Driving the South of the USA
Discussion
Seen as I'm recently single, feeling a bit blue and have some holiday cash which was previously allocated I'm thinking of doing a holiday I've fancied for a while now - driving the southern states of the USA. I work month on/off so I have 3 weeks in which do it.
The loose plan is to fly to Orlando, pick up a V8 convertible head north to Atlanta then west through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and then California. No specific route planned, just driving 'til I'm bored then finding a town off the highway, checking the place out, meeting people, eating well. Car hire is looking like £2.5k. I'm budgeting another £5k for hotels/motels, fuel and spends, with enough left over for a new guitar I'm hoping.
I'd love to do it before Xmas, but work doesn't fall favourably so it's looking like Spring. Has anyone done anything like this? Is three weeks long enough to do it justice? It's roughly 3000 miles so it's only 150 miles a day average, although I expect to stay in some places for more than a day.
Any sage advice is welcome. Cheers.
The loose plan is to fly to Orlando, pick up a V8 convertible head north to Atlanta then west through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and then California. No specific route planned, just driving 'til I'm bored then finding a town off the highway, checking the place out, meeting people, eating well. Car hire is looking like £2.5k. I'm budgeting another £5k for hotels/motels, fuel and spends, with enough left over for a new guitar I'm hoping.
I'd love to do it before Xmas, but work doesn't fall favourably so it's looking like Spring. Has anyone done anything like this? Is three weeks long enough to do it justice? It's roughly 3000 miles so it's only 150 miles a day average, although I expect to stay in some places for more than a day.
Any sage advice is welcome. Cheers.
150 miles a day in the states is nothing,
when we head to Orlando my bros in law drives from Charlotte in NC to Orlando overnight
I'd head up the Atlantic coast in 2 days or so, have a few days in Charleston, maybe myrtle beach for a day or so for giggles, then up to Washington DC, across into WV down the Blue Ridge mountains (have a chill in fairystone park and swim in the lake for a day) and check out Clyde Turners place, then take a leisurely drive down through Atlanta back to Orlando.
Better option might be to do the same but start in the north (NY/philly)
when we head to Orlando my bros in law drives from Charlotte in NC to Orlando overnight
I'd head up the Atlantic coast in 2 days or so, have a few days in Charleston, maybe myrtle beach for a day or so for giggles, then up to Washington DC, across into WV down the Blue Ridge mountains (have a chill in fairystone park and swim in the lake for a day) and check out Clyde Turners place, then take a leisurely drive down through Atlanta back to Orlando.
Better option might be to do the same but start in the north (NY/philly)
A couple of my pals recently did a road trip round California in a Mustang and ventured into Vegas. California has some great scenary and visually is probably more stunning than the Southern States.
From what they told me and the pics
they showed me they had a blast.
Jealous?
You betcha I was.
From what they told me and the pics
they showed me they had a blast.
Jealous?
You betcha I was.
£5k for 3 weeks? Are you mad?
You're about right on the car, the Hertz Corvette comes in just under £2.5k but unless you're planning on staying in expensive hotels then £1k should see you right for motels which i would recommend for the experience.
Fuel has dropped a lot in price as well, its around $3.50=$4.00 a gallon even in California, $2.50 in SC where my Dad is.
You're about right on the car, the Hertz Corvette comes in just under £2.5k but unless you're planning on staying in expensive hotels then £1k should see you right for motels which i would recommend for the experience.
Fuel has dropped a lot in price as well, its around $3.50=$4.00 a gallon even in California, $2.50 in SC where my Dad is.
And £5k is a fair whack, but I wouldn't want to scrimp on it. I assume it'll be $100 a night for a decent motel, plus 2-3 meals a day and drinks. If I budget $200 a day for fuel, sleeps, eats and drinks that leaves with with plenty for a new acoustic too. I'm happy to do it for less, but this is kinda a once-in-a-liftime thing.
One way rentals double the rental price for the duration of the rental usually. Certainly they do at Enterprise.
On that basis I would suggest that you only rent the muscle car for a specific section of the trip; a loop in California and Vegas for a week, for example. That way you can drop the car off at the same place and save a shed load.
For the rest of the trip, you'll do well to only book a cheap little economy car, or even do what I did and hop on the Greyhound. I promise you that you'll meet a lot of interesting people on the bus.
On that basis I would suggest that you only rent the muscle car for a specific section of the trip; a loop in California and Vegas for a week, for example. That way you can drop the car off at the same place and save a shed load.
For the rest of the trip, you'll do well to only book a cheap little economy car, or even do what I did and hop on the Greyhound. I promise you that you'll meet a lot of interesting people on the bus.
