USA Road Trip - need help!!
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Nov 12, 2012 5:17 AM Last Post By: Joe_Kerman
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USA Road Trip - need help!!
My boyfriend and I are planning a road trip to start some time between the end of February and the beginning of March next year. We are in our mid-twneties and planning this to be a budget trip lasting about 6-8 weeks. We plan on ending up in Florida for the Wanee Festival in mid-April. We will start here in Virginia and work across the northern part of country up to Vancouver, CN, then down through Washington and Orgeon across the southern half. We're still in the planning phase and are in need of helpful tips, ideas, areas to avoid, etc. for the trip. We are looking for cities and towns with music, outdoor activity, diversity, and really the hidden jems of the country. We are open to more than just that but my boyfriend and I are huge into music like bluegrass, jazz, rock, and anything resembling The Grateful Dead, so the much we can see the better. We will be camping as much as we can along the way, but our budget is about $10,000. We know it will be cold and camping may not be the best choice in the north, but like I said any tips or info is MUCH appreciated! Thank you1
Unless there are events you are keen to attend, perhaps cover the south first and the north later, when it should be a bit warmer there. It can get VERY cold in the north even later than that, so go prepared. Personally we avoid the cities and visit National Parks etc where we meet wonderful people and enjoy their truly magnificent scenery and interesting sights. There is so much to see in America.3
The end fo February - April in Oregon, Washington, the Rocky Mountains and Cacades is still winter, so be prepared for snow-camping, or if travelling along the Pacific coast, rain-camping.You don't mention budget, but for the trip you describe, bring double-fists full of money.
No outdoor music festivals at that time, but bars and clubs have live music and Seattle has the Experience Music Project.
4
You are completely missing the season for music and outdoor activity unless you are into skiing.It is full-on winter in your northern route. You will need a vehicle prepared for winter driving with appropriate tires and carry chains and winter survial gear.
You will be staying in a series of cheap motels, as campgrounds will be closed.
5
$10,000 for 2x50 days sounds adequate. Look into cabin rental in state (and national) parks. If you really want to route through Vancouver at that time of year, consider starting by heading SW to NoLa and Austin, timing it to hit the SxSW music festival in early March, which should be a definite given your interests. Then SantaFe, and Boulder, then up the Rockies into Canada, over to Vancouver and down the coast. Then east through Tuscon and Texas (Big Bend?). (To be clear, I haven't visited all of those places myself.) Along the way, I'd try to emphasize visiting iconic national parks since you have an opportunity to do that off-peak. Don't skimp on snow-capable tires.If you shift your dates back slightly and re-arrange, the NoLa Jazz Fest is late Apr/early May, and more than just jazz -- I think the Dead have played it.
6
Actually Kahua, even though campgrounds will be closed, the OPs could snow-camp in National Forest or BLM lands along their way - if they are familiar with cold weather snow-camping.Also, I missed thier budget when making my first post above - they have $10,000 for 6 - 8 weeks which works out to $238 - $178 per day respectively. So, the budget is OK if they stay in budget hotels around $75 or less and eat cheaply, which leaves adequate money for gasoline - it could be done.
7
Welcome to Thorn Tree.I'd rethink that $238-$178 per day budget. Does it include gas for the RV and propane for the snow camping? That could be a tight budget. Does OP own the RV or do they intend to rent it? OP will drive a minimum of 7000 miles. They may spend $1700 to $2000 on gas alone. Taking a rented RV into Canada has its own problems. You may not be able to get there from here. Rented RVs usually have a mileage charge on top of the daily rate too. Then there is insurance.
Bojanglinn, before I give your plans a thumbs-up, I need a little more detail. I'm sorry to be the barer of bad news. Would you rather learn all of this from me now, or from "experience" later?
8
Visit North Carolina for bluegrass music. There are plenty of great places to camp in mountains, though you'll need to check temperatures based on when you are going. Chicago is a great city for jazz, and they have a Grateful Dead coverband (Tributosaurus) that strives to recreate old Dead shows (http://www.tributosaurus.com/home.cfm).9
I agree with the above post if you are music fans. I am a native Nashvillian and happen to know that Nashville is much more than country music these days. The national press has been coving Nashville's rock scene a lot lately. It's a fun place, but I think there's only one hostel in town.If your going through Arizona make sure you don't miss out on backpacking and camping in Havasupai reservation; one of the most magical places on earth, and not expensive at all! Check it out here:
www.havasupaitribe.com/
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