2004 -- Western States Adventure

[imported_Jessica]

Hey! My name is Jessica and I'm planning quite a long road trip for next summer, and I'm really excited about it. I'm 21. I'll either be alone, or with a guy I'm seeing, Ryan. Anyways, Ry's off hiking the appalachian trail right now so I haven't anyone to talk about my trip with since my Mother is basically uninterested and thinks I won't follow through.
Anyways, let me tell you what I have planned, and then I'd like some major feedback to tell me what you think, best places to see, best highways to use, tips, tricks, hints.

I'm planning on doing mostly camping (tent, not RV or camper.)I'm also starting in Northern Indiana.

(In no particular order)
The places I want to go.

1. Black Hills, South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave, Badlands)
2. Little Bighorn NM, Montana
3. Yellowstone NP
4. Redwood NF
5. Winnemucca, NV (I've got friends here so it will be nice to sleep in a bed and have a hot shower.)
6. Yosmite NP
7. Dinosaur NM
8. Carlsbad Caverns NP
9. Roswell, NM
10. New Orleans
11. Arcadia, Florida (Used to live here, more like visiting my hometown)
12. Orlando, FL (only if Ryan comes, he's never been there and I promised I'd take him to Disney.)
13. Savannah, GA
14. Charleston, SC
15. Myrtle Beach, SC
16. Williamsburg, VA
17. Washington DC
18. Atlantic City, NJ
19. NY City
20. Cape Cod
21. Boston
22. Salem, Mass.
23. Acadia NP, Maine
24. Green Mtn. NF, Vermont
25. Niagra Falls, NY
26. Mammoth Cave NP, KY
27. San Fransisco
28. Gettysburg and Harrisburg
29. Valley Forge
30. Grand Canyon

Also places I haven't added (my list hasn't been narrowed down yet, just basically a large jumble of information)

Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Petrified Forest NP, Sun Valley, Lake Tahoe, The Poconos, The finger lakes, Martha's Vineyard, Hoover Dam, etc.

I want to do some White Water Rafting too, and maybe visit some old west ghost towns or mining tows. Whatever. I'm really into history, and this is my last big trip before I head overseas to travel.

:X
Any imput would be GREAT!

[Firespyder7]

Sounds like a great deal. Ive beenout there before and im going again at the end of this month. You will have one hell of a time in the Black Hills. Those places you are going to are awesome! Ill be heading out From NC, taking a southern route to Nevada. Im Driving My jeep and Im going to participate in a jeep trek from Las vegas to Sturgis South Dakota. (Northern Black Hills) Dont know how long it will take or where exactly im going to end up. But I cant wait. I can give you some awesome things to see in South Dakota that are off the beaten path, as well as wyoming, only an hour or two away. Let me Know. Ryan. Yep same name as your guy! ry

Hi Jessica,

That sounds like a great adventure! First I would suggest making a loop and since you are starting in the spring I would suggest heading south, west, north and back east.

I would suggest getting a map of the United States and putting little dots on the places you want to visit. Get a computer software program like Micrsoft Streets and Maps and start plugging in these destinations to get an idea of a route. You might have to do a little wiggling around of some states to get to all the locations.

