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View Full Version : Where would you go given limitless time on a cross-country road trip?



Johnny Thunder
12-29-2009, 18:33
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
12-29-2009, 18:37
Throw Alaska in there somewhere.

Johnny Thunder
12-29-2009, 18:40
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
12-29-2009, 18:41
Just take the ferry if time is short.

Johnny Thunder
12-29-2009, 18:45
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
12-29-2009, 18:58
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
12-29-2009, 18:59
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
12-29-2009, 19:00
Make sure you see The Thing in the Desert. It's in Arizona.

No Belay
12-29-2009, 21:11
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
12-29-2009, 21:26
Al-Can Highway, the last true road trip left, in my book.

The Solemates
12-29-2009, 21:35
limitless time?!

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

what a question!

Connie
12-29-2009, 22:03
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
12-29-2009, 22:39
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
12-29-2009, 22:42
San Antonio is a nice city that doesn't feel as big as it is. .

But the River Walk, will kick your butt. :)

sasquatch2014
12-29-2009, 22:43
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
12-29-2009, 23:11
@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
12-29-2009, 23:13
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
12-29-2009, 23:17
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
12-29-2009, 23:22
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
12-30-2009, 02:02
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.

Dogwood
12-30-2009, 02:18
My first act of philantropy would be to fund my own group and give additional funding to existing groups that demonstrate to the younger generation that an amazingly beautiful natural outside world exists apart from cell phones, TVs, and the Internet!

Connie
12-30-2009, 02:58
It might be fun to ride in "century" rides, choosing a "half century" or a full "century".

Most of central California has them. Then, ride around the Napa wine country hills.

Highway 1.

. . .

double d
12-30-2009, 03:33
Well, living in the Midwest, I would say hike the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, great trail thats just getting some national attention.

World-Wide
12-30-2009, 03:47
Haven't heard anyone mention a European biking tour?? Check out the list of options on this site! Good luck!! W-W http://www.biketoursdirect.com/

jrwiesz
12-30-2009, 06:06
America Discovery Trail:sun

Zoooma
12-30-2009, 16:16
some states are lame.

Every state has something worth seeing, something that's part of the history of this great country, some spot where you can kick back and enjoy the heck out of a beautiful sunset... yes, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota included.

Be environmentally unfriendly and go to the website for each state's Visitors Bureau and order their free tourist info. Look through each guide and you'll find some places that look interesting to check out.

Jester2000
12-30-2009, 16:44
Every state has something worth seeing, something that's part of the history of this great country, some spot where you can kick back and enjoy the heck out of a beautiful sunset... yes, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota included.

Be environmentally unfriendly and go to the website for each state's Visitors Bureau and order their free tourist info. Look through each guide and you'll find some places that look interesting to check out.

Rhode Island's not worth going to ever since Lone Wolf left.

Highpointbound
12-30-2009, 20:20
I would LOVE to be able to do a cross country thing to California. I have dreamed about that for a while. I cant right now as I have an elderly mom that I cant leave for too long of a period. But, someday I'd like to do a road trip to California, (which i'm dying to visit again, as I've only been once) and stop at every state that I want to, and sight see and hike and see the national parks, etc.

sasquatch2014
12-30-2009, 20:25
If you decide to do Sturgis on bicycle make sure to put cars in the spokes so you get the deep Harley growl as you ride though.

Skidsteer
12-30-2009, 20:25
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.

And Kerrville and Boerne and Bergheim and Gruene.

eman245
12-30-2009, 22:22
If your planning on going to CO, then I would definitely ride the Rio Grande trail. Its paved/gravel and goes from Glenwood Springs to Aspen, passing through a few interesting towns. Great scenery, and once in Aspen, you can ride up to the Maroon Bells and up Independence Pass. If you ask me, thats the best of the Rockies...

GeneralLee10
12-30-2009, 22:50
I think there is a Ferry that will take you from Seattle to an Island and then you could peddle to the North end and get on another Ferry Take it to Haines Junction then ride to AK. I mite be incorrect, but I have look into it before some time ago.

