Our Cross country trip.

[bigdaddy]

Here is an outline of my 5 week trip. I have all my stops (with the exception of Yosemite which may not be open) planned. I know y'all are going to say I should take 8 weeks etc. I only have 5 weeks so this is the trip. I would be interested in your opinions of the route, attractions, must see's Etc.
I have looked at clearances (I am 12' tall) and do not see any issues, your local knowledge would be helpful.

Thank you and Happy Camping!

[Fushux]

Looks awesome. We will be in the South Dakota and Wyoming stretch early next month. I'm not one to sit here and tell you how much time you should take. Just have fun and be safe!

Andrew

[DreiHunde]

Looks great and Remember....we NEED lots of Pics! LOL!

Safe travels!

[Alan F]

Originally Posted by bigdaddy

Here is an outline of my 5 week trip. I have all my stops (with the exception of Yosemite which may not be open) planned. I know y'all are going to say I should take 8 weeks etc. I only have 5 weeks so this is the trip. I would be interested in your opinions of the route, attractions, must see's Etc.

I have looked at clearances (I am 12' tall) and do not see any issues, your local knowledge would be helpful.



Thank you and Happy Camping!

Have a great trip! I'm working on itinerary for west national parks trip next April - June, approximately seven weeks on the road. D.C. To California. With many stops. Hitting 9+- National Parks. Looking at Yosemite too, but too early to make reservations there. I have reservations at most others, including Grand Canyon - right on the south rim. Post pictures and details please!

[bigdaddy]

We have sites in Yellowstone, Bad Lands, Lake Tahoe, site 14 on the North rim of the Grand Canyon, MOAB and so many state parks. Will certanly post pictures!!

[bpadamson]

This will be a great trip to figure out what you want to come back to and spend more time. It depends on what you and the family like to do. We have been to Yellowstone many times, and could still go back and spend another 4 days or more easy. A few years ago we took a 'car' trip over Thanksgiving and spent 3 days in the Sequoia Park in Calif and could have spent more. Been to Disneyland 15 or more times with family and am itching to go again.
SO it depends on what great things you find as you travel that need your return stamp applied. Sounds awesome, enjoy!

[EricE]

Did you really have to change any routes due to your height? I am 13' tall and here in WA I don't think I would be limited on any major roads. I suppose I'll need to think about it if I get off the beaten track though.

[kayo]

GEt a copy of "Mountain Directory West - for Truckers, RV and Motorhome drivers. It will
list, by state all of the major mountain passes you may encounter. Absolutely necessary for anyone traveling out here.

[Jeff_and_Abby]

Wow, what a trip !!!

"If" you are stopping in Niagara Falls, "Cave of the Winds" on the US Side.
https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.co...e-of-the-winds
The primal experience of being able to step directly in to the falling water is unlike anything else.

Further West in NY ... the Rest Area / Service Plaza at ANGOLA (Around Mile 447) is worth a stop ... Spend a few minutes on the pedestrian walkways, watch the trucks go underneath ... it's a trip, the kids love it.

Going across OHIO ... Exit 71 (on US 80/90) ... is I-280 North and Hwy. 420 South ... one of the cheapest places to fuel is the selection of truck stops / gas stations there. These are all on the South side of the interchange. For all intents, call this Perrysburg, Ohio.

I-80 / I-90 from maybe 15 miles into Indiana, until you get past I-355 near Joliet, Illinois, will SUCK if you are anywhere near commute hours. It is what it is, but if you can time your passage all the better. Top your fuel in Indiana before you get to the I-90 / I-94 split.

We have made the roll from Minneapolis to just shy of Albany, NY more times that we can count ... the touristy thing is what it is; the three logistical suggestions are well vetted.

Have fun on what looks to be an awesome vacation !!!

[Alan F]

Originally Posted by bigdaddy

Here is an outline of my 5 week trip. I have all my stops (with the exception of Yosemite which may not be open) planned. I know y'all are going to say I should take 8 weeks etc. I only have 5 weeks so this is the trip. I would be interested in your opinions of the route, attractions, must see's Etc.

I have looked at clearances (I am 12' tall) and do not see any issues, your local knowledge would be helpful.



Thank you and Happy Camping!

When I open the attachment I get the map with locations marked. Is there a narrative along with it?

[rebellee]

I can't tell exactly from the attachment but if you're spending a night near Sioux Falls SD, Big Sioux Rec Area in Brandon, just east of Sioux Falls, is a great place. Electric only hookups but there is a dump station and fresh water fill available. Might be more than you need though.

