Traveling around America by car on your own. Traveling around the USA: route, budget, general impressions

There are a ton of trails in the US that are worth exploring, but there are some that you simply can't miss.

A selection of these was collected by Buzzfeed.

A musical journey from rocking Cleveland to blues Memphis

Approximate distance: 735 miles (1,183 km).

What to see: Start your trip with a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, take in the countryside and Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry, and top it off with a little blues at Graceland in Memphis.

2. Drive through the desert from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon. Photo: Depositphotos

Approximate distance: 230 miles (370 km).

What to see: Architecture lovers must visit Taliesen West in Scottsdale. In addition, it is worth visiting the ecological town of Arcosanti, hiking on the red slopes of Sedona and completing a trip through the Grand Canyon.

3. Tour through Kentucky: from Lexington to Louisville and back

Approximate distance: 200 miles (322 km).

What to see: Stop at distilleries in Lexington, Lawrenceburg, Loretto and Clermont for tastings (make sure you have a driver to take your place). And enjoy the sight of plants and white fences as you go.

4. Scenic trip along the California coast: from San Francisco to San Diego

San Francisco. Photo: Depositphotos

Approximate distance: 500 miles (805 km).

What to see: Head south from San Francisco along the coast through quaint Half Moon Bay and you'll see some of the most beautiful coastal sights in the United States. Stop to soak up the beaches of Malibu and end your trip with a stroll to San Diego's Gaslamp District.

5. Road trip through the Midwest from Chicago, Illinois to Door County, Wisconsin

Approximate distance: 280 miles (451 km).

What to see: Stop at the Milwaukee Art Museum on the western shore of Lake Michigan, then take a sports-oriented visit to Lambeau Field and end your trip in Door County's fun activities walking, boating or tasting old-fashioned fish soup.

6. Explore the oldest cities in America along Atlantic Ocean, starting from Boston, Massachusetts and ending in Key West, Florida

What to see: Inspect the hot spot Civil War— Boston. Next, visit the Silesian Witches' House in Salem, Massachusetts, then head south to the most Old city in America - St. Augustine, Florida, ending the trip in tropical Key West.

7. Heart of Texas Tour: Dallas to Corpus Christi

Approximate distance: 420 miles (676 km).

What to see: Explore microbreweries in Dallas, then check out the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, followed by more live music on stage in Austin. Also visit the Alamo in San Antonio and end your trip at Gulf of Mexico in Corpus Christi.

8. Travel through natural wonders from the Dakotas to the Badlands to Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Depositphotos

Approximate distance: 1,300 miles (2,092 km).

What to see: Along the way you will have the opportunity to observe fantastic rocks and Mountain peaks, stop near Mount Rushmore, visit Devils Tower, and end the trip in good old Yellowstone.

9. A nostalgic trip through cities in American style: from Chicago to Los Angeles

Los Angeles. Photo: Depositphotos

Approximate distance: 2,400 miles (3,862 km).

What to see: Windy City's skyline will blow your mind, and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is also worth a look. Then you can visit the Colman Theater in Oklahoma, as well as the Seligman Historic District in Arizona. And finally, explore the Arizona Crater in Arizona on the way to sunny Los Angeles.

10. Drive from Provincetown, Massachusetts to the Oregon Coast

Approximate distance: 3,300 miles (5,311 km).

What to see: Experience what the first settlers in the United States experienced as they roamed from coast to coast. Stop along the way to enjoy panoramic views of the Finger Lakes, views of Chicago, and end your trip with the pristine beauty of the Oregon Coast.

11. Fun trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas

Las Vegas. Photo: Depositphotos

Approximate distance: 320 miles (515 km).

What to see: Start with the ocean views from the Santa Monica Pier, then head east from Los Angeles to Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch and Calico Ghost Town. If you get hungry on your way to Nevada, don't miss the 50s-style diner called Peggy Sue's Diner at the entrance to Sin City.

And now our short but dizzying journey across the States is over. We are in Mexico City. After the sedate America, which knows a lot about everything and everyone, Mexico looks somehow especially unbridled and willful. We've been sleeping for the second day and, apparently, we'll sleep for another three days: the American trip has taken all our strength, and there's no room in our heads for new impressions yet. The soul remained somewhere there, between the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building and southern region Grand Canyon, and I don’t want to rush her out of there just yet. I begin my story about the USA by summing up the first results of the trip.

Why USA?

I had my eye on America as a continent for a long time, but the United States, located on most of its territory, was never one of the places I dreamed about at night. Well, I was not attracted to a country that cannot boast of either a centuries-old culture or traditions that change the way we look at the world. The main purpose of the planned flight across the ocean was Mexico and Central America, and we decided to visit the States at the same time. Guided by this unserious intention, we applied for a visa and relied on fate - the outcome of the consideration of our application to the embassy now determined where our American journey would begin - from the USA or Mexico. Our visas were approved (I wrote about how to get a US visa) and, without thinking twice, we bought tickets to New York. Thus, one might say, by chance, the country of the USA happened in my life.

