Practical advice needed: Roadtrip: Oakland, CA to MSO this fall.

Spouse and I are planning to fly to the west coast and bring back a few family heirlooms.  While we are fairly well acquainted with both coasts we've never really explored the interior states (exception: Arizona and Texas).  Looking for suggestions about RV rentals, must-see places along a more middle or northern route, etc. Best stops and "should avoid" experiences useful.  TIA.

I grew up in Phoenix and drove from there to NYC when I moved out here 20 years ago. Even if you give yourself a week you're going to be doing a lot of driving. Spending 6+ hours on the interstate everyday while you occasionally lose an hour because of time zone changes will eventually catch up to you.

That said, here are some places along the way that are likely worth a visit:

Lake Tahoe/Reno: Lake Tahoe is beautiful, Reno has a certain something. It's like a smaller dumpier Las Vegas, so it's essentially like what Vegas was when I was a kid. Was known back in the day for quickie divorces.

Salt Lake City: I haven't been there in a LOOONG time, but it's a city that's definitely worth a visit. Just don't expect to get any high ABV beers from the local breweries!

Cheyenne, WY: There's not a lot there, but we recently drove up while we were at a wedding in Denver had enjoyed the railroad museum and the adjacent craft beer restaurant. There was also a man who did free (for tips) tours of downtown in a horse drawn surrey with fringe on top. Can't go wrong there.

Carhenge or Mount Rushmore: If you're looking to go out of your way you could head up north through Alliance to Rapid City, SD and see carhenge (pretty much what it sounds like) and Mount Rushmore. See it before they add Trump to it!

Michigan City, IN: Hey look, there's a nice little beach with a lighthouse. We were just there on a recent trip to Chicago. Sophia's House of Pancakes was good for breakfast. If I'm ever in Michigan City again...

Cleveland, OH: Rock and Roll! Haven't been, but we're trying to get my kid to all 50 states and we've been looking at Cleveland as an Ohio destination. (We got to 25 just before his 5th birthday, so we've on a good pace!)

The route that Google Maps gave me has you going through Pennsylvania on I80, but I'd probably drive through Pittsburgh for a little more excitement.

My impression from our drive (which was a different route, of course) is that there wasn't a lot to 'look at' once we got out of New Mexico until we got to Pennsylvania. So you definitely have to stop at local sites to really get to know anything about a place.

Northern route is what I recommend.  Lake Tahoe, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Black Hills of South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore), Chicago, Lake Michigan, etc.

if you’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, that needs to go on your list. For that reason alone, I’d do a more southern route.

Beautiful road up from Oakland to Tahoe/Reno (bucking the trend, i once got married in Reno, instead of divorced).

Cleveland:  rock 'n' roll, lake shore/harbor, restaurants.  This is from 10 years ago, so no details.

If passing through Colorado, Rocky Mtn National Park.  Wherever you cross the Rockies will be great, esp. if you're not used to real mountains.  Get out and smell the air.

Someone said above, not much between New Mexico and Pennsylvania.  Granted there are stretches where the attractions don't hit you in the face:  watch for gradual changes in terrain, land use.  Pull off for local points of interest, or stop in the occasional town & go to the "Maple Leaf" equivalent.  Be warned some of the towns are more or less ghost towns at this point. : (

Enjoy!!!

PS If you're going through Chicago & don't want to stop, use I-294 (passes O'Hare) to miss the worst of hellacious downtown traffic. 

I've always wanted to see the Mound Builders area of Native American culture - I believe there are some mounds in the St. Louis area, and many are centered around Cahokia. If you are interested, I can look up some more detailed info and PM them to you. 

I enjoyed Jackson Hole, Wyoming, loved visiting Albuquerque and the Acoma Pueblo, missed the giant meteor crator by Winslow, AZ and have been annoyed at myself ever since for not stopping...never drove through the middle of the US, but did enjoy a visit to Seneca Rocks in WV, and a side trip to Gettysburg on the way home.

Yosemite!

If you go the Southern route I think Flagstaff is a good place to stay after the canyon. 

We have been to the Grand Canyon/Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson as well as El Paso and Houston so we'll be going a more northern route.  Spouse is originally from Evanston so I'd be happy to pass through Chicago off peak.  

I'm thinking we'll give ourselves at least 2 weeks for the trip so we can take day here and there to just hang in beautiful or interesting places if we like.  

Has anyone rented an RV for this sort of thing?  

20 years ago I did and the one way cost was astronomical. We had to settle for a large van and even that was crazy. I want to say $6-7,000 if memory serves me well. We rented for about a month though. I’d definitely check that right away before you go any further.

