Where would you go given limitless time on a cross-country road trip?

[Johnny Thunder]

I'm planning a multi-year bike tour and was interested in what your dream trips/hikes/locations would be given limitless time. Where would you want to go and when?

Here's what I have so far:

PCT April-October in Cali, Oregon, and Washington.

A tour of the South Eastern coast in the early part of the year so something like 5 weeks from Asheville to Key West through Charleston.

Mardi Gras (late February) New Orleans, LA

SXSW (mid-March) Austin, TX

Colorado Trail, CO August/September

Isle Royale and the Upper Peninsula, MI late fall

Work at a ski hill in Colorado/Utah/Idaho/Montana

Revisit the Northern CDT summer (June/July/August)

Work on a farm

Clip **** in Humbolt for extra cash

Olympic NP, Washington (Fall after PCT)

What am I missing? I've been leafing through back issues of Backpacker and National Geographic Traveler for ideas. What cities/towns should be visited and when?


Johnny T.

[white_russian]

Throw Alaska in there somewhere.

[Johnny Thunder]

That's on the secondary list but might require a trip all it's own. It'd take us at least a month each way.

[white_russian]

Just take the ferry if time is short.

[Johnny Thunder]

Just take the ferry if time is short.

That's a good idea...where does it go from/to? Part of the reason we're doing to bike trip is to hopefully promote sustainable travel among folks our age. Not sure the ferry fits into that as well as we'd like.

(When i say "we" I'm talking the royal "we". Really I'm just talking about me and my precious.)

[white_russian]

That's a good idea...where does it go from/to? Part of the reason we're doing to bike trip is to hopefully promote sustainable travel among folks our age. Not sure the ferry fits into that as well as we'd like.

(When i say "we" I'm talking the royal "we". Really I'm just talking about me and my precious.)

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

I would say the ferry fits in with the sustainable thing. Some of those towns there is no other way to get there but fly. And you get to pitch your tent on the open deck.

[Cookerhiker]

Eastern Canada in summer - Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces. Enjoy Quebec City with its European ambiance. Drive north and camp or canoe in the Quebec North Woods. Head back to the St.Lawrence and drive all the way around the Gaspe Peninsula. In New Brunswick, you can hike the IAT. Take in PEI and Nova Scotia - try some sea kayaking. Board the ferry to Newfoundland and backpack in Gros Marne National Park followed by a drive along the coast.

For a nice touch, treat yourself to the ethnic festivals, especially the Scottish ones on Cape Breton.

[Jester2000]

Make sure you see The Thing in the Desert. It's in Arizona.

[No Belay]

A cross-country jaunt that doesn't include the Grand Canyon is like an omlet without eggs. The Canyon is a lot like sex. You can see the pictures, read about it, and have your friends tell you about their exploits but you never appreciate it until you experience it yourself.

Savor Happy!

TaTonka

[Pacific Tortuga]

Al-Can Highway, the last true road trip left, in my book.

[The Solemates]

limitless time?!

that's easy - I'd go to every state, every national park, every etc etc.

what a question!

[Connie]

Southwestern Desert wildflower tour: websites report wildflowers just like websites in the East report autumn leaves. How about a colorful autumn leaves tour in the eastern states, like upstate New York.

[Press]

While you're in Texas, go on down to San Antonio and bike around the old Spanish missions. San Antonio is a nice city that doesn't feel as big as it is. I also recommend Bandera and Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country.

[Pacific Tortuga]

San Antonio is a nice city that doesn't feel as big as it is. .

But the River Walk, will kick your butt.

[sasquatch2014]

You have to stop at Wall Drug, Free Ice Water.
Cool spots along the Oregon Trail to check out.
Wild ponies in the Red Desert
The Dells of Wisconsin
Great Sand Dune in Colorado
Cut loose at some big happening in the West - Sturgis, Burningman, Telluride Bluegrass and Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Medicine Wheel in the Northern Big Horns of Wyo
Yellowstone

On and on it could go.

[Johnny Thunder]

@connie - We're both from Connecticut/Jersey/PA and New Hampshire, respectively. Not sure that a foliage tour is our idea of a "trip".

@Sasquatch - I'd heard that Burningman had sort of run it's course. We are a bit limited by the fact that we'll be on bicycles but Sturgis might be fun.

@Cookerhiker - I keep mentioning the eastern canada thing....Jess is from NH...not sure if I'll convince her to head North in that stretch. Refresh my memory...did we grow up in the same town or go to the same college? I forget.

@Solemates - Duhhh...of course we want to do that. Except some states are lame.

@No Belay - We're saving the Grand Canyon for a winter or fall all to itself.

[Spirit Walker]

We've been doing the road trip thing for the past three years, spending several months of each year on the road. It's a lot of fun. Check out my journals for ideas, if you need more. You don't mention southern Utah - it's worth a visit. Go in spring or fall. When you visit the Rockies, visit the NPs - Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier. If you are on a bike, continue north into Canada. The road through the Canadian Rockies is ideal for bike touring, with a wide shoulder and lots of campgrounds and hostels along the way. Terrific camping too. Winters - go to Florida. Good hiking and different flowers and wildlife. Big Bend in Texas is also worth a visit in winter.

[rainmaker]

I would avoid the coast of South Carolina, particularly Charleston. In spite of their talk about Southern manners and hospitality, Charleston is very bicycle unfriendly. I'd go from Asheville and down to Walhalla, SC and then follow the Heritage trail along the Savannah River Valley. It has great scenery, quite a few parks, and the people are far more hospitable. Google South Carolina and you should find links to recommended routes. In Florida, try to link up with their bicycle trails.

[Johnny Thunder]

Cool. I know that we're catching trails from Charleston to Savannah and beyond. Unfortunately, Charleston is a destination for us. Maybe we should go in and out the same route if one is better than others.

[Dogwood]

Given time and a winning lottery ticket I would like to thru-hike the Te Aroroa Tr. and possibly the Trans-Himalayan Trail and drive to the southern tip of S. America(Terra del Fuego) starting from Seattle. Throw in a 18 month sail around the world, a hike of the Great Wall of China, and a long distance hot air ballon trip across Africa. Come back to the U.S., have a fresh perspective, build a lodge in Alaska, and start giving away money to worthy causes as a philantropist.