Scottish family rving for first time

Susanbee - you will have a wonderful trip. Here are some thoughts for you:
Larger Motorhomes climb large grades slower and will give you a slightly lower average travel time. Also, some states require class A and C motorhomes to travel at truck speeds, lower than cars.

50 mph average mph including brief rest stops is what I use to estimate travel time. 400 miles is approximately 8 hours travel. This does not give much time for stopping and enjoying the sights as you come across them. We try to mix a long day followed by a shorter day to keep more rested as we travel.

Yellowstone is wonderful but it already very late to get reservations. Try the suggested parks in west Yellowstone.

Check goodsamclub.com or Woodalls for online directory of RV parks including driving directions, price, phone numbers and amenities. You can purchase a directory at a Camping world and some bookstores as you travel but online works quite well.

Ask questions here. There are good people willing to assist you. I hope your trip is a huge success!!

You might want to have a look at area 51 on Google Earth first. Do you really want to go there? Our firt experience with RVing was a 14 night family trip. We covered something like 2500 miles in those 14 nights & came back busted.

Our rental started in Denver to Grand Canyon to Vegas to Bryce to Rocky Mtn Nat Park & back to Denver.

You might want to reasses how many miles that you expect to cover & still have time to see stuff along the way. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a full day of on & off shuttle buses. Places like Bryce are the same. Not much time to soak the eperience in.

The US West is a big place.

Susanbee: If you need help with the locals out here, call me. I speak Scots!

I'm assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that you'll head straight north up US93 to Twin Falls. If so, I believe there is a Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the mall, just to the east of 93, just before the canyon.

In there you can find maps, guide books, and camping guides. It'll be a lot easier than messing around in Vegas looking for a similar place.

And if you do take that route, be aware that fuel stops are few and far between -- Ash Springs, Ely, and Wells, and that's about it. Use them!

susanbee -

To start with enjoy Las Vegas, one of the World's unique and most exciting spots. There are several large Casinos with amusement park rides that should be fun for your Grand Kids. Circus Circus, MGM, and Landmark are the casinos I can think of that have kid rides. Do go to see the water show in front of the Bellagio. Free and fun. It will be hot in Vegas that time of year.

I have not been to area 51 except for on TV. The other day when looking in the area I spotted the Al inn or something similar as an RV park in the area. This is a still secret military base and they do not have tours.

Go see the falls at Twin Falls.

From Twin Falls it is not far to Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks. Go up Interstate 15 to Idaho Falls and turn east on Route 26 and go to Jackson WY. Jackson is a beautiful small town just to the south of the Grand Teton mountains. Maybe the prettiest range in the USA. You can camp in Jackson or make reservations in Grand Teton National Park at Colter Bay Village. This is a lovely beautiful place to camp. They have spaces with and without hookups. You need to make reservations now. Stay 3 days take a raft ride down the Snake River. Leaves from the lodge 5 miles away. Go see some of the ranger talks and the museum. From there go north into Yellowstone and stay 3 days or so. Stay at Fishing Bridge campground. Also make reservations now.

To the east of Yellowstone Park is the city of Cody. If you go there be sure to go to the Western Museum. It is huge and very interesting. You will need many hours to see it. A short days drive from Cody is Thermopolis Wyoming. They have the best dinosaur museum and tour I have ever seen. I think you can actually dig there for fossils too. This is an active area to dig up fossils.

If it were me from there I would head north to Glacier National Park. Stay in a couple of campgrounds in the park, but be sure to stay at the Many Glacier campground. Glacier park is the in the Rocky Mountains.

From Glacier drive west on Interstate 90 and stop at Lake Coeur d Alene. A gorgeous mountain lake in Idaho. Drive to Seattle. Go west from there to the Pacific Ocean. Camp on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. Stay in a campground on the water. There are several in that area.

From there head straight to Mt Rainier National Park. Not far. Camp in or as close to the park as you can. Go to Paradise in Rainier and hike the most beautiful summer wildflower meadows on the planet. If you are fit hike to Paradise Point. 2,000 ft vertical up from the lodge. A rental camper should fit in the Lodgepole Campground in the park.

Head from there for a day trip to Mt St Helens. This volcano blew up in 1980. A spectacular day trip.

Go south on Interstate 5 to California. You might consider a day trip to Crater Lake. Then stop for an hour to ogle Mt Shasta off to the east of the interstate right after you get in California. From there on to Yosemite National Park. Try to get a reservation in the park. If you cannot get one as close as you can. Spend two full days at Yosemite. From there is is a fairly short drive to Sequoia National Park. Stay in the park and see the World's largest trees and largest living things.

