1) Leave Austin, Texas
2) Drive straight through New Mexico and Arizona
3) Arrive in Dana Point and get on PCH
4) Stop in Laguna Beach
5) Drive PCH to Los Angeles and stay there for a few days
6) Continue on PCH to San Luis Obispo for the next major stop
7) Drive to San Francisco, the final destination
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
$$$ MONEY $$$
*Gas: $414.70
The average price for gas in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona is 3.00 per gallon, and in California is 3.30 per gallon (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas Gas Prices). The jeep liberty holds about 19.5 gallons of gas so we can expect gas to be around $58.50 each time we fill up the car in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (WikiAnswers). Katy usually has to fill up her car about every 4-5 hours so all the way to Dana point gas should cost about $286. We can expect in California for the cost to fill each time to be about $64.35 so from Dana Point to San Francisco gas should be about $128.70. The total for gas will be expensive, but $414.70 is worth the road trip we will get to experience.
*Hotels: $905
1) The first night Katy and I will stay at a Marriott in Arizona and use our parent's Marriott points so our first night on the road will be free
2) For the second major stop, we are going to stay in Los Angeles, California in the Omni Los Angeles Plaza which is $149.00 a night. We will probably want to stay in La for four days and three nights so our hotel bill in this city will be $447.00.
3) The third stop on the road will be San Luis Obispo and we will be staying at The Ocean Breeze Inn for $80.00 a night. We will most likely stay here for 2 nights so that total will be $160.00.
4) Our last stop will be in San Francisco! Katy has some family in San Fran so we will stay with them for a few nights and then for 2 nights we want to stay at The Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco Hotel which is $149.00 a night. This total will be $298.00 and the rest will be free staying with Katy's Family.
*Food: $300 (about thirty dollars a day for 10 days)
*Extra Spending money: About $875
*TOTAL: We expect the total cost of the trip for Katy to be $2,500 and for me to be $2,900 since I will have to buy a flight back to Austin from San Francisco.
Last Stop, San Francisco!
San Francisco will be our ultimate stop on this road trip. I have never visited this city and I think it is the perfect stopping place for Katy and I to explore. All I hear from people is how amazing this city is and it is definitely a place I want to visit before I die. There are a few things Katy and I want to do while we are here, but we don't want to completely plan out our days in this final destination. We want to visit Alcatraz, especially because my dad and I have watched "The Escape from Alcatraz" a million times! It would be fun to see the touristy Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square while in the city. We want to stay at The Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco Hotel for a few days. It is a beautiful hotel in the city and will provide quite comfortable sleeping quarters for the time we are there. I am sure San Francisco will bring so many fun memories and Katy and I will have plenty to do exploring this city with no time restrictions and no set schedules for a few days.
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo will be our last major stop before reaching San Francisco. Although this is kind of a random city to stop in, it has so many fun outdoor activities to offer that Katy and I rarely get to do. While in San Luis Obispo, we definitely want to snorkel. I have never snorkeled before and I think it would be so cool to see what goes on under the ocean, especially because I just saw the Disney movie "Oceans". We also want to sail and do the sunset culinary tour one night. That is one of the coolest activities I have heard of and this unique experience will create lots of memories. In this city Katy and I will be able to get away from our normal hustle and bustle and enjoy the water and all the activities you can do outside. I am sure we will meet many fun and friendly people while taking advantage of these exciting activities in this new city.
City of Angels
As you can see, Los Angeles is a huge city full of busy highways and busy people everywhere. The beauty of the skyline, the ocean nearby, and the many fun things to do in the city are what Katy and I will be exploring. We definitely want to go to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. We both love shopping, and I think that this well-known shopping district famous for their designer label fashion is something I want to experience after graduation. It will be exciting walking through the stores with my friend and being able to say I have shopped on Rodeo. We also want to do some touristy things and see the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is something that any tourist in Los Angeles must experience. It will be so interesting to see the handprints of people we look up to on the sidewalks in front of us. One day we want to go to Malibu and eat at the Paradise Cove Beach Cafe where you literally sit with your feet in the sand while enjoying your meal along with the sound and view of the ocean waves. One day will be set aside for Disneyland. Even though we are no longer kids, Disneyland is such a fun place to visit once in a while and we definitely want to enjoy this place where "dreams come true." Los Angeles will be a place where Katy and I can explore the whole city and do all different kinds of things we don't normally get to do. Some things will be relaxing and other activities will be exciting and busy but will provide us the adventure and exploration of new things that we want on this road trip.
