hornblower Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Someone has computed the perfect US Road Trip. Hits all states & the major sites & you can start at any point in the loop.http://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/08/computing-the-optimal-road-trip-across-the-u-s/I'm not much for driving holidays but I think one year I'd like to do something like that. (right after I take the train across Canada again) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I saw this and it's pretty good but I would want to include tucson in this route. We've done most of this route over the years plus many others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I think it isn't bad, but it skips over all the best parts of Tennessee. The Perfect road trip for me would hit ALL the continental states too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porque Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Looks like fun. I would love to do a trip like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 If it was *perfect* it'd tell me where the food was good too. :drool5: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 The kids and I were talking about doing a road trip east and back in 2016. This would make it easy!!!! Seriously going to think about doing this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Anything that skips Yosemite isn't the perfect road trip! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Can someone tell me why California gets 2 stops, a cable car museum and San Benito county? Are those really the 2 most worthy places to visit in California? If you're going for an even 50, is San Benito County really more important than any second place in any other city? And is the most important place in Ohio really a cemetery? I think I'd rather go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 It looks like fun. Can't please everyone, but it's a nice start, and in a car, you can always tweak it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 We'd add some "diners, drive-ins and dives" recommendations along the way. We are adventurous like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Interesting. It actually goes right past my house in VA. I can see I-64 from my front yard. We could hop on and take off and end up right back at home. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 This trip misses FAR too many things. ONLY Bryce in Utah? You're so darn close to Zion, Arches, and Capital Reef, etc, so why drive all that distance and MISS these gems? That's just ONE example. I could list oodles. There's no way at all that I would use this trip as a template - and we've gone to all 48 states (seeing far more than this author has in the process). Plus yes, it's important when on a trip to have the RULE that you can't eat anywhere you could eat at home. This can eliminate a ton of chain restaurants. What a shame, no? We've found tons of good eating spots and local dishes with this rule. My guys loved this as much as we adults did. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 ps I just scrolled down and read more about the author. He's young. He hasn't learned how to TRAVEL yet IMO. He's only learned how to turn plans into an algorithm and feels that's a great skill. Give him a few years and some miles and he might "get it" better. ;) He might even learn that it's not so great to have everything pre-planned as you often encounter some "whoa, let's stop and see that!" sections as well as some "whoa, didn't count on those traffic issues!" parts. SOME things need to be pre-planned - esp if one wants to stay in National Park lodging (though some campgrounds are left open for walk ins). With the rest? It's far more fun to meander without a set schedule. We even prefer off interstate routes when possible. :coolgleamA: "Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything." Charles Kuralt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Strange selection of stops. I can think of more worthy locations in CA (Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree), in UT (plenty of NPs to choose from, Bryce would not be my top choice because it is tiny and there is very little to do), in CO (a mountain where people can drive to the top? Seriously?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 The trip must make at least one stop in all 48 states in the contiguous U.S. The trip would only make stops at National Natural Landmarks, National Historic Sites, National Parks, or National Monuments. The trip must be taken by car and never leave the U.S. I had no idea Graceland was in this category. :laugh: I agree that this itinerary is more about the algorithm than the sites. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Strange selection of stops. I can think of more worthy locations in CA (Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree), in UT (plenty of NPs to choose from, Bryce would not be my top choice because it is tiny and there is very little to do), in CO (a mountain where people can drive to the top? Seriously?). We loved Bryce. It may be small, but it's my favorite of Utah's NPs due to its uniqueness. Arches comes in second I think. Bryce makes a nice road trip stop because it can be seen in a day or two - even with small hikes included. Plus, it's super easy to camp at. The temps are usually quite nice even in the hot summer. Can't say the same for Arches. It's just a shame that they ONLY did Bryce with so many other neat ones in the same region. FWIW, I feel the same way about their skipping Badlands NP in favor of Mt Rushmore. My family and extended family loved our short (day - one overnight) stop at the Badlands. The scenery is unlike many other places. When we got to Mt Rushmore everyone had the common though. "This is it? Big deal!" We'd easily pick Badlands NP as the "one" stop over Mt Rushmore, but there seriously isn't any reason that a road trip traveler can't do both. We've done both on both major Western trips we've taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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