I got a full hook up RV spot here in Xantusia, come on out, best time of year around these parts. Warm days with snow capped mountains right out your door, and best running and MTB riding you can find..From there so many options, maybe Route 66 headed east would be a nice start...

Why not drive to Alaska?

Grand Canyon

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

From LA follow the coastline up and through Northern California. Then keep going through Oregon & Washington to make your way to Alaska. Come back down and swing East through Montana & Wyoming and make your way to the East Coast. Utah has great national parks to see and Arizona is also nice when it's not too hot.

Lots of great options and routes. And if currently in LA...

Arizona and Utah are gorgeous, with lot of nice options for RV parks (I have been to a few). I would plan that as the start of your route as this is the ideal time to hit them. They will be blazing by mid June. Can then make your way to Las Vegas for the heck of it if so inclined. I actually just stayed at a nice RV park there.

From there, you might want consider trecking north. Yellowstone in late May before school gets out. Glacier in Montana is a can't miss epic national park. Best wildlife you will see, as less crowded and even more remote than Yellowstone. Amazing hiking trails. Coeur d'Alene Idaho is wacky politics, but gorgeous country. And just north of that in Mullan Idaho is the Scenic Hiawatha Bike Trail. It is a 15 mile abandoned railroad trail that you bike through 9 tunnels and over 7 high trestles. You can slow climb ride up, or they bus you up, and then you just roll the way down. They will rent bikes to you.

Then decide if you want to head to Washington, Olympic National Park, and then down the Oregon Coast. Or, make your way east, and can travel a northern route. Badlands South Dakota, toward Minneapolis, St. Paul which is gorgeous in summer. Travel down toward Chicago and then park in front of Windy's house for a week (shitter's full). However you decide to map it, I would shoot to spend Autumn working your way through New England. Absolute best place to see the leaves change.

I will look to send you links to the RV parks that I have stayed at with my camper. I have been impressed with how nice most of them are. By and large, folks are great. Most keep themselves as it is their vacation. But also plenty of community. "Hey, you need a can opener?? I have three!" "Come on, we need a 4th for Cornhole"

• they drive on the correct side of the road
• you should probably buy some guns
• cunt is a bad word

Seriously though, I'm biased, but the western states are probably where I'd focus. Head to higher ground as it gets hot.

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

I’ve changed my mind. Before you buzz up to Alaska, take a quick trip to San Diego & I’ll take you for a run at Torrey Pines or on the trails near me in North County. I’m a terrible host, but I’ll try. If anyone else in San Diego wants to plan something, I’ll tag along.

When you go through Montana, I have a few recommendations for places to stop. I’ll make a list for you.

Oh boy! Every year I discover that I need to make a road trip across the western US. It’s so great. You’re going to love it.

LA is great, too. If you’re still there, try the place called Calif. Chicken Cafe. Their food is very good. Healthy & delicious.

I've always wanted to drive around the circumference of Australia and eventaully drive around the USA too of course. I love driving, but can only stand driving 6-8 hours a day. Have you driven around Australia before? Any advice?

Drive to Cape Canaveral and see a rocket launch. You could also try Vandenberg in Cali or Brownsville in TX for a Starship test, but the launch rates are very low compared to the Cape. Too late to see the Texas wildflowers , but if you here in October get to the northeast for the fall colors. DC for 4th of July? I personally like lots of green and find the lower Appalachian mountains more appealing than the Rockies.

This sounds awesome. I've never had an RV, but we've done 4 trips to the US from Perth and are heading over again in May. For us the highlights are always the National Parks and outdoors, there's not many cities I would recommend as "must do's".

There's already plenty of good suggestions here. I'm always amazed at how far in advance the campgrounds and RV spots in the national parks book out, so you might need to be aware of that. If you're into wildlife spend plenty of time at Yellowstone, we spent a week there which felt about right.

Weather permitting you can also do Vancouver Island and the Vancouver-Jasper-Banff route, it's pretty crowded in summer but the scenery is amazing.

Avoid major northern cities (Chicago, NY, Boston, Phili etc.) You've seen 1 you have seen them all and they suck.

Red Rock outside of Vegas is really beautiful as is the area West of Denver along the Rockies. I'd say Boulder - but its become very crowded.

In the east - Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Niagara Falls.

Anywhere - hit a NASCAR race - very RV friendly.

Mid-May to mid-September, avoid the southern states. Mid-June to mid-August avoid any east of the Rockies and south of 42 degrees Lat. Conversely avoid Alaska, Canada, Maine outside of summer.

Look for any openings in Yosemite and snag them now. Summer is better, but it probably sold out long ago.

Hopefully you have a bike.

Consider doing RAGBRAI. Find a group and take turns driving the RV.

There are lots of place like wineries that will let you park overnight for free. There are websites ( and maybe apps) to help you find them. In return you are expected to at least consider buying their wears. And you can park overnight at most WalMarts.

Don't knock on random people's doors.