Our route

Our American trip lasted 13 days: from October 3 to October 15, 2013. The current travel route is somewhat different from what was originally planned. The day before our flight to New York, the US government decided to organize a so-called “shutdown”, stopping the work of all government agencies, which includes numerous cultural attractions and national parks. Thus, our route, right along the journey, was periodically adjusted in accordance with the political and economic situation in the country. As a result, we still didn’t visit a couple of places that were important to us, but we had the opportunity to highlight large quantity time for the rest. We traveled in a rented car.

So, the final route of our trip:

Briefly about impressions

I’ll be honest: America captivated us so much that, being under the pressure of those impressions, for the second day now I have been absolutely immune to everything Mexican. Considering that the USA is like a random passer-by in my life, and Mexico is a long-standing conscious dream, such a reaction on my part is doubly unexpected. So far I don’t understand anything and can’t give clear formulations: what exactly I liked in America and what exactly I don’t like in Mexico, but I get annoyed when I’m in the latter for any reason: the Mexicans seem to me to be ugly, bug-eyed dwarfs who don’t even speak English the words “milk”, signs of unsanitary conditions and the odors here are such that no Thailand has ever dreamed of, and in the future I won’t risk using the capital’s metro without a preliminary dose of antidepressants.

However, I digressed from the topic indicated in the title of the post, so let’s return to America. In a nutshell and without pictures yet (I’m thinking with fear about the gigabytes of photos that still have to be crushed) about impressions from the American route we took.

A city that gives you goosebumps. I still don't understand what its magic is, but it definitely exists.

Los Angeles- a kind of cocktail of American, European and tropical. Buying a small house in the Hollywood hills, covered with a thick layer of moss, and staying in it - this seems to be my new dream now.

Las Vegas- a city drowning in human vices. Kitsch, debauchery and expensive bad taste. For me, Vegas is one of the worst places on earth, but it’s worth visiting if only to feel the full power of universal evil and not succumb to it. Well, or give in

Utah and Arizona- that America, for the sake of which, in fact, this country happened in my life. Thousands of square kilometers of incredible landscapes dotted with impeccable highways, morning snow and midday heat, low stars, flocks of deer and spotted horses grazing in the fields, smiling farmers in wide-brimmed hats and sheriffs in movie cars. All this made me fall in love and turned the traditional idea of America upside down.

And in America, the first of those ten dreams that are planned to be realized during our journey, which, by the way, continues, came true!

This is where I’ll probably end today’s post, otherwise there won’t be any thoughts left for future ones. Stay in touch, subscribe to blog updates and see you again!

On the way back to Washington, I wanted to drive through national park Blue Ridge Parkway, by scenic road, winding along mountain ranges. Landscapes rarely excite my consciousness, but since it’s all the same in that direction...

Why do I love traveling in America most? For travel stories, meetings along the way and chance acquaintances that make these trips bright and memorable. Drive through an empty winter national park, stop for breakfast at a roadside cafe, stop at a gas station...

Just leave the main road and head towards the Beautiful Unknown. And something will definitely happen.

1 You can drive either fast or beautifully. In the States there are special roads for lovers of beauty who are not in a hurry. Unlike the main roads, they are narrow and single-lane, just like ours. Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most famous in the country scenic route.

2 And at the same time, one of the few free national parks, you usually need to buy an expensive ticket or annual pass.

3 Maximum speed here it is limited to 70 kilometers per hour, sometimes even less. And of course, there is no problem stopping and taking photos.

4 To do this, in the most picturesque places special viewing platforms with parking are arranged.

5 They’ll also tell you what kind of place it is.

6 For me, this road was somewhat boring, because the high mountain landscapes too often gave way to an ordinary forest path. In autumn, I think it should be very beautiful here. Or in winter, when everything is covered in snow.

7 In the off-season, however, you can catch such interesting combinations of summer and winter. In the States, grass generally grows all year round, that’s how it feels.

8 At one of the observation platforms, I met several large pickup trucks. Tall men in camouflage uniform stood nearby. Hunters, thought Stirlitz.

9 The dogs were languishing in the back. With scars all over your dog faces.

10 The men were not averse to chatting. All of them are residents of local towns and have been going hunting on weekends for many years. They are not attracted to ducks and rabbits; they need larger game. Bear. Now there was just a raid on one of those who couldn’t sleep in winter. A bear that has not hibernated is a most dangerous animal. Not finding food in the forest, he descends into the cities eat a little. He has already been seen on the outskirts of the city. What happens to the bear after it is killed? They will eat it. This sweet, smiling grandfather, with a sandwich in his hand, had a bear steak for dinner yesterday. Good meat, he says, the main thing is not to overcook it, otherwise it will become tough. And so - no worse than beef.

