My work contract in Mongolia finished a few days before I turned 60. So I have decided to take retirement for a test drive.
I flew into LA and purchased a class C motorhome. I plan to spend the next 6+ months sightseeing around the USA.
Any advice on RV’s, RV living, route planning apps, must see locations, etc would be greatly appreciated.
Apologies for adding to your immigration and homeless problems.
I got a full hook up RV spot here in Xantusia, come on out, best time of year around these parts. Warm days with snow capped mountains right out your door, and best running and MTB riding you can find…From there so many options, maybe Route 66 headed east would be a nice start…
Why not drive to Alaska?
Grand Canyon
.
From LA follow the coastline up and through Northern California. Then keep going through Oregon & Washington to make your way to Alaska. Come back down and swing East through Montana & Wyoming and make your way to the East Coast. Utah has great national parks to see and Arizona is also nice when it’s not too hot.
Lots of great options and routes. And if currently in LA…
Arizona and Utah are gorgeous, with lot of nice options for RV parks (I have been to a few). I would plan that as the start of your route as this is the ideal time to hit them. They will be blazing by mid June. Can then make your way to Las Vegas for the heck of it if so inclined. I actually just stayed at a nice RV park there.
From there, you might want consider trecking north. Yellowstone in late May before school gets out. Glacier in Montana is a can’t miss epic national park. Best wildlife you will see, as less crowded and even more remote than Yellowstone. Amazing hiking trails. Coeur d’Alene Idaho is wacky politics, but gorgeous country. And just north of that in Mullan Idaho is the Scenic Hiawatha Bike Trail. It is a 15 mile abandoned railroad trail that you bike through 9 tunnels and over 7 high trestles. You can slow climb ride up, or they bus you up, and then you just roll the way down. They will rent bikes to you.
Then decide if you want to head to Washington, Olympic National Park, and then down the Oregon Coast. Or, make your way east, and can travel a northern route. Badlands South Dakota, toward Minneapolis, St. Paul which is gorgeous in summer. Travel down toward Chicago and then park in front of Windy’s house for a week (shitter’s full). However you decide to map it, I would shoot to spend Autumn working your way through New England. Absolute best place to see the leaves change.
I will look to send you links to the RV parks that I have stayed at with my camper. I have been impressed with how nice most of them are. By and large, folks are great. Most keep themselves as it is their vacation. But also plenty of community. “Hey, you need a can opener?? I have three!” “Come on, we need a 4th for Cornhole”
they drive on the correct side of the roadyou should probably buy some gunscunt is a bad word
Seriously though, I’m biased, but the western states are probably where I’d focus. Head to higher ground as it gets hot.
I’ve changed my mind. Before you buzz up to Alaska, take a quick trip to San Diego & I’ll take you for a run at Torrey Pines or on the trails near me in North County. I’m a terrible host, but I’ll try. If anyone else in San Diego wants to plan something, I’ll tag along.
When you go through Montana, I have a few recommendations for places to stop. I’ll make a list for you.
Oh boy! Every year I discover that I need to make a road trip across the western US. It’s so great. You’re going to love it.
LA is great, too. If you’re still there, try the place called Calif. Chicken Cafe. Their food is very good. Healthy & delicious.
I’ve always wanted to drive around the circumference of Australia and eventaully drive around the USA too of course. I love driving, but can only stand driving 6-8 hours a day. Have you driven around Australia before? Any advice?
Drive to Cape Canaveral and see a rocket launch. You could also try Vandenberg in Cali or Brownsville in TX for a Starship test, but the launch rates are very low compared to the Cape. Too late to see the Texas wildflowers , but if you here in October get to the northeast for the fall colors. DC for 4th of July? I personally like lots of green and find the lower Appalachian mountains more appealing than the Rockies.
This sounds awesome. I’ve never had an RV, but we’ve done 4 trips to the US from Perth and are heading over again in May. For us the highlights are always the National Parks and outdoors, there’s not many cities I would recommend as “must do’s”.
There’s already plenty of good suggestions here. I’m always amazed at how far in advance the campgrounds and RV spots in the national parks book out, so you might need to be aware of that. If you’re into wildlife spend plenty of time at Yellowstone, we spent a week there which felt about right.
Weather permitting you can also do Vancouver Island and the Vancouver-Jasper-Banff route, it’s pretty crowded in summer but the scenery is amazing.
Avoid major northern cities (Chicago, NY, Boston, Phili etc.) You’ve seen 1 you have seen them all and they suck.
Red Rock outside of Vegas is really beautiful as is the area West of Denver along the Rockies. I’d say Boulder - but its become very crowded.
In the east - Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Niagara Falls.