Belew
12-30-2009, 22:52
If y'all get to southern Utah, Zion NP is Beautiful. It's not very big and you can see a lot of it in a week. If you are friends with Wonder on facebook, I think she has pictures of our trip posted there. Also, Las Vegas is worth checking out and Lake Mead is boring.

humunuku
12-30-2009, 23:17
Ride the Blue Ridge Parkway - It's FANTASTIC to bike (did it a few years back) - and try to time it to hit Floyd Fest in Floyd VA (it's right on the parkway) and hear some great music and experience some great culture. A lot of neat stuff along the parkway to see and experience

sasquatch2014
12-31-2009, 00:14
If your planning on going to CO, then I would definitely ride the Rio Grande trail. Its paved/gravel and goes from Glenwood Springs to Aspen, passing through a few interesting towns. Great scenery, and once in Aspen, you can ride up to the Maroon Bells and up Independence Pass. If you ask me, thats the best of the Rockies...

there is a great hole in the wall This restaurant or at least there was one in Poncho Spring Right at the intersection with Rt 50. also don't pass up a chance to soak in Mt Princeton hot springs if you are going that way. A day plus will put you at the great Sand Dunes NM in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Or head west and check out Gunnison Colorado and then south to Telluride for the Bluegrass festival or the mushroom festival if they still hold it there.

mweinstone
12-31-2009, 12:06
my hatred of this thread pales in comparison to my hatered of this trip. you suck johnney thunder.precious? ha! shes precious if you stay home and make a family. go see the dessert megaphone in arrazonia and call it a trip idiot. you have children inside you both screaming to come out and go hiking with you. what? youll have kids later? no. when i created johnney thunder and freefall, i made them as a childbearing hiker production grouping. not some freeloading roadtrashed hippie couple clippin in humbolt. yeah thats fun. now you listen to me johnney. this is not the time in any of our lives to be on vacation. and calling it a philanthropical teaching to others of the wilds of wildeing, aint all there. you sir , are spoiled. spoiled by me and the appalachian trail. i should have never taught you such lifestyles as happysteak or morninggravy. now you listen to ol matthewski. heres a what yerr gonna do.

hump
kids
diapers
hike
retire in dammascus into wolfs house when hes dead.

Johnny Thunder
12-31-2009, 12:17
my hatred of this thread pales in comparison to my hatered of this trip. you suck johnney thunder.precious? ha! shes precious if you stay home and make a family. go see the dessert megaphone in arrazonia and call it a trip idiot. you have children inside you both screaming to come out and go hiking with you. what? youll have kids later? no. when i created johnney thunder and freefall, i made them as a childbearing hiker production grouping. not some freeloading roadtrashed hippie couple clippin in humbolt. yeah thats fun. now you listen to me johnney. this is not the time in any of our lives to be on vacation. and calling it a philanthropical teaching to others of the wilds of wildeing, aint all there. you sir , are spoiled. spoiled by me and the appalachian trail. i should have never taught you such lifestyles as happysteak or morninggravy. now you listen to ol matthewski. heres a what yerr gonna do.

hump
kids
diapers
hike
retire in dammascus into wolfs house when hes dead.

As far as I'm concerned Mr "4 attempted through hikes and a bunch of long section in-between not to mention attendance at every hiker event imagined" can't tell me squat about being on permanent vacation. If'n my future procreations mean that much to you I'll mail you some of my stuff to keep in your freezer.

Johnny T

Jester2000
12-31-2009, 12:30
As far as I'm concerned Mr "4 attempted through hikes and a bunch of long section in-between not to mention attendance at every hiker event imagined" can't tell me squat about being on permanent vacation. If'n my future procreations mean that much to you I'll mail you some of my stuff to keep in your freezer.

Johnny T

Usually I don't find threads entertaining until page 5 or so, but this one has hit the sweet spot early.

max patch
12-31-2009, 12:35
Time to publicly "re-ban" MS. You know, just so everyone knows.

