Baltimore to California July/August

As you continue west from Yellowstone and the Tetons (where you could check out Mormon row) Craters of the Moon NM is quite a cool stop that doesn't need to take up too much time. Twin Falls would be a pretty decent spot to stay over. You could check out Perrine memorial bridge that spans the Snake river and have a stroll around the Centennial waterfront park or even take a ride out of town to visit Shoshone Falls. Not far from the Falls you can check out the site where Evil Knieval attempted to jump the Snake river canyon.

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

For those of stuck in inside these days because of Stay-at-Home orders, I don't think we know of any monotonous scenery -- other than the shape of our monitors.


Mark

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Never a truer word was written. My arrival in the U.S. should have been 10 days ago. No light on the horizon yet.

Alas!

Lifey

Some updates on the routing: Going to bypass Philadelphia and save it for a trip there with my son in the fall. So, going from Baltimore, to Gettysburg, where I'll camp at the KOA for a couple nights. Then to Hagerstown/Antietam for a couple nights also at a KOA.

From there, over to Morgantown/Cheat Lake overnight, maybe get in a round of golf. Then, down to New River Gorge for a couple of nights, with a day of rafting.

After that, it's either south through Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis...or Lexington, Louisville and the Bourbon Trail, THEN down to Nashville, Memphis, and on into Ozarks. Less direct than going through St. Louis...but what the heck - see more, drive more...

From there, north to get me to Mt. Rushmore, and after that, Billings and Bozeman MT, and down into Yellowstone.

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It's tough figuring out where I'll be and when in order to make campsite reservations...!

I've plotted out my route from Baltimore that takes me to "Land Between the Lakes" and the next leg is to get me to Mt. Rushmore, through KC.

One option is to swing down to Jackson and Memphis first, then head north into the Ozarks. OR...I could just avoid going that far south and go due west from the Paducah area west into the Ozarks.

The push north is important, and the question is, should I spend the couple of days a swing down to Memphis would take...?

I'm going to Gettysburg, then Antietam, Morgantown, down to New River Gorge, then up to Frankfort, to Mammoth Cave area, then Ft. Donelson area, avoiding major cities to the extent possible.

Please keep all posts about the same trip in the same thread. - Mod

Swinging south from Paducah to include Nashville, Memphis and Branson would add a full day (430 mi and 7.5 hrs) of driving to your trip. Plus any time spent sightseeing or backroading. Only you can say whether you should spend your time in that way. If this is the only time you expect to pass through these areas in your life, then certainly spend the two days to see them rather than just whiz through on the Interstates. But my own experience has been that there's always the next trip and I'd rather enjoy the trip I'm on to the fullest than just try to squeeze as much in as possible.

AZBuck

Your input is fantastic! I have been to Nashville, and I really like your ideas about Mammoth Cave and Ft Donelson area, which I am opting for instead of dipping even further south to Memphis.

Basically, I am opting to spend a little more time in Yellowstone over going further south into Memphis which I would really love to see, but I am on my own, and need to be mindful of fatigue.

I am spending a couple of days in the Ozarks to be by some cool waters, and my big push will be some time to rest up and clean up in KC, then to Doniphan NE, and from there to Hot Springs south of Mt. Rushmore. Then to Sheridan into Cody, and then into Yellowstone East.

Will update as I firm things up. Tough to make reservations in advance with the unknown of the road looming...

Which lake in the Ozarks? Table Rock (by Branson), Lake of the Ozarks (mid-MO) or Truman Lake (a little west of LotO)? I'm familiar with LotO.


Donna

After Frankfort KY, the plan is to head down to Mammoth Cave (Park City), from there to "Land Between the Lakes" (by Ft. Donelson), and then around to Alley Spring, then to Camdenton so it would be Lake of the Ozarks

One of my daughters lives and works in Lake Ozark. year round. Let me know if you have questions about the area. If I don't know the answer, she will (or her husband, who grew up there!).


Donna

Great, Donna, thank you! I sent a private message and I appreciate any input. I've never done anything like this and it's shaping up to be quite a trip! All new.

I have traveled quite a bit on my own in Latin America, and I also did the southwest on a motorcycle, so I am no stranger to adventure, but that being said, I always prefer to be "mainlined" when it comes to seeing new places...I don't like to follow the beaten track and like to know where people OTHER than the regular hoards of tourists go. That is...if someone's willing to share their favorite hole in the wall...