I am planning to take a Cross Country trip this coming August for 2-3 weeks. My girlfriend and I are leaving from the Jersey shore and ending at Hermosa Beach in SoCal. The plans are to take a southern route there and a northern route back home.

My questions are:

1. If anyone has done this, what is a must see?
2. What things do I need to have with me in the jeep that I may overlook?
3. Suggestions on things to see in your area
4. We want to take many byways and back roads. When we hit areas like the Rockies, the desert and canyons, we would like to do some very easy off roading to get a better experience in these areas. If anyone knows of any scenic drives that would be great.

Thanks

 

i drove from LA to Baltimore last May, was a good trip

if i were to do it again, i would avoid Texax, Oklahoma, and Ohio

was a complete waste of time to drive through those states

Arizona is a must see for sure

 

Depends on what part of Texas you drive through. If you ride I-40 across the panhandle then yeah there's not a whole lot to see but other parts of the state such as the hill country around Austin and the Corpus Christi area are pretty neat (nice warm beaches that you can drive on). Then there's not much for 500 miles heading west on I-10 until you get to El Paso. Although during that drive the land changes from being lush green hill country to dry desert. It's quite a contrast. The humidity also decreases usually but August is the monsoon season for the southwest. On your way there either hit up Big Bend or Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico not far to the north. White sands is also not far and a MUST see!





I'm originally from the Phoenix area and there are a ton of easy to moderate trails throughout Arizona with lots of scenery. Some of the most memorable are in the Sedona/Flagstaff area. That's an area you should see regardless if you'll be offroading or not. I suggest you purchase the Charles Wells book for Arizona Backroads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails. He also has written books for Colorado, Moab, Southern and Northern California. I highly recommend these for finding trails that suit your liking and location. http://www.funtreks.com/

Good luck and no matter what you do or where you go you should have a blast!

 

Here's something to consider. On your trip, you will drive your JK at least
6,000 miles. Based on what I have been reading on this board, you can expect to get about 17.5 MPG if you are light on the gas pedal. That equates to you using 343 gallons of gas, and if you pay an average of $4.60 a gallon, you can expect to spend a minimum of $1,578 for gas. Add in motels and food and you could be talking about some real money.

 

The cost of this trip will be very high but will be worth it. I am graduating college in the fall and might never have a chance like this again. We're planning on bringing a tent and camping most nights and packing food to keep costs down. Seeing the country in a JK with the top off will be well worth it and I would be kicking myself years from now if I missed the opportunity.

 

My wife and I are heading out Aug 2nd from PA to LA. We have to be in LA for a wedding on Aug 15.We will be going south west then north back. We are are going to be towing a TAB lightweight trailer and camping most nights. We are calling it the top down tour. We are going to be doing a travel blog of the trip. Maybe we will see ya along the way.

 

maybe I will be seeing you along the way mbridenour!

I realized it would be hot but wasn't thinking about the sweaty sleep conditions I guess we will be using most of our money set aside for motels along the southern route.

 

You have to do Route 66

It became the favorite east-west corridor for tourists. It bypassed the high-mountain passes in the Rockies and followed a southern route that was passable all year round.

Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. Due to the efforts of the US Highway 66 Association, Route 66 became the first highway completely paved in 1938. Several places were dangerous, more than one part of the highway became nicknamed "Bloody 66" and gradually work was done to realign these segments to remove dangerous curves. However, one section (through the Black Mountains of Arizona) was fraught with sharp hairpin turns and was the steepest along the entire route--so much so that some early travelers, too frightened at the prospect of driving such a potentially dangerous road, hired locals to negotiate the winding grade. The section remained until 1953--despite this, Route 66 continued to be a popular route.


33

 

I love driving in the Rockies, so I'd take I70 thru Denver into the mountains. Then I'd head to Leadville, and make my way to Independence Pass coming into Aspen

Unbelievable scenery, and gets you into a fun town.

You could then head back north to I70 and head west into Utah, and hit Moab.

Don't forget to rob a few banks along the way to pay for the gas.

 

a few years ago my next door neighbors rented their house out for a year, purchased an old VW van and traveled the country camping here and there. they loved every minute of it. from talking with them snd seeing pics it sounds like the rockies and grand canyon are a must see. best of luck on your trip, make sure to share some pics with the rest of us.