Western USA by car

Stovepipe Wells

Nevada, Arizona, California... Three states that are best visited by car.

If you can choose a rental car on several websites, if you can get a discount by booking it while booking a flight, I like to compare the prices on sites like Priceline, where you can name your own price, or vroomvroomvroom.com, for any country in the world.

Like for flights, you need to make sure every additionnal fees are included in the price. And don't assume the smallest cars will be the cheapest.

Note you may have a surcharge if you wish to drop the car in a different place than the pick-up place. The fees might be worth it if you don't want to go back to your starting point. It is impossible to name you price on Priceline if don't drop the car where you picked it up.

I for one had a better deal with a bigger car in Las Vegas. But that meant paying more for the fuel. Choosing a company located outside of the airport also helped getting a better price.

For the insurance, make sure your credit card doesn't cover you before accepting to pay a surcharge. Your own car insurance may or may not cover the responsability too. Check that before you leave on your trip.

Idiot tip : in very warm states, think about the A/C... and choose the color wisely. This idiot, had he thought about it, would not have chosen a black Mistubishi.

In Las Vegas

True you don't need to drive in Las Vegas. The main boulevard (the Strip) has shuttles and a monorail. The traffic lights make you go slowly anyway. But being behind the wheel helps getting away from the bling-bling. Like if you want to go to Red Rock Canyon. Most casinos have a free parking... which is technically for clients. But in Vegas, we're always a client in every casino aren't we?

The Grand Canyon

True also it is possible to book a tour to the grand Canyon. Once again, the car means freedom. It will cost 25 $ for each car to get in the park. The permit is valid for seven days. Then you can beat the crowd for sunrise, leave any time you want or drive from the South Rim to Desert View Watch Tower.

If you plan on visiting some other national parks, you could get a discount on a package ticket. With Zion, Antelope Canyon, Glenn Canyon or Death Valley, all very close, you might want to consider it.

Death Valley

Death Valley without a car? Never. Because it's a desert. Because the fun part is going from one point to another on the road. Because you can't get there with public transportation... or hitchiking.

The price to get in the park is 20 $.

If you go in winter, think about renting a higher car and decide if you need winter tires...

The coast

The West Coast is totally worth it. Road 1goes along the Pacific Ocean in California to merge on Highway 101 all the way to Canada. Small cities along the way might be worth a pit stop. But one must consider it takes more time to drive on that road than on the boring but direct highway.

Note the fuel price varies in every state. It is cheaper to get it in Las Vegas than in San Francisco, for example. Knowing that, you can save depending on your strategy.

A lot of gaz stations will ask you to pay before you start fueling. Paying cash, sometimes, might be cheaper. If you plan on using a credit card, they might ask for an american zip code on the pump or an ID if you pay inside.

Visiting those friends from another trip

Malibu, Californie

It became a habit. You travel, you meet strangers and you share details.

Nothing new, you'll say. But one doesn't need to go far back in time to find the moment where mail adresses and telephone numbers would get lost. Six months, one year... that French friend you met in New York? No news at all!

Facebook revolution! Stay in touch without any effort. Or make a relationship stronger where there was nothing special at first. So give me a break with the theories about the social medias alienating people. When one knows how to use it, it's the opposite.

So there you go! The new friend sends you a request on Facebook. Tells you you'll always be welcomed in his house, Who-Knows-Where. But the truth is you will probably be too shy to visit that new friend.

Too bad!

Two years after meeting a girl from Hong Kong, in Germany, I visited her in her country. Not only reuniting felt natural, but it felt like we had just met the past week-end. We started talking exactly where we left the conversation before. That friend, she was very enthusiast to share her culture with me. She brought me places I would never have visited otherwise.

So for my last trip, I tried it again. Spent a whole week with friends in California. It is a different way to travel. Less museums, less major attractions, more small places and villages, well kept secrets. A slower pace too. But vacations are made for that. And learning to know a friend might be more rewarding that looking at beautiful landscapes.

True, there is a risk. A risk the first impression was totally wrong and you might have nothing in common. A risk to destroy precious souvenirs from a previous trip. But there is also a chance you'll discover even more common interests and that'll make the friendship stronger. Still, being right about the first impression is already something special.

And who knows. Once you have a place to stay somewhere, it might be easier to go back. Just have to believe they mean it when they say "Anytime you come close to my town, you can stay at my house."