USA road trip

[snowbear]

I've been laid off and thinking about a road trip. We've got a F350, 36' toyhauler and ATVs. Thinking 3-5 months, 20k-25k miles. Alaska to L48, west coast to east coast and back. Where should we go to ride and see some cool stuff?

[dubrocker]

i envy you.

i'd go to mount rushmore, the upper penninsula of michigan, the north tip of maine, new york city, washington dc, kentucky, tennessee, key west, the dry tortugas, new orleans area, drive I-70 all the way across colorado (i've done this, the mid to western part is beautiful), arches national park in utah...

i bet i could spend years on the road checking shit out

[LeadDoggy]

You can start here: http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/

Let's us know where you be and when.....

[cj5 buggy]

how many in the group? if it's a relative size ya'll can stay a night or 2 here. As to where? hell dubrocker has a good start. not to sure ya'll want anything to do with the keys though...





between the heat, humidity and homos ya'll might not come back

[baldfatdad]

depends on when you are leaving. I'd go to Az in March. Utah say Moab in April. Have to wait til at least June to go up in the mountains in Co, NM, Wy. Too many goofy rules for me in Ca. You can camp free or cheap west of the Mississippi. East its tougher. When I wander I stay out of Walmart lots, too noisey. Have found Home Depot, Lowes musch nicer.
Get forest service, BLM maps to find there camp grounds, most don't open til Memorial Day weekend. Ask for dispersed camping at the ranger stations, best deal.
State parks are nice too.
Pick a theme for the trip (geez I sound like Martha stewart). One summer we went to the highest and lowest points of each state. Once the wine tour. The cheese tour. Stage coast routes. One summer we did farm auctions, best eating I ever did. Church people bring the food and if they don;t bring their best everyone talks bad about them.
National parks are OK but no ATV,s allowed.
If you pick a theme or route, I could help more.
Kids? Adults? how old.

[bowtied_micky]

get a map of the US and Canada, lay it on a big table and the both of you start pointing places that look fun.

Here are a few goofy ideas...
- Take a ferry to Juneau Alaska. Its the only capital city on the mainland you can not drive directly to. you can fly or ferry but that's it.
- Depending when you will be gone, I would look at grape picking in Sanoma California, Pepper harvest in New Mexico, and watching the Aspen leaves change colors all over the Rockies.
- Hear loons call across a lake
- Salmon runs in Northwest somewhere
- If you want a real good time, come to Ohio for an Ohio State game and the Circleville pumpkin festival. They make just about everything out of pumpkins.


just what came to mind -

[RustyNailJustin]

I hope you keep record of this trip and keep us posted that sounds like a great trip.
Northern Arizona and southern Utah has some very remote areas that would be a lot of fun with a toyhauler for a basecamp and ATV's to explore. Look ar the Arizona Strip area, north rim areas you will spend days exploring this vast wild area. Bring lots of food, fuel, and water cause there aint any around

[snowbear]

Great tips thanks. Would like to hear more ideas for NM, UT, AZ, etc. Anywhere to ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains? Had to laugh at the Juneau and salmon ideas. I grew up in Juneau, family had a commercial fishing boat and have seen so many salmon migrate I could find my way back to Alaska from anywhere in the ocean!

We are still talking it over. I'd really like to go back to work but... Need to figure out how to collect unemployement while on the road If we go and take the ATVs I think the "theme" would be something related to trails, historic, mountain, desert, ???.

Just my wife, me and 2 dogs. Would go as far South & East as Daytona FL and up to DC area to see family.

[baldfatdad]

Not sure how they do it in alaska, all states are a little different on collecting unemployment. I would tell them you are going south to look for work and see what they say. When I wandered you just went to the local office, told them you wanted to file interstate unemployment. But you have to be there to collect. Maybe now they will direct deposit in your bank.
I thought some about the trip and figured you should see stuff that's not like Alaska. So my trip would be.
Down the coast highway to southern Ca beaches and swim in the ocean.
East on I-10 to run the dunes, big picnic on weekends, empty during the week.
The slabs, the Salton sea and the mountain the guy paints (if he's still there)
Any Mexican border town, walk in to Mexico. Copper Canyon, riding the ATV's in is a hoot. Hopefully the drug guys and the federal'es are done shooting each other by then.
Grand Canyon, the north rim is national forest (see the thread on= going to the desert) you can ride in.
Monument Valley is fantastic at sunset and sunrise. Navajo code talkers musem too. Take firewood with you, might meet a local and be invited to a sweat. Wood in short supply on the Navajo nation. No alcohol allowed their.
Bryce canyon national park. Can camp in the forest across from it. Prettiest place on earth.
Lake Powell, rent a boat or house boat if you have the money.
Moab. Stop in the forest service office and ask for the "bread man" he use to be a ranger in Alaska that walked the White Horse pass. Got sick and retired in Moab.
Drive two lane as much as possible west of the mississippi, freeways east.
New Orleans. Some nice state parks in the area to stay at.
Disney world. For one day.
If you get homesick go to CO. It looks like Alaska, but without the clouds.
Reno air races first week in September.
Albequeque balloon festival, but its in October
Spam museum in Minnesota. You can do all your Xmas shopping there.
A nascar race, a NHRA race, I go on friday, cheapest.

[dirt rider]

Don't miss:

South West, Colorado (Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, Durango)

Moab, Utah

Western Montana

[maximumrob]

If you screw up and land on I-40 in Oklahoma, there's Little Sahara that you might enjoy on the ATV's.

Big Bend Nat'l Park in West Texas is the least visited national park in the U.S., but well worth the drive. We go yearly!

For a little culture, try the Texas Hill Country. You'll find yourself at home among RV'ers in Fredericksburg. BEER!