Help with Big RV Trip Planning

doctormdj wrote:
Wow! What can I say? It is so wonderful having such an amazing family of fellow RV Masters to shed light and help direct me in the right path. Having a huge 40 foot diesel and a great car to tow behind it and a young family we seem to spend every other weekend on the road doing something or going somewhere. Finally having two weeks when my wife is not in the hospital as an Emergency Room RN and me not having to watch the family business, my first thought is to hit the open road and see all of America. Well it's exciting to say that you guys all helped me make a better choice. So first of all thank you for the great responses and the detailed information.

Next... we managed to get a few more days out of our trip so we are good to travel from Aug 7 through Aug 25 as long as we are back in Sourthern California by the 25th. That is 17 nights. Next change is that My wife has finally agreed to do some of the driving on the long highways. Yippee....

We are going to make some changes to our trip. First, we're gonna drop the Arches and RMNP all together. Good thoughts you guys. Thanks. I think it's best to follow suit with many of your awesome thoughts and experience and go straight up the 15 on the way toward Yellowstone NP and take in all that is there. so here is the revised plan....

1) LA to Bryce Canyon/Capitol Reef... I'm dying to drive that Highway 12 in the Jeep but it's true it's going to be pretty hot there. That is stop #1 - 3 nights. http://www.thousandlakesrvpark.com From what you guys say... 2 full days is cool for this.

2) Bryce to YellowStone. Thinking about extending that to 5 nights. http://www.grizzlyrv.com/ From what you guys say... 4 full days is cool for this.

3) Mt. Rushmore - 3 nights should be good for that. http://koa.com/campgrounds/mount-rushmore/ From what you guys say... 1 full day is fine although 2 could do a bit more in the area and a bit more relaxing as our travel days will be long.

Now we have 6 nights left (17 total) and at a loss as to where to go from here? Perhaps somewhere near Mesa-Verde NP, Near Denver, Near Grand Junction or go all the way down to Durago. Cutting over to Arches was one thought but you guys are right........ TOOO HOTT! So where to go? I'm looking for 1 or 2 more places in route to So Cal Maybe 2 or 4 nights / 3 and 3 in 1 or 2 more places on the way back to LA.

Any thoughts on where to go after Rushmore headeing West or Southwest??

One thought is to travel down to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs... http://www.rvcoutdoors.com/gardenofthegods-colorado. Spend 3 nights there and check all the fun things in that area.... then where.... If nothing jumps out then we will just drive back over a couple days and stay longer at different places. Hmmmmmmmmm