Australian Couple Planning a U.S. Class B Road Trip

[Clare Bowditch]

Hi, I'm a new member from Australia. From the start of May till the end of September next year. My husband and I playing a road trip around the USA. I'm joining this forum as we plan to either buy or hire a Class B RV. We welcome any suggestions about itinerary or Great Camp spots. We're both recently retired

 

[youngnretired]

Welcome to the forum.

What are your interests of items to see in the USA or where are you planning to concentrate your time (desert southwest, or Midwest, or south, or new England area)?

 

[Clare Bowditch]

Thanks, we are starting in Seattle and plan to travel down the west coast, them back north through Utah and Montana to Calgary. Then back to the US and east towards NYC. Then south, and back across through Kentucky and Texas before heading back to Seattle. We want a mix of a few big cities and landmarks. Our priorities are natural and small towns.

 

[Sensfan-ClassB]

If you decide to spend more time in Canada, give me a shout. We live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Over the last 14 years, we have driven our camper van through all ten Canadian provinces and the Yukon (one of three Canadian Territories located north of the Provinces). We originally come from one of the four Canadian "Atlantic Provinces". Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are full of small friendly, closely located towns and villages, many of which border along the Atlantic Ocean, the Northumberland Strait, which reportedly has the warmest summer salt water temperatures north of the Carolinas; or, the Bay of Fundy, which reportedly has the highest tides in the world.
The majority of the Atlantic Provinces Canadians are descendants of French, Scottish, or Irish immigrants. Many locals have held on to their cultural roots by passing on their old language and music to successive generations for more than four hundred years. One of my favourite treats is to listen to the multitude of accents and dialects, which can vary greatly over short distances. Have fun

 

[youngnretired]

Sounds like a nice trip to take. You may want to do some homework on some of the big cities you plan to visit as there's a lot of homelessness and higher crime in some areas of some cities. Specifically Seattle and Los Angeles, and some of the remote parks in Utah have high vehicle break-ins if you leave your car to hike a trail.

Items to consider:

Washington:

- Mt. Rainier
- Mt. St. Helen's visitor center
- Olympic National Park

Oregon:

- Crater Lake National Park (you won't see the lake if it's foggy)
- Columbia River Gorge
- Mount Hood

California:

- Redwood National and State Parks (giant redwoods)
- Sequoia National Park
- Kings Canyon
- Yosemite National Park
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Alcatraz Island
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Hearst Castle
- Santa Monica Pier (the end of route 66)
- LaBrea Tar Pits
- Palomar observatory
- Death Valley (note that this is extremely hot in the summer)
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Stop at Crystal Cove Shake Shack outside of Newport Beach and get a "date shake", if you like dates.
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Arizona:

- Grand Canyon National Park
- Havasu Falls (haven't been there but it's stunning, difficult to get to and expensive)
- A drive thru Sedona is beautiful
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Monument Valley

Utah:

- The big national parks - Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef) Note that there are timed entry tickets that must be purchased for some of these parks.
- Would recommend taking a tour of a slot canyon
- Muley Point Overlook north of Mexican Hat, UT

Wyoming:

- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Teton National Park

Montana:

- Giant Springs State Park near Great Falls, MT
- Glacier National Park

Canada:

- NW of Calgary is Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper National Park. Note that at least at Lake Louise, you will need to hike a long way, ride circulator busses or be part of a tour to see some of the more popular areas. Stop at Athabasca falls, Sunwapta Falls, Columbia Icefield Center (take a ride on the glacier), Takakkaw Falls and Laughing Falls, and Emerald Lake as well as dozens of other items to see.

Once back in the US and depending on your route east, you could take portions of Route 66 (runs from Santa Monica pier into downtown Chicago) heading east thru Texas and take that thru Missouri and head into Kentucky. If you're into whiskey or bourbon, there's the Kentucky bourbon trail tour. There are a lot of caves in Missouri and Kentucky that you can stop and visit and if you're in Texas by Amarillo, you must stop at Cadillac Ranch.

