Road Trip from Boston around the US

[Bruce Anderson]

Hello! New member here and kinda new road tripper (retired)

Planning an extended road trip starting mid April this year and lasting 3 months. 23' travel trailer towed with Chevy Tahoe.

From Boston west to CO, WY, Yellowstone to Seattle, down west coast across to Salt lake, down thru Utah, So NV, So California, Tucson, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, W VA, PA back to Boston.

Want to see National Parks but concerned about all these reservations they are talking about needing and crowds. Yellowstone by May1 hoping early enough.

We like to be spontaneous on the trips we have taken and visiting lots of friends so making reservations is almost impossible. I've tried to come up with a schedule but near impossible. Making reservation 2-3 days ahead is probably reasonable though.

If we don't need to stay in the National parks and are willing to be flexible in arrival times and stay outside the parks just about anywhere is this a big problem?

We're looking forward to dispersed camping, boondocking, Walmarting, Harvest Hosting as needed, and avoiding large RV parks. $$$ no kids to entertain.

Looks like tons of places to camp and overnight on route.

Am I thinking straight?

Thank you for any insight!!

Bruce

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I'll start with saying that your biggest issue with Yellowstone is that the park largely doesn't reopen for the spring until mid-may. On May 1, nearly all of the campgrounds and stores are still closed, and you can expect some roads will have not yet reopened. Also, in regards to your RV, you should also be aware that it's entirely possible you'd still be seeing below freezing temperatures at that time, so you'll need to make sure your trailer - especially its water system - is prepared for those conditions.

As far as the other details of your trip, I certainly understand the desire to keep things flexible. I also like to make as few reservations as I can for similar reasons. Having said that, there are some parks where due to limited camping options outside the park and/or restrictions on entry into parks where reservations really are essential. This is especially true at parks that have implemented timed-entry systems to limit overcrowding that require reservations just to enter the park.

The approach I take is basically a tent-pole system - where I pick a couple priority places where I do make reservations, and build a plan where I have to be at those location on those dates - but I also give myself plenty of time and space in between those priority locations to stay flexible and allow my self to make changes on the fly.

[glc]

I would suggest you reverse the direction of your trip - going south first leaving the northern segments till later in the spring/summer. That will take care of the south before the real hot weather hits and the north after it's warmed up.

[AZBuck]

At the start of your trip you might want to consider going through Canada heading first for Montréal and then take the Trans-Candada Highway to Sault Ste. Marie. That would let you miss both paying tolls on at least five separate toll roads and having to drive your rig through or around Cleveland and Chicago. None of that is going to be fun or cheap in a 35' combined truck and trailer. You will need a passport for this and they do take time to get, so if you haven't got one already and want to do this, you'll need to get started on the process pretty soon.

Speaking of government passes, if you're going to be visiting several National Parks on your journey be sure to get the appropriate annual Parks Pass. Some of them are free! Indeed your general route will take you by several besides Yellowstone that are worth a visit, including Badlands, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Petrified Forest, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Great Smokey Mountains, New River Gorge and Shenandoah. Just remember that National Parks are not your only resource. One state historic site that I really enjoyed was Roosevelt's Little White House in Georgia. It's almost always, in a case like yours, worthwhile to stop at the welcome center when you enter a new state and see what they have to suggest.

AZBuck