Back in the 80s my friend Jason drove by a wounded deer in Northern Maine on the way home to PEI from our college. He drives up the nearest farmers drive and asks for a gun to dispatch the deer. The farmer gives it too him and he does the job and returns the gun. His dad was a large animal vet.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Make your way to the Grand Canyon area and start there. Once done with the Grand Canyon go to Vegas if that’s of any interest or get to San Diego. From San Diego take I-5 North until it spilts off to Route 1 (PCH) an hour or so south of LA. Take the PCH all the way up the California coast. It eventually becomes 101 in the northern part of California. Take 101 all the way to Seattle. Then drive to Alaska making sure to stop in places like Whistler. I would say hit places like Ketchikan and Juneau but they require ferries and not sure you can ferry a RV. Otherwise drive into the Anchorage area.

Reverse course and head towards Banff and Calgary. Check those areas out. Head back into the USA through Montana and hit Glacier National Park. Then go to Yellowstone, then the Grand Tetons and Jackson, WY area. From there go to Utah then to Colorado. Then venture to New Mexico into Texas and then hug the Gulf Coast through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. Or from Texas go into Arkansas for the Hot Springs and then into Tennessee if you don’t want to hit the beaches along the Gulf Coast and Florida Atlantic side. Personally, you’ll be doing a lot of outdoors and mountain stuff so some beach time might do you some good. You’ll still want to hit the things to do and see in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Like someone else said, skip all the East coast big cities unless you really want to see them. Driving a RV in and around DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston will be an absolute nightmare. If I were you I’d hit the Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish areas, then drive into NY and go to Niagara Falls (both NY and Canada). Then go to the Finger Lakes Region of NY. Then go to the Adirondacks and see places like Lake Placid. I’d then head towards Montreal and Mont Tremblant. Come back into Maine and start seeing the places in New England. Make your way to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Now that's a guy with too much trust.

Stranger comes to your door... 'Hey, can I borrow a gun?'

'Sure, nothing can possibly go wrong for me here...'

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Sounds incredible, congrats on the retirement! I want to take time and explore the country like that some day.

I have nothing to offer except that if you’re in the “upstate” NY area swing by for some good bourbon and I can show you some solid pizza spots. Also some good trails if you’re still into that kinda thing.

Cheers and Godspeed!

No shortage of responses from folks' already.

Given the time and funds it sounds like a most excellent adventure. I've always imagined doing a version of it myself as a bucket wish list item.

A key difference for me would be the vehicle. It would need to have a high fun-to-drive factor, as the route and the driving for me would be a big part of the experience. On an RV trip years ago, the driving wasn't fun. And I'd want to have fun driving twisty routes, like Tail of the Dragon, or opening it up on a desert highway. I'd also be good staying in hotels and such vs. living in the vehicle.

Either way, sounds like an awesome 6 months ahead!

* "homeless problem?" Not for you - with an RV, you'll always be at home :-)

We just ran off a bunch of Aussies who invaded us for MotoGP this weekend and now we have to add you?!?

Kidding aside, you need to spend time in Utah. Great state parks for camping and they are close proximity to the national parks:Arches, Bryce,Zion. Dead Horse Point near Moab, Utah is a great state park. Hopefully you brought a bike, preferably mtb.

Get a book called Blue Highways. It'll be a good read along your adventure and might give you some ideas.

If you can make it across country, the Smokies are a good area to visit. Ashville, NC and Gatlinburg, TN for a general destination.

Read Bil Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" as he did just what you mentioned and wrote an interesting book about it

I just had visions of a Top Gear episode with the old cast driving Tail of the Dragon in RV's and hot hatchbacks towing campers.

For the OP. The famous landmarks are famous for a reason, you can hardly go wrong. Someone above mentioned driving Highway 1 up the west coast. I have done almost all of it in various stretches and it is a great drive, but tiring. Never a moment to relax and zone out. If you do that you can hit places like Crater Lake, Portland, Seattle and Olympic as you get to the north. You'll go to Yellowstone and since you are in the neighborhood Devil's Tower. New England in the fall. ...

A guy I used to know quit his job for a year and did this. I'm not sure I'd want to do it all in one trip but there is a lot of completely different things to see that will keep you occupied.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

2nd that. By William Least Heat Moon (talk about an interesting name!). I read that in college, which was decades ago now. Timeless, other than paper maps with back roads marked in blue, are no longer.

Great for you.

For an RV always allow more time for your trip, you don't want to be constantly on the move. If you have a class C are you towing another vehicle. Motor homes in general limit your mobility once your at your destination. Lots do E bikes etc but plan your spots carefully so you can run around and see the sites.

Plan for extra fuel costs and if you want full hook up campgrounds they can add up quickly. If your RV allows you to boondock thats even better to get away from people and have your own space.

Going up the west coast and doing a lap down through Montana, Colorado, and points south sounds like a great trip. Lots to see for sure.

Oh man,,, I bit of warning, and this could have been fun, to get a better feel for what you want to see, what kind of experiences you want.

