Route planning advice - TT 6 month trip

[RCWannabe]

My wife, two kids, dog and I are planning an extended trip, it will be our first TT trip. I have pulled trailers since I was a teen, so that is not an issue, we have camped and done a little bit of Motorhome travel and we have driven to Florida, East coast of Canada, etc.

For this trip I am concerned about the following:
Knowing what routes to avoid when pulling a TT.
How to deal with getting US currency while travelling.
Areas to avoid for expense and safety issues.

Some details of the planned trip, travelers and gear:

2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab SXT 4.7L V8 2 wheel drive, with cap
2013 Shadow Cruiser 280QBS, with updated undercarriage (5000lbs axles, springs and 15" 6 bolt wheels)
Husky Centerline Hitch - WD and Sway control
Wife and I are early 40's
Kids are boy 12 girl 10
Dog is shi-tzu 14 (oops missed the hyphen!)

We will leave 2nd week of March 2014 and return early August 2014. Start near Toronto Ontario and head to Florida to visit my parents in Palmetto area for about a week. Then head towards Texas with a day or two in Louisianna maybe? We expect about 2 weeks to get from Florida to New Mexico, with stopping on the way.
Then we have Arizona, Utah, Califonia and then up the West Coast to BC Canada. We have left the timeline fairly open, but planned 5 weeks for AZ and UT, for Canyon, Mountain biking, hiking, ATV rental tour, etc.. So now mid to end of May we go to CA and 3 to 4 weeks as we travel north. Then near the end of June we should be close to heading to BC.
We expect to spend July in BC and Alberta, specifically Salt Spring Island, Vancouver Island (no TT I imagine for the Islands), mainland BC checking out the Mtn Biking and awesome trees, then to the mountains and a week or two in Jasper Park hiking, biking and hopefully rock climbing.
From here we will head back to Ontario with a stop to dig dinosaurs, maybe do some horseback riding and a few other day stops to rest from driving and take in the local scenery.


So I would love some advice on how to choose good routes for TT, what devices, websites, maps are recommended.
What other Canadians do for getting US currency when in the US.
Places I should be concerned about staying with kids and a dog, we are outdoors people and are researching the local natural dangers like snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc..

I am sure this is going to open up a ton of new questions for me, but I figure this community is going to be one of the best to offer advice.

Thanks in advance for any input and suggestions.

Sincerly,

RC and family.

[RCWannabe]

Update.

We have completed our trip, it was shortened due to rushing for the first 6 weeks, trailer repairs, higher costs than budgeted, seeing all the things we really wanted to see and the kids wanted to come home as they missed their friends. It was a great trip with minimal issues, just a problem with the slide, we had some great adventures, saw a lot of great places and met some great people along the way. Best of all we had a great time as a family and are all better for the experience.

Thanks for the advice and happy travels.

[RCWannabe]

Thanks for the tips. Florida will likely be spent at my parents park and near Disney and maybe the Canaveral area, but I will flag those CGs suggested. Texas is proving a challenge, we are struggling with the route to either make Texas a destination or to just visit Sonor Caves and head to NM? Tough decision.

We plan to get the NP pass, but it seems we won't be able to stay in many due to having our dog with us. We will still visit as the NPs are a big park of what we are going to see, especially in UT, CO and AZ. As to 'worring about the...' we are just making sure we don't get too many financial surprises and want to stretch the dollar to make sure we have money for the fun stuff. I am hoping we can do some real boondocking and not just the parking lots, I am not a fan of the CG layouts let alone the actual parking lots, but it is the way it is. Issue with real boondocking is I don't have a 4WD truck.

We have rattlesnakes where we cottage and it is not a big concern, just like to know what we might encounter as my kids will pick up anything that is living, my son catches turtles, snakes, insects, etc., just to experience them then carefully releases them. I would rather he know which scorpions won't send him to the hospital! lol. So the concern is more my kids finding them than them finding us!

We are at 8 weeks from departure today and are realizing we are not a prepared as we thought, but we are plugging away and not getting too concerned about it. We can only plan so much and most likely we will change everything once on the way!

We have started our blogs and done the initial setup of a website for friends and family to access the blogs! Though to not get too excited as we get closer to the departure date!!!