BrewsterBear said:
And £5k is a fair whack, but I wouldn't want to scrimp on it. I assume it'll be $100 a night for a decent motel, plus 2-3 meals a day and drinks. If I budget $200 a day for fuel, sleeps, eats and drinks that leaves with with plenty for a new acoustic too. I'm happy to do it for less, but this is kinda a once-in-a-liftime thing.
If you stick to Holiday Inns and collect the reward points you will probably get enough for a weekend away in the UK when you get back..Most Holiday Inn expresses will come in under $100 a night and will include breakfast buffet, but just for the hell of it I'd have to stay in a budget motel just once.
The deep south should be interesting me and the wife are planning on doing a winnebago tour of the states when/if we retire, take a year over it...
If this was me, I'd be plannign my route to try and hit as many of the places on this show:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/local/search/Controller... Drive-ins and Dives
They have a map of teh 500 or so featured places!
Patrick
http://www.foodnetwork.com/local/search/Controller... Drive-ins and Dives
They have a map of teh 500 or so featured places!
Patrick
Mississipe and Louisania are good states to travel through, very green and attractive, Texas is obviously bloody dry and can be hard work travelling west as its vast. Still worth it though as lost of dry dusty towns as you go. I liked Baton Rouge a lot, lots about the civil war as it was a battle ground there. Go off the highway as much as you can as you meet the real folk of USA and the back street places .
prand said:
If this was me, I'd be plannign my route to try and hit as many of the places on this show:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/local/search/Controller... Drive-ins and Dives
They have a map of teh 500 or so featured places!
Patrick
I have a very understanding GF that has allowed me to plan the travelling sections/route of our Florida holiday around the Man v food and D,D&D best places. I'm salivating at the thought of it, roll on August!!http://www.foodnetwork.com/local/search/Controller... Drive-ins and Dives
They have a map of teh 500 or so featured places!
Patrick
davepoth said:
For the rest of the trip, you'll do well to only book a cheap little economy car, or even do what I did and hop on the Greyhound. I promise you that you'll meet a lot of interesting people on the bus.
Or get your head chopped off....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Tim_McLeanSeriously, I've been on one and it was out of necessity because I was a student in the US at the time! You can clearly afford the car - give the bus a wide berth!!
Also - DO rent the muscle car all the way. It's your trip of a lifetime, so do it justice!
The car might also be a good conversation starter at times.BrewsterBear said:
And £5k is a fair whack, but I wouldn't want to scrimp on it. I assume it'll be $100 a night for a decent motel, plus 2-3 meals a day and drinks. If I budget $200 a day for fuel, sleeps, eats and drinks that leaves with with plenty for a new acoustic too. I'm happy to do it for less, but this is kinda a once-in-a-liftime thing.
Outside of certain cities (LA, San Francisco etc) you can get many decent hotels/motels from $50+ per night. Places like Comfort Suites, Motel 6 etcIf you wait unti June next year you could do this...
http://www.familyevents.com/event/229
I did it in 2009 and it was epic...
http://www.nickgrant.co.uk/content/?s=Hot+Rod+Powe...
http://www.familyevents.com/event/229
I did it in 2009 and it was epic...
http://www.nickgrant.co.uk/content/?s=Hot+Rod+Powe...
If you hang it out until 12-14 Oct then I would drop this trip into the loop.
www.knobcreekrange.com/events/featured.../machine-...
www.knobcreekrange.com/events/featured.../machine-...
I'd definitely do some planning because the distances are so vast that you'll need to make some decisions about where you want to go. I've been to Austin a couple of times as I have family there and have done the drive to and from New Orleans...it's about a ten hour drive and from what I recall there's not much to see in between...well there's Houston but not sure you'd want to stop there. There are a ton of great things to see and do in the South but I don't know that I'd want to spend too many nights in small town America....you might have some great nights but you might not.....if you are in a small town in the US on a Monday night there might only be two people in the local bar.
I'd defintely look to stay a couple of nights in say 10 interesting places.
One place I would recommend having a look at is Big Bend National Park on the Texas/Mexico border http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm You'll never go anywhere else like it.
Also I would definitely recommend spending some time in Austin it's a great city. They have a music festival there SXSW (South by SOuth West) which is the biggest live music festival in the US. It's in the Spring if that time works and you like live music.
I'd defintely look to stay a couple of nights in say 10 interesting places.
One place I would recommend having a look at is Big Bend National Park on the Texas/Mexico border http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm You'll never go anywhere else like it.
Also I would definitely recommend spending some time in Austin it's a great city. They have a music festival there SXSW (South by SOuth West) which is the biggest live music festival in the US. It's in the Spring if that time works and you like live music.
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