I like some ideas, already given, TOTALLY disagree with skipping the east coast.

I would head down to Grand Canyon, see it leave, could go up to north rim and do a day or two of hiking, I would then head back and take Monty up on his offer, you have now done a bit of a shake down run in the rv, feel a bit more comfortable, can meet a great guy, get some good learning and fix what needs to be fixed, then head north. -- The big unknown in the Alaska ideas, is the roads might not be open yet, May is on the edge of getting open roads, no clue how much snow they have gotten or road conditions right now. I have not seen everything in America, but Alaska is just totally different from what I have seen and worth taking several weeks (month to check it out) Plus its a lot less crowded.

Swing back down into Yellowstone (maybe swing into yellowstone first if research shows alaska pass not open??) , okay at this point your at least 2 months into this trip probably. is an inflection point. You have seen the highlights of the Rockies, sure there are more places you could go and see (others might suggest something other than yellowstone). If it were me, probably head east, toward chicago, have to decide if you want to go north route our south route, I would Hit mt. rushmore for a few hour stop, swing through parts of Badlands, Then across head up into Maine, but not to far..lol

Swing down the coast, (probably in 4th month by now) destination (nashville?) (CLM? someone here is from there so you can maybe do a nashville meet up)

Now you did not say if you need to be back to start to end, I will assume so. About the only "big" thing you have missed at this point would be Disney in Orlando Florida, if its on your list, head there, Then shoot west across texas back to California.

Oddly, have planned a few multimonth trips for co-workers in my day. So many travel styles its hard to just come up with plan.

Do you want to see fewer area's but deep dive them, you a city person, or a nature person. Anything on your must see list. Whats your drive limit. Some folks have no problem putting several 10 hr days in others want a rest day every three or four. Some people want to see Washington D.C. It really doesn't get more classic america. You can stay out side of the city and catch transportation into town to avoid trying to park RV in city.

Trying to come up with List of "Icon" America
- Washington D.C.
- Orlando fl (choose a few of the big parks)
- Rushmore
- Yellowstone
- Alaska
- Grand Canyon
- NY City (times square)
- Vegas Strip
Probably some route 66 big ball of string thing in Iowa.. lol you got to see the plain states (but from Australia you seen flat open nothingness)

I had someone on my honeymoon ask where they should go if they had a week in the us (from St. Lucia, had not seen an elevator or a building higher than like 4 stories). Your in a different spot, as lots of similiar geography and city life between Austrailia and US,

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Drive the US 101 on Oregon and Washington coast. Stop by Cannon Beach, Ruby Beach, Hoh rain forest. Take a ferry to San Juan islands. You'll see.

Hey Aussie,

I want to do the same just in Australia.

Starting out in Perth.

Any tips ?

If you end up in MN, consider avoiding chicago, checkout some of the great lakes. From st paul, can drive across Wisconsin to Upper Michigan. Copper Harbor has great mtb trails...and cross the UP either to the soo locks into canada, over to niagra, or, down the traverse city michigan, and sleeping bear dunes.
Last year some days were bad due to smoke from wildfires out west, even in the midwest.

And if you checkout yellowstone, consider a few days in Grand Tetons. Consider getting a paddle board to checkout some of the alpone lakes. Also an option if you go up to yosemite and glacier national park in montana.

Utah national parks should not be missed. Zion, angels landing and the narrows.

Having raised a couple Aussies, they can be a handful, especially when young. But I think frequent stops so that they can run and pee and shit would be enough.

Personally, I have driven Mich, to Washington twice, and spent 2 weeks in Alaska. At some point in a trip, you can only look at so many arrangements of dirt, sky, water, plants and tree. Which is why when I plan these grand trips, you need to mix it up. I don't think there is much Unique enough to spend the time in Mich. (this from a life long Michiganian) Sure there are beautiful places to be and live, but in an trip around the country, there isn't something that just stands up as truely awesome / memorable.

It's part of the fun / puzzle creating a 6 month vacation, Sure you could spend 6 months, just in the Rockies, and probably still not see everything, and for some people that would be fun, but you wont get the whole sense of America. So to say it again, it really depends on what you want to get out of the trip, is this the only time in the country, is this a long scouting expedition to find places you want to come back to for a a couple of weeks? etc..

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Be aware that driving from Vancouver to Alaska is not a short trip. I would be interesting, pretty wild for lots of it, but likely take you 4-6 days to complete. You seem to like driving, so that might not be an issue. You could do it faster, but might end up with some LONG driving days. I know you have six months to burn, but Alaska would likely be a full two weeks of that.
If you do go, it will be rainy up until late May. You could come back a bit further west on Highway16 via Prince George and do the Jasper-Banff highway. It is stunning. Go through Calgary, and back into the US via Glacier National Park, and then down to Yellowstone.

