I am drving across America for my honeymoon. What will make this trip a special memory and not a nightmare?

Question

My Fiancee (soon to be my wife) and I will drive Across the US starting July 16th from New York City for one month. We are renting a car from Hertz for the whole trip.

What suggestions can you make (things to do, see, OR even things to AVOID, places to stay... ANYTHING) that could really make the difference between our honeymoon being a money-pit / nightmare or the most special time of our lives.

Details so far are: Possibly stop in Chicago for a day to visit frineds. Arrive in San Fransisco on July 20th for a long weekend with a friend, a few days in Las Vegas with a relative, several days in New Mexico with a good friend, have to drop the car off in New York City on Aug. 16th. That's it, the rest is totally up in the air. Maybe your suggestion(s) will make this something really special for us or at least help us to avoid any costly mistakes. Thanks for any suggestions you may have... anything will be helpful. This is the only honeymoon I plan to have!

Thanks! - Kevin

Aslo, I'll add that the whole thing was my Fiancee's idea. She is European and relally wants to see American. So, it it's helpful, the whole "Driving in the car" thing is non-negotiable. That's what she wants. So hopfully any suggestions you may have will not be "Why not do something differnet.." and more like "on your way, stop in XXX city, it's very scenic...." or "Remember that rental insurance policies usually don't cover XYZ.." Everything I mentioned in the question is set in stone, so it's more about knowing that this is what we are doing, what suggestions do you have that would make it better or things we might not have thought of that could be a problem. Thanks!

Answer 1

Kevin 212 ,
I need to know a couple of things before I write one of my long [though accurate ]travelogues
* What do you guys want to see ? Scenery ? , Native Cultures ? , Historical Places ? What ?
* How would you and your fiance feel if I sent you guys down some spectacular long distance, high speed, middle -of -nowhere two lane roads ?
How upscale do the accommodations need to be ?
Does spending a night sleeping out on the desert w/ sleeping bags only seem OK or really dumb ?
Back in 3 hrs
Edit
I'm back
Here's what I know: All cars become smaller after a month of living in and out of them. Rent the biggest car you can get that offers unlimited mileage.
You can rent from Hertz what would be my personal vehicle of choice- A Mercury Grand Marquis - from their King Of Prussia PA location for 1463.99 per month w/unlimited mileage . My Town Car w/ the same 4.6 L V-8 gets 26-29 mpg at highway speeds. The Mercs are superb long distance sustained high speed machines.
It's about 110 miles to Kof P
NJTPKE to exit 6 >PaTPKE I-276W >to Kof P simple , fast and possibly worth it .
Time to go West
Leave NYC as early as you can to beat traffic
I usuallly can make Chicago in 14-16 hrs depending on weather .
Get gas as you leave Indiana ' cus it's cheaper than gas in IL
Use the Skyway heading into Chitown ' cus the first view of the lake is worth the toll
If you leave Chicago on the 18th your goal should be Denver - which is about 1000 miles -15 hrs. A little road secret is that if you pull up short of any city ,motel prices will drop significantly
Ideally your goal should be Golden CO
The 19th is your fun day ,Golden Co to Carson City NV/South Lake Tahoe via Ely NV & US 50 aka the loneliest road in America.
The 20th
Carson City to SFO via Yosemite NP
Mapquest enter:
Lee Vining CA, Chinese Camp CA, SFO or wherever your actual destination is in the bay area
Make sure you see Lake Tahoe bc it is stunning .
To be continued....
It's Wednesday and I'm back
I'm gonna try to get you from SFO to Albuquerque using only 100 miles interstate highway.
Something I forget to tell you earlier, when you get to Yosemite buy the $80.00 annual National Park Pass .I think the break even point is 3-4 National Parks visited in a year
I'm gonna try to get you from San Francisco to Visalia CA in one scenic but otherwise
relaxing day.
FYI If I CAPITALIZE the name of a town I want you to use it as a way point on mapquest
OK
SFO>SANTA CRUZ> MONTEREY
Monterey /Carmel is a really cool place to be and many spend all day exploring it
MONTEREY>MORRO BAY This is it ,The Pacific Coast Highway of legend. allow 4-5 hrs
Get gas before you leave Monterey bc gas on the PCH is expensive
IF you're so inclined you are can tour the legendary Hearst Castle at San Simeon.
IF you like American Castles it's worth a look
MORRO BAY to VISALIA
Get a room in the area But don't go to Fresno
Next day takes you thru the Sequoia NP
PINEHURST> WELDON>LONEPINE
>STOVEPIPE WELLS in Death Valley NP
There is one hotel at Stovepipe Wells Village make sure that you reserve a room
Next day get up at sunrise and drive to Vegas via 190 E to Death valley and then follow 178 to Badwater then exit the park via Shone > Pahrump >LAS.
Because Death Valley resembles another planet it's one of my favorite places on earth TBC

Answer 2

Sounds like fun!

