Introductory Vacation after arrival

[Fedup 0]

Any ideas and suggestions? Any positive or negative experience?

I think it's a good idea to show around a bit, different states, different people and places. Educational as well as fun.

[Ilya R. 0]

I went on Road trip to California and back to Jersey, took me 2 weeks. Great education and fun!!! It brings you closer as well.

[Fedup 0]

I went on Road trip to California and back to Jersey, took me 2 weeks. Great education and fun!!! It brings you closer as well.

Thinking about the TX-Grand Canyon-Vegas-LA-SF. Maybe different route back, not sure how tiring it will be.

[slim 1,523]

The only thing about a road trip is make sure you tack on about 20 mintues extra to each hour you'll be driving.

"I must use restroom again" is a pretty common thing to hear on a roadtrip. These girls generally drink coffee, tea, and water, and that's not very good for making time on the road. You almost need to do it like you would a 5-year-old. "OK honey, did you go pee already? We're going to be driving for a long, long time and daddy's not going to stop every 30 minutes for a pee break. You may have one juice box after about an hour or so. No you can't have extra water, you'll pee too much!"

Ration them!

Or, if you want to stop and "see the sights" keep giving them water. You'll be stopping every 40 minutes, minimum.

Also, ensure she brings a blanket and pillow. She'll be cold (Russian women like to travel in a car that's 80 degrees for some reason) and need to cover up. Hopefully with the pillow too she'll fall asleep for long enough that you won't have to stop for a pee break for a couple hours.

[Satellite 1]

The only thing about a road trip is make sure you tack on about 20 minutes extra to each hour you'll be driving.

The biggest problem I have found with a road trip for newly weds in "our" situation is that only one spouse can help drive the car. We drove to Las Vegas and San Diego from San Francisco in one day on two separate trips and those wore me out pretty good.

[akdiver 3]

The biggest problem I have found with a road trip for newly weds in "our" situation is that only one spouse can help drive the car.

Why is that? My wife got her license about a month after her arrival, and before we even became newlyweds. Just gotta have some initiative. She drove the Jeep around some when we were in Hawaii (:

As for your road trips - don't come here fellas, we have enough tourists driving around.

Thanks!

AKDiver

Edited September 7, 2008 by akdiver

[slim 1,523]

Just gotta have some initiative.

I'll let you take a crack at explaining that to my wife.... if you dare!

[Turboguy 6]

Thinking about the TX-Grand Canyon-Vegas-LA-SF. Maybe different route back, not sure how tiring it will be.

That should be an interesting trip. You could think about adding San Diego on to the agenda. Some good things in those areas. Hollywood is cool and a RW would enjoy that. One thing there that was great that I don't hear much about but the RW with me loved was the Hollywood museum that is right down from the theater (the one with the footprints that was Grumans than Manns and I forget whose it is now). Universal studios in that area is also cool and Disneyland. Going through AZ the Crater Nat Park is sorta cool.

As far as how tiring it will be there are two aspects to look at. Tiring for you driving and tiring for her riding. I can recall talking to a friend a few years ago who told me he was exhaused from making a 175 mile trip. On the other hand I have always been a driver and have twice driven 7500 miles in a week which had I documented it could have put me in the Guiness book of records. I was curious and looked to see what the driving record was and it was a team of two men who drove 5500 miles in 5 days and 10 hours. I did mine alone. I have driven from PA to the west coast and back in 5 days a number of times. My wife on the other hand does not seem to like riding that well. I had a trip to Vegas in the spring and suggested driving and she decided we should fly. I thought she might like to see the country. A month ago I had a trip to Texas and asked if she wanted to come along. She said, oh, I have never been to Texas, that might be interesting, how far is it? I said it was 1530 miles and she said, don't forget to call me while you are gone. She has come along on some 10 hour trips with no problem however.

[slim 1,523]

The transition in scenerary from PA to TX is pretty neat. Mountains and trees to rolling hills and prairie and finally the desert. And then back! Plus, crossing the Mississipi and several other "big" rivers is interesting. Plus, transitioning through the BBQ belt is pretty cool!

Edited September 8, 2008 by slim

[akdiver 3]

Bah...I never saw any mountains between PA and TX. You gotta get to at least CO before you see any.