If it was me, I would go see Monty for a bit. Put a face to the name. Take the 101/I5 north up to Olympic National Park. Stop in Sonoma/Napa for few days on the way by. Maybe see a Mariners game in Seattle. East to Glacier, south to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Utah (Bryce,Zion). Love it or hate it, everyone should see The Strip in Vegas once in their life. Then wherever from there.
I like the eastern states. There was a suggestion about the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky which I will second. Go to Cocoa Beach Florida for a rocket launch and hope for some surf-able waves. Back west along the Gulf of Mexico. Stop in Galveston at Schlitterbaun.

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"I keep hoping for you to use your superior intellect to be less insufferable. Sadly, you continue to disappoint." - gofigure

Dav,
Respectfully - are you from Ohio?

I'll clarify my intent of mentioning the great Mitten state, of which I am a native Troll, and current yooper.

If, OP desires to get to East coast, my opinion, as one who drove route 66 in 2001, as part of american solar challenge, as a western michigan aeronautical engineering undergrad; chicago, and east of NM, route 66 can be skipped over.
Plenty to see east of MI, get up to NY, perhaps niagra, canada, etc. out to dc, down to fl coast in the fall. Or, down to Nola in the fall, when the weather turns back to good.

I get that the western natural monuments and National Parks must be a focus. But travel east of the Mississippi is a must, else it is not a complete visit and 6 months is more than enough time to see the US of A. St Augustine,Fl, Charleston SC , Williamsburg Va, old town Alexandria Va, and Boston have neighborhoods and museums that provide a colonial times perspective. The scenic byways of the Appalachians especially towards the end of the 6 months as the leaves turn color are inspiring and if a flavor of the home country of Australia is needed there are plenty of out of the way small burgs with pleasant cafes and museums.

When he told me the story I was gobsmacked. He just thought it was the obvious thing to do. It was the 80s. A different time I think.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Theee things. 1) The Galveston Schlitterbahn is not as good as the one in New Braunfels. The Galveston park is really small. I also thought the South Padre location was better too. That’s no longer a Schlitterbahn though. 2) Schlitterbahn has really gone downhill since the death of that kid at the KC park years ago and the company's subsequent downsizing and sale. 3) Ironnerd is 60. Not sure how much a water park appeals to he and his wife. And a bonus point: Galveston is a fucking dump.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I'm partial to the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest states. Get yourself an Annual Parks Pass, then get to driving. Any of the National Parks or Monuments will be worth the trip. If you're into baseball at all, especially minor leagues, there are teams all over the western states. If/when you need to make a pitstop in a city or town, aim for one with a minor league team and catch a ballgame.

You could easily spend 6 months never crossing the Mississippi river. No reason to go east, it's stupidly humid over there :-)

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--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

Ironnerd:

Definitely buy a US National Park Pass. Visit the big 5 Parks:

• Yosemite -- Hike the Valley, the Mist Trail, and in the woods for Sequoia Trees. Climb up Half Dome, take in all the waterfalls, and exit to the east through the Sierras.
• Grand Canyon -- Check out all the viewpoints. Hike to the bottom for a whole different perspective.
• Olympic -- Pacific Beaches, glacier lakes, mountains, rain forests, cougars, and more.
• Arches -- Delicate Arch is a beautiful hike and park is full of arches and other beautiful rock formations and wide-open vistas. Ride a mountain bike in Moab.
• Glacier -- Check out the Many Glaciers area and drive the Rising to the Sun Highway. Ride you bike when allowed. Lookout for the Grizzlies, mountain goats, and big horn sheep.

Also, look at all the other parks, monuments, and whatnot that make up the Parks system. You can climb up a Lighthouse and see where the first successful motorized airplane rides took place at separate sites all within the same morning in North Carolina.

There lots of hiking opportunities on The Pacific Coast Trail, The Appalachian Trail, and Continental Divide Trail, and even old train track trails coming together in the Midwest. You don't have to hike the whole distances, but you get to see some beautiful scenery away from the highways and freeways, all for free.

Drive through Monument Valley in northern Arizona.

Visit the wacky/tackey tourist stuff:

• Cadilac Ranch in the Texas Panhandle
• Corn Palace in South Dakota
• Museums of stuff you did know existed, with most in places you didn't know existed.
• Visit the Indiana High School basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle, Indiana that is beside the largest high school basketball gymnasium in the world.
• All sorts of money grabs of firsts, the biggest, tallest, smallest, and any and all sorts of things, found "just off the highway."

Experience Seattle. Arguably the prettiest city in the world when the sun is out. Visit the Space Needle and you'll see Mt. Rainer, The Cascades Range, Puget Sound, and more all at the same time. Enjoy the great vibe and food and entertainment. Ride the Ferries to wherever in the area.

Bring your gear and race in a small, independent triathlon. Volunteer in another. Feel first-hand how welcoming Americans are to others.

Ride the subway in New York City, The El in Chicago, and the BART in the Bay Area.

Visit old mining areas in northern Minnesota (iron ore), Colorado (gold, silver, copper, and more), in Arizona for metal ores and gems, and in Bisbee, TX.

