Another Coast to Coast Trip Next Year.

[billharr]

Daughter at Johns Hopkins is finishing up her Phd next year. Going to make two trips to the east coast next year. Have to fly for graduation in May, but thinking about driving the camper in March for her thesis presentation. I have gone north and south on our trip in 2011. Want to hit the middle states this trip. Depending the weather we will roughly follow hwy 50 to hwy 70 to the east coast. Roughly follow hwy 40 on the return. Do want to come through southern AZ and Arches and Canyon Land on the return.


Any must see attractions along these routes? Any must stop to eat places? Places you have enjoyed camping?

 

[longhorn1]

Hwy. 40 is the National Highway, and runs through Indiana, entering the state on the East at Richmond, Indiana, and departing the state to the West near Terre Haute, IN. If you are into racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Speedway Museum are a must see. I think you could easily talk me into a few beers and dinner. Not far off of 40 is Park County and the famous covered bridges, that is in the Western part of the state. jd

 

[billharr]

Longhorn1, thanks for the info I have done both the 500 and the F1 at Indy. I am a motorhead and have vacationed at Bonnieville. Wife loves covered bridges so we will be looking at information on them in IN. I will let you know when plans are finalized, daughter will not set date for presentation until January.

 

[iowahiker]

Since you include a BMW in your interests, obviously a top choice would be to put your bike on a trailer, carry it to Virginia, and tour Skyline drive (105 miles) in Shenandoah, the Blue Ridge Parkway (469 miles), and Newfound Gap road over the top of Great Smokey Mtn NP (30 miles) which combined are the longest unbroken parkway in the nation (maybe the world). Other less unique spots (and less effort):

Colorado National Monument in western Colorado has good camping with lots of scenery near I-70 (assuming your highway 70 is I-70). Enter from either the west at Fruita or the east at Grand Junction with a very scenic drive between but the campground is at the west end. Reservations not needed mid-week.

Rocky Mountain NP is an obvious next choice with again a very scenic drive. Estes Park on the east side has lots of good food but we only eat in our camper (even with no refrig). Rocky Mountain NP can be VERY busy but we stayed in a NF campground southeast of the park, Olive Ridge, mid-week without a reservation. Your pick of routes and scenery driving between the two.

The Arch in downtown St Louis on the Mississippi is the next most scenic spot with all the dining just to the north in Lacledes Landing. We usually camp at Pere Marquette SP 50 miles north of I-70 in Illinois on the Illinois River. No reservations needed mid-week. If you can find it, there is a good "river fish" restaurant in Grafton near Pere Marquette (north end of town, east side of the street, state highway 100).

Mammoth Cave NP in Kentucky is worthwhile with a variety of interesting cave tours.

Mammoth Cave NP pulls you far enough south to reach Great Smokey Mountains NP and Dollywood in the tourist vice capital of the east, Gatlinburg (not to mention very good BBQ). At this point, unload your bike and hit the road.

We are most familiar with Shenandoah along your bike route. The campground at the north end of Shenandoah NP, Matthews Arm, has good sites on the upper east side, no-generator loop. We prefer Lewis Mountain (with the AT alongside) to busy Big Meadows campground in the middle since Big Meadows takes reservations and has showers. Large Loft Mountain campground in the south is fine and all three campgrounds have sites mid-week, no reservation. The Skyland restaurant north of Big Meadows is nice. Take the bus ride to Camp Hoover from Big Meadows for a touch of history. Climb Stony Man near Skyland for the best view.

Driving north to south is a classic scenic east coast trip from the north end of Shenandoah, on to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and down to the James River with a visit to the restaurant at Peaks of Otter and campgrounds at Otter Creek and Peaks of Otter. Take the bus ride to the top of Peaks of Otter for a nice no climb view.

Green Belt campground is operated by the NPS in Washington DC and is nice for visiting the capital.

Everyone recommends visiting Monticello in Charlottesville if you like history. Gettysburg in Pennsylvania is good if you are a war buff.

How many more spots do you need?

 

[mitch h]

Bill if you take US 40 thru In. maybe J.D and us could meet up with you if I am back from Florida. Let us know.March could be cold and snowy, Mitch

 

[takesiteasy]

Regarding the St. Louis Arch- I found the museum there (Jefferson National Expansion Memorial- Museum of National Expansion) to be very interesting. If you are interested in the ancient Mississippian mound builder societies, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site outside of East St Louis (a United Nations World Heritage Site) is very interesting. Hopewell Culture National Park near Chilicothe Ohio is another interesting site of the later Hopewell culture.

