non bike holiday in the USA, advice please from locals!

[jonnyboy666]

i've been stuffed with overtime recently and it is likely to continue for a while, i'm supposed to be on my rotered 18 days off at the moment but have been working half of those days so i have decided that my next set of 18 (in september) off is gonna get used properly for a good holiday.

i usually hit the alps for some silly riding but there's no point coz all the lifts will be shut so me and a mate came up with the idea of having a laugh in america . . . . in poncy american cars!

the idea is sort of a boys week holiday having a laugh, possibly 2 or 4 of us but either way 2 cars. my mate has looked in to rental pricing and he can get a corvette for $1200, i was thinking maybe a dodge charger, he has looked into that and reckons they're about $800 a week by comparison.

but then the idea being to drive to a few different places and have a laugh, bit of sight seeing and a bit of hitting the bars etc

the inspiration for this idea is from top gear i have to say, i know it's childish but then neither of us are married and unlikely to be in a position to do something daft like this again!! so childish is fine with us!!

so . . . question to the americans freequenting this site!!

where are good places to visit? not disney etc, grown up sillyness please!!

was thinking warm dry places and preferably avoiding places that we are likely to get shot at if at all possible, being shot would be a massive inconvienience also bear in mind we have only a week so don't want to be in the cars driving for 8 hours a day! so one start point maybe stopping along in places then finishing somewhere else.

my mate isn't a cyclist either but if you guys know of a place that could supply a bike for a day for a few trails would be cool though.

cheers in advance!

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

Head to Pensacola Beach for a weekend of Sand, sea and who knows if your lucky . . . .

 

[Fat_Bloke]

US hols

I'm a brit, been in Houston 11yrs. You're just as likely to get shot in the wrong part of London, Liverpool, Brum as you are here. There are cities that don't allow guns, New York and Washington DC being two of them, there are probably more I dunno. Remember though, crims don't give a shit about gun laws. Anyway, the total absence of any sort of driving ability here is more likely to get you.

Also if you don't wanna drive far probably best to stick to one city/town. This place is big. I made the typical mistake when I first came that I could get around, see the place. Until you get here you just don't realize how massive the place is. I think England alone would fit into Texas nearly twice! Then you've still got 49 other states to go.

I hol'd in Seattle and San Francisco last September (just as Hurricane Ike beat the crap out of my house) and these 2 cities are amazing. Didn't ride in either of them but they have MTB heavens right on their door steps. My brother and a mate of his have ridden in Sedona, AZ and said that was stunning. Some California Coastal Roads maybe an idea. It's on my plan for sure.

As for the car, one will seat only 2, one will seat 4, both go like shit off a shovel (if you get the Charger with the Hemi) and both will only do 10mpg. You make your choice. But who gives a monkeys when fuel is only 2.50 US a gallon! (1.54 pounds a gal)

June to November is hurricane season in the US. Sooo all the Southern States and and the lower half of the Eastern Seaboard States are at risk of 'stiff' winds and 'heavy' rain.

 

[jonnyboy666]

that's all good advice, cheers, hurricanes and rain though . . . great!

was thinking california maybe? my geography knowledge of the US is pretty crap though but someone told me vegas isn't to far away and seems like a possible option for sillyness!

cheers

 

[shovelon]

Fly into Vegas? Visit the madness at bargain prices. Monorail should take you up and down the strip.

Then take a tour to Hoover dam(less than an hour away) and then rent a car and drive to Boulder city(also less than an hour away). Stay at Boulder city. Ride Bootleg Canyon at Boulder City Mountain bike park(top 10 trails in the west).

From there either head east to Rainbow Rim Trail(Sweet ride up to 20 miles) in Grand Canyon National park, and then to Pheonix Arizona to fly out. Or Northeast to Moab Utah and ride Slickrock(12 miles loop of awesomeness), then to Salt Lake City to ditch the car and fly out.

Whatever you should arrange through a travel agent as they have all the leads on discounts right now, and with the economy trashed you can visit cheap.

 

[jonnyboy666]

that sounds pretty effing awsome!! :shock:

only one issue, my mate is not a cyclist and will only have just recently recovered from knee surgery so i was thinking just a day on the bike for me but that gives me some ideas


keep it coming!! all ideas considered!!

 

[FairfaxPat]

If you decide on San Francisco, look me up-I drive a BMW now, but my last two cars were Corvette convertibles-perfect for California!

 

[Emoco]

I'd fly into LA, have some fun at bars on the strip and Santa Monica for a couple of days, then drive from LA along the Pacific Coast Highway (101 and the 1) all the way up to San Francisco. Go along the coast past Malibu and random beach towns. I'd turn off at Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Zuma Beach, Montery, Carmel and where ever takes your fancy. Just pull up and find somewhere to stay. I didn't like driving in San Fran much. Almost got hit by a tram!

Then the drive back down to LA is just as fun and you'll see different things along the way. It's kind of fun because you can turn off and explore and know all you have to do is head for the ocean to get back on track.

 

[shovelon]

Great ideas there.

How 'bout this one. Fly into Vegas and visit. Rent a car and visit Boulder city and Hoover Dam. Drive Southeast to Death Valley and visit Furnace Creek, Scotty's Castle and such. Then drive to Highway 395 to the town of Inyo for a couple of days and visit Mount Whitney.

Then East over the Mountain range to the Pacific coast and visit Hearst Castle and stay in Cambria. From Cambria drive south along PCH to visit beach towns until you reach Los Angeles. Ditch you car and fly out.

Or from Death Valley you could head north west to Frisco and the north coast.