My Favorite City- Laguna Beach
This is an evening view of my favorite city in the United States. I don't exactly know why Laguna Beach is so magical to me, but my mother and I share a passion for this beach town. I have visited Laguna every summer since I was little and lived there in high school for a year. On my road trip with Katy (who was born and raised in Laguna Beach), we plan to stop in Laguna and eat lunch at 230 Forest, one of our favorite restaurants. They have THE BEST chicken caesar salads and yummy bread they bring out before your meal. We always get their lemonade when we go because they give you sugar sticks in it that are a sweet treat! We will also probably take a walk down the boardwalk and see my great grandmother's bench along the sand. Golden Spoon frozen yogurt will be a perfect desert for the road out of Laguna on PCH. It will be hard to leave Laguna but the adventures we will embark on will definitely get us excited for what is to come!
Proposal for my road trip
Road Trip to Explore California
Experiencing the beauty and nature of our world is crucial to helping us get away from the worries and stress of everyday life. The feeling of the breeze and the sound it makes as it passes through the trees, the sound of birds chirping in the early morning, the ripples in the water of a lake and the crashing waves of an ocean all create a sense of happiness within me. A road trip helps free my mind of everything going on in my life. Exploring new cities and doing new activities in unknown places is just the way to create fun adventures and memories. A road trip to me is adventure and excitement, the vehicle to show the beautiful nature in California, and is about exploring new cities and places. The best road trip that would exemplify these characteristics for me is from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California.
My friend Katy Bekken and I will embark on this adventure together starting from Austin, Texas and traveling through New Mexico and Arizona. Most of these states will be desert, cacti and mountains of large rocks along the side of the road. We do not expect rural Texas, New Mexico or Arizona to be the most “fun” part of the road trip but it will be interesting to see the desolate sights we don’t have in Austin. The trip is specifically designed to see the most beautiful things Katy and I treasure, the coast of California. Once we reach the southern most tip of California, Katy and I want to take Pacific Coast Highway all the way up to San Francisco. Pacific Coast Highway is known for its views of the immaculate coastlines and seaside towns. I imagine miles of crystal blue ocean, the sight of the blue sky meeting the even bluer ocean as far as I can see, the white sand along the beach, bright healthy-looking green trees, and my favorite flower, the bird of paradise, everywhere. Even the thought of these adventures and different sights tune me out from everything going on around me. The best thing about this road trip is there are no set schedules, no responsibilities and the opportunity to do and experience whatever Katy and I choose to. That is the true meaning of a road trip, to be able to take time off from “real life” and just go be spontaneous and adventurous. We will get to enjoy the beautiful views while on the road, and also get to stop in different cities and experience the things they have to offer. This road trip is the perfect opportunity to explore the beauty that California has to offer, and do things in different cities that we don’t get to enjoy very often.
This trip through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona and up the coast of California is about 1,901 miles (Google Maps). That is roughly one day and eight hours of driving Katy’s silver jeep liberty that we will definitely not be able to do without stopping. The first day of driving will be about 16 hours and we can stop in Phoenix, Arizona at midnight if we leave at about 7:00 a.m. because we will be making a few gas and food stops that will account for an hour (Google Maps). Katy and I just want to sleep in Arizona because we want to get to California as soon as we can! That night we will probably stay in a Marriot because our families have Marriot points that we can use on the hotel room to save up some money. The next morning we will have to get up at 7:00 a.m. again and start driving again because Dana Point, where Pacific Coast Highway starts, is 6 hours away from Phoenix (Google Maps). Once we get to Dana Point, California, the mesmerizing beauty of the ocean will capture both of our attention and the true journey will begin.