 

[Foy]

East Coast late Winter/early Spring:

I love RMNP in Colorado, but in March, the roads crossing the Continental Divide will be closed, limiting you to in and out from either the east side or the west side, and a long drive around to connect the two.

Here in the East, be aware the NPS campgrounds along the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) may still be closed in March. The highways themselves may be closed in sections, as snow and ice removal equipment is sparse, as are budgets to operate them. It's not uncommon for late season snows to close short to long segments. The Parkway's NPS website shows live closure information and there are updated recorded messages concerning closures on the telephone number listed there.

If you travel the BRP, Peaks of Otter, as mentioned, is a great stop. We enjoy the NC sections even more, as the highest elevations and most dramatic mountain terrains along the BRP are in NC. The Moses Cone Memorial Park in Blowing Rock, NC features a manor house built by textile magnate Moses Cone in the late 1800s/early 1900s along with a network of 25 miles of landscaped carriage trails through the 3,000 acre estate. Nearby, Grandfather Mountain is the newest addition to the NC state parks system, albeit with the former owners still operating a nice, but expensive, mountain-top concession consisting of a visitor center, museum, short walking trails, and the popular "Mile High Swinging Bridge", a pedestrian suspension bridge over a 200' deep ravine, so named because the bridge itself is at 5,280' elevation. The BRP between Blowing Rock/Moses Cone traces the south slope of Grandfather Mountain, and on a clear day, the skyline of Charlotte, NC is visible with binoculars, over 100 miles away.

The BRP between Blowing Rock and Asheville is our favorite segment. It's around 100 miles in length and includes Grandfather Mountain, Linville Falls, the orchards at Altamont Pass, Mount Mitchell (a drive-up to the highest point east of the Mississippi River), Craggy Gardens, and Asheville. One could easily spend a couple or three days exploring the BRP and nearby communities in NC.

Be aware that March will find the Blue Ridge Mountains still in their winter dress of bare, gray trees as far as you can see. The NC section doesn't green up until very late April/early May. You are also likely to experience sub-freezing overnight lows, and the NF and NP campgrounds are likely to be closed. It is also possible to experience bluebird days with highs in the 60s and 70s.

We much enjoy the Charlottesville, VA area (where my wife grew up and where we met in the 1970s), and the nearby Shenandoah Valley can be spectacular in the Spring. On the western side of "The Valley" are the Alleghany Mountains, long narrow sandstone-capped ridges with pastoral valleys in between. The communities of Hot Springs and Warm Springs, VA offer ultra-high end (Hot Springs) and more rustic (Warm Springs) settings. At Warm Springs, the Jefferson Pools offer a natural hot spring soak within one of two historic octagonal structures. At the Jefferson Pools, "historic" is often equated with "dilapidated", but for those who like the idea of soaking in stone-lined pools inside of structures built in the 1700s and early 1800s, it's pretty nice. We really love the NF campground at Hidden Valley, about 5 miles west of Warm Springs. It's on bottomland along the Jackson River and features a network of walking paths along the river and nearby mountain ridges.

My wife and I (58 and 59) have come to enjoy Hot Springs, NC, near Asheville. Hot Springs is a small village of several hundred residents situated where the Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses the French Broad River. It is also the other of of only two natural hot springs in the East. The Hot Springs Resort includes a large riverside campground and the hot spring pools themselves, each on the edge of town, so walking distance from nice restaurants, bars, and shops. The hot spring pools are actually a series of about a dozen Jacuzzi-style tubs into which the 100-102 degree mineral waters are pumped. The pools are streamside, privacy screened except for the water views, and feature overhead heat lamps for cold weather soaking. They rent by the hour and you can take your own beverages of choice. The AT runs directly along Main Street, and March/April sees the arrival of dozens of early-start "thru-hikers" who have survived and conquered the Great Smoky Mountains just to the south in order to reach the first real town since starting their treks some 3-4 weeks earlier. They can be a raucous bunch and fun to be around, especially after they get their first showers and clean clothes in nearly a month.