We did Route 66 last year and an east coast trip this year. If you want to provide some additional details on where you plan to travel back into the US and maybe a more defined route, I can provide additional ideas.

 

[DaveBad]

New York State:

Letchworth State Park is a beautiful park with camping, several waterfalls, hiking and even some tame whitewater rafting through the gorge.

Letchworth State Park - New York State Parks & Historic Sites

Letchworth State Park, renowned as the "Grand Canyon of the East," is one of the most magnificent areas in the eastern U.S. The Genesee River roars through...

parks.ny.gov

Adventure Calls Outfitters |

Western New York's Premier River Runners offering whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, camping and other family oriented adventures.

adventure-calls.com

Watkins Glen is a small town that has a lot to offer. Boat rides on Seneca Lake, camping, Hiking through a beautiful gorge, restaurants and pubs and it's in the middle of the Finger Lakes wine country.

Home

Discover Watkins Glen and Schuyler County, NY — your guide to scenic beauty, outdoor adventures, local events, and unique Finger Lakes experiences.

www.explorewatkinsglen.com

Watkins Glen State Park - New York State Parks & Historic Sites

Watkins Glen State Park is famous for leaving visitors spellbound. The glen's stream descends past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its...

parks.ny.gov

Finger Lakes Wine Country | New York Finger Lakes

Planning to visit the New York Finger Lakes region on your next trip? Trust Finger Lakes Wine Country to provide you with destinations, activities, maps & more.

www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com

You may want to check out Harvest Host. It has a collection of businesses such as wineries, farms, breweries and such all over the country that allow you to stay in your RV overnight.

Unique RV Camping at Farms, Wineries, Breweries, & More with Harvest Hosts

Discover unlimited overnight stays at unique locations with no camping fees. Join Harvest Hosts and explore farms, wineries, breweries, and more!

www.harvesthosts.com

Dave

 

[Clare Bowditch]

Sounds like a nice trip to take. You may want to do some homework on some of the big cities you plan to visit as there's a lot of homelessness and higher crime in some areas of some cities. Specifically Seattle and Los Angeles, and some of the remote parks in Utah have high vehicle break-ins if you leave your car to hike a trail.

Items to consider:

Washington:

- Mt. Rainier
- Mt. St. Helen's visitor center
- Olympic National Park

Oregon:

- Crater Lake National Park (you won't see the lake if it's foggy)
- Columbia River Gorge
- Mount Hood

California:

- Redwood National and State Parks (giant redwoods)
- Sequoia National Park
- Kings Canyon
- Yosemite National Park
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Alcatraz Island
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Hearst Castle
- Santa Monica Pier (the end of route 66)
- LaBrea Tar Pits
- Palomar observatory
- Death Valley (note that this is extremely hot in the summer)
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Stop at Crystal Cove Shake Shack outside of Newport Beach and get a "date shake", if you like dates.
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Arizona:

- Grand Canyon National Park
- Havasu Falls (haven't been there but it's stunning, difficult to get to and expensive)
- A drive thru Sedona is beautiful
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Monument Valley

Utah:

- The big national parks - Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef) Note that there are timed entry tickets that must be purchased for some of these parks.
- Would recommend taking a tour of a slot canyon
- Muley Point Overlook north of Mexican Hat, UT

Wyoming:

- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Teton National Park

Montana:

- Giant Springs State Park near Great Falls, MT
- Glacier National Park

Canada:

- NW of Calgary is Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper National Park. Note that at least at Lake Louise, you will need to hike a long way, ride circulator busses or be part of a tour to see some of the more popular areas. Stop at Athabasca falls, Sunwapta Falls, Columbia Icefield Center (take a ride on the glacier), Takakkaw Falls and Laughing Falls, and Emerald Lake as well as dozens of other items to see.

