Where are you going this year?

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Where are you going this year?

May 09, 2018, 09:16:02 am

I love hearing about everybody's travels, especially since I am sans RV right now. So what RV trips do ya'll have planned for this year?

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #1 – May 09, 2018, 09:24:02 am

I’m headed to Mt Lassen in June 🚐😁

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #2 – May 09, 2018, 10:35:57 am

We have assorted, what I call, local camping trips planned. I.E. camp out with family and friends and camping with the local LD Pacific Northwest group. We have a major trip what I'm calling the loop around the Northern tier of states. The plan is to leave Portland Oregon go north to US Highway 2 across the northern part of the US till we hit Interstate 75 in Michigan. Then run down Interstate 75 till Knoxville, Tennessee. From there head back home going west on some highway yet to be picked.

<smile> of course this plan is firmly set in jello just in case we change our minds anyplace of the road we fill we just need to see and explore.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #3 – May 09, 2018, 11:35:49 am

Living in Southern California has its benefits but not the summer crowds. We choose not to travel in the summer as campgrounds are packed with families and noisy kids. As a retired teacher, I loved kids during the school year, but little ones tearing around on bikes and hooping it up is not my idea of fun. So in the Fall we head north to Pismo and the Central Cost of California which means up past San Francisco.

I am a native Californian but I hadn’t really seen much of my state until I started RVing and find it is a wonderland of diversity in both terrain and people.

Add in a little wine tasting and life is good in the Golden State.

Happy Trails,

Jules

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #4 – May 09, 2018, 12:07:11 pm

We leave for as much of the summer as we can, heading toward the PNW coast or high altitudes.

With the continuing drought, good chance this summer will be another smoky one, with fires throughout the west.
After 6 summers of widespread smoke, the best conditions seem to be near the coast.
We learned last summer to be ready to abandon our plans and to reschedule as a moments notice, when the smoke patterns change.

Larry

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #5 – May 09, 2018, 01:20:25 pm

Plan on leaving W. PA in late June, heading to Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Anaheim to see the west coast mouse, the Mothership (of course), Jackson Wy and the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Cody Wy, Gillette WY, Devil's Tower NM, Badlands NP, then scoot home for a bit. In the Fall, heading to Vermont for the Northeast Rally, then onto New Hampshire & Maine. In the Fall, will head south to Florida. Might squeeze in a couple other events as time permits.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #6 – May 09, 2018, 01:24:36 pm

Quote from: colddog - May 09, 2018, 10:35:57 am

We have a major trip what I'm calling the loop around the Northern tier of states. The plan is to leave Portland Oregon go north to US Highway 2 across the northern part of the US till we hit Interstate 75 in Michigan. Then run down Interstate 75 till Knoxville, Tennessee. From there head back home going west on some highway yet to be picked.

<smile> of course this plan is firmly set in jello just in case we change our minds anyplace of the road we fill we just need to see and explore.

We have travelled the general route you're considering three times. Here are a few ideas/lessons learned that worked for us.

General comment. You will be traveling close to Canada. Be sure to set your cell phone so that it will not roam or you might unknowingly wind up on a Canadian tower. $$$$

US-2 is a very heavily travelled road. Lots of traffic especially around the more populated areas. When you get to Eastern Montana (Scobey) , you can go north to a beautiful rural road that runs parallel to the US/Canada border. In MT and ND it’s called SR-5. Most every small town has either a city park or a grain silo where you are welcomed to camp overnight. To us, these small rural towns are America.

Just north of Dunseith, ND is the UNESCO World Heritage site; the International Peace Garden. A worthy stop if you like gardens and such. You will be entering Canada to see parts of it so you will go through customs both coming and going. You won’t need a passport, but if you have one bring it with you. The visit is worth the minor hassle. At least to us.

In MN, the route number changes to 11.

If you decided to stay on US-2, when you get to Bemidji, MN, be sure to stop at the state park so you can wade across the Mississippi River at its headwaters.

Depending on your time, in MN you can drive all along Lake Superior until you get to the Great Portage. Then you need to either go into Canada or turn around. A super drive.

