Summer Road Trip in the Western United States, July 2017
A 15-day self-drive tour of the western United States from July 1 to 15, 2017 summer vacation. I put the practical tips upfront. Posting attractive pictures is not my style. If you like experience summaries, you can enjoy it to the fullest!
~~~~~Itinerary~~~~~
~~~~~Car Rental~~~~~
~~~~~Accommodation~~~~~
~~~~~Gear~~~~~
~~~~~Food~~~~~
First, let me list the itinerary in a table to get started:
Date Hotel Attractions Accommodation Cost ($)
2017/6/30 California Monterey Bay Area, BW The Inn And Suites Pacific Grove, CA 16-Mile Drive 167
2017/7/1 California Highway 1, Premier Inns Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, CA Highway 1, Los Angeles 76
2017/7/2 Las Vegas, The Strat Hotel Las Vegas 52
2017/7/3 Las Vegas, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas 188
2017/7/4 Grand Canyon Hotel, Canyon Plaza Resort, AZ Lake Mead & Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon 221
2017/7/5 Blanding Four Corners Hotel, Four Corner Inn, Blanding Grand Canyon 89
2017/7/6 Green River, Budge Inn, Green River Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park 68
2017/7/7 Utah Best Western, Best Western Paradise Inn, Fillmore Bryce Canyon National Park, Forrest Gump Running End Point, Salt Lake City 120
2017/7/8 Yellowstone South Gate Hotel, Flying Saddle Resort, Alpine, WY Yellowstone 135
2017/7/9 Yellowstone West Gate Hotel, Hadley's Motel & Cabins, West Yellowstone, MT Yellowstone 176
2017/7/10 Yellowstone East Gate Hotel, Soda Butte Lodge, Cooke City, MT Yellowstone 138
2017/7/11 Idaho Hotel, Motel West, Idaho, ID Road trip back 86
2017/7/12 California Capital Sacramento Hotel, Executive Inn & Suites, Sacramento Road trip back 86
2017/7/13 Relative's home San Francisco Redwood Park
2017/7/14 Relative's home Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street
2017/7/15 Relative's home Return trip
This time I'll write the text version first; I don't plan to post pictures. Let's start with the car rental section:
My husband used a certain car rental platform. The price might be the lowest on the internet. We rented an SUV. The rental fee including third-party liability, collision, and theft insurance for 15 days was only 2910 RMB, averaging 194 per day. However, driving on U.S. roads with that alone was not reassuring, so we also purchased AXA supplemental full coverage and AXA super full-vehicle ride insurance through the same car rental link for an additional 1,260 RMB (later proved to be a useless insurance). This brought the average daily rental cost to 278 RMB. But you get what you pay for. The pickup location for this rental company was very far from SFO airport. We first took the airport's light rail to the Car Rental Center (where popular companies like AVIS and Hertz are located), then went down to the first floor to catch the Advantage shuttle bus, which took about 15 minutes to reach the rental lot. We had anticipated this, so although inconvenient, we didn't mind.
Now let's start complaining:
Complaint about the car:
At first sight of the American-style Jeep, my husband was not satisfied and requested a car swap, but the rental agent ignored him. It turned out the car was indeed subpar. No USB port for music; only CDs. The USB drive full of MP3s we brought from China was useless. After driving for one day, the dashboard warning light came on. Checking the manual, we found it indicated low tire pressure. So for the remaining 14 days, we basically fought with the tire pressure. At first, we inflated at gas stations. On the fourth day, we finally discovered a nail in the right rear tire, but couldn't find a tire repair shop. So we kept inflating and driving. It became a routine: inflate in the morning, warning light in the afternoon. I was pretty bold! Finally, on the 11th day, we got the tire repaired at a roadside shop in West Yellowstone for $30. The mechanic also said the other three tires had very high pressure (6.5) and risked blowing out, so he released air down to 4.5. Then we drove smoothly for two days. But it wasn't over: the tire curse hadn't left the Jeep. On the 13th day, the warning lit again! Relying on our ten-plus days of training in eyeballing tire pressure, my husband and I both thought the left front tire was low again. Sure enough, after inflating, the warning disappeared. We didn't give the curse a chance to return; we returned the car one day early! Besides the tire issues, the Jeep's fuel tank was surprisingly small, not matching its bulky body. Each fill-up cost about $20, roughly 7 gallons. We refueled as frequently as frequent urination... Lesson learned: bring a tire pressure monitor when renting a car—peace of mind!