Once back in the US and depending on your route east, you could take portions of Route 66 (runs from Santa Monica pier into downtown Chicago) heading east thru Texas and take that thru Missouri and head into Kentucky. If you're into whiskey or bourbon, there's the Kentucky bourbon trail tour. There are a lot of caves in Missouri and Kentucky that you can stop and visit and if you're in Texas by Amarillo, you must stop at Cadillac Ranch.

We did Route 66 last year and an east coast trip this year. If you want to provide some additional details on where you plan to travel back into the US and maybe a more defined route, I can provide additional ideas.

Thanks, really helpful advice, just what I was looking for. Much appreciated

 

[Clare Bowditch]

If you decide to spend more time in Canada, give me a shout. We live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Over the last 14 years, we have driven our camper van through all ten Canadian provinces and the Yukon (one of three Canadian Territories located north of the Provinces). We originally come from one of the four Canadian "Atlantic Provinces". Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are full of small friendly, closely located towns and villages, many of which border along the Atlantic Ocean, the Northumberland Strait, which reportedly has the warmest summer salt water temperatures north of the Carolinas; or, the Bay of Fundy, which reportedly has the highest tides in the world.
The majority of the Atlantic Provinces Canadians are descendants of French, Scottish, or Irish immigrants. Many locals have held on to their cultural roots by passing on their old language and music to successive generations for more than four hundred years. One of my favourite treats is to listen to the multitude of accents and dialects, which can vary greatly over short distances. Have fun

Thanks for all that, maybe next time. Newfoundland is definitely a place I hope to visit one day. Home of one of my all time favourite bands.. Great Big Sea.

 

[Sensfan-ClassB]

Thanks for all that, maybe next time. Newfoundland is definitely a place I hope to visit one day. Home of one of my all time favourite bands.. Great Big Sea.

I first saw Great Big Sea in the summer of ’98 at an outdoor music festival in Newfoundland. They were the front band for one of Canada’s great folk music groups, the Rankin Family from Mabou, Cape Breton, NovaScotia.
Rankin Family music is a wonderful reflection of their dual ethnicity, Celtic (Scottish) and “Down-East” (Canadian).
Here is one of the Rankin Family songs: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=94qK5BvcNfk

 

[Clare Bowditch]

Thanks, I will check them out for sure

Because almost no one in Australia has ever heard of Great Big Sea. I was able to have front row seats when they played in Sydney in a small intimate venue. It was great.

 

[Lotus54]

Hi, I'm a new member from Australia. From the start of May till the end of September next year. My husband and I playing a road trip around the USA. I'm joining this forum as we plan to either buy or hire a Class B RV. We welcome any suggestions about itinerary or Great Camp spots. We're both recently retired

Make sure to head over to the Olympic Peninsula as you leave Seattle area. I suggest going around the west side of Peninsula, continuing on hwy 101.
Do Hurricane Ridge (out of Port Angeles)- stop at Lake Crescent, Sol Duc.
Lots of places along the way. (I live in Port Angeles, worked for the Park for decades)

 

[Tom 98072]

Hi, I'm a new member from Australia. From the start of May till the end of September next year. My husband and I playing a road trip around the T

Thanks, I will check them out for sure

Because almost no one in Australia has ever heard of Great Big Sea. I was able to have front row seats when they played in Sydney in a small intimate venue. It was great.

USA. I'm joining this forum as we plan to either buy or hire a Class B RV. We welcome any suggestions about itinerary or Great Camp spots. We're both recently retired

 

[Clare Bowditch]

Make sure to head over to the Olympic Peninsula as you leave Seattle area. I suggest going around the west side of Peninsula, continuing on hwy 101.
Do Hurricane Ridge (out of Port Angeles)- stop at Lake Crescent, Sol Duc.
Lots of places along the way. (I live in Port Angeles, worked for the Park for decades)

Thanks for that, will include in our plans

 

[Clare Bowditch]

Sounds like a nice trip to take. You may want to do some homework on some of the big cities you plan to visit as there's a lot of homelessness and higher crime in some areas of some cities. Specifically Seattle and Los Angeles, and some of the remote parks in Utah have high vehicle break-ins if you leave your car to hike a trail.

Items to consider:

Washington:

- Mt. Rainier
- Mt. St. Helen's visitor center
- Olympic National Park

Oregon:

- Crater Lake National Park (you won't see the lake if it's foggy)
- Columbia River Gorge
- Mount Hood

California:

- Redwood National and State Parks (giant redwoods)
- Sequoia National Park
- Kings Canyon
- Yosemite National Park
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Alcatraz Island
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Hearst Castle
- Santa Monica Pier (the end of route 66)
- LaBrea Tar Pits
- Palomar observatory
- Death Valley (note that this is extremely hot in the summer)
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Stop at Crystal Cove Shake Shack outside of Newport Beach and get a "date shake", if you like dates.
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Arizona:

- Grand Canyon National Park
- Havasu Falls (haven't been there but it's stunning, difficult to get to and expensive)
- A drive thru Sedona is beautiful
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Monument Valley

Utah:

- The big national parks - Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef) Note that there are timed entry tickets that must be purchased for some of these parks.
- Would recommend taking a tour of a slot canyon
- Muley Point Overlook north of Mexican Hat, UT

Wyoming:

- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Teton National Park

Montana:

- Giant Springs State Park near Great Falls, MT
- Glacier National Park

Canada:

- NW of Calgary is Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper National Park. Note that at least at Lake Louise, you will need to hike a long way, ride circulator busses or be part of a tour to see some of the more popular areas. Stop at Athabasca falls, Sunwapta Falls, Columbia Icefield Center (take a ride on the glacier), Takakkaw Falls and Laughing Falls, and Emerald Lake as well as dozens of other items to see.

Once back in the US and depending on your route east, you could take portions of Route 66 (runs from Santa Monica pier into downtown Chicago) heading east thru Texas and take that thru Missouri and head into Kentucky. If you're into whiskey or bourbon, there's the Kentucky bourbon trail tour. There are a lot of caves in Missouri and Kentucky that you can stop and visit and if you're in Texas by Amarillo, you must stop at Cadillac Ranch.

We did Route 66 last year and an east coast trip this year. If you want to provide some additional details on where you plan to travel back into the US and maybe a more defined route, I can provide additional ideas.

This is great list, thanks so much, most of these are new to me.

 

[Clare Bowditch]

New York State:

Letchworth State Park is a beautiful park with camping, several waterfalls, hiking and even some tame whitewater rafting through the gorge.

Letchworth State Park - New York State Parks & Historic Sites

Letchworth State Park, renowned as the "Grand Canyon of the East," is one of the most magnificent areas in the eastern U.S. The Genesee River roars through...

parks.ny.gov

Adventure Calls Outfitters |

Western New York's Premier River Runners offering whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, camping and other family oriented adventures.

adventure-calls.com

Watkins Glen is a small town that has a lot to offer. Boat rides on Seneca Lake, camping, Hiking through a beautiful gorge, restaurants and pubs and it's in the middle of the Finger Lakes wine country.

Home

Discover Watkins Glen and Schuyler County, NY — your guide to scenic beauty, outdoor adventures, local events, and unique Finger Lakes experiences.

www.explorewatkinsglen.com

Watkins Glen State Park - New York State Parks & Historic Sites

Watkins Glen State Park is famous for leaving visitors spellbound. The glen's stream descends past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its...

parks.ny.gov

Finger Lakes Wine Country | New York Finger Lakes

Planning to visit the New York Finger Lakes region on your next trip? Trust Finger Lakes Wine Country to provide you with destinations, activities, maps & more.

www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com

You may want to check out Harvest Host. It has a collection of businesses such as wineries, farms, breweries and such all over the country that allow you to stay in your RV overnight.

Unique RV Camping at Farms, Wineries, Breweries, & More with Harvest Hosts

Discover unlimited overnight stays at unique locations with no camping fees. Join Harvest Hosts and explore farms, wineries, breweries, and more!

www.harvesthosts.com

Dave

Thanks, these all look amazing. Too much choice. Really appreciate you putting this together.

 

[youngnretired]

I forgot to mention a couple items. While in California, stop at La Jolla cove and see the sea lions. There are also many aquariums that are along the coast for you to stop at as well as old missions, most notedly San Juan Capistrano in Southern California.

Also in Wyoming, stop at Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site located around Guernsey. These are deep ruts in sandstone from the wagons on the Oregon Trail from the early to mid 1800s.

If you find yourself in New Mexico:

- Petroglyph National Monument (there are 5 separate areas that make up the monument around Albuquerque)
- Blue Hole in Santa Rosa
- The UFO museum in Roswell (whether UFO's are real or not, the museum is full of reports, news stories etc that will make you wonder)
- Carlsbad Caverns.
- Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano
- El Morro National Monument
- Jemez Soda Dam outside Jemez Springs
- Pimentel & Sons Guitar Makers Inc in Albuquerque (family owned custom guitar maker - ask for a tour)

As you head across the country, there are many presidential libraries to stop and visit as well as museums for US, regional, city, state and various industry history and many old historic forts. As you get towards the eastern part of the US it has more hills and thus waterfalls thru Vermont and New Hampshire.

There are also a lot of automotive history museums in Ohio and Indiana. Elwood Haynes Museum, National Auto and Truck Museum, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, Studebaker National Museum, National Packard Museum, and the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum. In North Carolina, there are: Hendrick Motorsports Museum, Richard Childress Racing Museum, Nascar Racing Hall of Fame, and Richard Petty Museum, among others.

For the eastern portion of the country, there are many bridges, tunnels and parkways on the east coast that don't allow the use of propane while driving the vehicle. I've been to NYC once (it was enough) and you're going to have to either take a bus, subway or be part of a tour because driving an RV thru NYC and especially parking one, will be a nightmare. Street parking is pretty much non existant and an RV won't fit into most parking garages. Do your homework. You may also want to read thru this thread: Propane Use While Driving

Pennsylvania:

- Drake Well Museum (birthplace of the modern petroleum industry)
- Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

Massachusetts:

- Normal Rockwell Museum
- Emily Dickinson Museum

Vermont:

- There are many old covered bridges along rivers in Vermont.
- Park-McCullough Historic Governor's Mansion
- Bingham Falls (also the gondola ride to the top of the mountain)
- Dog's Head Falls
- Cady's Falls
- Big Falls State Park
- Cold Hollow Cider Mill

New Hampshire:

- Beaver Brook Falls
- Flume Gorge Visitor Center(hike to: The Basin, Avalanche Falls, Aliya Falls and Kinsman Falls and hike the "flume")
- Daniel Webster Birthplace State Historic Site

 

[Brewbren]

Hi Clare, it looks like you got a great bunch of responses with tons of info on where to visit. You may consider getting a few guidebooks from tourist boards in each state that you plan to visit (not sure who to ask for these in Canada). In the US, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is a great resource for planning road trips but not sure if they are accessible to folks from out of the US. You can inquire, and I've found them to be quite helpful.

Also, you're undoubtedly aware of our spiking gas prices in the US during the past few months. Not sure if these will come down by the time you start your trip in May, but you can look at websites like Gas Buddy (gasbuddy.com) to see how gas prices are in real time as you travel. It might help you make decisions about which routes to take if these prices will be of concern, given any budget restraints you might have in your trip.
Hope you have a great visit to the US. We're going through some challenging times now but our American spirit and hospitality are still strong and you'll find wonderful people throughout! Bon Voyage!