What Are Your Best Cross Country Stops

[skyrat]

Originally Posted by BrianW

What highways are you planning to take from/back to Calif, and where are you headed in New England? How much time do you have?

That depends on where the interesting, beautiful or historical stuff is. We are willing to take any route and will probably take the routes that offer the most. We will visit a friend in the Boston area, but I am anxious to see the "Cradle of Liberty" and most of the important sights connected with The Revolution as well as our early government in the city of Brotherly Love. We would also have to visit the extreme north eastern US in Maine as well as some time in DC to see Air and Space, The Mall, etc...

In terms of our time frame, we are blessed to have about two consecutive months off together beginning in early June each year.

Thanks for contributing here guys! Also thanks for the links to other threads. I have been reading all sorts of trip reports and these are new to me. There is just a ton of info here, but especially within your own experiences, whether or not they have been written down.

Please keep it coming, I know there are a bunch of lurkers here and we will all benefit from your experience, knowledge, opinions and your willingness to share it all right here!

And Scotty... You cannot talk too much here. If someone does not want to hear it they can move on to the next post. I have personally enjoyed stopping to read a post when I see your familiar avatar, knowing something useful is ahead of me. Keep on documenting all those mods and upgrades, etc... as well.

[daveb]

This might be of interest:
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/salt_lak ... lroad.html

[86Scotty]

DaveB, Saline's TR was awesome. I missed that one somehow. I miss that dude around here too. He's got to be carrying on somewhere, probably in the truck camper section at Expo or something. Anyone know?

Skyrat, Thanks! Hope some of my experience helps a bit. We're headed back out to get deeper in to Colorado and Utah (and Wyoming too) this summer. Can't wait! I forgot to say earlier that if you come through the Smokies near Knoxville/Townsend/Cades Cove (that is to say, the south end) let me know and I can offer much, much more.

[BrianW]

Other east coast stuff:

1. Ft McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, of "Star Spangled Banner" fame. A small but interesting site. Go when they open or just before closing, when they hoist/take down the flag. You can help fold the huge flag when they take it down. Kind of cool.

2. Don't miss the Air and Space Museum "Udvar Hazy Center" out by Dulles Airport. The original Air and Space on the National Mall is cool, of course, but don't miss the relatively new annex out by Dulles Airport in Virginia. It's HUGE and has tons (literally, I guess) of aircraft on display. Basically all the stuff that won't fit in the Mall location. Not too many folks seem to know about it as it's out of the DC orbit, but it's well worth a visit. More of an aircraft display museum. It's free to get in, but there is a $20 parking fee. If you go after a certain time in the afternoon (4:00, I think), parking is free from then to close. Hotels out near the airport can be pretty cheap on the weekends, too, if you want to treat yourself. http://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center/

3. Around DC: if you want to get some activity in while visiting the city, rent a kayak from Thompson's Boat House in Georgetown and paddle the basin at sunset. Very pretty, and a nice alternative way to look at the city. http://www.thompsonboatcenter.com Or, rent a bike from one of several bike shops in Georgetown and ride the C&O canal out to Great Falls and back.

4. If you like history, plenty to keep you occupied in Pennsylvania and around the area. If you are coming up I81, interesting Civil War sites include Antietam in Maryland and Gettysburg in PA. Around Philadelphia, you can visit Valley Forge (allow 2-3 hours max to see the visitor center and drive the park road) and all the sites in Independence Nat Historic Park in Philly. Allow a full day for Philadelphia, between the historic sites and other activities. PM me if you want specific info about stuff in Philly or want a guided day tour if I'm around. North of Philadelphia along the Delaware River you can visit Washington's Crossing State Park, which (obviously) is where they crossed the Delaware prior to the Battle of Trenton. It's just a short detour off I95.

5. Cape Cod in MA is really nice, but will be mobbed in July and August. I would skip it in that time period, personally.

6. From Boston, a loop up to Acadia NP in Maine (a really nice park and well worth the drive) and back through the White Mtns in NH and the Green Mtns in Vermont would be really nice and allow you to get a feel for the quintessential New England landscape. A lot of good places for free camping in Vermont's Green Mtn NF, less so in the White Mtn NF in New Hampshire (see my NH trip report from last fall for more thoughts on this). Not sure about free camping opportunities in Maine, as we've only stayed in established CG's there in our SMB.

[skyrat]

Brian, Thank You! Exactly the type of info I am interested in finding here.

Does anyone have anything interesting in the middle of the country?

[Ford_6L_E350]

Not knowing exactly your interests, I would suggest a AAA tour book for any state you will pass through - they are really quite good.

And when traveling the Interstate system, stop at the first rest area, or the local information centers. And talk to the people at the desk. That is where I learned about the Redwood Steakhouse in Anita, Iowa. Worth a stop! And, continue to the nearby Lake Anita State Park for overnight camping (with showers).

Mike

[patrick51]

If you end up crossing Ks. on I-70 , there is Paxico, a nearly deserted lil town, that has a bar/rest. and a very unique shop that rebuild antique wood and gs stoves, the old round style, along withother antiques. also a private campground, but you have to like trains as they run by very close. This would be a good place if found late in the pm, antique, eat, sleep over.
We used to be like everyone….Kansas??? yuk, but found a great tour book, of the 8 wonders of Ks. there are actually lots more. If near witchita, the aviation museum in the old terminal.
El Dorado has a fab. oil and gas museum, with reconstructed bldgs, and antique o&g industry items. Hutchison has a space and aviation museum that could take a day. This is a mini Smitsonian quality museum witha blackbird spy plane. Yes, in Ks. also inexpensive camping at the fairgrounds and one of the best mexican restaurants this side of the border in their historic downtown. Leavenworth army base has a great western museum, open to the public. While not 4wd related, thesea are great finds to break up the long xcountry drive. Now, I ain't tellin no more!

[skyrat]

Nice!

The SR-71 Blackbird is still the coolest aircraft ever. I have seen them at many airshows. I was working in LA when one flew over the coast to set a new coast to coast record in 1990. It was flown over the pacific, refueled and hit the coast at Mach 3. Now that was a boom! It averaged over 2100 MPH over the course of flight. Pretty awesome.

Every area has something to offer.
You usually just need a local to point it out to you.

I was shooting a movie in Atlanta in the early 1980's and a guy told us about plantation grounds with slave quarters and a blacksmith shop that had been preserved. He told me it was just about " three C's from here." I said how far is a "C?" He said... "Well, you look down that road, and you go about as far as you can see. Now, that's one!" I laughed for about a half hour!!

Thanks!

[patrick51]

OK skyrat, better than a C. While shoving off into a boundary water lake in my wooden canoe a local ole timer yelled to us, " Watch for sunkers", we yelled back, Whats that? and he said " If ya hit one you'll have sunk her"!!!!!.

[twogone]

Stopped in Rhode Island at a roadside food stand, asked the proprietor directions to our destination... "Where ya' comin' from?" sez he