We must not forget the price of this trip and the planning we have to do in advance. Gas will be a major expense for our trip and considering it is the sole factor that will keep our road trip going, it is quite important. The average price for gas in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona is 3.00 per gallon, and in California is 3.30 per gallon (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas Gas Prices). The jeep liberty holds about 19.5 gallons of gas so we can expect gas to be around $58.50 each time we fill up the car in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (WikiAnswers). Katy usually has to fill up her car about every 4-5 hours so all the way to Dana point gas should cost about $286. We can expect in California for the cost to fill each time to be about $64.35 so from Dana Point to San Francisco gas should be about $128.70. The total for gas will be expensive, but $414.70 is worth the road trip we will get to experience. Since our hotel the first night in Phoenix will be free (thanks to our parents) we will get to splurge a little bit on food each day. We will eat probably $30 - $40 each a day worth of food. I know that we will both want some extra spending money for shopping and fun activities along the way, so I expect that this trip will cost about $2,500 for Katy. After a few days in San Francisco, I will be flying home to Austin and Katy will be staying in San Francisco. For me, the trip will probably cost about $2,900 because flights will be around $300-$400 if I book a little bit in advance.
Once in California, everything will be way more expensive; the hotels, food, gas, and even shopping. Since Katy and I want to stay in a nice hotel in Los Angeles, the Omni Los Angeles at California Plaza, the price for that stop will be about $149.00 (Omni Los Angeles Plaza). For our second stop, San Louis Obispo, we will stay at the Ocean Breeze Inn in the heart of Pismo Beach, which will be about $80.00 for that night (Ocean Breeze Inn). Our last stop will be in San Francisco! Katy has some family in San Fran so we will stay with them for a few nights and then for 2 nights we want to stay at The Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco Hotel which is $149.00 a night. This total will be $298.00 and the rest will be free staying with Katy's Family. Once in San Francisco, there is no set plan or idea of what we will do. That is up to the trip to decide. We will be able to pay for this road trip through babysitting and work money saved up throughout the year, and help from our parents right after graduation.
Katie and I will stop in Los Angeles, California for our first major exploration of the road trip. Here we can go to Malibu Beach, which is kind of secluded and away from the busy city. The waves crash against the high rocks and make this sound that you can never forget. The beauty and peace of Malibu will help us fully take advantage of the escape that this road trip provides. While Malibu will provide us a relaxing experience, deep in the city of Los Angeles we will get to take advantage of a different type of experience. Shopping on Melrose and Rodeo Drive will be exciting and show us two popular places to have fun and take advantage of the happy and freeing feeling that shopping can make one feel. We must get Pink Berry frozen yogurt and explore the streets of Hollywood while in Los Angeles. Katy and I have set aside a day to go to Disneyland. We definitely want to visit this great magical park. We don’t want to completely schedule out every second of the day, however, because a road trip is not necessarily about structure and time limits. On a road trip you want to experience different things spontaneously and not know what is coming your way all the time. We can explore the city and see whatever we desire at that time, right now I cannot say exactly what else we will want to do.
The second stop we will make is in San Louis Obispo and this is where we will be able to get outside and truly experience nature firsthand. We have so many options from biking and hiking to kayaking, snorkeling, surfing, camping and sailing. We can enjoy the wildlife, the beautiful beaches and even experience the sunset culinary tour. This stop from the road in San Louis Obispo will allow us to see the dolphins, birds and sea animals we normally don’t get to enjoy, spend time bonding with each other. We will even get to fully enjoy whatever our taste buds desire along with enjoying the beauty of the sunset. This stop, opposed to Los Angeles will be a more relaxing and easy going one. We will be in a smaller beach town where we can explore the quirky things in this town between big cities.
Our final destination is San Francisco, California! Since we have never visited this great city, we want to explore everything it has to offer. Before I leave, I really want to visit Alcatraz Island. I have watched that movie with my dad so many times that it would be so neat to see where it all actually happened. Katy and I have heard that you can’t visit San Francisco without visiting the extremely touristy Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square. We will see the Golden Gate Bridge from afar, but I want to see it up close and get to walk across part of it and see the beautiful views it has. The “moving landmark” cable cars would be really neat to experience. They remind me of the streetcars at home in New Orleans. San Francisco will provide great adventure and excitement because Katy and I will have so much to do and see here. I have a feeling we will just stumble upon cool things to see and do in this city!
