Three long road trips over North America.
With these three six-week trips one can see most of North America. A family of four can take these trips cheaply for about $3,000 to $4,000. A more comfortable traveling style could make these trips reach $7,000 - $8,000 in price. If a family was visiting from Europe or Asia and had to rent a car and pay for airplane tickets the costs would be $6,000 to $10,000. Using the Internet or friendly contacts in the United States a traveler from Europe or Asia could arrange to buy a car in North America upon arrival, and then have someone place an advertisement for selling the car in the days at the end of the trip.
Six weeks to see Eastern North America.
This trip allows one six weeks to see most of the major cities and landforms of eastern North America. One should see sights in the city where one stayed the previous night, leaving around 6:00 p.m. on days with 3 or fewer hours of driving. On days with longer drives (3.5 to 6 hours) one should leave around 1:00 p.m. With a family of four, assuming $70 per night average lodging costs, $50 per day average food costs, $10 per day average transportation costs, and an average of $30 per day for admissions and miscellaneous fees, this trip would cost $7,000. It is likely that the trip could be done at closer to half those costs, so a frugal family could do this for about $3,500.
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Where one spends the night |
Hours driving. |
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New York, NY |
Sat. |
|
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Albany, NY |
Sun. |
3.5 hours |
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Hartford, CT |
2.5 hours |
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Providence, RI |
1.5 hours |
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Boston, MA |
1.5 hours |
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Boston, MA |
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Concord, NH |
2 hours |
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Augusta, ME |
Sat. |
2 hours |
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Québec, Que |
Sun. |
6 hours |
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Quebec, Que |
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Montreal, Que |
3 hours |
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Ottawa |
2 hours |
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Toronto, Ont |
5 hours |
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Toronto, Ont |
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Niagara Falls, Ont |
Sat. |
2 hours |
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Detroit, MI |
Sun. |
5 hours |
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Chicago, IL |
5.5 hours |
|
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Chicago, IL |
. |
|
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St. Louis, MO |
. |
5 hours |
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St. Louis, MO |
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Indianapolis, IN |
4.5 hours |
|
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Cincinnati, OH |
Sat. |
2.5 hours |
|
Lexington, KY |
Sun. |
1.5 hours |
|
Knoxville, TN |
3.5 hours |
|
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
1 hour |
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
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Asheville, NC |
1.5 hours |
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Columbia, SC |
2.5 hours |
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Charleston, SC |
Sat. |
5 hours |
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Charleston, SC |
Sun. |
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Myrtle Beach, SC |
2 hours |
|
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Wilmington, VA |
1.5 hours |
|
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore |
3 hours |
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Virginia Beach, VA |
3 hours |
|
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Williamsburg, VA |
1 hour |
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Richmond, VA |
Sat. |
1 hour |
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Washington, DC |
Sun. |
2 hours |
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Washington, DC |
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Baltimore, MD |
1 hour |
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Baltimore, MD |
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Dover, DE |
1.5 hours |
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Philadelphia, PA |
2 hours |
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Philadelphia, PA |
Sat. |
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New York |
Sun. |
2 hours |
Six weeks to see Central North America
On days with fewer than five hours of driving one should leave on that day’s driving around 3:00 p.m. On days with more than five hours of driving one should leave for that day’s driving around noon.
