2013 Lap around the USA

[Mark Sedenquist]

....but really wanted to go from Yosemite to Vegas via Death Valley but not sure of road closures in June.

John, not likely to see any road closures between Yosemite and Las Vegas via Death Valley in June. It will be easily 112 degrees F in Death Valley!

Oh, wait, why are you going around the Sierras from Yosemite? US-395 should not be missed for the photographer in you! Too many good opportunities for perfect light!

Mark

[glc]

If Tioga Pass (120) is open, that would be the "best" way to get from Yosemite to LV via DV. The chances are pretty good that it will be open in June, depending on the time of month. There are other options to get from Yosemite to 395 if it isn't. Sonora Pass (108) may be open, as may be Ebbetts Pass (4). If not, Carson Pass (88) is maintained year-round and Monitor Pass (89) is usually the first pass to open. If you go south, rather than going through Tehachapi on 58, you can take 178 through Lake Isabella.

[john.waters]

Thanks for the replies. I put the idea of Tehachapi in there in case we are running behind time and need to get to LA quicker. Otherwise it will be back to Vegas for a day or two. I really want to explore it a bit more as it could be some time before we get back.

We like Tehachapi as it was a friendly town and me be ex railway the loop had me interested last time.

What are peoples thoughts on the intenerary.
Are we planning too much.
Do we have enought time.
Places like the Blue ridge mountains etc, I didnt know how much time to allow.There is a lot of driving and a lot of planning to do in this trip.
Getting to places like New Oleans will be time consuming and do we really need to go to Dallas or Houston or rather go down to San Antonio and visit the Alimo instead, or jusr avoid the interstates all together and hit the back roads in Texas.
We even wanted to chuck in a couple of days in New York City and through Colorado and Denver on the way to South Dakota.
What do we leave out and what do we see. We could leave Canada out alltogether until our Alaska trip but being so close we feel the need to visit. We could extend our trip a bit longer but every day adds extra vehicle hire, fuel etc so it all adds up.

Im still leaning towards hiring an escape Camper again as it gives us a good bed and able to cook if we want to,also the opportunity to go the long miles and not have to be tied down to a motel check in. The camper cost us about $90 US a day for unlimited miles and full insurance. Im sure we could have done a better deal on insurance. My wilf loved the little camper so if she is happy then so am I.
I have swapped ad change this trip a bit since starting this tread but Im certain this is the trip we are going to do,just need to fine tune it a bit. "HELP"

John

[john.waters]

Back to the maps and study a bit more. Googling photos of places seems to be my undoing. Anything for a photo session.

John

[Mass Tim]

Are we planning too much.
Do we have enough time.
Places like the Blue ridge mountains etc, I didnt know how much time to allow.

I think the answer to the first question is "Possibly."
To the second, "Yes, but..."
And the third, "It depends."

Let me elaborate. Using the Blue Ridge mountains as an example - you could spend weeks there exploring the different towns and historical sites, etc. I've been to the areas near Skyline Drive in Virginia multiple times over the years and I certainly haven't experienced all there is to offer. As you move into or out of an area, there will probably be times that you see something that piques your interest and alters your plans. So for that you're going to want some slack in your planning.

One of the best trips I ever had was where I planned only the first couple of days and the last couple of days. It was a much shorter trip than yours, but I think extending that philosophy of leaving some of the days on a longer trip unplanned would be rewarding. Had I not done that, I wouldn't have found a neat road house in Pennsylvania or an old arched covered bridge in Virginia.

[morgail]

This looks like a fantastic trip. Am jealous! :)

Re your time in Kentucky - the distilleries are rather spread out across the middle of the state. You'll pass Jim Beam in the Clermont area on your way up from Nashville. The drive from Nashville to Louisville is about 2 1/2 - 3 hours on the interstate. Maker's Mark is south of Bardstown (also on your way from Nashville) near Loretto (this area south of Bardstown is home to an abbey and a monastery - look for the bathtub Virgin Mary in people's yards). While others - Woodford and Four Roses come to mind - are located between Louisville and Lexington. Gorgeous scenic back road drives in this area between Frankfort & Lexington. It's about 5-6 hours straight through from Louisville to Cherokee on I-64/75/40, depending on traffic.

[john.waters]

Thanks Mass Tim and morgail.
I know its easy to put too much into one trip so careful planning is the key here.
Last year we covered 8500 mile in 6 weeks and were on the move most days.
I like the idea of seeing a little of a lot rather than a lot of a little. I dont think I will ever get a chance to get back to these places for a long time if ever so would like to make the most of it.

We are planning on Alaska in a couple of years so the Canada and Washington area could be left until then.
The blue ridge Mountains are something I want to experience so at leat a week could be spent here.
As for Kentucky maybe one or two distilleries might be enough and more time drivng the country roads and enjoying the scenery.
New Orleans is another but a lot of miles between stops,We really want to go there as well,

Getting from Niagara Falls to South Dakota is a long way as well. Do you think adding Denver would be a big mistake.

John

[Southwest Dave]

Hey John.

I wouldn't say adding Denver was a "big mistake" but it probably won't be the best use of your time seeing as you will have little of it to spare there anyway. [I personally prefer RMNP and Manitou Springs areas near Denver]. If you have a little time spare you could visit some of the places in the Badlands to Glacier area, choosing from Rushmore, Custer State park, Wind Cave NP, Devils Tower, Bighorn Rec area and so on. Without extra time available you might be able to split your journey up on the way to Glacier and spend just one full day in Badlands and visit a couple.

[john.waters]

Thanks Southwest Dave you have covered that in one hit. I didnt fill in the gaps between days as not to make the itninerary to long.
Denver was just a point on my road trip plan. Just wasnt sure if it would be the best way to get to Badlands.But felt it was a good area as well.
Rocky Mountains NP, Custer Sate Park,Rushmore, Crazy Horse and all that you mentioned are on the list.
Im not a fan of interstates and make me feel uneasy driving them and a waste of time. I prefer country roads where you have to slow down and drive through the towns.I realise that some days I will need to hit the interstae to make the distance required.

My wife and I talked this morning and quiet happy to leave Canada and a Olympic NP out if we have to as we plan on visiting Alaska in 2015 and could start from there.
I have set te trip limit to 8 weeks as thats as much as we can squeeze in.

Driving long hours doesnt worry me and being in a new Country with different scenery makes it so much easier. Last year I drove from Dayville OR to West Yellowstone. It was a fun drive and had plenty of time for photos and rests and managed to avoid the busy roads. I cant wait to get there again.My camera shutter finger is itching.

Thanks for the feed back and ideas.
Back to the maps.

John

[john.waters]

Well here we go again.Started playing with google maps and managed to cover the whole of route 66 in as well. Cut a bit out put a bit in. Just a matter of putting all the bits together and see if it works.Still maybe not enough time.