Planning??

[Elizabeth]

I'm currently trying to plan out my route across the US and I have no idea where to start. Do you guys have any advice? I would like to get through at least 25 states in 12 months. How do I start planning that kind of trip?

-Thanks!

 

[Ella1]

I'm working on that too, but my trip is south to north and back, along the west coast and not too far inland, hopefully sooner rather than later, but...
I need to be able to switch out O2 tanks along the way. I have a booklet from my supplier with store locations and contact info. Beyond that, I'll be reading here for planning guidance. Sadly, I can no longer just pack my tooth brush and go!

 

[Suanne]

I consider 2 main items when planning a road trip. First is a list of what I want to see and explore. Second is the weather. You can put your desired points of interest into a mapping program or web site to come up with a possible route. Then, change the route to make sure you stay away from weather that is too hot, too cold, or too wet.

Depending on what you want to see or explore, other factors, like avoiding summer crowds, may also determine your route.

On my first long road trip I explored the National Parks in the Lower 48, but altered my route into Canada to avoid the summer heat in the US. So, another suggestion is to plan a route and timeline, but be flexible enough to take advantage of serendipitous opportunities that will present themselves.

I love the planning stage. I hope you enjoy yours as well.

Suanne

 

[rvwandering]

I plan the same way as Suanne except good weather is my first priority and that determines what we see and where we explore.

 What are your interests? No matter what they are you should try to visit as many national parks as possible. The parks in the west are spectacular.

  Once you get a basic route down with the main things that you'd like to see you can started checking for other interesting stuff along the way including good places to camp.  Try this site - https://roadtrippers.com/?lat=40.80972&lng=-96.67528&z=5   It might be a little overwhelming but it will give you a place to start.

 

[WriterMs]

I agree the National Parks make a great "outline" of where to go. Bob's regular blog posts have covered several in detail over the last couple of months (and he has older ones too).

Something I had saved on my Pinterest page is an interesting chart from Lonely Planet about the best times to visit the major parks... to get good weather but avoid crowds, etc. Here is a link to the article with chart:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/travel-tips-and-articles/76839

I thought I had a couple of maps showing a circle trip around the U.S. for hitting the most popular places with little or no backtracking... but I cannot find it. But, I did find an article with one guy's map shown... with pins that list each major attraction. Here is a link to that:

http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear...the-us-hitting-all-major-landmarks-150309.htm

 

[cyndi]

I've crossed the US 17 times and am always looking for new routes. Usually, when I start out I begin with a theme (ghost towns, beaches, state parks, etc) But I'm always looking for something different. I stumbled on this one the other day.

THE OBSESSIVELY DETAILED MAP OF AMERICAN LITERATURE'S MOST EPIC ROAD TRIPS
http://www.atlasobscura.com/article...-of-american-literatures-most-epic-road-trips

This'll keep me busy for awhile

 

[rvwandering]

Cool site Cyndi. Thanks for the link! I've only read about half of the books but I'm sure they're all interesting trips.

 

[LoupGarou]

Yes that's a great link.

Cindi do you know if GPS *.gpx files exist for those routes?

 

[Elizabeth]

I've crossed the US 17 times and am always looking for new routes. Usually, when I start out I begin with a theme (ghost towns, beaches, state parks, etc) But I'm always looking for something different. I stumbled on this one the other day.

THE OBSESSIVELY DETAILED MAP OF AMERICAN LITERATURE'S MOST EPIC ROAD TRIPS
http://www.atlasobscura.com/article...-of-american-literatures-most-epic-road-trips

This'll keep me busy for awhile

This trip I'm planning will be my first across the US, I really love the idea of having a general theme for the whole thing! How do you usually you pick a theme?

 

[akrvbob]

Decide the 5 things you are most interested in and chose one of them.
Bob

 

[SoulRaven]

My routes are usually dependent on my destination in relation to my starting point.

So I try to look for anything and everything of interest, within 50 or maybe even 100 miles of the route I'm traveling, because I may never travel that exact route again.

 

[eDJ_]

I would approach it this way.

Each of the 50 states in the USA have a Travel and Tourism Dept.  You can probably find them online.  Then
Write a letter in Note Pad requesting that they send you an Information Kit.  Then copy paste the letter
into an email to each.   A lot of this may by now be online in websites, blogs, and Facebook pages.   But it's all going to start with that ol  Data Crunch.  

In the meanwhile,  if you are near a City of any size or can visit the main Library in your Capital City then you
may find books (Fodor's Travel Books as an example)  and any other number of serial journals such as
"Action Vacations" (or such titles) which detail interesting vacation ideas you can pursue in different cities in the many states.   Example:  Going for a Sail Plane ride near a resort so that you can see the area from the air.

As you gather this "raw" information you can then begin to decide what would appeal to you and make a
bucket list for each State to work from.    You may want the prioritize the list to those things best done in
any of the four seasons.  Some things are best done at certain times of the year if they are outdoor interest.

Try to remember the functionality of your list of things to do should be at the center of your organizing so that if something isn't open or closed for repairs then your list is flexible enough that you can easily move on to the  next items.  Then you may be able to come back to that missed item later when it has reopened.
Thus with each main item try to vector a few alternates around it if you can find them.  (these may be Museums, Parks, Observatories, Arboreum's & Botanical Gardens, Golf Course, Fishing spots, Marina's, Baseball Parks, Historical sites, Outdoor Theaters, County Fairs, Art Galleries, Scenic Parkways, Auto or Horse Race tracks, Boat Cruises, Spiritual/Religious Centers, or whatever interest you. 

You are only limited by your imagination.  You've probably heard that commercial slogan: "Wow! I could have had a V8"   (V8 Tomato/Vegetable Juice fame)   It suggest, "I could have done better than this". 

I'll offer this website as a starting point.   The "One" thing to do in each State.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/04/to-do-in-america_n_4775300.html

 

[highdesertranger]

"How do you usually you pick a theme?" easy for me gold or no gold, the answer is obvious, "go for the gold". highdesertranger

 

[towhee]

I Use http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/maps/?wfo=pdt&obs=true heavily to see current temperatures. Zoom in to see more detail. It won't help you with forecasts. You can get that from http://www.wrh.noaa.gov 

Temperature is critical for comfort. 

Towhee

 

[SoulRaven]

If I am unfamiliar with an area I'm in, rather than trying to track down the visitors bureau, I will sometimes just pop into the lobby of a motel.  Much easier to find, and they will usually have brochures for most of the attractions in their area.