This road trip from Austin to San Francisco will be an exciting, adventurous and spontaneous one. It is a road trip ultimately to a city we have never visited. There is so much excitement and mystery in driving on the road and never knowing what to expect. Each stop we make along the road is a place we can explore and get away from life in general. We will have no time limits, no responsibilities and nowhere we must or must not go. We can have fun, relax and enjoy everything the cities have to offer while using the drive from each destination to the next as the way to take in the smells, sights and feelings of nature. This road trip in the end, will allow us to get away from our normal lives and step out of our comfort zones. We will be able to see things we don’t usually get to and appreciate the world we have been put on. We will experience adventure, excitement and through each spontaneous event that we encounter, we will bond together, and learn more about ourselves.
Experiencing the beauty and nature of our world is crucial to helping us get away from the worries and stress of everyday life. The feeling of the breeze and the sound it makes as it passes through the trees, the sound of birds chirping in the early morning, the ripples in the water of a lake and the crashing waves of an ocean all create a sense of happiness within me. A road trip helps free my mind of everything going on in my life. Exploring new cities and doing new activities in unknown places is just the way to create fun adventures and memories. A road trip to me is adventure and excitement, the vehicle to show the beautiful nature in California, and is about exploring new cities and places. The best road trip that would exemplify these characteristics for me is from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California.
My friend Katy Bekken and I will embark on this adventure together starting from Austin, Texas and traveling through New Mexico and Arizona. Most of these states will be desert, cacti and mountains of large rocks along the side of the road. We do not expect rural Texas, New Mexico or Arizona to be the most “fun” part of the road trip but it will be interesting to see the desolate sights we don’t have in Austin. The trip is specifically designed to see the most beautiful things Katy and I treasure, the coast of California. Once we reach the southern most tip of California, Katy and I want to take Pacific Coast Highway all the way up to San Francisco. Pacific Coast Highway is known for its views of the immaculate coastlines and seaside towns. I imagine miles of crystal blue ocean, the sight of the blue sky meeting the even bluer ocean as far as I can see, the white sand along the beach, bright healthy-looking green trees, and my favorite flower, the bird of paradise, everywhere. Even the thought of these adventures and different sights tune me out from everything going on around me. The best thing about this road trip is there are no set schedules, no responsibilities and the opportunity to do and experience whatever Katy and I choose to. That is the true meaning of a road trip, to be able to take time off from “real life” and just go be spontaneous and adventurous. We will get to enjoy the beautiful views while on the road, and also get to stop in different cities and experience the things they have to offer. This road trip is the perfect opportunity to explore the beauty that California has to offer, and do things in different cities that we don’t get to enjoy very often.
This trip through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona and up the coast of California is about 1,901 miles (Google Maps). That is roughly one day and eight hours of driving Katy’s silver jeep liberty that we will definitely not be able to do without stopping. The first day of driving will be about 16 hours and we can stop in Phoenix, Arizona at midnight if we leave at about 7:00 a.m. because we will be making a few gas and food stops that will account for an hour (Google Maps). Katy and I just want to sleep in Arizona because we want to get to California as soon as we can! That night we will probably stay in a Marriot because our families have Marriot points that we can use on the hotel room to save up some money. The next morning we will have to get up at 7:00 a.m. again and start driving again because Dana Point, where Pacific Coast Highway starts, is 6 hours away from Phoenix (Google Maps). Once we get to Dana Point, California, the mesmerizing beauty of the ocean will capture both of our attention and the true journey will begin.
We must not forget the price of this trip and the planning we have to do in advance. Gas will be a major expense for our trip and considering it is the sole factor that will keep our road trip going, it is quite important. The average price for gas in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona is 3.00 per gallon, and in California is 3.30 per gallon (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas Gas Prices). The jeep liberty holds about 19.5 gallons of gas so we can expect gas to be around $58.50 each time we fill up the car in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (WikiAnswers). Katy usually has to fill up her car about every 4-5 hours so all the way to Dana point gas should cost about $286. We can expect in California for the cost to fill each time to be about $64.35 so from Dana Point to San Francisco gas should be about $128.70. The total for gas will be expensive, but $414.70 is worth the road trip we will get to experience. Since our hotel the first night in Phoenix will be free (thanks to our parents) we will get to splurge a little bit on food each day. We will eat probably $30 - $40 each a day worth of food. I know that we will both want some extra spending money for shopping and fun activities along the way, so I expect that this trip will cost about $2,500 for Katy. After a few days in San Francisco, I will be flying home to Austin and Katy will be staying in San Francisco. For me, the trip will probably cost about $2,900 because flights will be around $300-$400 if I book a little bit in advance.
