The big loop!

[shineysideup]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advise on campgrounds, points of interest, highways etc. to travel for a trip from southeastern Ontario Canada to the Golden Gate Bridge in California on to Seattle (or thereabouts), east to Wisconsin Dells and back to Ontario. I am planning for 4 - 5 weeks, have two children 8 and 10 and a wonderful wife that is going along with my "plans"!

We intend on stopping at the Hoover Dam, Alcatraz, some part of the Grand Canyon (old faithful?) and the water parks of Wisconsin Dells.

Please let me know if you have any personal experiences and recommendations with any part of my family adventure!

Forgot to mention that our adventure will start around the 1st of july, 2013.

cheers,

Shineysideup

[Wiscampsin]

If you don't have a campground allready picked out in the Dells I would suggest Mirror Lake State Park. Close enough to all the action but far enough to get away from the lights,noise, hustle & bustle. Early reservations are a must but they do have some nonreservable sites. Link: Mirror Lake State Park - Wisconsin DNR
Dells link: Official Site For Wisconsin Dells Tourism Info & More | Wisconsin Dells

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by Wiscampsin

If you don't have a campground allready picked out in the Dells I would suggest Mirror Lake State Park. Close enough to all the action but far enough to get away from the lights,noise, hustle & bustle. Early reservations are a must but they do have some nonreservable sites. Link: Mirror Lake State Park - Wisconsin DNR
Dells link: Official Site For Wisconsin Dells Tourism Info & More | Wisconsin Dells

Thanks for the tips, sounds like just the place for us!

shineysideup,

[hkreck]

We came up from S.F. in July last year took the 101 hwy up through OR. very scenic a little expensive along the coast. But it takes you right down to S.F. through the Redwoods and Nappa valley (wine country). Don't know how far south your going but if you make it to Texas, San Antonio is a great place to visit ( the river front and The Alamo). Grizzy bear camp ground in West Yellowstone is a nice spot to stay in that area. If you go up through Montana over by the Little Big Horn (Garry Owen) camp ground is fairly new and very nice to stay at.

[RBR]

At the Delles since you have little ones you might want to check out the jellystone rv park. I know my grand kids loved it and they are the same ages.

[bakken]

If you are anywhere near SW Colorado, there is an awesome old steam train ride from Durango to Silverton. Of all of the things I have done on my travels, that remains a highlight. Simply stunning scenery.
The drive west from Denver is really nice too, but there is a monster hill to climb up to the Eisenhower Tunnel at the top. The grade and altitude demand power, lots of power. If you are going to the Grand Canyon and Hoover, I would advise going south of Colorado, through Albuquerque and west. Very nice highway.
And have you checked out Canyonlands Park? That is definitely on my bucket list.
Out west, the Redwoods are a must-see.
If you get far enough north, Mt. St. Helens is cool, but is a bit of a drive off the main road.
Yellowstone is interesting, but is a zoo in the summer. But you and the kids might like Cody, Wyoming, just east of Yellowstone. I haven't been there, but it sounds interesting with cowboy stuff and all.

It sounds like you have a great trip planned. Make sure to take your time, and enjoy it all. There is far more than you could possibly see in a month, so don't try to see everything. And allow a few days to rest up here and there. The Grand Canyon would be a good place, as would the beach in Oregon. There is a nice campground along the coast highway in southern oregon, but be darned if I can remember the name. It is in a small valley across the highway from the beach. A quick internet search should find it. The kids would love the beach, I know I did!
Enjoy!

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by bakken

If you are anywhere near SW Colorado, there is an awesome old steam train ride from Durango to Silverton. Of all of the things I have done on my travels, that remains a highlight. Simply stunning scenery.
The drive west from Denver is really nice too, but there is a monster hill to climb up to the Eisenhower Tunnel at the top. The grade and altitude demand power, lots of power. If you are going to the Grand Canyon and Hoover, I would advise going south of Colorado, through Albuquerque and west. Very nice highway.
And have you checked out Canyonlands Park? That is definitely on my bucket list.
Out west, the Redwoods are a must-see.
If you get far enough north, Mt. St. Helens is cool, but is a bit of a drive off the main road.
Yellowstone is interesting, but is a zoo in the summer. But you and the kids might like Cody, Wyoming, just east of Yellowstone. I haven't been there, but it sounds interesting with cowboy stuff and all.

