Exploring the U.S. coast

[RAllison]

Was just wondering if anybody on here has traveled the coastline from Maine to Washington. Was thinking about doing this when I retire. We don't like to stay to long in one spot, so we thought this might be a lot of fun. Just looking for some fun places to travel to. Thanks for any input.

[jkwilson]

JaxDad wrote:

jkwilson wrote:

RAllison wrote:
JK Wilson, in 2 years when I retire the first trip will be around all of the Great Lakes. My wife is a lighthouse admirer.

We’ve hit a bunch since we retired. The Great Lakes are worth a lot of time.

You say you hit a bunch of lighthouses, hopefully you’re not a sailor! LOL

Ha!

[JaxDad]

jkwilson wrote:

RAllison wrote:
JK Wilson, in 2 years when I retire the first trip will be around all of the Great Lakes. My wife is a lighthouse admirer.

We’ve hit a bunch since we retired. The Great Lakes are worth a lot of time.

You say you hit a bunch of lighthouses, hopefully you’re not a sailor! LOL

[jkwilson]

RAllison wrote:
JK Wilson, in 2 years when I retire the first trip will be around all of the Great Lakes. My wife is a lighthouse admirer.

We’ve hit a bunch since we retired. The Great Lakes are worth a lot of time.

[RAllison]

JK Wilson, in 2 years when I retire the first trip will be around all of the Great Lakes. My wife is a lighthouse admirer.

[way2roll]

jkwilson wrote:
Two thoughts:

First, the East Coast is tougher to follow. Boston, Philly and NYC are major obstacles. There are also some low lying regions in Maine and the Carolinas that interfere with travel close to the coast. In Florida, you may find horrific traffic along the east coast since the road runs right next to the beach. Planning will be important!

Second, don’t ignore the Great Lakes. Less hectic than the ocean coasts, for the most part. Still have some big cities to dodge. Just a few items are the lighthouses on Superior and Michigan, gorgeous beach at Holland, Michigan, Mackinac Island and the bridge, Indiana Dunes, Kohler-Andre State Park in Wisconsin, and Door County further north

I guess you would have to make a decision on the Carolinas to go to the outer banks, or Va beach and head to Emerald Isle and start down from there. You could do both I suppose but trying to do OBX you will spend a good part of a day backtracking from OBX back to VA and then around to Emerald Isle. the rest of NC would be super easy to follow through Wilmington all the way down to MYB. I think the goal of "hugging the coast" takes into consideration you won't actually be driving with an ocean view a lot of the time.

[jkwilson]

Two thoughts:

First, the East Coast is tougher to follow. Boston, Philly and NYC are major obstacles. There are also some low lying regions in Maine and the Carolinas that interfere with travel close to the coast. In Florida, you may find horrific traffic along the east coast since the road runs right next to the beach. Planning will be important!

Second, don’t ignore the Great Lakes. Less hectic than the ocean coasts, for the most part. Still have some big cities to dodge. Just a few items are the lighthouses on Superior and Michigan, gorgeous beach at Holland, Michigan, Mackinac Island and the bridge, Indiana Dunes, Kohler-Andre State Park in Wisconsin, and Door County further north

[ferndaleflyer]

I guess. Sure have to spend a lot of time in someone else’s yard to see both sides of our own. I been all over the world but have spent the last few years exploring our own country. I have seen so much and there is so much more to see.

[JaxDad]

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

There’s about 150,000 miles of coastline between Maine and Washington.

About 145,000 miles of that coast is Canadian though. 😜

[valhalla360]

RAllison wrote:
Wow you have put a lot of thought into this, I don't think I want that much of an adventure. Matter of fact I think my first trip will be around the Great Lakes. I see you have a boat, kind of got this idea from some boaters doing a trip they call the Loop.

We did America's Great Loop several years back on the boat. Great trip.

As far as the RV, we've done most of the east coast from Penn. south, all the gulf coast, California coast and Canada up to Alaska and the Arctic. Next summer, we plan to fill in New England and the Canadian Maritimes.

At some point, we would like to fill in and do the PanAmerican Highway, which we could claim to have done the USA & Canadian portions.

We do a lot of planning...people without a plan tend not to do anything. (though we are extremely flexible about following the plan).

[RAllison]

Wow you have put a lot of thought into this, I don't think I want that much of an adventure. Matter of fact I think my first trip will be around the Great Lakes. I see you have a boat, kind of got this idea from some boaters doing a trip they call the Loop.

[JRscooby]

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.

[valhalla360]

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.

[RAllison]

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.

[ktmrfs]

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.