Cruise on a boat in the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, or Hudson Rivers. Sorta like being on one in the Murray River back home.

Boat out to some of the islands: Catalina off the Southern California coast, the Manitou Islands in northern Lake Michigan, Mackinaw Island in northern Lake Huron, of the 10,000 Islands in the St. Lawarence Seaway out east.

Go canoeing in the Boundry Waters (BWCA) of Northern Minnesota or use a power boat in Voyageurs National Park (sorta) nearby. Or visit lakes in Minnesota (there's over 10,000 of them) or possibly prettier ones in Michigan or Wisconsin.

Visit the wine areas in Northern California, eastern Washington, southwest Michigan, the Fingers Region in New York State. Compare to OZ.

Listen to FM AND AM radio to get a sense of the country's politics, religion, agricultural, and more influences through the different parts of the country.

Check out any or all the war memorials in any small town in the country where they honor those who served in various wars with many making the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and others including Australia in WWII.

Attend small town holiday parades for Memorial Day in May, the 4th of July, or Thanksgiving Day in Nov. Alternatively, attend parades for special seasons/occasions including whatever small-town festival or homecoming event is happening. That's the real Americana.

Participant in a State Fair. Iowa and Texas are huge, but any state will do for the uniquely American experience.

Bill Bryson got an earlier shout out for Australia feel. He also wrote two good books worth buying for American walkabouts and driveabouts: "The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America" and "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail", to get a feel of away from the city America. (and in the spirit of Bill Bryson, I wrote a book about a triathlon journey in all 50 states that may provide you with some additional ideas about what to experience during visit here: "Triing: A Journey of discovery, challenges, and camaraderie while racing in 50 states and the continents beyond" Available on Amazon).

And just maybe, grab some grub at a small-town store and head to the local city, county, or park/forest preserves. Eat, walk, listen, dream, fall asleep for one of the most relaxing, cheap, and delightful days of your journey.

And finally, as long as your spending money into the country's economy and not causing any issues, there's no need to apologize as you will be a net positive for the immigration and homeless metrics.

Well, except to come visit Music City. I'll take him out on the town.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Go to Burning Man!

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

skip Oklahoma if possible. That said, if you happen to go through Stillwater, OK, LMK.

Try to be in New England in the fall. If you come to Maine, go farther north than Portland. Even a little up the road to Freeport you could do a little hiking; Camden has nice hiking and doesn't add a lot of time if you've made it this far.

Others are correct about Utah.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I don't see the point in crowds and kitsche....

1) Don't go to any tourist attraction during peak season.

2) Don't go to any tourist attraction that isn't a genuine interest.

3) Don't stay in RV parks or private campgrounds.

4) Avoid National park, National Forest and State Parks on the weekends.

5) Linger on the back roads and small towns- in the darkness. (See image below)

6) Venture into the light only on a mission.



https://images.app.goo.gl/WNXFsmTWGQAkofj97

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/

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===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

I will bow to your knowledge on the quality of the locations (never been, want to go), but...I'm not far from 60, and I still like waterslides. Who says he isn't young at heart?

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"I keep hoping for you to use your superior intellect to be less insufferable. Sadly, you continue to disappoint." - gofigure

Check out these unlikely gems. Pure American beauty.

https://www.unlikelygems.com/

I’m not sure that works.

https://www.instagram.com/...rce=ig_web_copy_link

I don't know if it was said before but I'd put Jasper and Banff on the list. Also...reservations can be hard to get unless you book months in advance, but if you can be flexible and arrive mid week the parks that aren't super busy (so...not Yosemite) will usually have non-reserved (first come first served) slots.

If you need a break from the RV, Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge in Gold Beach Oregon is a very relaxing place with fantastic food and wine. And a gorgeous location.
https://www.tututun.com/

After the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle, head across I-90 to Cle Elum and up 97 over Blewett Pass to Leavenworth/ Wenatchee. Up to Lake Chelan and across Highway 20 the North Cascade Highway through Winthrop. Continue on to I-5 and up to Vancouver and Whistler. The Sea to Sky Highway is spectacular. Yeah, I kinda really like the Pacific Northwest!
You will have an awesome adventure!!!!

You're lucky HUAC is defunct with that un-American attitude.

I didn't go to a water park til my mid-thirties....you can bet your ass I'll be going in my 60's

For route planning the best app is RV Life Trip Wizard. It will give routes based on the size of your motorhome. It has information and reviews on thousands of campgrounds and RV parks. It shows many points of interest and gas stations. It is not a free app though.

Next would be RV Parky. It’s free but limited. It was some of the features of Trip Wizard but reviews are less plentiful and sometimes outdated.

You already got lots of ideas of places to go. Getting a campsite is not as easy as just showing up. Many places, especially near major attractions will require reservations.

Driving a motorhome is not like driving a car. They’re taller, wider, longer and weigh more. Depending on length you may need to know about tall swing and allowing more space when turning so you don’t run the middle into curbs or rocks.