Anywhere - hit a NASCAR race - very RV friendly.
Mid-May to mid-September, avoid the southern states. Mid-June to mid-August avoid any east of the Rockies and south of 42 degrees Lat. Conversely avoid Alaska, Canada, Maine outside of summer.
Look for any openings in Yosemite and snag them now. Summer is better, but it probably sold out long ago.
Hopefully you have a bike.
Consider doing RAGBRAI. Find a group and take turns driving the RV.
There are lots of place like wineries that will let you park overnight for free. There are websites ( and maybe apps) to help you find them. In return you are expected to at least consider buying their wears. And you can park overnight at most WalMarts.
Don’t knock on random people’s doors.
Back in the 80s my friend Jason drove by a wounded deer in Northern Maine on the way home to PEI from our college. He drives up the nearest farmers drive and asks for a gun to dispatch the deer. The farmer gives it too him and he does the job and returns the gun. His dad was a large animal vet.
Make your way to the Grand Canyon area and start there. Once done with the Grand Canyon go to Vegas if that’s of any interest or get to San Diego. From San Diego take I-5 North until it spilts off to Route 1 (PCH) an hour or so south of LA. Take the PCH all the way up the California coast. It eventually becomes 101 in the northern part of California. Take 101 all the way to Seattle. Then drive to Alaska making sure to stop in places like Whistler. I would say hit places like Ketchikan and Juneau but they require ferries and not sure you can ferry a RV. Otherwise drive into the Anchorage area.
Reverse course and head towards Banff and Calgary. Check those areas out. Head back into the USA through Montana and hit Glacier National Park. Then go to Yellowstone, then the Grand Tetons and Jackson, WY area. From there go to Utah then to Colorado. Then venture to New Mexico into Texas and then hug the Gulf Coast through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. Or from Texas go into Arkansas for the Hot Springs and then into Tennessee if you don’t want to hit the beaches along the Gulf Coast and Florida Atlantic side. Personally, you’ll be doing a lot of outdoors and mountain stuff so some beach time might do you some good. You’ll still want to hit the things to do and see in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Like someone else said, skip all the East coast big cities unless you really want to see them. Driving a RV in and around DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston will be an absolute nightmare. If I were you I’d hit the Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish areas, then drive into NY and go to Niagara Falls (both NY and Canada). Then go to the Finger Lakes Region of NY. Then go to the Adirondacks and see places like Lake Placid. I’d then head towards Montreal and Mont Tremblant. Come back into Maine and start seeing the places in New England. Make your way to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Don’t knock on random people’s doors.
Back in the 80s my friend Jason drove by a wounded deer in Northern Maine on the way home to PEI from our college. He drives up the nearest farmers drive and asks for a gun to dispatch the deer. The farmer gives it too him and he does the job and returns the gun. His dad was a large animal vet.
Now that’s a guy with too much trust.
Stranger comes to your door… ‘Hey, can I borrow a gun?’
‘Sure, nothing can possibly go wrong for me here…’
Sounds incredible, congrats on the retirement! I want to take time and explore the country like that some day.
I have nothing to offer except that if you’re in the “upstate†NY area swing by for some good bourbon and I can show you some solid pizza spots. Also some good trails if you’re still into that kinda thing.
Cheers and Godspeed!
No shortage of responses from folks’ already.
Given the time and funds it sounds like a most excellent adventure. I’ve always imagined doing a version of it myself as a bucket wish list item.
A key difference for me would be the vehicle. It would need to have a high fun-to-drive factor, as the route and the driving for me would be a big part of the experience. On an RV trip years ago, the driving wasn’t fun. And I’d want to have fun driving twisty routes, like Tail of the Dragon, or opening it up on a desert highway. I’d also be good staying in hotels and such vs. living in the vehicle.
Either way, sounds like an awesome 6 months ahead!
Apologies for adding to your immigration and homeless problems.
We just ran off a bunch of Aussies who invaded us for MotoGP this weekend and now we have to add you?!?
Kidding aside, you need to spend time in Utah. Great state parks for camping and they are close proximity to the national parks:Arches, Bryce,Zion. Dead Horse Point near Moab, Utah is a great state park. Hopefully you brought a bike, preferably mtb.
Get a book called Blue Highways. It’ll be a good read along your adventure and might give you some ideas.
If you can make it across country, the Smokies are a good area to visit. Ashville, NC and Gatlinburg, TN for a general destination.
I’ve always wanted to drive around the circumference of Australia and eventaully drive around the USA too of course. I love driving, but can only stand driving 6-8 hours a day. Have you driven around Australia before? Any advice?
Read Bil Bryson’s “In a Sunburned Country” as he did just what you mentioned and wrote an interesting book about it