(:

[slim 1,523]

They're "called" mountains, anyway, and if you contrast them to the flat farmlands of the MidWest, they're "mountains" for most people.

[Fedup 0]

Thinking about the TX-Grand Canyon-Vegas-LA-SF. Maybe different route back, not sure how tiring it will be.

That should be an interesting trip. You could think about adding San Diego on to the agenda. Some good things in those areas. Hollywood is cool and a RW would enjoy that. One thing there that was great that I don't hear much about but the RW with me loved was the Hollywood museum that is right down from the theater (the one with the footprints that was Grumans than Manns and I forget whose it is now). Universal studios in that area is also cool and Disneyland. Going through AZ the Crater Nat Park is sorta cool.

As far as how tiring it will be there are two aspects to look at. Tiring for you driving and tiring for her riding. I can recall talking to a friend a few years ago who told me he was exhaused from making a 175 mile trip. On the other hand I have always been a driver and have twice driven 7500 miles in a week which had I documented it could have put me in the Guiness book of records. I was curious and looked to see what the driving record was and it was a team of two men who drove 5500 miles in 5 days and 10 hours. I did mine alone. I have driven from PA to the west coast and back in 5 days a number of times. My wife on the other hand does not seem to like riding that well. I had a trip to Vegas in the spring and suggested driving and she decided we should fly. I thought she might like to see the country. A month ago I had a trip to Texas and asked if she wanted to come along. She said, oh, I have never been to Texas, that might be interesting, how far is it? I said it was 1530 miles and she said, don't forget to call me while you are gone. She has come along on some 10 hour trips with no problem however.

Thank you very much to all for great suggestions and ideas.

Do not think that the trip will be that hard, we did travel by car in Europe already quite a bit, and as long as we will keep under 600 miles a day it should be fine I guess.

I strongly dislike southern Calif.. but feel like LA area is a must, she want to, at least too see it from the car window.

I never heard of Crater Park before, and thank you for the suggestion, it's not far from the Grand Canyon and from the online info I could tell it would be great place to see.

On the way back to TX from SF was thinking about maybe going via Colorado, taking 80 instead of going again to AZ-NM. Never before been to CO, probably interesting to see Rockies. Just do not want to drive through thousands of miles of boring farmland after that.

[KGSodie 0]

The first weekend we were here, we drove down to visit my Mom, but that's only about 3 hours away. Other than that, we haven't been further away than Kansas City yet (about 4 hours).

When we need to stop, we stop. I know when I drive a long way I don't like to stop very often, because I'm in that 'gotta make time' mindset, so I suppose I've yet to discover if this will be an issue for us!

[akdiver 3]

I know when I drive a long way I don't like to stop very often, because I'm in that 'gotta make time' mindset

That's a horrible way to travel by car. Might as well just fly and get there.

As for trips - a couple of years ago (a year after wife arrived), we flew down to LA, got a rental car and drove to Phoenix, and then up to the Grand Canyon. Then made a 7 day rafting trip down the GC, helicoptered out and took a small plane back to the car. Then we drove to Las Vegas, spent the night, and on back to LA. We spent a night in LA before leaving - and she got to go to Disneyland (world, whatever). Overall, trip was about 2 weeks. Was pretty fun - highly recommend.

p.s.: wife did some of the driving too.

Edited September 9, 2008 by akdiver

[slim 1,523]

probably interesting to see Rockies. Just do not want to drive through thousands of miles of boring farmland after that.

Make sure you take a right turn before you get back down off the mountains or else you'll be smack-dab in the middle of the most boring farmland America has to offer. Nohting like a road trip through Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. Well, unless you've gone from Iowa on up into the Dakotas. "Wow, look, there's a tree way over there!"

"I think I see a hill. No, that was just a mirage. But there's Wall Drug!" Nothing like driving 100 mph for several hours and seeing NOTHING. Nothing except 726 billboards for Wall Drug.

As for trips - a couple of years ago (a year after wife arrived), we flew down to LA, got a rental car and drove to Phoenix, and then up to the Grand Canyon. Then made a 7 day rafting trip down the GC, helicoptered out and took a small plane back to the car. Then we drove to Las Vegas, spent the night, and on back to LA. We spent a night in LA before leaving - and she got to go to Disneyland (world, whatever). Overall, trip was about 2 weeks. Was pretty fun - highly recommend.

It must be nice to have a rich wife.