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On January 1 I'll be packing up the Camry and making the trek from Buchanan, Virginia to Oak Park, California. Long way for a band job, right? I was wondering if anyone had tips on traveling out there. I'm on a limited budget and need to conserve so I can survive until my first pay check in January.

I plan on going the southern route, taking I-40 most of the way. Any ideas on cheap lodging, good eats (fairly close to the big road), or good sights? I do plan on making a detour for Tuba City (just curious) and the Grand Canyon.

This is the first big road trip for me so and help/advice would be great.


Will

Crap...I just typed out a long response and my computer crashed. Damn. Anyway, I made the same trek the same time last year (Baltimore to LA, on I-40). Here are some thoughts, but PM me if you want to know more.

This book was a great guide for food:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076790 ... e&n=283155

If you're about an hour east of Flagstaff, don't stop at a place called the Hilltop Diner. Worst restaurant I've ever been to. Lesson learned: if there are no other customers, it's not good. If the locals go there, it's good.

For hotels, the ones that look okay are okay, and the ones that look crappy are crappy. I didn't really get many bargains, but after 8-10 hours in a car, it was better to get a good night's sleep. Also, try to plan your days by how long you want to drive each day, ending in a "major" city. Better chances for decent hotels.

For sights, once you're out west, just pick some national parks and you can't lose. Some places I visited:
- El Morro (NM) [only a slight detour from Albuquerque]
- Painted Desert (AZ) [right on I-40]
- Grand Canyon
- Lake Mead
- Death Valley (my favorite part of the trip)

Also, FWIW, during the entire ~3,000 mile trip, I only saw 3 cops. One in VA, one in TN, and one in OK (who I drove past at 85 mph and he didn't care). Maybe I was just lucky? Overall though, it seemed like once I got out of my usual world (the Baltimore/DC corridor), people just didn't give a damn what you do.

Have fun, and try to spend the most time in the regions that you're least likely to get back to soon.

Schlep is right about Texas cops, smuggling, etc. You'll be somewhat better off with a VA plate than a NY plate, but toe the line on the speed limit.

In NM, people sort of wander as they drive. In Albuquerque they continue the wandering pattern but do it at high speed. It is kind of strange until you get used to it.

Albuquerque can have significant blizzards that close roads. If you have chains, bring them.

I was recently driving in the DC area, and people there are MUCH more courteous than here out West; they are used to congestion and don't get all road-raged-up about it like they do here.

MA

MaryAnn wrote:I was recently driving in the DC area, and people there are MUCH more courteous than here out West; they are used to congestion and don't get all road-raged-up about it like they do here.

True, we are used to sitting in our cars and not moving (e.g., it can take me up to 45 minutes to drive the 6 miles to work). I guess it's just a matter of knowing what to expect.

Oh, I guess I did forget about one other time I ran across police out west - at a sobriety checkpoint on the Zuni Reservation (near the NM/AZ border) at 2:00 PM.

MA hinted about the weather. This time of year you certainly won't have a parking problem at the Grand Canyon. However, your chances of getting into significant snow and closed roads are very good at this time of year. Don't worry about seasonal rates 'cause there's no one there!

Tucson is a bit south of your path, but if you decide to go that way... there is a tuba 'graveyard' upstairs at Chicago Music in Downtown Tuscon that might be interesting.

TubaTinker wrote:MA hinted about the weather. This time of year you certainly won't have a parking problem at the Grand Canyon. However, your chances of getting into significant snow and closed roads are very good at this time of year. Don't worry about seasonal rates 'cause there's no on there!

If you go to Grand Canyon, I'd suggest staying in Flagstaff and then driving up there. It'll be a lot cheaper that way.

Forget going to "Tuba City" there is nothing there to see tubawise other than the city limit sign. Spend your time/money on better stuff to see in NM & AZ.

I will have to agree with Sgt. Islas on this one.

Joe, I think you have them confused with these people:

Our State police LOVE writing speeding tickets

I use cruise control when I'm on an interstate for more than 10 miles. Hopefully I will pay attention when speeds may change.

My friends have been making the usual Beverly Hillbilly jokes. I was close to taking my truck out to California. It gets about 20 miles per gallon so it wouldn't have been that bad. The opportunity to take a new car was just too tempting.

bloke wrote:

Chuck(G) wrote:You may actually be the one who is confused. As I recall, the committee to which you refer hails from Oxford (or thereabouts).

Well, the destination for Mr. Clampett may be closer; I think Oak Park is in the Thousand Oaks area, which isn't all that far from Beverly (Hills, that is).

I don't know where the heck the McCoys put down roots, maybe in the Big Valley:



Some other notable neo-Californians:

Lots of interesting trivia with the Hillbillies:

Max Baer, who played Jethro, is the son of the guy who fought Max Schmelling in 1933 at Yankee Stadium.

Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. He recorded all his songs, went through all the rehearsals, and started filming with the rest of the cast. He was rushed to the hospital nine days after filming began, when his lungs seized after a week of inhaling aluminum dust from the dangerously experimental "tin" makeup. While Ebsen was in the hospital for two weeks, recovering from a near-fatal allergic reaction to the dust, he was silently replaced by Jack Haley. Haley didn't run the same risk, as the makeup was changed in the meantime from a dust to a paste.

bloke wrote:

Chuck(G) wrote:Joe, I think you have them confused with these people:

no confusion whatsoever:

Real McCoys theme song wrote: From West Virginny they came to stay in sunny Californ-i-a.

You may actually be the one who is confused. As I recall, the committee to which you refer hails from Oxford (or thereabouts).

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:ZJ ... d%22&hl=en

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?se ... r&zipcode=

Okay, now impress me with the mapquest of dogpatch!