From the Duluth/Superior area continue east on US-2 into the Upper Peninsula(UP) of MI. You could spend weeks exploring the UP. One of our favorite parts of the country.

When you start heading south, you will absolutely want to avoid using I-75. The truck traffic is beyond belief. I suggest following the west side of MI; (US-31). A beautiful drive with lots of camping opportunities.

Heading home route.

If you have an interest in American history, there is no shortage of it along the I-80 corridor. Research the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, CA Trail, (now collectively called the Western Trails), Pony Express, etc. Stay off of the Interstate by using the different state and county roads that parallel 80; most of them follow the original routes used by the pioneers. Camping opportunities are everywhere. Mostly free in small town parks. (or grain silos. When we got desperate for an overnight stop in the mid-West, we would just find a grain silo. In at night, out in the morning. The only potential downside is that the silos tend to be right on the RR. Can get noisy at times).

If you get to North Platt, NE, be sure to visit the Union Pacific railroad yard. It’s the largest RR switching yard in the entire world. Amazing. Just amazing.

Lots of options. I’m sure you will find ones that appeal to you.

Enjoy your summer.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #7 – May 09, 2018, 01:45:29 pm

"...to see [...] Cody Wy..."

Anyone who visits Cody WY should not miss two of her best venues, The Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Irma Hotel (Built by Bill Cody and named for his daughter).

The museum complex is worth two days time so make sure to get your hand stamped for the second day, you will need it.

The Irma Hotel is a step back in history. The original back-bar still stands where it was installed and has a history of it's own. The all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will require a third trip!

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #8 – May 09, 2018, 03:17:01 pm

Quote from: Lazy Bones - May 09, 2018, 01:45:29 pm

"...to see [...] Cody Wy..."

Anyone who visits Cody WY should not miss two of her best venues, The Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Irma Hotel (Built by Bill Cody and named for his daughter).

The museum complex is worth two days time so make sure to get your hand stamped for the second day, you will need it.

The Irma Hotel is a step back in history. The original back-bar still stands where it was installed and has a history of it's own. The all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will require a third trip!

Thanks Lazy Bones. We have been fortunate to have visited the area several times before. And we agree with you 100% on the do not miss. That's why we are going back again. Thanks again for your timely suggestions!

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #9 – May 09, 2018, 07:16:40 pm

Marie and I are leaving tomorrow for our 5-month "outing" with some short hops to get to our major stops.
The major stops from Sebring, Florida
A week at Flintlock Campground in Boone, NC in the Blue Ridge Mountains for my niece Kelsey's wedding.
A week at Liberty Harbor RV in Jersey City across the river from New York City (where I worked for 8 years)
Ten days at Camper's Haven in Dennisport, MA on Cape Cod (where I grew up)
A couple of nights in Cooperstown, NY to see the Baseball Hall of Fame
Ten days at Addison Oaks in Leonard, MI (north of Detroit) to visit Marie's grand daughters
Ten days at Lebanon Hills in Apple Valley, MN outside the Twin Cities to visit Marie's other grand daughters
Three nights in Sioux Falls, SD
Two nights in Cedar Pass Campground in the Badlands National Park
Three nights in Devils Tower, WY in the Black Hills
A week at Thermopolis, WY
A week at Fishing Bridge Campground in Yellowstone National Park
A week at Coulter Bay in the Grand Tetons National Park
Three nights at Watchman Campground in Zion National Park
Two nights at Ruby's Inn RV Park at Bryce Canyon National Park
Four nights in Moab, UT to check out Canyonlands and Arches National Parks
Three nights in Cortez, CO
Four nights at Morefield Campground in Messa Verde National Park
Three nights in Albuquerque, NM to visit friends
Three nights in Rancho Sedona in Sedona, AZ
Three nights in Destiny Phoenix (AZ) to visit Marie's brother
Three nights in Tombstone, AZ
Two nights Bottomless Lakes, NM (to check out Roswell)
Two nights in Carlsbad, NM
Four nights in San Antonio, TX
And who knows where else on the way back to Florida.
Loving or 27' MB, Bossa Nova.
David and Marie

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #10 – May 09, 2018, 07:56:36 pm

David and Marie,

That’s quite an impressive agenda. I recognized a few locations that my DW and I have visited and many more that piqued my interest.