11 - Bear hunting is my passion- said the hunter. - Look at my truck's license plate!

12 - No, look at me!- I answered and drove the car closer. Now it's time for the man to be surprised. RUBEAR This is, of course, the “Russian bear”. But BL is not Belarusian, but black, but the pun turned out to be funny.

13 Number of one of the pickup trucks. I think Putin has nothing to do with it :)

14 Dogs, by the way, are equipped with GPS sensors and special radios. Owners can monitor them using mobile phones.

15 Exchanged contacts with hunters. Maybe next time I'll ask them.

16 The road climbed higher into the mountains. Snow began to appear on the roadsides, the first I had seen in America this month.

17 Suddenly...the road is closed. This often happens out of season national parks. If there is ice or snow, the road is simply closed to prevent anything from happening. There is no one to clean it, and the flow of tourists is minimal. I had to turn around and go back to the highway. But I saw deer.

18 The places here are wonderful. I wanted to go around the probable closed area and return to the national park, but the Road decided otherwise.

19 I just really wanted to eat, and passed by a good American diner I just can not. Especially when it's called Pink Cadillac diner, and in front of the entrance stands this very pink Cadillac.

20 The restaurant is decorated in the style of the fifties, the unforgettable Elvis Vernonich Presley.

21 Moreover, the diner is old, this is not a remake of Moscow Beverly Hills. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been standing here like this since the fifties.

22 The waitresses were very shy to be photographed, but I finally persuaded them.

23 There, in the diner, I found an advertising brochure for a nearby flea market. You can find these old-time shops all over America, but they are usually more modest in size. This one was truly gigantic.

24 On I don’t even know how many thousand square meters there are shops with all sorts of things from the depths of time.

25 Library secretary or a set of old chairs?

26 A child's horse and an old chest of drawers?

27 Or an iron horse, a toy of wealthy children from the past.

28 This is truly the largest flea market I have ever seen. It operates on the principle of a consignment store in the USSR. By the way, where did they go immediately after the collapse of the Union? The shops were great!

29 Corner of the former rulers of this world. President Washington, President Yeltsin, Fuhrer Adolf Aloizych and simply Alien. By the way, Yeltsin is more expensive than Hitler, 400 dollars versus a hundred.

30 But the most magnificent section is the old toys! Alphas, Nutcrackers and dolls of all times! With the exception of some special rates, prices are very humane.

31 Transformers, inflatable dolls, famous Barbies and thousands of board games! I couldn’t be allowed into this store, because instead of “taking a peek,” I spent three hours there, and there was no question of any continuation of the leisurely path through the national park.

32 But I bought Monopoly from 1961. I love this game, I always had some stupid version with bank cards, and now - an authentic one, with paper money, and even from 50 years ago.

33 Having almost reached Washington, I stopped at a gas station. Another short chance encounter. A large Mexican family travels in a rented motor home across America, from California to New York and back.

34 I looked inside, and there were even more Mexicans there :) I would like to go on a long trip in such a vehicle one day.

35 Now I have returned to Moscow, and I have no plans for further travel. But soon something will definitely come up. In the meantime, I’m starting to publish a series of photo reports from the “Kansas” series. After all, everyone has already woken up after New Year's hibernation?

In the fall of 2012, I went to the USA for the first time. I drove there in a car through 10 states

Horseshoe - Colorado River meander. Impressive live. Enough famous place, you've probably seen this photo many times.

Bonneville Salt Plateau at sunset.

Ford Mustang Convertible is a separate topic for discussion. And, I must say, very beloved =) I probably won’t go on any trips again in the summer without a convertible.

I really liked Yellowstone. All liked it. I recommend. In a convertible, of course =)

Yellowstone =) Who are you? =)

Malibu Beach

Perhaps the most famous arch in the world. Its height is 20 meters. Then I'll show you other angles.

Large prismatic spring. Yellowstone.
Reservoir size: 100 by 100 meters. Depth 50 meters. Water temperature is 94 degrees.

Grand Teton National Forest at night

Chinatown in New York

I don’t believe in stealth technology. San Francisco.

Yours truly in Wyoming

In general, I immediately liked Wyoming =))) They’re shooting all around, and you realize that you’re the only one who doesn’t have a gun here =))

The front door of our casino hotel in Las Vegas. There will be photos from the casino =)

About the car.

