Washington Travel Forum

Hi there
can someone help me out there?

I have never been to the USA and now plan to for just under 3 week visit, really I'm not sure where to go but would like to rent a car and hit the road

Was thinking about driving from Los Angeles to Washington and seeing the sights along the way, but is that to far to travel?

whould it be better Los Angeles-San Francisco and do many side trips

any recommenation would be much apprecated

stephen

Hi Stephen

It depends on whether you like road trips or not and don't mind being behind the wheel for a bit! It also depends what time of the year you are going and bearing in mind the cost of fuel nowadays.

If you want to do this trip the following could be a rough guide.

1) LA - Las Vegas (about 4.5 hours on freeways) Check out all the glitter.
2) Vegas - Grand Canyon (6 hours) -stay a couple days at the south rim.
3) GC - Santa Fe (7 hours) Make a side trip to Winslow Arizona and stand on the corner!
4) Head towards Denver (north and take a couple of days) and take in Aspen and Vail
5) Denver - Dodge City (6 Hours) Historic western town.
6) DCity - Tulsa (5.5 hours) You won't take 24 hours to get here!
7) Tulsa - Memphis (6.5 hours) Elvis lives!
8) Mem. - Nashville (3.5 hours) Start picking them strings.
9) Nash - Charleston WV (6 hours) Go through Lexington and check out the blue grass.
10) Chrl. - Charlottesville (5 Hours) Here is Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
11) Char. - Washington. Go through the Shenindoah National Park to Washington.

Wow! there you have it. Mind you these times are the fastest way and you will no doubt wish to make changes. Go to the local tourist offices who will advise you on attractions along the way.

If it were me, and I was travelling in either spring or autumn, I would only go as far as Denver, but taking in Yosemite, Death valley and San Francisco/Carmel. That means going the coast road to San Fran. then across to Yosemite and down via Death valley to Vegas, then as before. You could fly from Denver to Washington if you need to see that city.

Let us know more info so we can assist further,
John

Wow.. what a wonderful reply..

it is a long drive however you look at it, but if you follow the above advice, you could get to see a lot of the country. it can get tiresome in that crossing into towns and finding accomodation etc. even though with internet now it is easier to book accomodation.
lax to san fran is a lovely drive.. and that part of the usa is the prettiest in my opinion, oregon , washing ton etc..also less tiresome to drive with variety.
if you rent in one place and leave it another, there is a hefty one way charge.

Yanks are a friendly lot and very curious about foreigners travelling through, especially in smaller towns.
i have found them to be very generous and hospitable.
good Luck and enjoy that enormous country..

It is a long drive from coast to coast. It can be done in 4-5 days actual driving time, take that from your total time and you get some idea of how much time you have for sightseeing along the way. There are vast stretches of open farm country between Denver and Louisville, Kentucky. I have read about the drive across the center of Austrailia, this is more developed than that, but there are 2+ days of relatively unchanging countryside along the sides of the highway in the vast middle of the country. And yet, I have, and hope to again drive it. The only way to really understand the diversity of the American people is to travel on the ground across the vastness of the country, stopping in the cities and small towns along the way. Take an hour break for lunch and drive a mile or two off the expressway into the small towns and have lunch in the local cafe's and you will experience the real people of this country (let me know when you come through Lexington and I will try to meet you for lunch with the locals.

David

Are you talking about driving from Los Angeles to Washington DC, or Los Angeles up the Pacific coast to the state of Washington?

Or, perhaps, are you referring to itty-bitty Washington, Mississippi, where this question is posted?

If you are considering driving from Los Angeles to Washington DC, you are talking about driving about 2,465 miles. Think about how many hours a day you would realistically want to drive, and how many days you want to spend just driving, then decide if a drive of 2,465 miles fits into your travel style.

If you are talking about driving from Los Angeles to the state of Washington, the drive along the Pacific Ocean is one of the most beautiful in our country, with many wonderful towns, beaches, and sites to see along the way.