It sounds like you have a great trip planned. Make sure to take your time, and enjoy it all. There is far more than you could possibly see in a month, so don't try to see everything. And allow a few days to rest up here and there. The Grand Canyon would be a good place, as would the beach in Oregon. There is a nice campground along the coast highway in southern oregon, but be darned if I can remember the name. It is in a small valley across the highway from the beach. A quick internet search should find it. The kids would love the beach, I know I did!
Enjoy!

Thanks for all the information and advice. I've just hit my boss up to make sure that I can have the time off and start planning... that is if I decide to plan anything other than departure and return dates! I will have a list of destinations though

We went to the east coast a couple summers ago and my wife almost had a heart attack when I told her we weren't booking anything. She did con me into booking for Canada day though so she was o.k. with everything before we left. We didn't have a problem anywhere finding campsites and that meant we didn't have a schedule to keep either

Thanks again for your experiences and ideas!

shineysideup

[F.R.O.G.]

Originally Posted by shineysideup

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advise on campgrounds, points of interest, highways etc. to travel for a trip from southeastern Ontario Canada to the Golden Gate Bridge in California on to Seattle (or thereabouts), east to Wisconsin Dells and back to Ontario. I am planning for 4 - 5 weeks, have two children 8 and 10 and a wonderful wife that is going along with my "plans"!

We intend on stopping at the Hoover Dam, Alcatraz, some part of the Grand Canyon (old faithful?) and the water parks of Wisconsin Dells.

Please let me know if you have any personal experiences and recommendations with any part of my family adventure!

Forgot to mention that our adventure will start around the 1st of july, 2013.

cheers,

Shineysideup

You won't find Old Faithful at the Grand Canyon. It's a geyser in the southern part of Yellowstone National Park.

At the Grand Canyon, I recommend Trailer Village Campground on the South Rim if you want full hookup camping.

Hoover Dam is only about an hour and a half (tops) from Las Vegas. You might want to look around there for campgrounds.

Within Yellowstone National Park, the only campground with hookups is Fishing Bridge. There are several others, but without hookups. There are several good possibilities in West Yellowstone, Montana, immediately outside the West Gate.

[whj77372]

You will need to plan for Yellowstone, Old Faithful, as they are mostly always full campgrounds from when they open in May to close at the end of September. In 1971, when I last went there, there were more then 5,000 people to see Old Faithful go off! The campground at Sam's Town in Las Vegas is nice and cheap.

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by Wiscampsin

If you don't have a campground allready picked out in the Dells I would suggest Mirror Lake State Park. Close enough to all the action but far enough to get away from the lights,noise, hustle & bustle. Early reservations are a must but they do have some nonreservable sites. Link: Mirror Lake State Park - Wisconsin DNR
Dells link: Official Site For Wisconsin Dells Tourism Info & More | Wisconsin Dells

You'll have more availability with electric sites if you stay away from the weekends. Depends on when you're traveling. You have to go through REserve America to book your site. www.reserveamerica.com

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

You won't find Old Faithful at the Grand Canyon. It's a geyser in the southern part of Yellowstone National Park.

At the Grand Canyon, I recommend Trailer Village Campground on the South Rim if you want full hookup camping.

Hoover Dam is only about an hour and a half (tops) from Las Vegas. You might want to look around there for campgrounds.

Within Yellowstone National Park, the only campground with hookups is Fishing Bridge. There are several others, but without hookups. There are several good possibilities in West Yellowstone, Montana, immediately outside the West Gate.

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the great advice and straightening me out on where I'm going. I've been using mapquest and inputing destinations as I think of them. Guess I should pay more attention to what I'm writing!

I do have a couple questions for you;

1. In your opinion, I need to see the grand canyon and Yellowstone? From my bit of research I'm getting that they are two totally different places, each worth the stop!

2. I'd like to do a tour of the surveyor factory, can you help me out with a contact name, I can find lots of posts about tours but no actual email/number?


My destinations that I've decided on so far are;

1. Indiana for a factory tour of at least one RV manufacturer

2. Las Vegas and the Hoover dam

3. Death Valley

4. Alcatraz and the golden gate bridge

5. old faithful

6. Mt. Rushmore

7. Wisconsin Dells

Any additional stops that I have to make? I know that I won't be able to do everything but I sure can try!


thanks again for your time,

Shineysideup

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by hkreck

We came up from S.F. in July last year took the 101 hwy up through OR. very scenic a little expensive along the coast. But it takes you right down to S.F. through the Redwoods and Nappa valley (wine country). Don't know how far south your going but if you make it to Texas, San Antonio is a great place to visit ( the river front and The Alamo). Grizzy bear camp ground in West Yellowstone is a nice spot to stay in that area. If you go up through Montana over by the Little Big Horn (Garry Owen) camp ground is fairly new and very nice to stay at.

