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Coming from UK to travel Route 66 - Advice/Tips wanted!

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alex_uk
Posts: 812 - Karma: 10
Hi
This summer (maybe August) me and 4 friends are traveling to LA with the intention of driving route 66 in the non-historic direction (W->E).

I have been doing bits of research but need some tips from people that actually live in the states.
We are looking at car hire but as we are 23 insurance is adding a fair bit onto the price.

I suggested buying a car at one end and selling/scrapping it at the other end.
So, we have about $1500 dollars to spend on transport (not including gas or insurance) as this is what it would cost to hire.
So I want to know if you can get a decent pick up truck for around 1000-1100 dollars (this leaves a few hundred for repairs etc?)

Also in general is there any places any of you recommend along the way. We're doing Vegas already.
We're into punk/rock and were hoping to get a concert or two in. What is Chicago like for live music?
Jan 20 2010 8:38AM
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rhcp
Posts: 2598 - Karma: 18
I'm gonna be honest and tell you it is highly unlikely you will be able to purchase a car, insurance, and gas given your time and monetary constraints.

You should really look into renting a car.

And Chicago is cool.  I can't speak for the music scene too much, but I know they have a couple of festivals every year.  If you end up pulling off the trip it will be a good time.
Jan 20 2010 9:01AM
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alex_uk
Posts: 812 - Karma: 10
I know it's a close call. But we have seperate money for gas, and for a fee my local insurance can be used abroad.
The problem is that rental companies all seem to be putting a $500 drop fee for going one way (even though we're going the non-historic route) and another $25 a day underage supplement. We are getting quoted about $1700 for a decent sized SUV on a 3 week one-way rental.
Jan 20 2010 9:04AM
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Bob_Loblaw
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 38
You can find a car for a grand. You have to be 25 to rent a car, so that might be a problem. Driving across the US is really boring. There are some cool spots along the way, but it is a lot of corn and wheat fields. It'll really get bad through Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Flagstaff, AZ is pretty cool. After that, I'd dip up into southern Colorado, maybe hit up Durango or some other mountains. Chicago is a great town, a lot of fun to be had there. Never been a fan of LA. Hit up Joshua Tree park. And the Grand Canyon.
Jan 20 2010 9:07AM
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
Haven't driven the entire thing, but around half the route (most of it between Joplin and Flagstaff) at different times over the past 9 years, and scattered other portions near the L.A. area.

It's really better going E -> W, then you get a better sense of the literature behind the road (Grapes of Wrath and On the Road, and others).

I stopped pretty often, used the various local free papers that have detailed information on the route and the various alignments over the years, and averaged around 250 miles / day. I used the book Route 66: Traveler's Guide and Roadside Companion by Tom Snyder.

I'd probably do something like this:

Chicago (2-3 days) -> St. Louis (2 days) -> Springfield, MO -> Tulsa, OK -> Clinton, OK -> Tucumcari, NM -> Santa Fe (2 days) -> Gallup, NM -> Flagstaff, AZ -> Needles, CA -> Los Angeles (3-4 days).

Try to stay at the mom and pop motel operations, I recommend the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari, that one was a treat, and reserve ahead.

Also don't forget stuff like the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon, they're worth the detour.

And then don't forget that rental cars have massive one-way dropoff fees, so you may want to budget additional time to get back on the interstate and hotfoot it back to Chicago.

All of it is special, have fun. PM me if you have more questions.


Jan 20 2010 9:09AM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
Should be an interesting trip. This summer I'm flying into London with my friends, and then flying out a month later from Rome and just traveling in between.
Jan 20 2010 9:51AM
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alex_uk
Posts: 812 - Karma: 10
Cheers for the help so far, mozzy I'll PM you later.

What sports teams are worth a visit along the way.
We want to see some baseball or football, does anyone play in August?
College games would be fine.
Jan 20 2010 10:52AM
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bstuck1
Posts: 426 - Karma: 46
August is prime baseball season two teams in Chicago, one in St. Louise, and two in L.A. It's a bit of a dead spot for other sports. No real college sports going on in August and the NFL may be in pre-season depending when in August you go.
Jan 20 2010 11:10AM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
You're in for a really boring drive.. Honestly you'll have a far better time just spending the money in Vegas that you would've wasted on a rental car .

I'll do you a favor and just describe your drive for you, I did a similar drive not too long ago:


Leave LA, wait in traffic until you get into the cities and suburbs known as the inland empire, miserable.

Pass through the inland empire into the Southern California desert, you'll see some wind turbines but thats about it.

Pass into Arizona, a state that is hot as shit and almost completely covered in desert. You'll see some cool cactii, thats about it. The Grand Canyon is worth seeing if you go to Vegas and make a day trip out of it, but not worth driving across the country to see. Also, if you're driving in August, it will be very hot.

Pass into New Mexico, more desert, almost the same as Arizona.

Pass into Texas, more vegetation than New Mexico or Arizona but its still desert.

Reach Oklahoma, begin to see nothing but rows upon rows of corn and other agriculture.

Get to Missouri, I've never been there, but I'm willing to bet it isn't too different from Oklahoma.

Enter Illinois, see all the redneck areas of the state before finally arriving in Chicago, which is quite nice from what I hear. So after over 30 hours of driving between LA and Chicago, you've managed to tour through some of the most boring places in the US.