A convertible was needed. The choices in the states are as follows: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Chrysler Sebring and Ford Mustang. They all cost about the same, plus or minus 7% of the cost. Anyone here will choose a Mustang. And if you also take into account that it is much more powerful than its competitors, has rear-wheel drive and a large trunk, the choice becomes obvious. In the USA, car rental is generally very cheap. Either a convertible or a jeep - it’s quite inexpensive. The only thing that upset me a little was the fact that the rental office only had a black car... but there’s nothing you can do about it, I had to drive a black one. And, of course, I was offered a blue Eclipse and a white Sebring. 10 minutes of thought and we are driving a black mustang =)

How does he drive? I’ll say right away that I’m comparing mainly with my Golf GTI V 200 hp. The Mustang drives frankly poorly, and considering its 305 hp. Based on his passport, we can say that he simply is not traveling. Acceleration from a standstill is difficult for him: it growls and does not move, you can feel the transformer in the box slipping. The Golf GTI is definitely faster here. At speeds over 120, the Mustang can be a little faster than the GTI, but in any case not significantly. And in the USA you don’t get too much of a rush: as soon as you do, the cops immediately accept you =)

And yet we managed to grab a couple of good shots. Once on the Lake Tahoe mountain path and the second time on the path north of Golden Gate, where Muir Woods Park with 1000 year-old trees. In general, the Mustang drives calmly and safely. One might even say it’s not scary, since the speed that its tires allow (all-season tires marked M+S) is noticeably less than the speed at which my car would drive under the same conditions. Therefore, taxiing is leisurely and relaxed. The tires whistle, but the car drives absolutely calmly and accurately. Rear-wheel drive, the steering wheel is completely transparent. And the speed is low. Beauty =) If the tires on a Golf GTI whistle on serpentine roads, then the driver is far from calm. Well, in the sense of the most ordinary driver.

The Mustang doesn’t even slip its rear wheels (and they are narrow and all-season) at any start on the asphalt. At least with ASR, at least without. But on a dirt road (thanks to rear-wheel drive), it’s very pleasant (and impressive) to turn around and drive onto the highway =)

One of the most important features of a Mustang is the sound of the engine. The most gorgeous baritone. It's frankly nice to press the gas pedal harder when starting from a standstill. And one more discovery: amazing silence in the cabin when driving with the roof on. Very quiet. How? Why? I don't know, but it's quiet. With the roof folded down, there is wind in the cabin even in front, but it’s not critical, since you can always turn on the hot air blowing to its fullest. Fortunately, the 3.7 engine does not cool down and warms up very quickly.

I arrived home and got into my car. And... and all my impressions intensified. In golf, the steering wheel is very thin and small (in outer diameter). The machine is perceived as a toy go-kart. Very stiff suspension, lightning-fast lane changes at the slightest movement of the steering wheel (the steering wheel makes fewer revolutions). Just a completely different car. And he doesn't growl at all. And it’s unpleasant to sit under the roof: it’s like climbing into a tin can. But the doors close well: very tightly and pleasantly. They got these rattling doors, plus they also move the glass up/down every time the door opens/closes. Unpleasant.

The convertible in the USA fully met all the hopes placed on it. Fully! Frankly, I was thinking about taking some kind of jeep and driving off-road... I even thought about taking two cars: part of the way in one, and the other part in the second. But still, reason won - Mustang =) We had great weather the whole trip and we always drove without a roof. Actually 2 weeks in the fresh air. Only early in the morning and late in the evening were the roofs put on. We drove with her just a little bit. The overview is awesome in all directions, it's very pleasant and good for traveling. I won’t go anywhere else in the summer without a convertible. A waste of time, not the same experience at all. And now I think I understand why most convertibles are sold in Scandinavia.

American houses in Wyoming, their cars, and the Americans themselves)

In the south of the USA, everything is very dusty, since there are deserts nearby. Pictured is Salt Lake City. A typical large American city: in the center there are large houses where people work, and then one-story private houses - the huts of the townspeople. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco - everywhere is such one-story (less often two-story) cardboard nonsense.

Casino in Wendover. In two hours I was almost blinded by such an abundance of acid paints and point light sources. Wendover is a separate story, a town (essentially a hole) of the American dream. Fans of fast driving come here from all over the world; this is where the Bonneville salt plateau is located.

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the glasses =)

There isn't a car in Wendover that doesn't drive across the salt plateau. Literally everything is covered in salt. Unreal surreal. Even in the hotel, all the carpets are covered in salt.

Monument Valley. A magnificent sight. The photo is not very high quality, because the camera sucks. But still interesting. The height of these remains is almost 300 meters.

A typical American hotel on Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is a terribly pop place. American dream. There is no need to come here.

High altitude Lake Tahoe. It may be cool for Nevada and California, but Russians are not surprised by such lakes.

Hoover Dam. Two trucks on the bridge for scale. There are engineers in the USA.

