my plan for 4 months in a van

[steveh2112]

i'll be in the US for 6 months, on the road for 4 month from start June to mid October

this is my preliminary trip plan
https://www.google.co.th/maps/dir/P...528!2m2!1d-122.1235054!2d37.4177563!3e0?hl=en

looking for free camping along the way. with the exception of Vegas, i think no problem and there i don't mind a cheap hotel for a couple of days

is there any place else close (couple of hundred miles ish) to this route you would consider a must visit?

thx

 

[steveh2112]

that link is to google maps in Thailand, i think this link is better
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pal...regon,+United+States/Palo+Alto,+CA+94306,+USA

it would be great if you had more than 5 mins to edit posts on this forum

by the way, it would be great to see the fall colors on the trees. i assume Oregon in Sept would be pretty good for that.

also, we would plan to spend 1 to 2 months from that lot in Boulder CO looking for temporary work

 

[SoulRaven]

I would possibly reverse that route so as to be in the farther North during the hottest parts of the summer...

 

[Canine]

Sounds good.I would suggest the Arches in Utah.Glacier in Mt.Grand Canyon in Az.Yosimite in Ca.Aw heck,you could spend 6 years in the US and still have much to see.

 

[highdesertranger]

I couldn't figure out your map. I couldn't find highway numbers and I couldn't expand your route beyond the first 6. I would skip the cenrtal valley in California, cross the sierras at Yosemite(tioga pass) stop and see mono lake, and the ghost town of Bodie just to the north of the lake. then travel south on US395 then pick up SR58 in Inyokern(this is what they call the Bakersfield, Barstow highway on your map). also it's hard to figure out what highway you come into Bend OR on. if you come in on the 20 be warned this is a long lonely route through high desert. I like the 20 but most don't. much prettier route is the next east-west route to the north. I don't no the numbers off the top of my head but you go through Baker, Sumpter, John Day, Prineville, and some other small towns. much more scenic route. anyhoo is there a way to get the highway numbers off that map? highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

That's a good route!! Be sure to do the northern route first like Off Grid said.

Some notes:

California:
Dont' take 99 down through Fresno, hot ugly and busy!! After Yosemite, go over Toulamn meadows to 395 on the East side of the Sierra because it is one of the most beautiful drives in the country!! See:
* Mono Lake
* Mammoth lakes
* Convict lake
* Bishop (Ancient Bristlecone Pines--oldest living thing on the planet)
* Lone Pine and Alabama Hills
* Mt Whitney highest mt in lower 48 and very beautiful from Alabama Hills
* Then over to Death Valley (or reversed if coming from Vegas).

Utah
* It's look like you've scheduled the 5 National Parks, so you are good.
* You're missing Monument Valley which is amazing!! But, it will require backtracking so you may just have to miss it

Colorado
Don't stay on the freeway!!!! It's SHIT!!!
In Utah you should end up at Moab. From there go over to Ridgway, CO and drive south at least as far as Ouray and Silverton on 550, the Million Dollar Highway. From Silverton, take some of the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway. MUST SEE!!! Don't miss it!!!! Ask me more when you get closer you can do about half of it in a van. It'll be the highlight of the trip
* From there go to Crested Butte. in Mid July to August it's the "Wildflower Capital of Colorado" Gorgeous!! Other times, skip it
* Go up to Aspen and see the Maroon Bells!! Take Independnece Pass to Leadville (I love Leadville).
* From Leadville to Rocky Mt National Park.

Okay, this is taking too long. More states to come tomorrow!!
Bob

 

[flailer]

Yeah!  What these guys are saying, for sure. 
- I think that is hwy 97 (from Weed CA up through Bend) that HighDesertRanger is thinking of. 
- Like Bob said: hwy 99, & Interstate 5 too, in central Calif sucks. sucks. sucks.   Either plan on blowing through it in half a day (or better yet, at night) and move on. 

