Summer 2016 RV 1 month Where!?!?!?
Sorry for the very broad question, just starting to think about next summer. We'd like another RV trip. We have done 2, hired an RV and drove the California central coast are, and Yosemite. Trip 2 ...
Forum Discussion
It has been a long time since we did Utah in the Summer but my recollections were mid range temps. The National Parks there are great. Kind of a long trip but there is a lot of American History to and from and nearby. The Dakotas and Nebraska have a lot to offer young folks and most campgrounds have pools or some water for cooling off.
As you are former GB residents and may not know, from the St Louis area to Arches is along the Westward Movement corridor. Scott's Bluff is an interesting stop. Near St. Lewis is the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Trail.
I'm kind of jumping around in places along the way but it is a great trip.
Now the Fly-Drive thing to Alaska. Five years ago we had three weeks in June that the Grand Kids were with us and we wanted to take them to Alaska. We knew driving up and back would take at least that long so we flew up and back and rented a 31 foot Winnie Chalet. Having been there before, we knew what we wanted them to see and jammed a lot into those three weeks. We rented from Great Alaskan Holidays and even though the time to get checked out was pretty long, it was painless and we were on the road before noon. They are a very popular rental company and we highly recommend them.
If I were to do that again I'd go for July or August. Those are higher travel months but one of AK's biggest draws is fishing and we were too early for most salmon runs. We did have a little rain but it's just part of life and usually welcome. I planned on going to the Arctic Circle for the Summer Solstice. The grandkids loved it, Nana let them stay up all night(they didn't, but they tried) and setting your camera to time stamp the pictures and taking pictures at Mid-Night just like you would at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning is neat to show folks later. The kids were 9 and 12 and never got bored. A must do trip when you pull it off.
The Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Four Corners and Rocky Mountain NP tour is really cool. As in unbelievable scenery. Also that takes you by Great Sand Dunes NP. The kids can hike forever in the dunes and play in the creeks. And then in Golden/Denver is a sight to se for the adults, Red Rocks Theatre. It is a venue for all the great musical groups that is totally unbelievable. It was built in the 1930's by the WPA as a way to help the economy recover during the first great depression.
We have been on Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall and it was beautiful. We want to return when we can drive the whole thing. Our trip was interested due to snow in both Shenandoah and BRP, and we missed a lot of the drive. For just plain old spectacular scenery, that drive cannot be beat.
I could go on for days and days and never say which area and what attractions are the most spectacular. My wife and I thought that Kansas was spectacular, many feel it is flat and boring, it is flat but it is not boring. We both grew up in the Los Angeles Basin. BASIN is the operative word here, we are surrounded by mountains and very tall hills(mountains in Kansas speak). There isn't a horizon, there is skyline. In Kansas, there is a horizon, 360 degrees of horizon. There is also a lot of American History to be told there.
Early American music from the sea chanteys to the Folk era of the sixties and seventies abounds with the names of places in this country that are of minor to great historical significance. It is a lot of the music we grew up with and love. My wife wants to go see all of those places mentioned in song. So far she has been pretty successful.
Good luck and when you decide on the general area, come back and we'll give you all the details you could ever imagine. Another note before I forget, your kids can join n doing the Jr. Ranger Program in most NP's and many other sites operated by the NPS. It is fun for them and they learn a lot.
As you are former GB residents and may not know, from the St Louis area to Arches is along the Westward Movement corridor. Scott's Bluff is an interesting stop. Near St. Lewis is the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Trail.
I'm kind of jumping around in places along the way but it is a great trip.
Now the Fly-Drive thing to Alaska. Five years ago we had three weeks in June that the Grand Kids were with us and we wanted to take them to Alaska. We knew driving up and back would take at least that long so we flew up and back and rented a 31 foot Winnie Chalet. Having been there before, we knew what we wanted them to see and jammed a lot into those three weeks. We rented from Great Alaskan Holidays and even though the time to get checked out was pretty long, it was painless and we were on the road before noon. They are a very popular rental company and we highly recommend them.
If I were to do that again I'd go for July or August. Those are higher travel months but one of AK's biggest draws is fishing and we were too early for most salmon runs. We did have a little rain but it's just part of life and usually welcome. I planned on going to the Arctic Circle for the Summer Solstice. The grandkids loved it, Nana let them stay up all night(they didn't, but they tried) and setting your camera to time stamp the pictures and taking pictures at Mid-Night just like you would at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning is neat to show folks later. The kids were 9 and 12 and never got bored. A must do trip when you pull it off.
The Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Four Corners and Rocky Mountain NP tour is really cool. As in unbelievable scenery. Also that takes you by Great Sand Dunes NP. The kids can hike forever in the dunes and play in the creeks. And then in Golden/Denver is a sight to se for the adults, Red Rocks Theatre. It is a venue for all the great musical groups that is totally unbelievable. It was built in the 1930's by the WPA as a way to help the economy recover during the first great depression.
We have been on Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall and it was beautiful. We want to return when we can drive the whole thing. Our trip was interested due to snow in both Shenandoah and BRP, and we missed a lot of the drive. For just plain old spectacular scenery, that drive cannot be beat.
I could go on for days and days and never say which area and what attractions are the most spectacular. My wife and I thought that Kansas was spectacular, many feel it is flat and boring, it is flat but it is not boring. We both grew up in the Los Angeles Basin. BASIN is the operative word here, we are surrounded by mountains and very tall hills(mountains in Kansas speak). There isn't a horizon, there is skyline. In Kansas, there is a horizon, 360 degrees of horizon. There is also a lot of American History to be told there.
Early American music from the sea chanteys to the Folk era of the sixties and seventies abounds with the names of places in this country that are of minor to great historical significance. It is a lot of the music we grew up with and love. My wife wants to go see all of those places mentioned in song. So far she has been pretty successful.
Good luck and when you decide on the general area, come back and we'll give you all the details you could ever imagine. Another note before I forget, your kids can join n doing the Jr. Ranger Program in most NP's and many other sites operated by the NPS. It is fun for them and they learn a lot.