Falling rock. People in the frame for scale.

Mustang on vacation

Malibu safeguards. Unfortunately, I didn’t see Pamela Anderson there, but there were her analogues =))) Looks like there’s some kind of fashion there now. Everything is on implants.

Iconic cafe in Malibu. He is 80 years old. It's what they show in all the films. In fact, the horror is terrible. America surprises with its simplicity. But you understand this only when you see everything live.

Iron House in New York at the intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenue. Interesting building, a classic project. There are houses like this in everyone. major cities USA. This one is, of course, the most famous, although it appeared later.

Walk of Stars in Hollywood. A miserable and short street.

Star close-up.

Subway in New York

The so-called Dead End in San Francisco. City beach after sunset. On the right is endless Pacific Ocean. The sun set straight into the ocean and went to Russia - to the right in the frame.

San Francisco. View from Twin Peaks. Below is the 5th GTI on 18" Detroits.

Cable tram in San Francisco.

The expanses of Montana.

A room in Las Vegas for 1000 rubles per night.

Bath with hot water in Yellowstone. The colors are 100% real. Each color is a specific type of bacteria that lives strictly at a certain temperature.

Path in Yellowstone.

Dinner for a tourist in Wyoming: potatoes, vegetables and steak.

The place where it is served. Family restaurant in Jackson.

Grand Canyon at dawn.

Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Photoshopped to my liking. We don't scold =)

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with a very fast river below. Quite a spectacle. It’s difficult to convey anything here with a photograph, especially when shooting against the sun.

Powell Reservoir. An artificial pool on the Colorado River.

Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. It is from this bridge that all self-respecting suicides jump.

Let's zoom in and see the city. The air is opaque, the same problem as everywhere else in the US.

Zion Park. I remember this red carpet for a long time. I recommend visiting.

There are roller skates in San Francisco too. Pay attention to the distant shot. Cop.

Glen Canyon. And some kind of factory.

Typical Yellowstone.

A residential area in San Francisco. Well done guys, you found the right store (pay attention to the sign). I was standing at a traffic light when I saw them. I really wanted to take a photo, because the camera is always on my lap. When the light turned green, I raised my camera and clicked it. Of course, they did not expect such impudence =) The next second we were already leaving under the rich baritone of Mustang =)

Iron Building in San Francisco.

Leave Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast Highway, which runs along the coast to Malibu. In the foreground is Santa Monica Beach, in the background is Malibu Beach.

Hotel room right next to the Grand Canyon. Costs 7,000 rubles per day. Pay attention to the photographs on the wall.

Restaurant in the same hotel. The most famous restaurant in the entire area.

Food in the same restaurant.

San Francisco. When you drive from below, you can't see the intersection at all. In the states, stop signs and crossing intersections as cars approach them work very well. These two rules allow you to avoid accidents at blind intersections like these.

Subway in New York. The very center of Manhattan. The intersection of 5th Avenue and 53rd Street. Very narrow and dirty.

Typical Yellowstone. All the trees are young, since fires burn everything every 10-15 years. It can snow here any day of the year.

Downtown Manhattan. The trees look a little aloof =)

Arches Park. Utah.

The uncle demands satisfaction from the parking meter. NY. At the top right of the frame is the Empire State Building.

This is how I took the photo at the beginning of the post. Height 300 meters.

School in New York. Separate entrances for boys and girls. I wonder if everyone is studying together now?

Glen Canyon. Branch of the Grand Canyon.

Parking lot in Chelsea, New York. The cost of a monthly subscription is $360.

Landscapes of Utah.

The most famous electronics store in New York: BH PhotoVideo. It is notable, first of all, for its employees. The type of employees you see in the photo. There are no others there and cannot be. Yes, of course, the store is closed on Saturday. Located in the center of Manhattan.

The world's largest natural arch. Its length is 88 meters. The stones below are its partial collapse (thinning) in 1991. It's called Landscape Arch.

There are a lot of police in New York. They are literally on every corner.

Zion Park.

Grand Teton Park. Jenny Lake is supplied by melting snow from the Grand Teton Mountains. Unrealistically clean water.

Ordinary yard football in central park New York. They play so-so, in our yards they play better.

Mustang in Wyoming.

NY. Architecture.

Grand Canyon. The Colorado River did this to the plateau in 6 million years. That burgundy color that you see at the bottom of the canyon is rock that was formed 2 billion years ago. For comparison, the age of the earth is 4.5 billion years. I'm in this photo. For scale.

Police cars are the second most numerous after taxis. So it seemed to me. And they all have something like a ram in front.

Bryce Canyon. Utah.

Grand Canyon. View from an airplane.

Bird in Malibu.

NY. Central Post Office on the left and Madison Square Garden ( sports arena) on right.

