Kingston, WA to Ithica, NY in 2007

[tojon2]

We are planning an RV trip with our Truck and Travel Trailer to visit my sister next summer. We would like to have recommendations on the route to take so that we can see National Parks and National Monuments on our way which we expect to take about 8 weeks. We have heard about the traffic mess in the US around the Great Lakes so maybe we should go into Canada to go around them. We would like to leave Kingston in June sometime but we are aware of snow and ice in the Northern parts of the country around that time. So any decission should take that into account.

Any help will be appreciated.

John Endresen

[wacko2]

I am Canadian, so I don't know too much about the U.S. National Parks. But one route you might consider is to take US 2 all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, then I-75 south to Flint, MI, then cut eastwards through southern Ontario and Niagara Falls. Certainly you will pass by Glacier National Park in Montana, and there is supposed to be some nice country through the northern portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

If you are starting your trip in June, I would only worry about snow at the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

Your basic route across the northwestern US would be I-90, and without going too far out of your way, you can visit Mount Ranier National Park, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Devils Tower National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Badlands National Park. I would also suggest that once you get to around Minnesota, you head up toward Lake Superior and visit the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore before crossing into Canada at Sault Ste Marie and taking the Trans-Canada (ON-17) to Ottawa where you would head south on ON-416/ON-401 through the Thousand Islands region to I-81 and central New York. I think the Canadian route will be much more scenic and in keeping with the rather relaxed timetable of your trip than trying to come through Chicago, Cleveland, and the rest of the industrial Midwest. As for snow in June in the Rockies, it's possible, but I wouldn't worry about it too much if you stick pretty much to the Interstates and major highways. Just be sure to check on road conditions before you leave and keep an eye on the weather as you travel, but with the amount of time you're giving yourself, you can certainly afford to wait out the odd freak storm. And one final note that you're probably already aware of. With all the great national parks and monuments along your drive, be sure to get a National Parks Pass so they all together cost you only $50. And be sure to check out the national wildlife refuges, forests, and state parks along the way.

AZBuck

[tojon2]

We have taken the number of months we intend to take and broke it down into the number of weeks.. Then we take the number of miles ( an estimate ) and divide it by the number of weeks and find out how many miles per week we need to go. That can be broken up into the number of miles we want to drive in one day based upon an average of the miles per hour we expect to go. Then we can figure how long we can stay at any one spot we think will be interesting. Then we can arrive at our destination as planned.

john