The trip appears to be well laid out. Some people tend to wing it on extended travel. The logistics of your adventure would seem to require a ton of planning and many confirmed reservations. Mapping the journey is a whole other animal.

I’m good for a few well chosen CG’s and planning that can be quite daunting. Your trip kinda makes my head spin, 🤪 but it sounds like a hoot.

Enjoy yourselves,

Kent

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #11 – May 09, 2018, 08:29:10 pm

I will be retiring July 1 and so our camping trips will be more extended. I was wondering what you folks do about holding your mail while you're gone. In the past, we've been chastised by our post office for using vacation mail hold too many times. They said rent a PO Box. Other than asking a neighbor to empty our mailbox while we're gone, what have you done?

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #12 – May 09, 2018, 10:39:35 pm

Quote from: Glenn Lambert - May 09, 2018, 08:29:10 pm

I will be retiring July 1 and so our camping trips will be more extended. I was wondering what you folks do about holding your mail while you're gone. In the past, we've been chastised by our post office for using vacation mail hold too many times. They said rent a PO Box. Other than asking a neighbor to empty our mailbox while we're gone, what have you done?

We forwarded the mail to one of our kids. They sort through it for anything that requires action; that’s very little.
Forward Mail | USPS

Then they would either scan it and e-mail it to us, or send it to a post office , general delivery, along our travel path where we would pick it up.

Domestic Mail Manual D930 General Delivery and Firm Holdout

Worked well when we traveled for months at a time.

Anymore with the internet, we get basically no actionable mail.

Enjoy your trip.

Ed

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #13 – May 10, 2018, 01:53:02 am

Have had itineraries 'wrecked' by the question "that's an interesting looking road, I wonder where it leads?".
They never wrecked the trip tho'.

One 2 month trip we had the mail forwarded to a PO box at the UPS store, which was picked up by the person watering the house plants. For another trip, we provided the local PO with a letter of authorization to pick up mail on a vacation hold and the neighbor picked it up weekly. Both emailed about likely looking mail.

Considered looking into Escapees mail forwarding, but haven't tried it.

joel

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #14 – May 10, 2018, 08:16:20 am

Glenn, this year we are using a mail service through Good Sam's, although it's just a discounted rate though GS and you don't need to be a member of GS. You forward your mail to them (need a notarized USPS form) and then you can track all the mail online. They will post daily reports of what you have received (sender, etc.) and give you the option to shred it, if you don't want it, open, scan and forward contents by email if you need the contents immediately, or forward to wherever you may be at the time. This is the first time we've used it. Yesterday, I received an email saying we had mail, which turned out to be the USPS letter indicating that the forwarding had been set up. I asked them to shred it. Hope this helps.
Have a great trip.

GoodSamMailService.com | RV Mail Forwarding a Month

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #15 – May 10, 2018, 08:38:22 am

Hi Kent
My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I love researching and planning trips. We know we want to see the family each summer (that's why we sold everything, bought our tiny home in Sebring, FL and the LD), scattered all over the country (NC, Cape Cod, Detroit, Twin Cities, Des Moines, IA, and Phoenix, AZ), so I use those places as the pillars of the trip. Then, think about what we'd like to see and do between those places. This year it was NYC and Mystic, CT. between NC and Cape Cod; Cooperstown, NY between the Cape and Detroit, St. Ignace (UP) and friends in WI between Detroit and the Twin Cities and then the western National Parks between the Twin Cities and Phoenix. With the help of mapquest.com I can determine mileage and comfortable areas to stop without too much driving, google that town's RV camping reviews and look for places to stay. Once I have a general itinerary plotted, I make reservations in the most important places first and work my way down. Places like Yellowstone have long lead time for reservations, so I jump on them early. Some like outside Detroit (where there are few good campgrounds and if I don't get one, Marie will not be happy) have a 6-month window, and I'm calling the minute it opens up.

