Long but leisurely trip from NH to NM up to MT then home

I would just concentrate on the southern part of your trip. April is just too early for the high plateau northern states. Add Taos to your itinerary if you prefer interesting towns, check out the Taos Pueblo and there are plenty of other interesting places in NM. Carlsbad Caverns in southern NM are another possible place to visit.

Allow 4 or 5 days each way for travel time and that will give you over two weeks in NM.

Wow! My hopes are up again! Thank you! Sounds so cool! I like the plan of catching naps here and there and going on my way.

I'm an artist of sorts. I used to have a business called Fanny's Follies named after the boxer dogs I have had in my life. Anyway, I'm a pressed flower artist. Before my husband got sick and passed away, I was just beginning to get my art recognized in local art galleries here in NH.

I even thought I would bring some of my art on the road with me. Good advice and I thank you very much! ~Connie

You can cross the Midwest pretty quickly. I would head south initially, pick up i70 and put the petal to the metal. Using stretch breaks every two hours and even a short nap along the way you can easily travel 500mi per day. Santa Fe is a "womens" town! Lots of ladies past child rearing years and/or divorced or widowed have moved there to enjoy the variety and beauty of the area. It is one of the most significant arts oriented cities in the USA. Lots of gallery wine and cheese events, etc. Ghost Ranch is interesting and scenic. April is a cool month in Santa Fe. The trees are just starting to bud out and a few early flowers are beginning. There are three RV parks in the Santa Fe area and my favorite is Santa Fe Skies. Very nice clean restrooms and showers. April will be cool balmy days and chilly nights. Snow on the peaks above the city. You won't need reservations anywhere in April but call ahead early in the day you plan to arrive if you want to be sure. I would spend at least a week in Santa Fe. If you head north April is still heavy snow pack in the Rockies.

May have to reconsider my trip. I'm a little disheartened at this point. Thanks for the eye opening info.

Your snow must be melting and you're itching to get going! Sounds like a great trip! We've been to the O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe and it's very nice but you really must include driving on Hwy 84 in NM to O'Keefe's hangout in Abiquiu. It's a beautiful part of the country and you can stay at Abiquiu Lake COE park in a pretty setting.

I wouldn't make any reservations for April or May as the parks won't be crowded.

Connie - You're pretty aggressive on your mileage in thirty some days; suggest you slow down a little and enjoy all the places in AZ, NM, and UT before heading north up to WY and MT. Things will open up in May up there and weather will be a little nicer. It sounds like you've got a great trip planned, just relax and be ready to enjoy yourself, best way to do that is take one day at a time. As several others have suggested, don't think you'll need to make any reservations for CG's since you're sort of beating the summer rush up north. Have a good trip, drive careful!

Lots of State Parks and NF campgrounds on your way that are very pleasant for you and your Pup. Sounds like so much fun. I, too, am jealous!
Enjoy! Too bad you're not 62 or you could get your "old person Pass" and get 50% off NPs and the campgrounds mentioned above. LOL

I don't know your Montana destinations, so making assumptions.

Going through the Midwest to NE quarter of New Mexico, then up through Yellowstone to Glacier, then back across northern Plains to Minneapolis, and down around the southern edge of the Great Lakes for the return home is about 6400 miles, about 14 8-hour driving days., leaving about two weeks to visit places. I don't see this as leisurely (pace of about 100-300 miles a day for me) but it is not either terribly rushed.

Going through Duluth, the U.P. of Michigan, then down through Michigan to Toledo, adds about 200 miles, and a day to the travel time.

Crossing into Canada at Sault Sainte Marie and going across Ontario and Quebec to New England shortens the driving distance slightly but adds a day of driving.

Campgrounds that are closed for the winter start opening again beginning of April in the mid-South and the southern part of the plains (Missouri, Oklahoma, northern Texas, New Mexico. As you go further north, you may find opening dates in May, and I've found some opening as late as the weekend before Memorial Day in the northern part of the Midwest.

Quick estimate but 6000 miles in thirty days doesn't sound leisurely to me. We're planning 3700 in thirty days it wont be a rush but I don't consider we'll be doing much sightseeing. Our usual travel on a trip like this is drive 250 miles a day then stop for two or three nights depending on local places to see/do.

You should be fine heading south to NM in early April. AZ and UT should be fine too. IMO late April is too early for high elevation areas in CO, WY and MT.

FYI, we leave home in NJ in early May for a loop similar to yours and never make advanced reservations. We usually get back home in early July.