I'd advise you against your idea. Airfare is very cheap at the moment, just fly from LA or Vegas to Chicago, you'll thank me for it. Or... if you really want to go through with this whole road trip idea, drive up along highway 1 from LA to San Francisco. It runs up all the way along the California coast, so you'll have plenty of nice beaches with pretty girls to stop at along the way. You won't want to leave some of the places you stop at.


Jan 20 2010 11:41AM
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skithebert
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 16
i'd have to agree. there are much better road trips you could do.

if you want to do the same general route.

I would suggest
San Diego-
Vegas-
Zion/Bryce Canyon UT,
Grand Canyon, AZ,
Monument Valley,
Moab (arches, canyonlands UT),
Crested Butte,
Telluride,
Ouray,
Durango
Aspen

Then you could go up
Boulder CO
Jackson WY (yellowstone, tetons)
Bozeman MT
Glacier NP
Banff/Lake Louise Canada


NOW THAT WOULD BE A FUCKING TRIP.

Jan 20 2010 1:29PM
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alex_uk
Posts: 812 - Karma: 10
Those 2 routes sound pretty sick.

Anyone have any other good roadtrips in mind?
Jan 21 2010 6:27AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,944
Vegas blows ass. Dont go there. Route 66 is far more fun, and you wont waste all youre money on some wasteville in the desert. Vegas is just a shithole with a lot of flashing lights for a few miles, a lot of old people smoking cigarettes, a gazillion people from china and japan (also, all smoking cigarettes for the most part) way too expensive clubs and food, and really, unless you're winning money or being comp'd for a bunch of shit, it's not that great. Now that SIA isn't being held there, it's got pretty much no use.
Jan 21 2010 7:35AM
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
You travel Route 66 for a different reason, yes it's scenic in places, but it's a lot of fun checking out the neon signs, the old motels, and chatting with people who live in the towns along the road.

If you want a scenic drive, start in L.A., take Highway 1 up to San Francisco, go east to Yosemite, over Tioga Pass, and down the 395 back to L.A. Much shorter trip than Route 66 (probably about 1200 miles or so). If you're going in the summer or fall, then get off of 395 on the roads leading up to the Sierra crest and hike hike hike.

Much longer loop- go all the way up to the Oregon and Washington Coast -> Victoria -> Vancouver -> Seattle -> Portland -> Bend and central Oregon -> Crater Lake -> Tahoe -> 395, etc.

Another good one- start in SLC, head to Moab, check out Arches / Canyonlands, down to Monument Valley, east to the Four Corners, to Mesa Verde, then go north from Durango -> Silverton -> Ouray -> Telluride, and back to SLC.

I should be a travel agent.


Jan 21 2010 8:12AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,944
Dont expect it to be open between October and June.
Jan 21 2010 8:15AM
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
True. He's going in the summer, though.

Otherwise, Carson Pass is a good alternative which brings him to the south Tahoe area.


Jan 21 2010 8:27AM
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alex_uk
Posts: 812 - Karma: 10
We've taken the advice on board. Now traveling around the west coast.
Starting in LA,
going to san diego for warped tour,
then onto tijuana for a couple of days,
then palm springs,
Las vegas and grand canyon next,
after that we're heading towards lake tahoe and seeing,
from there on to san fran via sacramento for independence day.
After that we're heading back to LAX via san jose and malibu

Is there anywhere anyone recommends between grand canyon and l. tahoe, we're hoping to take a while on this part and hit a good few places?

Or any tips in general.
Cheers.
Jan 22 2010 10:09AM
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alex_uk
Posts: 812 - Karma: 10
http://web5.twitpic.com/img/59136491-57e7118918a2cc430a8d5252f1e6ffac.4b59ba66-full.jpg
Jan 22 2010 10:10AM
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jimmer
Posts: 3586 - Karma: 80
that trip sounds way better. hit up some national parks in california, they're incredible. yosemite, joshua tree, sequoia.

and care to tell me what you want to go to tijuana for? a
Jan 22 2010 10:22AM
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
avoid Tijuana- this drug war thing is pretty nasty, apparently.

grand canyon to tahoe- stop in Vegas, Death Valley (hot), and then up the 395, stopping along the way to hike, rock climb, etc. yosemite, too.


Jan 22 2010 10:23AM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,240
dude i did like that exact part of the trip (minus san diego) a couple years ago and camped along the way. It was so fucking fun, definitely worth doing instead of driving all that way
Jan 22 2010 10:32AM
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,458
i had a friend who bought a car and flipped it on the other side of the country. It can be done. This was a few years ago my friend bought an 80s benz for like 2 grand in maine and sold it in san fran a few months later for 3. It can be done.
Jan 22 2010 10:33AM
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inactive
Posts: 4772 - Karma: 97
i wouldn't go into mexico.
Jan 22 2010 12:49PM
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skithebert
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 16
That's not bad. If you are actually going in august skip vegas or at least palm springs. They will just be hot as fuck. grand canyon is kind of out of the way of the rest of your trip and there's really nothing in nevada so you don't need to take your time there. just get to tahoe as quickly as possible. hit up the national parks. spend time in san francisco, santa cruz and santa barbara.
Jan 22 2010 12:51PM
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brandon_
Posts: 807 - Karma: 15

this^^ the drug war in tijuana is preety bad, not worth it.

Jan 22 2010 1:02PM
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