The Best Way to Drive Across the U.S. and See Major Landmarks 

All set up to do this trip this summer 2021 with my 11 year old boy. Our pick up truck has been outfitted with a camper shell for sleeping in. We'll start eastbound from Washington State towards Maine. Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers for a fun trip and safe return home

I did a similar trip to this in 2005. I still have my 93 pages from MapQuest I had to print out.

Lower 48 is thee only trip to make. I’d rather sit down at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee, break out my Old School Rand McNally Road Atlas, take out a fine point sharpie, and have fun over several nights, mapping out my own trail, the stops I’d love to take, the sites and National Parks I’d love to ride thru, places I might like to stay two or three nights or longer if I choose, making a majority of my trip ridden on old rural two lane sweepers, with as little Interstate travel as possible unless I absolutely need to. That’s how I believe one really sees our epic landscape, meets great people, enjoys genuine conversations. The prep and homework prior, is half the fun. It wouldn’t be a race for me, no time restraints. I get back home when I feel I’ve seen everything I wanted to see, experienced what I wanted to enjoy out of this trip, and leave space for some new destination I might want to call Home one day.

What a great drive. Amazing trip to see "non-tourist traps!"

This is the number one thing on our bucket list. Starting some sort of plan to execute it eventually. This will be very helpful. Thanks! Amy & Yas

Everyone should travel and see the country at least once. Amazing people and sights. I love doing the Road Trip thing and have done 6 cross country road trips to date. Still lots more to see. ⛺️ 🌲 #familyescapades #makememories

Coming in from Portugal planned my cross country roadtrip for 20 years. so in May of 2023 I finally arrived in New York to get going for an epic one way 17 day 6000 mile roadtrip trying to take in as many iconic visits as possible: day 1 and 2 New York day 3 and 4 Washington DC day 5 Gettysburg day 6 Niagara falls day 7 Chicago day 8 "the middle" day 9 Badlands NP, Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower day 10 Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP day 11 Arches NP, Monument Valley day 12 Horshoe Bend, Grand Canyon NP day 13 Las Vegas, Death Valley NP day 14 Los Angeles day 15 Pacific coast day 16 San Francisco day 17 Napa Valley

This is amazing and saves lots of my research time. Thank for sharing. I am starting my 3 month long trip in two weeks.

Time to take off work and do this !

U guys saved me a lot of time.. good on u r team.

Wow talk about missing out on the best parts of MI, WI but taking I75 up n back into metro detroit doubled your chances for tire and suspension problems when you hit a massive pothole.

This route is amazing you can not miss a single destination!

I want to buy a school bus and drive this route. That’s on my bucket list

I've done this road trip before, in this video game called The Crew...

Coming from Montana/Idaho through Washington towards Portland, you should really cut to Seattle and see the space needle first. It’s not much farther. Going up in the Space Needle isn’t THE Greatest Thing Ever, but it’s worth it, it’s a piece of American history.

You missed the Space Needle!

I have not visited all of these sites, but then again, some of them I have no interest in visiting. Places out West tend to be far more impressive although the historical significance of places in the East make them important to visit ... at least once. For example, I've been to the Grand Canyon (north and south rims) at least a half dozen times, but I've only been to the Statue of Liberty once. But this is an interesting list and interesting idea. I could do this in far less time than 2 months! In 2018, my wife and I did a 5,000 mile loop around the West that took 13 days -- with hotel stops every night. We took in the Precious Moments Chapel (MO), Texas Motor Speedway, the Marfa (TX) lights, Tombstone, Mesa and Phoenix AZ, Hoover Dam, Vegas for the WSOP, the Grand Canyon North Rim, Conifer Mountain (CO), and Dodge City KS.

The site no longer exists

Wow! just what I was looking for!

Doing this next year with my 3 kids ❤

I wanna do this, just need gas money, food money, and a tent. So doable.

What a great route, however, this leaves Tennessee off the list. Don’t they have Opryland?

you need to pay BIG $$$ to get their maps....

I've been from New Orleans to Boston ....Orlando FL to Milwaukee WI...I'm here in NC and I low key want to drive to San Francisco...never been to California

Awesome video! I think we’re definitely gonna check this route.! Can you send me your website link on where can I find this trip? Thank you!

I love doing the Road Trip

How unfortunate this route skips most of the Great Lakes except for a short stretch along Lake Erie.

How much will I spend? Calculates gasoline, food, and other things?

That dudes European road trip needs revising. What is the point of driving into the UK and not doing the west coast of Scotland? It's literally the most beautiful part of the entire UK. He just gets people to drive up to Inverness and back down again.

