Our unexpectedly great American road trip

Our unexpectedly great American road trip

In two weeks we crossed four states on our American road trip and saw a number of landscapes straight out of the movies

We never intended to be in the US!

We were supposed to be about 3,000 miles further south when we were rocking out on LA's Venice Beach, mingling with the throngs of hippies, hipsters, tourists and homeless people. I admit that with my two-month-old beard, huge backpack and worn flip-flops, I fit in best with the latter.

In the two weeks since we arrived, we've crossed four states on our American road trip and seen a number of landscapes straight out of the movies. From snow-capped mountain ranges to tumbleweed-strewn deserts, from glittering casinos and roadside motels to the empty and quiet cities of the Midwest, we've seen it all. And it was magical.

Our route

Our ship docked in LA, where we spent a few days with friends before renting a car and driving north along the coastal road (Highway 1) to San Francisco. LA is clogged with traffic at the best of times, so we left after 10am to avoid rush hour.

You could reach San Francisco in one stop, but we stopped twice and took relaxing days along the coastal road, taking regular photos at stunning viewpoints. We stopped in San Luis Obispo and Monterey for the night and arrived in SF early to visit the Golden Gate Bridge.

In SF we met up with more friends and stayed three nights, this time using the subway and city buses to get around. From SF, we drove west through the Eldorado National Forest before turning south onto Route 395, where we stopped at an (abandoned) town called Bridgeport.

The next day was long but rewarding as we continued west across Death Valley to Las Vegas. There are some great roads to drive, including the relentlessly long and straight and then hilly and winding Highway 190 through Death Valley.

One night in Vegas was all we could afford (so safer) before continuing west to Grand Canyon National Park. We spent an afternoon at the visitor center exploring some short trails and driving the Desert View Drive, stopping regularly at overlooks. We drove north that night to stay at Lee’s Ferry so we could do some hiking and canyoneering the next day.

Two nights was all we could afford before driving cross country back to LA. In Lee’s Ferry we got a tip to stop at Zion National Park on the way back to see a “red Yosemite-in-the-desert style” landscape. We took the advice and weren't disappointed, bunkering down for the night in a seedy casino in Nevada before heading to LA in the morning.

We wish we had another week (or two) as we could have stayed longer in almost every destination (maybe not the seedy casino), but we can't complain about everything we were able to see.

What we saw

• alt=“Robbenkolonie“>
• alt=““>
• alt=““>
• alt=““>
• alt=““>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip death valley“>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=““>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=““>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>
• alt=“amerikanischer roadtrip“>

Rules of the (American) road

I learned to drive in the UK and have driven through much of Western Europe, North Africa, Tanzania and even sporadically – and never again – in India. The US felt very similar to Europe, but also very different. Here are just a few observations.

Americans tend to drive a little slower than Europeans, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's safer or easier. In general, there are more lanes on their roads, but also more cars, so things are often busier than European roads.

There are no speed cameras (I hope) and don't expect to find many roundabouts over there - I saw two in two weeks and was very excited when I did! I was told that slower traffic should stay on the right and faster traffic should stay on the left. However, I saw very little evidence of this and often found that the outer two (fast) lanes were full of traffic while the inner two lanes were almost empty.

In general, American drivers tend to weave between lanes - left and right - and are happy to do so. As a British driver used to the regimented rules of British roads (similar to those of the London Underground), I initially found this quite unsettling. As the weeks went by, the concern turned to tiredness and finally, when I gave up trying to understand, the tiredness turned to amusement.

It didn't take long to adapt to her style. But there are still a few things that make me uncomfortable: Am I really allowed to turn right on red?

Regardless of the rules of the road, if you're a confident driver, these challenges won't detract from your enjoyment of the great American road trip. You've seen these streets before - they're straight out of the movies.

Whether you're exploring your own backyard or a new location, discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet's best trips.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

      .