You’ll need to know how to hookup all your utilities. I highly recommend an inline water filter to keep bad stuff out and a pressure regulator may be needed in some campgrounds. Disposable gloves are good when emptying your sewage tanks.

Join irv2.com and ask questions there as well.

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Don

Tri-ing to have fun. Anything else is just a bonus!

I have driven west to east twice when my children were teenagers. Driving around Australia is something I will do when I am older.

My only advice would be to consider buying a 4 wheel drive as many of the sites are on unsealed roads.

My first AirBNB in LA I mixed up the last two numbers of the address. I could not work out why the code for the lock box was not working. Luckily no one was home.

We are not going to tow a vehicle. Will buy ebikes if we need them. We plan to boondock where possible to reduce the cost.

I would just do Perth and Western Australia as the rest of the country is rubbish, but I might be biased.

Consider doing it in a 4 wheel drive as many sites are on unpaved roads.

I am still 18 at heart and will be going to water slides until the day I die.

Thanks for all of the awesome advice and ideas.

If the trip goes well we plan to park up the RV over the US winter and return the following year to do Canada and Alaska. Perhaps parts of South America the following year.

We bought a "America is Beautiful" National Park pass.

As a shake down trip we spent a few days in San Diego and went to the zoo. We have just spent three nights in the amazing Yosemite national park. We are heading to Lake Tahoe today.

As a rough guide we are going to follow this route.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/...ltimate-us-road-trip
As we get to each state we are going to work out what we want to see and plan a route through the state.
We are going to do it in the reverse direction to try and make to most of the warmer summer weather in the north and try and avoid busy national parks over the peak summer holidays. The southern states we will do as the weather gets colder.
Once thanks for all of the advice and ideas. I will include them in our trip.

This looks bananas fun.

Updates are expected, along with tales of LR hosts if and when you meet up with us.

Then may I suggest Wisconsin Dells

Avoiding Chicago? Hmmm

I didn’t say I didn’t like them. I enjoy a good water park. I just said that might not be appealing to some 60 year olds.

Although I can’t do all the super fast and steep slides anymore. I can sit in a lazy river all day long.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I would just do Perth and Western Australia as the rest of the country is rubbish, but I might be biased.

Consider doing it in a 4 wheel drive as many sites are on unpaved roads.
That's exactly what I was thinking go South and North of Perth, thanks for the 4x4 tip.
Have done Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide.

I see being "young at heart" as a good thing.

But my preference in "immaturity" is age 19.

Not age 7!!

That route looks good, but I can’t tell if you will travel on I-15 between Yellowstone and Zion? Take highway 191 instead. Highway 191 parallels 1-15 on the other side of a mountain range when you do the North-South trip between Montana and Utah. Highway 191 is not interstate highway system driving, but it’s more beautiful.

If you want to see cool sights along your trip, the atlas obscura book has good ideas.

To me driving an RV around the country means trying best to avoid city driving. My experience of driving through or around Chicago shows it to be a Royal PITA. What pray tell must one see in Chicago that is a game changer?

I looked at his trip map and had the question of what town in central Kentucky is he visiting and why?

I too took some offense in his selection to avoid all of western Pa but then I really could not offer much argument for.

No no no no! Use coastal hwy 1 in California. 101 is boring in California. Then continue on 101 through Oregon and Washington and around the Olympic peninsula. See that, then feel free to continue east.

I looked at his trip map and had the question of what town in central Kentucky is he visiting and why?


Bardstown. Bourbon Trail.
Could be Bowling Green for the Corvette museum.

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"I keep hoping for you to use your superior intellect to be less insufferable. Sadly, you continue to disappoint." - gofigure

Flaming gorge is cool, but I would go up to Logan, and take 89 to Jackson. I've lived in Rock Springs so I might be jaded on anyone actually spending time around there.

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Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes

Beyond the note I had on Barks' post (89 from logan to jackson), not sure what your stop in Nebraska is, but I would skip the black hills (going to be pretty small and underwhelming compared to the Rockies), head east on I94 across the great waste that is North Dakota and hit northern MN or the UP of Michigan.

That lake Superior area is a different corner of the country you wont see much else like it.

Nebraska would be a good stop if you can time it with a migration (spring or fall) or when all of the cranes are along the Platte River.

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Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes

Hey #49 on the list is Xantusia!!! Well we are about a 1/4 mile away, so stop in and say hi..

One question, what kind of RV did you buy, length, class, amenities and such:?

LinkedIn article says Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, which is right outside of Bowling Green. Bardstown is probably another hour plus away.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Two more inputs

somehow before making it to Philadelphia I would jog west and do the Gettysburg Battlefield tour and make sure to travel US route 30 and not the turnpike I -76 with a pit stop into and around Lancaster Pa for a touch of Amish flavor.

