Cost of Road Trip??

This summer I'm thinking of driving from the midwest to Northern CA. I've never done anything like this before and I'm wondering if anyone else has, and knows approximately how much it will cost. My other questions are:

Where do you sleep? (I can sleep in the car, just where do you park it safely overnight?)

In what ways do you cut costs? my budget is limited!!

Best food to bring on a road trip? I don't want to rely on fast food..ick.

Best route from Wisconsin or Minnesota? Any scenic drives I should check out along the way?

Where can I stay once I get there? I want to see the redwoods for sure-are there any good places to camp around there?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

There are campgrounds all over the place in Northern cal. If you're going to be staying at them on a regular basis you might want to get a season pass (last I heard it was like 90$) otherwise you'll wind up spending 12-18$ a night.

Another idea would be to time your trip to coincide with some of the fests. It's a good way to meet people and most times camping's included in the admission price.

 

OK so my only real suggesgtion is to go to the east instead of the west-
1. just as good scenery, not as many mountains to traverse
2. the rainbow gathering, where you camp for free and are free to eat of the bounty
trade of the goods, no money needed or wantedd will be in the midatlantic bioregion
look in Rainbow Family forum for more info
3. um, if you're heading for NorCal for any non-tree green scene, that will also be at Rainbow, perhaps even the exact same scene

other tips from being on the road in that situation lots:
yes you can sleep in your car at all rest stops they post how long you can stay usually 8 hours is max, but noone wants sleepy people driving, so that's OK, not awesome but OK. Every time you enter a state you can check in a travel center to get rules about pulling over to sleep. Some states you can (off the highway) some you can't never and some in designated truck pullovers you can.
Don't drive too fast. ON a long haul you can save like 20 bucks in gas by going 55 - 65 mph instead of 70 or more which burns fuel faster.
Get a tune-up. Good tires, good tranny all get you better gas mileage.

 

I would be very hesitant about sleeping at rest stops if I were you, especially if you are going to be alone. I've always slept in the parking lot at Wal-marts on the road. They are mostly all open 24 hours and the parking lot is lit, so it is a bit safer.

Definitely steer clear of fast food- its a money guzzler. I usually eat really light on the road- a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and jelly and your set for a while and its super cheap. Also, if you get to some grocery stores really early you can get fruit that is on the verge of going bad but is still perfectly good, and its really cheap. If you are up for it you can always dumpster dive too. It really is a lot more sanitary than it sounds if you know what you are doing- you can score some awesome stuff.
I haven't spend much time in California, so I don't know much about the area, but I have traveled extensively in Oregon and Washington and I would totally recommend that you road trip out that way if you've got the time. There's some really beautiful scenery out that way- and if you need any information about camping or anything out there let me know and I can help you out there.
It always helps to have friends along to help with the cost of gas. And as someone else said, you could always try to hook up with some rainbow folks- i'm sure there are plenty in northern california.
Well that's all I've got for now. Best of luck!

 

thanks everyone

 

Hey! I went on alot of roadtrips....with my family anyways! I live in Ca...but we drove all the way to Mighigan one time and another time all the way to North carolina..only took us 3 days, cuz we were haulin' ass! but anywyas i do wanna take a real roadtrip with my friends one day! but ANYWAYS - i dont have a map right now, but u shud get down and travel on route 66! of course they call it highway 40 now. And you should drive thru New Mexico..its cool there plus they have all kinds of indian jewlery! And um, and Airzona..the grand canyon is so..grand! Real trippy. so your gonna stay up in N.Cali? Well, thats kinda where I live...I think the hippest place up here has to be SANTA CRUZ. But, seriously...southren cali is so much better,IMO! Go to San Diego, VENICE BEACH! Venice beach is crazy! The only thing cool about N.Cali is San Fransisco! Oh and if you wanna see the redwoods..theres that one tree thats so HUGE that u can drive thru it cuz they made a tunnel out of it! I been thru it before, its alright! But id hang out in S.cali anyday then n.cali! But anyways, as for food..I was gonna say fast food..but youll prolly get sick of that afterwhile, huh? Id say bring a cooler and like bread and like pb and j or something! and tons of snacks..like chips and stuff! and of course gas stations have lil food too. And as for to stay...Id suggest Walmart parking lots...every1 sleeps there! I always see RVs there, and also, just about any HUGE parking lot....and also, TRUCK STOPS! I think....i think i see RVS there...yea! We stayed in some a few times. They also have showers there, in truck stops. So anyways...hope I helped!!! HAVE FUN!

