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I gotta agree with everyone on driving the entire pacific coast, it's absolutely stunning.

Tommy wrote:Angus Jung wrote:And it's very hot at that time of year. It's going to be unpleasant in many parts of the country (i.e. the Southwest, the South, the Midwest, NYC/East Coast).The Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle) are comparatively mild. Food and scenic vistas are good and in abundance.This is definitely something to be aware of. July is the hottest month for most of the ConUS. Expect 100 degrees Fahrenheit through most of that band of the country except for San Francisco and San Diego. New Orleans is almost insufferable during this time. So, so humid. And hot. If you're used to humidity you might be okay. If you are aren't, it will feel like a sauna or rainforest. Hell, Chicago usually reaches 100 a day or two a year in July.Angus makes an excellent point about the Pacific Northwest. You might want to do that entire coast. And then maybe end up in Colorado or somewhere for additional scenery. Some other areas might not be too bad, like Flagstaff, AZ or somewhere.Hmm yeah, I think I for some reason assumed August would be hotter than July since it is in Europe. The west coast idea is a good one. Any idea of a good way of going from SoCal to scenery?

Hey guys. A couple of friends and I are planning a USA road trip in early July. At the moment we have a general idea that we d like to see San Francisco and New Orleans. I m also kind of curious to visit LA at least once in my life. Between those, we don t have any set plans. The main thing we re interested in are nice towns, good food and geographical beauty. But as British people we are stunningly ignorant about this part of the world, so I thought it would be a good idea to ask for help from you guys.

Angus Jung wrote:And it's very hot at that time of year. It's going to be unpleasant in many parts of the country (i.e. the Southwest, the South, the Midwest, NYC/East Coast).The Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle) are comparatively mild. Food and scenic vistas are good and in abundance.This is definitely something to be aware of. July is the hottest month for most of the ConUS. Expect 100 degrees Fahrenheit through most of that band of the country except for San Francisco and San Diego. New Orleans is almost insufferable during this time. So, so humid. And hot. If you're used to humidity you might be okay. If you are aren't, it will feel like a sauna or rainforest. Hell, Chicago usually reaches 100 a day or two a year in July.Angus makes an excellent point about the Pacific Northwest. You might want to do that entire coast. And then maybe end up in Colorado or somewhere for additional scenery. Some other areas might not be too bad, like Flagstaff, AZ or somewhere.

Angus Jung wrote:Take Highway 1154 wrote:Hwy 1 up the California coast is like our version of the Amalfi Coast.Take Highway 1.I'd say fly into San Diego, go south to Tijuana if you like (I've never been, but hey, it's really close) and then just go north: To Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and fly out of Seattle to any other part of the country you wish to explore. You'll see red wood forests, volcanos, the Pacific ocean and it's just wonderful.

Clyde wrote: Also keep in mind that the driving distance from Los Angeles to New Orleans is something like 1,750 miles and good chunk of that is dull as shit.Yeah, the right way to visit the U.S. is to fly to a specific region and explore it by car, then fly to another region and get a car there. Trying to drive across the country will exhaust you and waste a lot of time. I do not recommend Los Angeles to New Orleans.My grandfather came to Chicago from Ireland and he hosted visiting relatives all the time. When he asked them about their plans, driving down to Florida for the day, was almost always on the list.

pldms wrote:Dave N. wrote:Just be aware that you ll be driving switchbacks for hundreds of miles. It gets tiring.Having done a good part of this journey my advice is: choose your car wisely. American cars really aren't designed for going around corners.It's a lovely trip, I envy you. Highlight for me was Northern California and Oregon.yea going around those endless hairpin turns in a cheap rental is brutal. your neck and back feels like it got pummeled after a full day. definitely do this drive though. go SLOW. if you can get one of those little cabins in Big Bend for a couple nights, its the most scenic part of the entire country and you dont want to rush through it just to get to SF. after that hit Point Reyes, than the coastline and forests in Oregon. hit Astoria, eat smoked salmon, then go over the bridge into washington. take the ferry to Seattle, then drive all up to Olympic National Park. stop at those little roadside espresso shacks nestled into the old growth forests. completely magical. if you have any interest at all in camping definitely take advantage. there are tons of first come first serve options near beaches and in woods all the way up the coast, and of course if youre visiting a N.P. like Olympic you can book a spot in advance.honestly L.A./Seattle/SF are cool but the real reason to do this drive is for the nature. shit will blow your mind. just mile after mile of the most beautiful panoramas. condors, bald eagles swooping out of the sky, its like living life in HD.

Dave N. wrote:Just be aware that you ll be driving switchbacks for hundreds of miles. It gets tiring.most texan sentence I've read this year

Driving up the PCH is one of my favorite things in the world. I've taken it from LA to it's terminus in Mendocino county then continued on US 101 to Astoria Oregon, then headed southeast to Portland. It's a great tour of the west coast and you get a real sense for just how fucking huge this country is.

If for some weird reason you end up doing the Route 66 thing, stop off in Tulsa and I will finally buy you that beer from 2014.