Utahtea

&gt; Hey! My name is Jessica and I'm planning quite a <BR>
&gt; long road trip for next summer, and I'm really <BR>
&gt; excited about it. I'm 21. I'll either be alone, <BR>
&gt; or with a guy I'm seeing, Ryan. Anyways, Ry's off <BR>
&gt; hiking the appalachian trail right now so I <BR>
&gt; haven't anyone to talk about my trip with since <BR>
&gt; my Mother is basically uninterested and thinks I <BR>
&gt; won't follow through. Anyways, let me tell you <BR>
&gt; what I have planned, and then I'd like some major <BR>
&gt; feedback to tell me what you think, best places <BR>
&gt; to see, best highways to use, tips, tricks, <BR>
&gt; hints.<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; I'm planning on doing mostly camping <BR>
&gt; (tent, not RV or camper.)I'm also starting in <BR>
&gt; Northern Indiana.<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; (In no particular <BR>
&gt; order) The places I want to go.<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; 1. Black <BR>
&gt; Hills, South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, <BR>
&gt; Wind Cave, Badlands) 2. Little Bighorn NM, <BR>
&gt; Montana 3. Yellowstone NP 4. Redwood NF 5. <BR>
&gt; Winnemucca, NV (I've got friends here so it will <BR>
&gt; be nice to sleep in a bed and have a hot <BR>
&gt; shower.) 6. Yosmite NP 7. Dinosaur NM 8. <BR>
&gt; Carlsbad Caverns NP 9. Roswell, NM 10. New <BR>
&gt; Orleans 11. Arcadia, Florida (Used to live here, <BR>
&gt; more like visiting my hometown) 12. Orlando, FL <BR>
&gt; (only if Ryan comes, he's never been there and I <BR>
&gt; promised I'd take him to Disney.) 13. Savannah, <BR>
&gt; GA 14. Charleston, SC 15. Myrtle Beach, SC 16. <BR>
&gt; Williamsburg, VA 17. Washington DC 18. Atlantic <BR>
&gt; City, NJ 19. NY City 20. Cape Cod 21. <BR>
&gt; Boston 22. Salem, Mass. 23. Acadia NP, <BR>
&gt; Maine 24. Green Mtn. NF, Vermont 25. Niagra <BR>
&gt; Falls, NY 26. Mammoth Cave NP, KY 27. San <BR>
&gt; Fransisco 28. Gettysburg and Harrisburg 29. <BR>
&gt; Valley Forge 30. Grand Canyon<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; Also places I <BR>
&gt; haven't added (my list hasn't been narrowed down <BR>
&gt; yet, just basically a large jumble of <BR>
&gt; information)<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Death <BR>
&gt; Valley, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Petrified <BR>
&gt; Forest NP, Sun Valley, Lake Tahoe, The Poconos, <BR>
&gt; The finger lakes, Martha's Vineyard, Hoover Dam, <BR>
&gt; etc.<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; I want to do some White Water Rafting <BR>
&gt; too, and maybe visit some old west ghost towns or <BR>
&gt; mining tows. Whatever. I'm really into history, <BR>
&gt; and this is my last big trip before I head <BR>
&gt; overseas to travel.<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; :X Any imput would be <BR>
&gt; GREAT! <BR>
<BR>

[MaryT]

Jessica,

Your trip out west will be wonderful!

Camp in Custer State Park in SD. It's a great park and close to all the attractions.

Make reservations at Yellowstone, so you won't be dissapointed. We last camped at Canyon, sort of the middle of the park and it has showers and laundry close by. Make you ressies soon. They also have inexpensive cabins in the same area and are nice if you will be staying for a few days. I do recommend at least 3 days, and that's just hitting the highlights. A week is better. Just get up and on the road early each day to avoid the traffic.

Dinosaur NM is fun, but hit the Colorado National Monument, too, if you're in that area. Actually, I think Mesa Verde and the surrounding area is even neater. Check it out, if you're going to the Grand Canyon anyway.

Hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park was the BEST hike I have ever taken, and I've been all over the west. Southern Utah is a great place to visit.

We did the West coast two summers ago, Seattle to San Francisco. You will LOVE the Redwoods. Check out the beaches, too. Great camping.

I can't help you back East. I have rarely been past the mid-west, but will fix that next summer.

Have a wonderful time and surprise your Mom. I went to Europe for three weeks by myself. Shocked my mom big time!

Mary T

[Mark Sedenquist]

Mary -- Your favorite hike is the Narrows? Was this in summer or winter? How far did you go? I love that canyon too, but I did a large chunk of it in Tevas in the winter... Brrr...

M

[MaryT]

[MaryT]

We hiked the narrows on the 4th of July. It got over 100 degrees that day, but we started early and in the canyon you really don't feel the heat until well after lunch.

We wore our hiking boots with thick hiking socks. Once the boots got soaked, it felt pretty good. Hiking boots gave good stability on the uneven river bed and you didn't have to worry about bare toes or ankles getting scraped.

The water was very low, (can you say two-year drought?) so we never were in water past our thighs, but the current was still pretty swift in places. Some of our group made it up to where the little tributary runs in (not the little waterfall, if you can call it that). I turned back 20 minutes shy of there with some of the kids. (We were a group of 7, ages 10 to 40-something.)

I can't imagine making that hike in the winter. Brrr...is putting it mildly!

Mary T

[Tim Rush]

Sounds great.But I believe you left out the greatest place you may ever hike. The Grand Canyon ! You can't go out west and not see the Canyon. Hike the Bright Angel Trail down to Plateau Point and back. It's a 12 mile round trip with an elevation change around 3,000 ft.It's a hike you can do in a day,or you can camp in the canyon with a permit. You can also hike rim to rim in 2 to 3 days. About 24 miles,5000 ft down and 7000 ft out .If your in to serious hiking and the most awesome sight in this country, you gotta do it. We did the mule trip once and now we are going to hike it in July 2004.

[Mark Sedenquist]

One of the best hikes I ever did happened the month of October that I spent inside the rims. I would need a topo to remember where we wandered, but I do remember the hike back out (up the Kaibab with two strained achiles tendons and one partially blown knee (I didn't say we used good judgment -- but we had fun!)