Honeymoon Road Trip

april79lynn

My fiancee and I are probably going to do a honeymoon road trip for 3-4 weeks next summer! I am very excited (a little nervous) SO far this is what FI planned to get from NJ to Ca. We love beaches, bars, outdoors, casinos, wineries. An suggestions of places to stop on way back (southern route probably) or on West COast. I was thinking a national park in Oregon, Big SUr, LA, San DIego, etc.

Day 1: leave 7am & Arrive Chicago in afternoon (Sleeping there 2 nights)

Day 2: Visit Chicago 

Day 3: leave chicago at 7am & Arrive Minneapolis area in afternoon (Sleeping 2 nights)

Day 4: Visit Minneapolis

Day 5: Leave Minneapolis 7am, Arrive Badlands in afternoon (Sleeping 2 nights)

Day 6: Explore Badlands

Day 7: Leave Badlands 7am, Arrive Thremopolis in afternoon (sleeping 1 night)

Day 8: Leave Thermopolis 10am, arrive Gran Teton, jackson lake Lodge early afternoon. (Sleeping 2 nights)

Day 9: Explore Jackson Lake

Day 10: Leave Jackson lake lodge 10am, arrive YellowStone early afternoon (sleeping 2 nights)

Day 11: Explore Yellowstone

Day 12: leave Yellowstone 7am, arrive at "The Gorge" ampitheater early afternoon for concert (sleeping 1 night)

Day 13: Leave early am from the gorge, arriving in Seattle around lunch (sleeping 2 nights)

Day 14: Explore Seattle

Day 15: Leave Seattle 10am, 

monkeysip

So, after day 15, are you then wanting to go to CA?  That's going to be at least several more days. It takes a while to drive around CA, and a while to see each city.

What were you going to do on the way back?  Just drive back?  I would recommend a leisurely drive home, with a few stops, because it's always depressing to me when I reach my final destination on a road trip, and have nothing to look forward to on the way home.

april79lynn

YEah Id love to take a week to do CA and then make a few stops on the way home. WOuld love ideas of places to see on northern or southern route!

Katred08

I loooove San Diego.  Grand Canyon if you've never been, Vegas if you've never been.  Zion National Park and Lake Powell?  Austin, TX is a super cool city.  Jealous of your trip!  I'd love to take a 4 week roadtrip, sounds amazing. 

april79lynn

Thanks, I am soooo excited to go to San Diego and it will be so relaxing to spend a few days there, Whats the best to do in San DIego? Will look up Zion and Lake Powell as well. Just went to Vegas and Austin so will probably skip them this time, but thanks! Keep the suggestions coming girls!

monkeysip

I would recommend going to the coast in SoCal, like Malibu or Laguna Beach.  If you don't have a whole lot of time, I don't know if I'd really recommend hollywood.  I just came back from a week in the LA area, and hollywood wasn't at the top of my fun list.  Universal Studios was fun for a day, and the coastal area is beautiful.  I haven't been anywhere else in Cali, so I can't help you there.

On the way back, I'm not sure what is exactly on the different routes, but I love Colorado.  Denver and Boulder are beautiful.  But that may be further north than you wanted. 

I think you'd pass through Tenessee on your way back to NJ from the southern route.  Chatanooga is always fun with its Ruby Falls, and of course memphis and nashville are cool.

Have fun, sounds great!

april79lynn

Yeah, I think we r talking about San fran and LA for a day in CA and San Diego for a few days and of course stopping at places on the shore, like Monterrey. Tenesee sounds great for the way back..whats good in Memphis? Also Id like to stop in AZ or TX but worried it may be too hot in July.

monkeysip

July is really hot in Texas, usually about 100 degrees.  If you decide to go, I would recommend san antonio (romantic, lots of fun, go to the riverwalk!).  If you're driving I-10 home, you can stop through san antonio and then go to New Orleans!

Memphis is just a cool city and is home to Graceland if you're an elvis fan.

Sue-n-Kevin

I can't help you on the trip back home, but our HM last September we drove from San Fran to the San Diego area over a 14 day time frame, spent 4 nights in San Fran, 2 in Malibu, 3 in Coronado Bay (near San Diego), one night at several places along the way.

Send me a PM with your email address and I can send you the spreadsheet for the places we stayed.

Starqueg

Grand Canyon, as PP suggested.  White Sands National Monument, Painted Desert/Petrified Forest.  Taos, NM is a beautiful area.  There's white water rafting on the Rio Grande and gorges nearby.  It is hot down there in the summer, but as long as you have a/c in your car, you're better off than I was when we drove there back in '99 on a family road trip.  Sante Fe is also a pretty city.  

We spent a night camping outside of Colorado Springs that I remember fondly.  

I've heard that Glacier National Park is beautiful, but I've never been there.  

Enjoy your road trip.  To me, the best part of our trip was when we weren't on interstates, but passing through small towns.   Of course, on a cross country trek, no one wants to be on small roads the whole way, but maybe pick a small portion of your trip to see more than just tourist attractions and big cities.