Once in California, everything will be way more expensive; the hotels, food, gas, and even shopping. Since Katy and I want to stay in a nice hotel in Los Angeles, the Omni Los Angeles at California Plaza, the price for that stop will be about $149.00 (Omni Los Angeles Plaza). For our second stop, San Louis Obispo, we will stay at the Ocean Breeze Inn in the heart of Pismo Beach, which will be about $80.00 for that night (Ocean Breeze Inn). Our last stop will be in San Francisco! Katy has some family in San Fran so we will stay with them for a few nights and then for 2 nights we want to stay at The Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco Hotel which is $149.00 a night. This total will be $298.00 and the rest will be free staying with Katy's Family. Once in San Francisco, there is no set plan or idea of what we will do. That is up to the trip to decide. We will be able to pay for this road trip through babysitting and work money saved up throughout the year, and help from our parents right after graduation.
Katie and I will stop in Los Angeles, California for our first major exploration of the road trip. Here we can go to Malibu Beach, which is kind of secluded and away from the busy city. The waves crash against the high rocks and make this sound that you can never forget. The beauty and peace of Malibu will help us fully take advantage of the escape that this road trip provides. While Malibu will provide us a relaxing experience, deep in the city of Los Angeles we will get to take advantage of a different type of experience. Shopping on Melrose and Rodeo Drive will be exciting and show us two popular places to have fun and take advantage of the happy and freeing feeling that shopping can make one feel. We must get Pink Berry frozen yogurt and explore the streets of Hollywood while in Los Angeles. Katy and I have set aside a day to go to Disneyland. We definitely want to visit this great magical park. We don’t want to completely schedule out every second of the day, however, because a road trip is not necessarily about structure and time limits. On a road trip you want to experience different things spontaneously and not know what is coming your way all the time. We can explore the city and see whatever we desire at that time, right now I cannot say exactly what else we will want to do.
The second stop we will make is in San Louis Obispo and this is where we will be able to get outside and truly experience nature firsthand. We have so many options from biking and hiking to kayaking, snorkeling, surfing, camping and sailing. We can enjoy the wildlife, the beautiful beaches and even experience the sunset culinary tour. This stop from the road in San Louis Obispo will allow us to see the dolphins, birds and sea animals we normally don’t get to enjoy, spend time bonding with each other. We will even get to fully enjoy whatever our taste buds desire along with enjoying the beauty of the sunset. This stop, opposed to Los Angeles will be a more relaxing and easy going one. We will be in a smaller beach town where we can explore the quirky things in this town between big cities.
Our final destination is San Francisco, California! Since we have never visited this great city, we want to explore everything it has to offer. Before I leave, I really want to visit Alcatraz Island. I have watched that movie with my dad so many times that it would be so neat to see where it all actually happened. Katy and I have heard that you can’t visit San Francisco without visiting the extremely touristy Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square. We will see the Golden Gate Bridge from afar, but I want to see it up close and get to walk across part of it and see the beautiful views it has. The “moving landmark” cable cars would be really neat to experience. They remind me of the streetcars at home in New Orleans. San Francisco will provide great adventure and excitement because Katy and I will have so much to do and see here. I have a feeling we will just stumble upon cool things to see and do in this city!
This road trip from Austin to San Francisco will be an exciting, adventurous and spontaneous one. It is a road trip ultimately to a city we have never visited. There is so much excitement and mystery in driving on the road and never knowing what to expect. Each stop we make along the road is a place we can explore and get away from life in general. We will have no time limits, no responsibilities and nowhere we must or must not go. We can have fun, relax and enjoy everything the cities have to offer while using the drive from each destination to the next as the way to take in the smells, sights and feelings of nature. This road trip in the end, will allow us to get away from our normal lives and step out of our comfort zones. We will be able to see things we don’t usually get to and appreciate the world we have been put on. We will experience adventure, excitement and through each spontaneous event that we encounter, we will bond together, and learn more about ourselves.
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