Complaint about insurance:
We bought insurance to drive with peace of mind, to have a safety net in an unfamiliar place. But I didn't expect this psychological safety net to shatter so quickly! The first three days went smoothly. On the fourth day at the Grand Canyon, while packing clothes, I accidentally dropped the car key into the back seat. Luckily, the doors were still open and not locked. We spent over an hour rummaging through the car, searching for the key. To blame my poor eyesight, I was frantic and couldn't find it anywhere. Watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon, I was desperate and thought of the insurance. Wasn't it full coverage? Hadn't I read online that if someone loses a key, the insurance company would send a replacement car? After finally getting through to Advantage's phone line, I was told that because we didn't buy roadside assistance at the counter, they couldn't help and suggested we find a locksmith ourselves. So I called AXA insurance, since we bought insurance from them. AXA told me to contact the rental company Advantage, and have Advantage provide the service, then submit the receipt for reimbursement. The problem was that Advantage had already refused service on the grounds that we didn't buy insurance at their counter. AXA telling me to seek service from Advantage was just passing the buck. Where would I find a 4S shop in an unfamiliar place, especially in a sparsely populated national park? I was about to break down, but my husband's rationality saved the day. He finally found the key jammed under the back seat—it was black and hard to spot. Lesson learned: choose a major rental brand and buy low-temperature air conditioning insurance (?) at the rental counter for the most convenient service!
This trip to the western U.S. basically went through national parks, with many stays in small towns. Accommodation costs varied, with the most expensive being $220 in Tusayan near the Grand Canyon, and the cheapest around $80. Based on actual experience, here are some tips: 1. Best Western hotels are decent and have good breakfasts—some offered à la carte, others buffet. 2. When staying in the U.S., it's best to bring long-sleeve pajamas and long pants. Why? Many American hotels have bed bugs, both good and budget ones. After the Grand Canyon, I got quite a few bites, but even after carefully inspecting the bed, I couldn't see any bugs. I could only guess the bugs were too small to see with the naked eye. And I wasn't the only one; while touring the national park corridor, I saw many other tourists with similar red bumps. Don't worry about the heat—American indoor air conditioning is strong! 3. Bring some insecticide and mosquito-repellent electric mats. 4. Coffee makers and microwaves are not standard in all hotels; some motels lack them, and some hotels do too, but steam irons are generally available.
Most practical gear in the U.S.:
1. A 15-day Verizon SIM card bought on Taobao, with 160 minutes to China, 7GB high-speed data, and 80 minutes U.S. domestic calls. This trip's navigation and U.S. calls relied on it.
2. Electric cooking pot: Bought a 110V electric pot on Taobao. In the evening, boil water, blanch vegetables, cook instant noodles. In the morning, brew tea. So comfortable!
3. Power strip with USB ports: For charging phones and batteries...
The U.S. is an immigrant nation with diverse food cultures. Main food categories include:
1. Western food: Sourdough bread with clam chowder is a San Francisco specialty. The sourdough is naturally fermented overnight with old starter; the creamy clam chowder is rich and delicious. Also Dungeness crab, steak, sourdough soup, pasta, pizza.
2. Mexican food: Taco salad uses a crispy tortilla bowl filled with crisp vegetables, perfect for cooling down in the heat.
3. Chinese food: A Chinese stomach prefers Chinese food! Panda Express is the top choice for American Chinese—convenient and tasty.
4. National parks are remote; we often filled up on burgers and pizza. Also, Americans love outdoor barbecues. At lakeside rest areas, we often saw families enjoying lively barbecues!
The end. Transfer from the Fourth City!
Travelogue Table of Contents
1. 1. Itinerary
2. 2. Car Rental
3. 3. Accommodation
4. 4. Food
Travel Information
Hotel Index
Guide Index
Flight Index
Website Navigation
Travel Index
Cruise Index
Corporate Travel Index
Franchise Cooperation
Distribution Alliance
Friendship Links
Corporate Gift Card Purchase
Insurance Agency
Agent Cooperation
Hotel Franchise
Destination and Scenic Area Cooperation
More Franchise Cooperation
About Ctrip
About Ctrip
Ctrip Hot Topics
Contact Us
Careers
User Agreement
Privacy Policy
Business License
Security Center
Ctrip Content Center
Intellectual Property
Trip.com Group Algorithm Announcement
