, lots of behind-the-wheel time. We were aided on the way down, however, as the current incarnation of the Cannonball Run was underway at the time. We found our WRX at double the speed limit a few times along with Lamborghini's, Ferraris and ACR Vipers. Made pretty good time down the coast! :yes:

 

[theodoric]

If your friend is going to do it, have him see:
• Santa Fe, NM
• Canyon de Chelly, AZ
• Navajo and Hopi reservations, AZ
• Grand Canyon, AZ (south rim)
• Painted Desert, AZ (Wigwam Motel in nearby Holbrook)
• Seligman, AZ (visit Snow Cap drive-in)
• Oatman, AZ
Driving west from Albuquerque, he will be roughly driving the old Route 66 highway from Albuquerque to Kingman/Oatman. Seek out Route 66 guidebooks to get more local info.
Drive north from Oatman/Kingman area to Boulder City/Hoover Dam into Las Vegas, NV
• When in Las Vegas drive a few miles north on Hwy 15 to Valley of Fire State Park

After leaving Las Vegas, take one of two routes:
• South on 15 to Barstow. Take Old CA 58 through the north edge of town. Stop at the Mad Max Museum (across the road from the old drive-in movie theater). It's hard to explain, but he will understand when he sees it. Continue to take 58 west to Mojave, Tehachapi, and into Bakersfield. Stop at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace for great music and great steaks. Head north on 99 to Visalia and head east into Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park. After that, head back to Fresno, then north into Yosemite through Wawona (see the big trees here). Stop at Glacier Point before dropping into the valley. Lots to see and do in Yosemite. Stay in the Yosemite Lodge area of the park, not in Camp Curry/Curry Village. After leaving Yosemite, take Highway 120 west to 5 to 205 to 580. Take 238 to 880 north, then 80 west across the Bay Bridge. Lots to see and do here.

The other route:
• Head north to Death Valley Junction, then into Death Valley through the southeast entrance. Take 190 west to 136 west to 395 north. Go to Devils Postpile National Monument. Continue north on 395. See Mono Lake. Go to Bodie ghost town. Take Tioga Pass (120) into Yosemite through the east entrance. After Yosemite, take 120 west as listed above.

It's a lot of driving - probably more than 3000km.

 

[usedto]

And please tell your friend not to limit their stay in California to San Francisco. We'd hate to have them think the whole state is like that!

If they have time, have them slip down to Santa Cruz and ride the old Giant Dipper roller coaster on the boardwalk. Not the biggest, but one of the best!

 

[CarlV]

And please tell your friend not to limit their stay in California to San Francisco. We'd hate to have them think the whole state is like that!

Best city on this planet IMO.

I just wish I could afford an 800k 2 bdrm house over there. :sigh:


Carl

 

[KingBubba]

Similar Trip

I will be making a similar trip this Summer but will go North to Denver instead of West to SF. I can't make any recommendations but am also interested in any hints anyone has about this area of our country.
Gary

 

[Donkey!]

Ahh now don't scare the chap. Our country is huge, but it's not as big as the moon or anything. I drove from Cincinnati Ohio to Phoenix Arizona last August in 36 hours. Non stop bitches

Ingredients for non stop cross country trip;

1. 23 year old dumbass
1. Fast Mazda MX-6 V6-LS
10. 2 liter bottles of coke
1. Carton of smokes and a bottle of aspirin for the heart attack.
And the finest piece of ass known to man at the end of the line.

Optional Colt 45 automatic, but highly recommended!

 

[BridgedToMono]

Ahh now don't scare the chap. Our country is huge, but it's not as big as the moon or anything. I drove from Cincinnati Ohio to Phoenix Arizona last August in 36 hours. Non stop bitches

You're right there.

Unites States - 3,718,711 sq mi
The Moon - 23,568,609 sq mi

Younger days saw me make Seattle to Des Moines in a tick over 26 hours..

Anyhow, all the contributions have been in attempt to help. This person is visiting a large part of the country from abroad on a fairly tight schedule, doing so as a tourist, mind you, not flying down I-80 through the night.

It's a crazy world out there...

 

[Donkey!]

You're right there.

Unites States - 3,718,711 sq mi
The Moon - 23,568,609 sq mi

Younger days saw me make Seattle to Des Moines in a tick over 26 hours..

Anyhow, all the contributions have been in attempt to help. This person is visiting a large part of the country from abroad on a fairly tight schedule, doing so as a tourist, mind you, not flying down I-80 through the night.

It's a crazy world out there...

Once again, the young man is schooled

 

[jcmjrt]

Consider just doing the SW portion of the trip and spend some time in the N. Mexico, AZ, Utah area. The Grand Canyon alone is worth a few days - maybe a day hike...raft the river...burros down into the Canyon (raft and burros requires booking in advance). Then there's the southern portion of Utah with Bryce Canyon, etc. If they like mountain biking, maybe go to Moab Utah and see the sandrock, etc. See some sights, have some adventure, meet some people...don't just drive. Save NorCal for another vacation.

 

[theodoric]

I drove from Cincinnati Ohio to Phoenix Arizona last August in 36 hours. Non stop bitches

Leave Atlantic Ocean: 9:00 AM Friday. Arrive Pacific Ocean: 5:00 PM Sunday. 3000 miles, 56 hours.

 

[Sandy G]

My sister & I brought home an exchange student from England who went to Mary Lou's school during Thanksgiving break one year. We drove from Richmond to here in Rogersville, Tennessee, approx 375 miles. Joanna-the English girl-would pipe up about every 60 miles or so, "Are we almost to Tennessee yet ?!?" Uhh, no, uhh, Joanna, honey, uhh...<grin>

 

[theodoric]

The scale of the US is a bit larger than that of Europe.

Romania is about the same size as Oregon. See map below for scale.

A cross-country trip from coast to coast is about the same distance as London to Baghdad.

Telecolor, your friend is spending more than 9 days here, correct?

Because here are some travel times by car:

• Albuquerque to Grand Canyon - 7 hours
• Grand Canyon to Las Vegas - 5 hours
• Las Vegas to Yosemite - 11 hours
• Yosemite to San Francisco - 4 hours

That's straight driving, no stops.

Look at the map to understand the scale of the journey.

 

[old_tv_nut]

That scale-map comparison should be very enlightening. We used the same thing at work to explain to our Korean colleagues why their cross-country schedule was a bit impractical. We previously had had some start out in Chicago and give up somewhere around Salt Lake and turn in the rent-a-car for a plane ticket. Not that they didn't want to continue, they just ran out of time.