Also while cruising Wyoming, make a stop in Saratoga for a fine steak dinner at the old Hotel, enjoy an extended sit down in the natural hot springs and follow it up with a tour of the Encampment museum just down the road.

After all of your posts describing Chicago as the gang murder capital of the USA I wouldn't want to miss it. 😀

We are trying to avoid the highways and take the scenic routes where possible.

Driving along the California side of Lake Tahoe was so beautiful and so challenging in a motorhome.

We did the coastal hwy 1 between LA and SF a few years ago. We did hwy 1 from LA to San Dieago last week. Very scenic.

We will do part of 101 in Oregon and Washington.

You have plenty of miles to become an accomplished driver! Yay!

I know you know danger, being an Aussie and having worked many miles underground, but there’s a great book to read about deaths in Yellowstone that will frighten you and potentially save your life. It’s Death in Yellowstone by Lee H. Whittlesey. Also, just read the outside magazine articles about deaths in US national parks and the feet that wash up in Oregon and/or Washington. Get scared. It’s a good idea! I’m jealous.

We are following the route just to get a rough order of states. Then when we get to each state we make a list of where we want to go and plan a route.

Here is our Oregon route.
Lava Beds National Monument
Crater Lake National Park
Oregon Caves
Boardman State Scenic Corridor
Oregon Coast Trail
Portland
Columbia Ri ER Gorge
Mt Hood

My wife already jumps whenever she hears something, she is convinced it is a bear or rattle snake.

Like the Australian desert and the Gobi desert we will be sensible. Take water, food, first aid, extra clothing and a phone. Stick to the trails.

All of our National Parks are amazing but reservations at some of them can be difficult to get at times.

The state of New Mexico has an annual camping pass for state parks for $225. You can stay at any one campsite for up to 14 days. Leave a week and you can come back for another 14 days. I think you have to pay for electrical hookups.

Check out the Bisti Badlands/ De Na Zin wilderness. Google Alien Throne. Don't go without the AllTrails app. Nothing is marked.

Just avoid certain neighborhoods and you'll be fine, kinda like avoid certain snakes in Australia in the top 5 most venomous list and you won't die.

See if you can get into Silver Falls State Park (about 1.5 hours south of Portland). Great waterfall hikes. Swing by McMinnville to see the "Spruce Goose" (also an indoor waterpark, btw). Mt Hood is a mountain, special to Portlander's but otherwise nothing remarkable about it. But not far away is Mount Saint Helens, which I find more interesting. Mount Rainier is also better to visit than Mount Hood. I'd avoid the whole area in the late summer wildfire season as road closures become unpredictable and views at e.g. Crater Lake are likely to be smoked out.

If you go along the coast, Newport OR is good town that has lots of highlights.

Aquarium, Yaquina Head Lighthouse (can see whales from the beach), Rogue Brewery (their home base) and Public House

South Beach State Park is full service for campers, has nice showers/amenities, and backs right up to the beach, access via short trial hike. Even in peak summer you can have an acre of beach space to yourself.

She’s smart because it IS a bear AND a rattlesnake! Like a bear-rattlesnake duo!

My girlfriend saw a rattlesnake on a trail a few weeks ago, so they are out of their wintertime homes. And there are lots of bears everywhere. Mostly in the mountains, but you can’t be too careful.

We saw a small rattlesnake when we walked up to the Hollywood sign.

Looks like a goal is to hit every state. Is there a reason to turn up into Detroit? I mean is there something there of interest? If its just to get into Michigan, Another option, would be when your in Wisconsin, head up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, just over the boarder in Iron Mt. is the Pine Mt, ski jump. a pretty impressive thing to see, and climb, porcupine Mt park is pretty scenic also. Google both. If you head up to Detroit, with no real plan's I would suggest a day or even 2 if you can, at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Give you a great history lesson of America and lots of cool things to see.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

For those wondering, from the article, the map was made at shortage trip to hit all of these points. The creator of the map has another article somewhere that explains his choices of these things.. Not really sure like why the Fox theatre in Detroit (map creator was from Lansing, so Maybe it was just something they had not done in Detroit, not sure.

1. Grand Canyon, Arizona
2. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
3. Craters of the Moon, Idaho
4. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
5. Pikes Peak, Colorado
6. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
7. The Alamo, Texas
8. The Platt Historic District, Oklahoma
9. Toltec Mounds, Arkansas
10. Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Tennessee
11. Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi
12. French Quarter, Louisiana
13. USS Alabama, Alabama
14. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
15. Okefenokee Swamp Park, Georgia
16. Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina
17. Lost World Caverns, West Virginia
18. Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, North Carolina
19. Mount Vernon, Virginia
20. White House, Washington, D.C.
21. Colonial Annapolis Historic District, Maryland
22. New Castle Historic District, Delaware
23. Cape May Historic District, New Jersey
24. Liberty Bell, Pennsylvania
25. Statue of Liberty, New York
26. The Mark Twain House & Museum, Connecticut
27. The Breakers, Rhode Island
28. USS Constitution, Massachusetts
29. Acadia National Park, Maine
30. Mount Washington Hotel, New Hampshire
31. Shelburne Farms, Vermont
32. Fox Theater, Michigan
33. Spring Grove Cemetery, Ohio
34. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
35. West Baden Springs Hotel, Indiana
36. Abraham Lincoln’s Home, Illinois
37. Gateway Arch, Missouri
38. C. W. Parker Carousel Museum, Kansas
39. Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion, Iowa
40. Taliesin, Wisconcin
41. Fort Snelling, Minnesota
42. Ashfall Fossil Bed, Nebraska
43. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
44. Fort Union Trading Post, North Dakota
45. Glacier National Park, Montana
46. Hanford Site, Washington
47. Columbia River Highway, Oregon
48. San Francisco Cable Cars, California
49. San Andreas Fault, California
50. Hoover Dam, Nevada

