Summer Road Trip to the North East

WOW! 4 weeks to do the NE!!!! Sounds like a a trip that should take more like 4 MONTHS, especially if round tripping from the Wet Coast.

Good luck but it looks like a gas station hopping, CG jumping, whizzing by a few attractions trip.

Sorry, JMO.

Hi All,

Thanks for the great advise.

I have a couple of questions..

1) If we are coming in from Springfield IL.. is there any MUST SEE places in West Virginia?

2) We would like to visit Washington DC for a few days but would like to find a nice RV park that is a distances away from the craziness of DC. Then drive to a Metro Station and get the Metro in or an ordinary train station. As we will go to Gettysburg afterwards and then Philli we would like to find a place North Westish of DC to camp and catch the train. A 30-45 minute train ride would be OK. Metro would be perfect.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

smcrea wrote:
We are into scenic and beautiful, relaxing nice places.

This trip will not be at all relaxing in any way. I know you think your kids can handle a long trip, but your trip might change their minds forever. Besides, you'll just be spending days and days on the road coming and going. If you can average 600 miles per day (remember there will also be potty breaks, fuel stops, and minimal sightseeing -- plan on 12+ hours a day), you're still looking at five days each way. That's 10 days of just driving out of a 28 day trip. Then there will be much more driving once you get to the east. All told, you'll probably spend well more than half your vacation in your truck driving very long days. Doesn't leave much time for sightseeing.

I've never known kids to be happy with being in a truck for five straight 12+ hour days. (Just as an example, your trip to Glacier NP was probably 25% of the distance that you're planning just to get there, not counting all the driving to your various destinations.) Having driven back east several times in the last few years from CO (we're 1000 miles closer and without kids), I'd strongly recommend doing something other than driving all the way out and back from CA with just four weeks. Now if you can round up another couple weeks (six total), then you start have a reasonable amount of time to work with and can take a day or two break on the way out and back.

I'll propose a couple of options for you to consider.

1. Fly to the city with the cheapest airfares, rent a decent sized car or van, do your research on decent but affordable lodging options, and spend those 10 extra days doing fun things rather than sitting in your truck on what will seem like endless interstate. May seem expensive to fly five people, but remember, it's well over 6000 miles round trip just to get there, plus another 1000+ miles once you're there. That's $1500+ just in fuel expenses. Goes a long way toward airplane tickets. Besides motels, check the state parks and private CG's where you're wanting to stay to see if they have cabin rentals (like KOA does). A lot of SP's do have cabins or yurts to rent. Kind of get the camping experience that way.

2. Fly out and rent an RV. You'll need to balance the cost of RV rentals in the various towns vs. the cost of airline tickets.

For either of these suggestions, I'd focus on all those places in PA NY, DC and to the northeast from there. You'll still find yourself very busy, but much more relaxed than if you've driven five or six days just to get there.

Acadia National Park, Me., White Mountain area of NH, Vermont, and Northern NY., Ausable Chasms, Adirondacks, Lake Placid, Adirondack Scenic Railway.

We love the Finger Lakes region. Sampson State Park is our favorite there. Also Gettysburg is amazing and Rollins Pond State Park in the Adirondack is beautiful but more of a lake than pond...no hookups there but nearly every site is large and waterfront so you can swim and kayak right from your site.

I live in upstate NY and my 2 favorite places are Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks and Acadia Maine. How are you traveling and what are your interests? Going to Nova Scotia is a trip all itself, save it for another time.

Remember - if you're going into Canada you'll need a passport or enhanced drivers licence to get back......
Our east coast high points would be Acadia, Boston, Mt Washington, Niagara Falls, Washington DC, and maybe NYC. We enjoy the National Seashore on Cape Cod and the private whaling museum on Nantucket but that'll eat up several days. A whale watching trip out of Boston or Bar Harbor is a novel experience.

Seaview Campground in Eastport, Maine is an annual favorite. Gorgeous sunrises, whales & Eagles, Campobello Island - East Quoddy Head, Lubec - West Quoddy Head-eastern most point in the US. The bold coast back down to Cutler.

Maine begins with wonderful Acadia in the rear view mirror.

My all time favorite state park is Ricketts Glen in PA. 22 waterfalls along beautiful streams over a 7 mile hike. Dry camping, but bathrooms with showers. Don't enter from the south unless you like an "interesting" pull - 4 miles of 18% grade. Some photos.

In NY, Letchworth State Park is a favorite - a bit West of the Fingerlakes. Electric only sites available. One of my visits to Letchworth State Park.

I agree that your list is pretty hopeful for the amount of time you have. You didn't mention what month you will be traveling. Keep in mind that the summer tourist season is very busy on the east coast. Washington will be packed. Coastal routes are very congested, although the scenery is well worth it. I camp in Maine often and have been to Acadia many times. Once you get out there it is great and if you are a hiker you can get away from the crowds and enjoy nature on the trails and carriage paths. I enjoy the coast of Maine to the north of Ellsworth even more as the number of tourists up that way is far fewer. However, these are long distances you're looking at. Cape Cod is incredibly busy all summer. I've spent many, many summer vacations there since the 60s. Campgrounds there are filled, and tight. Again, if you get away from the crowds you can find beautiful beaches and walks.
I live in the Finger Lakes area of NYS and it is a great spot to visit. It is a big area, with many lakes, wineries, craft breweries and farm markets. There are some nice state parks to use as a base camp.
I guess I would encourage you to pare down your list so that you are not exhausted from driving and rushing around trying to do it all. Find your priorities, select a few places to explore and enjoy them from beyond the car windows. Keep us posted on your plans!