[mtnlvr]

If the east entrance to Yosemite (Tioga Pass) is still closed there are many nice campgrounds in the vicenity that you would enjoy. Between 15-45 minutes south of Lee Vining/Tioga Pass are the June Lakes and Mammoth Lakes resorts. With four boys and two Labs, there are many beautiful fishing lakes and streams with kayak and boat rentals available. There are also many mtn. bike trails (rentals if you did'nt bring your own bikes.) There are numerous pack stations with horse trail rides into the back country. There are great hiking trails of all levels everywhere. Mammoth Ski Resort will stay open until July 4th wknd. this year. After that the mtn. has the gondola open for scenic rides and the mtn. bike park.

Hwy. 395 is designated as a scenic route and is a beautiful drive from Reno to the north, all the way south heading towards Mojave/ Southern Inyo County.

[markb422]

We are planning a similar trip from east central Michigan late summer only as far as Yellowstone and Teton though. I am heading north from home on I75 and though the UP of Michigan. Looking at your route, because I am not a fan of tollroads, I would either cross over to Canada at Buffalo or Niagara Falls then west to Sarnia and into Michigan at Port Huron. I69 west to I75 north across the Mackinaw Bridge into the UP. Or if not Canada, stay on 80 past Toledo then head north on 23/75. Drive across the bridge into the UP and west on US 2 along northern shore of Lake Michigan rather than toll roads through Gary and Chicago. At Rapid River I go north to Marquette then west on 28 to Superior/ Duluth. Then head west to Fargo and I 94 then to Bismarck, Billings and in to West Yellowstone. Well, you asked for route suggestions.

[Vince and Charlette]

bigdaddy Do you use the RVtrip software while traveling or just to lay out the general trip in advance. My experience so far is, while enroute, my Good Sam trip planner is very difficult to insert new points or alter ones already in the plan.

[spock123]

On our trip to Alaska we have not made any reservations. I kinda wish I had made reservations for Denali National Park but DW doesn't like to dry camp. We left on 4 May and plan on being back home by 5 July. We make reservations a day or two down the road. We have had no problems getting campsites

[DaGrinch]

I made a 3 week, 8,000+ mile trip in 2003 in a '98 S-10 Blazer pulling a Coleman pop-up camper. Went from MD up through OH, across to IL then up into MN, down through SD & WY, over to Seattle, down through SF (on the Golden Gate), across to Vegas & Grand Canyon and then pretty much back to MD from there. Made reservations the whole way, had a blast (except for the alternator going out in the Mojave in 105 degree heat - still made it to Vegas with the windows down) and cherish the memories. Wish I had 5 weeks to do a cross country trip. But that will happen in the future. That's why we bought the Sunseeker!

[bigdaddy]

There is a narrative, however for safety reasons i do not wish to share what days my home will be empty... I will post detailed notes after we return.

[bigdaddy]

I have it laid out with RV Trip wizard. I love the program but have not found an easy way to import to my GPS. they just launched a mobile app that we will try next week. Ill keep you posted....

[markb422]

Originally Posted by rebellee

I can't tell exactly from the attachment but if you're spending a night near Sioux Falls SD, Big Sioux Rec Area in Brandon, just east of Sioux Falls, is a great place. Electric only hookups but there is a dump station and fresh water fill available. Might be more than you need though.

I have Big Sioux Rec Area as a scheduled stop on our return trip. Going west on 94 and back east on 90. Looking at the cg map in looks like all sites are back-in so if you need a pull through you might look elsewhere.
Does anyone else still use Microsoft Streets and Trips for trip planning. I am using a 2013 edition that I bought because I knew Microsoft was going to discontinue it. I think they stopped updates in 2015. I have not found any trip planning software, that uses offline maps, that comes anywhere close to Streets and Trips.

[mikel68]

Looks like you travel like we do. We've done a couple of trips like this. Our starting point is central Texas. I could tell you all about Texas, but it doesn't look like you're making to us. (sorry panhandle folks)

Obviously hit all the big stuff, especially if you haven't been before. Grab a book or online,with notable restaurants so you're not eating chain restaurant garbage your whole trip. Sometimes eating in new eclectic places can be a high light of a trip.

Besides Mount Rushmore, go to Wall Drug in SD. Google it. It's quite the place.

We loved northern California and San Francisco. Have fun, keep the beer cold and have ice when you get anywhere, just in case the beer isn't strong enough.