Johnny Thunder
12-31-2009, 12:38
Usually I don't find threads entertaining until page 5 or so, but this one has hit the sweet spot early.

Hey, did you get a envelope from Asheville yet? It was sent to Harpers.

Jester2000
12-31-2009, 12:41
Hey, did you get a envelope from Asheville yet? It was sent to Harpers.

Don't think so, but I'll check today. Thanks!

mweinstone
01-03-2010, 22:36
johnney,dont go. stay . forever. never leave the AT. allways hike the AT.no other trail knows how you like it. AT love you long time.

Skidsteer
01-03-2010, 22:49
Don't think so, but I'll check today. Thanks!

Don't open it if it's packed in dry ice.

Miner
01-03-2010, 23:43
When I hiked the PCT this summer, at Crater Lake, I ran into a family who had biked from Vancouver all the way to the tip of Argentina taking 2 years. They then spent 6 months in NZ and were riding back home to Vancouver from San Fransico.

If you have money and time, you can pretty much just look at a map and find somewhere to go until you get sick of it.

Johnny Thunder
01-03-2010, 23:54
If you have money and time, you can pretty much just look at a map and find somewhere to go until you get sick of it.

I agree with that to a point, and it seems like you do, too. Travel for the sake of travel is great. But, I think that 6 months is about the limit for me on one individual task. Maybe it's from old school days when I'd get burnt out around April and just pray for the summer to come. So if I'm going to be out for multiple years one thing will have to lead to the next.

The purpose of the thread was to solicit informed trip ideas...I have some...you have some...put them them together and you've got a real big pile of ideas. Instead, it became about my secretions. I'm at fault for that.

So, let's get this one back on line. Today I was thinking about British Columbia. What's up there that i should see assuming that I'd be there in the Fall with Winter approaching?

jrwiesz
01-04-2010, 03:05
Don't open it if it's packed in dry ice.

Especially, if it's marked "BIOHAZARD" :eek:

Mrs Baggins
01-04-2010, 06:40
Well, from April 8th to July 10th 2007 we drove from Maryland (only had our Hubba tents and some regular car camping gear) in our 2003 Chevy Astro all-wheel drive van across the US and turned north towards Alberta, saw Devils Tower, Glacier National Park, Grand Tetons NP, Yellowstone NP, went into Canada, up to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, across through British Columbia, camped in some Provincial parks and saw lots of black bear and one young grizzly, did the Al-Can highway from the beginning all the way to Fairbanks, spent a week in Alaska with friends seeing Denali NP,(completely fogged in, most facilities still closed) Anchorage, Seward, and Valdez, came back out of Alaska on the Al-Can to the Yellowhead Hwy, down into Washington state at Vancouver, decided we'd had enough of camping in the cold and rain (it was cold and rainy for almost the entire trip until we got into the Bay Area of California) and bought a new tent trailer in Port Angeles WA. We'd had to get hotels here and there as well as most of the campgrounds along the Al-Can and back weren't even open yet. After seeing family in the Bay Area, went down into Death Valley and spent 3 days in the 120 degree weather with no a/c and had a fabulous time. Had the campground at Panamint Springs to ourselves - who camps in Death Valley in late June? :) From there it was across into AZ, UT, CO, and onward til we got back to Maryland. We visited 16 National Parks (buy the pass - more than pays for itself), countless State and regional parks, day hiked in several states, parks, and in Canada, slept in freezing cold rain, muddy campgrounds with dirty snow still on the ground in Alaska, and drove 14000 miles.

By the time we got to Alaska we had driven so many thousands of miles of mountainous craggy snow covered scenery that Alaska left us unimpressed - just more of the same. I tell people now that the best way to see it is to either fly in or take a boat. It was also very expensive and we were told that after Memorial Day the prices often tripled. I remember seeing a bag of Fritos, not a big bag, for almost $8 in a gas station store. We stopped at a hotel on the Al-Can that charged us $60/night on the way into Alaska and $120 a night 9 nights later for the exact same room on the way out. Guess they figured it was getting close enough to Memorial Day.