 

Rules For Road Trips!​

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(1) Pack food you like. Know your limitations to cook. They make little cookers too.​

(2) Cell phones hardly work except Sprint and US Cellular and mainly on major routes like I44,40 and ect​

(3) AAA or some other auto club is a plus​

(4) Places to sleep, rest areas are a big big NO NO, that is the #1 place for roadside murders. If you are alone do not even go pee in one at nite.​

(5) Truck stops Flying J the #1 Cleanest, Pilot and Petro the worst. They are good for pee breaks and a list of them can be had for free. Showers are like $6.00 and they suply everything. For like $6.00 they have a monster breakfast buffet that you could eat once a die and never be hungry. They also have internet there too!​

(6) Plan your travel route, stops ect ahead of time and mainly have check in times at the end of the day with someone. This way there is a way to know if you are ok or not. ​

(7) Most truck drivers are safe, but not all. Trailiner, Harmon, and most owner operators are the safest. There has been a sadly bad element starting to drive these trucks and bad has happend.​

(8) Most trucks these days have satcom or qualcom systems so they can send a message to thier office and ask them to send a tow truck or police to that exact local with out you having to get inside the truck. DO NOT GET INSIDE THE TRUCKS< NO NO NO!​

(9) Always if broke down act as if you already have help comming but ask if they can call again just to "expedite the help to get there". Thisis so you dont look like a victim.​

(10) In Barstow CA, stop at DelTaco, it is the founding place and YUMMY YUMMY TACOS​

(11) In Amerillo there is a steak place, eat the big one and its free (good luck)​

(12) Have fun, take lots of pictures and enjoy it!​

 

Some Ideas for u. Im a Traveler whom spends alot of time in both the midwest and california, working and living in both places. I have lived on the road for eight years, I thought I would give u some tips.. The first and foremost "Be on top of your game." Meaning nothing will be more useful then your own common sense and witts. If something dosen't seem right, then move away from it. Now, I wouldn't give the same advice for a man, for I find the adventure is in the unknown! Yet for girl travelling by herself, limit the risk!

Sleeping & showering on route( 55south from chicago to 70west) If I were u and wanted to feel safe, I would stay in areas that r surrounded by your corporate strip malls. (Columbia, Missouri) believe me, I hate that Im saying this. However they do breed a sort of wealthy fortress of hotels. If your so inclined, feel free to have coffee and donuts on them. Now, Im not saying cheat your way across the country but they do offer a helping hand, u just got to grab it! Someone Mentioned covering windows, great tip! I use those sun-reflecters, so it dosen's look to obvious with t-shirsts and jackets hanging all over. Car placement is also an issue, where the sun rises, the moon hides, the front, the back, the side, the upside down, these are more like little pinches in you neck..u will develop with time on the road.
If your looking to get away from that entire corp.sex scene( I dont blame U) and aren't the type to take advantage of the helping hand. Then shame on u for supporting such a brain-draining system (kidding)! Get yourself a "Portable shower" and fill it and keep it on the passanger floor in the car. Turn the floor heat high for thirty min or hour before shower or ( better boiled and cooled). Now, if it's winter keep the car running with heat on and shower during the day. More than likely you will draw a crowd but this is your chance to waddle your butt and get wet, so have 2 min of warm water enjoyment! Heat & warm water u will miss more than sex. Keep in mind u have to raise the p.shower above you one-foot. I got L.racks on my car, so I can hook it up on those but a solid y-shaped tree branch, set firmly in the ground or even propped up against a solid surface will do..just be open to hooking to anything.. you will learn to be innovative on the road. Columbia is 8 hours from Chicago.

11 hours from chicago-Lawerence, kansas (yellow sub) mass. street is worth a stroll a neat place to kick it your first day of travel Check out the army surplus. The only draw back of lawerence is there is a toll like $3 BUCKS. Ask at toll booth for downtown lawerence I think its west lawerence exit, not sure?
right now got to go---------sign off more hints later-west we go---------

 

Food that I always like for road trips: dried fruits, granola, beef or soy jerky, lots of fluids, MRE's , a cooler with ice (stop at grocery stores, Wal-Mart ,etc. for perishables), nuts, etc
Don't forget first aid kit, small sewing kit (if you rip yuor pants, tear off a button, etc, art supplies or a camera to capture the scenery, and a calling card for emergency and check in calls!

 

Don't forget soap or hand sanitizer, a flashlight (for dark porta potties), and toilet paper! Forgot to mention that...