Los Angeles at dawn. View from observation deck, which is on Mulholland Drive. Very, very dusty. The camera is practically blind. In the foreground is a highway called Hollywood and, in fact, Hollywood itself (where the light is - the Kodak cinema, where they give the Oscars), in the background is the center of Los Angeles.

Now you'll laugh... This is Mulholland Drive =) The same street where the houses of celebrities are located. In the center is another chicken coop. Someone decided to build a house above the observation deck.

Apple store in Santa Monica (Los Angeles) on the second day of iPhone5 sales. Everyone who gets in line is given a black sun umbrella.

A residential area in Las Vegas. Street with permitted left turns.

AT&T Central Switching Center building. Unreal skyscraper without windows. ATS.

Oasis in Zion Park. Utah.

The guys came to Malibu beach to swim. They scolded me a little for the photos =)

It turned out quite by chance that during my trip to the USA, my cousin (plaid shirt) also went to the USA _for_work_. And even our time and place coincided. We met him in Hollywood. We laughed at each other for a long time when we saw our cars. We're in a black Mustang Convertible, and they're in a yellow Chevrolet Camaro. Yes, only the Russians could take such cars on purpose =))) I took a photo of him with a friend, a Mustang standing behind him. Slavik and Dimon, damn it =) In general, the Camaro doesn’t drive at all either. And its loopholes instead of windows completely finished me off. Well, the roof is so tough =)

There are a lot of tourists in New York. Everyone is taking pictures randomly.

Dawn over the Hollywood Hills.

Central staircase at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. It is along it that the stars rise to the Oscars. I somehow thought it was more decent there =)))

Casino in Las Vegas.

Downtown Los Angeles.

Alcatraz prison in San Francisco. The first American prison. Now there are a lot of prisons and almost all of them are concentrated in Nevada.

Downtown Los Angeles.

NY.

Women's strike in Los Angeles. You can look up what AF3IRM is on the Internet.

New York is first of all surprising because absolutely different people live there.

Roulette in Las Vegas.

Main street of Las Vegas. It's very dusty, the camera can't see anything. Large buildings are only in the center, everything else is one-story.

New Yorkers hang interesting rubber bands on their parked cars. In the front and in the back. Hope this helps them.

Casino in Las Vegas. Do you see a security guard in a white shirt approaching? This is my last photo in this casino.

Above was a photo of the Malibu cafe from the 80s summer history, now I show the place where it is located. You can't really see it in the photo, but it's right behind where the pier comes ashore. At the top are the residences of the rich.

Hoover Dam. You can even see people on it. Remember the photo above from the dam? Now here is a photo from the bridge that you saw in the photo from the dam. The most grandiose building.

Manhattan sleeps neither day nor night. And it’s nice there, damn it!

The doors in the Mustang don't have to be closed, it's already all open =)

Hollywood. The stars lie just like that. Be careful, don't step on it =)

Yellowstone. Grand Prismatic Spring

Manhattan Bridge. View from Brooklyn.

Zion Park. There's no way around this without a convertible.

Typical hotel in the USA. Here our neighbor scratched our left front fender at the car. Scratched it and left. Gad.

Bryce Canyon. Utah.

Give me some fish! San Francisco.

Road in the Bryce Canyon area. Utah.

Bonneville Salt Plateau. Needs no introduction, I think. Pay attention to the car tracks.

Suburb of New York. I think it’s understandable why so many cardboard houses were destroyed after the hurricane.

Canyonlands in Utah. I really liked this place. We drove well on the dirt road. Rear-wheel drive + 300 hp they go well =)

Beach at Lake Tahoe.

The intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway in New York.

Cacti in Utah.

Delicate Arch. The height of the arch is 20 meters. Very impressive indeed.

We met a gorgeous car at Lake Tahoe. The color of the car is unreal, and the driver is a handsome man =) It’s a pity the photo didn’t go well. Pay attention to the number. There are a lot of cars with custom plates in the states.

Road to Grand Park Teton.

River in Grand Teton Park.

Grand Teton Park.

Motorcycle guys in Jackson. Wyoming.

Our hotel is between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Perfect place. Write down the name, it's on the wall. I recommend.

Subway entrance in New York

Yellowstone Lake. Enormous, volcanic origin. Every year the water level rises. In theory, the end of the world will begin here.

Cable tram on Market Street in San Francisco

Bison in Yellowstone. He is absolutely calm around people. I took this photo with a 35mm lens - you can imagine how close we were to him.

Bryce Canyon. I'm tired of driving there =)

We climbed Yellowstone well. The biggest danger there is an encounter with a bear. It seemed to be okay, but it was very scary in places. You really feel like the bears can already see you =)

Here, yours truly is trying to fill up the Grand Canyon with rocks.

