Road trip planning!

[jangoforhire]

I'm starting to get offers in for internships for the summer of 2013. One in Portland, and one in Seattle so far, so either way it looks like I'm headed to the pacific in a May/June!

I could fly...but where is the fun in that. I'm thinking about driving across and hitting all the awesome trails that I can pack into a week or two. It will definitely be more expensive, but I haven't road tripped across the country since I was very young, and this seems like the perfect opportunity.

I'm starting to look into rooftop tent options, but am not sure if I will end up with one of these as they all seem to be huge, and very expensive - especially just for one person and a few weeks use. I may just pack the tent I currently have and go campground to campground.

But heres where I need your guys help. What are your favorite and most memorable trails between the east and west coast? I want to get an idea of what route I will be taking and want to find as many good trails as I can.

I've got a few in CO that I am interested in, and I am not sure that I will make it down to Moab, but we'll see. Anything in between?


PS. Jesse this is totally 5th gen related...if you move it, i'll find your truck and put a Steelers bumper sticker on it. :target: (just kidding, that would hurt me as much as it would hurt you).

 

[Ducmonsta]

I did about an 8 week trip across the country, clockwise, starting from DC. I've definitely got some places you gotta check out. Are you going the northern route (80 or 90), midway (70) or hit the south (40 or 10)?

 

[bernardmwrangle]

I say go clockwise! I drove the Southern route last summer in the other direction, ending up in Memphis, if you are a music fan Stax, Sun records, and Graceland are pretty awesome and so is the Mississippi Blues Trail, we also hit Austin, Sedona and Santa Fe, all great spots, gotta do slide rock park in sedona, natural water slides. Then you could hit Vegas and get toxic for a bit, and here in Cali the drive up the coast is pretty spectacular, you would not want to do the whole coast, but you gotta see big sur and mendo/humboldt, you can cut back over to grants pass oregon above arcata and up to pdx/seattle on the 5.

 

[jangoforhire]

I did about an 8 week trip across the country, clockwise, starting from DC. I've definitely got some places you gotta check out. Are you going the northern route (80 or 90), midway (70) or hit the south (40 or 10)?

Last time I went across was when I was younger with my family and we did 70 as far as Colorado and then looped down south to come back. I would probably go 70 out, to Colorado again, and then head southwest so I can hit Arizona and SoCal.

I say go clockwise! I drove the Southern route last summer in the other direction, ending up in Memphis, if you are a music fan Stax, Sun records, and Graceland are pretty awesome and so is the Mississippi Blues Trail, we also hit Austin, Sedona and Santa Fe, all great spots, gotta do slide rock park in sedona, natural water slides. Then you could hit Vegas and get toxic for a bit, and here in Cali the drive up the coast is pretty spectacular, you would not want to do the whole coast, but you gotta see big sur and mendo/humboldt, you can cut back over to grants pass oregon above arcata and up to pdx/seattle on the 5.

I've been to Sedona recently and did some trails with a rented jeep, it was a blast! I definitely want to check out some of the California trails that I've seen. So I think the drive up (most of) the coast will be something I'll try and work in.

 

[boondoggle]

If you're not in a hurry, if/when you do the MO/KS portion I highly recommend avoiding I70 and take either HWY 24 or 36, or both. It'll take you a bit longer but you'll see more of the good stuff.

 

[Intruder]

I'm starting to look into rooftop tent options, but am not sure if I will end up with one of these as they all seem to be huge, and very expensive - especially just for one person and a few weeks use. I may just pack the tent I currently have and go campground to campground.

I have one but I use it frequently in the summer. A good one definitely isn't cheap, but man are they comfortable. The other consideration is if you get one you'll also need something like a Baja flat utility rack to mount it. Mine is 150 lbs, which is over the weight capacity of the stock crossbars.

I've got a few in CO that I am interested in, and I am not sure that I will make it down to Moab, but we'll see. Anything in between?

I haven't done it yet myself, but Kokopelli's trail starts in CO and ends in Moab. To be perfectly honest though, I would never do a trail I'm unfamiliar with (and even lots I am familiar with) by myself. Never know what you're going to run into out there...

 

[jangoforhire]

I have one but I use it frequently in the summer. A good one definitely isn't cheap, but man are they comfortable. The other consideration is if you get one you'll also need something like a Baja flat utility rack to mount it. Mine is 150 lbs, which is over the weight capacity of the stock crossbars.

I already have a Gobi, and I know a bunch of people who have rooftop tents on them so I'm not super worried about that. It definitely would be nice for the convenience. The other factor I have to consider is that I'll either be working in either downtown Portland or Seattle. I know I already don't fit in most garages and I don't want to make that worse...

I haven't done it yet myself, but Kokopelli's trail starts in CO and ends in Moab. To be perfectly honest though, I would never do a trail I'm unfamiliar with (and even lots I am familiar with) by myself. Never know what you're going to run into out there...

Absolutely correct. I would probably do the scenic and intermediate trails myself. But if there were any serious trails I'd definitely want to line up a group/second vehicle to go with me.

I have heard of Kokopelli's trail before, it sounds awesome ill look into that. Thanks!

 

[G8RB8_12SR5]

Jango,

I moved from NYC to Seattle in June 2011 and did the drive. Fiance and I took 80 out of NYC and picked up 90 in Cleveland and stayed there the whole way up. Not sure if you're just looking to sight see or more offroad/wheeling trip. We didn't have the 4Runner at the time, so for us it was more sightseeing. Did Chicago for deep dish pizza, hit a cave in Wisconsin, Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore/Black Hills National Forest (awesome driving through both) in SD the onto Montana and did a big loop through Yellowstone to Old Faithful over the divide and into Idaho and WA.

It was a fun trip, highly recommend Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks on your way up to the PNW as a must see. South Dakota was a lot of fun too. Let me know if you end up Seattle and have any questions. I'm moving to the Bay Area, CA in July for another duty station but will be back and forth to Seattle often.

 

[jangoforhire]

Thanks for all the replies so far guys. It's now official that I will be in the Bay Area (Working in Palo Alto) over the summer. I know this is a long shot but anyone have any recommendations for housing?

I'm still planning the trip as well. I'm thinking of staying north and hitting a lot of national parks on the way out, and then heading back in the south and finding a lot of trails for the return trip.

 

[Okki]

[MENTION=78705]jangoforhire[/MENTION], I have a relative in that area that works for a tech company. If you want I can put you in contact with him. he's fresh out of college, so he's gone through some of the same of what you're doing now.

If you happen to take I70 some of the way... there's a REALLY good hotdog and BBQ place just down the street from me. Joneseyyy even got some sauce to-go when the DC convoy passed by here on their way to the FJ Summit last year.

Okki