The perfect road trip across the USA

[ApexBunk]

I saw this in my facebook feed today and it definitely looks like a winner!

http://www.slideshare.net/lamesarvce...ampaign=buffer

Would you be interested in something like this? What would you change?

[ependydad]

Heh, as I mapped out our country tour over 14-months, there was a "perfect road trip" link that was going viral.

Since fulltiming for the last 8-months, there is no one perfect trip.

This is missing the Sand Dunes (White Sands?) in either Arizona or New Mexico. It's missing Orlando if you're a fan of theme parks and ignores the Everglades/Keys like they aren't there.

But, way more than a specific couple of locations- what it really misses is the personal aspect. For MANY of our stops, they were arranged to visit with family and friends along the way. Detours and deviations that have no apparent reason for making outside of being able to stop and visit with folks you may not have seen in years or, in some cases, I knew but had never met.

[DreiHunde]

Smokey Mountain NP & surrounding area is a must see if you've never been there

[LittlePM]

I would love to do a nice long road trip. Just give me 6 years and 6 weeks and I will be retiring, then we will hit the open roads to really see this Great Country of ours

[kennyairport]

it's a beginning.

[ApexBunk]

I have to interject that it's not perfect in the sense of "perfection" but how can you go wrong visiting the lower 48? I would adjust a few stops, maybe even skip the north eastern seaboard and go to Alaska instead, but this is a great starting point.

DreiHunde- I live in NC and have visited the Smoky Mountains several times. I am literally itching for our March trip when we head back towards Cades Cove in TN for 5 days. Unfortunately it's at the end of March so it's definitely teaching me about patience.

[bob caldwell]

Oregon's coast.........

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by ApexBunk

I have to interject that it's not perfect in the sense of "perfection" but how can you go wrong visiting the lower 48? I would adjust a few stops, maybe even skip the north eastern seaboard and go to Alaska instead, but this is a great starting point.

DreiHunde- I live in NC and have visited the Smoky Mountains several times. I am literally itching for our March trip when we head back towards Cades Cove in TN for 5 days. Unfortunately it's at the end of March so it's definitely teaching me about patience.

We love the mountains and try to get out there "somewhere" every year! I'm hoping we can make Cades Cove later this year or next!!

[moff34]

This route was not designed as the perfect road trip, but rather the optimal road trip. Here is a link to the designer's web site where he explains the design parameters: Computing the optimal road trip across the U.S. | Dr. Randal S. Olson


I have been making plans to follow the route, adding in our own must-see sites along the way, since I first saw it last summer. Since then we have purchased a new Rockwood 8329SS, retired, and are now getting ready to do a few practice runs of 4-6 weeks in length before we embark on this journey that we estimate will take 4 months.


Can't wait to get started, just need to figure out the best time to go.

[UltraV]

This probably isn't exactly the intention of the post but I thought I would comment.
I asked my wife once how she would describe the "perfect day" and she took exception with the concept and suggested that maybe the better way to look at it, was to focus on perfect moments. Most days (even fairly crummy ones) have some outstanding moments worth paying attention to.
For me, the idea of circumnavigating the lower 48 would be a dream come true but a goal of perfection would set me up for disappointment. But I know there would be many perfect moments no matter what route we took.
Lastly, we have headed out of town with no plan and randomly made left and right turns. The result has always been interesting with some unexpected gems.

[mikel68]

We've done most of that, just not all at one time. We still haven't been to the upper western states - Washington, Oregon, etc.