I've done a few of one- or two-week-long driving trips, and have had a great time. I haven't driven much in the US (I live in Canada), so I can't help much with destinations.

I try to do two things:
(1) don't book hotels in advance, unless you have firm plans to be there on a specific date. You can't predict traffic or other uncontrollable events, that can make it a challenge to get from A to B, when you've booked a hotel at B. You'll find that you really enjoy a certain city, or you'll find that there's a great concert that night, and you'll decide on the spur of the moment to stay an extra day. A friend planned a 2-week trip, and booked hotels for every night in advance. They had one or two nights where they didn't get to the hotel until 3AM, because they didn't realize that it would take so long to get there.

(2) Plan your trip - the route - in advance. Knowing where you're going, prepare a list of hotels (just name, city, and phone number) that you can take with you. At about 2PM, pick a hotel that's close to where you think you'll be, call them, and reserve a room. Don't leave it too late in the day, or they'll be booked up. Sometimes, I've taken a laptop computer, and connecting to the internet that morning, noted a couple of hotels that I might stay at that day. (You can also confirm vacancy, or even book a room.)

Keep the trip light... don't let traffic irritate you... just turn up the radio, and sing through it. Don't plan to drive for 12 hours each day. That's not a holiday. Make sure your trip includes a few romantic stops. I spent a week in San Antonio with my wife, and we really enjoyed walking the Riverwalk. If you're into something a bit more rugged, then rent a cabin on a lake somewhere - even just for one night. Mix it up - stay in the city sometimes, stay at a Bed & Breakfast a few times, and rent a cabin somewhere romantic.

Be careful - a month is a long time to spend every moment together. You'll find out just how much you really love each other! If you see that you're starting to get on each other's nerves, lighten it up... go to Disneyworld. Do stuff and go places that SHE likes, not just stuff that YOU like. Include her in the plans, and make sure she has some say, so that she feels like she's part of the trip.

...And a final note... Expensive doesn't mean better. Small, clean hotels can be cheaper and more fun than the Ramada Inn.

I hope at least some of these ideas will help!

Enjoy, and best wishes!

Cheers.
Len

Answer 3

Across and back in 30 days .... that's an easy 6500 miles more likely 7000-7500 if you do much side trips. That's over 100 hours in the car .... GET COMFORTABLE CAR!!!!

First I would try not to have too many deadlines other than we have to be back on 8/16.

If you don't have it get Google earth and do a virtual trip .

Pick 10 places/sites that you both agree on that are MUST see.

Take plenty of pics/video

Have picnics (get food from local delis/store instead of restaurants) ... the old phrase ..'stop and smell the roses'

If you decide to eat out, pick local places that way you get a feel for the people and area and save some money.

If you have a laptop with wireless Internet access, you could do 'name your price for motels on priceline" and get real good prices. I got a Hilton in West Palm Fl for $69 a nite last week.

My wife and I went on honeymoon to Seattle and travel everyday out to different places each day, we took a backpack with food and a bottle of wine and just spent the day together before heading back to the motel. It was great and the cost was perfect.

Answer 4

I love road trips!

My husband & I are going to do our second pleasure road trip later this year but often travel by vehicle for business together.

1) Have an atlas even if you have GPS.

2) Check travel websites whenever I book a hotel for business or even personally I use www.tripadvisor.com for user reviews on the hotel. It can save you grief of a horrible stay especially when the hotel is offered on some of the discount sites cheaply. They even have a book now feature that will pull up several of those sites so you can price compare. I use www.virtualtourist.com to find points of interest that aren't listed in typical travel books.

3) As your wife is from Europe she will have a different perspective on distances and won't realize how big America really is until she's been on the road for so long. (My husband is from England and his concept of space or distances is completely different than when he first moved here.)

4)Small cooler for drinks and snacks.

5)Have the passenger act as a navigator when not resting, it keeps them involved in the trip.

Congrats on the marriage and enjoy.

Answer 5

Bring a camera and take pictures of everything. I have been on many highways with my husband and we have managed not to fight all of the time. Take frequent stops because once someone gets tired out come the claws. I know that on the 40 they have metal dinosaurs on the side of the highway. Stop and get out and take pictures next to them. The best money saver is to make and adventure out of it. If she is an outdoors person bring a little tent and camp at the grand Canyon. If you will be on the 40. Many people don't realize that nature is very entertaining. Roadside love will also be fun and something to always laugh about. Mt husband and I still do to this day! Good luck and congratulations on getting married. :) Oh get one of the huge map books and they usually have a section in there for places to visit.