Yellowstone. It’s difficult to say the composition of this liquid, but it’s beautiful.

There is a lot of rescue equipment in the town of Wendover. As a rule, people climb into the salt and successfully get stuck there. Everyone is usually saved with the help of such simple pushers. And the arches are all covered in salt.

Island in Lake Tahoe.

Taxi in New York. By the way, these Fords are very comfortable. There are seats in the back of the car + a computer for passengers with a touch screen.

Bridge in San Francisco. From Richmond to San Rafael. Asphalt in the states is removed very precisely. Not like ours.

The expanses of Utah. Pay attention to the quality of the road surface.

Subway in New York

Don't drive to the USA. They will catch up with you faster than you think about it. And you'll have to take a photo =)

This time we spent two whole months in the States (before that we spent ten days in New York). During this time we visited 15 parks, 10 cities, plus all sorts of little things. We visited the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

From this article you will learn:

where exactly we visited in two months in the USA
how we moved between parks and cities and where we lived
what our route looks like on the map

For clarity, I am immediately attaching a map with the route of our trip around the States.

Map of the USA with cities, parks and our route

* Stars - parks and others natural objects. Droplets are cities.

Undoubtedly, all this can be done in a much shorter time frame. On average, it takes travelers about three weeks to complete such a route, and a truncated version can be squeezed into two, but you will have to move very actively.

Andryusiks and I traveled exclusively by car.
During the entire trip we traveled about 5,500 miles (8,800 km).
We spent approximately $850 (35,000 rubles) on gasoline.

* 1 mile ≈ 1.6 km.
** Dollar exchange rate at the time of writing (October 2014) ≈ 41 rubles.

You can rent a car in advance on these sites:

- good car rental offers in the States
Priceline.com - another car rental at reasonable prices

Key points along the route

*All prices are for one day including taxes. For campsites, the price is per site, except for Camp 4 (Yosemite), where it is per person. For details about camping, read the articles about housing for each specific park.
** Travel distances and times are approximate (estimated) according to data Google Maps. In practice, covering the specified distance takes longer (by about a third).
*** End points of intermediate routes = overnight stays.
NP- National Park (national park)
SP- State Park
NF- National Forest (national forest)

Fresno → Coarsegold

We arrived on July 17, 2014 in the city of Fresno. There we met some guys who lent us their car for the duration of the trip. The world is not without good people! We spent several days with them in Korsegold, after which we set off on an independent two-month journey.

Distance: 45 km/28 miles, 40 minutes (to the entrance " Wawona»).
We spent: 4 days in Yosemite, at least 2-3 days are needed.
Where they lived:
- Camp 4 Campground ($5);
- Junction Campground ($16).

Distance: 152 km/95 miles, 1.5 hours.
We spent: 1 day in Death Valley.
Where we lived: Emigrant Campground (free).

Death Valley NP → Las Vegas

Distance: 215 km/134 miles, 2 hours 5 minutes.
We spent: 6 days in LV, at least 1-2 days are needed.
Where they lived:
- forest in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area next to the LV (tent, free);
- room from Airbnb - Private room in fabulous Las Vegas! ($35);
- Hotel Howard Johnson Strip in LV ($46).

Distance: 370 km/231 miles, 3 hours 20 minutes.
We spent: 2 days in the Grand Canyon, minimum 1 day.
Where we stayed: Kaibab NF near the Grand Canyon (tent, free).

Grand Canyon NP → Navajo bridge → Horseshoe Bend → Page → Glen Canyon NP

Distance:
- Grand Canyon ( South part) - Navajo Bridge: 164 km/102 miles, 1 hour 40 minutes;
- Navajo Bridge - Horseshoe: 141 km / 88 miles, 1.5 hours (Route 89 to Page is under construction, so you will have to detour);
- Horseshoe - Page: 7 km/4 miles, 10 minutes;
- Page - Glen Canyon (part of Wahweap) 4 km/2.5 miles, 7 minutes.
We spent: 3 days for everything (Navajo Bridge - 15 minutes, Horseshoe - 1 hour, Glen Canyon (Wahweap) - 2 days. At least half a day is needed for the main complex.
Where we lived: Lone Rock Campground in Glen Canyon ($10).

Glen Canyon NP → Antelope Canyon → Monument Valley → Gooseneck SP Park

Distance:
- Glen Canyon - Antelope Canyon: 19 km/12 miles, 20 minutes;
- Antelope Canyon - Monument Valley: 187 km/117 miles, 2 hours;
- Monument Valley - Goosenecks: 47 km/29 miles, 40 minutes.
We spent: 1 day for everything (Antelope Canyon - missed, Monument Valley - 3-4 hours).
Where we lived: Gooseneck SP Campground in Goosenecks ($10).

