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Old 11-16-2017, 10:16 PM   #1
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RV Travel Out West

We are planning a trip from Tennessee to out west in May of 2018. Does anyone have a route that they have used in the past. Looking for help please.
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Old 11-16-2017, 10:18 PM   #2
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We are planning a trip from Tennessee to out west in May of 2018. Does anyone have a route that they have used in the past. Looking for help please.


It’s a big out west all the coast just to the Rockies where a outs
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Old 11-16-2017, 10:38 PM   #3
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It’s a big out west all the coast just to the Rockies where a outs
From Tennessee to Arizona, then Utah, then Grand Canyon, then maybe Montana?
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Old 11-16-2017, 10:44 PM   #4
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If you want to get there fast take I-40. There is a lot of ways to go. We are going to Yellowstone next year and hopefully Alaska. We went this year and went through Sweet Grass MT. We usually go somewhere out west every year from North Carolina. We like Pigeon Forge, lots of places to eat and normally cheap diesel, I have a 100gal extra tank that I fill when I’m in Pigeon Forge
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Old 11-16-2017, 10:45 PM   #5
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Route definitely depends on where you are going. I-40 can get you all the way to California. Or, Cut north and use I-70 through Denver and across the Rockies. There are other options for further south or further north. I've driven several times across both I-70 (from near St Louis to Utah) and I-40 (from Knoxville, TN to Barstow. CA). There are cities to navigate and sections of lower quality road on both, but either will get you and your RV east to west pretty well. I've been over I-80 once, several years ago. It was good road with interesting side trips. Much of the old Oregon Trail move along or near I-80. We traveled I-80 on a trip to Yellowstone National Park via Jackson Hole, WY.
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Old 11-16-2017, 10:54 PM   #6
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Do you have interests in National Parks, big cities, museums, night life, mountains, forests, deserts, lakes, rivers, 4 wheel off-road, hike, bike, boat, kayak, white water raft? This and much more. It is ALL out there.
What is your time frame? Can you stay as long as you wish if some place is of great interest?
Give us some idea of your bucket list and someone on this forum has been there, done that and will be happy to tell you of their adventure.
Travel safe
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Old 11-17-2017, 10:49 AM   #7
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From Tennessee to Arizona, then Utah, then Grand Canyon, then maybe Montana?
If I were you, I'd plan my route based on destinations. Sticking to major highways or routes makes the trip planning a lot easier.

This year, we criss-crossed that area- went from northern Alabama to Utah and up into Idaho. Then we went from Los Angeles to Houston (with our sights set on New Orleans in a few weeks).

See if this route helps:
https://www.rvparky.com/trip/5862748807757824

And overall, here's how I approach trip planning:
Let’s go! Trip planning apps and websites | Learn To RV
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Old 11-17-2017, 01:22 PM   #8
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You can get there fast....use any big interstate. Or you can get there "interesting"....Rt66, Rt50, Lincoln Highway, Mother Road, Trans America Trail (TAT)......or set your GPS to "Avoid Highways" and let it take you on amazing adventures!
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Old 11-17-2017, 01:34 PM   #9
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we've used I-40
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Old 11-17-2017, 01:50 PM   #10
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Going West

I just planned a great trip out west an GoodSam Club trip planner.
Used that for roads then used Allstays.com for campsites.
KOA has several along the I-40 route.
We will hit 24 campsites and have a 75 day vacation.
Staying two days on the road at sites not just overnight.
Enjoy life, only here once....
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Old 11-17-2017, 01:55 PM   #11
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AMEN and AMEN!!!

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You can get there fast....use any big interstate. Or you can get there "interesting"....Rt66, Rt50, Lincoln Highway, Mother Road, Trans America Trail (TAT)......or set your GPS to "Avoid Highways" and let it take you on amazing adventures!
If at all possible...stay off the interstates!! You miss SOOOOOOOOO much. Also ,from my mistakes..check out your campsite BEFORE you pay for it. In the last couple years it seems more and more of the more "affordable" campgrounds are letting they're camps go to the "Permanent Resident's" more and some of the sites are VERY Rough and small. Just my 2 cents. Happy trails..
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Old 11-17-2017, 01:55 PM   #12
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Out West

Hello,
We just completed a trip in Sept. up the West Coast & over to the Canadian Rockies. Lots of places to visit, previous trips were thru Nevada, Death Valley, Utah, Wyoming & Montana. Grand Canyon & the national parks in Utah are fantastic as are the Grand Teton's / Yellowstone.
Out west there is plenty to see & lots of mountains ( Sierras, Rockies, Cascades, etc).
As others have said, it depends on time and locations you wish to visit. If you belong to Good Sam their trip planner works well!

