go west or go north???

I am planning my first long road trip for summer 08. I am also pretty sure that I want to do it solo. I have lived in the US all of my life and have only seen SC (where I am from), NC, GA, FL and a little bit of NY (from a weekend trip). I have also never done anything on my own. I married young and have never even lived alone for a long period of time. I am a full-time Nursing student and I can't take classes in the summer so I don't have to worry about leaving anything (like a job). Also, I am a mom, but my children spend a month in the summer with their dad so I have no obligations there as well. My biggest fear is the reactions of my family- I am sure they will think I am crazy for traveling alone! I am really excited about it though.

Right now I am trying to decide exactly what general route to take. I can't decide whether to go North or go West (although I am leaning a little more toward West). I don't want to try to fit in too much b/c I want to be able to really enjoy the trip and not feel rushed. I really want to visit historical sites and national parks. So, I need some opinions from more seasoned travelers.... which would you recommend....west (basically to colorado and back) or north (to new york and back)???

I am also planning to tent camp which will be new to me. I have only camped before in a camper (which I loved but was jealous of the people in tents). I am planning to take the kids tent camping in the spring for a couple of weekend trips so that will give me some practice with setting up camp, etc. I want to camp for the obvious financial advantage but also b/c I really want to experience nature on my own and I am not a big fan of hotels.

Any other suggestions or opinions are welcomed. I can use all of the help I can get!

I just responded to you in the solo thread! I'm glad to see you did do your own post about how to plan your own trip.

Welcome to the Roadtrip America forums!

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My biggest fear is the reactions of my family- I am sure they will think I am crazy for traveling alone! I am really excited about it though.

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Awwww, they'll just be jealous of your independence and free-spirited ways. ;) You might have them read some of the discussions here about solo travel. Once they realize it's pretty common and that people survive it intact, they might feel better. If not, you're an adult, right?

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which would you recommend....west (basically to colorado and back) or north (to new york and back)???

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Really, both locations have a lot of cool things to see and do. Only you can really answer the question of where you want to go. Heck, there have been times where I've basically had to flip a coin. But since you also talked about tent-camping and wanting a bit of a "financial advantage", I can't help but think that going west will be better for you. I think you might find more campgrounds and that entry fees for activities and a few other expenses might be less. However, this is the part of the country that I'm least familiar with so I could be wrong.

When people are having problems deciding on where to go, I always think a great thing to do is to get a good road atlas, preferably one that shows national parks and various other landmarks, and trace different routes. Note what there is to see and do along each way. I'm sure things will jump out at you that sound intrigueing and will help you make up your mind.

Let me throw in another wrinkle. Have you considered South Dakota? It's actually a tad closer than Colorado and there is so much to do there. Yes, it's surprising! Peter Thody wrote a great roadtrip report. You might want to check it out.

Oh, and doing some short camping trips with the kids this spring is a great idea. I'm a female who sometimes does solo roadtrips and tent camps along the way. It's easy and fun. And, yes, I like it more than motels, too. Especially because it's fun to walk around the campground and strike up conversations. You meet the nicest people that way and can often glean great tips for places you're going.

Happy planning and keep asking questions!

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Originally Posted by Judy

If not, you're an adult, right?

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LOL, yes all grown up here. Thanks for all of the advice. I am going to check out the link right now..