Vegas to Vermont!

[aunty stephy]

We're moving from Vegas to Vermont this August. And we figure it's a great excuse for a road trip. All our stuff is going cross country in a pod, so we won't be burdened with a u-haul. We just need to make sure that we arrive in Vermont around the same time as our stuff so the landlady doesn't freak out on us for leaving a pod in the parking lot.

We need to keep it cheap and we want it to be as relaxed and fun as possible.

Any suggestions on route, attractions not to miss, quirky campgrounds and whether we're insane to try this without renting a trailer. Would a couple days in Yosemite be worth the extra miles it will add to the trip? (we've never been and always thought we'd visit in winter)

Did I mention the dog is going to have to be in a crate in the back of the pickup 99% of the drive (no crew cab for us!) so we're going to avoid the southwestern route.

Help?

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

You say you need to arrive in Vermont with [or before] "your stuff," and ask whether Yosemite is worth the extra miles, but we don't really know how much time you have to get there. Yosemite is probably my favorite place of all and highly recommended, but is there a chance of visiting on a long weekend before your move ? It is a 5-6 day drive with only time for short breaks for food, bathroom, filling with gas and letting you and the dog stretch the legs. With having to set up camp I would allow a minimum of 6 for travelling and any added time could be considered for sight seeing. Utah and Colorado are very scenic and you could make your way through to Denver taking in some of the sights, but you would have to check on what places [such as National parks] are dog friendly.

Take a look around the RTA pages where you will find lot's of ideas and info and get back to us if you have more specific questions.

[aunty stephy]

we're moving to vermont this august. Our stuf is going via truck separately and hubby and I (and the dog) are driving our pickup cross country.
We have 7 days, give or take.
Planning to hit Valley of Fire, Grand Canyon (can't believe we've lived here 4 years and hubby has never seen it), Mesa Verde, Cuyahoga Valley, and Niagara Falls with long-slog driving in between.

Need advice on where to stay with dog in summer at all these parks. And also if there's something along our route we 'must see'.

Thanks

[Midwest Michael]

I certainly wouldn't look to be adding anything more to your trip. As it is, I think you'll have a very tough time fitting everything into a 7 day trip. As Dave mentioned already, its 5-6 days driving straight, and just the driving detour off the Interstate to Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde will take up a big chunk of your "extra" time and each of those parks are big places that can very easily take up far more than a full day each. However, it is worth noting that National Parks are not the most dog friendly places - at the Grand Canyon, they are only allowed on the Rim Trail, and at Mesa Verde they aren't allowed on the trails at all. However, having a dog with you at a campground should be perfectly fine.

Considering you aren't leaving until August, I'd certainly try to head out to Valley of Fire some weekend before you depart - that's an easy thing to cut out to give you a little bit of time as you are making your way east.