Answer 6

My advice would be:
1. Don't set EVERYTHING in stone. Make some time to "get lost" on purpose. Take some time to wander a bit to whatever interests you. (A GPS would be a BIG bonus here - it might be worth it to spring for one in the rental car.)

2. Don't sweat the small stuff. Freaking out because you "HAVE" to be to Aunt Betty's by 5 and you're sitting in traffic an hour away and it's 4:45 will NOT accomplish anything except causing a fight between you and your wife.

Good luck, congrats, and ENJOY!!!

Answer 7

we did something similar 25 years ago ~ congratulations! i would advise... keep the "have to's" to a minimum & wing-it as much as possible. Keep a plastic tote w/paper maps, etc - stop state-by-state for tourist info as you go (& weed it out as you go along).
Comfortable enough car to have room to stretch out & sleep or change clothes if necessary (it will be)
Traveller's checks - not just cash/atm.
A mid-size cooler & open-mind about meals. Grocery store & a little planning each day will save you a ton of $ and keep you feeling better than just restrnts. Compact sleeping bag &small tent - be open minded to camping! cooler will be a seat, most campgrounds have good restrooms, showers, etc (try a chain like koa.com if you're new to camping) . Comfortable, wrinkle resistant, easy to wash & dry clothing! Don't forget rain gear! FlashlightS. Basic knowledge of car repair - change flat, jump start, etc. Car charger for cell phone and a prepaid calling card for those areas w/no cell service (yes, there are plenty!). First aid kit & a back of your mind awareness of your proximity to local hospitals just in case of illness or emergency. Take TONS of pics & treat each day as it's own instead of a goal......... There will be disaster days, but those will turn to laughs if you let them - You're going to have a trip you'll look back on forever - ENJOY !!!!

Answer 8

The problem is you have to drive through at least one wide, relatively boring state between Chicago and the Rockies. I'd choose South Dakota (go up through Wisconsin and Minnesota) over Nebraska or Kansas. Iowa and Missouri have some rolling hills to roll over, but then you get to Nebraska or Kansas. Hey, you've got each other! My apologies to the good people in Kansas and Neb, but your voting records leave lots to be desired.

Answer 9

First suggestion might be to rent a HYBRID vehicle to keep fuel expenses to a minumum...maybe even use Hertz competitor bec fuel savings for the time & distance (as well as gas prices on West Coast) might be considerable $$ savings.

Second I hate to say you tend to OVERSIMPLIFY or lack a good perspective of what you're getting into bec all day driving or for long stretches like 8 to 12 hours or non stop is NOT EXACTLY HONEYMOON MATERIAL in terms of fond memories when you later look back. I'm a prudent & frugal guy and for me to think it's not a good idea might catch my wife and kids by surprise as I find it difficult to believe your planned trip is a joint? idea and think you honestly need to rethink your entire alternatives...

To begin with: You say you need to be on the West Coast in San Francisco like in 4 days and plan to drive through Chicago visiting relatives -- this is GREAT but you don't have need time to relax, enjoy many lovely sites going across country in view of a tight schedule and long drive! I myself am used to driving all day Iong after having driven 8 to 10 hours each way to college and then when I served in the military, my family and I made the trip across country driving 3 times from Washington DC to Seattle Wash- ington so like recently when we planned a longer than normal Spring Break vacation to Orlando FL, my wife enjoys shopping for bargains etc and we also like staying in good hotel chains that offer free continental breakfast so where we could map & shop for the best hotel deals in Atlanta and Orlando, we did not exactly know where our stops would be coming back home but we were carrying Notebook PCs with wireless internet so we got the best of both worlds with minimal planning.

Canada and Niagara Falls are close to NYC and very unique as is a lot of New England (last summer we went to Maine) and when we lived in Washington State we drove all the way down through San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and into Mexico and back. The Hearst Castle was very memorable.

Of course, PLANS are PLANS so Yes Chicago would be the 1st good milestone but please leave early even picking up the rental car the day before bec to make good time and cutback/maximum lodging requires EARLY STARTs. 2nd Milestone would most likely be DENVER or SALT LAKE CITY...You have to build-in late starts or bad weath contingencies so just as long as you stay to the main interstates and make good time is key!

Have to Step Out but plan on returning to finish Suggestions!

Answer 10

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