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Yes and no.

Certainly the best way to avoid snakebite in Australia is simply to leave snakes alone. Two recent and avoidable deaths in Queensland have been the result of men, untrained in the handling of venomous snakes, attempting to remove Eastern Brown Snakes from the grounds of a school and a childcare centre.

Although Australia is blessed with over 30 dangerously venomous snake species, (including some found in the suburbs of all our capital cities), plus another 12 potentially dangerous species, and over 30 species of dangerously venomous seasnake inhabiting our tropical waters, death from snakebite is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Among a population of 26.5 million, we average about 2 deaths per year.

That's the equivalent of one gun death in Chicago every 5 years.

Pretty simple really.

a) I like snakes generally, and particularly the remarkable diversity we have in Australia.

b) They are relatively benign creatures, but surrounded by misconceptions and misinformation. I enjoy addressing those fears and prejudices.

c) The concept of foreigners, especially Americans, viewing Australia and its wildlife as inordinately dangerous is amusing.

d) A serious reply need not preclude having fun while being informative. Not for me, anyway.

e) As for you, I don't give a shit if you find my responses tedious. 😉

Be aware a lot of Yellowstone and glacier can be closed until late may/early June depending on snow. I visited glacier in early June once and going to the sun road was still closed but Yellowstone was all open.

Excellent tip re: US191. Stop in Bozeman for the cuisine of your choosing.

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

I will keep that in mind. Parts of Yosemite were closed when we were there. Many of the NP camp grounds have not opened yet.

As an Aussie it never occurred to me that snow would keep areas closed until late spring.

While it would be nice to hit each state it is not a must. It will depend if there is anything that we are interested in. I will keep your suggestions in mind when we get there.

So you have a lot of advice on places, but not much on rv stuff. Get a membership on roadtrippers.com. use their GPS routing. You enter your vehicle size and if you have on board propane, and it will route you so you wont take the roof of your vehicle off. There are some common roads where propane is forbidden. Harvest hosts is a good membership if you are dry camping.
Roadtrippers also has a good list of repair centers, and stuff WILL break. Make sure you have good composting additives for your blank tank, or they will clog. Use rv approved tp.
If you are dry camping, remember 100 gallons of water will affect your handling and mileage. Also roadtrippers can find nearby dump stations. Some will be free, others may charge.
Take a good look at state parks. You can see beautiful cliff ruins at hovenweep without the crowds of Mesa verde for example. Dead horse canyon outside of canyon lands, goblin state park, kodachrome south of Bryce all offer spectacular stuff without the cost and crowds. If you are planning east, check the timing for fall colors. There are leaf peeping sites to help.
Other than that, take your time. Spend a few days in each location.

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Jim
"In dog beers, I've only had one"
http://www.shakercolonial.com/
Creating custom made furnishing to your requirements

Not to hyjack the thread. But how does one deal with the crowded Rv sites? I know boondocking is an option but it appears that many of the state or national campgrounds are booked out way in advance. Is it possible to find places to put a class C or west you’re not make plans months in advance?

I pick up my class c tomorrow in Florida and plan to do the same as the OP.

Short story is no. I pull a 26' trailer, some vacation. Some hauling stuff to my wife's art shows. We start booking in January. We have a lot of flexibility with a trailer that we can pick a site 20 or 30 miles from where we want to be and easily drive in with the tow pig. There are short notice booking sites like site2night that can be useful. Harvest hosts is good for semi boondocking. If you are boondocking there is some extra planning involved. Where do you get your fresh water? Dump sites? A lot of places are getting hostile to generators. You may want to consider solar like jackery, because who wants to go to a quiet dark sky site and listen to a noisy generator all night.
Just remember most parks will only let class c camping under 30 feet

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Jim
"In dog beers, I've only had one"
http://www.shakercolonial.com/
Creating custom made furnishing to your requirements

Private campgrounds. Also caravan's with your manufacturer, my parents found those fun, did one to Alaska, and the other was an outwest tour.

I never really talked to Dad about Site reservations, but they traveled around in an RV for a few years, and I never heard it discussed. Didnt seem like that much of an issue.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.