Routes and campgrounds in west
Hi. We are a family of 10 looking to go out west but have no idea of routes and campgrounds as such. I figured many have done these week or 2 week trips before. Does anyone have links or know of a bo...
Forum Discussion
I've been singing the praises of the Upper Arkansas River Valley for years. I don't have a specific RV park to stay at, but I will say that anywhere from Leadville south to Salida is a great place to base camp out of. In the heat of the summer, up toward Leadville is cooler in temperature.
You have a choice of fishing, hiking, jeeping, mountain biking, rafting, etc. etc. Spend an afternoon in the park in downtown Salida, first tubing down the river, then catching a free concert on the lawn. There are ghost towns in the area and a mining museum up in Leadville. The whole valley is paralleled by the Sawatch Range with a number of mountains over 14,000' in elevation. Check out some other of my suggestions for this area here. Or search "Salida" and "4runnerguy" as the author.
It's around 1250 miles from Nashville to Salida, further if you head up to Leadville.
With 10 of you, 600 miles a day would be right at the limits for a days drive. Towing a trailer means a lot more stops for gas, and with 10 people, bathroom breaks will also take a little longer. We did 800 miles in one day on the way home from Canada this summer and it took me another day to recover.
Yellowstone would also be on my list, but that's another 400 miles of driving each way. Yellowstone is unique in the world and someplace everyone should visit who gets the chance. And it's not just about the geysers but also the wildlife, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, lakes, rivers, Old Faithful Lodge, etc. Plus, quite scenic mountains to the south in Grand Tetons. But that's three long days of driving. If you could start out after work on Friday and get a couple hundred miles that first evening and then not return until Sunday night two weeks later, you could make that drive.
With 8 kids, one should focus on getting somewhere and staying for a decent length of time, rather than moving every couple of days. The kids will already be tired of being in the vehicle by the time you get to your destination. Let them get out and play in the outdoors. Besides, breaking camp and setting up again in the evening eats into a couple of hours of "vacation" time every time you move.
You have a choice of fishing, hiking, jeeping, mountain biking, rafting, etc. etc. Spend an afternoon in the park in downtown Salida, first tubing down the river, then catching a free concert on the lawn. There are ghost towns in the area and a mining museum up in Leadville. The whole valley is paralleled by the Sawatch Range with a number of mountains over 14,000' in elevation. Check out some other of my suggestions for this area here. Or search "Salida" and "4runnerguy" as the author.
It's around 1250 miles from Nashville to Salida, further if you head up to Leadville.
With 10 of you, 600 miles a day would be right at the limits for a days drive. Towing a trailer means a lot more stops for gas, and with 10 people, bathroom breaks will also take a little longer. We did 800 miles in one day on the way home from Canada this summer and it took me another day to recover.
Yellowstone would also be on my list, but that's another 400 miles of driving each way. Yellowstone is unique in the world and someplace everyone should visit who gets the chance. And it's not just about the geysers but also the wildlife, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, lakes, rivers, Old Faithful Lodge, etc. Plus, quite scenic mountains to the south in Grand Tetons. But that's three long days of driving. If you could start out after work on Friday and get a couple hundred miles that first evening and then not return until Sunday night two weeks later, you could make that drive.
With 8 kids, one should focus on getting somewhere and staying for a decent length of time, rather than moving every couple of days. The kids will already be tired of being in the vehicle by the time you get to your destination. Let them get out and play in the outdoors. Besides, breaking camp and setting up again in the evening eats into a couple of hours of "vacation" time every time you move.