All in all it was great fun and we'd do it again. We'd already been to eastern Canada because we had lived in Montreal, so we'd been to Nova Scotia, Quebec City, and Ottawa. I wouldn't go back to Alaska. The first hundred miles or so of the Al-Can reeks of petroleum wells and is landscaped with dead moose carcasses; campgrounds, hotels, gas stations and other places for the most part don't bother opening til Memorial Day and shut down Labor Day. If you wait for that then you'll be crammed in with the herds of tourists off the boats and in their huge RVs. When we could find a campground we were usually alone. One of them wanted to charge us $25 for a 5 gallon jug of fresh water, and wouldn't unlock the restrooms. (yes, we have a trailer but we never use the tiny toilet or shower it has - makes for more storage area instead).

mweinstone
01-04-2010, 11:06
nobody said cross country couldnt be north south. soo,....my trip would be up and down the AT over and over and over again. hiking and stopping in towns to make my art, send it to market and continue hiking. setting up temporary studios for just a week at a time in hostels and motel rms. visiting my people on short trips to new york and philly.and ashville.FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. YOU CAN PULL THIS CRAYON FROM MY DRY DEAD HAND! this one draws till he drops!

Wonder
01-04-2010, 13:26
I have to back up Belew on Southern Utah..........I've never seen such beauty! I highly suggest a canyoneering/repeling trip in Zion.....and the mule ride in Bryce was an amazing way to see the park! That, and the best trail to see the park is shared with hikers and mules.....so unless you feel like walking in horse crap for 2 days, it's really the only way to go!
Heres the album http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114876&id=525923774&l=bb4426d098
this includes Zion NP, Bryce NP, Canyonlands NM, Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP, Grafton Ghost town, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and of course......Vegas
yeah, theres some "tom-foolery in here" so if you don't like it....dont look ;-)

Wheeler
01-04-2010, 13:31
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

The Grand Canyon should never be used in sexual comparisons, for a variety of unpleasant reasons. :eek:

Plodderman
01-04-2010, 16:43
I would love to try Alaska but would pick the Smokies.

Johnny Thunder
01-04-2010, 16:51
Cool. Alaska would be great...not sure if I should rule that out.

The Smokies are amazing and you should get to them (on and off the AT) as soon as possible. Since we're so close I don't really think of the AT as one of my "dream" trips. It'll probably be the destination for some of our long weekends over the next few years.

mweinstone
01-04-2010, 16:57
deam on butter pop. were all goin down.only time to make rice sofa and chairs.

Cookerhiker
01-05-2010, 18:59
[QUOTE=Johnny Thunder;941369...@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.......[/QUOTE]

We both grew up in Ridgewood, NJ but at a considerable distance in years!:p

sbhikes
01-05-2010, 19:20
How about Baja California?

And if you come through Santa Barbara, you can put your tent up in my back yard and have all the avocados you want.

YoungMoose
01-05-2010, 20:08
I would try to go to yellowstone. The roads would be fun to bike. If you go in like Early june or late summer would be an awsome time.

weary
01-06-2010, 00:17
Keep the coast of Maine an option. Not all of it. But things get interesting at about Freeport. Take the back roads from Freeport. Yah, stop at LL Bean if you want. It's great as big stores go. But bike along the open fields and shore to Brunswick's Cooks Corner. There pickup the Old Bath Road that runs along the Androscogin River to Bath. Take time to explore Phippsburg and its 31 miles of hiking trail, before heading north. Avoid Route 1 wherever possible when visiting other coastal towns.

No tour is complete without a day or two in Acadia National Park, but only if you climb a few of the coastal mountains. But the best part of the Maine coast is north of Acadia. North of Acadia the tourists are mostly gone. It's another era. Tiny villages, a few interesting restaurants, a few great trails. Don't miss the bold coast and its trails.

Keep going and you'll be in Eastern Canada. A great touring place. But that calls for another forum -- or at least another thread.

Weary