Hey everyone, I'm sorry to say but AdventurousTech had to close down. If you're interested in the turn by turn directions, you can find them on the original creator's website here: www.randalolson.com/2015/03/08/computing-the-optimal-road-trip-across-the-u-s/

Only hitting one or two things in a state means you are missing out on so much stuff. Would be better to do this on a state by state basis instead of one big loop at one time.

I have tried to manually map out a tour of all US National Parks in 48 US States and its gets complicated, could you do that?

I'm interested in doing a similar trip in a small airplane (Beech Bonanza about 200 mph). Does anyone know of anything like this to help plan that trip?

Me and my friend just drove 7900 miles in 7 days lol I feel like this is doable in 10 days easy

What would you recommend leaving from the IL dot and having 5-6 days to do it? Should I go west or east and where should I circle back?

is the website still available? I cant find it.. :(

And I'm searching for doing a trip, that is nothing but back roads across the country under 50 mph

MUST VISIT SEATTLE

Should also put the price of afmissions at all the sites $$$$! Besides the additional cost of campgrounds, diesel/gas, tolls and propane refills an RVer would have to take a loan out! I avoid large cities with my camper vam where many of these sites are. I am retired, on a fixed income and travel across the U.S. andI stay at BLM land, Flying J truck stops Walmarts , etc., to save money. I also have four solar panels on my camper van to save money too. Lots of beautuful places to see and people to meet without going to expensive tourist traps.

And the traffic!

Dave’s Crazy Trailer starting 48 state in 48 days starting in March

Would u consider driving this during summer?

Looks like this site is no longer. Any suggestions for alternative resources?

How much will cost this’s trip in 2024

I’d say see Fallingwater instead of the Liberty Bell. It’s the country’s best example of endemic residential architecture, but I’d check out the entire Independence Mall if you’re set on seeing colonial Philadelphia.

Can olson create an itinery based on good weather?

How do I get this exact map for GPS coordination. Anyone?

MR. SQUIDWARD!!!!

Wish you could have shared the google map link for that map :-)

LA? Miami? Seattle?

Left off Seattle? It’s a cool city and bigger than Portland

take a year to do the trip why hurry!

Is the website down?

sounds good, what's the catch?

Am I the only one who noticed that the second map missed North Dakota entirely?

How to contact you guys

BUDGET SHEET

Guy remids me of a mix between the guy that played the sniper on Saving Private Ryan, Mavs owner Mark Cuban. And President Obama. ---dont ask, just think about it

missed out on Chicago???

National monuments? Good luck with that now...

What’s this route called !?!?!?! ?

No Niagara falls :(

Website doesn't work

I couldn’t see Route 66 on here and I really want to drive down it

Website doesn't exist anymore.

👍

i tried looking it up and couldn't find it

So there is no "CLOSE ENCOUNTER" with DEVIL'S TOWER

I wanna see all USA cities

ignores northern USA - Canada Great lakes area

where is the website at again, I tried to locate it.

i cant find the link on the website. :( somebody help me!! lol

ignores northern USA - Canada border area

Feed that dog bro 🤓

I live in San Antonio TX 719 Dakota st

Where’s Atlanta??

The liberty bell is the only PA stop? Lame

13,699 miles in 9 days... That's a ridiculous thing to even bother mentioning. Personally, I think that route is dumb but that's personal opinion as I'm sure they think their route is wonderful.

What can I do with just 1 month?

AK?

No website at all. Looks like our country has gone to the birds. Lets take it back!!!! 2A!

No my? Sad

Poor routing.

The site doesn't work anymore. Thanks for nothing

This guy blinks way too much

Buy the book,,,,,BLUE HIGHWAYS.....WILLIAM LEASTHEAT MOON.......BETTER THAN THIS CRAPPOLA.

Oklahoma is boring.

how do I get the map ?

What is give to be able to take 3 months off work to do this

Skips Chicago? I definitely would NOT skip Chicago! Europe... skips Ukraine but drives all the way North in Finland and Sweden? Yeah, no. Add in Lviv and don't go north of Helsinki. Ferry to Stokholm. Also, why drive across the south of Spain and not bother taking a one hour ferry to Morrocco/Africa?

I would love to do this trip on either a street legal dune buggy or a Harley Davidson Road King. If I do it on the dune buggy I would want to have sand tires with me so I could change over and hit the dunes out west.

Someone should start a fundraiser to put that route on video for people to check out...

There is a way to drive through all 48 states in a little over 6,500 miles. 👍