loop around the western states

[alvin]

Hi.

I'm a recent MBA grad taking a 30-day vacation. I had a sudden urge to hit the road on a whirlwind adventure trip looping around the western states' most scenic areas. Beginning and ending in Los Angeles, here is my planned itinerary:

1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Zion Nat'l Park, UT
3. Santa FE, NM
4. Roswell, NM
5. Austin, TX
6. Denver, CO
7. Estes Park, CO
8. Grand Teton Nat'l Park, WY
9. Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
10. Salmon-Challis Nat'l Forest, ID
11. Glacier Nat'l Park, MT
12. Spokane, WA
13. Portland, OR
14. San Francisco, CA
15. Los Angeles, CA

Yes, it's ambitious, so I might change the route or travel time slightly depending on what opportunities present themselves.

I might be open to sharing the trip (or portions of it) with one other person. Must be a calm, easy-going, clean and sane, non-rambunctious type with a flexible travel schedule. Preferably a grad student or professional.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Congratulations on the MBA and welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum -- we hope you find a good connection here. Be sure to check the resources found here for more options.

Mark

[PNW Judy]

Do you want some advise on your trip, too?

Good luck in finding a travel companion.

[alvin]

Thanks, Mark. I'll be sure to check out those additional sites.

Alvin

[alvin]

Yes - advice would be good. Thanks.

I think it would be good to have someone along, but I'm not counting on it given the short time frame I have in which to find people. I figure if I'm going someone's way, though, I might be able to give them a ride on one of my routes.

Budgetwise, I'm going the inexpensive route - ideally a lot of camping. As I understand, it may be difficult to find available lodging at this time of year.

If you're familiar with any of the destinations on my itinerary, I'm open to suggestions on what to look for. I enjoy outdoors activities (mountain biking, fishing, hiking), going places off the beaten path, and experiencing things as locals might.

Thanks, Judy, for any suggestions you (or anyone else seeing this) can share!

Alvin