For us motorheads, not much can beat the spectacles of the Spring NASCAR races at Bristol, TN and Talladega, AL. Check the 2015 NASCAR schedules for dates. In particular, Bristol is a must-see. It reminds you of a football stadium on steroids--seating 160,000 in a man-made bowl over 10 stories high surrounding a concrete-surfaced teacup. Down at Talladega, the Cheaha Mountain Drive is a mini-BRP along the crest of Alabama's highest elevations, including Cheaha Mountain, a drive-up including a stone tower at the summit and several short walking trails to rock outcrop views. With its elevations down in the 2,000-2,500' range, it's much warmer and greener down there in March-April, too. Most motorheads enjoy a day in the area north of Charlotte, NC, where nearly all of the race teams are headquartered. Tours of their facilities, most of them free of charge, give a great look at the engineering and fabrication operations required to produce race cars, and gives us an idea of the enormous amounts of money required to do so.

Towards the southern end of the BRP, and right where it crosses I-40, Asheville NC is a very nice place for dining, shopping, touring the (rather expensive) Biltmore House, and sampling the local brews in what has become the "Brewing Capital of the East". Asheville is nice, perhaps a bit "la-de-da" for those with more rustic sensibilities, but it can be an attractive offering for many of our ladies.

In the lower elevation Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions, April brings many dogwood and azalea festivals. Those in Wilmington, Charleston, and Savannah come to mind, but your 2011 loop included much of that territory.

I hope you enjoy planning and taking your cross-country trip this coming Spring.

Foy

 

[iowahiker]

I would agree, my thoughts were of a warmer time of year since I was blinded by that BMW and could only think of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I grew up on Long Island, NY, went to school in PA, and travel East to visit the family every year for decades exploring the east coast from the Keys to Canada, usually in the spring. If not this year, load up that bike when you can.

 

[billharr]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep them coming, we are starting a list. Saw Pie Town NM on the CBS Sunday Morning show and added it to the list.

We realize our route will depend a lot on the weather. If like last March we will be going across the south to get to the east coast. As far as race tracks I have been to most of them. Good friend set a goal to go to all the Nascar tracks. I missed the first three years so I have not been to Daytona, Bristol or Michigan, have been to all the others. Agree hitting the shops in Charlotte was a must see. Penske's was the best one for me. If you like motorcycle the Barber Museum is another must see.

 

[Foy]

Bristol is later than normal on the 2015 schedule--April 19, 2015. Having been to nearly all of the other tracks, if in recent years, you are likely aware that tickets are READILY available, including Bristol tickets. Not much need to get way out in front with an early purchase, as great seats should be available right up to race week if the past several years is any indication of supply/demand.

If you do like the idea of going to Bristol in April, the NF campground up at Grindstone, within the Mount Rogers National Recreation area, is about an hour, hour and a quarter from the track. It's at 3,700' so it's still cool up there. When all facilities are open for the season, it's got full hookups and nice bathhouses w/ good hot water showers. Close to Grindstone are Hurricane and Racoon Branch CGs, each with fewer amenities. A few miles north of Wytheville, VA, maybe 15 minutes off of I-81, is Stony Fork CG, a nice NF facility with full hookups available. Approaching Bristol from the east can involve Boone/Blowing Rock, where the Julian Price Memorial Park CG is along the BRP just 4 miles south of Blowing Rock. From the south, Rock Creek Rec Area CG is near Erwin, TN, just a few minutes off of I-26 south of Johnson City, TN. Rock Creek is close to the southern end of a nice 12 mile NF road/scenic drive called the Unaka Mountain Road, easily driven in a pickup w/camper mounted. I believe all of the NF facilities noted here can be reserved online via Recreation.gov.

There is a nice commercial CG near Hampton, TN by the name of Black Bear. They advertise a 3-4 night minimum during race weeks at Bristol, but with the drop in demand, perhaps they'll book shorter stays. It's 6-7 VERY twisty miles from Hampton, but is right along a trout stream and only 1/2 mile from an AT crossing. I've never overnighted there, but I drove by for a look-see in April 2013 and was favorablly impressed. Come to think of it, there's a primitive NF CG just a mile or so past Black Bear. Only water, vault toilets, picnic tables, and bearproof garbage cans if I recall correctly. Lots and lots of black bear activity in that area, so plan accordingly.

Believe there's a NF CG on Watauga Lake, mostly tent sites but a few pads for small campers, such as pickup truck campers. Larger NF CGS over at South Holston Lake, and that's very close to the track at Bristol. The NF facilities in TN are all within the Cherokee NF while those on the VA side are within the Jefferson NF.