Many people prefer to wing-it, and I say, God bless them. There's always something interesting to see, wherever we are and if, perchance, we "miss" something, there is always next year. We'll never be able to see everything there is to see, so we enjoy everything and everyone we get to see, and thank God for the opportunity He has given us to see them.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #16 – May 10, 2018, 10:31:46 am

Off to Newfoundland for the 28th trip there in the last 34 years. Many friends to visit across the island, a wedding (or possibly two) to attend, cod fishing, berry picking, hiking, whale, iceberg, and bird watching. May even try to get to France this year which is the off shore island of St. Pierre. It actually not Canada but actually is part of France where Euros are the currency.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #17 – May 10, 2018, 08:35:37 pm

Mike, that sounds awesome. We were looking at Newfoundland and Nova Scotia next year after we go to the Cape and hit Acadia National Park. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
David

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #18 – May 11, 2018, 05:01:47 pm

Keeping it close to home this year, an early summer week in southern Indiana/Western Kentucky. Visits to a couple of race tracks, (one car, one horse) sample some wine, search for local arts and crafts around Nashville IN explore more Indiana State Parks. Then another week in our beautiful UP this fall, look for some waterfalls and enjoy the cool weather. Squeeze in a weekend or two near Lake Michigan so we can play on the beach. A family weekend with all the kids and grands just for fun. That will have to do us until retirement time.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #19 – May 11, 2018, 05:02:44 pm

I'm doing a couple of shorter local trips until August because I bought concert tickets in February for a show at the end of July, not thinking at the time what that might do to any summer plans. In August I'll be going north to see family in northern California, and then even further north to visit friends in Washington state. I plan to be back in southern California some time before Halloween.
Can you tell I'm more one of those 'seat of your pants' kind of travelers? lol

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #20 – May 12, 2018, 11:20:49 am

The last several years we have left our home in Oregon and explored many of the western states. This year we are going someplace new to us also... Oregon!

Pete

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #21 – May 12, 2018, 11:43:59 am

Quote from: Lazy Bones - May 09, 2018, 01:45:29 pm

"...to see [...] Cody Wy..."

Anyone who visits Cody WY should not miss two of her best venues, The Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Irma Hotel (Built by Bill Cody and named for his daughter).

The museum complex is worth two days time so make sure to get your hand stamped for the second day, you will need it.

The Irma Hotel is a step back in history. The original back-bar still stands where it was installed and has a history of it's own. The all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will require a third trip!

I'll put Cody on my "Places to Visit" list. Since I've never been to Yellowstone and Cody is close by, that would be a good time to visit both. Also close by is the birth home of my Mom in Deaver, Wy. Since the 2010 census shows the population there is only 178, I can't imagine there is much to see in Deaver but I'll visit nonetheless since it's only about 45 minutes away from Cody.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #22 – May 12, 2018, 12:15:06 pm

Our travel year started in March, with a 6 week trip from home (Olympic Peninsula) to The Austin area, and some wandering on the way back home that took us to Sante Fe, Grand Canyon, Southern California, and Lassen National Forest.

We head out again for a drive along US 2 through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, down through the mitten and over to Erie. Maybe while there we will go to Nazareth, and other PA spots. Then home again, probably as fast as we can to make the crab season and family visits.

On the way again in September to visit family in Europe, Home to host the remaining family for Christmas.

Then we start again with a winter trip to the sun.

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #23 – May 12, 2018, 03:01:58 pm

Paul, if you're heading to Nazareth, you must be A) A very devote Christian ( but then you probably would have mentioned Bethlehem too), or B) a big Mario Andretti fan or C) (which is my guess) a Bluegrass guitar player. Now tell us, which is it.

Rich - ex 2000 MB - Birch Bay, WA - into Bluegrass

Re: Where are you going this year?

Reply #24 – May 12, 2018, 03:26:19 pm

CS Martin, but I am not much of a player. Also close to Yeungling I think. Mario is right up there in my pantheon of athletes, but visiting his birthplace seems a bit weird...

Any bluegrass connection there I am missing?

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