What are you bringing back? Might be better shipping it.

Idaho is stunningly beautiful. 

Near Lake Tahoe is Donner Pass.  Moab Utah, Badlands National Park is excellent (see my photos from last year).  Arches National Park

Sutter's Mill where gold was first discovered is off of Rt. 80. You can pan for gold there but the water is goddam cold.

nakaille said:
We have been to the Grand Canyon/Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson as well as El Paso and Houston so we'll be going a more northern route.  Spouse is originally from Evanston so I'd be happy to pass through Chicago off peak.  
I'm thinking we'll give ourselves at least 2 weeks for the trip so we can take day here and there to just hang in beautiful or interesting places if we like.  

Has anyone rented an RV for this sort of thing?  

 I've priced out RVs for shorter trips and their very expensive in comparison to renting an SUV or van.  On the flip side, you don't have to pay for hotels.  Also, I think most RV companies charge a one-way drop-off fee and for mileage.  

My cousin came over from Ireland, bought a used RV, drove all around the country and then sold it for more than they had bought it for. I doubt you'll get as lucky, but you may want to try that. When I drove across we went to Winnemucca, NV(once was enough), Idaho Falls, which was beautiful, then Montana and Yellowstone Park, Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Minneapolis, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Rochester and back to NYC. I may have missed some things in there, but were driving 10 to 12 hours a day. 

yahooyahoo said:

nakaille said:
We have been to the Grand Canyon/Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson as well as El Paso and Houston so we'll be going a more northern route.  Spouse is originally from Evanston so I'd be happy to pass through Chicago off peak.  
I'm thinking we'll give ourselves at least 2 weeks for the trip so we can take day here and there to just hang in beautiful or interesting places if we like.  

Has anyone rented an RV for this sort of thing?  

 I've priced out RVs for shorter trips and their very expensive in comparison to renting and SUV or van.  On the flip side, you don't have to pay for hotels.  Also, I think most RV companies charge a one-way drop-off fee and for mileage.  

Granted, I was 23 yrs old but our van was big enough and comfy enough to sleep in occasionally. It had shelves for clothes storage, a tv, and the back was set up with two fairly long benches that served as beds. Such good memories-Great trip.cant believe it was so long ago

Yeah, I'm thinking the way to comprehend the cost is to consider it as a vehicle rental and mobile suite all in one.  

If you're up for it, and have room for a little equipment, you can stop at campgrounds every other day or so to save big on lodging.

If you're going really north, second for the Upper Peninsula, though it may not work well with Chicago.

Very envious! : )

yes, we used a lot of KOA campgrounds to park and sleep because of pools, bathrooms, showers, BBQs

I've never taken this drive (a cross-country drive is on my bucket list), but depending upon when in the fall you are traveling, you may wish to plan for weather conditions, e.g., dust storms, early snowfall, etc.  I think August would be perfect for a northern route, but you may not be planning to go that soon.  

I mean, if you're in an RV and headed through Reno anyway you might as well just go to Burning Man. You can save on wardrobe costs as well.

qrysdonnell said:
I mean, if you're in an RV and headed through Reno anyway you might as well just go to Burning Man. You can save on wardrobe costs as well.

 I believe the name of the festival has been changed to Earning Man.

So after a week of additional research I reluctantly agree with conandrob that the RV route is too expensive.  We will likely ship the items but are still planning the road trip as a celebration of my wife's retirement (yay!!)  Hoping to rent a hatchback and have an option to sleep in the back occasionally, alternating with lower priced motels, etc.  "Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks!"

  Thanks!

My sister and I did a cross-country trip on Amtrak from NYC to the Bay area a decade or two ago. I liked not having to drive, and we met interesting people on the train. We were able to hop-on, hop-off at least twice: We picked Chicago and Salt Lake City.

I just put in NY Penn to Emeryville, CA (one way) into Amtrak, and prices came from from about $232 per person for coach, to $1,338 per person for business class seat to Chicago, with a sleeper car from Chicago to CA.

The route map is here: 
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/Maps/Natl-System-Timetable-0317.pdf

ETA: Some destinations here:

https://www.amtrak.com/deals-discounts/rail-vacations-rail-tours/regional-rail-tour-packages.html

I'd be happy doing that kind of trip in a minivan. They have a nice ride, and if you pick the right model, one should be able to lie down and sleep while the other drives.

The only time I crossed the continent in a car was in a caravan full of teenagers, all scammed into a door-to-door book selling scheme. Selling books wasn't a success, but the road trip was cool. Actually, it was hot, and we had four in each car and no air conditioning. But at that age, it was an adventure.