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Where one spends the night. |
Hours driving. |
|
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Minneapolis, MN |
Sat. |
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Minneapolis, MN |
Sun. |
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Duluth, MN |
3 hours |
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Ashland, WI |
2 hours |
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Eau Claire, WI |
4.5 hours |
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Wisconsin Dells, WI |
2.5 hours |
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Madison, WI |
1.5 hours |
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Cedar Rapids, IA |
Sat. |
4 hours |
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Keokuk, IA |
Sun. |
3 hours |
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St. Louis, MO |
4.5 hours |
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St. Louis, MO |
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Nashville, TN |
7 hours. |
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Nashville, TN |
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Chattanooga, TN |
2.5 hours |
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Chattanooga, TN |
Sat. |
|
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Atlanta, GA |
Sun. |
2.5 hours |
|
Macon, GA |
1.5 hours |
|
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Gainesville, FL |
5.5 hours |
|
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Orlando, FL |
3 hours |
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Orlando, FL |
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Orlando, FL |
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Tampa, FL |
Sat. |
2 hours |
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Tampa, FL |
Sun. |
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Tallahassee, FL |
7 hours |
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Mobile, AL |
5 hours |
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New Orleans, LA |
3 hours |
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Baton Rouge, LA |
1.5 hours |
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Houston, TX |
7 hours |
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Houston, TX |
Sat, |
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San Antonio, TX |
Sun. |
3.5 hours |
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Austin, TX |
1.5 hours |
|
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Dallas, TX |
4 hours |
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Oklahoma City, OK |
4 hours |
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Wichita, KS |
3 hours |
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Kansas City, MO |
3.5 hours |
|
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Omaha, NE |
Sat. |
4 hours |
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North Platte, NE |
Sun. |
5.5 hours |
|
Mt. Rushmore National Monument |
6 hours |
|
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Mt. Rushmore National Monument |
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Belle Fourche, SD |
2 hours |
|
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park |
4 hours |
|
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Bismark, ND |
3.5 hours |
|
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Fargo, ND |
Sat. |
3.5 hours |
|
Minneapolis, MN |
Sun. |
5 hours |
Six weeks to see Western North America
Typical routine:
7:30 a.m. Wake up. Shower and dress.
8:30 a.m. Have breakfast and check out of motel.
9:00 a.m. Between 9 and 10 see the first attraction in the city where you spent the night.
By noon finish seeing your first attraction. Have lunch and then go to the next attraction.
If one has a long drive (greater than 5 hours) one should finish at this second attraction by 3:00 and head out on a drive to the next city. If one has a shorter drive (less than 5 hours) one should wait until after rush-hour to begin the drive to the next city. If there is no rush-hour where one is, then one can leave at 4:00 p.m. on route to the next destination.
One typically arrives at the next destination between 8 and 10 p.m., and goes to bed and sleep by 10:30 p.m.
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Los Angeles, CA |
Sat. |
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Los Angeles, CA |
Sun. |
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San Diego, CA |
3 hours |
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San Diego, CA |
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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ |
5.5 hours |
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Tucson, AZ |
2.5 hours |
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Phoenix, AZ |
2 hours |
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Las Vegas, NV |
Sat. |
6 hours |
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Las Vegas, NV |
Sun. |
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Zion National Park, UT |
3 hours |
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Grand Canyon National Park, AZ |
6 hours |
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Grand Canyon National Park, AZ |
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Flagstaff, AZ |
2.5 hours |
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Gallup, NM |
3.5 hours |
|
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Santa Fe, NM |
Sat. |
3.5 hours |
|
Santa Fe, NM |
Sun. |
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Pueblo, CO |
4.5 hours |
|
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Denver, CO |
3.5 hours |
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Denver, CO |
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Rocky Mountain National Park, CO |
2 hours |
|
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Cheyenne, WY |
3 hours |
|
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Grand Teton National Park, WY |
Sat. |
7 hours |
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Grand Teton National Park, WY |
Sun. |
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Yellowstone National Park, WY |
2 hours |
|
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Yellowstone National Park, WY |
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Helena, MT |
5 hours |
|
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Glacier National Park, MT |
4 hours |
|
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Spokane, WA |
4 hours |
|
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Seattle, WA |
Sat, |
5.5 hours |
|
Seattle, WA |
Sun. |
|
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Vancouver, BC, |
2.5 hours |
|
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Victoria, BC |
2 hours |
|
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Port Angeles, WA |
1.5 hours |
|
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Portland, OR |
6 hours |
|
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Crescent City, CA |
8 hours |
|
|
Eureka, CA |
Sat. |
2 hours |
|
San Francisco, CA |
Sun. |
6.5 hours |
|
San Francisco, CA |
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San Francisco, CA |
||
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Monterey, CA |
3 hours |
|
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Monterey, CA |
|
|
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San Luis Obispo, CA |
5.5 hours |
|
|
Santa Barbara, CA |
Sat. |
2.5 hours |
|
Los Angeles, CA |
Sun. |
3 hours |