Foy

 

[billharr]

Got route together. Weather and what we do along the way many change route. Going to take around 6 weeks give or take.

 

[highz]

Looks like an epic trip. If you have some extra time, and would like to avoid Interstate 40 in New Mexico, I suggest this route. You can grab a slice of pie in Pie Town and stop to visit the Very Large Array.

 

[billharr]

Looks like an epic trip. If you have some extra time, and would like to avoid Interstate 40 in New Mexico, I suggest this route. You can grab a slice of pie in Pie Town and stop to visit the Very Large Array.

grab.jpg

Pie town is on the list. I have several maps of different areas, just made a quick one with the full route. Also plan on seeing Cumberland Island.

 

[Alley-Kat]

The one change I would have you do is from Canyon Lands to Zion.

Instead of getting on Hwy 70 (boring)... Unless you just don't have the time...

I would have you backtrack about 60 miles south on Hwy191 to Blanding, and then that's the only part of the trip you would see for a second time, although in a different direction which sometimes looks completely different.

Then just south of Blanding (fill up the gas tank) I would have you turn west on Hwy 95. Just 12 miles on Hwy 95 you go through the Comb Ridge, one of the most spectacular sights you'll see (except for everything else on Hwy 95 and then on to Hwy 24 & Hwy 12) as you cut through the ridge, look down into the valley and look at the road climb the other side.

The next thing is Natural Bridges National Monument, if the small number of campsites are filled up there are plenty of dispersed camping sites around, just ask at the visitor's office.

Then the rest of Hwy 95 is pretty cool, including the crossing of the Colorado River at Hite, then on to Hanksville (gas available), turn west on Hwy 24 to Capital Reef National Park - Fruita. If no camping in Fruita then there are other places outside the park. In Torrey (gas available), turn south on Hwy 12 and there are a couple of campgrounds within 15 to 20 miles or so, on the left (east side) of the road and farther on a few dispersed campsites down some dirt roads as you climb the mountain. Coming down the mountain there are several must stop, pull-outs.

Hwy 12 will take you through Boulder, if you've got the time, turn left on to the Burr Trail road, the first 17-20 miles are paved and pretty neat,, however, a return to Boulder is needed to get back on track. South of Boulder, Hwy 12 is on a Hogs Back, neat views. Then on to Escalante, then Henrieville and Cannonville, maybe camp at Kodachrome Basin State Park, if you can plan ahead and get a reservation or get lucky (not likely). Or, make the short drive up through Tropic to Bryce Canyon. If there are no camp sites available at Bryce, then just west of the park is East Fork Road (87) with a sign on Hwy 12 that says 'Camping', turn south for about 7 miles on a very good dirt road to Tropic Reservoir campground or continue on the dirt road for several dispersed camping locations. Or, continue west on Hwy 12 through Red Canyon (very scenic) where you'll see several campgrounds right next to Hwy 12 (not much traffic noise).

Once Hwy 12 dead ends, turn south on Hwy 89, through Hatch, Glendale, Orderville, Mt Carmel, and Mount Carmel Junction, turning west on Hwy 9 dropping into Zion Canyon from the 'back side', seeing all the slickrock domes (it rained on me the last I was there, pretty neat where the water flows), transiting the tunnels, into Zion proper.

Then you'r back on track.

I've done the above in two days (camping south of Torrey and just west of Bryce), however, 3 - 4 days is better. Or, just save all of this for another trip, and maybe spend longer there, although it is nice to recon the area before your extended trip to this area.

 

[John D]

Looking at your website, the two of you are much like my wife and me ... reversed geographically. We live in the east and our children are in the west. We have made the trip you plan more times than I can count. I guess we are on our 4th or 5th camper and a camper like yours is ideal for the trip you plan.

Sorry, my advice is, leave your motorcycle at home, contrary to another's suggestion, not because it would not be great fun, the problem is parking a truck and trailer in congested urban areas, especially in the East. On the other hand, your popup truck and FWC camper can be parked almost anywhere a large SUV can be parked. This is a huge plus when visiting a place like Johns Hopkins in busy Baltimore. Your motorcycle trailer would essentially ruin your trip due to the logistics involved.

Let me tell you two secrets for visiting a college campus in a big city. Carefully measure the height of your rig with it popped DOWN. Remember it. Don't forget to include the roof hatch in the overall height. Most parking garages can accommodate your rig. Typically, a parking garage can handle vehicles about 7 1/2 feet tall. 7' 2" is fairly common too and many have 8 feet. Your rig will likely fit in the parking garage for your daughters apartment on campus. My wife and I parked our truck camper in the basement of my daughter's apartment at Emory University. We were there several days and slept in our camper.