[BillMFl]

I have traveled all over the West, deserts, mountains, national parks, etc. Never once saw a rattle snake. Most Rvers have dogs with them. Some folks travel with 3 or 4 dogs. Never met anyone who had a dog bitten. But not to say it can't happen. Just very rare unless you let your dog roam off leash. Most parks don't allow that. Coyotes and mountain lions are a threat too. We have had neighbors here in Florida that let their dogs run free and some have been bit. Get to the vet right away. A relatively young and healthy dog will usually survive if treated promptly. Your actual risk is very very low.

[coloradotallman]

Just a couple of thoughts: As soon as possible buy a National Parks pass. Then go visit as many as possible. See NationalParksTallman.Wordpress.com for just a few in the southwest and Colorado. And, if you have two young kids, look up or download "Roadside America" .com a guide to unusual attractions in the US.

After that quit worrying about the mosquitoes and dog flees and ATM charges and highway bottlenecks and go enjoy yourself! Boondock as much as possible at any Interstate rest stop or Wal-Mart.

[padredw]

We will leave 2nd week of March 2014 and return early August 2014. Start near Toronto Ontario and head to Florida to visit my parents in Palmetto area for about a week. Then head towards Texas with a day or two in Louisianna maybe? We expect about 2 weeks to get from Florida to New Mexico, with stopping on the way.

Just a couple of comments: We have two favorite camping spots along the Florida Gulf coast which would be on this route: St. Andrews State Park near Panama City, Florida and Ft. Pickens Campground near Pensacola. Ft. Pickens is in the Gulf Island National Seashore across from the Naval Air Station. Both have access to some of the greatest beaches in the world, though March is just a bit early for playing in the surf.

But that brings me to this: Springtime is the best time to come across Texas. Up here in Northeast Texas, the Tyler Azalea Trail will be March 21-April 6. Tyler Azalea Trail Home And in the Central Texas Hill Country, the wildflowers should be started by the first week in April. This would be a great time to see the Texas Bluebonnets.

Unless you are specifically wanting to visit New Orleans, there are a couple of good state parks on the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain: Fountainbleau and Fairview Riverside.

One possibility would be to go from Tyler to the Ennis, Texas area to catch some bluebonnets Texas Bluebonnets which would allow you to sweep around the south side of Dallas/Fort Worth.

It's going to be a long way across the rest of Texas and New Mexico, but it would be a shame to miss the most beautiful part of Texas in the most beautiful time of the year.

One last thought: On this route I would highly suggest a stop in Santa Fe, NM.

PM me if I can help with any of this. We have made many trips to Florida to the east and to Santa Fe to the west and know a good bit about the roads and parks along the way.

[profdant139]

I think the safe-passage thing was supposed to be a joke. Because tone of voice does not come through well on the Internet, it is sometimes a good idea to add a winky face. 😉

[RCWannabe]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone, greatly appreciated. I am taking a look at the mountain guides, I think I will buy them. The bank account, CC's, etc. will take some research and planning probably can only get them once in the US, but I need to look in to that. Critters are not a major concern, but my kids like to pick up all critters so they need to know what to leave alone! We hope to get off the interstates as much as possible and to see the country, may find we drive one day and stay for 2 days, then repeat until we get to a chosen location to stay a week or two and day trip from there.

As to the Canadian Rockies, I spent 2 months living in Jasper Alberta and it was awesome, we have planned a month for BC and Alberta, hopefully most of that will be in the mountains.

There is so much to think about for planning a trip like this and we are new to this, but we are being pretty realistic I think and are fully aware our plans will likely change as we go and that is part of the excitement too. This week we have made a few route options based on some variables we are working around and the final route for the very start of trip won't be decided until we are almost ready to hitch up. All depends on my father's recovery from surgery tomorrow and if my parents will make it to Florida in time for us to visit them.

I have not found anything about a "safe-passage pass" since GreyMountain mentioned it, is this something I need to be concerned with? Nothing comes up with any of the searches I have done so I was not sure if I was having my leg pulled or not!

Thanks again everyone for the advice, this seems like a great community and I look forward to being apart of it in the flesh very soon!

[tatest]

You can do an east-west crossing of the U.S. along any route from US-2 near the northern border to US-90 (and 98) along the Gulf Coast and southern border. The Interstates mostly don't run as close to the edges, are fewer in number, but often closely follow older routes, just bypassing the towns and smaller cities. A lot of the interesting places are thus missed by the Interstates, but they can get you across the country in a third the time, sometimes.