Gooseneck Park (Gooseneck SP) → Mexican Hat → Cortez

Distance:
- Goosenecks - Mexican Hat: 11 km/7 miles, 15 minutes;
- Mexican Hat - Cortez: 158 km/99 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes.
We spent: 1 day for everything (Goose necks - 15-20 minutes, Mexican hat - 15 minutes).
Where we lived: Bradfield Campground San Juan NF near Cortez ($8).

Distance:
- Korets - Moab: 184 km/115 miles, 2 hours;
- Moab - Arches (Visitor Centre): 9 km/7 miles, 10 minutes.
We spent: 2 days in Arches, at least 1 day is needed.
Where we lived: Granstaff Campground next to Arches Park ($15).

Distance:
- Arches - Dead Horse Park: 43 km/27 miles, 35 minutes;
- Dead Horse Park - Canyonlands: 18 km/11 miles, 20 minutes.
We spent: 2 days (Dead Horse Park - half a day, Canyonlands - half a day), at least 1 day is needed.
Where we lived: Cowboy Campground in Canyonlands ($10).

Canyonlands NP → Capitol Reef NP

Distance: 238 km/149 miles, 2.5 hours.
We spent: 2 days in Capitol Reef, minimum 1 day.
Where we stayed: unnamed campsite near Capitol Reef Park (free).

Capitol Reef NP →

Distance: 186 km/116 miles, 2.5 hours (on Route 12).
We spent: 2 days in Bryce, at least 1 day is needed.
Where we stayed: Dixie National Forest near Bryce Canyon (tent, free).

Bryce Canyon NP → Zion (Zion NP)

Distance: 118 km/74 miles, 1.5 hours.
We spent: 2 days in Zion, minimum 1 day.
Where they lived:
- Watchman Campground ($16) in Zion;
- South Campground ($16) in Zion.

Zion (Zion NP) → St. George → Las Vegas

Distance:
- Zion - St. George: 66 km/41 miles, 55 minutes;
- St. George - Las Vegas: 193 km/120 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes.
We spent: St-J - overnight, 7 days in LV, worked.
Where they lived:
- Dixie NF (tent, free, next to St. J);
- Star Motel in LV ($32).

Distance: 434 km/271 miles, 4 hours.
We spent: 3 days in LA, at least 1 day is needed.
Where we stayed: Mission Motel in LA ($44), rented through Airbnb, it turned out to be cheaper there.

Los Angeles → Santa Barbara

Distance: 153 km/96 miles, 1 hour 40 minutes.
We spent: road + overnight.
Where we lived: Los Padres NF (slept in the car, free of charge).

Santa Barbara → San Luis Obispo → San Simeon SP

Distance:
- Santa Barbara - San Luis Obispo: 152 km/95 miles, 1 hour 35 minutes;
- San Luis Obispo - San Simeon NF: 68 km/43 miles, 45 minutes.
We spent: 1 day (Santa Barbara - 3 hours, San Luis - 1.5 hours).
Where we stayed: Washburn Campground San Simeon SP ($20).

San Simeon SP → Big Sur → Carmel and 17 Mile Drive → Monterey

Distance:
- San Simeon - Big Sur: 104 km/65 miles, 45 minutes;
- Big Sur - Carmel: 42 km/26 miles, 40 minutes;
- Carmel - 17 mile road: 10 km/6 miles, 15 minutes;
- 17 mile road - Monterey: 5 km/3 miles, 8 minutes.
We spent: 1 day (Big Sur - passing through, Carmel - 1.5 hours, 17 mile road - 1 hour).
Where we lived: Chapparal Campground near Monterey ($30).

Monterey→ Santa Cruz → San Francisco/Oakland

Distance:
- Monterey - Santa Cruz: 68 km/42 miles, 50 minutes;
- Santa Cruz - Auckland: 113 km/70 miles, 1 hour 15 miles;
- Oakland - San Francisco: 19 km / 12 miles, 20 minutes.
We spent: 3 days (Monterey - 2-3 hours, Santa Cruz - 2-3 hours, San Francisco - 2 days).
Where we lived: room in Oakland - Room in House near Lake Merritt, Airbnb ($60).

San Francisco → Sequoia/Kings Canyon (Sequoia NP/Kings Canyon NP)

Distance: 445 km/278 miles, 5 hours.
We spent: 2 days in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, 1 day will be enough.
Where they lived:
- Azalea Campground in Kings Canyon ($18);
- Lodgepole Campground in Sequoyah ($22).

This is where our journey ended. We stopped in Coorsegold, packed up and flew out of Fresno back to Mexico.

Tickets, cars, accommodation, insurance

Convenient air ticket search engine:

Rent a car by good prices you can here: