Suggestions for Cross Country Stops

[Capebuild]

We are planning for a cross country trip with our trailer. I thought I'd reach out to members for suggestions we should consider regarding interesting places to stop and experience. We'll be leaving from Massachusetts and wind up in Northern California, traveling mostly through the middle of the country. We do plan on stopping in Elkhart Indiana to visit the RV Museum. We usually like to just happen upon kind of "hidden gems"..... but I suppose some planning might also be helpful. Any great eating establishments (down home B-B-Q)? Natural wonders? Museums? Industrial tours? We have about 6 weeks so I don't mind getting onto the back roads (not too far off the main roads though). Also.... any main roads of travel better than others... nicer to travel on (would like to avoid driving through big cities and congested highway throroughfares).

Any suggestions would be great!
Thanks very much!!

John

[Tom&Shelly]

Hi John,

I've been posting our teardrop camping experiences down in the "Trips, Tips & Hiway Tales" folder, including our three trips (so far) back and forth between New York and New Mexico.

Tom

[tony.latham]

Natural wonders?

When's this happening?

Tony

[Capebuild]

I've been posting our teardrop camping experiences down in the "Trips, Tips & Hiway Tales" folder

Thanks Tom. I'll take a look at your postings in that section. I did see your recent post there about your trip to Maine but I'll dig a little deeper.
EDIT: Just looked at that section again ("Trips, Tips & Hiway Tales" ). Thanks for recommending looking at that. Seems like there's a lot of what I'm looking for there.

When's this happening?

Tony, We're planning on leaving here middle of September.

John

[dmb90260]

If it is still being printed I recommend The Next Exit. It lists all the exits on Interstate Highways and lists services available. It applies only to national not state highways. In CA I-5 & I-10 are listed but not 101. It has been a while but I recall getting it at WalMart.

[halfdome, Danny]

John, while in northern California there's Bodie State Park, east of Yosemite's Tioga Pass entrance, off 395, which is the best preserved ghost town in the world.
June Lake is near by and has nice campsites.
Bodie is about 25 miles from 395 and the last time we went 10 miles was not paved.
We were camping in Yosemite and left the TD there for the day trip to Bodie.
There's also Mono Lake nearby.
Danny

[tony.latham]

Tony, We're planning on leaving here middle of September.

I'd surely recommend the drive over the Beartooth Plateau in south-central Montana. It's remarkable. The road on the south end connects to the NE entrance to Yellowstone and that road may still be closed in September because of the extreme floods this spring. I'd keep an eye on the weather of course because it's high country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beartooth_Mountains

And there's always Stanley Basin upriver from me in Idaho. Hard to beat that view.





Tony

[Onajourney]

If it is still being printed I recommend The Next Exit. It lists all the exits on Interstate Highways and lists services available. It applies only to national not state highways. In CA I-5 & I-10 are listed but not 101. It has been a while but I recall getting it at WalMart.

It's on Amazon, like everything else.

https://www.amazon.com/Next-EXIT-2022-I ... 153&sr=8-1

[gudmund]

Camping World also carry's copy's of "Next Exit" (and I agree = it's good) along with their own yearly printed book of campground listing's - have found it to be handy just to have a copy on hand when I have been traveling in area's I am unfamiliar with and wondering "what's ups ahead?". Over 12/13thousand campground listing's (state, private, their phone #'s - addresses, ratings - approx.. overnight $$'s, etc.) have also found them to be handy even if they are a few years old - a few times now I have ending up using my old copy after giving away my newest copy when on the road after showing it to someone else .....

and in 2019 - ND - I-90 Ex302, am still regretting having left the copy of 'Next Exit' at home thus finding out later there is 'NO' gas up ahead there - thinking there probably would be, than driving northbound leaving the freeway and finding "no gas" at all being the towns on the map were just names with a building or two = than I remembered someone telling me years before "Ted, farmers always have gas", which after 3 farm stops and not finding anyone home I started thinking I may just run out in one of these driveways....... but = next stop #4, I hit 'paydirt' being he had just gotten home from the store and yes, he had gas = gave him the $25 we agreed too for what I though was to be a few gallons = which would get me to the next gas station, only to find out later he almost filled it up !!! One of these days, if I ever get back to his neck of the those 'woods' (about 1700 miles from here) I feel I may just have to stop and pay him some more $$$$............real nice guy A copy of "Next Exit" would have been nice to have on hand when in ND

[Capebuild]

thanks all for the replies and suggestions!!
I'm planning on getting the Next Exit book. That seems great.

Just got back from a trailer trip to Maine, so apologies for the late response.

John

[JasenC]

Sorry, all I got is worlds largest, ball of twine, rubber band ball, teflon fry pan and some roadside dinosaurs and elephants.
Sounds like the Corn Palace is well off your route.

[JasenC]

Sorry, all I got is worlds largest, ball of twine, rubber band ball, teflon fry pan and some roadside dinosaurs and elephants.
Sounds like the Corn Palace is well off your route.

[RJ Howell]

Just saw this as we just got back from a run as well.

First questions was destination and I see you answered as North CA. Northern path for us Nor'east folks is to leave this coast up through VT and into Canada. The TCH is much prettier and easier to travel in our minds. Though currently a bit of a PITA to enter Canada, still entering back into the US in the UP of Michigan and traveling the south shore of Lake Superior is wonderful country! Once you do that and see how much is in that area, you'll be back!

We headed for Washington State on that trip and traveled Rt 14 (vs Rt 90) across South Dakota to the Badlands and onward into the Black Hills.North or South in the Black Hills, plenty to explore. I tend to stop in Deadwood and visit Boothill. Next into Wyoming and an overnight at Devil's Tower. Westward tends to be if you've never, hit Yellowstone though it may be tough with the damage and crowds.. otherwise I love the Bighorn Mts! Turning north up though Big Sky Montana or due west into Idaho is again where have you been or not.. neither will disappoint! Idaho just surprises me every time we have passed through! I try a different way each time and still have plenty more to try!

We only use the Interstates when nessicary. Going secondary (or byway) has always lead us to lesser known, beautiful drives!

Safe Travels!

[Ottsville]

Brooklyn Lake in Medicine Bow Wilderness is a nice camping area if you like to fish and hike - there's a beautiful lake with tons of trout in it. From there you can drop on over to Saratoga Wy and check out the free hot springs in town.https://www.saratogachamber.info/play/mineral-hot-springs