As you work your way west toward the Rockies, then the high desert, the possible routes become less numerous, merging to take you either to southern California, central California, or the Pacific Northwest. To see more than a few points on the West Coast, you'll need a north-south trip.

All of these routes have many points of interest, it is a lifetime of travel crossing back and forth on the different routes, so it can be helpful to have some key points of interest, start tying them together with highways, then look for what is near those routes, or near alternates 50-200 miles parallel.

If you want to see only a few big cities, moving quickly between them, this purpose is best served using the Interstate highways that connect the cities and bypass what is between. There has been a trend, past 40 years, to build commercial attractions (amusement parks, theme parks, giga-malls, outlet shopping centers) along these routes. But most of our historical sites and natural wonders are also bypassed.

I do my "connect the key places and look for what else" planning using Microsoft Streets and Trips, but there are other tools. For 30+ years I've been planning trips from NE Oklahoma to connect with family in Michigan, Chicago,Iowa, Florida, south Texas, N Carolina, and the Gulf Coast, 20 years before that from the Carolinas, Virginia, and Florida to SE Michigan. No two trips need be the same, there are always alternative routes without much difference in travel time, offering different scenery, culture, and places to stop.Then if I can turn a two day trip into four days or a week, there are either more places to stop or the opportunity to make a bigger loop, like going from Tulsa to Detroit through Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan, or through Tennessee and Kentucky, rather than the shorter quicker routes through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

Just trying to broaden your way of approaching a trip plan. I-10 is a good fast way of crossing the southern edge of this country without seeing much of anything. I've followed it from Jacksonville to beyond Phoenix, when in a hurry. It gives you access to the Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Houston (which I consider worth visiting frequently), San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson and Phoenix, before you have to decide which way and where you want to go in California. It also goes through a lot of empty space, not just in West Texas, where there are places to visit, some peoples' "must sees" within a hundred miles or so, or 200 as you go west, to the north or south on parallel routes.

I suggest ordering the free visitor or travel guides, from the tourist departments of the states you anticipate to cross, to see what there is that you might want to see, if only you knew it was there.

[profdant139]

As much as I love the western USA (see blog entries below), I would spend as much time as possible in the Canadian Rockies -- much more than a week. In case you have never been there, they look a lot like this:



That was taken in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, not far from Banff. If you want more info on things to do in the Rockies, here is a blog post:

Peter Lougheed and beyond

Have a great trip -- your kids sure are lucky, and they will soon realize it!

[63-Coupe]

Grey Mountain wrote:

I use a Capitol One CC when in Canada. There are no international transaction fees, and the ATMs provide Canadian cash at the prevailing exchange rate. We used to travel with a lot of cash, but that is not ideal. I also set up alerts with Cap 1 to notify me for international transactions and for transactions over a specified amount - in my case, $200.
Last year, another CC I use only for fuel was hacked to the tune of $9000. I could not set up the same type of alerts with this CC, so I will discontinue use of it. To their credit, they wrote off the $9k.

I will be on Vancouver Island from mid-June to early August in Artum Snowbirds area near Campbell River.

GM

I use an Amazon.ca Rewards VISA card in the U.S. for credit card purchases. That is the only one I have found so far that does not charge the 2.5% extra fee on foreign exchange. The exchange rate is set by VISA for all their credit cards so you get the same exchange rate as you would with say a TD card or an RBC card. The card is through Chase Bank and I have never had an issue with it's acceptance anywhere in the U.S. Amazon.ca VISA

[john_bet]

I would say just look at it as a lot of short 2 or 3 day trips. That's what we may do come June after a graduation in Montana. Not going to plan to much, just deciding a few days in advance and going. We don't want to be rushed to be somewhere except the graduation and I have 7 days to go 1800 miles to make that.

[2gypsies1]

You might want to consider purchasing online "The Truckers Mountain Directory". It comes in both East and West editions, depending where you're traveling. You'll see a lot more of the beautiful country if you get off the interstates. If you really want to explore one state in depth, get the Benchmark Atlas for that state. The series only is sold for the western states. They give so much detail on things to see and even public campgrounds are marked clearly. We love them.

