Exploring the U.S. coast

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Coast line from Maine to Washington? You mean Washington, DC? Not much coast East to West.

I think it would involve sailing away from US waters, south than thru that ditch, then back North.
Of course if retirement is few years off, might go around Canada instead.

Haven't done all of it but...

If you aren't set on sticking to the USA, I would look at doing a circle tour of North America (you could start anywhere just watch the seasons or do it over multiple years):
- Starting in Cartwright Labrador (eastern tip of mainland Canada), drop down thru Newfoundland
- Then take the ferry to Nova Scotia
- Cross into Maine and follow the coast to Key West.
- Then around the Gulf of Mexico to Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
- Depending on your sense of adventure/security situation, you could run down as far as Panama before coming back up the Pacific coast.
- Alternatively, cut across to San Diego CA and head north to Seattle/Vancouver
- Follow the Casiar Hwy until you connect with the Alcan and then follow around to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.
- Completing the north leg, circe north to Fairbanks and then take the Top of the World Hwy to Dawson City.
- Side trip to Tuktoyaktuk to dip your toes in the 3rd Coast (Alaska Haul road, you can't drive to the ocean but on the Dempster Hwy in Canada, you can camp right on the shore).
- Take the Klondike Hwy back down to Watson Lake.
- Loop back north a bit to see the coast of Great Slave Lake.
- Cut between the coast big lakes down into Winnipeg before cutting over to the north coast of Lake Superior.
- Follow the north edge of the Great Lakes coast to Kingston.
- Possible side trip to see the coast on Hudson Bay.
- Follow the north coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway back to Labrador.

Probably start in the fall in Maine, work our way south for the winter, back up the west coast in the spring, across northern U.S. in summer. Something like that, we hope.

on the west cost IMHO (having traveled it several times) the coast is best travelled and viewed going north to south, Most turnouts are on the ocean side and angled for traffic coming from the north. Makes viewpoints difficult going south to north. and easier to see going north to south. Especially true on highway 1. Did San Diego to cresent city once. Luckily we live in northern oregon so North to south is easy.

I don't know about the east coast, but first thought is south to north would be my choice.

So consider going west across canada, great scenery then head south around Seattle.

I get it that you want to explore the coast line, ME to FL to CA to WA. Sounds like an Awesome!!!! idea. I suspect fee agave done it but there are MANY that have done segments of that trip. We have done them all over the last 20+ years and if we were retired it would make an incredible adventure. Don't miss adding Canada to get back to ME or you will miss some of the prettiest (non water) areas in North America.

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Coast line from Maine to Washington? You mean Washington, DC? Not much coast East to West.

yeah, once you hit TX from the gulf cost, you have to make your way to CA to pick up coastline again. With the exception of the ocean front properties in AZ ;-)

Sure does sound like a fun trip though. I would advise timing the Carolinas around Hurricane season - and probably tourism season too.

I'm sorry state of Washington.

Coast line from Maine to Washington? You mean Washington, DC? Not much coast East to West.

Eat seafood.