--- But my only point: What?  No Coastal?  Not even Calif beaches?  Personally, I would avoid LA basin, but go coastal at thousand oaks / Malibu, Santa Barbara, Montana de Oro, Big Sur, Monterey, to Santa Cruz, then inland, east, up to Lake Tahoe & Yosemite, June Lakes, maybe.  Back onto I5 to Weed, head up 97, Crater lake, Paulina Lakes, Sun River, Columbia Gorge, San Juan Islands...    
---- Said basically: you have huge, HUGE, number of miles with NOTHING of interest (to me) between Las Vegas and Yosemite.  
------ I have my own list of prolly a hundred spots between L.A. & Seattle, and you are hitting only two of them.  

But: who am i? 

 

[steveh2112]

thanks all, some great suggestions. i do plan to take tioga pass from yosemite into nevada but google maps refuses to let you select that route, i think because its closed this time of year but will be open when i go.

i live next to a beach so i'm not too interested in that. i'd rather see mountains and nature.

'Crested Butte. in Mid July to August it's the "Wildflower Capital of Colorado" Gorgeous' that sounds great and the timing should work out, as do many of the other suggestions.
'From Silverton, take some of the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway. MUST SEE!!! Don't miss it!!!! ' sounds awesome too.

i'd rather be in yosemite in spring than fall (might get stuck in fire season in sept) so i think i'll stick with the direction i listed and come back through idaho and oregon in the fall. i guess i'll be needing the Mr Buddy heater for that.

if anyone would care to throw in a few suggestions of great places to boondock along the way that would be great too. i found one for my yosemite trip that sounds nice, on highway 120 near big oak flat. can't find the link right now.

 

[steveh2112]

found the link but as usual, too late to edit
http://www.freecampgrounds.com/detail.aspx?id=3465

 

[Howiet]

Like HDR said prettier route  thru Oregon is HWY 26 to Prineville.  If you are coming from the east 26 takes off from 20 at the town of Vale.  Slower road but prettier.  If in a hurry stay on HWY 20. HWY 20 has its own kind of beauty but many people don't like it.  If you go through the John Day country take in the John Day Fossil Beds if you are into that sort  of thing.  Nice visitor center and several good hikes.  If you are into rock climbing Smith Rock over by Prineville is popular also a pretty spot.  Painted Hills by Mitchell is nice in the early spring but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it in the summer.  Plenty of boondocking in the forests along that route.

Howiet

 

[steveh2112]

akrvbob, so it looks like i can do grand staircase-escalante, to monument valley, to durango, then up the 550 as you suggest, Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway from silverton to lake city
http://www.coloradodirectory.com/maps/images/Alpine-LoopSB.gif
then on the 149 and 50 to gunnison
then to crested butte, back to 50 and then and on to boulder

 

[highdesertranger]

thanks howiet, that's the route. highdesertranger

 

[steveh2112]

this one in crested butte looks great
http://freecampsites.net/#!8941&query=sitedetails

 

[akrvbob]

The Alpine Loop is mostly 4x4 only. But heading out of Silverton you can go a long way and get up pretty high because you are staying down in the Valley. But unless you are an exceptional driver, you can only go part way and will have to backtrack to Silverton. It's worth it!!
Bob

 

[cdiggy]

Didn't really get a close up of your route but it looks like you miss dinosaur in CO as well as the top of Utah like arches plus like somebody else said glacier in MT would be nice. As stated earlier you could spend years exploring and not see everything there is. Sounds like a great trip! I am jealous!

 

[Gary68]

if you stay on that route in Oregon your not going to see much,i would recommend staying on 84 to columbia river gorge and hitting I5 at portland or even better going to the coast and taking 101 south

 

[masterplumber]

Fall colors in Colorado are pretty awesome, but can be as short as a week depending upon moisture received that year, temperature, etc... It doesn't line up with the wildflowers but Kebler Pass west out of Crested Butte the second week of October is one of the most beautiful drives on earth

 

[GotSmart]

If possible, Highway 1 from S.L.O. back to P.A.

My favorite drive of all.

You could go from Bakersfield over to San Louis Obispo through the high desert. Magnificent! Then the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, and you are almost back home.

Hit Yosemite on the way out, rather then the way back.

However you do it, enjoy!

 

[Canine]

If you decide to head north a bit more, Glacier is a good suggestion. It is better than Yellowstone IMO. Yellowstone is awesome, but not as.