Also, I wouldn't overconcern yourself about critter safety for the kids and dog. Millions of people travel with them. Just use common sense and you'll be just fine. Snakes like rocky areas so if hiking, stay on the trails. You'll probably never see a scorpion unless you have a black light and go outside at night hunting for them. 🙂 Have a good trip!

[Jim_Shoe]

Google "crossing the US Canada border". There are rules crossing in either direction, and special rules for pets. Also, most any bank will convert money for you, but probably wise to convert some dollars (CN) to dollars(US) at a bank before leaving Canada. Businesses and banks near the border on either side are familiar with the current exchange rates, so you'll get a better deal.
Half way up to Alaska, I tried to buy something in a small town with dollars and they simply refused. They didn't see dollars often enough to know the exchange rate.
You may also want to make up a "Cheat Sheet" for pounds/kilograms, ounces/grams and liters/gallons. I got stumped once at the deli counter in a large grocery store as they were selling baked ham by the gram. They didn't know how many grams were in a half pound, so I just ordered 8 slices. I got pretty close.
BTW, if you get near Cincinnati, I still have a few dollars(CN) and some loonies and toonies that you can have. Nobody will take them here. 🙂

[bka0721]

RCWannabe wrote:

I am still wayne_tw wrote:

RCWannabe wrote:


For this trip I am concerned about the following:

How to deal with getting US currency while travelling.

Your Canadian ATM card will work in almost every US ATM. Be sure to notify your bank and credit card providers that you when and where you will be using the cards outside of Canada.

I am trying to find a way to avoid the costs involved with regular transactions with the bank card, I have been warned it is costly if you are doing it alot because they charge a percentage over and above the exchange as opposed to a flat fee per transaction. If I look at the cost of the trip overall and add 2.5%, it adds up quickly.

I am looking in to using a CAA card which is basically a M/C that you prepay. I may purchase my US funds before the trip and avoid the expected decrease in the canadian dollar and if I purchase enought US money I can get a discounted exchange rate or conversion fee apparently, but I won't travel with that amount of cash so I need to find a way to use the money with out having it all as cash. Hope that makes sense.....

So far the primary options seem to be to use a bank card, my credit card, the CAA prepaid M/C or cash.

While others have answered your questions, in different forms, my way of getting cash is different than most. It might not work for you, being Canadian, but might help others in the need of cash funds.

I am a fulltimer in an RV and will be on the road, 5 years in June 2014. I have never had (my entire life) an ATM card or Debit Card, but I do have a Master Card, Credit Card (Capitol One). I don’t like having large amounts of money on me, as I tend to boondock in remote locations and leave my RV for long periods of time. But, it is nice to have funds for different reasons.

The most prevalent bank that I have found around the country is Wells Fargo. If you have the opportunity, open a Wells Fargo Bank account, once you arrive in the USA. Check with your own bank to see if you are able to transfer funds, online, with Wells Fargo. If this is available, go with this bank. If you need to have a local address for opening an account, use a RV Campground you stay at, as many will allow you to use their address for this purpose. Also use the electronic mailing option. I am not sure what requirements a Canadian will need for Social Security Identification, for opening an account in USA. Wells Fargo might be able to answer this for you too.

Here is what I do, for cash, and other US Citizens can do it also. I just write personal checks on my home Bank in Boulder Colorado. Simple as that. Many locations, Albertsons, Kroger Stores, Safeway, Wal-Marts, and the list goes on, will allow you to write a check for the purchase and $20 over. That is how I get my cash and avoid all the hassles of locating an ATM machine, or one that does not have fees or wait for fees to be refunded by my home bank. Not counting the people that hang around ATM machines that might rob you. Also, many locations will allow you to write a personal check, for the amount of the purchase, like; Lowes, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, Stater Bros. and Bed and Bath. There are more, I am sure, but I don’t shop a lot of places. The only thing to get these started is that you need to present a I.D. (Passport), D.L., phone number, depending on the location so you get on their master computer. This is a good time to pick up a Customer Loyalty Card at some locations. If you have already used these businesses in Canada, writing personal checks, you might already have this option available to you, in the USA too.

Follow Jefe4X4’s suggestion in doing some test trips, before your adventure begins. Another thing I suggest, tape a piece of paper to an inside cabinet door, or magnet to a fume exhaust hood, to write down things you need to pick up on the next trip to the store. Later you might forget something you realized you needed, earlier.

b