Two precautions;
I-15 in Utah is nuts! Speed limit is 85 mph (2014) between Las Vegas & Salt Lake City (no joke)…
Remember to bring snow chains, many areas in the mountains may still have snow thru June early July (ie: Crater Lake, Yellowstone, Glacier NP).

Hope you have a great trip!
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:06 PM   #13
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Just got back from an awesome six week trip west from Ohio with emphasis on the major National Parks. Took I-80 west out of Chicago (avoid city at all cost). Hit Mr Rushmore, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Mt Ranier in WA, and down the incredible Oregon coast. Then went diagonally down CA to Yosemite and through the desert at Barstow CA then on through AZ and NM. The Grand Canyon is a must-see and there are countless NPs in AZ and NM along o'l Route 66. We went north into CO then through KS. But, at NM, you could head east back home in you don't have time to see CO. So many incredible things to see in this amazing creation!
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:08 PM   #14
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Easy peasy, drive west on I-40.
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:09 PM   #15
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We are planning a trip from Tennessee to out west in May of 2018. Does anyone have a route that they have used in the past. Looking for help please.
We took 40 home from Durango, Colorado back to Richmond, VA a few years back. 40 seems like a no-brainer for starting the journey to the states you say you are visiting. It was a close call for us, because there are no E/W interstates in Southern Colorado, so it was worth dropping a hundred miles down to 40. It's a nice drive. The winds of Oklahoma are something else, and you will see hundreds if not thousands of windmills as you go through the Texas panhandle. We often take 70 (starting on I-64), straight into Colorado when we go out west, but that makes no sense with your itinerary or starting point. 70 is a boring but beautiful drive, once you get into Kansas. 40 is a bit more picturesque along the whole route.
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:11 PM   #16
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Idaho

We spent time in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana before dropping back south. Found a jewel in Idaho. Little town of Arco has a campground called Mountain View. Nothing fancy, but very clean. Located close to Crater of the Moon National Park . . . a must see. Also at the campgrounds is a little restaurant at the office. . . best ribs I ever had. Owner is from Jersey and he can cook ! ! Blew me away ! ! Enjoy . . .
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:21 PM   #17
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We spent time in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana before dropping back south. Found a jewel in Idaho. Little town of Arco has a campground called Mountain View. Nothing fancy, but very clean. Located close to Crater of the Moon National Park . . . a must see. Also at the campgrounds is a little restaurant at the office. . . best ribs I ever had. Owner is from Jersey and he can cook ! ! Blew me away ! ! Enjoy . . .
A little west of there is a place called Picabo, ID and has another awesome little RV park called Picabo Angler. We spent July 4th there with 2 other families and had the most amazing time.

No real website- just reservations via Recreation.gov. I'd go back there in a heartbeat!
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:47 PM   #18
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The month of May in the mountains of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado still has snowy weather. No campground in Yellowstone NP except Mammoth is open until early May, the Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier NP doesn't open until mid-to late June, and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain NP doesn't open until at least Memorial Day and often later (like this year when we had snow even in Denver in May). Even the higher elevation portions of northern Arizona and Utah can get snow in May. We towed our fifth wheel through a white-out on Memorial Day weekend at Cedar Breaks NM in southern Utah!

Based on the normal May weather in those national parks, I would suggest staying south and west. A loop from I-40 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam/Las Vegas, Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Capital Reef NP, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Mesa Verde NP, Durango, Chama, Los Alamos/Bandelier NM, Santa Fe, and back to I-40 would use up most of a month. Plus you can explore some of the remaining portions of Route 66 along I-40 (don't miss the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton while on your way west).

Just some suggestions based on our own RV travels in that region and a lifetime of living in the West!
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Old 11-17-2017, 03:08 PM   #19
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I'll defer to fanrgs' comments. Snow in the north is a very limiting factor. Agree with him, about staying south and hitting the NPs. There you have beautiful sights, fairly good campgrounds and lots of new trails to hike. Only added advice is try to get going before school is out if able. Crowds increase dramatically at that time. (We are fortunate to be homeschooling our three younger children so can go any time.)
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Old 11-17-2017, 03:20 PM   #20
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From Knoxville I40 runs straight west and is the most direct route to the Grand Canyon. You didn’t say if you are planning on stopping anywhere in Arizona. If you are, I25 goes south from Albuquerque to I10 and I10 goes west through Tucson and Phoenix. I17 goes from Phoenix to Flagstaff and I40.
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