We did not pop up because we were in stealth mode. On the other hand, we have parked in hospital parking garages a number of times and there is no problem with popping up inside many underground parking garages. The worst thing they can do is say no. Don't let a valet drive your camper, though they probably would not do it anyway. One of you can walk next to the truck going into a parking garage to watch the clearance. After doing that a couple of times, confidence will increase.

There is an additional not obvious advantage to a parking garage down town, when you are leaving your camper parked unattended, back it flush against a concrete wall blocking the door. This makes it impossible for anyone to get into your camper. In the big city, we carry our own wheel clamp (Denver Boot), which we put on our truck and put a fake parking ticket on the windshield.

Second big secret is Greenbelt National Park Campground. I have camped there several days when visiting the National Capitol in DC. Walk to the College Park Metro station from your campsite in Greenbelt National Park. There is a path through the woods, perfect! and you avoid the $400 per night hotel, even if they do have a parking garage for your rig. When walking back late at night it is dark in the woods, but you can see from the big city loom in the sky. Of course, the metro takes you right to down town DC and all the sights, museums, etc.

Your overall plan is excellent. Interstate 40 is in North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, CA. There is the option of taking I-20 and I-10 if the weather dictates. The weather will be mostly nice in March along I-40. After Memphis, this is not a pretty route and loaded with trucks, but an easy drive. Many other sites, not the least being Grand Canyon are on I-40. I-40 is the main east west connection for over the road trucks. Spend the nights in Flying J., or a WalMart if necessary, but Flying J is better and park with the RVs. I think the best road trip you can take in the east is the Blue Ridge Parkway from Shenandoah National Park to Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg. The Blue Ridge Parkway season technically does not open until May but it is entirely navigable most of the time in March April and because you will have your camper, you will have a place to stay when there is little traffic. This is a good time of the year to visit the Great Smokey Mountains, and avoid the traffic. People spend a lifetime camping in the Virginia - North Carolina Appalachian Mountains. Do it at least once.

You will be coming east on I-70 because it leads to Johns Hopkins. I-70 is great and the section in Colorado is classic scenery. Wonderful mountains are in Utah on I-40.

Anyway, what you are asking has infinite answers. The first time I drove the route you are asking about was in 1968 and I have barely scratched the surface. John D

 

[iowahiker]

The best part of Southern Florida for us hikers was Everglades NP. We saw dozens of colorful exotic tropical birds which were very near and tame on a short boardwalk during the same time of the year as your trip. The visitors center could direct you to the best spot if you have time/interest. Also, the LARGE alligators were interesting as they hunted people for lunch at our picnic area (or so it seemed to us) and are more dangerous than grizzlies. We enjoyed Everglades NP more than the Keys because of the wildlife (never having traveled to Central America).

 

[billharr]

The best part of Southern Florida for us hikers was Everglades NP. We saw dozens of colorful exotic tropical birds which were very near and tame on a short boardwalk during the same time of the year as your trip. The visitors center could direct you to the best spot if you have time/interest. Also, the LARGE alligators were interesting as they hunted people for lunch at our picnic area (or so it seemed to us) and are more dangerous than grizzlies. We enjoyed Everglades NP more than the Keys because of the wildlife (never having traveled to Central America).

Everglades NP is on our list. Cousin did this trip and said they liked Everglades so much, they stopped for a week coming back from Key West. I carry Bear Spray, guess I will need to find from Gator Spray.

 

[takesiteasy]

x2 on the Everglades. We took a pontoon ride through the park and saw a huge crocodile along with lots of birds. The ranger on board was jumping up and down with excitement as I guess crocodiles are quite rare to see now. The park is very interesting. We drove out to Key West- interesting place. We also did a snorkeling trip out to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/ That was well worth it if you like that sort of thing.

 

[billharr]

Getting out of town this weekend. Plan on taking the good weather with us. Hope to say hi to Bosque Bill, 100acrehumphalump and Happyjax on the trip. Will get trip report up when I return, might do first half report from my daughters in Baltimore.


Bill

 

[Happyjax]

Bill,
Please bring us some good weather. We are in the midst of 6-10" of snow and I am really tired of shoveling the $#%t