I am curious: Approximately how much did that little jaunt cost you? In US Dollars if you can.
Honestly, I don’t know. The Interrail pass set me back approximately $830, but that included the option to go first-class, which I only used on the trip through the Alps (which was nice, but not nice enough to justify the extra expense). As for reservations, food and hostel stays I don’t really know until I’ve checked my accounts and stuff.
Not sure how long it takes to drive coast-to-coast, 4-5 days is probably about right without stopping based on what I know about parts of the drive. You should probably start a thread asking for recommendations; I’m sure other Dopers have done this… Also, you should stop in Ohio while driving so that we can have a Dopefest. (And yes, there ARE things to see and do here.)
Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. Vienna and Berlin are two of my favorite cities ever; definitely worth going back to.
GT
This is probably about right by the fastest route (I-80) but entire swathes of the fastest route are astoundingly boring… the kind of boring that makes you want to stab yourself just for the diversion. Putting in the solid 10 hours driving you’d need to make it in that timeframe is a feat when there’s corn to the left, corn to the right, and ruler straight highway as far as the eye can see.
That said, if you find yourself in Iowa, I recommend visiting Amana, location of one of America’s most successful and enduring turn-of-the-century Germanic Christian communes. The informational displays and museums are fascinating… and the strudel kicks ass.
You can do New York to Los Angeles in under three days if you drive straight through, but you’re going to see a whole lot of nothing. If I were going to do such a thing, I’d plan for two weeks, start by driving up the coast from Boston, through New England, along the Great Lakes, through Chicago, up to Milwaukee and across to Minneapolis, make a midnight run across western Minnesota, North Dakota, and Eastern Montana (you’re not going to miss anything, believe me), take a jaunt through Yellowstone just to say you’ve been there, ramble through interesting bits of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, and finish up by driving down the coast as much as possible to San Francisco, then down the US Hwy 1 to Los Angeles or San Diego. If you have time remaining, you could complete the loop by driving through the Southwest and back by some route, but if you’ve read Steinbeck’s Travels With Charlie you’ll notice that he skips through most of this, and with good reason.
Stranger
Ahhh, screw America. I’ve been there, it sucks. Come to Eastern Europe! You have until July 2008 to redeem the offer of free translator/tour guide in fabulous Bulgaria.
Naww! Don’t go north – South Dakota is amazing, the Badlands are a must. Western Minnesota is wonderful right where it meets the river (can’t remember which highway we took), and then when you cross the big honkin bridge it’s endless, stunning bright green hills (in season anyway). You never knew there could be so much green. I loves me some plains. Mt. Rushmore is awe inspiring. And in that nook of Montana you’ll find Devil’s Tower.
Milwaukee’s a good idea, though - their art museum has been fantastic for years, lots of brewing donor $$. They have some wonderful work by Chuck Close, I hope it’s still on display. Plus beer steins! The whole thing was renovated a few years ago by some notable architect. Here, pretty picture.