Help me plan our Great American Vacation

Look here
http://www.usarvrentals.com/rv_rentals/georgia/atlanta_rvrentals.asp

I went to the online quotes and a RV like the one above cost you
around $ 8000.00 for 5 weeks time, sans the gas. Fee for camp grounds
are all together ca. $ 500.00 - total $ 8500.-

A Chevrolet Suburban or similar cost you for the same time ca. $2500.00,
sans the gas. There you'd include the hotel cost of approx. $ 3,000.00
(I figured $ 80/night for 5 weeks) - total $ 5500.-

So I would opt for a SUV and hotels/motels - in many locations, Best Western has lovely suites for the entire family and serves complimentary breakfast too.

I would bypass Calif entirely, outside of Yosemite and Death Valley, its pretty much one of the most messed up states around. Its like New Jersey but without the attitude.

You and your family are welcome to sleep over. Metuchen is a 45 minute train ride away from New York city. It is also 2 miles off I-95. You wouldn't lose any time on your way to New England.

So much good stuff here! Thanks CJane for the route plan. I'd have to modify it so that we could dip by Columbus and see soz, but otherwise it looks good. Thanks farmer for the rental tip! I'm still considering renting one of those smaller ones. An SUV is a non-starter -- they don't have much more interior space than a passenger car and get shitty mileage. I'm looking at a minivan -- a Honda or a Toyota, but possibly a Caravan. The added bonus there is that we might just go ahead and buy one, so the expense wouldn't be much over and above what we already pay to have a car.

Thank you Thomas for the invite, we may just take you up on that. And osso, your advice is always much appreciated. The way you remember your travels is how I want my kids to remember these times. And you are right, I should break it up into smaller trips. The problem is mostly that the kids have this big block of time in the summer that I'd like to make use of, and not much during the rest of the year. I also have this nagging feeling that I'm wasting so much of their childhood on school and all the boring BS of life. If I could take off with them tomorrow I would.

Just plonking this here for later.

http://www.koa.com/where/usa.htm

The tentative route.

I would suggest watching "Vacation" with Chevy Chase before you venture - hopefully this will help you to avoid the same pitfalls the Griswolds (sp?) experienced.

Wooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwww.

And it takes you through Columbus! GREAT!!

Are you taking the littlies to Disneyland?

You really, really should.

Whoa... I'm impressed.

(I'm in Baltimore, if you'd like to stop for crabs or something)

No, we did our time already in Orlando last year when I went to see my dad. Once is enough.

I love crabs! (The edible ones, anyway.) I also like the harbor.

That's the tentative plan! Do you know any good camping places around there?

Oh hey, I do. Just found out about several. Deer Creek State Park for example looks really nice. I'll do a bit more investigation and let you know.

Oh yeah, I've seen it. The European vacation was the funniest.

Deer Creek looks really nice.

This is so much fun!

Looks good!

My only comment re the west coast is that you see little of the ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, etc., some of the nation's most beautiful places. That's another whole trip to do it well..

but, for this trip, you might consider when you are in the SF Bay area, taking a drive up 101 and crossing from Petaluma to the Point Reyes shore area. It's gorgeous, full out gorgeous, and not that much out of your way to get back to your chosen route north, highway 5... or it looks like 5. There's another route that takes you from just across the Golden Gate around the Marin coast to the same area, but I haven't taken it, and I know the one from Petaluma is terrific. But, the around the coast route may be stupendous. I suppose one could do a circle..

I know about some motels and bed and breakfasts there, but not about camping.. there must be some.

There most certainly IS camping in that region, Oss - but you have to book it in advance if you want a weekend date, as camping is mega popular out here.

FD, you mentioned The Redwood Forests as something you want to see. There are a couple of good choices for this that I know of -

If you want to just walk around some gorgeous and huge trees, in sort of a day-trip controlled environment, then I would highly recommend Muir woods, in Marin county, just across the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. Wow. What a great time you and your kids would have there!

http://www.nps.gov/muwo/

If you are looking for a more rugged experience, with camping and hiking, try Humbolt State Redwood park, which is about 4 hours up the 101 (beautiful drive!) or maybe National Redwood park, which is another 30 minutes further but is supposed to be awesome.

Here's a pic of the size of trees you will see - with my fiancee for scale:



Those are nowhere near the biggest ones. Not even close.

Sounds like you are going to have a great time. If you can get to see the Redwoods, do it - I can't describe their grandeur to you. Truly mind-blowing.

Cycloptichorn

Set and I stayed in Alum Creek State Park just north of Columbus several years ago. It was a great little park.

http://www.stateparks.com/alum_creek.html