Where to go?

[Transplanted Midwesterner]

Each summer my friends and I take a road trip, lasting around 10 days. We start from Southern Minnesota, and camp out most every night. Last year we went to Oregon up the coast into B.C. and back through Glacier. The year before we went to Rhode Island, through the UP of Michigan, to Montreal, and back through Cleveland.

So does anyone have any good suggestions on where we should go this year?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Ooooh the UP of Michigan -- I still want to get there!

Have you done a trip in the SW yet? Personally I love the lush forests of the Chircuahua Mountains. They are located only 60 miles north of Mexico, but with a main ridge at 10,000 feet and nearly as much rain as some rain forests in Oregon -- they are full of unusual flora and fauna. Kartchner Caverns near Benson are certainly worth a visit. Terlingua, TX is a treat -- a former mercury mining camp, it is now home to quite a collection of characters.

[Transplanted Midwesterner]

I lived in Tucson for a year, so I did get to see a good portion of Arizona, Southern California, and parts of New Mexico. I haven't made it to Texas or Oklahoma yet, though, but I'm not sure I want to head that far south in July.

I have been kicking around the idea of heading through the smokey mountains and checking out the carolina coast. One concern I have with that idea though is that from past experiences state parks in the east generally glorified crowded rv parks. Another idea I'm thinking about is heading north and going deep into the Northern Ontario/Manitoba wilderness, perhaps making it north of the 54th parallell.

Any advice or other suggestions are desired. Thanks.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I will get to your responses in moment -- one more plug for Terlingua. The Starlite theatre is Terlingua is managed by a modern day "Miss Kitty" and an experienced roadtripper like you shouldn't miss it. For information about the town check out http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/TerlinguaTexas/TerlinguaTx.htm

For a July trip -- you gotta go for Manitoba. I haven't been there yet, so I can't offer any tips -- but what an adventure!

If you're partiers, the Calgary Stampede is supposed to be as rockin' as Mardi Gras. If you like natural sites, Banff and Jasper National Parks are major destinations of mine, and ones that have come highly recommended by friends and co-workers.

So I would head west and then north into Alberta. Of course, there is always the northern route with a stop at Voyageur's National Park (Minnesota's only NP, made up of about 80% water...so much fun to rent a boat and explore) and then a trek across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Good luck and safe driving.


AB

[Tar Baby]

A wonderful road trip (and not too hot) would be around the Gaspe Peninsula in eastern Quebec. Gorgeous scenary, good seafood, friendly (French-speaking) people. Start in Quebec City, the cleanest, most picturesque city imaginable. And Canada still offers USA folks a great discount (altho not as good as earlier.)

[Transplanted Midwesterner]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Friendly French speaking people: Is there such a thing? I really have no desire to ever go back to Quebec after our last experience there (extremely rude people, prov. parks unkept with gestapo-like rangers, although it is home to my all time favorite strip club).

Anyway, it looks like we're taking a different route. Thanks in part to all the wonderful things I've heard on here about arches, canyonlands, and the other area N.P.'s it looks like we're headed that direction. Any tips for a 7 day trip from Minnesota to Bakersfield?

[Mark Sedenquist]

My experience with French Canadians is that they tend to respond in kind. A fun outlook is always, in my experience, returned from our friends to the north.

Why the destination to Bakersfield?

[Beck]

Any good ideas for where to stop between TN and the west coast ANYWHERE and IDEA is wanted...time is not a fatcor we are taking like a month and want to get a good trip out of it!