2gypsies wrote:
dianahc wrote:
We also had just gotten a very high mileage 2003 Jeep Liberty as a toad.
But I want to get at least one more big trip out of this rig before we consider selling it and upgrading, and my heart is set on a trip roughly following this route:
- San Jose
- Portland
- Banff
- Glacier National Park
- Yellowstone
- Crazy Horse
- Santa Fe NM
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Los Angeles
- San Jose
First, we've towed our 2004 Jeep Liberty for 10 years. It has 175,000 miles on it and still runs flawlessly. If you have your Jeep checked out for belts, brakes, tires, etc. and get a clean bill of health, then don't worry about the mileage. They're wonderful cars.
The trip you're planning is very ambitious if you're not confident in your RV. Personally, I would skip Banff for another trip with your new RV. Also, Banff is o.k. but driving further north through Lake Louise and to Jasper would be a complete trip in that area.
You didn't state if you wanted to drive many secondary roads so I'm assuming you'd be more comfortable on interstates as much as possible.
Definitely purchase the Mountain Directory. We used it all the time.
So here's a possible route for you:
San Jose to Portland via I-5; I-90 east to MT93 north to Glacier and stay at the west side.
Glacier to MT93 south or 83 south for different scenery to I-90 again to Bozeman, MT. Take 191 south to West Yellowstone. You are now so close to Grand Teton Nat'l Park that you really should take it in, also. You can drive south through Yellowstone when you ready to leave and stay in the Tetons at Colter Bay RV for hookups or Colter Bay campground (next door & dry camping) or a little further south in the park at Gros Ventre campground (dry camping).
Then you want to go to Crazy Horse (another possible elimination). The easiest driving would be taking 287 out the east entrance 20/26 at Shoshoni to Casper, then north on I-25 back to I-90. This adds miles but you wouldn't like the secondary roads of 16 or 14 or 14A across the Big Horn Mtns. Then I-90 east to the Rapid City area.
Then to Santa Fe via I-25 and to Carlsbad and I-10 west to LA and north on I-5 to San Jose.
After looking at this, to me, it doesn't sound like a pleasant trip. You're driving interstates (& some will even have some tough climbs)and going through some big cities which would be a nightmare for us. We love driving secondary roads as our first choice but then, we don't mind mountains roads. So that's up to you.
I would probably rethink this big trip. Make it shorter by eliminating Canada and perhaps even Santa Fe and Carlsbad. Save them for your new motorhome. Also, it really wouldn't be enjoyable both of you driving separately. Think this trip out carefully so you're not exhausted like your previous trip.
Instead of planning this one BIG trip for 5-6 weeks, why not take some shorter trips into mountain areas to get a better feel for mountain driving? Good luck!
My apologies for not responding - I must have missed the email notice, and I just found that my email program dumped a huge number of my emails from lists in the lat couple of weeks into spam (including many that I have been getting for years with no problem). :-(
I appreciate the time and thought you put into this answer, and we will certainly take it into consideration.
My concerns are more about the ability of our RV to handle the mountains - the engine is in great shape, but it IS just a V10. So my suggestion to drive the Jeep separately was just for the steepest (or windiest) parts. And the sway bar we put in does help quite a bit. We have no problem sticking to mostly interstates, especially since we assume (and I think we should get the Mountain Directory to confirm) that they have the least steep climbs and descents.
I also need to be in places most of the time where I can get internet, since I still work part time as a patent attorney (no court appearance, just writing and filing papers electronically), and I constantly have papers due and emails from clients to field - I can do them at night or even while we're driving, so long as I have a good connection from time to time.
We were planning on staying at least 3 days in Canada, and driving to Lake Louise and Jasper in the Jeep for day trips. Your recommendation about the Tetons was already under consideration as well - thanks for the suggestions about places to stay!
The Santa Fe part is part of the reason for the trip - we are considering relocating there, based on recommendations from two friends who moved there recently, so we were going to spend 2-3 days checking it out and speaking to a local real estate agent we've connected with.
We have concluded that 300 miles is our maximum for any one day, and preferably less. And my husband is all healed up from surgery, so he won't be struggling with that. I think we need to take a couple more stops each day to stretch and "unclench" - which we can do if we would get started earlier in the morning (this is my issue, not his - I'm not a morning person, but we want to get the driving done sooner than we have been - leaving at noon is not the best way to travel).
In the meantime, I think we will take a mountain trip or two earlier this summer, perhaps to Mt. Shasta or the Trinity Mts. or Sequoia to practice. That is a very good idea.