From here back to Vegas.

For paper maps go to AAA (American Auto Association) when you get here. They have a couple of offices in Vegas. Get maps and what they call tour books of all the States you will be visiting and going through. The tour books will have places to eat and things to do, with hours open and cost.

For locating National, State, and local public campgrounds use this free web site. They have a tablet app too. http://www.uscampgrounds.info

For locating campground ratings nothing beats http://www.rvparkreviews.com This is the RV park review website. The best rating source for campgrounds.

There is also the Allstays web site with very good campground information.

I would suggest getting a Garmin or similar GPS device with USA information. If you already have one where you live just get the USA software for it. Use a GPS like the Garmin or Tom Tom that does not need a cell phone signal. They work far better than cell phone devices for the remote areas you will be going to.

Get a prepaid cell phone. I would recommend Verizon. They have more service in the remote areas.

You can buy entrance to all parks when you get there. If anyone is over 62 there is a discount. I have a senior pass to get into National parks. I don't know if you can get one of those if you are not a USA citizen.

Enjoy. The USA west is beautiful.

What cool grandparents!

I don't have anything to add that others haven't already offered, but have fun and safe travels. This trip will blow any Orlando trip you've ever taken out of the water!

susanbee wrote:
Thanks for the replies can anyone suggest good maps or books we could buy or perhaps download I have filled in visitor info for the tourist boards in colorado etc but they don't send them internationaly .....also do we need a national parks pass or would we just pay at the entrance to these parks ? although we have been to the USA many times its always been Orlando so I'm a bit nervous of just driving off into the wilderness lol !

You will love driving in the west...wide open spaces. You can't imagine how vast it is.

Welcome, susanbee! I gather you chose Twin Falls because you have friends or family there (?) If not, and if you want to visit Yellowstone, you should stay on I-15 rather than changing over to I-84. Assuming you have a purpose in visiting "Twin," for Yellowstone you can take I-84 and then I-86 east to I-15 and then US 20 north as the fastest way to get to the park.

For something different, and a little cave-like, you might also consider going northeast from Twin Falls through Jerome to Craters of the Moon National Park. It's an interesting little park, the main feature being a 2000+year-old lava flow created by the same "hot spot" in the earth's crust that formed and still fuels Yellowstone's geysers. It's worth a half day or more, and has some hikes that go to/through lava tubes (which resemble caves). Not a pretty landscape, but something you don't see every day. :) Go east from there on US 20 and that will take you right to the west gate of Yellowstone. The park has its own campground, no hookups and not much shade (so it can be hot during the day); there's also a shadier couple of private campgrounds about 25 miles east of there in the town of Arco.

If you do visit Yellowstone (and if you're going to be in southern Idaho, you really should), allow a minimum of 3 full days there. Definitely get reservations; campgrounds inside the park have no hookups except for Fishing Bridge RV Park; if you need hookups, you can check into Grizzly RV Park or the KOA in the town of West Yellowstone. Both are good base camps. You will do a LOT of driving in Yellowstone. Consider leaving Yellowstone via the south entrance so that you can spend a few hours enjoying the Tetons.

Several scenic routes cross Colorado; from northern Utah & southern Idaho, US 40 is a good way to cross the state from west to east, taking you close to Dinosaur National Monument, over some high mountain passes and into (or at least close to) Rocky Mountain National Park. Allow several days for this route, so you have time to stop & enjoy the scenery.

Not fossils, but archeology buffs will likely enjoy Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado. Spend at least one full day there. Several campgrounds right by/in the park, or you can camp about 45-60 minutes east of there in Durango.

Just a few more ideas to pack into your trip. I'm glad you're spending a month - you'll need it! :) Have a wonderful holiday!

SooperDaddy wrote:
susanbee, you guys will have a blast and welcomt to the USA!

If at all possible these National Parks are in the same state and short drives from each other...and are absolutly SPECTACULAR!

Utah's 5 national parks including Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef!

Also, I think I saw them getting your rental rv ready....

Haha this has made our night !

susanbee, you guys will have a blast and welcomt to the USA!

If at all possible these National Parks are in the same state and short drives from each other...and are absolutly SPECTACULAR!

Utah's 5 national parks including Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef!

Also, I think I saw them getting your rental rv ready....

Should you choose to visit and stay at Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon be sure to make camping reservations well in advance as the summer is high season.

Reservations for Federal Campgrounds

ETA:Visiting at least 2 or 3 national parks and the annual pass pays for itself. You can buy it when you get here or buy it online:

Annual Pass