Road trip to the East Coast next summer!

[freeride53]

Officially have started planning my road-trip with some friends next summer in the E30. Plan is to drive to New York. I go to school in San Diego, but have friends at Syracuse, Vassar, Penn, Emory, etc..that I'm trying to see and meet up with and drive back with to California. Right now I'm still trying to plan the stops and figuring out lodging. Reason I'm planning six months in advance is because this is the only time I'm back home till next summer, plus: I thought It'd be a good thing since I always procrastinate for the lawlz. Any suggestions on places to visit? Also here are the routes I'm debating between taking:

-Interstate 80 All the way (right out of San Diego, and drive through Utah, Grand Canyon, etc..but drive through the Midwest)
-Interstate 40 to Interstate 81 (and visit my grandparents and relatives in Memphis along the way)

I recall several R3Vers have done coast-to-coast road trips in their E30s, and I'm looking for any advice you've got, being that this will be my first "real" road trip w/o my family.

If you had to go back and do it again, what would you do differently or do the same?

Longest I've driven was to Whistler, British Columbia (switching off with my dad) and from Gothenburg, Sweden to Portugal with my parents in our Volvo years ago.

Places I want to see:
-New York City
-Philly
-Boston
-Possibly Charleston, SC (to pickup another friend)

[dannyyisntt]

Avoid Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Though I doubt that will be a problem.

[slammin.e28]

So....you'll be going north on 81....through Va....

I must tell you there is a toll at the intersection of I64 and 81 in Staunton Va. I will be waiting there, in my e28 to collect. There are a few good dining areas around, so come hungry, plan to stay late.

[jrobie79]

I went from Boston to LA and back twice (once in the e30, once in a jetta). I would highly suggest driving through colorado if you can. It's awesome to drive through the mountains and the roads are literally built into the mountains and the Eisenhower tunnel is a sight to behold. Although this will inevitably lead to driving through shitholes such as nebraska and iowa.

First trip out there I went the rt 40 way, and one the way home through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, etc back to Boston. Take a couple hour drives off the main interstate and go to some podunk town in the middle of nowhere and experience that. New Mexico and the upper part of Texas sucks to drive through, but the middle of the country is so different from driving up and down east/west coast (usually always something to see). best advice is to just wing it and take a shitload of pictures.

[b*saint]

90 is better than 80 imo and you're already in the right part of NY to visit your friends.

[lambo]

Come to Colorado, you won't regret it.

[JasonC]

If you're going on 40, thats straight through Cumberland here, But looks like you'd be better off to keep north and head to Carsile instead of dipping south to hit I81. Unless you dont want to take the PA turnpike. But there's nothing to really see around here lol.

[trackjunkie21]

Definitely stop by man!

[mrsleeve]

80 is way north of the Canyon, and your going to have to run north a along way to get there form San Diego.

I would say drive the "mother road" Historic US 66

Its a trip I have wanted to do for many many years

http://www.historic66.com/

Or run 40 to 81, will give you some areas to do some of the old US 66

[iidesu]

have a nice trip!

[ZM Blue Devil]

Let me know dates and we will put a get together at Guten for you. Zip 07079

[TexasTerp]

If you come up 81 you can stop by DC/MD area for a meet! There are car meets every night out here and we have dedicated bmw & e30 meets on wednesdays and fridays!

[MikeDE]

Sounds like fun, and document the trip along the way.

[dude8383]

Dope. Jumping in there to see ideas :)

[BMWerke]

make sure when you plan this trip you look up when the big BMW and Euro meets are out here on the east coast so you can see how we roll!