I'm headed out on my first road trip! My sister attends Emerson College for film studies and did some studying in L.A. this past spring semester. When the semeter ended, she flew back to Mass. but had to leave her car there (2002? Ford ZX2, autotragic). She road-tripped her way to L.A. this past spring, so this will be her second road trip. She was supposed to go with a friend to get the ZX2 back home, but her friend flaked out on her at the last minute. So she asked me to come with her, and I agreed.
We're flying out to L.A. on Saturday to retrieve the car, then we're driving it back to Mass. Our itinerary isn't set in stone yet, but here are some of the ideas we're batting around:
-Hang out with a few of her friends in L.A. before setting off to SanFran via the coastal route, including a visit to Hearst Castle and Big Sur.
-Visit Mt. Rushmore
-Visit Cedar Point amusement park, which has the most roller coasters of any amusement park in the world.
Any road trip tips you guys can give me? I think we'll be OK in terms of finding stuff to do along the way, so I mean in more general terms. We will have a GPS with us, we both have AAA membership, and I will be bringing my laptop. We will stop by a PepVanceZone before leaving L.A. to get a bottle of coolant and oil for the trip.
Cedar Point rocks!!! Unfortunately I haven't been in somewhere around 13 years.
you should try to bang some of her friends so you'll have a good reason for the awkward silences along the way....
mtn
Dork
8/26/09 12:37 a.m.
Spam museum in Austin MN.
I don't like all the crowds, but Wisconsin Dells is right on the route.
You're goin right through Chicago. What kinda stuff are you into?
Not quite on the route, but a tour of Gettysburg. Of all the things I remember from my trip to DC in 4th grade, that was by far the coolest.
If you're going up to San Francisco, hang a right, drive about three hours and go to Yosemite. I had an extra day to kill out in SF a few years ago and Yosemite was the best part of the trip.
Just check with AAA before you go because sometimes the roads get closed due o fires or rockslides.
AngryCorvair wrote:
you should try to bang some of her friends so you'll have a good reason for the awkward silences along the way....
[Joe Dirt]
Is she really your sister or is she a half sister?
You want real awkward...
Cedar Point is in my home town (but it has been about 8 years since I have been inside.) The last time I was there the Millennium was new at 300ft tall and a 80 degree drop, shown as the blue ride in photo.
After Labor Day, Monday Sept 7th, Cedar Point slows down to weekends only. Schedule below...
http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/visit/schedule/index.cfm
jrw1621 wrote:
After Labor Day, Monday Sept 7th, Cedar Point slows down to weekends only. Schedule below...
http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/visit/schedule/index.cfm
Thanks for the head's-up. We'll be there just just before Labor Day. They have an even taller roller coaster now, the Top-Thrill Dragster:
http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/coasters/top_thrill_dragster/index.cfm
0-120mph in 4 seconds, top speed 120mph, 420ft. tall. 
^^^^
The Top Thrill Dragster's claim to fame is that some times it does not accelerate fast enough and therefore does not make it over the 420 foot hill. When this happens, the cars travel backwards down the almost 400 foot hill and come to a controlled stop.
Either way, it is a hell of a ride.
In the picture I posted above, you can see the Top Thrill Dragster. It is a red track with a yellow support structure.
oldsaw
Reader
8/26/09 4:10 p.m.
If it's not too far off for your route, Rocky Mountain National Park is highly recommended.
Link: http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/
Since your traveling from west to east, you get the benefit of using the "other" park entrance at Grand Lake; the traditional "main" gate is on the east side, north of Denver. The west-to-east traffic flow on Trail Ridge Road is much lighter and flows better than the opposite direction.
Make sure you have a camera and have some warm clothing handy. On my trip, it snowed on way up to the highest elevations. Although it cleared before reaching the summit, the temps at the top dropped into the 30-40 degree range and wind-speed was in the 20-30MPH range. Can you say "wind-chill"?
Enjoy yourselves, and be careful!
If you find yourself on I 80 in Nebraska (heading East from Denver on I 76) stop at Ole's Big Game Cafe in Paxton NE. It is a cool restaurant/ bar in a tiny little town. There must be 300 dead animal heads on the walls, including a giant Polar Bear with a baby seal under it's paw! It is a cool place, and sure to horrify any vegan, or vegetarian.
oldsaw
Reader
8/26/09 4:55 p.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
If you find yourself on I 80 in Nebraska (heading East from Denver on I 76) stop at Ole's Big Game Cafe in Paxton NE. It is a cool restaurant/ bar in a tiny little town. There must be 300 dead animal heads on the walls, including a giant Polar Bear with a baby seal under it's paw! It is a cool place, and sure to horrify any vegan, or vegetarian.
Wouldn't vegans be mortified just by the name of the place?
mtn
Dork
8/26/09 5:44 p.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
If you find yourself on I 80 in Nebraska (heading East from Denver on I 76) stop at Ole's Big Game Cafe in Paxton NE. It is a cool restaurant/ bar in a tiny little town. There must be 300 dead animal heads on the walls, including a giant Polar Bear with a baby seal under it's paw! It is a cool place, and sure to horrify any vegan, or vegetarian.
If you're on I-80 in Nebraska, and continue on I-80 into Illinois, stop at Rips Chicken in Ladd Illinois. The. Best. Chicken. EVAR.
The road to Mt Rushmore, and the slow speed limit through the rinky dink tourist trap of a town along the way, drove me nuts. I'd skip it and hit Devil's Tower instead.
I'm back everybody. The road trip was pretty cool. I'll tell you all about my trip some other time. Right now, all I want to do is go to sleep in my own bed.