Thanks hkreck,

Personal experiences is exactly what I'm looking for. I'm sure that my initial route will have changed quite a bit by the time we leave, thanks to the great people that make up Forest River Forums!

Camping in Canada is far from economical, we pay around $50 a night for our provincial parks in Ontario and up to $85 a night for some private campgrounds. Of course they are the ones the kids love and have all the facilities to justify the expense (some Yogi Bears and KOA's).

We have family near Rochester NY and have enjoyed a couple state parks. They are beautiful and almost 1/2 the price of our campgrounds. Add in that gas is still approx. 30% less than in Canada and it's a no brainer for an extended trip!

Thanks again,

Shineysideup

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by RBR

At the Delles since you have little ones you might want to check out the jellystone rv park. I know my grand kids loved it and they are the same ages.

Yes, my kids love the Yogi bear Jellystone campgrounds!

Thanks,

Shineysideup,

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by bakken

If you are anywhere near SW Colorado, there is an awesome old steam train ride from Durango to Silverton. Of all of the things I have done on my travels, that remains a highlight. Simply stunning scenery.
The drive west from Denver is really nice too, but there is a monster hill to climb up to the Eisenhower Tunnel at the top. The grade and altitude demand power, lots of power. If you are going to the Grand Canyon and Hoover, I would advise going south of Colorado, through Albuquerque and west. Very nice highway.
And have you checked out Canyonlands Park? That is definitely on my bucket list.
Out west, the Redwoods are a must-see.
If you get far enough north, Mt. St. Helens is cool, but is a bit of a drive off the main road.
Yellowstone is interesting, but is a zoo in the summer. But you and the kids might like Cody, Wyoming, just east of Yellowstone. I haven't been there, but it sounds interesting with cowboy stuff and all.

It sounds like you have a great trip planned. Make sure to take your time, and enjoy it all. There is far more than you could possibly see in a month, so don't try to see everything. And allow a few days to rest up here and there. The Grand Canyon would be a good place, as would the beach in Oregon. There is a nice campground along the coast highway in southern oregon, but be darned if I can remember the name. It is in a small valley across the highway from the beach. A quick internet search should find it. The kids would love the beach, I know I did!
Enjoy!

Thanks Bakken,

I'm sure that I will be changing my route at least a dozen times before we leave! LOL! Thanks for the great recommendations, the train ride sounds like a bucket list item for sure! Never thought of Mt. St. Helens...sounds like a plan though! What the hell, it's only another 300 miles further out according to mapquest!

cheers,

Shineysideup,

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by whj77372

You will need to plan for Yellowstone, Old Faithful, as they are mostly always full campgrounds from when they open in May to close at the end of September. In 1971, when I last went there, there were more then 5,000 people to see Old Faithful go off! The campground at Sam's Town in Las Vegas is nice and cheap.

Thanks whj77372,

I've told my boss that I need to know if my vacation time is o.k. so I can start booking some things. I really don't want a schedule but might have to bend a little...

cheers,

Shineysideup,

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by trudinator

You'll have more availability with electric sites if you stay away from the weekends. Depends on when you're traveling. You have to go through REserve America to book your site. www.reserveamerica.com

Thanks trudinator,

I will have to make sure that we are in the hotspots during the week if possible. Thanks for the link.

cheers,

Shineysideup,

[RamblerGuy]

I also highly recommend the Durango and Silverton Railroad ride in Colorado. They run two trains with morning departures from Durango during the summer. They fill up so make reservations if you can. In May 2007 we were able to get two tickets the day before our ride, but we were not successful a number of years ago.

They have several options. They offer round trip, or train one way and bus the other. If you can only get a ticket for one way, try to get the Durango departure. It's uphill most of the way. Coming back down the steam engine ran with a low fire just to keep the brakes working and the smoke didn't blast upward much. The ride down was sometimes smoky. I'd advise getting a seat on the right side if you depart Durango. The track seems to be on the left side of the river canyon most of the time so you get a better view on the right side. The views (and photo ops) of the locomotive crossing the river while pulling uphill are great from the right side.

They have a nice railroad museum in their Durango shop. I visited it while my dearly beloved hit the artsy and touristy shops.

[shineysideup]

Well, we left home Saturday for our adventure! We are currently waiting for a factory tour of the Airstream facility. I know, I know it's not forest river... That's tommorrow (hopefully!)��

The next big stop is the Grand Canyon!