USA Road trip advice

[mason storm]

Need to plan a 2 week road trip in the USA any advice is welcome as there are so many choices, just want to get the best sightseeing in including San Francisco. Want to experience nice roads and natural beauty of the USA with interesting place to stop off.
As I am with my wife it needs to include stopping off sightseeing so as not to spend too much time just driving

 

[bcworkz]

Funny you should ask, I was just there, the reason for a slow reply! When are you planning to go? How much time total time do you want to spend driving vs. doing other things? What sort of hire car are you expecting to get? What sort of things interest you and the missus, besides sporty driving of course?

You should plan things if possible to see SF without a car. Parking and traffic are horrible, public transit works very well. Once you leave SF a car will be a necessity, and there is a wide variety of things to do and places to see. Naturally the California wine country is a short drive away, avoid going there on weekends, but many people consider it a must see. Some nice roads in the intervening mountains too.

Lots of twisty roads around, anywhere from major single carriageways to obscure one lane paved "trails", all very scenic. Varies from long fast sweepers to nauseating tortured twisting routes. What's your pleasure?

 

[Carol M]

We've driven extensively around the East/New England but it doesn't sound like that's where you are planning to visit so can't help, sorry.

 

[Stuart Truman]

Depending upon whether you want to head into or out of San Francisco, the pacific Coast highway is a fantastic drive. Driving south is better as you'd be on the ocean side of the road, but we drove north from LA and it was lovely. There are loads of places to stop and just soak in the views.

The Ragged Point Inn is a wonderful overnight stopping place. There are elephant seal colonies on the beaches around big Sur. Carmel etc etc

From San Francisco, North across the Golden Gate Bridge and up into wine country...

 

[Stark]

Assuming this is a west coast trip only? You could do East to West in 2 weeks.....

 

[sars]

I can thoroughly recommend Route 50, The loneliest road, which starts in San Francisco and heads east through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. I did this route with a few detours via Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and Salt Lake City and finishing in Chicago, my favourite city on planet earth. If I did it again, which I will one day, I would stop at Kansas and head back a different route as it's a little disappointing after Utah and Colorado, the scenery is absolutely breath taking. One of the reasons we picked this route is that it's mainly single lane roads, with some epic driving roads through mountains, gorges and plains

Buy a book called Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen is has lots of routes to decide on and was an invaluable asset before and during the trip.

Oh and you have to do it in a convertible, that's the law

 

[mcbeee]

It's rather important to know WHEN you are going to be there....

If it's just the west coast and inland a little , winter is OK, but don't go past the first range of mountains inland unless you like extreme winter driving. if it's July or August then SoCal , Arizona , Texas are blistering hot, Louisiana is hot and steamy. August in Arizona = 120 F
Springtime.(May-June).. You could do a big circle tour, the National Parks in Eastern Calif and over to southern Utah,then up to Jellystone and the Grand Tetons. Then over to the coast and down the coast highway..... Oregon to San Diego

 

[bigdog]

Lot's of great driving to be had in Nor Cal, Oregon and Washington. You can stick along the coast hi-way then make side trips inland all along the coast. Crater lake is a must see. Tilamook Or. has an air museum that houses Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose. If you stop in long beach Wa. you can drive on the beach for miles. You can go all the way to the Olympic rain forest on PCH 101 then head east towards the San Juan islands and Seattle. There is lots to see in Seattle (rock & roll hall of fame, Pikes market, Dinner in the space needle, Boeing air & space museum, Starbucks HQ) Then if need be head back south on the I-5 to save time if you are flying out of SF. South of Seattle on I-5 it's an easy side trip to Mt. St. Helens Volcano along the toutle river on Spirit lake hi-way 504.

As stated. The time of year makes a big difference.