USA Road trip (NLC)

[ClarkyBoy]

Stewart,

I reckon i spent about and hour looking at your pictures, they are awesome!!

Ali,

I have tweaked the route a little to take in leguna seca and hoover dam, and decided it will have to be a 2 week holiday,

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 927368&z=8

Looked at flights today, i can get from aberdeen to san fran and return from pheonix to aberdeen 2 weeks later for 1005 quid - based on 2 people going the 1st weekend in september, so not too bad considering,my flight to china and back next month will cost me 700 quid,

As for the motorhome, for me to hire a family one - sleeps 2 adults and 3 kids - so plenty of space as all i will need it the space for 2 people i think as it will probably me a couple trip as opposed to a mates trip - for £1400, including insurance, kitchen pack, wash kits and allowance for 1500 miles, then .32usd per mile thereafter for 13 days with the drop off in arizona, collection in san fran, oh and its a 6.2 ltr V10..........(0-60 still gonna take a week tho) haha

So now i just need to save some cash, and get someone to go with, i have her in mind....just hopeful it would last that long !! lol

what else do i need to know?? and is sempember the right time to go?

[vet111s]

september is a lovely month in the sierras, can't comment on arizona though would imagine quite nice temps at that time of year. Take some warm stuff though-at the altitudes of the eastern sierras it'll comfortably be in the high 70s in the afternoon but easily can drop a few degrees below freezing at night. Though you won't have to drop too much altitude before the temp will be picking back up. You'll be amazed how much that altitude robs your engine of power! I'll try to think of any more useful (or otherwise) info-i worked for 5 summers in the eastern sierras about 2hrs south of tahoe.

[Corranga]

Looks amazing! I'm a bit jealous

Chris

[Stewart]

Sounds good.

If you haven't already try http://www.kayak.co.uk for flights and much about with dates. I have found that Thursday flights are about the cheapest. I assume you mean they are about £500 each which is probably reasonable.

£1,400 for an RV sounds not bad for a one way trip. Should be just fine if there are jut two of you. Other than the fuel cost, you may struggle to do it much cheaper in hotels/motels unless you slum it. Do check out the cost of RV pitches though, may be a bit more expensive than you imagine. I seem to recall being charged nearly $100 for one night about 8 years ago. Admittedly that was the Sunday night of the CART race at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin.

With regards to the wash pack and kitchen pack I would check to make sure it is necessary and value for money. Bear in mind you could probably make your first stop a Walmart (or Costco if you are a member) and buy the stuff cheaper.

Also take care if you are going with Cruise America. We went with them one year in Homestead, Florida. The RV was a complete shed and obviously had been abused and the owner couldn't really care. I would imagine that they are a franchise so hopefully they aren't all like that. We also used a private firm in Milwaukee twice and the owner almost had OCD and included a full hour explaining it to us and driving lesson which is fair enough but he did exactly the same routine when we returned a couple of years later

Stewart

P.S.
Glad you liked the pictures

[andyc]

All that way and you are going to skirt LA
Make sure you ride a tram if you go SF.....it's good fun. Visit the Castro area.....that's an eye opener
If you go with the lads make a trip to the Lusty Lady in SF....another eye opener!
And.....if with the lads again you must visit the Spearmint Rhino in Vegas......wowzerz!!!
If you take a lady friend and happen to visit Santa Cruz then get booked in to the Well Within....Japanese styly garden/hot tub/bath thing and Chinese/Japanese tea followed by a massage......tres relaxing.